New Star Software Collection/NSS_Collection.iso/3-302 proto gen c & cpp genera/1.ima/README.TXT

Text File | 1995-08-12 | 14KB | 361 lines

       Welcome to ProtoView's ProtoGen Application Code Generator
       ----------------------------------------------------------

Read this README file for the latest, important information about
the ProtoGen software and manual.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
1. How to Get Help
2. Installation
3. Features
4. Other Information
5. Defining your own editor
6. Windows 3.1 and Strict compiling
7. Other Products Offered From ProtoView


1. HOW TO GET HELP
   ---------------
If you have any problems, read this file in its entirety.  If you
still have a question and need assistance, help is available from
the following sources:

a. Type GO BPROGB on the CompuServe for access to the Borland
   forums, which consist of libraries of technical information and
   answers to common questions.

b. Check with your local software dealer or users' group.

c. Call the Borland Technical Support Department at
   [phone] for help with an urgent problem that cannot be
   solved by one of the previously mentioned sources.  Please
   sign and return the license agreement that came with ProtoGen,
   and have the following information ready before calling:

   1.  The product name and serial number on your original
       distribution disk.  Please have your serial number ready
       or we can't process your call.

   2.  The product version number.  To find the version number,
       invoke ProtoGen and select Help|About ProtoGen.

   3.  The brands and model numbers of your computer and
       additional hardware.

   4.  The operating system and version number installed on your
       computer.  Find the version number by typing VER at the
       DOS prompt.

2. INSTALLATION
   ------------

To start the installation, execute the "Setup" program on the
ProtoGen installation disk.

For example, if you're installing from drive A, perform the
following steps:

   1.  At the A:\> prompt, type "WIN SETUP" <ENTER>.

   2.  Enter the destination directory for ProtoGen and press
       <OK>.

   3.  After Setup transfers files to the hard disk, Setup asks
       if it should add the PV directory to your path statement
       in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  If you've already added the
       PROTOGEN directory to your path, select <Cancel>;
       otherwise, select <OK>.

   4.  After installation, make sure your DOS path statement
       includes the PV directory, so the DLL and executable files
       can be found.  If you allowed the Install program to
       modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT, rebooting sets the path properly.

Read the rest of this README file to get further information
about this release before installing ProtoGen.

3.  FEATURES
    --------
ProtoGen offers the following features and benefits:

o  Allows various Windows resources to be laid out and connected
   into a prototype user interface.

o  Allows easy creation of menu items, separators, menu popups,
   and accelerators, which are implicitly tied to a menu item.

o  Demonstrates in test mode how the completed application will
   look.

o  Generates Borland C++ OWL code or ANSI C code for Windows, and
   creates associated files needed to compile the generated
   application, including make files and header files.

o  Creates project files that can be used to build C and C++
   programs in Borland C++ for Windows.

o  Gives you the option of creating a customized main window or a
   a standard main window, which includes a system icon and
   minimize and maximize buttons.

o  Displays a user-defined menu of frequently used tools for easy
   access.

o  Provides "regeneration brackets" to prevent ProtoGen from
   overwriting user-modified codes.


4. OTHER INFORMATION
   -----------------

o  System Error Message

   When loading ProtoGen, a "System Error" message might appear
   for one of the following reasons:

       - The DOS path has not been set correctly.
         Remedy:  Exit Windows and add the ProtoGen directory to
                   the DOS path.

       - The working directory is no longer valid.
         Remedy:  Delete the PV.INI file in the WINDOWS directory.

o  Source Code Comments

   ProtoGen uses comments to delineate regeneration brackets.
   For example, suppose a user added the following global
   variable Foo between brackets:

       //REGEN_VARIABLES

            int Foo=1;

       //REGEN_VARIABLES

   The brackets protect Foo from destruction if the user
   interface prototype is regenerated to add or change menu
   features.  If one of the brackets is deleted, Foo is lost when
   the prototype is regenerated.  All regeneration brackets start
   with the prefix REGEN_. Delete brackets only after the code is
   frozen.

o  .PVA File Modification

   Don't modify .PVA files directly.  Incorrect data can lead to
   an "Unrecoverable Application Error".  Let ProtoGen modify
   these files.

o  Project Files for C++ and ANSI C

   When compiling projects under Borland C++ for Windows you
   should turn  on the Generate COMDEFS switch under Compiler |
   Advanced Code Generation.  This option can be found on TCW's
   main menu.

o  Working Directory

   The "working directory" is the directory where ProtoGen's
   Windows resources are kept.  These include dialog resources,
   menu resources, bitmaps, and icon files.  ProtoGen needs to
   draw upon the resources within this directory to build an
   application.

   To use resources in other directories, the ICON and BITMAP
   files have to be copied by the user if the Dialog Resource is
   using an icon control or Borland Custom control that uses a
   bitmap.  ProtoGen attempts to copy all resource files to the
   current working directory. ProtoGen won't copy the associated
   files that might be used within a .DLG or .RC file.

o  Test Mode

   Test mode shows the general flow of the user-designed screen,
   demonstrating how data objects might interact.  In test mode,
   there's no minimize button, but the minimize button will be
   present in the generated application along with other standard
   features.

   When the application is in test mode, the main ProtoGen window
   is hidden, and you can't see it in the task list for the
   program manager.

   When the main window is a dialog box, the created application
   behaves differently than it did in the test mode.

o  Tools

   Tools launched within ProtoGen don't close upon exiting
   ProtoGen.

o  Insufficient Memory or Disk Space

   When memory or disk space is low, you might not be able to
   compile a program.  When you shell to DOS from Windows to
   compile the program, a large swap file is needed, which
   reduces available memory. Unload drivers, TSRs, and other
   memory-intensive programs, and try to recompile.

o  Setting Up ProtoGen

   Perform the following steps to prepare for generating ProtoGen
   code:

   1.  Set up the tools you need by selecting Tools|Define Tool
       from the ProtoGen main menu and defining the following
       tools, which reside in the bin directory of either Borland
       C++ or Turbo C++ for Windows unless you specified
       otherwise:

             - Resource Editor.  To create Bitmaps, Fonts, and
               Dialogs, select WORKSHOP.EXE.
   2.  Set up appropriate paths for includes and libs.  Select
       Application|Generate from the ProtoGen main menu.  The
       INCLUDE and LIB directories should be searched in order of
       derived class first; consequently, if your Borland C++
       directory is "C:\BC" then you should enter the following
       path in the Include Directory Edit box:

          C:\BC\OWL\INCLUDE;C:\BC\CLASSLIB\INCLUDE;C:\BC\INCLUDE

       Enter the following in the Library Directory Edit box:

          C:\BC\OWL\LIB;C:\BC\CLASSLIB\LIB;C:\BC\LIB

       Press <ENTER> as if you were generating code.  When the
       Enter Application Title dialog is displayed, just press
       <Cancel> to cancel generating an application.  Now, you're
       ready to use ProtoGen.

   3.  With the make file supplied by Borland, build the
       appropriate versions of .LIB files for Borland classlibs.
       Because Borland C++ and Turbo C++ for Windows are shipped
       with only the small code model versions of the classlibs,
       you'll need to build any other versions you might need.
       See the Borland C++ documentation for more information.

o  Inaccuracies in Screens

   Because ProtoGen is concerned primarily with the overall
   screen flow and interaction with other Window resources, some
   screens might not be accurately portrayed.  For example, a
   button may appear slightly larger than its actual size.

o  Custom Colors

   To define a custom color for the client area of the main
   window from the Edit|Window Colors menu, select a "Basic
   Color" first, modify the color, and press the <Add to Custom
   Colors> button. The custom color is displayed in the first
   available blank square.

o  Linking Dialog Resources

   You can't link a dialog resource to more than one menu item.
   If you need to use the same dialog, copy the dialog resource
   and rename it. Don't change the name of a dialog that's linked
   to a menu item.

o  Putting Away a User-defined Dialog

   When you click on a menu item in the prototype menu, ProtoGen
   asks you what DLG file you want to attach to it.  (A DLG file
   is equivalent to an RC file).  When you click a dialog control
   like the <OK> button, ProtoGen thinks you want to attach a
   dialog to that control.  To put away the dialog, either double
   click the client area of the dialog or press <Alt+F4>.

o  Using an RC File as a Menu Resource File.

   When naming an RC file to be used as the menu resource file
   (MNU), don't use the application file name. If the menu
   resource file is HELLO.RC, and the name of the application is
   HELLO, ProtoGen overwrites HELLO.RC with its own RC file when
   it generates code.

   To help you avoid overwriting files, by default ProtoGen gives
   files an MNU file name extension if you don't enter an
   extension when you save the file from the Menu Designer.

o  Nested Dialog Boxes

   Don't nest dialog boxes more than nine levels.  More levels
   might cause an Unrecoverable Application Error, because stack
   space is limited.

o  Debug Warning Messages

   Don't panic if dbWin displays the following error message when
   you're running the Debug Windows Kernel:

   "PROTOGEN -> USER PV_WM_KILLFOCUS + 1E: Invalid value 256"

   This message is displayed during normal operation with the
   Debug Windows Kernel.

o  Compatibility Issues

   Many of the message dialog boxes are system modal, which means
   the user can't access other parts of the application until the
   dialog is finished; consequently, ProtoGen might not be
   compatible with programs like Recorder in your Windows
   Accessories Group.

   When using a high resolution driver, such as the 1024x768 with
   small fonts, the text in several dialog boxes is truncated.
   To correct the problem, select a larger font, such as the one
   available with the 1024x768 driver with large fonts.

o  Built-in Text Editor

   While working in the built-in text editor (which is brought up
   by selecting a menu item from Edit|Edit Resources), if the
   Save As or Open dialog box is displayed, you must first close
   this dialog before selecting File|Close from the ProtoGen
   system menu.


5. DEFINING YOUR OWN EDITOR.
   ------------------------
   Edit or create a PV.INI file in your WINDOWS directory, and
   define the TextEditor variable as the executable file name of
   your editor as shown here:

   [ViewPaint]
   TextEditor=myeditor.exe

   For example, if your editor is Brief, TextEditor=b.exe.

6. WINDOWS 3.1 AND STRICT COMPILING
   --------------------------------
   If you're using Borland C++ and OWL version 3.1 and want to
   generate C or C++ code that conforms to Microsoft's STRICT
   definition, select Application| Generate.  In the Options area
   of the Generate dialog box, select the STRICT checkbox to
   define -DSTRICT and -DWIN31.

   To generate STRICT-compliant code that runs under Windows 3.0
   or 3.1, replace the -31 command line switch passed to the rc
   compiler with a -30 switch.

7. OTHER PRODUCTS OFFERED FROM PROTOVIEW
   -------------------------------------

   DataTable - Spreadsheet control for Microsoft Windows for the
               C/C++ and Pascal windows programmer.

   ProtoView - A screen management facility for Microsoft Windows
               for the C/C++ Windows programmer. Includes 12 new
               Windows controls with built in data validation,
               DDE links, and message handling; a screen painter
               to interactivly design screens and forms with data
               validation, actions, DDE links, custom colors and
               fonts and much more; a dialog class for Object
               Windows Library, and a high-level dynamic link
               library with functions for printing files and
               buffers under Windows; an editor function,
               animation functions and more.  ProtoView works
               with ProtoGen to enhance test mode and ProtoGen's
               code generation capabilities.