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Conversion: starting one App from Another

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    #1

    Conversion: starting one App from Another

    I realize that I am re-visiting this issue, but I really do need to know if it is possible to have one main App which gathers security info call (or start) another App. We are committed to converting ver1 to ver 4 (or 5), but our current application is so massive with LOTS of xbasic code that creating one GIANT app is impractical from a maintainence standpoint. There are currently between 10 and 20 "applications" called from buttons on the cards, literally 1000 databases (tables), or more... I think that I have figured out the logistics of who is who (we have over 250 users), but I really need to know how to get from the main app to sub-apps. Any thoughts would help.
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

    Tom,
    Is there one main app that needs to share or input data to the others or are they all stand alone apps that just need to be opened to lookup or enter new data?
    Jeff

    Comment

      #3
      RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

      Tom:

      I'm almost certain that V5 will have the ability to launch applications from within an application. (You can probably verify this from what has already been announced re: V5.)

      That being the case, you could start thinking/planning now of how you will reorganize your apps and start creating the necessary apd files in the folders where you now have collections of tables for a common purpose. With that many tables, this is a process that is bound to take some time to do.

      You're in NJ aren't you? Maybe we could convince you to come to a NY User Group meeting or two where we could all get into the act ...

      Finian
      Finian

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        #4
        RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

        Jeff,
        Without goin into the workings of our entire agency, I will give you a quick view. We are a county government agency. We developed many applications, from client information to personnel, to fiscal, etc. Many of our applications need to use information from client information, but don't need all of the tables, sets, etc in the client info system. We also have a very intense personnel system that even interfaces with our timeclocks. We need to track who is doing what, but data from one app to another is not necessarily passed, we can get it in other ways. Our application are "loosly" coupled by their data.

        Version 1 gave us a very nice way to call an app using the "submit_let" command. We were able to track who was where by passing their access code from app to app.

        We have "batch" routines that run overnight in an "autoexec" application. One of the buttons in that app has over 1500 lines of xbasic code.

        hopefully, now, you have a small picture of what I am up against.

        Comment

          #5
          RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

          Nice to hear from you, again. If someone (Selwyn, Richard) would care to confirm that app calls would be available, I would get the apps set up and then wait for 5.

          Let me know when the meetings are, and I will try to get there.

          Comment

            #6
            RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

            You can do it in v4 but I don't recommend it. It's easier to just create a folder of icon shortcuts to open various applications. This allows you to open multiple apps if necessary. (But, watch out for low resources!)

            Personally, I would really look into putting it all in one app. This is probably much more reasonable in v4 than it was in v1.

            Also, if you are able to take up Finian's offer to attend a couple user group meetings, I think it will prove very beneficial.

            Comment

              #7
              RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

              REGARDING PUTTING IT ALL IN ONE APP, PLEASE SEE ABOVE.

              I am not unwilling to change, but with so many tables and sets, I feel that it would be a nightmare to maintain.

              Calling each ap from an Icon would not give us the single application interface that we have spoiled our users with. We would also not be able to easily track users by unique identifiers as in version 1.

              In version 1, we have a "secure" database. It has a user-id, password, access level, active flag, and some dates. This file is the first to be accessed. Users sign in, set the "active falg", then go to where they need to be. We pass teir access level from every "card" to other cards, applications, or forms. We cannot lose that level of security.

              If Finian is right, then my problems are solved.

              Comment

                #8
                RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

                Thomas, your project is much, much larger than any I've attempted. Still, I can't help wondering if this isn't a semantics problem. It sounds as though your user's open the same 'log in' form to identify themselves, and your scripts probably assign different privileges based on their identity. Then they select from a variety of applications, which they can run if they have the necessary privileges. Presumably your initial application continues to run in the background, or possibly the user identity and privilege settings are passed to new applications as they are loaded.

                I think all of this can all be done in version 4, with a single 'database', using a dummy table as the anchor for the log in form and the opening main menu. Menu choices presented on the opening form could lead to different sets of tables and forms organized by application.

                How is this different from what you are doing in version 1?

                How are your tables arranged? Are they all in one giant folder? Do you use separate folders that are unrelated to each other? do you use subfolders arranged beneath a single common folder?

                -- tom

                Comment

                  #9
                  RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

                  FYI:
                  The new ver. 5 command is called A5.load().

                  I don't see it in the xbasic explorer, but I typed it into the interactive script window and it seems to work like a charm.
                  Peter
                  AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                   [email protected]
                  https://www.alphabasesolutions.com

                  Comment

                    #10
                    RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

                    In version 1, we didn't need to keep the databases within one application. the screens, reports, etc could be edited individually.

                    The problem is one of maintenance. If I need to include ALL of my tables and sets into one app, then there would be literally thousands of tables, sets, etc. From those, finding the appropriate form or report to change wuold be veery difficult.

                    Currently, in version 1, we just need to open the dbf or set in the correct folder then do what is needed. It really is more an issue of maintenance management.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

                      Is that available in 4.5???

                      Comment

                        #12
                        RE: Conversion: starting one App from Another

                        Sorry..
                        Peter
                        AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                         [email protected]
                        https://www.alphabasesolutions.com

                        Comment

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