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Current Version of PROGCREA: 2.2 This file was originally created by author Geoffrey Evelyn. Welcome to VERSION 2.21 of the BEST and EASIEST program generator for Clipper 5.0+ users! This file gives information for users who have upgraded, users who wish to know more of PROGCREA features and users who want to see whats in the packaging. (Also, it allows me 'the author' to advertise other products <grin>). For those who wish to register! Registration information. ========================= If you have not already registered, simply send your payment with completed registration form to the author. You will immediately recieve a product code and be informed how to enter it. Note that NO documentation is provided with this package until you have registered PROGCREA, so please register your package to get its FULL BENEFITS!!! Thanks. Geoffrey Evelyn. ========================================================================== Other Products available ----- -------- --------- Ok, Ok, sorry but must at least let everyone out there know what other packages are SHAREWARE available from myself: Source code for MASK.OBJ & BASEBIT2.OBJ - A must have for serious PROGCREATORS! If you don't like the way your application handles a situation, CHANGE IT by modifying the source code!!! Total flexibility!! Hard Disk Menu Version 5.31 - Brilliant Hard Disk Menu system, absolutely loads of features! Disk Catalogue, Todo Tasker, Formatter, Backup, Password Protection, Millions of space for menu options, mouse support, etc etc etc etc... Softshop - Can you run a Software House? Stocks and Shares - How good are you in the Stock Market? Monotony - Based on Monopoly - this time your in business! Detect - Simple Detective Game based on Cluedo. Footer - British Football Simulation Game! Mines - Can you run the mining industry? If you are interested in any of these, you can either: a: Contact one of the BBS's given at the foot of MANUAL.MAN documentation. b: Write to the author requesting a shareware copy. Thanks for reading this... ========================================================================== DISTRIBUTION Information. Files supplied in the PROGCREA DISK are as follows: File Description PROGCREA EXE || This is the one that CREATES your programs. PROGCREA SCN || Front end screen for PROGCREA. PROGHELP.WP5 || Word Perfect Documentation for generated applications. PROGHELP.ASC || DOS TEXT FILE (ASCII) docs for generated applications. MASK OBJ || Main object to link in with whatever PROGCREA creates. BASEBIT2 OBJ || Secondary link object for MASK.OBJ. PRINTDOC BAT || This enables you to printout the Documention. MANUAL MAN || Progcrea Manual, covers MASK.OBJ and BASEBIT2.OBJ MANUAL ASC || Same as above but in ASCII format PGFILE TXT || A documented version of an example OBJECTS.PCR. README NOW || Well, you are reading the contents of this file now! FILTSAVE DAT || Used by MASK.OBJ to save your existing filters. PRINTER DAT || Used by BASEBIT2.OBJ for Printer Definitions. REGISTER FRM || Please fill this in to register PROGCREA!!! PACKING INF || Simple list of all files contained in PROGCREA.ZIP file. TOPBIT SCR || Front end for PROGCREA.ZIP file FUNCTION LST || A complete list of all the functions in MASK and BASEBIT2.OBJ UNREGISTERED USERS! ------------ ------ NB : FUNCTION.LST, MANUAL.WP5, PROGHELP.ASC/WP5, PGFILE.TXT is NOT provided in the UNREGISTERED version of PROGCREA.ZIP. Furthermore, the MANUAL.ASC included in the documentation is a cut down version of the full 70 page manual. Please make sure therefore that you register this package if you like it to get its FULL benefits!!! All files given on this list have been scanned for viruses and are CLEAN! This was done using MCAFFEE and Pctools Virus Scanner Kit. Software Support Notice. PROGCREA is upgraded in two ways: 1: Whenever we feel that you the customer and developer would benefit from achieving greater productivity in what you do (PROGCREA is, of course upgraded FREQUENTLY). 2: Whenever a bug is reported which obviously impinges on your productivity. In this case a fixed version is sent to all registered users free of charge, postage or packing, and addendum documentation if applicable. Progcrea relies (as most other good software products) on you, the developer and customer. In this respect feedback is vital to the life of this product. Even if you have not registered PROGCREA I would still like to hear what you thought of it, criticisms, suggestions etc is heartily welcomed. Geoffrey Evelyn. ============================================================================== HISTORY Information. ==================== ver 1.1 Created May 30th 1991. Objective, to create applications in the nick of time! Note: Documentation to MASK is NOT supplied with this file. Only registered users of this software will recieve full documentation. That CLIPPER.EXE, CLIPPER.LIB, EXTEND.LIB AND RTLINK files MUST be on the Dospath. That PROGCREA.EXE and MASK.OBJ must be in a separate subdirectory. Do not attempt to call PROGCREA from any other subdirectory! Update information : None Yet, 30th May 1991, Progcrea CREATED! Update information : June 15th 1991, ver 1.3 1: 200th user of Progcrea now registered! Update information : June 21st 1991. Bugs found - thanks to all who found em' 1: Upon Add/Modify existing record the update pointers are incorrect and thus the system creates a duplicate and destroys the original record Opps! This has been sorted out!! 2: Been inundated with requests to add a calendar - in the end I decided against supplying it on key as it cluttered the screen. However, now accessible as an option from the Utilities facility. ============================================================================= UPDATED : MARCH 1992, ver 2.0 This file holds update news relevant to PROGCREA after the documentation was complete. This is set addendum 2. ============================================================================= Please print this and add it to your PROGCREA documentation. Progcrea can now build directly into its 'CREAPROG.BAT' the commands required to link in any or all of the following 3rd party products: 1: FUNCKY 2.0+ Copyright de LESKO Associates. 2: SILVERPAINT (SWPAINT) Copyright Silverware Inc (Tm) 3: GFORCE 2.15+ Copyright Calypso Software. 4: DRSWITCH ASE Not to give any adverts or anything but for the serious developer FUNCKY is absolutely brilliant. As a matter of fact, PROGCREA adds in special functions to any user who has FUNCKY. For example, Help Screens, User Definable Macros, Definition save files for Mailmerging etc. If you have any of these libraries, have written more functions using them and wish to link them into a program to be created, Progcrea will display these options and ask you whether you wish to link them in. If you type 'Y' to these prompts PROGCREA will add this as data to the CREAPROG.BAT. Special Notice: For those who have SWPAINT: The front end screen be composed of a .PCX file. If the dimensions of the .PCX file matches the ones supplied by PROGCREA then a small copyright notice for your generated program will also be displayed. When answering 'Y' to whether or not you wish to include SWPAINT in your generated application, you will be asked to supply for coordinates relevant to your .PCX file: X1: Upper left hand corner. Y1: Upper right hand corner. X2: Bottom left hand corner. Y2: Bottom right hand corner. It is suggested that you use a package that enables you to determine the absolute size of the .PCX file. GFORCE and DR-SWITCH ASE library options have been included, firstly because you may have one or both of those packages and wish to include your own functions related to those libraries. Secondly, it allows me to enhance Progcrea by providing direct calls via MASK / BASEBIT2 as an add on basis! NEW FUNCTIONS PROVIDED BY PROGCREA: New functions are created by Progcrea: CALLOUT() UPDATEPOS() USEMASTER() USETANKFILE() CALLOUT() is used to link in the functions that you create, as PROGCREA is also able to include outside functions directly into the created app. Note that this function call is only directly useful to registered users. UPDATEPOS() is used to inform the generated application of the position of the current record on screen, since it is very easy for the user to move from database to database. Do not rename or remove this function as your application will SURELY BOMB if you do! USEMASTER() and USETANKFILE open the master database file (the one you created) and the temporary file (the one which is created when the user sorts or filters the master database). Do NOT rename or remove these functions as your generated application will SURELY BOMB if you do! NEW OPTIONS PROVIDED BY PROGCREA: 1: On the first screen as you are entering the title of program and author information you can also provide the following: a: OPENING SCREEN. If you do not use SWPAINT (or, if you do and do not wish to include a .PCX file) you can indicate the name of an ASCII / ANSI (if installed) file to display to the user when the generated program is run. Note that you should enter the <NAME>.<EXT> of the file to use. b: CONFIGURATION. This defaults to SYCONFIG.CNF, and is the file to which all the user options are stored when they leave the generated application. Simply change this title to suit your own purposes. For example, if the program is called DISKCAT.EXE, then the configuration file for this program could be called DISKCAT.CNF C:PLACE THE FILE. This allows you to decide where on your HARD DISK you wish to place the source, and object files needed to create your application after PROGCREA has done the hard work. This defaults to the current directory to where you originally installed PROGCREA. ** IMPORTANT ** IMPORTANT ** IMPORTANT ** IMPORTANT It IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED change this prompt to REFLECT A DIFFERENT SUBDIRECTORY to the one in which PROGCREA is installed. A: Because it is MESSY!!! B: Because it is HIGHLY LIKELY that OBJECTS.PCR will NOT be created!!! D:LABEL FILE. This allows you to name the label file to use with the created application. You would use say dBASE III+/IV or RL.EXE from CLIPPER to create your label file. E:REPORT FILE. This allows you to name the Report File to use in the created application. You would use say dBASE III+/IV or RL.EXE from CLIPPER to create your report file. Unlike the label file, an unlimited number of report forms can be created, though the name you enter here becomes the DEFAULT choice for the user when he/she accesses the report option. 2: When entering the short / long descriptions for each field you can now 'mirror' the short description into the long by pressing RETURN when you have entered a short description. This saves you having to type the long description as well. You can also leave the @SAY...GET Descriptions blank if you wish. This has been provided for those who wish to align 'likewise' fields, eg Address Lines. 3: After entering the short / long descriptions for all your fields in the database, you can now enter the title of the your input screen. Successive screens (up to 999 input screens) will be automatically labelled as <TITLE OF FIRST SCREEN> 2 of <NUMBER OF INPUT SCREENS YOU CHOSE>. 4: You can now choose the SEQUENCE in which @SAY...GET fields be available for input to your application. For example, say you have four fields, but you wish the entry to these fields carried out in the following sequence: 3,2,4,1. After you decide the position of the field on screen you can then decide the sequence number for that field. The higher the number, the closer to the top of the order of input for that particular screen input. Note that it is advisable that you draft on paper the format of your screens and the sequence numbers of all your @SAY...GETs. 4: After setting up the 'format' of your input screen you can now pick unlimited KEYWORD searchable fields, by simply pressing RETURN on the ones you pick. Pressing RETURN again on a selected keyword field will deselect it from the list. Press ESCAPE when you have chosen your fields. Remember, you MUST pick at least ONE field (if you have any character fields in your database!). 5: Picking Searchable fields (ie, ones that allow the user to search on other that reference number when inputting data), follows the same format as picking KEYWORD fields. Remember that you MUST pick at least one field (if you have any character fields in your database!). ======================= REGISTERED ONLY OPTIONS ======================= 6: PROGCREA now allows you to add titles of functions and menu option titles for those functions. You would enter up to three function names, and up to three menu options. Once entered these are stored and called by the function CALLOUT() displayed at the foot of OBJECTS.PCR. Note that EVEN IF YOU DO NOT decide to add extra functions you SHOULD NOT remove the function CALLOUT() from OBJECTS.PCR or your program will NOT compile. 7: PROGCREA now allows you to enter titles of other .OBJ and/or .PRG files to be included in the compile list. These will be added into the batch file CREAPROG.BAT. 8: You can also enter up to 6 lines of information about your created program. This information can then be accessed by the user via the ABOUT!!! option in the Utilities Section of your created application. You can also create a file called COPYINFZ.TXT to store up to ten lines of information about your program. Note that if you do neither of these the address and name of me (Geoff Evelyn) will appear in the ABOUT!!! option. ============================================================================= MASK.OBJ / BASEBIT2.OBJ : NEW OPTIONS! 1: Mailmerge to Word Perfect 5.0 > is included. To access this from the created program access the 'Options' option from the created program, access Labels / Reports then access Mailmerge. The user will then need to choose the fields which need to be output to a mailmerge file. Once done, the user is then able to output a definition sheet to printer, which gives information related to Mailmerge for Word Perfect (Field F1 = Name, for example). This function resides in MASK.OBJ as MERGEWP() 2: Statistical Reporting is now included. This can also be accessed via the 'Options' option of the created program. Allows the user to choose up to twenty statistics which could be based on occurences and/or totals. The statistics that are defined are saved to a file with the extension .RDF. This function resides in BASEBIT2.OBJ as DEFOWREP() These files can then be used again during the Print stage of the same option which then carries out the statistical checks. When counting occurences the reporting facility is also able to calculate percentages and ratios based on the number of occurences to the total number of records. 3: Back up Database is now included. This can also be accessed via the 'Options' option of the created program. Note that when used it will created one file called BACKFILE.BAC in the directory in which your created program resides and on the destination disk if the routine was successful. Note also that the backup routine works directly on the Update and Entry Date of the records in the master database. You may only backup the current day, week or monthly entries. This function resides in BASEBIT2.OBJ as BACTODAY() 4: Back up ANYTHING is now included. This can also be accessed via the 'Options' option of the created program. I must say a big thanks to Per Kjellqvist for providing a brilliant backup / restore udf, which you can find on most Clipper related / supported BBSs including COMPUSERVE as PBACK.ZIP. The function call from MASK.OBJ is BACWHOLE() 5: 'KeyFind' has been upgraded. You may now enter up to NINE different phrases to search on the hop whilst using this option. 6: The Filtering Screen has been modified, simply use the up / down / pageup / pagedown, home / end / first letter to pick the field you wish to filter from. There has been some problems reported from users re filtering the database when 'Case Selection' is UPPER CASE ONLY. Apologies to this! This has been fixed!!! 7: The Sort option has been modified in the same way as shown above. You can also index on up to 7 fields in either ascending / descending / mixed. This means of course that you no longer need to imply the fields on which the user should sort on. The sort itself is not the TRUE sort, simply creates an index instead. Note therefore that the user will be warned if attempting to add records into the database when the sort order is not by REFERENCE NUMBER. Function: SORTDATA() inside MASK.OBJ 8: A Calendar and Calculator have been added to the UTILS section of the generated application. As these are standalone, you could call them 'naturally' from either Function Hotkeys (ie, F5) or from any other part of the created source code. Functions: CALENINF() and PNGCALC() inside MASK.OBJ 9: Labels routine has been COMPLETELY enhanced. If you have created a .LBL file and wish to use it with PROGCREA, notice that on the first screen that you are asked to enter the name of the label file. This is then called from STANDPRIN() from the labels routine (first option). Note that the fields in the .LBL file MUST match the fields you wish to use from the database used in the generated application. 10: Reporting has been COMPLETELY enhanced. You can create as many .FRM report files as you wish and use them from within your created application. Note that you need only enter the title of one of them to be stored as the default report for the user. If the user wants to user another report, they need only enter the title of any other report that you created for them. Note that the fields in the .FRM file MUST match the fields you wish to use from the database used in the generated application. ============================================================================= UPDATED : OCTOBER 1992, ver 2.2 This file holds update news relevant to PROGCREA after the documentation was complete. This is set addendum 3. PROGCREA.EXE 1: Main Screen entry tidied up; default entries stored. For example, the name of the registered user pops up as the author entry. Type any information in the author box in that screen to override. 2: A new file is included in the progcrea set. This is simply a list of all the functions in both MASK and BASEBIT2.OBJ. This is supplied so that if you wish to include your own functions you do not 'clash' with functions already supplied in the system. Furthermore, you can use these functions as part of your own systems. 3: It is now possible to use BASEBIT2 and MASK.OBJ as objects in another application NOT CREATED by Progcrea. To do this, make sure that your compile script does call MASK the as the object file to be linked, and that the first line of code in your program calls INITPROG() to initialise MASK and BASEBIT2. Eg: Application - > GEOFF.PRG to compile to GEOFF.EXE First lines of code: Set Message to 24 Centre Set Date British *--- HERE, MAKE A QUICK CALL TO INIT MASK and BASEBIT2 INITPROG() *--- Ok, now continue with GEOFF.PRG * * * Compile script: CLIPPER GEOFF RTLINK FILE GEOFF,MASK,BASEBIT2 LIB CLIPPER,EXTEND OUTPUT GEOFF Thats all there is to it!! 4: Code generated from PROGCREA now has more comments embedded to give you more of an insight into the workings of your program. This also means that other programmers can quickly understand the workings of the system. 5: Autodefault on short and long line descriptions for fields. 6: Extended choice options for VGA 43 line modes when picking keyword and searchable fields. 7: Over 50 more read - in options for FUNCKY users; this is given when compiling using FUNCKY II (remember you MUST have a copy of FUNCKY II if you wish to use these). 8: MASK.OBJ / BASEBIT2.OBJ 1: Switching over from database to database (MASTER TO FILTERED - visa versa) caused problems when accessing other databases. This also happened when variables clashed with field names. This has been corrected. 2: KEYFIND now completely supports memo field searching, searches in upper and lower case. Unlimited Keyword entry and removal. 3: Using more than one memo field caused problems for those who wished to view information (View the Database Entries). Corrected. 4: View program status now completely enhanced. Has information about the filtered file and memory usage of the program. 5: Browse the database now includes GROUP TAG as well as single TAG. This allows you to pick more than one record from a browse by simply highlighting the group of entries. ALT / X switches on/off GROUP TAGGING. 6: Browse keyword fields only now includes information on the number of fields designated as keyword fields. Also caters for less than 4 fields as keyword fields. 7: Reports, Labels and Mailmerge enhanced. Report option checks for existency of .FRM file, you can SAMPLE SEND labels etc. Mailmerge allows you to save definitions of the fields chosen and output up to 655350 entries at a time as secondary files for Word Perfect. 8: Statistical Reporting COMPLETELY re-written. See the general information on this option in your manual for further details. 9: Customised Help files can now display information from files up to 1mb in size. HOTKEY F1 10: Setup Printers now has another 14 types of printer definitions, bringing it up to 90 printers supported by your application. HOTKEY F3 11: Quick Search enhanced - HOTKEY F4 Please note =========== MANUAL.WP5, .ASC and PROGHELP.WP5, .ASC have been updated to reflect version 2.2. Please print out these documents (if you have registered, of course). ============================================================================= UPDATED : DECEMBER 1992, ver 2.21 A Note for users of version 2.2 1: The files supplied on the upgrade disk are completely imcompatible with the files supplied on your version 2.2 disk. Do not therefore use the PROGCREA.EXE file on the older version 2.2 MASK.OBJ or BASEBIT2.OBJ files. Doing this will most definately crash the created application. Please read the details supplied in your upgrade covernote before using PROGCREA version 2.21. BUGS!! A bug found firstly by Mike of Swindon UK (Cheers) has neccessitated a free release to those who have already registered version 2.2. This of course gave me the chance to improve PROGCREA (grin). Users to version 2.2 will find it even easier to create applications and now have the added bonus of being able to save 'object definition files' ('whats that' I hear you say?? - read on!) Critical Bug Fixes. 1: Zooming Windows when set to 'Y' caused a bomb of the application. This is a conditional fault and has been fixed. 2: Sounds Like Filtering bombs the program - this is due to the lack of implicit function calling of SOUNDEX - Sorry, this is now fixed. 3: Enhancements. 1: Start up Front end screen PROGCREA reads 2.21 as opposed to 2.2. 2: Following screen displays three options: 1: Create a BRAND new Application - Database also created in this system. This simply means that you create the system within Progcrea and the database structure. 2:Create a BRAND new Application - Database already created externally. Same as above, except this time you will need to enter the name of an existing database (remember the constraints!!!) 3:Use a PROGCREATED Object Code Definition and create a new application. This is the new option available only to version 2.21 registered users. Each program you create whilst using Progcrea will have the set ups for that application saved to a file (Object Definition) of your choice. The extension however for this file is appended automatically by PROGCREA as .POC. This file, when saved is saved to the same directory where your Object File (.PCR) is saved. You can modify this file via an Ascii Editor very easily!!! Why is this file so useful? a: After creating the application you have suddenly realised that you have forgotten to add that field (I've been there). b: You need to change the positions of the fields in your data entry screens. c: You need to modify the title of the application, field titles, prompts etc very quickly without having to hunt through objects.pcr. d: etc etc (How long is a piece of string scenario). Please read your documentation MANUAL.MAN for detailed information. 4: Validation now improved on prompts which require titles of filenames which must not (due to DOS) contain invalid characters. PROGCREA now tests each entry for the following characters which are deemed invalid: !"£$%^&*()-=+_{}][~#@'?/><,| You will be informed when this occurs. The Function INVAL_CHRS() in MASK can also be called to check a string against these invalid characters. Calling syntax: Filename:=space(8) @10,10 say "Enter Filename :" GET Filename VALID Inval_Chrs(Filename) READ Note that by adding a flag (.T.) to the function call you can test entire pathnames. This does the same thing except the \ and : are not checked for. Calling syntax for that eg: Filename:=space(8) @10,10 say "Enter Filename :" GET Filename VALID Inval_Chrs(Filename,.T.) READ 5: Menu Options Screen tidied up. You can now go back if you make a mistake during this screen. 6: Field design screen tidied up. Note that the system now checks for the existency of character fields. If you do not have any in your database you will not be able to create a complete application. You will be warned. 7: Short and Long Descriptions Screens. This has had a radical shake up. I had several complaints of hassles in changing descriptions once they have been entered. This screen now takes a global view whereby you can now move a highlight bar up / down and select the fields which should have long descriptions as well as short ones. Note that each field MUST have a short description. If a description has already been entered for a short field the long description field will not echo that information. 8: When deciding on whether the user should enter information in Upper / Lower Case, you can now also decide the date format, whether confirm should be on, whether the scoreboard should be displayed, whether the bell should sound etc during data entry. You can even define the size of the memo entry screen if your database includes one or more memo fields. 9: The data entry screen has been tidied up and re-worked to fit in with the new object definition file. Note that if you modify the structure of your database after the program has been created that you will be asked to position those new fields in the data display design screen. 10: You may now re-number a sequenced field as a lower number than the next available sequence number (Data Entry Screen). 11: The placement of extra .OBJ files and .PRG files (Registered users only) is now separate and no longer part of selecting your OWNFUNCTIONS. 12: ALT/Q has been added as a FAST exit key whilst using PROGCREA. 13: F1 has been added as the HELP screen to PROGCREA. Normally this is chained to the file MANUAL.ASC. You can modify this file to your own requirements or replace MANUAL.ASC with another file (make sure of course that this file is also named as MANUAL.ASC). 14: Any generated OBJECTS.PCR files are now FULLY documented. Some of the key functions in OBJECTS.PCR have been upgraded to reflect version 2.21. 15: MASK.OBJ and BASEBIT2.OBJ have had some major enhancements. Virtually all variables used in these object files preceed with GE_. However, if you wish to create your own functions / databases please make your variables / field names used with PROGCREAted applications explicit. ============================================================================= WHAT TO SEE IN VERSION 2.3 Windows and OS2 Support - GUI PROGCREA! PROGCREA will be a windows or OS2 generator which will create Window / OS2 database applications using a CUA interface!!! Fully DDE and OLE compliant!!! Support for four other Third Party Libraries! Support for C / C++ / ASM functions! ============================================================================= Finally: From requests from users out there, I have decided to set up a special unit for those who wish to quickly link in special utilities which they neither have the time or the ability to create. If you find that you would like to create a certain application or a user defined function (Udf) simply contact me via the support information given at the foot of the Manual. (Registered users only) Thanks for all your support so far! Geoffrey Evelyn.