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From: [e-mail] (Frank Sergeant)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: using Icon for database application
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 14:25:32 -0500
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My fooling around with Icon continues as I try to decide on
the future direction of the database application (currently
in Clipper) that I discussed earlier.  Here is an update
along with some additional questions.

I have had the _Graphics Programming in Icon_ book for
awhile and am enjoying it.

I suppose I still do not fully appreciate some of the
special/unique features of Icon.  I guess that will come
with time.  Meanwhile, it looks like all the data processing
can be done comfortably in Icon by using its simple features
that I already understand.  One appeal to me of Icon was that
much of what I do in Clipper seems to map conveniently to
Icon.  For example, the arrays/lists in both are 1-based and
can hold elements of mixed types, missing parameters default
to Nil/&null, etc.

That leaves two areas of concern: the GUI (under Windows) and
TCP/IP socket connections (to communicate between the workstations
and the server, both running Icon).

GUI:

I tried the TextDialog() function and at first thought
it might be a show stopper.  The appearance looked a little
too Unixy and not enough like native Windows.  By trying
various color combinations and font sizes, however, I got
something that I might be able to live with.  I put up a
simple example with 4 text entry fields and two buttons.
Unfortunately, the tab key only moves among the 4 text
fields and never gets to the buttons.  Is there a way
to add the buttons to the tab list?  Also, the editing
in the text fields was not at all what a Windows user
would expect (home, end, high-lighted replacement, etc
did not seem to work at all).

I need to try it some more, but the first example
I tried with VIB with 3 entry fields and a few buttons
just didn't work right at all.  I could click in one
field with the mouse and see the I-bar cursor appear
but when I started typing, the text appeared in a
different entry field.  Again, the editing didn't work
and so forth.

Anyway, for my database project, I might not want
to build the screens with VIB.  I think I would prefer
to build them procedurally.  The main reason is that
the Clipper code is filled with "@ SAY GET" statements
such as

     @ 10, 20 SAY "First Name" GET FNAME PICTURE "@!"

and I might rather mechanically convert all of them
to put up a "reasonable" entry form (and later make
it prettier).  So, I might not need VIB after all.
If you think I'm overlooking some strong points of
VIB, please enlighten me.

Then I stumbled upon a mention of some native
Windows features in Technical Report CS-97-9 "Version
9 of Icon for Microsoft Windows" on the UTSA site.
I experimented a little with WinMenuBar(), WinScrollBar(),
and WinButton() which all seem to work perfectly and give
the conventional Windows sculpted appearance.

I even understood how to attach events to the
menu items and buttons.

I tried WinEditRegion() but didn't fully understand
how to work with it.  The editing part did seem to work
properly with home, end, high-lighted replacement, etc.
However, I didn't see how to get out of it or how to make
it into a single line edit field (or even a fixed multi
line edit field), that is, I couldn't get rid of the
scroll bars and couldn't "escape" from the edit region
or see exactly how to tie it into the rest of the program.
I haven't tried looking for the source for this.  It might
explain everything.

Are there other native Windows widgets?  Especially,
a single line edit field?

Anyway, I am now so close to seeing how I would do
everything GUI-related that my application would need,
that I feel sure the remaining pieces can either be found
or worked around.


SOCKETS:

I gathered from some other postings that the Unix
version has a socket interface and also a general mechanism
for calling arbitrary external (e.g. C) routines but that
the Windows version does not.  (?)

I tried looking briefly at the Icon source to see
whether I might see how to add the socket routines and such.
I decided now is not the time for me to try to do this.
It reminded me of the joke I saw posted to comp.lang.python
that went something like this:

     You have a problem.  You say to yourself, "I know!
     I'll use Regular Expressions."  Now you have two
     problems.

Have I overlooked a way already built into Windows Icon
to call an external routine?  If so, that might solve the
socket question.  If not, I probably can wait on that and
perhaps used a shared directory and let the processes
communicate via files for the present.


All comments and suggestions and criticisms welcomed.


  -- Frank
  [e-mail]