System Variables in A5

[Michael Walker]

Trying to get to grips with Alpha 5 after years of Alpha 4!
Where have the system variables gone? Alpha 4 used to maintain a list of which indexes were available/in use, the name of the current database, records in range etc. In this case, I want to display the name of the currently selected index on a form. In A4, this would have been achieved through using such a variable, but I can't seem to find an equivalent in A5. I'm sure there must be one - but where? The only system fields I seem to have available are Date, Page Number. Are there some others?If so, how do I get at them?
Any help appreciated.
TIA
Michael Walker
Cambridge UK

[Stan Mathews]

RE: System Variables in A5

Michael,

To answer but one of your questions, the xbasic for obtaining index information about a table is:

"tbl".index_name_get()
Syntax:
Tag Name = "Tbl".index_name_get( Number)
Description:
Returns the tag name of the N th index tag in the production index for the table
referenced by the object pointer, "Tbl".
Example:
'This script displays a list of tags in the current table.
'----------------------------------------------------------------
tbl =table.current()
dim index[20] as c
i = 1
count = 1
WHILE tbl.index_name_get(i) "" ""
'Get name of index tag
tag = tbl.index_name_get(i)
'Get pointer to tag
ip = tbl.index_get(tag)
'Find out if it is an index or a query
type = ip.type_get()
'If an index ...
IF type = 2 then
index[count] = tag
count = count+1
END IF
i = i+1
END WHILE
tag_select = ui_get_list_array("Choose an index tag", 1, "index")
tbl.index_primary_put(tag_select)
See Also:
"index".type_get(), "tbl".index_get()

To display the current index tag name on a form you would need to define variable for the form, place the variable on the form (will be available in drop drag list once it is defined), and assign a value to the variable through the above xbasic.

Hope this helps,

Stan

[Jim Chapman]

RE: System Variables in A5

Hi Michael,

Stan has ably answered your question, but my guess is when you see his reply you'll curse the alpha gods a little and ask why something so simple to do in A4, you now have to write unintelligible code to do.

The system variables that we had available in A4 were sorely missed when I first moved over to A5. I also went looking. Couldn't belive that we were left with so few in A5. Long story shortened, I have basically forgotten I ever missed them. A5 does things a little different than we were used to in A4, but once you get up to speed you'll appreciate what A5 gives us that A4 didn't. In A5 you can make your own function to set any variables you want.

Good luck,

Jim

[Michael Walker]

RE: System Variables in A5

Thanks, Stan. I will experiment with this and see where I get to!

[Michael Walker]

RE: System Variables in A5

>>my guess is when you see his reply you'll curse the alpha gods a little and ask why something so simple to do in A4, you now have to write unintelligible code to do.

[CALocklin]

RE: System Variables in A5

Michael,

Try this to get the current index name:

     tbl = table.current()
     ndx = tbl.index_primary_get()
     ndx_name = ndx.name_get()

This is the same:

     ndx = table.current().index_primary_get()
     ndx_name = ndx.name_get()

or: (I haven't tried this but it should work.)

     ndx_name = table.current().index_primary_get().name_get()

[Michael Walker]

RE: System Variables in A5

Thank you Cal, I will try that.
Michael

[Stan Mathews]

RE: System Variables in A5

Now I know who should be writing the manual for V5.

[Jay Talbott]

RE: System Variables in A5

My vote is also for Cal to write the manual. Where do I get the punch card to vote for him? Is he the second or the third circle I should dimple on the form?

Jay

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: System Variables in A5

Depends on whether the butterfly ballot has had one wing removed or not.

-- tom