TestDrive Super Store 3.0/TESTDRIVE_3.ISO/jetform/examples.txt

Text File | 1994-02-24 | 12.2 KB | 356 lines

INTRODUCTION
============

The examples included with JetForm Design are intended
to help forms designers and applications developers
explore the possibilities available in JetForm forms.
This file explains some of the main items presented in
the examples.

EXAMPLES
========

E 1. FILLER  - EX_E_1 - E-mail Example - DBFetch /
Responses / Routing

F 1. FILLER  - EX_F_1 - Calculations using functions
for Date Arithmetic.

F 2. FILLER  - EX_F_2 - Complex Calculations - Expense
Form

F 3. FILLER  - EX_F_3 - Complex Calculations -
Demonstration Form

THE JFMERGE PRODUCT does not come with JetForm Design.
It is sold separately and runs on many platforms. It is
used to integrate JetForm Electronic Forms Printing
with existing applications. These examples require
JFMERGE.

M 1. JFMERGE - EX_M_1 - Field Mode / Comma Delimited
Mode / Record Mode

M 2. JFMERGE - EX_M_2 - Subforms - Field Mode

M 3. JFMERGE - EX_M_3 - Subforms - Field / Record Mode


IMPORTANT NOTE:

For all of these examples you can benefit from opening
the source form file (.ifd) from within JetForm Design and
looking at the drawing objects, especially the field
attributes. If you select the File Menu and choose the
REPORT ON FIELDS, JetForm will produce an informative
report and invoke the Windows Note Pad program where
you can browse the information or print it.

JetForm also provides a utility program - JFINFO - as
part of the JetForm Design product. This program can be run
from DOS. Invoking this program without  parameters
will display all of the command line options. Run this
program providing it the name of an [.mdf] file with
the -RF option will produce good information about the
fields and pages of a form. For example:

    JFINFO EX_*.MDF -RF


Details:

E 1. E-MAIL   - EX_E_1 - Email Example - DBFetch /
                         Responses / Routing

PURCHASE REQUEST

TO INVOKE:  In Windows, select Filler
            On the File Menu, select Open Form
            From the list box, select -> EX_E_11

This example is used in the JetForm Filler Getting
Started Manual.


F 1. JetForm Filler [Graphical User Interface] ->
                     EX_F_1.MDF

TO INVOKE:  In Windows, select Filler
            On the File Menu, select Open Form
            From the list box, select -> EX_F_1

The top of this example is a simple form that computes
the average of 2 years salary increases and
extrapolates a salary 10 years from now based on the
'trend'. This shows these functions:

- arithmetic operators - ( * multiplication, /
  division, + addition, - subtraction )
- AVG - Average
- EXP - Exponentiation
- Field output Pictures - $zzz,zzz

The middle section of the form shows date arithmetic
and the retrieval of the system date. Today's date is
displayed and then the date 1000 days from today then
the date 2000 days from today. Functions used:

   - Today()
   - DateArith()

The main body of the form prompts for names and date of
birth. The date is expected in the format 'mm/dd/yy'.
The form then calculates the person's age in days ;
then computes the day of the week for this year's
birthday and next year's birthday. The functions used:

   - Today()
   - Date2Num() - for valid date checking
   - If()
   - CDow() - day of week

To calculate 'Days Old' - the algorithm is

   IF the date of birth is a valid date THEN
      date subtract DateOfBirth from Today's Date
   ENDIF

To calculate the Day of the Week for 'This Year's
Birthday' ->

   IF the date of birth is a valid date THEN
      Take the month and day portion of DateOfBirth
      combined with the year portion of Today
      Use the CDow function with this new date
   ENDIF

To calculate the Day of the Week for 'Next Year's
Birthday' ->

   IF the date of birth is a valid date THEN
      Take the month and day portion of DateOfBirth
      combined with (the year portion of Today) + 1
      Use the CDow function with this new date
   ENDIF

F 2. JetForm Filler [Graphical User Interface] ->
                    EX_F_2.MDF

TO INVOKE:  In Windows, select Filler
            On the File Menu, select Open Form
            From the list box, select -> EX_F_2

This example is an EXPENSE REPORT. There are many
techniques shown on this form.

F 2.1    Use of the GetProfile() function to retrieve
User specific (static) information from an (.ini) file
identified in the calculation. The Company name and
address are actually retrieved by 'identifier' from a
file in the Windows directory called JF_EXMPL.INI.

We encourage you to edit the JF_EXMPL.INI file (in the
windows directory) and use your own company name and
address on the form. This technique can be employed to
help populate a form with work station specific / user
specific / installation specific values.

F 2.2    Use of off-page WORK fields to selectively SUM
up values based on expense category. These off-page
fields will not be seen by the person filling the form.

The expense category field has a 'Typical Response
File' associated with it. This is a list of potential
values for the field. By hitting the F3 function key
you will be presented with the list - now you can
choose a response by double clicking the left mouse
button. The idea with this form is that you enter all
of the line items for a particular expense category
like - Travel. When all of the line items for Travel
have been entered, choose the category 'TOTAL'. The
form will calculate the subtotal for that category.
Now you would enter line items for the next category.
The form is also capable of calculating domestic
dollar values for foreign currency amounts.

F 2.3    Use of the ACCESS function to retrieve a
value from  a previous page (record). This enables the
generation of a grand total should your report span
more than one page.

F 3. JetForm Filler [Graphical User Interface] ->
                    EX_F_3.MDF

TO INVOKE:  In Windows, select Filler
            On the File Menu, select Open Form
            From the list box, select -> EX_F_3

This example is a DEMONSTRATION FORM (no useful
purpose).

There are many techniques shown on this form

F 3.1    Use of the GetProfile() function to retrieve
the location of the dBASE files. This is kept in the
JFILLER.INI file in the working directory. The
variable retrieved is "OpenDataFile" from the section
called "Paths". The result of the GetProfile is stored
in an off-page Invisible, NoPrint field - DBPATH_PROF.
Five unnecessary characters are removed from the
contents of DBPATH_PROF using the SUBSTR() function.
The result is stored in an off-page Invisible, NoPrint
field called DBPATH.

F 3.2    Use of field picture to upshift all characters
field -> KEY - picture -> !!!!!!!!!!.

F 3.3    Use of Field Help [F2] and Typical Response
Files [F3] - list boxes.

F 3.4    Use of DBFetch and DBField functions to
retrieve a database record and populate form fields
with data from that record.

F 3.5    Use of on-page WORK fields to count up the
number of check boxes that are checked.

F 3.6    Use of Check Boxes and Radio Buttons and
calculating field contents based on their values.

F 3.7    Use of Dynamic Tabbing based on field
content.

F 3.8    Use of Electronic Authorization with field
locking. A field [GRAPH] is also populated with a
command that forces filler to retrieve a [.PCX] file
and display it on the screen. This example takes
advantage of the Signature Authorization Files
included as part of example EX_E_1 -> [EX_E_11.saf
password sam and EX_E_12.saf with password baz].
All that the form tests for here is that
the Additional Information data stored with the .SAF
starts with "Sam" or "Bar". When you set up Electronic
Authorization (Signatures) using JFAUTH supplied with
JFDesign; you associate with each Authorized User 3
pieces of information -> UNIQUE ID, SIGNATURE,
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. When you place a Signature
field on a form at Design time, the form's designer
has the option to show on the form any 1 of those
fields, as well as associating a list of form field
names that are to be LOCKED when the field is
SIGNED. The ADDITIONAL INFORMATION value appears in
a field called SIGN1. The validation calculation
associated with field SIGN1, checked that the signer
is "Sam" if the COMPUTED COST field has a
value>$500.

F 3.9    Use of E-Mail Oriented fields and simple
Routing Calculations. When the form was designed the
"Routing" function selected from the Tools menu was
used to compute where the form is to be sent. The
system fields -> SEND_INDEX, TO, and CC are used. The
calculations for these fields make use of the
GetProfile() function once again to demonstrate that
the values used to populate the fields may be
specific to a work station or a work group but yet
not hard coded on the form.

M 1. JFMerge Example 1 -> EX_M_1.MDF

This set of merge examples uses a form with  many
single line fields, columns that are made of single
line fields with unique names, a multi-line field,
and global fields (fields on the form with duplicate
names that the data stream will identify as global)


Data Stream Example 1 -> EX_M_11.DAT

Field Named data format (field nominated)

Each field is named using the ^field command followed
by a <CR><LF> followed by the value for the field

The data file begins identifying those fields that are
to be treated as global and the current value for
those globals.

Data Stream Example 2 -> EX_M_12.DAT

Comma delimited format - note use of ~ (tilde) and
` (back quote). There are 10 single line text fields
set up on this form as well as 10 noprint fields
required by other examples, so the data stream
contains the necessary extra ~ and ` characters to
properly skip over the redundant fields [tilde = skip]

Invocation:
    jfmerge EX_M_1 EX_M_12.dat -d


Data Stream Example 3 -> EX_M_13.DAT

Record Mode format file - global fields - page full
condition

Please read the data file - EX_M_13.dat for further
information.

Invocation:
    jfmerge EX_M_1 EX_M_13.dat

M 2. JFMerge - Example 2 -> EX_M_2 - Subforms -
                            Field Mode

This example uses a form that is designed using the
"SUBFORM"  architecture. The document is pieced
together using sections or subforms to grow the
necessary form. In design you would create a base page
(or pages), then design the subforms or sections as
distinct "pages" (1 subform = 1 page) with the
'Compile As Subform' switched on in the format page
dialogue box. Each subform is referenced by its page
number in the .MDF file.

When Merge activates a page, it brings into memory all
of the fields that reside on that page. These are the
only fields it knows about at any given moment. When
merge is instructed to activate a subform it drops the
current field list, and inherits the field list from
the newly activated subform "page". The subform
template (boiler plate) is placed on the active page
with its upper left hand corner being placed at the
current pen position. Prior to activating a subform it
is always wise to position the pen to a field (in the
current list) that allows you to be precise for
subform placement. All subforms in these examples
contain a 'dummy' field called "POSITION" that is only
used for pen placement prior to activating (laying
down on paper) the next subform. In effect - subforms
are chained together.

Please read the data files for these examples. They
contain further information.

M 3. JFMerge - Example 3 -> EX_M_3 - Subforms - Field
                            Mode / Record Mode
[REQUIRES JFMERGE 3.0 G2 OR NEWER TO POPULATE GLOBAL
FIELDS]

This subform example puts together an insurance policy
form with sections determined by the data stream.

EX_M_31.dat -> gives a tedious yet straight forward
Field named format file.

EX_M_32.dat -> provides an example with some merge
commands interspersed with record buffers.

EX_M_33.dat -> this complex example is the most terse
and most interesting. It uses Record mode data
formatting with 'keyed' record structures to determine
pagination and subform invocation.

The data streams contain further information.