About IONET 6.14

IONET is a code generator (Oh no! Not another one) which can save 
you a bunch of time in the initial stages of application 
development. Actually, IONET will produce a working application 
without writing a line of code. Typically you will want to add 
custom reports and your own touches to the final product; IONET 
gets you to that point faster.

After you design a data screen (GEN file) with your text editor, 
IONET will crank out over 4,400 lines of Clipper Summer '87 code 
plus link and make files to produce an application which will 
allow you to add data, search/edit data, create/recreate your 
indexes, pack, set function keys, select printer drivers plus 
laser utilities, a basic help system, user selectable colors, 
network file and record locking functions, ad hoc report writer, 
query by example/complex filter builder and much more.

Let's see how this thing works.



                          Screen Layout 


* test.gen

Last Name  ^lname           First Name  ^fname

Address    ^address

City       ^city               State ^st Zip ^zip

Home Phone ^hmphone         Business Phone ^busphone


In the example above we have a file named TEST.GEN. 

A (^) caret is used in the "GEN" file to distinguish the field 
names from the @ SAYs. Field names must be kept to 9 characters 
or less. MemVars used for the field GETs are a concatenation of 
"M" plus the field name. The MemVar for the field "ADDRESS" will 
be "MADDRESS". Anything not preceded by a (^) caret will be 
treated as an @ SAY in the generated application.

IF "Last Name" is on the first line in TEST.GEN, then it will be 
placed on line 1 in the generated screens. Line 0 is reserved by 
IONET to show the record number and the current master index key. 
Lines 22 thru 24 are reserved for system commands such as search, 
edit, skip etc. Line 21 is normally reserved for a public filter 
condition that is set in the QUERY program.




                            Tutorial


Copy IONET.EXE and IONET.OVL into an empty directory. IONET 
creates two temp files at start up, IO.DBF and IOGEN.DBF which it 
uses for a template. IO.DBF will contain database structure, 
field sequence/ordering and screen field coordinates. IOGEN.DBF 
will contain the screen @ SAY coordinates.


1) Type "IONET" (without the quotes) and you get a scrollable 
list of "GEN" files (files with a .GEN extension) from which to 
choose. Select "TEST".

2) Enter the path that leads to your Clipper libraries. This will 
be inserted into a MAKE file (more on the MAKE file later) that 
IONET will produce. It has NO impact on any other generated code.

3) TEST.GEN will appear on the upper part of the screen and you 
will be asked for your field definitions. Let's say you want 
"lname" to be a character field so you type in "C". Next, you 
will be prompted for the field length. The maximum allowable 
length will be defaulted or can type in a smaller number. You may 
override the default with a larger number but the generated code 
will probably need to be manually adjusted. Continue until all 
fields have been defined.

4) Want to create any indexes? Answer YES and up to 15 indexes 
may be specified using any legal Clipper syntax. The default for 
the first index key is the name of the first field. You may 
accept this or type in something else. Continue until all index 
keys have been entered.

5) Almost done now. Prompt for Highlight or NoHighlight on the 
field SAYs. If you select NoHighlight, your @ SAYs and GETs will 
be the same color. Select Highlight, it will look better.

6) Want to change anything? If YES, IONET will loop around so you 
can make changes otherwise the code will now be generated.

7) After the code is generated, type "REDO" to compile and link 
your code.

If you get an error after typing "REDO" chances are that MAKE.EXE 
does not exist, is not in the path or is an incompatible version. 

In that case try this: TYPE CL TEST

If you do not have a CL.BAT file, you can use the following 
example.

C:\Clipper\Clipper %1
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 tlink %1 ,,NUL,c:\clipper\clipper c:\clipper\extend


                         Files Produced


TEST.PRG  - main menu

TESTADD.PRG - add data

TESTGET.PRG - Search, edit and general file maintenance.

TESTDB3.PRG - Format file. 
Does not get compiled or linked. Useful in applications with 
multiple screens.

TESTHLP.PRG - help system

GENERAL - Contains the User Defined Functions and Procedures.

IOREPORT.PRG - Ad Hoc Report Writer 

IOQBE.PRG - Query by Example 

REDO.BAT - To compile and link TEST.EXE

TEST.LNK - Script file for TLINK.

TEST.MAK - make file


                          The Make File

The MAKE FILE, TEST.MAK, processes the files with MAKE.EXE (not 
supplied), then tells Clipper to compile all the necessary files 
into .OBJ files and instructs TLINK to link them into TEST.EXE. 
The MAKE.EXE utility looks at the date and time stamp on the .OBJ 
files if they exist and compares this to the date and time stamps 
on the .PRG files. 

If the .PRG file has been updated it will have a later date and 
based on this, MAKE.EXE will re-compile just that file. In this 
way, only the updated files get re-compiled after modification.

The version of MAKE.EXE which was supplied with S87 which will 
not work with this MAKE FILE. I'm using Microsoft MAKE.EXE 
Version 4.05 which works fine.



                            Changes?

After a successful compile/link cycle go in and look at the 
application. Since no data exists you'll want to ADD a record. At 
this point you may decide that the screen could look nicer if it 
was rearranged like..... OK. Go back into TEST.GEN and make some 
changes, then invoke IONET. Select TEST. Since TEST.DBF now 
exists, instead of being prompted for field definitions you will 
get 3 choices:



1) USE AS IS
Does not alter TEST.DBF but will ask if you want to create 
indexes and Highlight/ NoHighlight and then generate new code 
with the updated screen layout.


2) MODIFY/OVERWRITE
Will create a new structure even if no changes. THIS WILL 
OVERWRITE TEST.DBF! Uses the 'old' TEST.DBF for default field 
definitions. 


3) OVERWRITE
Like starting from scratch without a database. 

NOTE: The "USE AS IS" and "MODIFY/OVERWRITE" options require that 
the field ordering of the existing database matches the GEN file. 
If not, an error will be produced and you will not be allowed to 
continue. If your existing database contains anything you wish to 
save, copy it to another directory, then let IONET create a new 
database with the "OVERWRITE" option. Later you can append data 
from the original database.


At this point it's time to review the generated application and 
code.

IONET has been in development for several years now. Some of the 
features such as the Function Key Menu, Laser Utilities, Report 
Writer and QBE are a result of the feedback we have received from 
programmers and customers. The code which IONET creates can be 
used as is to get your new application off the ground quickly. As 
always, you may delete what you don't need or add additional 
features as required.

IONET and the code it generates are written in pure Clipper and 
only require Clipper Summer 87, clipper.lib and extend.lib.

Code generated by IONET will compile, link and run just fine 
using Clipper 5.0 and Blinker. 

A marketing plan for IONET is yet to be established. 

If you like IoNet please send me a donation ($49.00 suggested) or
some work and I'll send you the next update of IoNet.

                            Don Allred
                          P.O BOX 56885
                     Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
                          (818) 783-5837




                     What's New in Ver. 6.14


                       Ad Hoc Report Writer
               
               Query by Example/Complex Filter Builder

               Automatically generates picture statements

                         Tests for .dbt file

             Verifies that .dbf field ordering matches gen file

          Displays gen file without wrapping on the 80th character