같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같� 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같� 같같같갛께껐갛께껐같같께께같갛께께껐갛께께껐갛께께껐같께께같같같같같� 같같같같께 께같께 같같갛� 같갛� 께같께 께같께 께갛� 께같같같같같같 같같같같께 같 갛� 같같같께 같같께 갛� 갛� 갛� 갛� 갛� 께껐� 같같같같같같 같같같같갛� 같같같께 같같같께 같같께께� 갛께께 갛께께 갛께같같같같같같같같 같같같같갛� 같같같께 같껐같께 같같께 같께 께같께 께같� 께껐같같같같같같� 같같같같갛껐갛껐갛� 갛� 같께 같같께 같같갛� 갛� 갛� 갛� 께같께 같같같같같같 같같같같갛께� 께께께� 갛께껐같께께같같께께께 께께께 갛께� 같같같같같� 같같같같 같 같 같� 같같 같 같� 같같같같같 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같� 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같� 같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같같 Volume 1, Number 5 25 February 1991 (c) Daniel Do놽kal, All Rights Reserved The BBS Clipper magazine, published PERIODICALLY, later WEEKLY...... Some of the material used comes from scanning CLIPPER echoes which are carried in various BBS throughout the World. These Echoes are very often the source of the most often asked Questions and Answers about Clipper. Other material, which is fully signed or abbreviated is the copyright of the appropriate persons. The publisher is not responsible for other authors submissions.... Published material is not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Redaction: Publisher...................................Daniel Docekal Chief editor ...............................Daniel Docekal Language editor .................................Dave Wall Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ........................................................... 1 SUNDAY's editorial .................................................. 1 2. ARTICLES ............................................................ 3 SUMMARY OF HUNGARIAN NOTATION ....................................... 3 RCSDOS - Revision Control System - part (3) ......................... 4 The Programmer's Guide to CLIPPER Linkers - part (2) ................ 7 IS SHARE.EXE really needed and for what then? ....................... 12 Speed of Clipper 5.01 and free memory, what a relation .............. 14 3. SOFTWARE ............................................................ 16 NANFORUM library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .................................... 16 Expand Library ...................................................... 22 4. Q&A ................................................................. 28 Clipper 5.01 memory requirements .................................... 28 5. ANOMALIES ........................................................... 29 ANOMALIES reports and commets ....................................... 29 .PPO? OOPs, CLIPPER 5.0 has a preprocessor! ......................... 29 COPY FILE TO is not working in one case ............................. 31 DBU is hanging ...................................................... 31 CLIPBBS 1-05 Table of Contents (...) 25 Feb 1991 6. ADVERTISEMENT ....................................................... 33 What was in previous number, number 04? ............................. 33 CLIPPER WRITTEN FAX/TELEX/MAIL APPLICATION .......................... 33 7. WANTED .............................................................. 35 WANTED! WANTED! WANTED! ............................................. 35 8. COMMENTS ............................................................ 36 Another DBEVAL x WHILE comments ..................................... 36 9. ECHODUMP ............................................................ 37 CONFERENCE DUMP part (4) ............................................ 37 10. CLIPPER NET ......................................................... 43 Index of described files in Clipper BBS Magazine .................... 43 WHAT IS <>?? ........................................... 43 CLN - CLIP110.ARJ ................................................... 45 CLN - VSIX711.ARJ ................................................... 45 CLN - ACH2TB.ARJ .................................................... 46 CLN - CLIPSQL.ARJ ................................................... 47 CLN - DBSCN2.ARJ .................................................... 47 CLN - POPUPCAL.ARJ .................................................. 48 CLN - SCRSAVE.ARJ ................................................... 48 11. CLIPBBS ............................................................. 50 CLIPBBS distribution ................................................ 50 CLIPBBS, how to write an article!!! ................................. 51 - - - - - CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 1 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= EDITORIAL ============================================================================= SUNDAY's editorial As usual, i'm writing editorial on Sunday. Sitting before TC and watching TV and writing this editorial. What's new in this issue? Let see: - new part of issue called "ANOMALIES and THEIR REPORTS" was added just few minutes ago. Reason for this is, that i have several mine investigations about bugs, Jo French report has some also, but i have several important comments to Jo French Anomaly report and some other people have another reports. Why not to put all this stuff in Clipper BBS Magazine. It's nice place for it, i guess. I have also somewhere old buglist for Summer 87, therefore later i'm planning to put it here also. For old stone programmers using S87 it can be nice, for 5.01 programmers it can be useful to com- pare Summer and 5.01 anomalies. - currently now, i'm investigating NANFOR.LIB and i have to say, it's great library. I'm immediately including this library to my \LIB directory and starting using of it, because it's offering just what i'm still missing in some other libraries. Therefore list of my libraries is bigger now (EXPAND, DANIEL, NANFOR, CL, LANTLIB). And article about NANFOR will come very soon of course. - Long serie of articles about CLipper and Linking from pen :-) of R.Donnay is succesfully continuing now and has more than 10 coming parts. - Still in some phases of investigating RCS (revision control system) will become as sources for some other articles about RCS. Also planning some .C written program to make menu interface with all needed possibilites on press-a-key basis. - For MULTIEDIT users is prepared small serie of usefull macros in Clipper environment including database viewer and compiling macro for Clipper 5.0x program from inside of MultiEdit That's list of some news, if you are interested in them. Now a list of some old things, mostly problems. I'm still looking for some other authors. It's very simple. I have limited time to manage Clipper BBS Magazine of course, and therefore number of ar- ticles from me is also limited. Therefore Clipper BBS magazine needs some other subscribers. Don't worry about english (mine is also not perfect as many real english speaking readers can see and spell checker cannot check all my mistakes) or about some other things, just write about your program, experiences, investigations or about any other and send it via modem, come as user in mine BBS or in any distribution site BBS. Some comments about writing are in last parts of magazine, go and see there. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 2 25 Feb 1991 Also what i'm looking for are another distribution sites. Clipper BBS magazine is easy accesible via Clipper Net or via FidoNet PDN, but it's not optimal. What we all need are special distribution points, best one per country, where will be allways available latest issue and of course all old issues. I cannot of course send issues to those points, they have to poll me (if FidoNet capable mailers) or just login into BBS and get all from reserved directory. And also, sometime, get new articles from subscribers and send them to me (or upload if only BBS). Nice possibility, which i can offer to also COMMERCIAL programs. Just write your own adverisement and send it to me as another article. Result will be, that your advertisement will become into Clipper BBS Magazine and then will go to many, many hands. All free, or if you want to contribute with expenses coming with Clipper BBS Magazine, then i will be of course lucky man. But, there aren't pricelists. And all advertisements are equal, commercial, non-commercial or personal. For all of them is here space. Yours, Daniel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 3 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= ARTICLES ============================================================================= SUMMARY OF HUNGARIAN NOTATION Type prefixes (first character of name) 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴캠 쿎har � Type � 쿎har � Type � 쿎har � Type � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴캘 � a � Array � � b � Code Block � � c � Character � � d � Date � � h � Handle � � l � Logical � � n � Numeric � � o � Object � � v � anything � 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴暠 State qualifier (next part of name) 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴캠 쿎hars � Type � 쿎hars � Type � 쿎hars � Type � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴캘 � New � new state � � Sav � saved state� � tem � temporary � 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴暠 Standard Qualifier (next coming part of name) 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴캠 쿎hars � Type � 쿎hars � Type � 쿎hars � Type � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴캘 � Attr � Attribute � � Ar � Array � � Clr � Color � � Crs � Cursor � � Dbf � related dbf� � F � First � � File � Any File � � Fld � field � � L � Last � � Msg � Message � � Name � Name � � Ntx � Ntx rel. � � Rec � Rec.number � � Ret � return val.� � Scr � Screen � � Str � String � � T � Top � � L � Left � � B � Bottom � � R � Right � � Row � Row � � Col � Column � � X � Row � � Y � Column � � Max � Maxim.value� � Min � Min.value � � � � 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴袴� 突袴袴賈袴袴袴袴袴暠 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 4 25 Feb 1991 RCSDOS - Revision Control System - part (3) __________________ Setting user names 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 DOSRCS needs for work user name. If is not supplied, is using standard name. Normal of course is, that every user is using own name. Setting of user name is well simple: � SET USR=user_name DOS SET command is setting environment variable to value of your used user name. In my case it's SET USR=DANIEL. __________________ CHECK OUT - CO.EXE 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 Check out is first program which i will try to explain little bit from point of view of use for Clipper programmer. Yes, i know, with RCS is coming complete documentation in one from archives filled with .MAN files (MANuals). But this is very short explanation about everything and who know, maybe you have ONLY .EXE files (another archives) and manuals aren't on your place yet or never. Therefore i will try to give complete description what i discovered in DOSRCS package with also some examples how i'm using those programs. Check Out program called CO.EXE is used for getting sources/texts stored in RCS back for normal use with some additional actions. CO.EXE is controlled with many switches, but for basic using is enough to know only form used in GET.BAT file: CO -l RCS\%1 That's only for explanation now. Extensive informations are required for doing additional job, mainly for case of getting not LATEST version, but some from previous versions. This is needed often in case, that programmer made a changes in program and after them find, that they are not OK and wants to go back to original state. Without DOSRCS it's a big problem (canbe solved only by keeping backup copies), with DOSRCS it's simple, just ask and get it. And still available changed 'wrong' version.... Syntax of CO command is: CO [options] file ... Available options for use: -r[] CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 5 25 Feb 1991 asking for latest revision whose number is less than or equal to . If indicates a branch, the latest revision of that branch is retrieved. If is not used, is retrieved latest revision from default branch (-b option!). is in ALL cases and in ALL programs composed from one or more numeric or symbolic fields separated with ".". Symbolic field must have numeric equivalent give with "-n" option of CI or RCS command. This way of retrieving revision is NOT LOCKING this revision and everybody else can get it. It can be used ONLY for process of viewing/compiling, but NEVER for process of making changes in file! -l[] It's doing the same as -r, but IT IS LOCKING retrieved revision for caller. Nobody else is then able to retrieve this revision and do changes on it. This switch is also used in our GET command, because i'm assuming EVERY time lock revision. Example: In this case is good to give small example. Let say, that i want to get revision 1.1 of TEST.PRG used in previous article, then i can use: CO -l1.1 TEST.PRG -u[] It's equivalent of "-r", but it's UNLOCKING retrieved revision (if it was locked before by caller). In case of ommited, it's retrieving latest revision which is locked by caller! -f[] In case, that working source/text file already exist, this switch will force CO.EXE to overwrite this file. Usually it's combined with "-q" switch for quiet automatic mode. -p[] Prints retrieved version on standard output rather than storing (creating) into working source/text file. With this switch is possible use CO.EXE as part of pipes or redirections. -q[] Quite mode is supressing printing of diagnostics CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 6 25 Feb 1991 informations and also some questions normally given by program. -d retrieves latest revision on selected branch whose checkin date/time is LESS or EQUAL that . can have one from following formats: "22-April-1982, 17:20-CDT" "2:25 AM, Dec. 29, 1983" "Tue-PDT, 1981, 4pm Jul 21" (free format) "Fri, April 16 15:52:25 EST 1982" (output of ctime). For example, the date 20,10:30 defaults to 10:30:00 of the 20th of current month and current year. Please, be aware of using dates less than year 1970, there is warning about wrong work of this. -s Retrieves the latest revision on the selected branch whose state is set to . -w[] Retrieves the latest revision on the selected branch which was checked in by the user with login name . Unused argument is equal to own user name. -j For save your time, see this warning. DOSRCS IS NOT ABLE TO DO THIS COMMAND BECAUSE OF NOT SUPPORT IN DOS FOR JOIN OPE- RATIONS. RCS is coming from UNIX where is direct support of operating system for this operation. Therefore please DON'T TRY TO PLAY WITH THIS, IT'S WASTE OF TIME ONLY. IT'S NOT IMPLEMENTED HERE. All switches is possible to combine together (for example dates with login names..) for getting best possible revision which will meet all this conditions. See you later.... .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 7 25 Feb 1991 The Programmer's Guide to CLIPPER Linkers - part (2) = GLOSSARY of Linking Terminology = .EXEcutable file - A linked program that the operating system can execute. OBJECT file - A file produced by the compiler used as an input file by the linker. Also referred to as a relocatable file because it contains code that can be modified by the linker to execute at any memory address. MODULE - Another term of reference for an OBJECT. A module name is assigned by the compiler to each object so it can be referenced in libraries. SECTION - A section is a unit of linked, executable code for handling by the overlay manager. A section is usually an overlay - a portion of the executable file that is loaded into memory as a single unit. SEGMENT - A piece of code or data that is manipulated by the linker as an indivisble unit. PUBLIC - Segments of code or data that can be combined SEGMENTS with other segments of the same segment and class name to occupy adjacent locations in memory. PRIVATE - Segments of code or data that cannot be SEGMENTS combined with other segments to occupy adjacent memory locations. OVERLAY - A section of code or data that shares all or part of its memory allocation with other sections. LIBRARY - A file containing relocatable modules which are individually available to the linker. Libraries usually include indexes of PUBLIC symbols. SYMBOL - The assigned name for a value that is a constant (absolute symbol) or the address of a program component (relative symbol). PUBLIC - A symbol whose relative address is designated by SYMBOL the compiler to be available for modules other than the module that defines it. STATIC - A symbol whose relative address is designated by SYMBOL the compiler to be available only for the module that defines it. EXTERNAL - A symbol that is not defined in a module that SYMBOL references it. The linker "fixes" these references when their values become known. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 8 25 Feb 1991 OVERLAY - A preallocated memory area where code segments are POOL loaded side-by-side during program execution. PRE-LINKING - A feature of some linkers which allows linking of portions of a program that are not subject to change in advance of creating an .EXEcutable file and using the Pre-link library with the .EXE file. INCREMENTAL - A feature of some linkers which detects only the LINKING modules which have been changed and relink those modules, thus resulting in faster linking. STATIC - Segments of code which are placed into overlay OVERLAYS sections that occupy the same memory space at runtime. When a new overlay is loaded in a static overlay, the old code is discarded. RELOADABLE - Segments of code which are placed into overlay OVERLAYS sections that occupy the same memory space at runtime. When a new overlay is loaded in a reloadable overlay, the old code is temporarily discarded then reloaded when needed. OVERLAY - A portion of a linked program that contains the FILE overlay segments which are loaded into memory for execution during runtime. INTERNAL - Overlay segments which are placed into the OVERLAY main .EXEcutable file. EXTERNAL - Overlay segments which are placed into an OVERLAY .OVL (overlay) file which is accessed from the main .EXEcutable program. POSITIONAL - A command interface to the linker which requires SYNTAX that linker commands be issued in a proper order at the dos command line or a script file. FREEFORMAT - A command interface to the linker which allows SYNTAX linker commands to be issued in any order and is usually associated only with a script file. MAP FILE - An ASCII file usually with the .MAP extension which contains information about symbol and segment addresses within the memory image of the linked program. Map files are created during linking. WARNING - Messages issued by the linker during the link MESSAGES process which states that a link process was attempted which could not be completed. Warnings usually mean that the .EXEcutable program was created and is executable, but does not necessarily conform to the specifications in the link script. FATAL - An error message issued by the linker during the CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 9 25 Feb 1991 ERRORS link process which states that the .EXEcutable program could not be created due to inability to find files, libraries, code segments, etc. 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 Linking Tips for Memory-Management 袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴袴 In almost all cases, memory management is accomplished by the use of "overlays". Many Clipper programmers have been reluctant to use overlay linkers because they heard how difficult they are to manage. This may have been true in the past, but overlay managers have become much more sophisticated in the past two years. In order to understand how to choose a linker for memory management, we must first examine the methods in which linkers accomplish this task. They are as follows: 1. Static Overlays 2. Reloadable Overlays 3. Dynamic Overlays 4. Dynamic Linking 6. Symbol Management 7. Memory Packing 8. Memory Allocation 9. Virtual Memory Linking (VML) = STATIC OVERLAYS = "Static overlays" are segments of code which are placed into overlay sections that occupy the same memory space at runtime. Static overlay segments usually look like this in your link file: # area 1 BEGINAREA SECTION FILE A SECTION FILE B SECTION FILE C ENDAREA # area 2 BEGINAREA SECTION FILE D SECTION FILE E SECTION FILE F ENDAREA If your linker uses static overlays (PLINK86, PLINK86plus), CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 10 25 Feb 1991 then you must be sure that you properly place your objects in the overlay segments to prevent computer "lock-up" or "crashing" at runtime. In the above example, any procedure or function in FILE A may call any procedure or function in FILE D - F because they are in different areas, however if a function in FILE A calls a procedure or function in FILE B, then your program will crash as soon as the program returns to FILE A because FILE A was removed from memory to load FILE B. Overlay management with "static overlays" is the most time- consuming because it requires extensive analysis of the structure of the program to insure that the modules are placed properly in the overlay areas. = RELOADABLE OVERLAYS = "Reloadable overlays" are segments of code which are placed into overlay sections that occupy the same memory space at runtime, however the "calling module" is automatically "reloaded" into memory when returning from the "called module". Reloadable overlay segments usually look like this in your link file: RELOAD FAR 200 # area 1 BEGINAREA SECTION FILE A SECTION FILE B SECTION FILE C ENDAREA # area 2 BEGINAREA SECTION FILE D SECTION FILE E SECTION FILE F ENDAREA If your linker allows reloadable overlays (RTLINK, RTLINK+, RTLINK/CLIPPER-5.0) then you are not in danger of "lockup" in the event that a procedure or function in FILE A calls a function or procedure in FILE B because FILE A will be reloaded into memory on return from FILE B. Your application will experience slowing, however, if overlays are not structured properly, because each time an overlay is reloaded the application must go to disk. In the above example if a function in FILE A repetitiveley calls a function in FILE B then your application will be very "disk intensive" and will run slowly. If a function in FILE A repetitively calls a function in FILE D there will be no slowing at all because both modules will remain in memory. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 11 25 Feb 1991 Overlay management with "reloadable overlays" is the less time- consuming than "static overlays" and provides an additional advantage of allowing more modules to be overlayed, thereby saving additional memory usage. Overlay managers which provide "RELOAD" commands usually limit the automatic reloading to either "NEAR" or "FAR" calls. The Clipper-compiler mixes both near and far calls therefore Clipper-compiled code cannot be overlayed in this manner. The generic versions of RTLINK, RTLINK+, PLINK86plus and the Clipper-5.0 version of RTLINK all support overlay reloading, but the modules overlayed in this manner must be C/ASM modules from the CLIPPER/EXTEND libraries or third-party libraries, NOT clipper-compiled objects. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 12 25 Feb 1991 DOS 4.01 SHARE Service Question =============================== I know the purpose of SHARE in multi-user, multi-tasking and network environments. But MS-DOS 4.01 seems to feel that SHARE must be loaded just because a Large-Partition is defined. It may be loaded either via the INSTALL command in the CONFIG.SYS file or as a TSR in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. But if you have a DOS partition over 32 MB's and you don't install SHARE you generate a DOS "WARNING....." message. DOS even goes so far that if you have not installed SHARE it will search the root directory for it and then AUTO-LOAD it !! Now THAT is a real first ! Why... I ran without it for months on a 100MB partition with absolutely no problem. Then I got afraid of that constant boot-up warning and put it back in my CONFIG file. Of course it is a pain at times because it can interfere with reasonable desired file access- such as backing up a file that has not been openned with the proper Shared Read access by the owning TSR program. Not that you want to actually back that file up but that it causes an error msg and requires an operator response to continue. That's all fine for the original intended purpose of SHARE but now what does it do for partitions over 32 MB that is not needed in <32 MB partitions ? Anybody know ? Remember it's NOT required to operate with Large Partitions. I've run for months without it... what was I missing ? ---------------------------------------------- Well like so many I made the trek to COMDEX a few weeks ago and gave some effort to finding the answer to this profound question of life and the need to SHARE. Microsoft didn't know the answer. IBM was staffed by a techie who said "I really don't know the answer to that, I just include it too." So I insisted and persisted and made many at the IBM stand feel increasingly squirmy as nobody knew the answer. How stupid they must have felt that somebody was here asking a dumb DOS question when "we" all knew it nolonger mattered... that OS/2 was now the Real Thing. THEN one day they gave a freebie day at COMDEX to an original DOS programmer who worked on DOS 4.01 ! He quietly and completely explained the answer... It's VERY interesting. If you use "modern" programs all the time, you may have never run into problems using Large-Partitions (over 32MB) without SHARE loaded. But beware... The deal is that the old file FCB's cannot hold pointer information in it's "reserved fields", on files that are located on disk locations past 32MB's. When used in a Large-Partition environment, FCB's can be okay as long as the file is physically WITHIN the 32MB range of the partition. However if part of the file is past the 32MB range, say in the 38th megabyte area of the partition, the FCB doesn't chuck-up or give an error, it just rolls the pointer value over, thru zero, and gives DOS a new garbage value as an internal disk pointer. The next disk read gives junk to your program, the next disk write corrupts your disk. It's Great Fun. The reason SHARE is the solution is because it was already doing the CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 13 25 Feb 1991 required fix for a different reason in small partitions. To give file sharing protection in multi-user environments SHARE would make a copy of a program's FCB in a new local copy within SHARE and perform the file open from SHARE's copy of the FCB. In so doing, it technically owned the file and could effectively perform traffic-cop duty regarding multi-access activity on the file. Since old programs using hard coded FCB's had to be given a way to run in Large-Partitions something had to be done to the FCB disk pointer problem. The solution was to copy the original FCB from within the program to a new "extended" format of the FCB that would be in control by the operating system. The extended form of the FCB with larger fields would be able to support Large-Partitions, and any other extensions in the future. This FCB copy capability was already in existance in the current SHARE facility. SHARE was just upgraded to not just copy the FCB into it's own area for file access control but to copy it into an extended FCB format, when applicable, for Large-Partition access. As nobody knows the internal code of the program's they run everyday, you can never be positive if a program is using File Handles via Extended File IO or old FCB's. (Actually, if you can specify a path, it's 99.44% likely to be extended file IO using a File Handle.) Since the use of FCB's in Large-Partions, when accessing the disk area past 32 MB will corrupt the poor user's disk, IBM said: "this is serious", and even forced the bootup process to automatically search for SHARE in the root directory if it had not been explicitly loaded in the config file. Ahhhh.... and that explains why such "modern" people as myself who had used only "modern" programs with File Handles (no FCB's) never had any problems. Right. But not completely safe. Just lucky. The reason SHARE is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY in systems using Large-Partitions is this: My IBM DOS programmer says that even today DOS itself still uses some old FCB's internally for some unspecified internal disk functions ! God help us, Microsoft sure didn't. DOS still runs some original DOS 1.1 file access code that REQUIRES SHARE in order not to, on some day, wipe out your hard disk !!! So if you're getting the SHARE WARNING at bootup friends, stick it back in your config file, or just put it in the root directory of you're C drive, and just eat the bytes it takes in memory... Fact is, we've got no choice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 14 25 Feb 1991 Speed of Clipper 5.01 and free memory, what a relation... Second from serie of test trials dedicated to discovery relations between speed of clipper and some other conditions. This time, we are looking how is Clipper touched with lack of free memory for executing program. On on very simple program we can see a result of decreasing free memory.... First, let see test program: � local cString1 := space(1000) ,; � cString2 := space(1) ,; � nStart := 0 ,; � n ,; � n1 := 0 � � ? ' testing in progress, memory() values are:' � ? '(0)=',memory(0),' (1)=',memory(1),' (2)=',memory(2) � ? � nStart = seconds() � � for n:=1 to len(cString1) � n1 := n1 + asc(substr(cString1,n)) � ?? n,chr(13) � next � ? � ? ' first part of test passed after ',seconds()-nstart,' seconds' � ? � for n:=1 to 1000 � cString2 := cString2 + "." � ?? n,chr(13) � next � ? � ? ' wholetest passed after ',seconds()-nstart,' seconds' � ? Next, see conditions of testing: 1) used with FULLBASE.PLL for limiting link time and also because it's increasing disk access sometime 2) PC AT286, 16Mhz, 610KB free originally because of QRAM and all stuff loaded high And result: 旼컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴캠 � 쳐컴컴컴Memory()쩡컴컴캑 DOS � first � whole � � � (0) � (1) � (2) � memory� [s] � [s] � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캘 � TEST1� 223 � 64 � 213 � ~600KB � 2.58 � 5.16 � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캘 � TEST2� 42 � 28 � 34 � ~300KB � 2.91 � 5.54 � 쳐컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컵컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캘 � TEST3� 17 � 17 � 9 � ~275KB � 4.76 � 9.23 � 突袴袴賈袴袴袴賈袴袴袴賈袴袴袴鳩袴袴袴賈袴袴袴袴鳩袴袴袴暠 CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 15 25 Feb 1991 Decisions: First, test program was very simple and was using really less memory, because of strings allocated only small. Initially i was trying to operate with strings about 30KBs, but it was TOO slow to my patience, therefore i made it only about 1KB, because result of test is not too much different. Then i used MEMHOG utility for allocating memory out and running this program several times. TEST1 was in memory about 600KB free, TEST2 about 300KB free, TEST3 about 275KB free. Less free was not possible, because program was flowing out from memory. Decision is simple. When small memory, big slowness is coming. When enough memory free, program is much faster. All that because of needed disk swapping and overlaying starting also in very small program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 16 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= SOFTWARE ============================================================================= NANFORUM library!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NANFORUM TOOLKIT, or NANFORUM library is public-domain, user-supported library coming from Compuserver (what a dream of many europeans clipperist). Great project begun in 1990 and went into at this moment really great and profitable library collected from hundreths of function from several users. Perfectly documented and suiting exact needs which Clipper programmer can have very often is available only for price of download and is free for use by all of us. Library is currently written for any Clipper 5.0x compiler, but because of sources and future upgrades will be coming step by step with new Clipper version (if any will come ). At this moment is maybe good point, that there is naming convention used for this library and all future versions will keep this naming convention: NFLIBxx.xxx .NG and .LIB NFSRCxx.xxx all sources There is also very good system of submitting sources and documentation with maximal use of RCS (Revision Control System) described also here in Clipper BBS magazine (and all sources can be nice example of use RCS!). Another good idea used by keepers of this library is fact, that all submitted code must be tested and approved with two independent people and only after this (and filling documentation and way of writing conditions) is function included in library. This can grant checks of buggy functions and excluding them from processing. OK, stop talking and come on with list of functions in library (version 2.0 currently) with some comments: Array related functions 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_AADDITION() Add elements unique of source array to target array FT_AAVG() Average numeric values in an array FT_ADESSORT() Sort an array in descending order FT_AEMAXLEN() Find longest element within an array FT_AEMINLEN() Find shortest element within an array FT_AMEDIAN() Find middle value in array, or average of two middle values FT_ANOMATCHES() Find the number of array elements meeting a condition FT_AREDIT() 2 dimensional array editing function using TBrowse FT_ASUM() Sum the elements of an array FT_RESTARR() Restore a Clipper array from a disc file FT_SAVEARR() Save Clipper array to a disc file. Any kind of conversion function CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 17 25 Feb 1991 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_BYT2BIT() Convert byte to string of 1's and 0's FT_BYT2HEX() Convert byte to hexadecimal version of its binary value FT_D2E() Convert decimal to scientific notation FT_DEC2BIN() Convert decimal to binary FT_E2D() Convert scientific notation string to a decimal FT_ESCCODE() Convert Lotus style escape codes FT_HEX2DEC() Convert a hex number to decimal FT_INVCLR() Get the inverse of a color FT_NTOW() Translate numeric value to words FT_SQZN() Compress a numeric value into a character string FT_STOD() Convert a date string to a Clipper date data type FT_UNSQZN() Uncompress a numeric compressed by FT_SQZN() FT_XTOY() Convert from any data type to any other data type Especially latest function is nice. It's very handy to have function like this, because it's quite normal that application need universal conversion function. Another nice is FT_ESCCODE(), it's allowing to have printer control codes defined in way as in Lotus program (as \999) into real codes for printing into printer. DOS and BIOS related 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 FT_CHDIR() Change the current directory FT_DEFAULT() Retrieve and optionally change the current default drive FT_DOSVER Return the current DOS major and minor version as a string FT_DSKFREE() Return the amount of available disk space FT_DSKSIZE() Return the maximum capacity of a fixed disk FT_FLOPTST() Test diskette drive status FT_HANDCNT() Count number of available DOS (not network) file handles FT_INP() Retrieve a byte from a specified I/O port FT_INT86() Execute a software interrupt FT_ISPRINT() Check printer status FT_ISSHARE() Determine if DOS "Share" is installed FT_MKDIR() Create a subdirectory FT_OUTP() Write a byte to a specified I/O port FT_PEEK() Retrieve a byte from a specified memory location. FT_POKE() Write a byte to a specified memory location FT_REBOOT() Force a warm or cold boot FT_RMDIR() Delete a subdirectory FT_SETDATE() Set the DOS system date FT_SETTIME() Set the DOS system time FT_SYSMEM() Determine the amount of conventional memory installed FT_TEMPFIL() Create a file with a unique name Interesting should be function FT_INT86() because via this is possible to call ANY interrupt in your PC from inside of Clipper with passing values in registers. Some other functions from NANFOR.LIB are using also this function. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 18 25 Feb 1991 FT_TEMPFIL() is another long time expected function. It's giving unique DOS name for temporary (or any other unique) files. It's calling DOS service, therefore name is really coming from your PC and not from some time/date constructor. Database related function 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_FDEC() Return the number of decimals in a numeric (type "N") field FT_FEMPTY() Determine if a field is empty, i.e., contains no value. FT_FEXIST() Check for the existence of a field. FT_FLEN() Return a field's length. FT_FNUM() Return a field's ordinal position given the field name. FT_FPLACE() Write a new value to a field. FT_FTYPE() Return a field's type, given field name or ordinal position FT_FVAL() Return the value of a field. FT_FVALLEN() Return the length of the value in a field. Date and Time 컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_ACCTADJ() Adjust beginning or ending fiscal pd. dates to acctg. dates FT_ACCTMONTH() Return accounting month data FT_ACCTQTR() Return accounting quarter data FT_ACCTWEEK() Return accounting week data FT_ACCTYEAR() Return accounting year data FT_ADDWKDY() Return true number of days to add given number of workdays FT_CALENDAR() Display date/time calendar, find a date, return calendar date FT_CIV2MIL() Convert usual civilian format time to military time. FT_DATECNFG() Set beginning of year/week for FT_ date functions FT_DAYOFYR() Return calendar, fiscal or accounting day data FT_DAYTOBOW() Calculate no. of days between date and beginning of week FT_DOY() Find number of day within year FT_EASTER() Return the date of Easter FT_ELAPMIN() Return difference, in minutes, between two mil format times FT_ELAPSED() Return elapsed time between two days and/or times FT_ELTIME() Compute difference between times in hours, minutes, seconds. FT_FDAY() Return first day of the month FT_LDAY() Return last day of the month FT_MADD() Add or subtract months to/from a date FT_MIL2CIV() Convert time in military format to civilian format. FT_MIL2MIN() Convert time in military format to number of minute of day FT_MIN2DHM() Convert numeric minutes to days, hours and minutes. FT_MIN2MIL() Convert minute of day to military format time. FT_MONTH() Return Calendar or Fiscal Month Data FT_QTR() Return Calendar or Fiscal Quarter Data. FT_SYS2MIL() Convert system time to military time format. FT_WEEK() Return calendar or fiscal week data FT_WORKDAYS() Return number of work days between two dates FT_WOY() Find number of week within year FT_YEAR() Return calendar or fiscal year data What i found nice here is FT_ELTIME() for counting differences between time values (why NANTUCKET didn't included also data type TIME..), and CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 19 25 Feb 1991 FT_DOY() for getting DAY number. FT_DOY() can be great for use in case of creating DAILY files. Environment related 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_COM3OR4() Enable use of COM3 and/or COM4 on IBM/PC compatables FT_DIR2DB() Create .DBF of directory files, using DOS filespec FT_EXIST() Test for existence of drive and/or subdirectory FT_GETE() Return the entire current environment FT_LINKED() Determine if a function was linked in FT_ORIGIN() Report the drive, path and filename of the executing program FT_RESTSETS() Restore status of all SET command settings FT_SAVESETS() Save the status of all the SET command settings FT_SETCENTURY() Check/Set the CENTURY Setting FT_TREE() Locate all directories and subdirectories on a drive FT_WHEREIS() Locate all occurrences of a filespec on a drive Really interesting functions are located here. First, environment function FT_GETE() and FT_ORIGIN() are very often asked problem in FidoNet echo as i know, then FT_TREE and FT_WHEREIS are high level sofisticated file oriented function given in DOS case by programs like FILEFIND, NDD and so on. Now inside in clipper also! FILE input and output 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_DFCLOSE() Close file displayed by FT_DISPFILE() FT_DFSETUP() Set up parameters for FT_DISPFILE() FT_DISPFILE() Browse a text file FT_FEOF() Determine when end of text file is encountered FT_FGOBOT() Go to the last record in a text file FT_FGOTO() Move record pointer to specific record in a text file FT_FGOTOP() Go to the first record in a text file FT_FLASTREC() Determine the no. of records in the currently selected text FT_FREADLN() Read a line from the currently selected text file FT_FRECNO() Return the current record number of a text file FT_FSELECT() Select a text file workarea FT_FSKIP() Move the record pointer to a new position in a text file FT_FUSE() Open or close a text file for use by the FT_F* functions And here finally i found something LONG time wanted to write (but i was of course too lazy to do this). FT_DISPFILE() function is great browser in text file without any restriction of size of this file. Good bye MEMOEDIT() with limitation of 64KBs (and memory problems) and needs to display 200KB big .TXT file generated by REPORT command :-) Another piece of perfect work, FT_READLN(), FT_SELECT(), FT_FUSE()... Functions which are for TEXT file as USE, SKIP, GOTO are for database. Just imagine your text file is coming RECORD/RECORD on your screen (records are of course lines) with possibility to browse, go to particular line..... YES, and games are also included 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 20 25 Feb 1991 FT_PEGS() FT_PEGS GAME (all work and no play...) Yes, it's funny game which one can include in own programs!.... Keyboard and mouse 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 FT_ALT() Determine status of the Alt key FT_CAPLOCK() Determine and optionally change the status of CapLock key FT_CTRL() Determine status of the Ctrl key FT_MBUTPRS() Retrieve button press status FT_MBUTREL() Get mouse button release information FT_MCURSOR() Set the mouse cursor FT_MDBLCLK() Return true if a double click was detected FT_MDEFCRS() Define the mouse cursor FT_MGETPOS() Get mouse cursor position and button status FT_MGETX() Get mouse cursor row position FT_MGETY() Get mouse cursor column position FT_MHIDECRS() Decrement internal mouse cursor flag and hide mouse cursor FT_MINREGION() Test if the mouse cursor is in the passed region FT_MMICKEYS() Get mickeys FT_MRESET() Reset mouse driver and return status of mouse FT_MSETPOS() Position the mouse cursor FT_MSHOWCRS() Increment internal cursor flag and display mouse cursor FT_MXLIMIT() Set vertical bounds of mouse travel FT_MYLIMIT() Set horizontal bounds of mouse travel FT_NUMLOCK() Return status of NumLock key FT_PRTSCR() Enable or disable the Print Screen key FT_PUTKEY() Stuff a keystroke into the keyboard buffer FT_SCANCODE() Wait for keypress and return keyboard scan code FT_SETRATE() Set the keyboard delay and repeat rate on PC/AT & PS/2 FT_SHIFT() Determine status of shift key FT_SINKEY() Replacement for INKEY() that tests for SET KEY procedures WOW! Low level functions for test of SHIFT, CTRL, NUMLOCK, complete low level mouse checking (curious if someone will can compare it with Pepijn Smits mouse functions). FT_PRTSCR() can be also handy because of lot of funny users pressing PrtScr many times for nothing... And now some high mathematic 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 FT_GCD() Calculate greatest common divisor of two numbers FT_NETPV() Calculate net present value FT_RAND1() Generate a random number FT_ROUND() Rounds a number to a specific place MENUS and PROMPTS 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� @...PROMPT Define a menu item for use with MENU TO FT_ACH2TB() Replace ACHOICE() with a Tbrowse object FT_ADDER() Pop up a simple calculator FT_BLINK() Display a blinking message on the screen FT_BRWSWHL() Browse an indexed database limited to a while condition FT_CLRSEL() User Selectable Colour Routine FT_DISPMSG() Display a message and optionally waits for a keypress FT_FILL() Declare menu options for FT_MENU1() FT_MENU1() Pulldown menu system CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 21 25 Feb 1991 FT_MENU2() Vertical lightbar menu FT_MENUTO() Execute light bar menu using prompts created with FT_PROMPT() FT_PENDING() Display same-line pending messages after a wait. FT_PICKDAY() Picklist of days of week FT_PROMPT() Define a menu item for use with FT_MENUTO() FT_XBOX() Display a self-sizing message box and message MENU TO Execute light bar menu using prompts created with @...PROMPT Complete replacement of MENU TO and @PROMPT command is also coming in NANFOR.LIB together with some high level function to select days, calculator, display messages on screen... Novell Netware 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 FT_ENDCAP() Cancel a specific NetWare print queue capture FT_LOGOUT() Logout from all currently connected NetWare file servers FT_NOVDMP2() Determine Novell server's dynamic memory area 2 availability FT_NOVPURGE() Purge all deleted files on a Novell server FT_NWLSTAT() Return the current Novell NetWare logical station number FT_NWSEMCLOSE() Close a NetWare semaphore FT_NWSEMEX() Examine a NetWare semaphore's value and open count FT_NWSEMLOCK() Perform a semaphore "lock" FT_NWSEMOPEN() Open or create a NetWare semaphore FT_NWSEMSIG() Signal a NetWare semaphore (increment) FT_NWSEMWAIT() Wait on a NetWare semaphore (decrement) FT_NWUID() Return the current Novell NetWare User ID FT_PFLUSH() Flush a NetWare capture buffer FT_TTSABORT() Abort explicit and implicit NetWare TTS transactions FT_TTSAVAIL() Check whether default Novell file server supports TTS FT_TTSBEGIN() Begin explicit transaction under NetWare's TTS FT_TTSEND() End explicit or implicit transaction under NetWare's TTS FT_TTSSTAT() Verify if TTS transaction has been written to disk Some functions for controlling Novell Netware. Nice is, that is included complete SEMAPHORE controlling and controlling of TTS (transactional system for databases especially). String function 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_AT2() Find position of the nth occurrence of a substring FT_BITCLR() Clear (reset) selected bit in a byte FT_BITSET() Set selected bit in a byte FT_BYTEAND() Perform bit-wise AND on two ASCII characters (bytes) FT_BYTENEG() Perform bit-wise negation on an ASCII character FT_BYTENOT() Perform bit-wise NOT on an ASCII character (byte) FT_BYTEOR() Perform bit-wise OR on two ASCII characters (bytes) FT_BYTEXOR() Perform bit-wise XOR on two ASCII characters (bytes) FT_FINDITH() Find the "ith" occurrence of a substring within a string FT_ISBIT() Test the status of an individual bit FT_ISBITON() Determine the state of individual bits in a number FT_METAPH() Convert a character string to MetaPhone format FT_NOOCCUR() Find the number of times one string occurs in another FT_PCHR() Convert printer control codes FT_PROPER() Convert a string to proper-name case BIT operations (FT_BYTExxx functions) are something missed again in CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 22 25 Feb 1991 Nantucket set of functions and operators. Now they are here. FT_NOOCCUR() is also handy. Many time i needed to count number of FormFeeds to tell how much pages has some messages.... FT_PCHR() is best function for entering and converting printer control codes which i ever seen. Also including complete definition of EPSON codes in symbolic! Video functions 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� FT_ADAPTER() Report the type of video adapter installed FT_CLS() Clear screen FT_GETMODE() Get the video mode FT_GETVCUR() Return info about the cursor on a specified video page FT_GETVPG() Get the currently selected video page FT_RESTATT() Restore the attribute bytes of a specified screen region FT_REVATTR() Reverse colors of specified screen coordinates FT_REVCHR() Reverse the color of a single character on the screen FT_RGNSTACK() Push or pop a saved screen region on or off the stack FT_RSTRGN() Restore region of the screen saved with FT_SAVRGN() FT_SAVEATT() Save the attribute bytes of a specified screen region FT_SAVRGN() Save a screen region for later display FT_SETATTR() Change color attributes of screen region FT_SETMODE() Set the video mode FT_SETVCUR() Set the cursor position on a specified video page FT_SETVPG() Set the current video page FT_SHADOW() Draw a non-destructive shadow on the screen FT_VIDSTR() Display string on screen in specified attribute FT_WRTCHR() Display character on screen Some handy functions for recognizing and setting parameters of your screen. Also included FT_SHADOW() for making shadow for your windows. In case of this function i want to pick up only fact, that it's using CLIPPER INTERNALs for doing a job, which is not by my opinion very handy, especially when it can be done with different way. OK. That's all at this moment. Maybe i will later write some other articles about NANFOR with some sample how i'm (or maybe someone else will do?) using this library. Daniel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expand Library. Pepijn Smits When Daniel asked me to write an article for his next issue of CLIPBBS, I didn't hesitate. The possibility for me to write for a large amount of people about the Expand library is always interesting, if not for you, surely it is for me. This article therefore, intends to discuss both latest versions of the Expand library (Summer '87 and Clipper 5.01), and is CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 23 25 Feb 1991 interesting for anyone working seriously with Clipper and seeking some more possibilities out of Clipper. I gather it is also interesting for the ones already familiar with the Library, as it discusses how I ever came to developing it. Introduction: ------------- Two years ago, I was developing a big application using Clipper Summer '87. At the company where I was doing this, they didn't believe much in buying Libraries (you know the type; got to get through a huge bureacracy, at least 3 signatures and 3 weeks before a new PC product was bought, my PS/2 70 didn't even have QEMM installed! "Not necessary", they said). So we sticked to Summer '87 with Plink86. During development, everything went smoothly. But, suddenly we had a great need for a ChDir() function in our application. Reluctantly, I looked up the Extend documentation, and found out that interfacing Assembly with Clipper (being already familiar with Assembly) wasn't at all that hard. So I wrote ChDir() (RmDir() and MkDir() in the mean time) and that file was always linked in. Slowly, more and more of those general Assembly routines where included (which I wrote in my own time), and I decided it was a good idea to put them in a Library, which I called Expand, just as a logical extension to Extend, because I thought those functions should have been included anyway in the first place. Anyway, Expand v1.00 was born, and I did spent quite some on the documentation, of which I think it is very important. Once the Library was more or less completed, with Demo, Norton Guide etc.. I uploaded it to several Bulletin Boards in the Netherlands, for it to be of some usage to other Clipper programmers. Expand Library: --------------- I got a lot of enthousiastic reports, and currently quite some people are using the Library in their applications. I can't give any numbers, but probably around one thousend in the Netherlands alone, and a few Hundred in the world "out there". Hoping that the use outside the Netherlands will grow! When Clipper 5.0 came out, I was quite fast with a release of Expand for Clipper 5.0 (I even had to remove some functions, as Nantucket had added similar ones to their Libraries). Currently, The latest version of Expand for Clipper Summer '87 is 3.02, the latest version of Expand for Clipper 5.01 is v2.01. And they are more or less developing in different ways, where I must add that Clipper 5.01 is getting 80% of my attention these days. The Expand library for Summer '87 is Public Domain, meaning that you may use it freely, without mentionning it. The Expand library for Clipper 5.01 is Shareware, just to make it easier for me (and to motivate me) to continue developing the Library. It is not a gold mine, and I also have the impression that people outside the Netherlands see registering in the CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 24 25 Feb 1991 Netherlands as a burden, which, of course, need not be ;-)... When you consider registering, just simply mail me or phone me, paying is required only after I invoiced and have sent the diskettes. Note that, when you register, you can optionally buy the Clipper sources, or even the complete sources of the Library. They provide a good insight in programming the Mouse and, respectively, Assembly programming for Clipper. This is a feature generally not available in other libraries. Registered users also get free cq. reduced updates, and, of course full support. Buying a Fax is high on my list of priorities (just a few more registrations, and I will). The Expand library is quite compact. This is achieved by extensive use of Assembly. More than 80% of the functions in the Library are written in Assembly, and the other functions are written in Clipper, but generally some (internal) Assembly written routines to achieve their task. Currently, no C is being used (Assembly instead), but a few routines written in C might be added in future versions. The "Granularity" of the Library is quite good (But I have plans for improvement), this means that the Linker will include less redundant code, when only using a few routines from the Library. When using Blinker, The Library can safely be Allocated to a dynamic overlay area, although there is something to say about putting it in the root, as Assembly only requires a fractional amount when compared to Clipper code. The Expand library is quite "Low Level". It leaves as much as possible freedom to the programmer, never directly interacting with the screen (except when otherwise mentionned). Expand Documentation: --------------------- I think it is very important for a Library to have good and concise documentation with it. The Expand library always comes with a Norton Guide [a way over 100Kb (s87) or 150Kb (5.01)] and with a program to print the documentation. Providing such extensive documentation makes it easy for people to use the library, and is probably a main reason of the relative "succes" of the Expand library. The Norton Guide Instant Acces Engine even became more popular when 5.01 came out. Expand Features: ---------------- A discussion of a library cannot be without a discussion of the main features of the library, I won't list them all (it's too much), but just discuss the main ones: Disk Functions: Some general Disk/Drive functions: Such as ChDir(), SetDisk() but also: GetDrive(), see if drive A: was last accesed as Drive A:, CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 25 25 Feb 1991 otherwise you might get a msg from DOS, this can thus be suppressed. Total Disk space, Fixed disk test etc.. File Functions: Complete FindFirst/Next functions; make scanning the full directory tree easy. Setting Date/Time of a file, deleting files using wildcards (much faster!), Also , Qualify a file to it's full name. DOS Functions: Getting version, Getting full CommandLine, getting full EXE name, interface to APPEND and to KEYB. MOUSE Functions: Expand provides a good Mouse interface, where it is possible to use low level of high level routines. These functions are being under further development for the Clipper 5.01 version. Examples are MouseMenu(), MouseEdit(), MouseChoice() etc... PRINT Interface: Expand provides a complete interface to DOS' PRINT, very interesting when one wants seamless background Printing, which works on any computer with DOS 3.10+, and PRINT in autoexec or whatever. Miscellanous: Easy to use Voice Dialing, Rebooting, Some keyboard routines, Nice (and small) Banner display routine.. Screen functions: Shadowing (who didn't include this?), Getting screen regions, very fast screen packing/unpacking. String Functions: Some general string functions, quite fast as written in Assembly. Plans exist here for some extensions. a quite fast Encoding function is included here, for instance. Machine Identification Routines: Expand provides some functions for identification of the machine where the program is being run. ROMid() and ROMdate() are standard. Exotic is the ROMscan() function, which will look for a brand name in your computer. This makes it possible to have applic's that run only on COMPAQs, or TULIPs, or whatever. Another function, CPUval(), returns a number indicating the CPU installed (86,286 or 386). A future extension is planned for test of a 486, when I have had the chance to test the function. Lotus interface: CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 26 25 Feb 1991 Expand provides functions to create (and not read) Lotus 1-2-3 .WK1 files. Always very interesting. Date & time functions: there is a number of Date and time functions, of which the (fast) packing routines are interesting. Getting the CMOS time, for instance, is also nice.. Environment variables editing: Expand provides functions to Edit (!) the Environment variables, add or delete. This makes it possible to shell to DOS with a different prompt, or alter the PATH, or add an environment variable. This is truly a nice feature. EGA/VGA support: Expand provides some specific functions for the EGA/VGA users. Examples are the loading of other fonts (in the future, an Editor will be supplied) in text modes, quite nice and popular too. Other functions set the different colours active (on EGA you can select out of 64 colors, on VGA over 250.000!). An extra file provides quite some fonts for the EGA/VGA. Joystick: Last and probably also least, Expand provides contol over one or two Joysticks (and I've even heard of someone who is programming a game in Clipper using these routines!). By the way, these are the features of Expand for 5.01, The summer '87 version has some less features. Future Versions: ---------------- I gather development for Clipper Summer '87 is soon going to be even more reduced. I do support the latest version of course. The latest is 3.02 (a minor bug correction over 3.00/3.01). The other versions had problems with Blinker due to use of an old Librarian and a minor bug. There are no plans for much new functions here, but at the end of the year, I will probably release a version 3.50, possibly being the latest. On the Clipper 5.01 side, I have more plans and some functions ready here. Also at the end of the year, I plan to release 2.50, with quite some new features, but development won't stop there (unless there is no feedback). I will also dig in more deeply in the different possible Linker to use (eg. a PLL file for RTlink users, or a Root and Allocatable version for Blinker). Getting Expand: --------------- If you are interested in the Expand library after this article, you may get CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 27 25 Feb 1991 the latest versions and judge for yourself. The latest versions of the Library are always available for f'req at Hekom BBS (Alias CDGN BBS), node number is 2:500/223, use magic name EXPAND for latest version for Clipper 5.01, use magic name EXPAND87 for latest version for Clipper '87. The latest version are of course also available on ClipperNet (I'll try to always post them there), and of course, always at NetConsult BBS (The origin of CLIPBBS Magazine). In the US, you could try out any Clipper BBS really, I Know for sure that The Southern Clipper (Jerry Pults) and Crow's Nest have the Library. I regurlarly scan the Fido Clipper *World* Echo, so mail received there is always read. NetMail can also be sent to 2:500/233. If you wan to contact me directly, write to: Pepijn Smits, Helene Swarthstraat 1b 3061 cj Rotterdam The Netherlands. Phone: (31-10)4135422 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 28 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= Q&A ============================================================================= Question: Clipper 5.01 is using more memory than Summer 87?! Answer: Comparing Summer and 5.01 version of Clipper from point of view of memory use is very difficult. Generally is possible to say; - Clipper 5.01 program will RUN IN LESS MEMORY than the same program linked with Summer version - Clipper 5.01 will ALLOCATE more memory than Summer 87 when this memory is available. This two rules are giving explanation why 5.01 program is using more memory than the same program under Summer 87. 5.01 version is just using complete available memory. When memory is less, then will just use less memory. .EXE file with sizes many times bigger than available memory will still run in small memory and not bother you with memory overflowing errors as Summer 87. Point is, that Clipper 5.01 linked with RTLINK is using method of dynamic overlaying of Clipper code and therefore can work in smaller memory than Summer 87 (which was not using overlaying at all). Summer 87 code was possible to overlay only statically with lot of effort from side of programmer to do this. If 5.01 application will have LOT of memory (and also lot of expanded memory) then will run more faster than with less memory. Our magazine will try to make some speed test in some article with comparation of the same program in small or big amount of memory. Big memory is reducing swappings and overlaying - disk operations. Also is allowing to allocate more buffers for databases and using kind of CACHE memory for all databases accesses. If you are still wondering if 5.01 is better than Summer 87, then answer is simple. Yes, it is in all cases, and also in memory management very well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 29 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= ANOMALIES ============================================================================= ANOMALIES and their comments This part of Clipper BBS Magazine is dedicated to all discovered anomalies and comments about them in Clipper products. Because Nantucket is still unable to give own bug and anomalies reports (as actually did in past with Summer 87 version) is very handy to have results of many investigations done on many user places. I'm also doing my own investigatings, because i'm always very good when someting has hidden problems. Everything what i buy will first show all problems and then all normal things. This amazing part of my live is sometime making me crazy, but for testing of programs it's great . Daniel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- .PPO? OOPs, CLIPPER 5.0 has a preprocessor! A few weeks ago i got a file called CL5IEO.ZIP inside of which was one .NG and one .TXT file. Inside of those files was something for what lot of us, CLIPPER 5.0 programmers, is looking a long and long time. List of internal errors reported by CLIPPER 5.0. Gotcha, not developed by NANTUCKET, it is assembled from COMPUSERVE comments by Terry McConnell - thank to this man. But and But. Not every inside of this is true. One really GOLD example which i'm explaining there is discovering another MAGIC function of CLIPPER 5.0. A preprocessor. Dear reader, when you are compiling program, are you thinking about preprocessor? Not? Really not? That's a biggest mistake which you can make, because Nantucket prepared for you nicest game on the world. Try to get your program and try to use CLIPPER /P for see how funny result you can get. Back to point. CL5IEO.TXT is describing Internal Error #666 on SetColor(). Nice example there is producing really this error on EVERY run (not like as other Internal Error, sometime). Example: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � line := 0 � � set color to ("$$$$$$$$$$$") ; ? ++line //1 � � x := setcolor() ; ? ++line //2 � � ? "Setcolor return ", x ; ? ++line //3 � � set color to &x ; ? ++line //4 � � z := "@@@@@@@@@@@@" ; ? ++line //5 � � set color to &Z ; ? ++line //6 � CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 30 25 Feb 1991 � set color to "z+/z/t/m/q" ; ? ++line //7 � � ? setcolor() ; ? ++line //8 � � m = "z+/z/t+/m/q" ; ? ++line //9 � � setcolor(m) ; ? ++line //10 � � set color to &m ; ? ++line //11 � � ? setcolor() ; ? ++line //12 � � set color to "w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n" � � setcolor("W/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n") � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 Additional comments in original text is: Last executed line is 8, and SetColor(0) error is on line 9. Absolutely wrong, author of this example is not counting with magic which will make preprocessor! Of course, every normal people will expect translation to preprocessed source really as you can see program example above. Reality is different: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � line := 0 � � SetColor( "$$$$$$$$$$$" ) ; QOut( ++line ) � � x := setcolor() ; QOut( ++line ) � � QOut( "Setcolor return ", x ) ; QOut( ++line ) � � SetColor( "&x ? ++line" ) � � z := "@@@@@@@@@@@@" ; QOut( ++line ) � � SetColor( "&Z ? ++line" ) � � SetColor( '"z+/z/t/m/q" ? ++line' ) � � QOut( setcolor() ) ; QOut( ++line ) � � m = "z+/z/t+/m/q" ; QOut( ++line ) � � setcolor(m) ; QOut( ++line ) � � SetColor( "&m ? ++line" ) � � QOut( setcolor() ) ; QOut( ++line ) � � SetColor( '"w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n"' ) //*// � � setcolor("W/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n") � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� As everybody now can see, all SET COLOR TO commands with "&" operator or with direct string ("...") parameter are eating complete end of line! It means, all ? ++line commands are eaten and unhappy program is counting ONLY to 8 and not to 12 as author expected! It finally means - error is on line marked with //*// in .PPO list and not in line signed with //9 in original program. Internal Error in this case is on right place, because of totally crazy color string specifying six color codes! Another question at this moment is - how Nantucket can produce Preprocessor which is eating remain of line when is used operator for multiple commands on line together with macro operator. GOLD RULE IS Never trust to your program, because is preprocessed by Cliper preprocessor. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 31 25 Feb 1991 .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPY FILE TO is not working in one case Nice surprise of COPY FILE command is this case: there is a file: some text another texts lot of text It means, file is ended with EOF character as is standard is DOS. Then is there command: COPY FILE TO LPT1 And result is: Unrecoverable error: write error.... Just, COPY FILE TO printer will NOT handle files which are containing EOF character. Why? Because when COPY command is writing something to printer port, then is doing this in block and then is checking if returned number of really processed characters is the same as return of passed character. DOS will of course NOT COUNT _EOF_ character between processed characters and giving back different number. And then will your program immediately fail with "unrecoverable" error and return to DOS. I found this very annoying. And from this moment i have to use RUN("copy ...") command instead of normal and logical COPY FILE. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBU is hanging Be very carefully when using DBU supplied with Clipper 5.01. This program is coming in some cases to never ending cycle of WHILE command. Exactly: Open EMPTY database Go to do BROWSE of this database Start typing new values for record And then wait forever. Point is, that you MUST first press INS key for insert NEW record. But when one will forget did this? P.S.! In number ONE or TWO of this magazine was printed a BUG fix for this. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 32 25 Feb 1991 .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 33 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= ADVERTISEMENT ============================================================================= What was in previous number, number 04? Hungarian identifier naming conventions DOSRCS - Revision Control System - part (2) The Programmer's Guide to CLIPPER Linkers - part (1) DANIEL.LIB - Network locking and opening DANIEL.LIB - Configer function STRUCTURE DUMP - programmers utility What was in previous number, number 03? CONFERENCE DUMP part (3) Index of described files in Clipper BBS Magazine Clipper File - CLIPLINK.ARJ ClipNet - HGLASS.ZIP ClipNet - NOTATION.ARJ ClipNet - PACKUP.ARJ ClipNet - ADHOC302.ARJ ClipNet - ALTDO328.ARJ ClipNet - CL5REP6.ARJ ClipNet - CL5103.ARJ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPPER WRITTEN FAX/TELEX/MAIL APPLICATION Netcom+, original product of NETCONSULT (The Netherlands) is capable of serving complete network needs of FAXING, TELEXING and local mailing. Netcom+ is combination of Clipper, C and Assembler code working in ANY network which is in PC environment. With one dedicated computer reserved for receving and sending faxes and telexes can server complete needs of any big company with many fax/telex communication through day. Easy to use basic interface, multiple language supports, coming in complete ready to use release with all needed hardware. List of possibilites is including import and export of texts between WordPerfect 5.x. Import and export databases between dBASE, ASCII and WordPerfect mailmerge format. Complete local mail, group mail sends, unique system of priorities, two fax and two telex number for condi- tional system of sending. Resident version of program available on press of ONE key from EVERY your program. Future version supporting remote e-Mail capabilities with Novell MHS standard. Including pictures into your FAX texts in easy hot-key way, CUT of received faxes to new pictures, signatures and letterheads are easy to implement. Complete USER system with all protections of OWN messages. Network Incoming Message Supervisor for sorting of incoming faxes and telexes to appropriate persons. Included file manager with WordPerfect file viewer, graphics images in TIFF format with conversion program to and from any other formats. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 34 25 Feb 1991 direct interface to OCR reader. Macro codes for using in user texts are replaced in time of transfer to values from adres database or system parameters. Immediate or later sending allowing to set complete system of night transfer in cheaper rate daily window. Statistics of all transfers are available, every FAX call analysis including decibel or noise analysis of call. Interface to PostScript printers with direct creating picture TIFF equivalent of your PostScript print. Then directly use in your FAX. Changeable fonts for faxing, including variable number of characters per line for support of faxing big prints from your spreadshears. All and more in NetCom+ package, available from The Netherlands! CALL 31-10-4157140 and ask about Netcom+ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 35 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= WANTED ============================================================================= WANTED! WANTED! WANTED! CLIPPER BBS MAGAZINE IS LOOKING FOR: - distribution systems in any countries! Yes, we need more places where Clipper user will be able to get issues of Clipper BBS Magazine. Requirements and duties: - FidoNet session capable mailer is WELCOME, but not neccesity - WEEKLY pickuping latest issue number - offering latest and all previous issues to users FREE for download or filerequest - collecting articles coming from your region and sending them to Clipper BBS HQ System - CONTRIBUTORS, AUTHORS of articles Yes, of course. Clipper BBS is at this moment mostly created by only one author. Some other articles are collected from already existing texts possible to use. WE ARE LOOKING for new articles, interesting articles,. sharing experiencies with other users and readers. Contact us on Clipper BBS Magazine HQ system or on any distribution site....... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 36 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= COMMENTS ============================================================================= Another DBEVAL x WHILE comments Before we beat the subject of dbeval() vs DO WHILE to death, lets make a few assumptions: 1. DO WHILE has been around for a long time. The efficiency of it determines the results of many benchmarks. So you can be 100% certain that Nan has done everything they can to make it as fast as possible. 2. dbeval() internally performs the same function as a DO WHILE. I would be surprised if NAN didn't re-use some DO WHILE basics here. 3. So theoretically, DO WHILE and dbeval() should perform about the same. How come then, that dbeval() is a tad slower? Well consider the following benchmark: DO WHILE !EOF() m=m+field SKIP ENDDO DBEVAL( {||m=m+field} If we expand the DBEVAL to its basics, it comes down to this: GO TOP // Extra database access. Can be ignored for large databases. DO WHILE !EOF() temp := (m=m+field) SKIP ENDDO Don't forget that the code block, besides evaluating the contents, ALSO RETURNS the result expression. In the benchmark, we did not use this return value, but it IS being assigned to a temporary variable internally! This I believe accounts for the slightly slower execution of dbeval(). Note however that for a code block that does something more significant than that above, this difference will become negligable. So, can we all agree that for all practical purposes the two methods are about equal in performance? Of course there still remains the matter of personal preference, but lets not get into that. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 37 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= ECHODUMP ============================================================================= CONFERENCE DUMP part (4) Subj: IS CLIPPER SUITABLE? 1/2 Prvt: N Read: N Are you staying that with enough built in functions, you don't really need a decent programming language? That flexibility and structured code aren't really important? This has to be a joke, right? If a programmer can't implement this simple feature in a few minutes, I agree that he should be using a product like FoxPro. But why would you want to do such a thing? I've implemented a simple function that automatically pops up a pick box if the valid fails: @ 08, 02 say "Payment Method" get cust->method pict "@!"; valid auto_pick({"COD", "PRE", "COC", "CAC", "NET"}) It is true that I *wasted* 10 or 15 minutes implementing this feature, but have used it dozens of times. I *like* to build my own libraries. I'd rather spend time building libraries than attempting to force a product like FoxPro to do what it wasn't meant to do. And I find that power in a language, translates into few lines of code that are required to build the system and easier maintainability. Hacking out code in a quick and dirty way has its place. But once you learning how to control the complexity of code you will become a master programmer. But an application development package isn't necessarily a good language. I like the direction Nantucket is taking Clipper. A lot of programmers don't like the new 5.0 stuff, and those are the types who should switch to FoxPro, their work style suits it. But the new 5.0 additions are things I've disparately needed for a long time. And I would have switched to C, if I could have found someone who would pay me to write C code. The truth is that you can't get much simpler than the dBase style languages. dBase is at one end of the scale and C/ASM is at the other. Sometimes I do stuff in FoxBase because that best suits the task, sometimes I do it in C. However, Clipper 5.0 is a good attempt at having the best of both. I.E. it is a pretty good programming language and a pretty good development tool. Couldn't agree with you more. Where time is dollars the nice CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 38 25 Feb 1991 portability allowed between C, ASM, S-Code , commercial/private libraries provides for a whole lot, especially if time and financing a development team is rather limited . Where I think a lot of people have problems with their software is in their initial development stratagies . They want it pretty and at the same time they want all the bells and whistles . Thats where a good analysis of the system is often more beneficial to the client than the program/s written . Anyway, besides all that, xBase did give us sound basics for a database language. Clipper provided an in expensive way to enhance that database language . Subj: IS CLIPPER SUITABLE? 1/2 Prvt: N Read: N Not at all. Do you need to use Clipper to force yourself to write structured code? Of course not. And flexibility is a relative term. Sometimes a little is enough. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes Fox is flexible enough. Sometimes it's not. Now, now, don't be nasty. I didn't say you couldn't, and I didn't say _I_ couldn't. I just said that in Fox, it's there already. If it was the only thing there, NBD, but there are even a couple of more things, hard to believe as that may be. I hate to tell you, but we all have. In fact, some of us also implement it so that it pops up automatically _immediately_ so that the user doesn't have to be wrong first to see the pick list. Depends on what's best for the circumstances -- I have it both ways.... And the enhanced GETs in the Grumpfish library probably do it better than both of us.... I agree with you there. You could have to do an application in DataEase... (grin, duck and run from the DataEase users) I'd say DataEase is probably closer to the "end" than dBASE. Cynthia, please don't think I'm attacking either you or Clipper. Remeber, I spend all day _using_ Clipper, and I know quite well that it's both powerful and flexible. I just happen to think that Fox doesn't deserve quite as bad a rap as you're putting on it. Subj: IS CLIPPER SUITABLE? 2/2 Prvt: N Read: N The DBF file format is a horrible legacy. Database drivers need to be separated from the language. I *need* to be able to have my code work with Rushmore, Paradox, B-trieve, or dBase files. Subj: LANTASTIC TO NOVELL Prvt: N Read: N I have an application currently running very nicely on a Lantastic network. The question I have is: Will the same application run on a Novell network without modification? If modification is necessary can anyone point me to some type of information that would help me make the transition? CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 39 25 Feb 1991 Subj: LANTASTIC TO NOVELL Prvt: N Read: N Yes it will. Be sure that netbios captiablity is loaded in the Novell config files. Subj: Lengthening Arrays Prvt: N Read: N I need some help with extending the length of an array of arrays. I need to extend the main array by 1 and create an empty array at the new subscript. The initial array is: local marray := [1,3] marray[1,1] := 'Billy' marray[1,2] := 'Smith' marray[1,3] := 'Winnipeg' If the user now attempts to add another name I want the array to be lengthened so that I can add the following to it and end up with marray of length [2,3] so that: marray[2,1] = 'Susan' marray[2,2] = 'Black' marray[2,3] = 'Altona' Is there some way of doing this with ASIZE() or is there some other way? Subj: Lengthening Arrays Prvt: N Read: N AAdd() would be better I think. You could do it like this: AAdd (marray, Array (3)) marray[2,1] = 'Susan' marray[2,2] = 'Black' marray[2,3] = 'Altona' or just: AAdd (marray, {'Susan', 'Black', 'Altona'}) Subj: LENGTHENING ARRAYS Prvt: N Read: N When creating the initial array I prefer: LOCAL marray := { { "Billy", "Smith", "Winnipeg" } } or even: LOCAL marray marray := { { "Billy", "Smith", "Winnipeg" } } To add an element to the main array use aadd( marray, { "Susan", "Black", "Altona" } ) You could use ASIZE(), but for adding a single element AADD() is more elegant. I normally only use ASIZE() to decrease the size of the array. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 40 25 Feb 1991 As in: nVar := adel( marray, nVar ) // delete the element, actually it makes the // element equal to NIL and moves it to the // end of the array asize( marray, len( marray ) - 1 ) // now we remove the last element of // the main array which of course // takes the sub-elements with it Subj: Lengthening Arrays Prvt: N Read: N Unless I am missing something, the answer is quite straightforward. You can use Clipper's AADD function to add elements to your existing array. Given your vars LOCAL aTemp := { 'Susan', 'Black', 'Altona' } // You've gathered your additions into an array // Presuming marray is defined an exists AADD( myarray, aTemp ) // And you're done You can play around with ASIZE() but why bother? Subj: LENGTHENING ARRAYS Prvt: N Read: N Your array is actually an array of an array. That is, MARRAY is a single dimension with the first element being an array. MARRAY[1] = {"FIRST","MIDDLE","LAST"} I find it easier to reference these types of array elements as : MARRAY[1][1]="FIRST" MARRAY[1][2]="MIDDLE" MARRAY[1][3]="LAST" This helps enforce the fact that it is not a "TRUE" two-dimensional array. Knowing this, we can easily extend any array with AADD() AADD() will add an element to the end of an array. AADD(MARRAY,{"FIRST","MIDDLE","LAST"}) Will add another array to the end of MARRAY[]. You may use variables of any kind for the array elements. You may even want to build the array before adding it ... Name=ARRAY(3) // Create a 3-element empty array @2,3 SAY "FIRST" GET Name[1] @3,3 SAY "MIDDLE" GET Name[2] @4,3 SAY "LAST" GET Name[3] READ IF LASTKEY()#27 AADD(MARRAY,Name) // Add new names to list ENDIF Well, that's not 100% accurate as shown. Name should be initialized CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 41 25 Feb 1991 before we can do input. You can do this when creating the array as: Name={SPACE(20),SPACE(20),SPACE(20)} This will create array Name with 3 elements, each with a string of 20 blanks. This will go into the input better. Now, I dont know what your Clipper skill level is, so I may have stated some information that you already know. Sorry. If you still have questions, pose it and I will try to get it if someone else does not. Subj: LENGTHENING ARRAYS Prvt: N Read: N In Clipper 5.01 you can use AADD(). This is new in Clipper. In Summer 87 you had to name the lengt of the array ahead of time. Also, if you added to that aray later in your program you lost all the other elements. In Clipper 5.01 AADD() is an array function that increases the actual lengght of the target array by one. AADD() is similar to ASIZE() but only adds one element at a time; ASIZE() can grow or shrink an array to a specified size. AADD(), howeer, has the advantage that it can assign a value to the new element, while ASIZE() cannot. Subj: Macros (&) and DBEval Prvt: N Read: N I am writing an application that allows the user to "query" a database using queries that are contained in another database. These queries are strings (that I enter, so they are valid) and are just a condition such as "volunteer==.T.". What I do is a DBEval( {|| QueryProc()} ) where QueryProc is the procedure I use to process the query. In QueryProc, we have the line: if ( &(query->main) ) where query is the database in which the queries are stored and main is the field in which the condition string is stored. My question is this: Since I am processing the same condition on each record in the database (using DBEval) would it be more efficient to somehow convert the macro &(query->main) to the actual condition and then evaluate the condition on each record in the database and is this possible? It seems to me that having the runtime macro compiler do this conversion for every record in the database is very inefficient and if it could be converted only once I would save a lot of time. I would appreciate any ideas that anyone would be able to give me. Thanks in anticipation of your responses. Subj: Macros (&) and DBEval Prvt: N Read: N What you want to do is this: CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 42 25 Feb 1991 QueryBlock:= &("{||"+query->main+"}") DBEval(QueryBlock) Subj: Macros (&) and DBEval Prvt: N Read: N Local wbBlock ... ... wbBlock := &('{|| QUERY->Main }) DBEval ({|| QueryProc (wbBlock)}) ... ... Function QueryProc (pbBlock) ... ... If Eval (pbBlock) ... ... This should reduce the number of macro calls. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 43 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= CLIPPER NET ============================================================================= Following is COMPLETE list of all published file descriptions in Clipper BBS magazine in previous numbers. Purpose of this index list is to allow anybody find needed file descriptions in growing number of described files. Short description after name will give first possible close image about file. Number enclosed in "[]" will mean number of Clipper BBS magazine. 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴커 쿑ileName 쿞rc 쿏escription 쿥here � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴캑 쿌DHOC302.ARJ 쿎ln 쿞ummer 87 inteligent report program �[1-04]� 쿎L5103.ARJ 쿎ln 쿝eport of 5.01 anomaly number 3 �[1-04]� 쿎L5REP6.ARJ 쿎ln �5.01 replacement of REPORT command �[1-04]� 쿎LIPLINK.ARJ 쿎bs 쿎omplete text of R.Donnay about linkers �[1-04]� 쿎LPFON.ARJ 쿎ln 쿞et of fonts for EXPAND.LIB from author �[1-03]� 쿎OND.ARJ 쿎ln 쿍uilder of conditional indexes like SUBNTX �[1-03]� 쿓GLASS.ZIP 쿎ln 쿓our glass for indication of index progression �[1-04]� 쿔NDXSL.ARJ 쿎ln 쿢ser Fields selection builder for index generate�[1-03]� 쿔OBASYS9.ARJ 쿎ln 쿏emo of S87 library and calling Clipper from C �[1-03]� 쿘K30.ARJ 쿎ln 쿘ouse library demo version �[1-03]� 쿘OVEGETS.ARJ 쿎ln 쿒ETSYS change for moving between gets via VALID �[1-03]� 쿙OTATION.ARJ 쿎ln 쿎omplete text of article about hungarian notat. �[1-04]� 쿛ACKUP.ARJ 쿎ln 쿌SM source of PACK/UNPACK replacement SCRSAVE.. �[1-04]� 쿝EADPW.ARJ 쿎ln 쿒ETSYS change for password invisible reader �[1-03]� 쿞YMBOL.ARJ 쿎ln 쿏umper of symbol tables of Summer87 .EXE �[1-03]� 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴켸 Src can be: Cln File is accesible on ClipperNet Cbs File is accesible in HQ BBS of CLipper BBS Magazine ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS <>?? The Clipper File-Net Policy for ClipperNet (Non-Official! Official Policy will be released soon) What is ClipperNet? =================== ClipperNet is a specialized network of BBS's that are intrested in the subject of the dBase-Compilers Clipper, Foxbase, FCO (Force) and dBase. CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 44 25 Feb 1991 ClipperNet was started in June 1991, by Mike Paschen, Hamburg, Germany, Clipper WorkShop BBS (FidoNet 2:240/100) Who may join ClipperNet ? ========================= Any Node is free to join Clipper, but there is a maximum of 2 CLN nodes in each local telephonezone. In according with the RC this maximum can be exceeded, after rectification with CLN-HQ. The amount should be in agree with the number of BBS's and users in that telephonezone. The CLN Nodes must allow FREQ's to all nodes even points and unlisted ones. A free download of 30 minutes and 500 kb should be respected to. There maye no money asked for one of the CLN files, neither for download nor for feeding downlinks without permission of CLN-HQ. Who may hatch files ? ====================== Only RCs and NCs may hatch files into CLN. Before hatching any CLN file MUST first be checked on viruses with the latest availlable scanner. [McAfee] What's the meaning with ClipperNet ? ==================================== The idea behind ClipperNet is to spread information and new files about Clipper, dBase, Foxbase, FCO (Force). Echo Areas ? ============ File echos availible for the moment are CL-87 Clipper '87 Tools CL-50 Clipper 5.x Tools CL-DOC Docs, Reports CL-FOX FoxBase Tools CL-FCO FCO (Force) Support CL-DBASE dBase III + IV Mail echos availible for the moment are ANNOUNCE.CLN New Files arrived in ClipperNet SYSOPS.CLN Sysops talking in CLN CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 45 25 Feb 1991 Packing ? ========= All Files should be packed with Arj. We use Arj as a standard in ClipperNet. For reaching a high transfer-rate all TIC's should be packed with TickEcho. Nodelist ? ========== Updates to the nodelist should be sent to 2:240/100 as soon as possible to optimize the file-routing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - CLIP110.ARJ File Name: CLIP110.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 27,114 bytes File Contents: CLIP.EXE 25530 CLIP.CFG 215 CLIP5.CFG 191 CLIP.DOC 37211 Seems like nice and usefull Clipper programmers utility. Let authors say what is the purpose of this program: Clip is the command-line compiler driver that Nantucket should have written for Clipper. Instead, we got CL.BAT and (with Clipper 5.0) RMAKE. The first only works for simple programs composed of a single module, and the second (while powerful) is confusing and requires a lot of work to use. Clip comes somewhere between the two. It was inspired by the compiler drivers included with most C compilers (like CL.EXE with Microsoft C, or "cc" with UNIX C compilers). Originally, our intent was to provide a single command that would compile and link one or more Clipper source modules, optionally along with other object files and third-party libraries. Clip is not a compiler or linker; it's just a program that RUNS compilers and linkers. Obviously, you must have those other programs before you can run them. So, at very least you'll need a copy of Clipper (Summer '87 or 5.0) and a linker. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - VSIX711.ARJ CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 46 25 Feb 1991 File Name: VSIX711.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 136,721 bytes File Contents: CHANGES.DOC 7921 READ.ME 1831 COMPILE.BAT 86 README.BAT 29 DBF_DICT.DBF 1224 SAMPLE.DBF 101492 ERRORSYS.LZH 6442 VERNDEMO.PRG 56458 MAKEDEM5.BAT 73 VERNSIX.DOC 129531 MAKEDEMO.BAT 73 VERNSIX.LIB 77159 NTX_DICT.DBF 295 VERNSIX.NG 54608 READ.COM 4288 VERNSIX5.LIB 77133 Vernon Six library for CLipper 5.0x and for Summer 87. It's good done library with some usefull high level functions. It will be too long, to describe it completely, maybe we will see later some articles about this library. Only few small comments: 1) ERRORSYS.LZH contains another replacement of ErrorSys in CLipper with some good ideas 2) COMPILE.BAT is .BAT file for linking clipper with standard LINK.EXE Microsoft Linker. 3) Some useful conversion functions are inside of this library when comparing with other libraries 4) Interesting idea of network locking function with one "fake" lock function which is simulating that database is locked 5) Color setting functions which can be easily used in your applications .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - AC2TB.ARJ File Name: AC2TB.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 10,868 File Contents: ACH2TB.PRG 27803 FT_ACH2T.CH 4570 Function prototype for replacing ACHOICE with TBROWSE object. Function is coming from NANFORUM TOOLKIT library. Probably someone was extracting this out and posting it as separate archive. It's nice for see how functions in NANFORUM LIBRARY are looking. Best what to do is of course to get NANFORUM LIBRARY! CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 47 25 Feb 1991 .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - CLIPSQL.ARJ File Name: CLIPSQL.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 26,717 File Contents: README 3095 SQLBROW.PRG 3634 CLIPSQL.LIB 26661 SQLDEMO.PRG 4828 SQLPATCH.LIB 2575 LINK-S87.ARJ 395 SQLLIST.PRG 1232 CLIPSQL.DOC 20354 LINK-501.ARJ 474 Clipper SQL/Sybase server intergace library. Five active connections is able to to keep connection to SQL server database. Long time expected update of Clipper abilities is available through this library. I'm not able to test it, because of missing any SQL or SYBEX servers, but if someone will do this, i'm interested in result for publishing here. This library is BETA version of future Commercial product, but is limited to FIVE minutes of working??? (seems strange anyway)... Also is needed LLIBCA.LIB from MicroSoft C, therefore ig you haven't, don't take this. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - DBSCN2.ARJ File Name: DBSCN2.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 162,837 bytes File Contents: DBSCREEN.DOC 21646 DBSCREEN.EXE 346112 Clipper .PRG screen designer generator. Complex program which is offering capabilities similar to FoxView program (for FOXBASE fans). Result of your work with this program is screen definition for your application, together with not only string, just database fields are included (memory variables also). From this definition is generated .PRG file for direct using in your Clipper application. Sample of generated code is: // dbscreen work file work CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 48 25 Feb 1991 if iscolor() currcolor=setcolor("W/B,B/W") endif setmode(25,80) clear dispbegin() @ 00,00 say "This is a sample screen" @ 02,29 say "Centered line (ALT C)" @ 04,00 say "Box Draw" @ 07,00 say "Extended chars" @ 08,03 say "DBF FILE select , field select" @ 04,09 to 05,23 double @ 08,34 get M->TEST if iscolor() setcolor(currcolor) endif dispend() It's as everyone can see for use in Clipper 5.01 at all. Personally i will prefer still my copy of FoxView for doing paintings, but for someone starting from scratch can be this utility nice. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - POPUPCAL.ARJ File Name: POPUPCAL.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 6,306 bytes File Contents: POPUPCAL.PRG 13931 POPUPCAL.TXT 1292 Clipper POP UP CALENDAR (_not_ calculator), with using of NANFORUM library (therefore HAVE IT on the hand :-) ), it's allowing select a datum (in case of pressing ENTER) with real user interface. Author is telling in, that it's coming into NANFORUM library, therefore maybe next version will have it. Latest one not. For all of you who will want to run it with included demo, please make some correction in program, because author forget a bit, that making function MAIN() is not quite enough to have it runned after executing .EXE file.. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLN - SCRSAVE.ARJ CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 49 25 Feb 1991 File Name: SCRSAVE.ARJ Other Names: File Size: 2,694 bytes File Contents: SCRSAVE.DOC 580 SCRSAVE.OBJ 2585 SCRTEST.PRG 149 Screen save function... No, it's not interrupt driven function which is saving your screen in case of inactivity of program, it's nice function which one can call when will detect inactivity by own. Supplied is ONLY .OBJ code, not source code. I was trying to link it, but It's giving unresolved external symbols like MILLISEC, KEYSEC... For sure they are NOT coming from Clipper 5.01, nor from standard libraries. .OBJ code is telling that it's for 5.01 version of Clipper. .DD. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 50 25 Feb 1991 ============================================================================= CLIPBBS ============================================================================= CLIPBBS Distribution CLIPBBS is special magazine about CLIPPER and CLIPPERing (or about another related problems and xBASE languages). This magazine is for free and articles aren't honored. Nobody can make a profit from the distribution of this magazine. CLIPBBS can be freely downloaded and uploaded to any BBS or any other public system without changes of original contents or number of files in original archive (kind of archive can be changed, but we are sup- porting ARJ archive because is best and smallest). If you are interested in CLIPBBS and would like to become a DISTRIBUTION site, contact publisher on 2:285/608@fidonet or 27:1331/4412@signet or just call to 31-10-4157141 (BBS, working 18:00->08:00, 2400bps) or voice to 31-10-4843870 in both cases asking for DANIEL (Docekal). Distribution sites: United Kingdom Welsh Wizard, SYSOP Dave Wall, phone 44-656-79477 United States of America The Southern Clipper, SYSOP Jerry Pults, phone 1-405-789-2078 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-05 Page 51 25 Feb 1991 How to write articles in CLIPBBS? Submission of articles to CLIPBBS is really easy: Maximum of 78 characters per line, as long or as short as you like ASCII text. Choose from the list of extension which most describes your text, or just name it .ART as ARTicle and send it to publisher or to any distribution site via modem to BBS or with mailer as file attach. Article will come automatically appear in the next free issue. Extensions are: Articles (anything) .ART Software .SOF News .NEW Question and Answers .Q&A ANOMALIES and their comments .ANO Letters to editors .LET Advertisement .ADV Wanted .WAN Comments .CMS DUMP from conferences .DMP Clipper Net .CLN That's all at the moment, there will probably be changes later, as the magazine evolves. If you have any ideas for a new section of CLIPBBS, please tell us, or just write an article about it. Daniel, publisher -----------------------------------------------------------------------------