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Minimal coding?

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    Minimal coding?

    The following extract has been taken from the libertymanuals site:

    Non-programmers: Alpha Five is getting more powerful every day and some of the features described on the website may seem over your head. Do not despair! This is the easy-to-use program for which you've been looking. Combine it with our books and you'll be amazed at the level of sophistication you can achieve without previous experience.


    I have no coding experience, and I have browsed through the alphawiki. I am fine with the web apps, but how do I do desktop apps without coding?

    Any suggestions.

    Regards
    Macaw
    I love Macaws. Without them, the world would be very grey

    #2
    Re: Minimal coding?

    It's really quite easy (he said with 18 years experience of Alpha). Have a look at the videos, investigate Alpha Sports - its a showcase for Alpha, and just fiddle with it.

    Easiest route is to define a table and then see how Alpha displays the results. It does so much without coding that it will scare you. It also requires a different mind set from that of a coder. Generally, if you believe you need a feature without coding, the team at Alpha are probebly ahead of you.

    The development approach I take is to;
    Define the Table(s)
    Decide what the Field Rules should be for each Column
    Create a new Form and add the fields.

    Good luck and don't worry about asking what you think to be a silly question. There aren't any silly questions on this forum and you will nearly always get a response.
    See our Hybrid Option here;
    https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


    Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
    You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Minimal coding?

      Thanks Ted (says he with 14 days using 30 day trial version). Computer databases, coding is something new to me (Spent 26 plus years of my adult life in an entirely different field). I have downloaded the getting-started from alphawiki.

      I would have preferred going the web app way, but that is going to be too expensive (server app licencing), so I have to go the desktop route.


      Totally off topic, but what is happening to your cricket side ???
      I love Macaws. Without them, the world would be very grey

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Minimal coding?

        Dmitri,

        I ask questions all the time on here and have about 99.9% of them answered very quickly and well put. I have not (to my face) anyway had anyone say, "My God is that a dumb question!" Although I'm sure a few have said that under their breath. I used the old Alpha 4 Versions 3 - 8 and had a hard time moving over to the Windows based. I knew I had to though. I cannot code very much at all (I've learned a lot from Stan), but I have created about 15 desktop apps so far, and they keep getting better. Like Ted suggested, tear into the Alpha Sports sample and see different ideas that you can use.

        Scott

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Minimal coding?

          Thanks. I have had a look at the alphasports app. Now for a stupid question (and this one should knock you folks off your chairs). The way I see it, is that you create desktop apps in the control panel only and do not touch the web control panel. Is that correct, or am I missing the point here?
          I love Macaws. Without them, the world would be very grey

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Minimal coding?

            Yes....sort of! Generally you would only use the "Control Panel" for desktop and the Web Control Panel for the web side....but they have intermingled somewhat now with the ability to create a web grid and place it on a form (or xdialog I believe as well).

            Also, the desktop side does not have to use anything web based....but the web side, in order to be a database application (tied to a database), has to have some sort of backend. Whether it is the native Alpha dbf tables or any other that Alpha can connect to (most).

            When using the web to be the front-end to a database, then the desktop side is where you would be doing/learning the xbasic coding that will be necessary (I suppose once you know enough you would not have to!).

            Others may give a bit more info who are actually using the web side as I have not yet ventured there.
            Mike
            __________________________________________
            It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
            It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
            Henry David Thoreau
            __________________________________________



            Comment


              #7
              Re: Minimal coding?

              Originally posted by Macaw View Post
              Totally off topic, but what is happening to your cricket side ???
              If you are going to be rude, I shall have nothing more to do with you!:p

              But then, the web side is very cool, and you will be able to develop an app and run it on a local network to test - but not deploy it. Just jump in. The Web videos are amazing.

              Suggest you use the .dbf tables 'till you get your head around the new way of working. Whether you go web or desktop is a preference only you can decide.
              I'm dyed in the wool desktop, however I've got to manage a data integration using Robotics. Learn something every day and the dye is starting to fade.
              See our Hybrid Option here;
              https://hybridapps.example-software.com/


              Apologies to anyone I haven't managed to upset yet.
              You are held in a queue and I will get to you soon.

              Comment

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