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Xbasic Code Question

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    #1

    Xbasic Code Question

    Is there anyway of finding out where a piece of code is used in a database?

    I have tried renaming the code and seeing if this causes an error and this has led me to believe they aren't being used but I would like to be sure before taking the final step!
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Xbasic Code Question

    It is not part of Alpha but there are some utilities available for purchase that do that.

    A5Doc and AIMS App Analyzer.

    In no particular order.
    There can be only one.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Xbasic Code Question

      Thanks for the info Stan, have you used either of the apps listed, if so are they easy to install and use and do they provide clear results?

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Xbasic Code Question

        Here's some sample output from my App Analyzer. Note what it says for the Owner List form.

        http://www.aimsdc.net/Tips_Funcs/AIMS_form_usage.txt

        The output can even be set to show only the "No Reference Found" items. I do this fairly often when just doing some cleanup - which is why I created the "No Reference Found" report in the first place.

        WARNING: The fact that there is no reference found does NOT mean that something can automatically be deleted. It just means that there is no other script, function, event, or expression that references it. For example, the Autoexec and OnDatabaseClose scripts should not have any references. Also you may have some layouts or scripts/functions that are only used by you for development purposes; or when setting up a generic app for a new customer; or just to keep an old copy around for reference or future use. In other words, don't blame me if you delete a "No Reference Found" item then discover that you really did need it for something. (This is all explained in the instructions but we all know that nobody reads them because they are just a waste of time.)
        Last edited by CALocklin; 02-12-2009, 12:38 PM.

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Xbasic Code Question

          Hi Cal,

          Thanks for the info. I did take a look at that sample report after following the link provided by Stan above, however I did not really understand how the report was created, having no experience of your application or the A5 Doc app.

          Can you explain a bit further what this report is showing and how it was created using your application.

          I would like to search for where a piece of code called GLog is used in my app. if at all. How would I do this with your app.? What results would I expect?

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Xbasic Code Question

            I'm not sure there is a simple answer to your question. It's easy to use but it does a lot of things.

            After installing the addon - which is a standard Windows install routine - you start the App Analyzer by right clicking in your A5 Control Panel.

            The first time you use it on any particular application it will find and "document" all your scripts, functions, field rules, events, expressions, etc. (Once the initial "documentation run" is done, it will default to the "search" screen but you can always re-run the documentation routine whenever you've made changes to the app.) See attached screen shot to get an idea of what the documentation run is all about.

            I'm not sure how to describe the search routines themselves so let me tell you how I decided to do what I did. I used to have to run searches individually for any specific text but this meant running hundreds of searches when I wanted to find, for example, everywhere that all my scripts were used. Of course, it was easy to mis-spell a script or layout name and that made it even worse. So, I decided to create routines that would automatically create a list of all the scripts or functions or forms or reports - etc., etc. - and automatically run a search on each name in the list. The results of the search(es) is output to a text file. As you can see from the sample output file, each search result shows exactly where the name was found.

            The reasons I put the results in a text file were:
            - I kept accidentally closing the xdialog window when I tried that method and then had to re-run the search.
            - If A5 crashed, I had to re-run the search.
            - If I shut down for the night, I had to re-run the search the next day.

            By putting the results in a text file, they can be re-called immediately - even weeks later. (Of course, if you've made any significant changes to the app you will want to update the "documentation run" and rebuild the search results.) There are separate result files for scripts, functions, each type of layout, each table of indexes, and each type of operation. This means that you don't have to search through "other stuff" when you just want to find out about, for example, a particular form.

            Of course, you can still run ad hoc searches for specific variable names, etc. but searches for scripts, functions, layouts, indexes, and table names are set up to do them all with basically the push of one button.

            On the largest app I have - 56 tables, 88 forms, 97 reports, 5 labels, 14 append operations, 12 update operations, 374 scripts, and 202 functions - it takes about 15 minutes to run a full documentation and search update. Most of that time is in opening and documenting the 88 forms and 97 reports. If you haven't changed any calculated field expressions, sort orders, or filters in the forms and reports, you can leave them out of the update routine and then it takes about 5 minutes. Remember that, in my case, this includes creating then searching 6639 records about 800 times - once for each script, function, operation, and layout. Since I seldom need them, I normally save a little time by not running the index searches until I need them.

            REMEMBER - The update only needs to be run after you've made changes to your app that might affect your searches. Even if I'm making daily changes to an app, I may not update the results for days - it all depends on what I need to do.

            If you really need more info, call me at 248-437-5883 and I'll give you an on-line demo.

            Later:

            Just for the fun of it I timed a smaller app with only 12 tables/sets, 6 forms, 1 report, 2 operations, and 31 scripts/functions. The total time from opening the App Analyzer to finishing the automated searches was 45 seconds.

            Much later: I just realized your location - you can call my on Skype if you have it. My name is a5addict.
            Last edited by CALocklin; 02-12-2009, 03:33 PM.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Xbasic Code Question

              Thanks for the info. Cal, it was very informative!

              How much does your report app. cost, I might give it a go.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Xbasic Code Question

                Here.
                There can be only one.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Xbasic Code Question

                  Thanks very much for your help Stan and Cal !!

                  Comment

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