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▓▓▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░ ▓▓░░ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░░ ░░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░▓▓▓ ░░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓▓▓▓░░ ▓▓▓▓▓░░ ▓▓▓▓▓░░ ▓▓▓ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░░░░ ▓▓░░▓▓ ▓▓░░▓▓ ░▓▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░ ▓▓░▓▓ ▓▓░ ▓▓▓▓░░ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ ▓▓▓▓░░ ░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░ ░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░ Volume 1, Number 1 4 February 1991 (c) Daniel Doçekal, All Rights Reserved BBS Clipper magazine, published RANDOMLY, later WEEKLY...... Some from materials are coming from scanning CLIPPER echo which is carying FidoNet. Mostly this echo is and will be source of often asked Question and Answers because can be very helpfull in this small moment. Other materials, which are fully signed or abbreviated are copyrighted material of appropriate persons. Publisher is not responsible for other authors.... Published materials don't have to be opinion of publisher.. Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL .......................................................... 1 First letter from editor&publisher ................................. 1 2. ARTICLES ........................................................... 3 .PPO? OOPs, CLIPPER 5.0 has a preprocessor! ........................ 3 To be aware in 5.01? ............................................... 5 3. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS .............................................. 13 4DOS and CLIPPER ................................................... 13 Clipper books and magazines ........................................ 13 Needed fix of BNU for hanging in 5.01? ............................. 16 Discovering GHOST empty records .................................... 16 Turbo C++ and Clipper .............................................. 16 4. COMMENTS ........................................................... 19 Distribution sites and how to get CLIPBBS .......................... 19 How to send an article to CLIPBBS .................................. 20 - - - - - CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 1 4 Feb 1991 =========================================================================== EDITORIAL =========================================================================== Welcome into CLIPBBS magazine, yes, just another Clipper magazine from set of New Clipper magazines apperaring slowly in many countries. But, this one is little bit different, it's used especially in BBS (Bulletin Board System) environment and is distributed ONLY electronicaly. Yes, i know, here is already Nantucket News or Reference for CLipper or how this two are called and they are also available in electronic form, but i don't have a good feeling from them because of lack of interest in pure problems of new Clipper freaks and lack of reactions to some common problems. Few weeks ago i decided to make a new Clipper magazine. REally don't know at this moment if it's good idead or how long will be alive, because it's magazine of all us who are Clipper programmers or users or just fans and all articles here aren't honored and must be written by somebody from us. I really don't know at this moment how this magazine will go to you, reader, but hope that i will find more people which will do uploads to several bulletin boards, or distribute this magazine to any other countries. Here is NOT limitation about distribiution, then feel free and put this magazine whenewer do you want, only keep original files in archive of any type without changing them. For all of you who are able to write something to this magazine, please do this and don't be afraid about your bad english (mine is also not quite perfect, but i'm czechoslovakian and not englishman) or other things. Just send me this article, it will goes here if only little readable. I believe this can be nice magazine with lot of reactions from side of readers. I'm also keeping eye on CLIPPER echo in FidoNet, Clipper ECHO in GT environment, Nantucket Bulleting Board called Clipper World, i'm also a member of ClipNet, so called clipper distribution network and i hope i some next month i will become as member of Compuserve also. Therefore i have a quite lot of sources of information, but i don't want to write all articles alone. Please do also some nice for all other Clipper programmers and nice and interesting facts put here. Ending idea is, that this magazine will come out WEEKLY. At this beginning really don't know how often will come out, but i'm thinking about 14days interval between numbers, but all this depends from articles coming or from time which i will have to write new ones. Purpose of this magazine is to inform all Clipper programmers about CLipper itself. Question and Answer part of this magazine will continue with putting answers for often needed question and often problems with sometime getting old of them again in live because of passing out old numbers. Anyway, all number and also single articles will be available on my BBS or mailer for download or for request. And if anyone will ask in CLIPPER echo, i will repost all this informations for everybody CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 2 4 Feb 1991 using. All coming information from Nantucket (if they will) i will also put here and so on. Sometime maybe also information about other xBase languages, but only when it has something to do with Clipper. Advertisements are welcome (commercial also!) but they MUST give something nice to Clipper programmers and so on. I'm planning also nice serie of articles about files in ClipNet and other CLipper files available in many BBS with some short or long descriptions about those files, therefore everybody can collect complete descriptions about available files for downloads from some BBS. If anyone want to do this about own BBS, will be welcome. World is open to discuss everything via modems, then why not. Information about commercial products will be here also, because i'm missing them in Clipper echos around (they are prohibited, but i think we all need them and first we need informations about them). Everyone will can then compare some products and take decisions about their using and buying. Information about how to give articles to this magazine is possible to see in end of magazine. Have a nice reading (HANR) and see you soon..... (.DD.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 3 4 Feb 1991 =========================================================================== ARTICLES =========================================================================== .PPO? OOPs, CLIPPER 5.0 has a preprocessor! A few weeks ago i got a file called CL5IEO.ZIP inside of which was one .NG and one .TXT file. Inside of those files was something for what lot of us, CLIPPER 5.0 programmers, is looking a long and long time. List of internal errors reported by CLIPPER 5.0. Gotcha, not developed by NANTUCKET, it is assembled from COMPUSERVE comments by Terry McConnell - thank to this man. But and But. Not every inside of this is true. One really GOLD example which i'm explaining there is discovering another MAGIC function of CLIPPER 5.0. A preprocessor. Dear reader, when you are compiling program, are you thinking about preprocessor? Not? Really not? That's a biggest mistake which you can make, because Nantucket prepared for you nicest game on the world. Try to get your program and try to use CLIPPER /P for see how funny result you can get. Back to point. CL5IEO.TXT is describing Internal Error #666 on SetColor(). Nice example there is producing really this error on EVERY run (not like as other Internal Error, sometime). Example: line := 0 set color to ("$$$$$$$$$$$") ; ? ++line //1 x := setcolor() ; ? ++line //2 ? "Setcolor return ", x ; ? ++line //3 set color to &x ; ? ++line //4 z := "@@@@@@@@@@@@" ; ? ++line //5 set color to &Z ; ? ++line //6 set color to "z+/z/t/m/q" ; ? ++line //7 ? setcolor() ; ? ++line //8 m = "z+/z/t+/m/q" ; ? ++line //9 setcolor(m) ; ? ++line //10 set color to &m ; ? ++line //11 ? setcolor() ; ? ++line //12 set color to "w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n" setcolor("W/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n") Additional comments in original text is: Last executed line is 8, and SetColor(0) error is on line 9. Absolutely wrong, author of this example is not counting with magic which will make preprocessor! Of course, every normal people will expect translation to preprocessed source really as you can see program example above. Reality is different: CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 4 4 Feb 1991 line := 0 SetColor( "$$$$$$$$$$$" ) ; QOut( ++line ) x := setcolor() ; QOut( ++line ) QOut( "Setcolor return ", x ) ; QOut( ++line ) SetColor( "&x <end of line> ? ++line" ) z := "@@@@@@@@@@@@" ; QOut( ++line ) SetColor( "&Z <end of line> ? ++line" ) SetColor( '"z+/z/t/m/q" <end of line> ? ++line' ) QOut( setcolor() ) ; QOut( ++line ) m = "z+/z/t+/m/q" ; QOut( ++line ) setcolor(m) ; QOut( ++line ) SetColor( "&m <end of line> ? ++line" ) QOut( setcolor() ) ; QOut( ++line ) SetColor( '"w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n"' ) //*// setcolor("W/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n,w/n") As everybody now can see, all SET COLOR TO commands with "&" operator or with direct string ("...") parameter are eating complete end of line! It means, all ? ++line commands are eaten and unhappy program is counting ONLY to 8 and not to 12 as author expected! It finally means - error is on line marked with //*// in .PPO list and not in line signed with //9 in original program. Internal Error in this case is on right place, because of totally crazy color string specifying six color codes! Another question at this moment is - how Nantucket can produce Preprocessor which is eating remain of line when is used operator for multiple commands on line together with macro operator. GOLD RULE IS Never trust to your program, because is preprocessed by Cliper preprocessor. (.DD.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 5 4 Feb 1991 To be aware in 5.01? Some comments about 5.01 problems and advantages (very old article coming after release of 5.01) It's now a few weeks ago, i got long time waiting 5.01 upgrade of Clipper 5.0. Thanks god, this 'upgrade' is solving most important problems which had a reason for stop producing our programs in Clipper 5.0. The new release of Clipper 5.01 is not ONLY upgrade or 'bug' (anomaly) fix, but it's mostly another version of Clipper and i think, numbering it like 5.01 isn't really giving imagine about number of changes inside. This article is describing few things which Clipper programmer have to be aware in Clipper 5.01. First i must say, I BELIEVE in Clipper 5.01 like in normal and valid programming device of programmer. This same i couldn't say about 5.0, because in final stage of using this i missed all trust to this version. Then, don't be aware that your 5.01 will not do what you need, it will do, but still is better to know where is a problem hidden. Some from comments which i will have to Clipper 5.01 are mostly 'cosmetic' changes and somebody will have fun after reading them, but i'm every time very critic to programs which i'm using. Therefore i will include some small things on the same way as things bigger. Some comments are only WARNING not to be mistaken from your side when using something and maybe can save you some time of discovering that you did some kind of mistake. Keyboard codes When received 5.01 my expectation was, that INKEY.CH was expanded to some missing keyboard codes. Not only codes from extended keyboard (because they are discutable), but also codes for normal keyboard which weren't in 5.0 INKEY.CH. Truth is different, INKEY.CH is still missing extended codes and from basic codes, K_SPACE ,just easy code is NOT included in INKEY.CH Solving: update your INKEY.CH with (example): #define K_SPACE 20 #define K_CTRL_UP 397 #define K_CTRL_DOWN 401 .... Another problem which somebody could expect that have to be solved is fact, that all SETKEY sets aren't working when one is using INKEY() function. Because INKEY() is just ONLY reading keyboard. In all other places where keyboard is read are all SETKEY sets executed correctly. But, when programmer will start to use INKEY() in more places, then will have problem, all SETKEY sets aren't valid and programmer MUST take care of them by special routines or DO CASE checks. My expectation that this nonlogical fact will be corrected is wrong. INKEY() is still don't recognizing SETKEY sets. CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 6 4 Feb 1991 Solving: don't use INKEY(), you easy can all INKEY() callings replace with call to new function: Function MyInkey(nnn) local value := 0 , cBlock while .t. if valtype(nnn)!="N" value:=inkey() // inkey WITHOUT parameter else value:=inkey(nnn) // inkey WITH parameter endif if (cBlock:=setkey(value))!=NIL Eval(cBlock) // test if valid SETKEY loop // and then continue endif return (value) This possible (and easy) solving has this advantages: - fully compatible with INKEY() function in parameter passing and value returning - taking care of your SETKEY sets and executing (better evaluating) them without special testings or actions - all LASTKEY() stuff is still the same because of original INKEY() using New RTLINK version INCREMENTAL LINKING Another expectation which i had - incremental linking in new version of Clipper will work. Truth is again different. DO NOT use incremental linking. It's working successfully only for few first links and then programmer will receive nice set of error from program. Probably will then start looking to errors in own program, but reality is - incremental linking is NOT working. First, second and sometime third link is WITHOUT problems, but after this you can receive errors of this kind: Syntax error: + Be sure, that on your program line where report is reported doesn't exist a "+" operation Syntax error Just funniest error, because it's SYNTAX error on compiled and linked code. Maybe there is processor of your PC reporting non existed function.... Cannot create overlay file: !^%#@(* Really, i cannot reproduce file name reported by overlay manager, because this magazine will not probably have all control and graphical symbols which one can get in IBM PC environment. All this errors you will get in part of code which was a subject of changes, everything other (not changed) is still working pretty perfect. CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 7 4 Feb 1991 FAX which i then sent to Nantucket, together with uploads of these error reports to Nantucket special message area on CLIPPER WORLD BBS are WITHOUT answers. FAX to Pocket Soft Inc., authors of RTLINK, is with answer: │ RTLINK version shipped with Clipper 5.01 is working with │ INCREMENTAL linking without problems. It passed our and Nantucket │ test suites. If you have some problems, please contact │ Nantucket..... Still there is one positive thing which stopped make me angry to fact that Incremental isn't working. Prelinked Libraries stuff is working ABSOLUTELY perfect (not in 5.0 there wasn't possible to use it) and therefore my link time is just few second only for my OBJ files and all other 350KB of Clipper runtime is permanently sitting on my disc. Another advantage of this is of course fact, that some from small utilities for my program can be long about 10 or 20 kilobytes of .EXE file and that is really very nice (before between 200 and 400 kilobytes). Another stupidity of RTLINK which is making me really angry is fact, that one still cannot press Ctrl Break for stop linking somewhere in middle of linking. One MUST wait till RTLINK will display something to screen (and this can be after 10 or 15 minutes from moment when one pressed Ctrl Break). Only at moment of displaying will DOS see your Ctrl Break. RTLINK will NEVER look for this key. Solving of this stupid fact is only one. Use /VERBOSE:2 switch for your Rtlink and then there will be continuous flow of text on screen and RTLINK will stop when you will need it. Sample program Hope you can remember that there are some sample program (directory CLIPPER5\SOURCE\SAMPLES in standard installation). Unfortunately somebody can use some from them inside of programs together with own code. Especially nice is sample allowing to have browsing and selecting facility for files on your disc - FILEMAN. But be aware when you are using this program. You MUST update to new version or change some lines in your old one, because this old one will NOT work with new CLIPPER 5.01. Why? Because of change in SELECT command is no longer possible to have command like this: Select arrray[ subscript ] In 5.0 this one was without problems working, in 5.01 this one is giving error - ALIAS array NOT EXIST. Yes, of course, it's absolutely logical, because there MUST be: Select (array[ subscript ]) SELECT command syntax is: SELECT area name SELECT area number Then of course SELECT is right when is interpreting 'array' like area CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 8 4 Feb 1991 name. But and but, old select did this fact different. Then be aware of your select commands in your sources. For them which are using TBROWSE objects on basis from samples coming with CLIPPER 5.0 (TBDEMO..) is there another recommendation. Take a closer look to new TBDEMO, because there are few things solved more better than in previous version. Be very carefully when using DBU supplied with Clipper 5.01. This program is coming in some cases to never ending cycle of WHILE command. Exactly: Open EMPTY database Go to do BROWSE of this database Start typing new values for record And then wait forever. Point is, that you MUST first press INS key for insert NEW record. But when one will forget did this? CLIPPER DEBUGGER CLD is now great program and i'm really using it every day. Previous CLD was unusable because of memory problems of CLIPPER (no one my application was able to fit in memory together with CLD.EXE nor CLD.LIB). There is lot of improvements in this new debugger, but of course there are same nonlogical and non working things: Totally new HELP system for CLD is enough descriptive, but not CONTENTS SENSITIVE. When one will press F1 (Help key), then will get first page of help and MUST scan through all of them to page which need. In case of small memory left is this process VERY slow (because of lot of disc swaps). Don't try to use HELP system when you are editing (for example) colour codes or path string for your source files. If one will press F1 at this moment,then will get some graphics codes which are equal to code of F1, but will not get help. Somebody who made it forget that F1 is help and not a valid key for editing characters... One must still be carefully when specifying command line options for SPLIT and EGA/VGA screen. CLD /S/50 and CLD /50/S is really not the same for CLD.. Just use spaces between them and then it's working well (CLD /S /50 is the same as CLD /50 /S) Be aware of using ? row() or ? col(). Both of them will return not value from YOUR program, but value from inside of Debugger. Debugging a program and needs to know values of cursor position is at this moment totally impossible. Some from people using CLD will report - When i pressed F8, then CLD didn't make steps through my procedure, he just did action for F10 (execute procedure). Be aware at this moment if your .OBJ files ALL had specified /B switch for CLIPPER command line. If not, then CLD will not warning you of course, will just step CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 9 4 Feb 1991 through. You can then be surprised and thinking what is wrong! There is IMPOSSIBILITY to debugging a code which is using #include statements for include PART of CODE (not only #define and other definitions). Because Clipper is allowing you to use #include for normal part of program (with all commands...), then i'm expecting that will be able to correct do debugging of this includes. ABSOLUTELY not, when one will do this, will have a debugger step cursor somewhere in .PRG file, but on wrong place of course, because of mixup of line numbers. Small example of this: Program.prg 1 function Main() 2 #include "small.inc" 3 ? 'Hello this is NOT a first line of program' 4 ? 'and there will be a RETURN coming' 5 RETURN NIL File SMALL.INC 1 ? 'This is a first line of program of course' 2 ? '-----------------------------------------' Of course, after compiling there is another program: 1 function Main() 2 ? 'THis is a first line of program of course' 3 ? '-----------------------------------------' 4 ? 'Hello this is NOT a first line of program' 5 ? 'and there will be a RETURN coming' 6 RETURN NIL CLD will start a debugging and display PROGRAM.PRG file on screen with debugging step cursor on line "2" of PROGRAM.PRG file. Executed instruction but will be a instruction from line "1" of SMALL.INC. I'm so sure, that this stupid acting is possible to eliminate just by better recognizing of includes and modifying screen display routines of source code. There is of course EASY solving for this - NEVER use #include for part of your code. All your code you can easy put to separate .OBJ files and call them like function. Then will CLD working GREAT. Possibility to use Alt-D function for stop program in working is limited. If there will be for example: WHILE rlock() ENDDO (of course, this is a mistake. But i made it few time, just forgotten "!" negation) Then one will NOT be able to stop program and see what is working. When i had this problem i did lot of looking what is wrong and after LONG period i found that there is missing one negation for condition. STATIC OVERLAYING CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 10 4 Feb 1991 Lot from us were using static overlaying of CLIPPER 5.0 libraries to solve memory problems. Roger Donnay supplied MEM50.LNK script for including most bigger part of Clipper runtime to static overlays had few problems (hanging because of RTLINK problems to handle memory), but was working very nice. New CLIPPER 5.01 version of Clipper has totally changed all names of function (really ALL and FULLY). The old MEM50.LNK then not working because is fixed to old names. Maybe Donnay will come with new version of this, but - there is NOT reason to use static overlays because dynamic overlaying and memory management of RTLINK is now working and your application will work probably better without static overlaying. Still, when somebody will try to adapt old MEM50.LNK to new names, then will encounter one problem. Not problem to found new names (they are easily detectable), but will receive "INTERNAL ERROR 999" which will not be able to found in documentation (like all internal errors). Then don't spend a time for static overlaying, there is no effect for this. Memoedit() function A more comments i will give to MEMOEDIT() function. First problem which i had with Memoedit() in Clipper 5.0 was a problem that there IS NOT a way to access edited string from INSIDE of Memoedit(). One can access ONLY original string, but edited (and continuously changed) string is hidden somewhere in Clipper memory. I reported this problem already to Nantucket a LONG time ago, the told "will be solved in new version", but true is again different. And i'm so sure, that this isn't so problem. In Clipper 5.0 there was a BIG problem with MemoEdit() function when there was a very small free memory for your program (about 30KB after loading program in memory). Then Memoedit in some cases did HANG of whole system. Probably it had something to do with RTLINK inability to handle proper overlaying when there was a small memory. This problem is PARTIALLY out. One need more smaller memory to hang system with Memoedit (10KB to 20KB). Hope, somebody will take care of this, because to have hanging editor (yes, PE.EXE distributed with CLIPPER will hang too) inside of application running just close to free memory is pity. Memory(n) function Never take a care of value returned by Memory() function. When there is 30KB reported by Memory(1), then Memory(3) (run space) can report this number: -1 (probably -1 as result of calculating) 768 just perfect, i have 640KB of memory in computer and RUN space is 768KB free MENU functions One nice surprise i had after running our applications. I made a own menuying system which was using FACT that cursor is staying just immediately AFTER selected menu line. This one WAS true in Clipper 5.0 CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 11 4 Feb 1991 and this one IS NOT true in 5.01 I don't understand why 5.01 is putting cursor on place of SET MESSAGE (never mind if there is MESSAGE or not) and not logically to place after selected menu line. Then if your menu system is acting strange and you are getting sure that MENU TO is still working the same, change your mind - it's different. STATIC functions Be very carefully when using STATIC functions. I had a static functions used a parameter for ACHOICE() function for my own keyboard actions in this MENU ACHOICE() choosing. ACHOICE is just NOT executing this function when is STATIC. Unbelievable is, that there IS NOT error message (not found function or ...), there is just NOT EXECUTING. INCONSISTENCY One funny inconsistency of program language is in new Clipper 5.01 version. I found it when i was thinking: OK, there are @ SAY .. COLOUR, @ .. TO .. COLOUR command (something new in 5.01, extension of @ command). Then there OF COURSE is @ .. CLEAR .. COLOUR. GOTCHA, there is NOT @CLEAR with COLOUR parameter. Maybe somebody is thinking that CLEAR is without colour, but then is wrong. COPY FILE TO Nice surprise of COPY FILE command is this case: there is a file: some text another texts lot of text <eof> It means, file is ended with EOF character as is standard is DOS. Then is there command: COPY FILE <file> TO LPT1 And result is: Unrecoverable error: write error.... Just, COPY FILE TO printer will NOT handle files which are containing EOF character. Why? Because when COPY command is writing something to printer port, then is doing this in block and then is checking if returned number of really processed characters is the same as return of passed character. DOS will of course NOT COUNT _EOF_ character between processed characters and giving back different number. And then will your program immediately fail with "unrecoverable" error and return to DOS. I found this very CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 12 4 Feb 1991 annoying. And from this moment i have to use RUN("copy ...") command instead of normal and logical COPY FILE. (somewhere later, i want to continue with some comments about compuserve list of anomalies in Clipper and some other discovered problems which aren't in CIX list) .DD. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 13 4 Feb 1991 =========================================================================== QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS =========================================================================== Question: I'm using 4DOS with Clipper 5.01 and having problems with using RUN (!) command from CLIPPER. What i have to do for correct using of 4DOS? Answer: 1) take a sure, that CONFIG.SYS contains correct specs: shell=c:\4dos.com /e:512 /s:d /p This one is telling to boot that has to take 4DOS.COM instead of COMMAND.COM with 512 bytes for environment and swapping to disk (replace with /s:e for EMM swap) /P is telling to run AUTOEXEC.BAT for start of system. 2) AUTOEXEC.BAT has also to set several things: path c:\;c:\4dos Be sure that PATH is telling where to found all other files from 4DOS! set COMSPEC=c:\4dos.COM set 4DSHELL=/S:D First one is giving correct COMSPEC for all invocation of COMMAND.COM like later and other is telling again about swapping for all other copies of 4DOS.COM later. This two things are needed for DOS to get correctly working, for CLIPPER here is needed something totally different. Clipper is taking COMSPEC DOS variable to run 'command.com', then will RUN without problems any internal or external DOS commands or another programs. If one wants to run another session of 4DOS.COM, then for compatibility is best to use RUN("%COMSPEC%") which is without problems. And last comment - ONE MUST HAVE ENOUGH MEMORY TO RUN _TWO_ coppies of 4DOS.COM in case of running another 4DOS.COM or copy of 4DOS.COM + runned program. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: I'm looking for good books about Clipper 5.0x and also looking for some newspapers about it, where i can found some from them? CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 14 4 Feb 1991 ANSWER: AVAILABLE CLIPPER BOOKS AND PERIODICALS BOOKS Clipper 5: A Developer's Guide Author: Joseph D. Booth, Greg Lief and Craig Yellick Publisher: M&T Books 501 Galveston Drive Redwood City, CA 94063-4728 To Order: 1-800-533-4372 1-800-356-2002 (in CA) Clipper Developer's Library Author: James Occhiogrosso Publisher: Microtrend Books Slawson Communications, Inc. 165 Vallecitos de Oro San Marcos, CA 92069 To Order: 1-800-SLAWSON Clipper Programming Guide, 2nd Edition Version 5 Author: Rick Spence Publisher: Microtrend Books Slawson Communications, Inc. 165 Vallecitos de Oro San Marcos, CA 92069 To Order: 1-800-SLAWSON Illustrated Clipper 5.0, 2nd Edition Author: John Meuller Publisher: Wordware Publishing, Inc. 1506 Capital Avenue Plano, TX 75074 To Order: 1-800-229-4949 Straley's Programming with Clipper 5.0 Author: Stephen J. Straley Publisher: Bantam Books 666 5th Avenue 24th Floor New York, NY 10103 To Order: 1-800-223-6834 ext. 9479 212-492-9479 CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 15 4 Feb 1991 Using Clipper, 2nd edition Author: Ed Tiley Pubisher: Que Corporation 11711 North College Avenue Suite 140 Carmel, IN 46032 To Order: 1-800-428-5331 PERIODICALS The Aquarium Publisher: Grumpfish, Inc. PO Box 17761 Salem, OR 97305 To Order: 503-588-1815 Compass for Clipper Publisher: Island Publishing 1424 Sherman Avenue Suite 300 PO Box 2347 Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 To Order: 208-667-3727 Nantucket News: The Technical Journal of Nantucket Corporation Publisher: Nantucket Corporation 12555 W. Jefferson Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90066 To Order: 213-390-7923 Reference(Clipper): The Independent Guide to Clipper Expertise Publisher: Pinnacle Publishing 28621 Pacific Highway South PO Box 8099 Federal Way, WA 98003-009 To Order: 1-800-231-1293 206-941-2300 European Nantucket Users Club Magazine - Clip a Time Publisher: The Europen Nantucket Users Club 33 Nobel Square Basildon Essex SS13 1LT England To Order: 44-268-590955 44-268-590905 (FAX) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 16 4 Feb 1991 Q&A Question: I have a problem with the DBU in Clipper 5.01. I can create a dbase, but when I go to enter data, DBU hangs. No response from keyboard... nothing! Running an AT (286) 10hz V/c drive VGA. (Can't see any probs there) Is there a fix I should know about? Answer: You are completely right. Nantucket produced changed DBU but this change is putting in DBU new error which wasn't in previous version. Here is a fix (one from many): at line 281, change DBUEDIT.PRG to say: /* Edit the current field */ IF bof() .and. eof() .and. !lAppend keyboard chr(K_DOWN) + chr(nextkey()) loop ENDIF --------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: I encounter very often a very annoying problem which i refer to as "ghost records". With no apparent regularity i find in my .dbf files, usually but not always at the end, one or more records whose fielsd are filled with right arrows (chr(26)'s). For sure this problem is a very well known one; Can someone tell me the origin of these records and how to avoid them ? (I use clipper 87 and am starting with clipper 5.1. The ghost records are visible also with dbxl interpreter and enter in the total number of records of the fields). ANSWER: Sounds like a dBase III pack of a clipper .dbf file. Or header corruption where there is one more record in the filesize than the header says. Clipper reads the real filesize and gets the last record which is full of end-of-file markers (^Z or ASCII 26). Solution : don't access the files from dBase or DBXL. (I do it often though and only stop doing it when problems arise - which has not happened for a year or so now). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUESTION: I'm using for my programs combination of Turbo C++ and Clipper sources and i want: CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 17 4 Feb 1991 1) to be able to use command line compiling of C modules 2) create from my objects complete library 3) do both first totally automatically ANSWER: Following is a example of .RMK link script file for use as RMAKE #name.rmk to complete manage you created library Comments are added as usuall in .RMK files, therefore just cut this part out, define own files and start using: // Example RMAKE file for combination of TCC sources and CLIPPER // sources, result is going to library makepath[.OBJ] := "\SOURCE\DANIEL\OBJ" makepath[.PRG] := "\SOURCE\DANIEL" makepath[.C] := "\SOURCE\DANIEL" makepath[.CH] := "\SOURCE\DANIEL" makepath[.LIB] := "\LIB" // makepath is used for telling RMAKE where to get and put // some used files // .OBJ files are ALLWAYS stored in subdirectory OBJ of main // program directory // .PRG files, .C and .CH files are in main source program // directory // .LIB files are in common lib directory, not in CL5\LIB #ifdef DEBUG .prg.obj: clipper $< /w/n/m/b /o$@ lib \lib\daniel -+$@; #else .prg.obj: clipper $< /w/n/m/l /o$@ lib \lib\daniel -+$@; #endif // Above is defined how will be managed CLIPPER sources from // .PRG to .OBJ state with possibility to define /DDEBUG on // command line calling RMAKE @name.rmk /DDEBUG for include // debugger by simply one switch // LIB.EXE is coming from standard MICROSOFT C or from any other // source which is giving this program. Anyway TLIB can be also // used of course. LIB will be called for REMOVING old .OBJ from // and putting NEW inside ( -+ on beginning of name). Library // name is called DANIEL (it's my private library). .c.obj: TCC -I\TC\INCLUDE -L\TC\LIB -C -d -ml -wmlt -K -G -O -Z -k- -c -o$@ $< LIB \LIB\DANIEL.LIB -+$@; // This is definition how to make .OBJ from .C sources and put // them again into library. Bunch of switches IS CASE sensitive // then please careful with using them! // And of course, later don't forget to link your CL.LIB with CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 18 4 Feb 1991 // your program, otherwise it will NEVER work...... dd_lib1.obj: dd_lib1.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch dd_lib2.obj: dd_lib2.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch dd_lib3.obj: dd_lib3.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch dd_lib4.obj: dd_lib4.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch dd_lib5.obj: dd_lib5.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch dd_netw.obj: dd_netw.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch configer.obj: configer.prg dprinter.ch daniel.ch // This is simple, all this are CLIPPER modules with some include // .CH files which are of course also checked for changes cleanup.obj: cleanup.c faxlog.obj: faxlog.c isprinte.obj: isprinte.c screen.obj: screen.c wptext.obj: wptext.c wputil.obj: wputil.c // And this is definition of .C modules, they aren't checked // for includes, because includes in C are quite stabil --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 19 4 Feb 1991 =========================================================================== COMMENTS =========================================================================== CLIPBBS Distribution CLIPBBS is special magazine about CLIPPER and CLIPPERing (or about another related problems and xBASE languages). This magazine is for free and articles aren't honored. Nobody can take profit from dis- tributing of this magazine. CLIPBBS can be freely downloaded and uploaded to any BBS or any other public system without changes of original contents or number of files in original archive (kind of archive can be changed, but we are sup- porting ARJ archive because is best and smallest). Please, in case of your interest in CLIPBBS and possibility to became a DISTRIBUTION site, contact publisher on 2:285/608@fidonet or 27:1331/4412@signet or just call to 31-10-4157141 (BBS, working 18:00->08:00, 2400bps) or voice to 31-10-4843870 in both cases asking for DANIEL (Docekal). At this moment (22/08/1991) here aren't distribution sites because is coming first trial number. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIPBBS 1-01 Page 20 4 Feb 1991 How to write articles in CLIPBBS? Writing of articles to CLIPBBS is really easy. Write articles, max 78 characters per line, long as you wish, pure ASCII text. Choose from list of extension which is describing your text, or just name it .ART as ARTicle and send it to publisher or to any distributes site (if exist already) via modem to BBS or with mailer as file attach. Article will come automatically in nearest free issue. Extensions are: Articles (anything) .ART Software .SOF News .NEW Question and Answers .Q&A Letters to editors .LET Advertisement .ADV Wanted .WAN Comments .CMS That's all at this moment, probly later we will be changing this. If you have any tip about subparts of CLIPBBS, please tell us, or just write article about this. Daniel, publisher ---------------------------------------------------------------------------