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Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

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    Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

    Hi Folks,

    I have not been on this forum for awhile, and always consider using Alpha Five for projects. My main current project is more text oriented, references from books and magazines about a Bible verse, although there is a fair amount of stuff there where versatile data management is key. Especially if the URL linkage is built in nicely. (To pages in Google books, to articles on my own disk, etc.)

    My main difficulty is more conceptual. I come from a mini-computer world where tracking down code through procedures and programs is rather simple. I found that this whole code "event trigger" mechanism was cumbersome, if I wanted to find out 'what caused what' there was no easy-to-use code repository, stuff is hid here and there (this was in my Alpha Five attempt of two years ago, all Windows-savvy, Alpha Four did not have this problem). This happens on this key, which you find here, this happens on this event, which is over there, a bit on the helter-skelter side, compared to what I am used to and enjoy.

    Is this situation unchanged ? Am I missing something ?

    I am well aware that Alpha Five has big advantages over many of the alternatives, more robust than Filemaker and Access, inexpensive compared to tools like Clarion and Magic, simpler than Borland-style alternatives and 'one-tool', more database than Ultra Recall and PIM-style alternatives.

    However I hesitate to spend the time on the latest version unless I have a bit of a handle on this "difficulty" (perhaps it has been addressed, perhaps there is a a way for it not to be a difficulty).

    What can the experts here share with me. My last posts were when the forum was the old-style board !

    Shalom,
    Steven Avery
    Queens, NY

    #2
    Re: Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

    Originally posted by Steven Avery View Post
    I come from a mini-computer world
    Steven

    I've been in that world too.

    What hardware and software have you used there?
    Al Buchholz
    Bookwood Systems, LTD
    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

    Occam's Razor - KISS
    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
    Albert Einstein

    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

      Steven, without claiming to be an expert let me tell you that what you're recalling from earlier experiences has not really changed. It seems to be a fact of life with Windows operating systems. They're event driven. The operating system constantly monitors a myriad of "events" automatically. Alpha gives us "hooks" that we can use to run "scripts" when particular events occur. Alpha "exposes" the underlying events to us so that we can arrange for our application to do something (or not do something) when a given event occurs. These events are exposed for us in two major ways. First, the events which occur when the user interacts with a given layout (form) are available to us. Each form, and each object placed in the form layout, are windows. All windows have events. You can attach scripts to events associated with individual objects (controls, like text edit boxes, or listboxes), and you can attach scripts to events associated with the form itself. The design assumes you "draw" the layout you want, and then you "program" it to do the things you need. Much of the heavy lifting has been done for us already, since Alpha has already pre-programmed many events for us.

      The second major area where events are exposed for us is in "field rules" for each data table.

      To facilitate code reuse you can build scripts (and user defined functions) and store them on the "code" page of the "control panel", and then call them from anywhere.

      In the last two years great strides have been achieved in helping users write their own code, using "Action Scripting". It's really quite powerful and versatile now.

      -- tom

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

        Hi Steven,

        Originally posted by Steven Avery View Post
        Am I missing something ?

        I am well aware that Alpha Five has big advantages over many of the alternatives, more robust than Filemaker and Access, inexpensive compared to tools like Clarion and Magic, simpler than Borland-style alternatives and 'one-tool', more database than Ultra Recall and PIM-style alternatives.

        However I hesitate to spend the time on the latest version unless I have a bit of a handle on this "difficulty" (perhaps it has been addressed, perhaps there is a a way for it not to be a difficulty).

        What can the experts here share with me. My last posts were when the forum was the old-style board !
        I have posted this answer many times on the board, but it basically comes down to this. Place all code in Global UDF (User Defined Functions), not global scripts, and just call them from layout code as required. For the most part, my event code on layouts typically look like 1 to several lines of function calls, e.g.
        temp_var1=function_name_1(parentform.this)
        temp_var2=function_name_2(temp_var1)
        function_name_3(temp_var2)
        My function calls tend to be universal code that takes the parameters and returns or modifies some of a pointer's values and is used in many places. If there is conditional code in the event code, it is generally very simple and is specific for that use.

        By having all complex code in UDFs, it makes it very easy to look and modify code, as well as to export, search and print it.

        See my General tips here for more A5 guides

        Consider also using You may wish to use Bill Partec's A5DOC, available from Alpha, or Cal Locklin's AIMS App Analyzer and/or my CSDA Code Utility to document, search and test code.
        Regards,

        Ira J. Perlow
        Computer Systems Design


        CSDA A5 Products
        New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
        CSDA Barcode Functions

        CSDA Code Utility
        CSDA Screen Capture


        Comment


          #5
          Re: Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

          Hi Folks,

          Thanks for your help, folks. Let me make a few points.

          First, I have no objection to putting a lot of rules and structure stuff into table design, that is clearly helpful. Next, I understand that we are dealing with a Windows built-in quirkiness, however my sense is that some environments are better than others in shielding the programmer from Windows chaos. Next, Ira gave me the practical suggestions, if I do the 30-day type of trial and get moving, I will start on day one or two in such a way. If Ira is affirming that you can then think clearly and not like an anarchist, then Alpha Five may be the best tool, allowing for an occasional annoying bug and the lack of an easy .exe file or equivalent (if I remember right).

          Oh, my background is mostly IBM SSP (Sys 36) with some OS/400 dabbles. However I have played with Clarion and a couple of other tools over the years. And we are considering Magic or WinDev to work on our OS/400 data at our main client. WinDev, with its low profile, is potentially an alternative to Alpha for me as well, Magic is more locked into the Enterprise Zone. Clarion, sweet as it is in some ways, I have trouble considering these days. My main client actually uses Filemaker some, which is part of what we would replace with Magic or WinDev. both of which are pretty solid on OS/400 hooks, Magic with more muscle, WinDev a little more fly-by-sight.

          For my own uses, Alpha remains in that solid niche of ease-of-use and pretty much full-blown database and programming, along with the type of low price that allows for either the higher-end distribution package or the people using it to have Alpha as well. If I remember, this is all off the top of my head.

          I hope you don't mind my throwing out all these names, in many ways Alpha remains my tool of choice, and yet we all know that a programmer tries to avoid starting something that isn't going to stick, so I am posting here also to simply gauge the response from the programming savvy-folk. (Oh yes, data to web is a medium-term consideration as well.)

          So far, so good, the type of responses I was hoping for.

          Shalom,
          Steven

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Keeping Track of Code and Program Flow

            Steven,

            You may want to investigate A5Doc. This Add-On application is used within the Alpha environment and will produce great documentation so that you can see all your code, field rules, etc.

            Check out: http://www.partec.net/
            They have a trial download available.

            This helped me out immensely as I came from a top down programming environment as well. Event driven programming really does take a little to wrap your head around but I'm sure you'll catch on quickly once you start playing a little more.
            Last edited by Doug Page; 12-10-2008, 09:37 PM.

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