2 questions

[martinwcole]

1. When I open a text document(notepad) from within Alpha, is there a flag I can use to open it in a "read only" mode?
something like sys_open(filename,3) or something.

2. I have a UDF that takes two dates as arguments. The function is defined as:
function SecondSide as L(bd1 as d, ed1 as d)

when I call the function, I am using two global variables with the same name, derived from user entries in the form
I am working with. So when I call the function, I say
SecondSide(bd1,ed1)

But I'm wondering if the function is creating two new variables with the same name, and if so if it would make any difference. I reference the variables bd1 and ed1 in several places within the function, and the function appears to work perfectly. But it may be working by accident, if the function is creating two variables with the same name, since there would then be two variables named bd1 and two named ed1.

if that were the case then I could say
function SecondSide as L(bdnew as d, ednew as d)
and say
SecondSide(bd1,ed1)
my reference to the other variables within the function, bd1 and ed1, would still work since they reference global variables.

[CALocklin]

RE: 2 questions

#1. Not that I know of but maybe somebody else?

#2. Based on my tests, if you use the name of a global variable in the function arguments, the value of the global variable will be changed. In other words, I think the rule of thumb should be that you NOT use the name of a global variable as one of the arguments of a function. If you want to change the value of the global variable, I would do it explicitly inside the function.

[martinwcole]

RE: 2 questions

thank's cal - as soon as I saw what I was doing, I thought - this is asking for trouble. But it works out okay - I just changed the name of the "function variables" to a unique name and now the global variables can still be used inside the function - in fact, doing it that way, I could even change the function to:
function SecondSide as L()
since I don't use the dates of the function, anyway. I'm only using it as a function to be sure the script finishes before it goes to the next line in the script that calls it.

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: 2 questions

I'm using this parameter on a current script I am working on:

fp = file.open(vFile, FILE_RO_SHARED)

[martinwcole]

RE: 2 questions

Peter, when an office sends out a mailer, I capture the characteristics of the mailer in a text document. And the name of the document is the unique id assigned to that mailer. Then, in an embedded browse listing all mailers sent to that client, when they double click I am using the following code:

tbl=table.get("mailhistory")
n=tbl.mailunique
temp=alltrim(str(n,12,0)) + ".txt"
sys_open(temp)

and this works perfectly, but there is the potential problem that a user could modify the document - thus the idea of opening it in read only mode.

When I change the script to:

tbl=table.get("mailhistory")
n=tbl.mailunique
temp=alltrim(str(n,12,0)) + ".txt"
fp = file.open(vFile, FILE_RO_SHARED)

nothing happens - any ideas?

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: 2 questions

Hi Martin,

sys_open() utilizes the Windows file extension association feature and open the file in its "native" associated program. The file.open() command open a file pointer to the file itself to allow Xbasic manipulation of the file contents. It does not "open" the file as you might with notepad or whatever the Windows associated program is. file.open() is just like table.open(). Check it out below:

''Alpha Five Xbasic Reference Manual 235
''This script will view the contents of a text file.
'--------------------------------------------------
vFile = ui_get_file("Choose a Quicken File","QIF File (*.qif)","c:","X")

IF vFile = "" THEN
END
END IF

fp = file.open(vFile, FILE_RO_SHARED)

Hope that is clear.
-Peter

[Peter.Greulich]

RE: 2 questions

Also, FWIW, try:

tbl=table.get("mailhistory")
n=tbl.mailunique
temp=alltrim(str(n,12,0)) + ".txt"
fp = file.open(temp, FILE_RO_SHARED)

[CharlesK]

RE: 2 questions

Shouldn't your fourth line in the second block of code be

fp = file.open(temp, FILE_RO_SHARED)

instead of

fp = file.open(vFile, FILE_RO_SHARED)

Charles

[martinwcole]

RE: 2 questions

Well - here's a quick fix I came up with: (while it still works in ME I don't know if they will still let us have this dos command in XP)

sys_shell("attrib *.txt +r")
'works like a charm, although I think to make it work without path info, your desktop shortcut "start in" must be the path to the folder your database is in, otherwise, you would probably have to also include path info.

This lets me not throw away all the time I already have in my current approach, and protects the files, as the +r adds read only to all text files.