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Q U I C S T A R T for the I M P A T I E N T ================================================= For those of you who don't read the documentation except as a last resort, this short guide is dedicated. We also assume that you know exactly what you are doing! Things You Must Do ------------------ 1. Unpack the software. The software is in a self unpacking format. Simply log on the target drive and type the name of each furnished .EXE file. 2. * * * * LOAD BTSYS.EXE * * * * by typing BTSYS. If you skip this step, you won't be able to read or write data files. The Minimum ----------- Q-PRO 4 uses a combination of procedural code and "painted" screens. You write the pro-gram and paint the screen with the Binary Workstation editor. File handling is multikey indexed sequential, random, or sequential. Most data files are indexed. Indexed and random files are defined with a File Item Description (FID) file. Getting On With It ------------------ Load BW.EXE, the program editor. You use BW to: - write the programs. It comes up ready to edit your program code. Functions are initiated by pressing function keys. The menu is shown at the bottom of the screen. Pressing F10 will scroll forward the functions associated with each function key. Pressing F9 scrolls backwards. - develop the screens. While in BW, press F8 to go to the screen editor. Type the labels/prompts on the screen the way you want then to be. Press F1 to bring up a window used to define enterable screens. - define the FID files. Quic-Start Page - 1 Putting It Together =================== Application Overview -------------------- Generally, you develop an application one program (or screen) at a time. Programs can freely "chain" each other into and out of memory. Registers, files and disk I/O buffers remain intact between screens. Program Flow of Control ----------------------- Q-PRO 4 is "Event driven" so flow of control is completely different than almost every other language. Control goes back and forth between the operator and program. This is always under the control of the programmer. For example, when the user is entering data on the screen, he has control. When he moves to the next enterable field, usually the programmer has control. Developing Programs ------------------ The sequence of developing a program module is usually: 1. Design the screen and its entry fields. The screen data entry fields, once defined, are the same as defining memory variables, i.e. you can interrogate their value, move data into and out of them, etc. One of the fields to be filled out when defining a screen data entry is "PROCEDURE NAME". If you enter a name here, when the user enters the field and then goes to the next field by pressing return or an arrow, the named procedure will be executed. 2. Write the program code. The program code is organized into PROCEDURES or PROC's. A procedure is initiated with the keyword (not too surprisingly) PROC followed by a space and the name of the procedure. PROC names (and all other names) are limited to 10 characters in length and MUST begin with an alpha character. (NOTE: Q-PRO 4 treats upper and lower case identically.) PROCS are terminated with either an END or in the case of a "CALLed" proc RETURN. When the proc terminates control reverts to the operator in the enterable screen data field that the programmer puts him in. Usually this is the next enterable field, but the programmer has full control of this. Quic-Start Page - 2 3. Designing the files. Usually the primary data file is very similar to the fields on the screen. If this is the case, the Quic FID facility can be utilized very effectively. 4. Learning the language. Look over the included sample programs starting with SAMPINS.QNE. They are profusely commented and illustrate some common coding techniques. Read the Commands Section of the manual to see the breadth of commands available. Quic-Start Page - 3 Quic Reference Card =================== IBM PC Terminal Keyboard Definitions Cursor Left . . . . . . Left Arrow Cursor Right. . . . . . Right Arrow Cursor Up . . . . . . . Up Arrow Cursor Down . . . . . . Down Arrow Cursor Home . . . . . . Home Tab . . . . . . . Return key Back Tab . . . . . . . Shift Tab Enter Data . . . . . . END Function 0 . . . . . . ESC Funct 1-9 . . . . . . F1-F9 Funct 11-20 . . . . . . SF1-SF10 Clear Screen . . . . . Control Home Clear to End of Line . Control End Clear to End of Screen Control Pg Down Insert Character. . . . Insert Key Delete Character. . . . Delete Key COMMAND SYNTAX -------------- Items within braces {} are optional. Items within angle brackets <> denote a class of item, rather than a literal value. Square brackets [] are required where shown. Field Descriptor Values ----------------------- Space,x any data X any data, forced to upper case a alphabetic data(A-Z,a-z,blank) A alphabetic data forced to upper case m alphanumeric data (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, blank) M alphanumeric data forced to upper case (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, blank) n,N numeric data (0-9 + - .) i,I integer data (0-9 + -) d, D digit data (0-9) Field Functions --------------- = autoduplicate ? invisible field Quic Reference Card Page 4 Data Elements -------------- Registers" Numeric: #N0 to #N9 String: #S0 to #S9 Boolean: #B0 to #B9 Error: #E Field: #F Line: #L Keyout: #K Page: #P Screen Fields ------------- $FIELD [<expression>] $OFFSET [<screen data field name>] File Fields ----------- &<file field name>[<file #>] &<file field name>[<file #>,<index>] Literals -------- String (". . ." or '. . .') Numeric (1,37,5 etc.) Control character (@<value>) Variables --------- B - Boolean or bit (set(1) or reset(0)) I - Integer (-2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647) F - Floating Point (1.7E-308 to 1.7E+308) N - Numeric (0-9, decimal point, plus sign) X - String (X indicates any data: alphanumeric, symbols, etc.) <variable name> <N or X>, <length> {,<dimension>} {,<2nd dimension>} Keyout Values (#K) ------------- 0 - Typed out 1 - Tabbed out 2 - Backtabbed out 3 - Cursor up 4 - Cursor down 5 - Cursor left 6 - Cursor right 7 - Enter 8 - Home 9 - Any Function key 10 - Break Quic Reference Card Page 5 Commands -------- File Handling ------------- BACKSPACE <file#>{:<error>} CLOSE {file# or *}{:<error>} COPY <file# or *> TO <file# or *> {:<error>} ERASE <filename>{:<error>} FCOPY <filename>TO<filename>{:<error>} FILETYPE <file#>{:<error>} FREE <file#>{:<error>} FSEAR <file#>{NOADV}AT<condition> {:<error>} GET <data or *> FROM <file#> FOR <length>{TRIMMED}{:<error>} KEY <file#>USING<key#>{:<error>} LRETRY <retrycount> MAKE/OPEN sequential out <filename>,0,<file#> {:<error>} sequential in <filename>,1,<file#>{:<error>} SDF out <filename>,4,<file#>{:<error>} SDF in <filename>,5,<file#>{:<error>} Random/Indexed <filename>USING<FIDname>{INDEX<indexname>},<file#>, {UNLOCKED} {R/O} {:<error>} POSN <file#> TO <record or key> {RELATIVE} {USING<key#>} {DESCENDING} {:<error>} PUT <data or *> TO <file#>{FOR <length>}{:<error>} RCLEAR <file#>{:<error>} READ <file#>{NOADV}{:<error>} RENAME <oldfilename>,<newfilename> {:<error>} RESTART <file#>{TO<position>}{:<error>} RLOCK <file#>{:<error>} RUNLOCK <file#>{:error} SECURE <file#>{:<error>} WRITE <file#>{NOADV}{:<error>} Error Handling -------------- ERROR <error message, register, or variable> ERRTRAP {<line#>} NCHECK <data>{:<error>} Quic Reference Card Page 6 Data Formatting --------------- EDIT <expression>USING<picture>INTO <data>{:<error>} CENTER <data> CURRENCY <string> LCASE <data> LJUST <data> RJUST <data> S I Z E <data>INTO<data>{TRIMMED} UCASE <data> UNEDIT <data>INTO<data>{:<error>} Arithmetic ---------- ACCURACY <value> ADD <data>TO<data>{GIVING <data>} CALC <data>=<expression> MUL <data>TIMES<data>{GIVING <data>} ROUND <expression>BY<expression>INTO <data> SUB <data>FROM<data>{GIVING <data>} Logical ------- RESET <Boolean register or variable> SET <Boolean register or variable> Control Transfer ---------------- BEGIN {WHILE/UNTIL/IF <condition>} ELSE {IF<condition>} ENDBEGIN {WHILE/UNTIL <condition>} BROFF BRON CALL <procedure> CALL <table[index]> CHAIN <filename>{:error} END FOR <index>=<expression>TO<expression>BY<expression> ENDFOR <index> GOTO <label> GOTO <table[index]> RETURN Conditional ----------- IF<condition>{THEN}<statement> Screen Control -------------- CLEAR <field or *> CURSOR <row>,<column> BUFFER <expression> FILL <character> PRINT <data>{,<data> . . .} HELP <screen>{,<screen>}{:<error>} HOME HOMECLEAR HOFF HON LOCK <field> NEXT <field> RESUME UNLOCK <field or *> Quic Reference Card Page 7 Data Movement ------------- CONCAT <data>{[<start>,<length or *>] } {TRIMMED} +<data>{[<start>,<length or *>]} {TRIMMED} +. . . . INTO <data>{[<start or *>]} {TRIMMED} MOVE <data> {[<start>,<length or *>]} TO <data> { [<start or *>]} {TRIMMED} Table Management ---------------- TABLE <table name> TSEAR <table> AT <key>{,<data>, <data>}{:<error>} ASEAR <array name> {DOWN} USING <index> AT <condition> {:<error>} Date Handling ------------- JDPACK <string> INTO <data> JDUNPACK <data> INTO <string> GETDATE <data> SETDATE <data> Operating System Interface FORMLOAD NOFORMLOAD SYSTEM LPDETACH HOST <host system> {:<error>} RUN <file name> USING <parameter>{NOPAUSE} {NORETURN} {RELOAD} <filename>} {CONTINUE} {:<error>} Miscellaneous ------------- * comment SYSMODE BTAB <SET or RESET> LPCHK <SET or RESET> PRINTSCN {:<error>} INSTR <substring>{TRIMMED},<string>{TRIMMED},<result> Debugging --------- NOTRACE TRACE DEBUG Assembler Interface ------------------- DEFSEG {<address>} EXEC <input string> {,<output string>} {:<error>} LOAD <filename>,<address>{:<error>} PEEK <address>, <length>, <data> POKE <address>, <data> Quic Reference Card Page 8 SPECIAL PROCEDURES ================== PROC BREAK PROC ENTER PROC ERROR PROC KEY<N> PROC LOAD FUNCTIONS --------- ASCII Value: $ASC() e to Power: $ETOX() Scrn.Field No.:$FIELD() Integer Value: $INT() Top of memory: $MEMEND() Natural Log: $LN() Screen Offset: $OFFSET() Quic Reference Card Page 9