Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/progmisc/codebase.zip/SUMMARY.TXT

Text File | 1993-01-18 | 12KB | 280 lines

**************************************************************

INSTRUCTIONS ON RUNNING THE WORKING MODEL OF CODEREPORTER

**************************************************************
This demo disk contains a working demonstration model of CodeReporter.
Listed  below is a description of how some of the features of CodeReporter
can be utilized.  It is important to note that the enclosed CodeReproter
working demonstration model is the dBASE IV (.MDX) version.  If you require
the demonstration model compatible with dBASE III Plus, Clipper, or FoxPro
contact Sequiter Software.  The working demonstration model is limited
to opening databases with a maximum of 400 records.

CodeReporter is a Windows application.  As such, Microsoft
Windows 3.x must be properly installed and running before
CodeReporter is initiated.

**************************************************************
STARTING CODEREPORTER

CodeReporter may be started from the DOS command line by typing
WIN CREP_MDX from the CodeReporter root directory.  However, since
Windows applications are rarely initiated from the DOS command
line, the following options are recommended.

Once Windows has begun, invoke the File Manager utility by
double clicking on its icon (usually found in the "Main" program
group).

Use File Manager to copy the contents of the demo diskette
into a directory on your local hard drive.  Once the file list
for the CodeReporter directory is displayed, scroll through the list
of files until the file CREP_MDX.EXE is located.

CodeReporter is invoked by double clicking on this file name.

CodeReporter may be invoked using the Windows Program Manager
menu options.  Select File | Run.  Windows displays a dialog box
in which you may enter the drive, path, and executable name for
CodeReporter.

Windows uses icons to give users rapid access to commonly used
applications.  The CodeReporter icon may be added to any
existing group and may be executed, like any other Windows
application, with a double click.  This is the prefered method
of invoking CodeReporter.

Please see the Windows User's Guide for more information

**************************************************************
CREATING A REPORT

CodeReporter loads only one report at a time.  As a result, when
CodeReporter is invoked you must choose which existing report to load or
create a new report.

To retrieve an existing report use the Files, Directories, and
Drives listboxes to select the filename of the report file.
Then click on OK.

To start a new report click on the New Report button.  This
brings up the Select Master Database dialog.  Use the Files,
Directories, and Drives listboxes to select the desired
datafile.  This datafile will serve as the report master
datafile.

When CodeReporter is running, a previously created report can be
accessed by selecting Open from the File menu.  A new report can
be started by selecting File | New.

To save a report select Save from the file menu.  If the report
is a new report which has not been given a name you are prompted
for a name.  If the report already has a name the report file is
updated.

To save a report under a new file name select Save As from the
File menu.

**************************************************************
REPORT OBJECTS

The actual content of a report is made up of various output objects.  The
method for creating an output object is initially the same regardless of
the object type; label, expression, or total.

The simplest way to create an object is to position the mouse
pointer at the position where you want the new object and click
on the right mouse button.  This brings up the Create Object
dialog, which allows you to create a label, expression, or
total.  When the Create Object dialog initially appears, its
default setting is for the creation of a label object.  This is
indicated by by the Label radiobutton.  Enter the text for your
label object by typing it into the Object Text edit box.

To create an expression output object either select the
Expression radiobutton and enter the expression into the Object
Text edit box, or click on the Easy Expr. button and use the
Expression Entry dialog to enter the expression.

Creating a Total type output object varies slightly from
creating and Expression or Label.  In order to create the output
object a total must first be defined.

The Totals dialog will appear.  In order to define a total the
name must be specified, an expression must be provided, a reset
group must be set, and the total type must be specified.

To start the definition of a new total click on the Create
button.  A prompt appears asking for a name for the new total.
When a name has been provided the Expression Entry dialog
appears.

The total expression is evaluated for each record and the
resulting value is used in keeping the total current.  The
expression often consists simply of one of the fields in the
datafile, but can be more complex and even be dependant on the
contents of various fields.

A total is associated with a reset group, and resets itself each
time the reset group resets.  To select a reset group for the total
click on the desired group from the list of groups shown in the Reset
Group listbox.

Finally select the desired type from the Type listbox.

Since the desired total is defined, the Total type output
object can be created by clicking on the Total Lookup button,
and selecting the desired total from the displayed list.
Alternatively, the user could select the Total radiobutton and
enter the name of the defined total into the Object Text edit
box.

More than one output object can use the same defined total, and
a defined total can also be used in the expression for an
expression object or another total.

A calculation is similar to a total in that it must be defined
before it can be used in an output object.  Unlike a total there
is no output object specifically for calculations.  Instead a
calculation is used as the expression, or part of the
expression, for an expression type output object.

**************************************************************
MODIFYING OBJECTS

To modify an already created object place the mouse pointer on
the object to be modified and click on the right hand mouse
button.  The Modify Object dialog will appear.  This dialog is
identical to the Create Object dialog, and allows you to change
any of the characteristics of the object.

To select an output object click on it with the left mouse
button.

**************************************************************
FORMATING OUTPUT

CodeReporter provides facilities for formatting output objects
in a variety of ways.................

Your custom report can take advantage of the display
capabilities of Windows through the use of styles.  Each output
object in a report can have a user defined style associated with
it.  A style contains information defining a font, font size,
colour, and options such as bold, underline, italic, etc.  By
using various styles output objects such as summary data, or
column headings can be emphasized.

**************************************************************
STYLES

To create a style select Styles from the main menu.  The styles
dialog box will appear.  The currently created styles will be
displayed in the Style Selected listbox, with the currently
selected style hilighted.

There will always be at least one style, Plain Text, defined.
This style is created at the time of original report creation,
and uses the system defaults.  This style cannot be deleted, but
may be modified to suit individual needs.

To create a new style click on the Create button and enter a
name for the new style.  When a new style is created it is a
copy of the currently selected style, it must then be modified
to the desired appearance.

To modify a style, make it the current style by selecting it in
the Style Selected listbox.  Next click on the modify button.
The Fonts dialog will appear.  Select the desired font, font
size, color, etc. and click on OK.

The style for a given object can be selected from within either
the object creation dialog or the object edit dialog.

**************************************************************
DOS REPORTING

A report created with CodeReporter can also be printed or
displayed from a DOS application through the use of the report
functions in CodeBase 5.0.  If a report is intended for use with
DOS the various styles in the report may be defined for use with
DOS.  Styles defined for DOS only affect printed output of  a
report in DOS, screen output will be in plain text.

A style for DOS is defined by specifying the printer escape
codes to be sent to the printer.  To define a style for DOS
click on the For DOS button.

Pre string control codes are sent to the printer before an
objects contents and post string control codes are sent after an
objects contents.  The codes are entered in the format \xhh \xhh
where hh represents a to digit hexadecimal number.  For example:
if the code for setting bold printing is ESC "G" it would be
entered as \x1B \x47.

Display Once is a flag which can be set for a given object.
This allows the object to be associated with a group in the
report so that it is only displayed when that group resets (
similar to the  relation between a total and its reset group ).
This option can be set from within the create object dialog or
the edit object dialog.

Object alignment actually falls into two different categories.
The first is the alignment of the object contents within the
objects area.  The second is the alignment of various output
objects with each other in the areas of the report.

The internal alignment of an output objects' contents can be
specified at the time of object creation, or can be set later by
modifying the object.  The Alignment listbox in the Create
Object and Edit Object dialogs allows the user to set the
alignment for the contents of the object.

The alignment of objects within the various areas of a report
definition is controlled by the choices in the Align menu.  The
members of the Align menu are: Left Justify, Right Justify,
Center Justify, Vertical Movement, and Sensitivity.

At various points in the creation of a report, CodeReporter
requires the user to enter an expression.  Expression entry is
facilitated through the Expression Entry dialog.

A demonstration report, DEMO.REP, has been included to give you an
illustration of how a CodeReporter report may look.  The included data
and dBASE IV indexes where included to allow you experiment with
the demonstration report.

An expression can be typed directly into the edit area or
entered through the use of the listboxes.  The Fields list
contains all the fields in all the datafiles in the reports
relation.  Functions contains a list of all the predefined
CodeWindows functions and Operators contains the various
operator symbols which can be used in creating an expression.
Calculations and Totals contain any calculations and totals
which the user has previously defined.

To transfer data from the listboxes to the expression entry area
simply double click on the selection in the listbox and it will
be added to the new expression.

As discussed in the concepts chapter CodeReporter allows the
specification of queries and sort orders on the extended
datafile produced by the reports relation.

To specify a sort expression select Sort from the Database menu.  The
Enter Sort expression entry dialog will appear.  Enter the
sort expression as described in Expression Entry previously.

To specify a query expression select Query from the main menu.
When the Enter Query expression entry dialog appears enter the
query expression.

Developed with CodeBase 5.0, the LAUNCH_D.EXE is an example of a utility
to run your report under DOS.  Typing LAUNCH_D from the DOS prompt will
give you an overview of the various paramaters that you can use with
the utility.  For example, typing in the command LAUNCH_D DEMO from the DOS
prompt will show the contents of your report on your screen.  The C source
code for the LAUNCH_D program is also included.