Answers in this category:
How can my APPX process tell if a user is running the GUI client?
Is it possible to suppress the binoculars on a field that has a DLU defined?
How to build a UNIX script to run an APPX process (cron job).
How to refresh parent screen after a child process.
How do I send a file to a client PC and open the file with a client side App? (i.e. Excel)
How can I import consecutive (flat) files into APPX?
Checking return code after a Stream Write.
How can I run a constrained input process via ILF?
Is it possible to get APPX to automatically convert Gregorian date fields to Julian dates?
How to determine IO mode (READ,WRITE,HOLD) within a FLEP
How to create dynamic rollover tool-tips.
How to play sounds.
What is pdf "---ENTRY SELECTED PATH" used for?
How do you create a vertical or horizontal line on an input image?
How do I keep production applications from accidentally being changed?
Scope of cached files!
How data sharing is accomplished in APPX!
What is the difference between file content and file stream?
What does scope refer to?
What is the scope of a work field?
Can I change the date and time APPX uses for testing date/time sensitive applications?
How can I read the USER list?
How to make a negative sign appear in front of the number (instead of behind)
How to display high ASCII characters.
How to get User Security Codes using ILF.
How to QUERY/INPUT via Cache!
How to get the name of the Parent Process.
GUI themes via ILF!
Example of a random number generator using ILF!
How to retrieve an occurrence number with ILF!
How to see a trace of executed process
Use of --- DEFAULT MODE
How to determine a leap year!
How can I position a widget exactly where I want it?
Can we colorize the "auto gui" widgets by ILF in order to adapt them to color schemes?
Help in debugging AppxIO
How to put multiple of lines of text on a button or label widget.
How to add pulldown menu entries with ILF
How to close an external ASCII file (RT_CLOSE_STREAM)?
How to read data to an external ASCII file (RT_READ_STREAM)?
How to write data to an external ASCII file (RT_WRITE_STREAM)?
How to open an external ASCII file (RT_OPEN_STREAM)?
How to put APPX in sleep (pause) mode (RT_SLEEP)?
How to get the current process parent name (RT_GET_PROC_NAM)?
How to get the APPX runtime parameters (RT_GETPARAM)?
How to get the environment variables (RT_GETENV)?
Dynamic linking using the CALL statement.
How to access APPX Query parameters.
How do you call a window API function?
How do you copy from one application database to another within APPX.
How to display detailed data from a scrolling input.
How to read EXCEL files from Appx.
How do I search the electronic APPX manual(s) for multiple keywords?
The underline character is not displayed under the shortcut letter!
How to get printer friendly pages from the APPX web site.
How do you run an os command and pipe the results through a stream read?
Now that I can generate PDF files from APPX, how can I get the PDF to display as such in a browser?
What is the correct Date Mask for: Apr 13 09:23:00 2004?
Can Current Release of Appx support LDAP?
How does LOCAL and RECEIVE statements work?
Can i have environment variable APPX_41_EPS set while designing in 4.2?
I noticed that all of a sudden i have Applications tab on my Java client. How did it get there and how to get rid of it?
I have set my --- OPTION = END PARAGRAPH, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Why is that?
I am trying to PASTE a statement into the ILF editor, but it put "**" in the front of it and it looks miss-aligned. What did i do wrong?
Is there a way to get rid of the automatic drop down menus that appear on my GUI menus processes?
Is there a way to get rid of the big red X (Cancel) and the green arrow (Return)?
Is there a way to set child constraints on a data lookup field in an Input Process?
How can I wait on Windows-systems without consuming CPU?
I am using a --- STREAM WRITE call on a file that is > 2GB. It doesn't crash or return an error code, but it doesn't write to a file either
When I execute SLEEP command from an Appx CALL i get the error 'You've CALL'ed C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\kernel32.dll,Sleep with the wrong calling convention'
How can i set default values during data entry and make Appx remember them from one entry to the next one?
Copying Files between Databases/Versions
Adding new fileds with defualt values to an existent file
I have an ALPHA field with a validation table, but it allows for any value to be entered, regardless of the validation table values
What is the proper usage of --- STREAM READ LENGTH field?
Can the STREAM READ look for the presence of the \r character as a record delimeter?
The --- COMPARE file contains the fields that are different after an IF DIFF is executed. If a field has multiple occurances, how can I tell which occurance changed?
How to create a PDF Form Overlay
How to create an ASCII fixed length flat file using Appx
Execution Cycle in Appx 4.2
Under what circumstances you need to set NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS

      GOSUB    --- CHECK GUI CLIENT
      IF       --- RETURN CODE        EQ     1
T     *        Running with a GUI client
F     *        Running with a character client

While overriding this “standard behavior” is possible, there are serious program maintenance issues that should be considered.

To run a background process (cron job) in UNIX, build a script as follows;


  export APPXPATH=/appx/appx350/data
  export TERM=ibm3151
  su - xxx -c "/appx/appx350/appx -s -d=ddd -a=TRN -t=JOB -p=BATCH_CYCLE" 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null


The first export command is the APPXPATH directory for your APPX installation.
Example: /appx/appx350/data 


The second export command defines the terminal type.  Example: ibm3151.  Even
thought the process is running in the background, the terminal type must be
defined.


The su command line parameters:

     xxx is the o/s userid of who is running this process
        -c " then the APPX application path
        -s tells APPX to automatically pass through any entry screens
           like sort and disposition that might be encountered.
        -d ddd is the database id of the APPX application
        -a application id
        -t process type, most likely a JOB
        -p the name of your process followed by ".  The underscore maintains
           the space you may have in the APPX process name.
        1> and 2> tells appx to send interactive message to the null device.
           These two parameters are to be included in the su line.  

Of course you would have one script for each process you wanted to run in
background.

APPX 4.2
Starting with APPX 4.2, the parent screen is automatically redisplayed when returning from a child process. The DISPLAY statement in the child’s Post Invocation Event Point is not needed.

      *
      *        Send the file to the client
      *
      SET      --- TEMP 80                    =      /tmp/info.csv
      SET      --- TEMP 132                   =      c:\temp\info.csv
      PASS     --- TEMP 80                    FIELD            SHARE? Y
      PASS     --- TEMP 132                   FIELD            SHARE? Y
      CALL         ,RT_SEND_FILE              RESIDENT? N  END? N  FAIL 0
      *
      *        Run Excel and open the file
      *
      SET      --- TEMP 256                   =      @
      APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   0      "C:\Program Files\Micr
      APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   0      osoft Office\Office\EX
      APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   0      CEL.EXE"
      *
      APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   1      c:\temp\info.csv
      *
      SET      --- LI                         =      256
      PASS     --- TEMP 256                   FIELD            SHARE? Y
      PASS     --- LI                         FIELD            SHARE? Y
      CALL         ,RT_LOAD_URL               RESIDENT? N  END? N  FAIL 0
      *

1. If the file is "columnar" (all the data lines up into columns, and all the records have the same fixed length), define an APPX Data Dictionary file and fields corresponding to the columns for the fields, and read it directly. Have a 2-byte alpha field at the end, the 'absorb' the hex(0d0a) that Windows apps usually put on the end of each of the line, to denote end of line. See "to import a flat file" below.

2. Create an APPX consecutive file with a single 1-byte alpha field. Use it to read the text file into APPX, one byte at a time. Build a record buffer, testing for hex(0d0a) to determine the end of each record, and then writing it out to the file.

3. Using the ",RT_" commands to read the file. 'RT' commands are unsupported and subject to modification, but are often used for these sorts of tasks. We use them in the UPDATE process generated by our "Comma Delimited Update" process within Utilities/Toolbox. You might look at an UPDATE generated by this utility, to get a feel for how the commands work.

To import Tab delimited variable length files into APPX, check this document from "Sparky and Spike" at CANSYS West: http://www.cansyswest.com/importin.htm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To import a flat file into APPX (for example, from an Excel spreadsheet) try the following:

1. Export the file from Excel into a fixed length format.

2. Define a Consecutive file in APPX, with all Alpha fields, matching the column widths of each Excel column, as exported.

3. Add a 2 byte alpha at the end of the APPX DD, to receive the hex(0d0a) that Excel and other Windows applications append to records to denote record boundaries.

4. Design Transfer the design for the Consecutive file defined above into a 2nd APPX file.

5. Change the field types you want to be other than Alpha, into their other field type. (Numeric, Date, or whatever.) Add indices.

6. Run 'Create Files' on both the Consecutive and Indexed files.

7. FTP the file to your Unix box in ASCII format.

8. Move the FTP'd file into your Data directory as the name of the Consecutive f ile. (Filename is all upper case, with a lower case .dat suffix.)

9. Write an OUTPUT that reads the Consecutive file and reports on its contents.

Within the 'Select Image' event point, write ILF that moves field contents from the Consecutive file into the Indexed file. Write the new record.

If you try to write two records with the same Primary or Unique Key, the WRITE will fail. Check the False condition on a WRITE to catch that and handle it accordingly.

Set --- ALTERNATE IMAGE NUMBER in Select Image to selectively display/print records of interest.

Date fields will require special manipulation. Use SET TEMP commands, to get them into APPX date format.

Run the above OUTPUT on this FTP'd file, converting it from Consecutive into Indexed format. Examine the resulting files. Modify your OUTPUT as needed.

APPX 4.2

The --- PLAY SOUND command ( audio subroutine ) in ILF will support .wav, .au, and .aiff file formats.  Examples;


      SET      --- TEMP 512                   =      /home/pete/test.wav
      PASS     --- TEMP 512                   FIELD            SHARE? N
      GOSUB    --- PLAY SOUND

                                                                        
      SET      --- TEMP 512                   =      file:///home/pete/test
      APPEND   --- TEMP 512                   0      .wav
      PASS     --- TEMP 512                   FIELD            SHARE? N
      GOSUB    --- PLAY SOUND

                                                                        
      SET      --- TEMP 512                   =      http://www.wavsite.com
      APPEND   --- TEMP 512                   0      /sounds/62369/grail22.
      APPEND   --- TEMP 512                   0      wav
      PASS     --- TEMP 512                   FIELD            SHARE? N
      GOSUB    --- PLAY SOUND

Appx main menu > System Administration > Databases/Applications > Applications.

Select the application you want to protect from changes. Press ENTER to go to the popup continuation window. Turn off the flag in the lower right of that window called "Allow Design?".

This makes that application "Inquire Mode Only" from within application design.

Release 4.2 was change to have the default mode in Application Design be Inquire rather than Change mode. Part of the reasoning behind that decision was to assist in protecting applications from accidentally being changed.

You create the cache once, but you use OPEN-CACHE?=Y to control each stream. You can switch a given stream back and forth between the cached and base files by executing OPEN statements.

When Appx creates a file stream, it uses the base. If you have file A open in a process, and then invoke a subprocess child, we don't open file A again (and we don't create a new stream). The child shares the parent's stream. You can prove that to yourself by putting a TRAP in the File-level Open event point for file A - it won't get hit when you invoke the child process.

In the case of cached files, the file contents are always created in the first stack frame (i.e. the cached file contents are detached). The file stream always has a subprocess scope.

Here's a test scenario to illustrate how this works. I defined a simple permanent index file with two fields, TESTSCOP NUMBER and TESTSCOP NAME. Then I created a simple scrolling input process (TESTSCOP as the PDF) and entered five test records. I painted --- CHILD ID on the header frame to make it easier to see which input process was running. Next, I wrote a job that invoked the input process six times:

      CHILD ID  Invocation Type  Pre-invocation Open?   
      --------  ---------------- --------------------   
      1ST       Subprocess       No                     
      2ND       Subprocess       Yes - open cached      
      3RD       Subprocess       No                     
      4TH       Related          No                     
      5TH       Subprocess       No                     
      6TH       Subprocess       Yes - open base        

When the job runs, the first child displays data in the base file (PDF).

In the pre-invocation event point of the 2ND child, I CREATE the cache (type = LOAD), then OPEN the cache, then looped thru each record and appended the word CACHED to each name field. So now the base file is unchanged, but the cache file has the word CACHED in every record. When the 2ND child process runs, it displays the cached file.

When the 3RD child runs, I see the cached records because the stream is shared between the parent and children 2 and 3 (and 5 and 6).

The 4TH child is invoked related. Stream objects are not shared with related invocations, so the base PDF records are displayed.

The 5TH child is invoked subprocess and is identical to the 3RD. I added this child to illustrate that the file contents are persistent. The 5TH child shows the cached records.

In the pre-invocation event point of the 6TH child, I OPEN the CUST file, this time with CACHE set to NONE. The 6TH child displays the base records, as expected.

When you invoke a process, APPX pushes a stack frame onto the process execution stack. A stack frame contains a set of objects. Important point: a process (actually an EM) contains a set of references, a stack frame contains a set of objects.

Data sharing matches each reference to the appropriate object.

When a process is invoked, APPX walks through the list of references and determines which stack frame should contain the corresponding object.

If a process has no parent (i.e. it is the first process), all objects are created in the first stack frame. If a process has a parent, we look at the sharing characteristics of the object and of the ancestor processes. If the object is shared with subprocesses, we stop traversing the stack as soon as we encounter a related or detached invocation. If the object is shared with related processes, we stop traversing the stack as soon as we find a detached invocation. If the object is shared with detached processes, we stop when we find the first stack frame.

For example:

  Process A
          |
       detached
          |
  Process B
          |
       related
          |
  Process C
          |
      subprocess
          |
  Process D
          |
      subprocess
          |
  Process E

We now process the list of references in process E's EM. If we find a reference to a private object (i.e., one that should never be shared, such as --- PROCESS TYPE), we create the object in process E's stack frame. If we find a reference to an object that should be shared with subprocesses, we look back up the stack until we find the most recently invoked related or detached process; in this case, process C. We create any subprocess-scoped objects in the stack frame for process C. If we find a reference to a related object, we look back until we find the most recently invoked detached process (in this case process B) and create related-scope objects in that stack frame. If we find a reference to an object when should be shared with detached invocations (such as --- USER ID), we create them in the first stack frame.

As we process each reference, we locate the desired object (creating it required) and point the reference to the object. That means that the references for a particular invocation can point into four different stack frames (private, subprocess, related, and detached).

Looking back at the stack frame above, consider what will happen when process E ends. All objects private to E are destroyed, but what about other objects? Any subprocess-scoped objects were created in the stack frame for process C so they are not destroyed until process C ends. There are some interesting consequences to this. First, the stack frame for any given invocation can contain objects that are not referenced by that process.

For example, if process E refers to a field named WORK TOTAL (subprocess-scoped), that object is created in C's stack frame even if process C does not refer to WORK TOTAL. Now when process E ends, WORK TOTAL is not destroyed - it lives in C's stack frame until C ends. Let's say that, after process E ends, process D invokes process F (so E and F are siblings even though E dies before F was born). If process F refers to WORK TOTAL, it will find that object in process C's stack frame - in fact, WORK TOTAL will reflect the last value assigned by process D.

That means that if you have a stream positioned at record 10, and invoke a child as a subprocess, and READNEXT within the child, you will be sharing the stream with the parent and the parent will now be positioned at record 11. On the other hand, if you invoke the child as related or detached, the child has its own stream and a READNEXT will not affect the parent's stream.

A stream has four components:

  -  readnext position (record number/key value plus key path)
  -  an optional record lock
  -  a record buffer
  -  pointer to cached or base file

The following rules apply:

A Subprocess work field will only survive a Subprocess level of Process Invocation.

A Related work field survives both Subprocess and Related Process Invocations.

A Detached work field survives all Invocations (and in general survives until the user exits Appx).

                            Input Process Invocation Type
              ------------------------------------------------------------
              | Invocation Type   | SubProcess |  Detached  |   Related  |
              |-------------------|------------|------------|------------|
              |                   |            |            |            |
              | SubProcess        |    Yes     |     No     |     No     |
  Work Field  |                   |            |            |            |
  Invocation  | Detached          |    Yes     |     Yes    |     Yes    |
  Type        |                   |            |            |            |
              | Related           |    Yes     |     No     |     Yes    |
              |                   |            |            |            |
              ------------------------------------------------------------

                Yes=Work field is passed     No=Work field is not passed

 If you ...
          export APPX_FAKE_TIME="2001061510000000"
          appx

 ... you get a date/time of ...
          6/15/2001 8:00am

 ... and the clock ticks forward from there as time goes by.

   BEG READ 0SA USER      HOLD 0      KEY IS
   SET      0SA USER ID            =  0SA USER ID
   SET      0SA USER NAM           =  0SA USER NAM
   END READ 0SA USER

When you enter the BEG READ into the ILF editor, it will give you a message "WARNING - File not found", which you can ignore (option 88).

Be very careful what you do with these techniques, as THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY APPX SOFTWARE, and may change without notice.

Then, in the process where you want to move it to an alpha, you just say:

             CNV TEXT <alpha field> = <numeric field>

The CNV TEXT field will honor the default display mask, and put the minus sign where you want. If you put currency symbols, commas, etc, they will also be formatted into the alpha field. The same thing applies if you use a date field as the source, APPX will format the date according to the date mask, so you don't get '20010517--------', you get '5/17/2001'.

APPX will use your default mask in other places as well, which may or may not be a good thing (inputs and outputs that use the numeric field will be affected). If you are concerned about that, you can create a new numeric field with the default mask you want, SET the original field into the new one, and then use CNV TEXT.

Depending on what version of APPX you are using and how you are accessing it, you may be able to hold down ALT, use the numeric keypad to type the ascii code value in decimal, and release ALT, to enter that ASCII char.

Or you can do it with ILF code;

 SET OWN WF ASCII CODE = 176
 CNV BIN OWN WF ALPHA 1

 ... where WF ALPHA 1 is painted on the report or screen. The other variable
 is a three-digit numeric field.

Is there a general way for the Application designer to manually control
process behavior, based on Security?  For example I would like to 'hide' 
optional children, if the user does not have the required security.  Can I 
determine the security key of the process in ILF?

You can read the 0AD PROCESS file to find out the security class that might 
be assigned to a process.

You can then set up a memory indexed file with a single field of Alpha(4).
Define it as the Record Access security field.  Then, from ILF set the field
to the security code you want to test, write it, and then try to read it back.  If you can't read it back, then you don't have access to that security code.

Details:

1) Create a memory file with one field designated as the RECORD PROTECT
   field, as follows:

2) Make sure that you set the Record Access field for the file as follows:
        
    Record Protection Fields            
        Delete Protection = blank
        Key Protection = blank
        Record Access = SECURITY_CODE

3) The following ILF code will create and populate the memory file and test
   for a specific code.  The READ returns a true if the user has access to the
   specified code.  The READ returns a false is the user does not have access
   to the specified code.

      SCRATCH  SPF SECURITY            FAIL 0 CACHE? N
      CREATE   SPF SECURITY  SHARE? Y  FAIL 0 CACHE NONE
      *        The write will always succeed
      SET      SPF SECURITY CODE              =      0001
      WRITE    SPF SECURITY               FAIL 0
      *        The read will fail if the user does not have access to code 0001
      SET      SPF SECURITY CODE              =      0001
      READ     SPF SECURITY               HOLD 0 FT 0 BY SECURITY CODE
F     ERROR    User Doesn't Have Access To Code 0001

When you want a QUERY to constrain an INPUT process (the regular INPUT Child 
Constraints can't be satisfied using CC's 'EQ' comparison operator only), you 
can use the following technique:

Create a JOB with Job Steps:
    QUERY
    UPDATE   (uq=query)
    INPUT

All three processes use the same PCF.

The UPDATE's Start of Process is:

      SCRATCH  AAA FILENAME              CACHE? Y
      CREATE   AAA FILENAME   SHARE? Y   CACHE? NOLOAD
      OPEN     AAA FILENAME   SHARE? Y   CACHE? N

The UPDATE's Record frame contains only:

      OPEN     AAA FILENAME   SHARE? Y   CACHE? Y
      WRITE    AAA FILENAME
      OPEN     AAA FILENAME   SHARE? Y   CACHE? N

The INPUT's JobStep's Pre-Invocation sets the following detached workfield:

      SET      AAA WORK USE-CACHED-PCF        =      1

The INPUT's Start of Process contains:

      IF       AAA WORK USE-CACHED-PCF        EQ     1
 T    OPEN     AAA FILENAME   SHARE? Y   CACHE? Y

The INPUT's Post-Invocation sets:

      SET      AAA WORK USE CACHED PCF        =      0

This example does not pass changes to the CACHEed version on to the disk 
version.  You'd have to put code in the INPUT's End of Process for that.

 GOSUB --- GET PARENT PROCESS

 ... then check the values of:

 0AD WORK PROC TYPE
 0AD WORK PROC NAM
 0AD WORK AP

What you would do is create a standard subroutine that reads all WIDGET records, looking for widgets of X type (like button). When it finds a widget of that type, it could set the font, text, rollover colors, etc.

Then, call this subr in Pre-Display of any process you want to have the consistent look and feel.

One enhancement you could do is put all the attrs in a one-rec param file, so that you can change them on the fly at run-time without having to touch the code.

This works only for setting attributes for existing GUI elements, and doesn't let you create new elements and add them to processes on the fly (for example, if you want a standard button to always appear on the bottom line of all INPUT processes).

The follow sample will work for any range of numbers where the total numbers
in the range is a maximum of 10,000 (eg., 1 - 10000, 50000 - 60000, 
1678  -11678).  If you use a larger range, you will need to increase the
generating time (TI) by some factor to allow at least one full pass through
the range of numbers.

 
     *        Set start and end of desired number range.
     SET      --- AI                         =      1
     SET      --- ZI                         =      10000
     *        Use current time to get random number of seconds & hundredths
     *        (WORK RGEN TIME SS defined as date field with seconds only)
     *        (WORK RGEN TIME TH defined as date field with hundredths only)
     SET DATE 1EX WORK RGEN TIME SS
     SET      --- SI                         =  1EX WORK RGEN TIME SS
     SET DATE 1EX WORK RGEN TIME TH
     SET      --- TI                         =  1EX WORK RGEN TIME TH
     *        Add number of seconds to number of hundredths
     COMPUTE  --- TI                         +  --- SI
     IF       --- TI                         LT     1
T    SET      --- TI                         =      1
     *        Set Number counter to one less than specified start of range.
     SET      --- NI                         =  --- AI
     COMPUTE  --- NI                         -      1
     *        Calculate time to stop generator by starting at current time
     *        and increasing it by adding the value in TI to the th's part.
     *        (WORK RGEN RUN END defined as date field with YY thru th)
     SET DATE 1EX WORK RGEN RUN END
     DATE ADD 1EX WORK RGEN RUN END          1  --- TI
     *        Start infinite loop that will exit when end time is reached.
     BEG LOOP LI = 001 TO 001  STEP 000
     COMPUTE  --- NI                         +      1
     *        If number count reaches end of range, go back to start.
     IF       --- NI                         GT --- ZI
T    SET      --- NI                         =  --- AI
     *        If current time has reached end time, exit loop.
     *        (WORK RGEN RUN START defined as date field with YY thru th)
     SET DATE 1EX WORK RGEN RUN START
     IF       1EX WORK RGEN RUN START        GE 1EX WORK RGEN RUN END
F    END LOOP LI
     *          ==>  Resulting generated number is in ---NI

Retrieve and occurrence example:
     TRN WORK DATE occurs 66 times (DD)         
        . . .
     SET --- TEMP 30     =     WORK DATE (note this is a literal)
     SET 0AD ELEMENT NAM = --- TEMP 30
     READ 0AD ELEMENT  HOLD 0 FT 0 BY ELEMENT NAM 
     SET --- AI = 0AD ELEMENT OCC

AI will contain 66 in this example.

Now in 4.2 you can use the two new PDFs --- CURSOR AT APPLICATION and --- CURSOR AT FIELD
just in case the user happened to be sitting on the field of interest.
...
     SET --- NEXT APPLICATION = --- CURSOR AT APPLICATION
     OPEN 0AD ELEMENT
T    SET --- TEMP 30     = --- CURSOR AT FIELD
T    SET 0AD ELEMENT NAM = --- TEMP 30
TT   READ 0AD ELEMENT  HOLD 0 FT 0 BY ELEMENT NAM 
...
I haven't tested this to see if it really works and I'm not sure if the
T    SET --- TEMP 30     = --- CURSOR AT FIELD
would really be required.

     --- Input   STACK (EDIT)

This ILF must be coded within an image level EP. Run against any Database.

This is most convenient if you define it as your SysAdmin 'Direct Process 1', or if you put it on a Direct Process 1 menu. Then, in a trapped routine, you can invoke direct process one, cntl+1. This will display the process stack which shows the process name, process type and invocation type. For a detailed description of the process stack see http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=171 .

 1) Ensure that the INPUT process does not specify a "Default Mode" 
   (which it always does)

 2) Ensure that the child spec does not specify an "Override Default Mode"
    (which it normally doesn't)

 3) Invoke the INPUT process with an invocation type of SUBPROCESS.  
    (--- DEFAULT MODE has a share class of SUBPROCESS.)

Think of INPUT Additional Attribute field "Default Mode" as "Initial Mode". Specifying "Default Mode" tells APPX to run the INPUT with that mode as the Initial Mode. APPX then ignores any value you might have set into the PDF.

If a parent INPUT process is running in Inquire or Change mode and you set the PDF to ADD mode before invoking a child INPUT, APPX runs the child INPUT process in Inquire or Change mode instead.

You can control the INPUT process mode by setting the desired mode into --- DEFAULT MODE in the child INPUT's Start of Process.

Create a work date field as CC-DD, in the example below this work field is 
WORK DATE and the year I am checking is in WORK YEAR.

Using ILF:

        SET      TRN WORK DATE                      =     TRN WORK YEAR
        SET      TRN WORK DATE                      =     ----0229--------
        IF       TRN WORK DATE                      EQ    ------29--------
T       (the year in WORK YEAR is a leap year)

When 0229 is put in a date field that contains a year, APPX will determine 
if 0229 is valid for that year.  If it is, 0229 will remain.  If not, APPX 
date logic will convert the 0229 to 0301.  In the example above, the first 
SET puts the year in the CC-DD date field.  The second set puts Feb 29 into 
that year.  The IF checks to see if the day is still 29.  If it is, then this 
is a leap year.  

The row and column position on the widget will still be the nearest row/col intersection, but the micro adjustment field will be filled in with the percentage adjustment away from that row/col. The same thing applies to drawing buttons, etc. - without the shift key you get 'snap to grid', but if you use the shift key, you can make it any size.

APPX_IO_LOG=filename APPX_FMT_IO_LOG=1

The first will tell Appx to log all AppxIO actions to filename. The second will tell Appx to format the log so that mere mortals can read it.

The log file will show all reads, readnexts, writes, deletes, and rewrites. Each entry will show a complete dump of the data being read, written, or deleted. For read operations, the log will show the key number and key value being retrieved.

You'll also see log entries for each process that runs so you can tell which process caused each I/O.

Buttons and Labels on input screens and menus can use html to enhance the
text.  Enter the html code in the Label or Button text field in the object
property(ies).  Example; <html>Request<br>Ship Date will be displayed on two
lines.


----------------
|              |
|  Request     |
|  Ship Date   |
|              |
----------------

 

The caveat is that the individual lines delineated by the <br> formatting 
may not obey all the label's gui settings, CENTER for example.  


In the case of CENTER the justification is applied to all lines at though 
there all the length of the longest segement.  You can revised the html tag 
to center each line of the label as follows;

<html><p align="center">Request<br>Ship Date

Here is a sample menu structure to create:

Daily
-- Transactions
----- Enter Transactions
----- Print Journal
Monthly
-- Postings
----- Balancing Report
----- Post Transactions

To create this, enter the following in pre-display:
*                                                                         
*        Restore and set defaults for creating CHILD widget records       
*                                                                         
   RESTORE  --- WIDGET                     DEFAULT RECORD                    
   SET      --- WIDGET PARENT TYPE         =      CHILD                      
   SET      --- WIDGET POSITION ROW        =      0                          
   SET      --- WIDGET POSITION COLUMN     =                                 
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Daily" top level pulldown                            
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Daily                      
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =                                 
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 1                     
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      D                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Transactions" pullout menu and attach to "Daily"     
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Transactions               
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Daily                      
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 2                     
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      T                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*     Create the "Enter Transactions" item and attach to "Transacti.." 
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Enter Transactions         
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Transactions               
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 3                     
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      E                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Print Journal" item and attach to "Transactions"     
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Print Journal              
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Transactions               
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 4                     
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      P                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Monthly" top level pulldown                          
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Monthly                    
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =                                 
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 11                    
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      M                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Postings" pullout menu and attach to "Monthly"       
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Postings                   
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Monthly                    
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 12                    
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      P                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Balancing Report" item and attach to "Postings"      
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Balancing Report           
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Postings                   
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 12                    
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      B                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
*        Create the "Post Transactions" item and attach to "Postings"     
*                                                                         
   SET      --- WIDGET LABEL               =      Post Transactions          
   SET      --- WIDGET GROUP NAME          =      Postings                   
   SET      --- WIDGET OPTION              =      USER 14                    
   SET      --- WIDGET SHORTCUT            =      P                          
   SET      --- WIDGET ADD TO MENU         =      Y                          
   GOSUB        :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                          
*                                                                         
END                                                                       
*                                                                         
*        Write WIDGET and increment POSITION ROW to create unique keys    
*                                                                         
   LABEL    :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                              
   WRITE    --- WIDGET                 FAIL 0                                
-  COMPUTE  --- WIDGET POSITION ROW        +      1                          
F  GOTO     :WRITE CHILD WIDGET                                              
   RETURN    

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693
http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=161

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=693

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=649

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=647

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=628

    SET       --- NEXT DATABASE   =    DB1
    OPEN      TAR CUSTOMER        SHARE? Y FAIL 0
    *
    BEG READ  TAR CUSTOMER        Hold? N
    *
    *         The DB1 Customer file is currently accessible
    *         through the CUSTOMER file name - we just read 
    *         a record from the DB1 Customer file.  Now we 
    *         Want to write this record to the DB2 Customer
    *         file - have to open it first
    *
    SET       --- NEXT DATABASE   =    DB2
    OPEN      TAR CUSTOMER        SHARE? Y FAIL 0
    WRITE     TAR CUSTOMER                 FAIL 0
    F CANCEL unexpected error (duplicate key?) WRITEing CUSTOMER 
    *
    *         Now we have to switch databases again before we
    *         do the END READ
    *
    OPEN      TAR CUSTOMER        SHARE? Y FAIL 0
    END READ  TAR CUSTOMER 
 

When APPX needs to open a file, it does so in two phases... a logical open and a physical open. The logical open takes place when APPX opens the file automatically OR when you open the file with an OPEN statement - this phase sets up internal memory structures to keep track of the file - the structure files are also verified during the logical open (this is expensive).

The physical open only takes place when you actually do the first I/O to the file (a read, write, etc.).

A file name (use "CUSTOMER" as an example) actually acts as a file multiplexor - you can get to multiple CUSTOMER files using the same file name. You do this by setting --- NEXT DATABASE and executing an OPEN statement to open a CUSTOMER file in a different database.

      *
      *         RETURN to Display, 1st time thru
      *
      IF       --- PROCESS CODE               EQ     DISP
      T SET --- OPTION = RETURN
      T SET --- PROCESS CODE = DONE
      *
      *         END to go back to INPUT, 2nd time thru
      *
      F IF --- PROCESS CODE EQ DONE
      FT SET --- OPTION = END 

(All this can be done in a SUBR, called from Key Entry's Global Pre-Display event point.)

When the INQUIRY starts, PROCESS CODE is DISP, so the KEY ENTRY frame is skipped. Since the INQUIRY is constrained to one record, it displays only that record from the INPUT.

When the user presses ENTER or END after viewing the data, Key Entry executes again, but since PROCESS CODE is now DONE, it sets OPTION to END. INQUIRY ends, and control is returned to the parent.

http://www.appx.com/assets/asp/dynamic_generator.asp?pageid=785

   SET      --- STREAM OPEN TYPE           =      r
   SET      --- TEMP 256                   =      |ls -la /usr1/appx/
   APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   0      data/C01/AGP/Files/
   APPEND   --- TEMP 256                   0  AGP FILES NAME
   SET      --- STREAM FILE PATHNAME       =  --- TEMP 256
   GOSUB    --- STREAM OPEN
   IF       --- STREAM RETURN CODE         NE     0
T  ERROR    Cannot Get File Listing
T  END
   *    
   SET      --- STREAM EOR SEQUENCE        =      LF
   GOSUB    --- STREAM READ
   *        The results will be in --- STREAM BUFFER         
   DISPLAY  --- STREAM BUFFER              (AT APPEARANCE #    )

  Don't forget to close, GOSUB    --- STREAM CLOSE

Options whose numeric values are >= 20000 are handled by the client and never make it to the engine (things like TAB, CURSOR UP, END PARAGRAPH, ...). But, you can assign any of those tokens to WIDGET OPTION, WIDGET OPTION FOC G, or WIDGET OPTION FOC L.

 SCRATCH APP FILENAME FAIL 0 CACHE? Y
 CREATE APP FILENAME SHARE? Y FAIL 0 CACHE NOLOAD
 OPEN APP FILENAME SHARE? Y FAIL 0 CACHE? N (for disk version)

 Then to populate:

 BEG AT APP FILENAME IN some constraint
 END AT APP FILENAME IN some constraint
 BEG READ APP FILENAME HOLD 0 KEY IS FILENAME KEY FIELD
 OPEN APP FILENAME SHARE? Y FAIL 0 CACHE? Y (for cached version)
 WRITE APP FILENAME
 OPEN APP FILENAME SHARE? Y FAIL 0 CACHE? N (for disk version)
 END READ APP FILENAME
 OPEN APP FILENAME SHARE? Y FAIL 0 CACHE? Y (so process will use
 cached version)

 Now the data lookup should work on the cached file.

 You could also build a memory file and do the same thing and have the data
 lookup work on the memory file.

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\kernel32.dll,Sleep@

That tells Appx to call the Sleep subroutine with the correct calling convention (for some reason, Windows supports a number of different "calling conventions", or rules for calling a function, and most of the kernel32 routines use a non-standard convention - there's no way for Appx to know which convention to use so you have to tell us).

    *Save as Default allows you to designate whether you want to re-display on 

    
    *Auto Read Next allows you to control which record will be read and 

    *Auto Read First allows you to control which record will be read and 

    *Exact Key Required allows you to specify whether or not a complete key must

      *      
      *        Open file in source database      
      *      
      SET      --- NEXT DATABASE              =      AAA      
      OPEN     SPF CUSTOMER  SHARE? Y  FAIL 0 CACHE? N      
      *
      BEG READ SPF CUSTOMER               HOLD 0 KEY IS  CUSTOMER NO
      *
      *        Open file in destination database
      *
      SET      --- NEXT DATABASE              =      BBB
      OPEN     SPF CUSTOMER  SHARE? Y  FAIL 0 CACHE? N
      WRITE    SPF CUSTOMER               FAIL 0
      *
      *        Open file in source database
      *
      SET      --- NEXT DATABASE              =      AAA
      OPEN     SPF CUSTOMER  SHARE? Y  FAIL 0 CACHE? N
      *
      END READ SPF CUSTOMER

     SET      --- STREAM OPEN TYPE           =      r
     SET      --- STREAM READ LENGTH         =
     GOSUB    --- STREAM OPEN
     SET      --- STREAM EOR SEQUENCE        =      LF
     IF       --- STREAM RETURN CODE         NE     0
     *
     *        read tab file record
     LABEL    :NEXT RECORD
     TRAP
     GOSUB    --- STREAM READ
     IF       --- STREAM RETURN CODE         EQ     0
     IF       --- STREAM BUFFER              EQ
     GOTO     :NEXT RECORD 

The field --- STREAM READ LENGTH is used for two things. If set to a value other than zero the READ subroutine will limit the data bytes it reads to no more than that many bytes. What gets you is that your READ routine also uses that field to tell you how many bytes it actually did read. So, the first time you call it the value was zero, it read in number of bytes (if you count the tab bytes) up to the linefeed and set that number of bytes into this field. Since you didn't reset it to zero that value carried forward to the next read. It read that number of bytes and stopped leaving the rest<lf> unread. The next time you called read it read the remaining number of bytes up to the linefeed and set the length to that number. And so on.....
So, you need to set this field to zero before each read attempt.

Create an update process and simply SET, or CNV TEXT, fields from your source file (PCF) into the alpha fields of the consecutive file. The actual Appx file (filename.dat) in the database Data directory will contain the ASCII text file. You might consider renaming it to filename.txt before using or sending the file to someone else.

The carriage return/line feed characters can be added as follows;

     In Start of Process…
         CNV BIN --- CDF HEX00                    =  0
         CNV BIN --- CDF HEX0A                   =  10

     In Start if Frame…
         APPEND  --- TEMP 2                            0  --- CDF HEX0A    
         APPEND  --- TEMP 2                            0  --- CDF HEX00

Don’t forget to WRITE the records to the consecutive file. Also, you must SCRATCH and CREATE the flat file on each execution of the Update process. If the file is not scratched, data will be appended to the end of the file.

By setting APPX_41_EPS=1 environment variable, you can get previous EP behavior.
This variable, however, can not be set for design. It is for Run time only.

Execution cycle in 4.2 has been changed in 3 areas:
1.      Input execution after OC
2.      Input execution on Delete
3.      Input execution auto execution of child process.


On #1 – input Execution after OC – if you have ORDER1 Input Process, and execute opt1 to run Line Items process, we changed execution cycle when you come back from a child.
The order of the events as follows:
1.      Read the PCF record with HOLD
2.      Executes Post PCF Read
3.      Executes Post Invocation of the Child
4.      Executes Select Image
5.      Executes Pre-Display/Verify EP
6.      Executes Pre-Display
7.      We display the Screen

4 – 6 – is what changed in 4.2.

On #2 – Input Execution on Delete – if you delete a record, Appx will execute Pre-Update EP, after Delete – Post_PCF Update EP.
Prior to 4.2 – Pre-PCF Update Ep wasn’t executing.

On#3  Input Execution auto execution of child process – Key change, record delete (for example, you have ORDER1 and ORDER2 as an AC to ORDER1. If you delete ORDER1 record, you need to delete all corresponding ORDER2 records).
It looks to see if ORDER2 needs to be run.
It executes ORDER2 in autoexecute, it goes through all the steps to delete ORDER2 records.

It executes:
Post PCF read
Pre PCF Update
Post PCF Read
Delete – Post PCF Update

It will execute all these EP’s for each line item.

In 4.1, it wasn’t executing Post PCF Read and Pre PCF Update.

First a short introduction on the choice of character set and length semantics: 
Using Unicode as a character set will allow you to store any character, 
not just the western European characters you are normally limited to.

Unicode is a multi-byte character set which means that a single character could use more than a single byte. So what do you mean by VARCHAR2(10)? 
Is this 10 characters or 10 bytes? 
This used to be the same with our single byte character set, but with UTF8 this is no longer true. 
You can specify VARCHAR2(10 BYTE) or VARCHAR2(10 CHAR) if you want to be specific. 

However, APPX doesn’t use this syntax and does not specify either. 
This is where the NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS parameter comes in. 
You can set this to BYTE or CHAR basically defining which one of the two is the default when not specifying it explicitly.
 
A default Oracle installation will use BYTE semantics which will work with APPX.  
However, if the default is changed to CHAR semantics, then APPX won't work without setting the following environment variable:

NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS=BYTE