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Text File | 1991-03-21 | 21.4 KB | 544 lines

introduction Introduction To dBRIEF v3.10 (c) 1990 Global Technologies ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── dBRIEF is intended to make you more creative and productive as a dBASE programmer. dBRIEF is a new concept in development tools because it is designed to be the core of all programming activities, rather than your database. This concept is made possible only through the incredible flexi- bility of BRIEF and it's own macro language. All systems in the dBRIEF core are controlled by BRIEF macros, even the source generation commands, so you don't have to leave BRIEF during your application development tasks. You have purchased the most powerful editor and development system avail- able today. Enjoy it, and feel free to call (617) 431-2338 for technical support, or if you have specific concerns or ideas about dBRIEF, call us Global Technologies Corporation at (303) 337-8701. Bill French Global Technologies Corporation function_keys dBRIEF Function Key Assignments ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Shft: ┌───┐ Assist Menu Shft: ┌───┐ dBRIEF Help Menu Alt: │f1 │█ Borders Alt: │f2 │█ N/A Ctrl: └───┘█ Graphics Char ┌ Ctrl: └───┘█ Graphics Char ┐ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ Shft: ┌───┐ Reindent Shft: ┌───┐ Preprocessor Alt: │f3 │█ Display Structure Alt: │f4 │█ Print Ctrl: └───┘█ Graphics Char │ Ctrl: └───┘█ Graphics Char ─ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ Shft: ┌───┐ Comment Shft: ┌───┐ Status Alt: │f7 │█ Record Macro Alt: │f8 │█ Save Keystroke Macro Ctrl: └───┘█ Same Line Comment Ctrl: └───┘█ SourceView Lib ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ Shft: ┌───┐ Delete Macro Shft: ┌───┐ Keys Macro Alt: │f9 │█ Revision Alt: │f10│█ Compile Ctrl: └───┘█ Interpreter Ctrl: └───┘█ Expand Template ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ Command Key Assignments ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Ctrl Up Display current program position statistics. Ctrl A Display APX Application Dictionary Menu. Ctrl C Insert coordinates phrase "^UX,^UY,^LX,^LY". Ctrl F FunctionWriter or FrameWriter (depending on type of mark). Ctrl H Insert program, procedure, or function header. Ctrl O Open or close an object editing window. Ctrl S Display previous scan menu. Ctrl V Display current dBRIEF version number. Alt = Invoke SourceView, auto-conditional, or window parameters. Alt Y Tag/Untag line. dBRIEF Function Key Graphics F10 set graphics to <type> ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Control FKeys Normal Double Combination Special ───────────── ────── ────── ─────────── ─────── ┌──┐ ┌──┐ (def) │f1│█ │f2│█ ┌ ┐ ╔ ╗ ╒ ╕ ░ ▒ └──┘█ └──┘█ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ │f3│█ │f4│█ │ ─ ║ ═ │ ═ « » └──┘█ └──┘█ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ┌──┐ ┌──┐ │f5│█ │f6│█ └ ┘ ╚ ╝ ╘ ╛ █ ▀ └──┘█ └──┘█ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ functionwriter FunctionWriter Line Mark, Ctrl-F ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The dBRIEF FunctionWriter is a feature that helps you convert in-line source code to a function or procedure. Mark a block of source code, with Alt-A and then press Ctrl-F. Function- Writer will prompt for the name of the new function in addition to other pertinent information. The marked block will be moved automatically to the specified destination file and replaced with a reference to the new routine. The new routine will be created complete with headers [if ON] and the source will be indented to the proper level. A same-line-comment will also be created if specified. The cursor will be positioned inside parenthesis, or at the end of the routine reference in the case of a procedure. scanner Scanner Operations F10 scan [option] ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── dBRIEF includes a feature that allows you to display a window menu of all routines in a program, all buffers, or entire applications. It is accessed with the SCAN command as shown below. Command: scan [any specified text word] <cr> Command: scan routines <cr> Command: scan procedures <cr> Command: scan functions <cr> Command: scan comments <cr> Command: scan notes <cr> Command: scan tags <cr> When the scanner has completed the isolation, a window menu will pop-up allowing you to jump to any of the isolated lines. Scanner Operations F10 scan global [option] ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The scanner can develop menu lists based on all buffers in memory or all applications specified in an APX application dictionary. Command: scan global [any specified text word] <cr> Command: scan global routines <cr> Command: scan global procedures <cr> Command: scan global functions <cr> Command: scan global size <cr> The "scan global size" feature allows you to create a list of all pro- grams in memory and the number of source lines and bytes per file with totals for all programs. Scanner Operations F10 scan previous ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The scanner can also display the most recent scan menu instantly. SCAN PREVIOUS will pop-up the most recent scan menu but will not display the scan criteria or the total file sizes in bytes and lines if the previous scan was SCAN GLOBAL SIZE. Command: scan previous <cr> SCAN PREVIOUS does not work with respect to APX scans. Ctrl-S has been assigned to SCAN PREVIOUS. Scanner Operations F10 scan apx [option] ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The scanner can develop menu lists based on all buffers in memory or all applications specified in an APX application dictionary. Command: scan apx [any specified text word] <cr> Command: scan apx routines <cr> Command: scan apx procedures <cr> Command: scan apx functions <cr> display Display Structure F10 display structure ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The DISPLAY STRUCTURE command will display the file structure of any data base file in a window, buffer, or to the the printer. The process only takes a few seconds and is intended to allow easy access to dbf files while editing applications. If you display to a buffer, the text file is saved as a normal file for possible use in documentation, etc. Command: display structure [dbf file] to print Command: display structure [dbf file] to buffer Command: display structure [dbf file] to window This feature creates a text file of the file structure for later use when the "buffer" option is used. The text file will have the same name as the database, except it will have an STR extension. _status Display Status F10 display status ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This command simply displays the SET command status of all variable and constant parameters in dBRIEF. A list of the variables and the SET commands to change them are shown below. Auto Indent set indent on/off Auto Header set header on/off Default Extension set extension on/off Comment Tab set comment to <column> Template Editing set template on/off Indent Level set indent to <number> Graphics Mode set graphics to <mode> Drawing & Graphics set draw on/off SourceView Library set library to <SRC file name> Conditional line #'s set conditional lines on/off Procedure Indenting set procedure indent on/off reindent Indentation System For Program Files F10 reindent ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This routine automatically indents dBASE command files for each con- ditional statement. With the source file in the current buffer, press F10, followed by "reindent" ─┘. Command: reindent <cr> Each line of source will be examined and adjusted accordingly. The source file may have any file extension. All same line comments will also be adjusted to the current comment tab level unless the comment tab is set to zero. If PROCEDURE INDENTING is set OFF, source within procedures and functions will be justified to the left margin. Source lines with continuation characters will be indented one additional level after the initial line. print Printing F10 print ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The "print" command now serves a triple purpose in the BRIEF/dBRIEF system. When presented with a database file extension, the "print" command will print the database file structure. When presented with a program file extension, it will print the source code for the specified file. Even if that program file is not the current buffer or not loaded into BRIEF. Some examples follow: Command: print <file name.ext> <cr> or... Command: print c:\dbase\customer.dbf <cr> The same command can be used to print a program. Command: print customer.prg <cr> or... Command: print <cr> preprocessor dBRIEF Preprocessor F10 pre ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The dBRIEF Preprocessor works like other preprocessors except that it performs all translations in BRIEF on all current buffers that have "pre" file extensions. Command: pre <cr> The output files will have "prg" extensions and will be created as current BRIEF buffers. An additional option allows you to select only the current buffer for preprocessing. Supported Preprocessor Directives ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── #define name "Bill French" #include "header.h" #define return 13 #define inc(x) x=(x+1)/25*var_+x interface External Interface Macros F10 interface ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The external interface has been redesigned to allow easy reconfiguration for access to any application. The interface is configured by editing the file INTERFAC.CFG, and the format for this configuration file is shown below. dBASE III Plus ;dbase |Run dBASE III Plus Interpreter. Clear Flowcharting ;clear |Run Clear Flowcharting System. Word ;word |Run Microsoft Word. FoxPro ;fox |Run FoxPro. └───────────────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────────────────────────┘ Menu Program Description The first menu option will be executed when you press Ctrl-F9. All other options require menu invocation. library SourceView Librarian F10 library ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This command opens a window to a source library. The window lets you scroll up and down displaying descriptions of source fragments contained in the library. Press the return key to insert source from the library into the current buffer. To add new fragments to the current library, mark the block to be added with Alt-A, and execute the following command: Command: library <cr> or... Command: sv <cr> dBRIEF will prompt for the fragment name and description. The fragment may be recalled anytime by typing the name you gave it into the buffer being edited, and pressing Alt-=. SourceView Librarian F10 library ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── SourceView libraries can also be accessed by specifying the path and file name of the library before the module name. For example to insert a source fragment named "dialog_frame" stored in a library named dialog.src contained in a remote directory, enter the following command into the current buffer and then press Alt=. if ... {commands...} {commands...} e:\dir1\subdir1\dialog.src\dialog_frame <alt=> This command will fetch the source associated with the name dialog_frame and insert it at the proper indent level at the point where the reference was made. object Object Editing Ctrl-O ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Object references in a command file are statements like DO PROC, DO PROC.PRG, and MEMVAR=UDF(). These types of references can be edited without searching for the source code location. Foe example, position the cursor to a line with an object reference in it and press Ctrl-O to edit. If the procedure exists in the current buffer or if it exists on disk as a program file, or it exists in a buffer in memory, the object editor will pop just program, procedure, or function into a window so that it can be edited without leaving the calling point. The object editor supports format files, functions, procedures, and en- tire program files. When you are finished editing the procedure, just press Ctrl-O to save it back as an inline procedure or as a seperate program file. optimize Code Optimizer F10 optimize ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── OPTIMIZE will strip a command file of unnecessary blank lines, blank spaces, indentations, comment lines, and convert spaces to tab characters Prompts will appear when you execute OPTIMIZE, allowing you to select the various optimizing functions. For example, it is possible to remove comment lines without removing indentation. ┐ Remove indentations? [yN]: │ This operation will Remove comments? [yN]: │ create a backup file Remove blank lines? [yN]: │── Prompts in the current direc- Remove trailing blanks? [yN]: │ tory with a BAK file Convert spaces to tabs? [yN]: │ extension. ┘ Some compilers and interpreters behave differently when spaces are con- verted to tab characters. Consult your manual before converting large quantities of source code. comment Commenting Facilities F10 comment ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The automatic commenting facility can write same-line comments, match conditional statements, and mark and unmark multiple lines of source with comment characters. Same-line: Press Ctrl-F7 for a single line. F10 comment pro- gram for entire buffer or marked block. Conditional: F10 comment conditionals for entire buffer or marked block. Source block: F10 comment block. frame Frame Generator Column Mark, Ctrl-F ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This command will create frames with two types of border characters, single and double lines. The FRAME feature requires just two steps. First, mark a block on screen using BRIEF's column mark facility, where you want the frame to display. Then press Ctrl-F. The frame code will be created. Single and double borders are controlled by the status of SET GRAPHICS TO. When set to NORMAL, single lines will be generated, when set to DOUBLE, double lines will be created. If you want the source code to be generated at specific location in the program, place a "~frame~" marker with Ctrl-F before marking the size and position of the frame. revision Revision Tracking F10 revision ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Revision tracking will insert the date and time of the last code change as well as a description in the comment section of the header block. To add a revision number and description, enter the command as follows: Command: revision [rev #] [description] <cr> The revision information will be inserted after the last revision in the header comment section. The revision command will only work if a header has been invoked at the top of the program. See HEADER command for addi- tion details. If you need to enter spaces in a revision number or description, you must enclose them in double quotes. scan "revi" Revision Scanning F10 scan rev ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A useful way to review the revision numbers in a file is to use the scanner in the following way: Command: scan rev <cr> The scanner will open a menu window of every revision logged to the pro- gram. You must use the HEADER and REVISION commands to keep track of revision data. scatter_gather Scatter and Gather F10 scatter/gather ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Create automatic STORE, REPLACE and INITIALIZE procedures for all fields in a database with the following commands: Command: scatter/store sample.dbf <cr> _NAME = sample->name _ADDRESS = sample->address _CITY = sample->city _STATE = sample->state _ZIP = sample->zip Command: gather/replace sample.dbf <cr> REPLACE sample->NAME WITH _name REPLACE sample->ADDRESS WITH _address REPLACE sample->CITY WITH _city REPLACE sample->STATE WITH _state REPLACE sample->ZIP WITH _zip draw Drawing With Graphics Characters F10 draw ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Character graphics can be employed easily with the following commands. Using the DRAW command without parameters will display a pop-up menu. Command: draw frame <cr> Command: draw cursor <cr> Command: draw line <cr> Command: draw box <cr> Command: draw area <cr> DRAW CURSOR will change the cursor keys into a drawing mode. The follow- ing SET command or the NODRAW command will change the cursor keys back to their normal mode. Command: nodraw <cr> Command: set draw off <cr> setup Easy Configuration F10 setup ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── dBRIEF may be reconfigured quickly and easily from the while in BRIEF. Simply press F10 and type: │ (BRIEF Text Area) ╘══════════════════════════════════════════════ Command: setup <cr> The setup window will display after a few seconds. Use the arrow keys and <cr> to change any of the SET values. Press F10 or <cr> through all prompts when the changes are complete. coords Window Coordinate Substitution F10 coords ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The command "coords" will allow you to create X,Y,X,Y framing coordinates for use with the window parameters substitution feature. When issued, the "coords" command will generate the following text phrase: ^UX,^UY,^LX,^LY These facsimile parameters can then be used with a column mark to produce actual frame coordinates. This phrase can be used in any function or command such as @ ^ux,^uy TO ^lx,^ly. Mark a block with Brief's Alt-C feature, and then use Alt= to substitute the parameters of the marked area directly into the command line. replace Global Search & Replace F10 replace global <text> with <text> ─┘ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This feature enables you to search and replace specified text in all buffers or in all programs contained in the current APX dictionary. You may also pause on each replacement as with BRIEF's search and replace feature. Command+: replace global <text> with <text> Command+: replace apx <text> with <text> Following this command, dBRIEF will prompt to replace all or pause on each replacement. Once the replacement process begins, it can be terminated by pressing any key.