Table of Contents
Home Directory
 

Chapter 1
C/Base Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Toolkit
1.3 Beyond Toolkit

Chapter 2
Databases

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Term
2.3 The C/Base Database
2.4 Database Maintenance
2.4.1 Creating a Database
2.4.2 Using a Database
2.4.3 Listing Databases
2.4.4 Changing a Database's Description
2.4.5 Changing a Database's Logfile
2.4.6 Removing a Database
2.5 Logical RMSfile Maintenance
2.5.1 Creating a Logical RMSfile
2.5.2 Modifying a Logical RMSfile
2.5.3 Listing a Logical RMSfile
2.5.4 Erasing the Contents of an RMSfile
2.5.5 Changing a Logical RMSfile's Description
2.5.6 Changing a Logical RMSfile's Log Status
2.5.7 Changing the Number of Records in an RMSfile
2.5.8 Checking an RMSfile for Errors
2.5.9 Copying a Logical RMSfile
2.5.10 Removing a Logical RMSfile
2.6 Logical Formfile Maintenance
2.6.1 Creating a Logical Formfile
2.6.2 Modifying a Logical Formfile
2.6.3 Testing a Logical Formfile
2.6.3 Listing a Logical Formfile
2.6.5 Changing a Logical Formfile's Description
2.6.6 Copying a Logical Formfile
2.6.7 Removing a Logical Formfile
2.7 Logical Reportfile Maintenance
2.7.1 Creating a Logical Reportfile
2.7.2 Modifying a Logical Reportfile
2.7.3 Testing a Logical Reportfile
2.7.4 Converting a Visual Report to a Text Report
2.7.5 Listing a Logical Reportfile
2.7.6 Changing a Logical Reportfile's Description
2.7.7 Precompiling a Reportfile
2.7.8 Copying a Logical Reportfile
2.7.9 Removing a Logical Reportfile
2.8 Transaction Logging
2.8.1 Enabling Transaction Logging
2.9 Transaction Log Maintenance
2.9.1 Recovering RMSfiles from a Transaction Log
2.10 Rmsck

Chapter 3
Using Form

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Using Data Entry Forms
3.3 Data Types
3.4 Key Board
3.5 Function Keys
3.6 GOLD
3.7 ADD
3.8 QUERY and FIND
3.8.1 Inexact Queries
3.8.2 Relational Operators
3.8.3 3.8.3 Wild Card Queries
3.8.4 QUERY LAST and FIND PREVIOUS
3.9 UPDATE
3.10 DELETE
3.11 3.11 Using Multiple Forms
3.12 QUERY, FIND, UPDATE, ADD, and DELETE Again
3.13 CLEAR
3.14 3.14 NEXTFORM and FIRSTFORM
3.15 3.15 HELP
3.16 HOME
3.17 3.17 REFRESH
3.18 VALIDATE and RETURN
3.19 CANCEL
3.20 3.20 SUMMARY

Chapter 4
Creating RMSfiles

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Creating an RMSfile
4.2 Creating an RMSfile
4.3 Modifying an RMSfile
4.4 Invoking Lfedit
4.5 Invoking Filedef
4.6 Editing an RMS Definition File
4.6.1 File Definition Form
4.6.1.1 File Description Function Keys
4.6.1.2 File Access Method
4.6.1.3 Primary Key Ordering
4.6.1.4 4.6.1.4 Duplicate Key Handling
4.6.2 Field Description Form
4.6.2.1 Field Description Function Keys
4.6.2.2 Field Name
4.6.2.3 Data Type
4.6.2.4 Field Length
4.6.2.5 Number of Elements
4.6.2.6 Description
4.6.3 Primary Key Field Names
4.6.3.1 Primary Key Function Keys
4.6.4 Secondary Key Field Names
4.6.4.1 4.6.4.1 Secondary Key Function Keys
4.6.5 Pre-allocating Hashed Files
4.7 Example 1: Create a New Data File Definition
4.8 Example 2: Modify an Existing File Definition
4.9 RMSfile Maintenance
4.9.1 Creating a Logical RMSfile
4.9.2 Modifying a Logical RMSfile
4.9.3 Listing a Logical RMSfile
4.9.4 Erasing the Contents of an RMSfile
4.9.5 Changing a Logical RMSfile Description
4.9.6 Changing a Logical RMSfile's Log Status
4.9.7 Changing the Number of Records in an RMSfile
4.9.8 Checking an RMSfile for Errors
4.9.9 Copying a Logical RMSfile
4.9.10 Removing a Logical RMSfile
4.10 RMS Definition File Maintenance
4.10.1 Creating an RMS Definition File
4.10.2 4.10.2Modifying an RMS Definition File
4.10.3 Listing an RMS Definition File
4.10.4 Creating an RMSfile from an RMS Definition File
4.10.4 4.11 Summary

Chapter 5
Creating Formfiles

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Invoking Form
5.3 Editing Formfiles
5.3.1 Editing Formfiles with Toolkit
5.3.2 Editing Formfiles with Formedit
5.3.3 Editing Formfiles with Formdef
5.4 Building a Form
5.5 Entering a Form Description
5.6 Entering the Actual Form
5.7 Entering a Field Description
5.8 Field Description Fields
5.9 A Simple Form
5.10 A Further Example
5.11 Validate and Lookup
5.12 Validation Forms
5.13 Default and Initial Values
5.14 Formatting Field Values
5.15 Copy Field Values
5.16 Invisible Fields
5.17 Multiple Forms
5.18 Summary

Chapter 6
Advanced Form Features

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Copy/Calculate Field
6.3 Edit/Match Field
6.4 User Edit
6.5 6.5 Copy/Calculate in QUERY Mode
6.6 6.6 Edit Data Type
6.7 Edit Field Name
6.8 Formulas
6.8.1 Expressions
6.8.1.1 Variables
6.8.1.2 String Constants
6.8.1.3 Numeric Constants
6.8.1.4 Operators
6.8.2 6.8.2 Functions
6.8.2.1 6.8.2.1 Boolean Function
6.8.2.2 Character Function
6.8.2.3 Date Function
6.8.2.4 Delta Function
6.8.2.5 Format Function
6.8.2.6 Integer Function
6.8.2.7 Long Function
6.8.2.8 Match Function
6.8.2.9 Money Function
6.8.2.10 Real Function
6.8.2.11 Result Function
6.8.2.12 Round Function
6.8.2.13 String Function
6.8.2.14 Strleft Function
6.8.2.15 Strlen Function
6.8.2.16 Strmid Function
6.8.2.17 Strright Function
6.8.2.18 Time Function
6.8.3 Statements
6.8.3.1 Expression Statement
6.8.3.2 +=Statement
6.8.3.3 -=Statement
6.8.3.4 Export Statement
6.8.3.5 IF, ELSEIF, ELSE and ENDIF Statement
6.8.3.6 Return Statement
6.8.3.7 Set Statement
6.8.3.8 Test Statement
6.8.3.9 Total Statement
6.8.3.10 While Statement
6.9 Examples
6.9.1 6.9.1 Copying a Field
6.9.2 Simple Calculations
6.9.3 Using the Round Function
6.9.4 Multiple Calculations
6.9.5 More Multiple Calculations
6.9.6 Date Calculations
6.9.7 String Calculations
6.9.8 Match and Result Functions
6.9.9 Totaling Fields
6.9.10 Totaling Fields
6.9.11 Totaling Expressions
6.9.12 The Delta Function

Chapter 7 Creating Visual Reports

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Maintaining Reportfiles
7.3 7.3 Editing Visual Reports
7.3.1 Editing Reportfiles with Toolkit
7.3.2 Creating Reportfiles with Rptedit
7.3.3 Editing Reportfiles with Rptedit
7.4 Editing Reportfiles with Wtrdef
7.5 Creating a New Visual Report
7.5.1 Entering a Report Description
7.5.2 Entering Report Sections and Field Descriptions
7.6 Modifying an Existing Report
7.7 Sorting Records in Reports
7.8 Printing Totals
7.9 Level Breaks
7.10 Report Attributes
7.11 Selecting Records in Reports
7.12 Spacing of Report Sections
7.13 Using Grace
7.14 Using Rptadmin
7.15 Using Rptcopy
7.16 Using Rptrm
7.17 Using Preport
7.18 Limitations
7.19 Summary

Chapter 8
Creating Menus

8.1 Introduction
8.2 Definitions
8.2.1 Menufiles
8.2.2 Menus
8.2.3 Choices
8.2.4 Parameter Forms
8.2.5 Parameter Fields
8.2.6 Background Text
8.2.7 Commands
8.3 Invoking Menu
8.4 Using Menu
8.4.1 Selecting a Menu Choice
8.4.2 Special Keys in Menu
8.5 Invoking Menudef
8.6 Using Menudef
8.6.1 Entering Data into Forms
8.6.2 Entering a Menu Description
8.6.2.1 Menu Name Field
8.6.2.2 Menu Commands Field
8.6.2.3 Function Keys in the Menu Description Form
8.6.2.4 Adding a Menu Description
8.6.2.5 Updating a Menu Description
8.6.3 Entering a Menu File Description
8.6.3.1 Built In Menu Commands Field
8.6.3.2 Menu File Commands Field
8.6.3.3 Function Keys in the Menu File Description Form
8.6.3.4 Updating the Menu File Description
8.6.4 Entering a Menu Picture
8.6.4.1 Entering Background Text
8.6.4.2 Function Keys in the Menu Picture Screen
8.6.4.3 Adding a Choice
8.6.4.4 Updating a Choice
8.6.4.5 Deleting a Choice
8.6.4.6 Moving a Choice
8.6.5 Entering a Choice Description
8.6.5.1 Choice Name Field
8.6.5.2 Choice Commands Field
8.6.5.3 Switching to the Parameter Picture
8.6.6 Entering a Parameter Picture
8.6.6.1 Entering Background Text
8.6.6.2 Adding a Parameter Field
8.6.6.3 Updating a Parameter Field
8.6.6.4 Deleting a Parameter Field
8.6.6.5 Moving a Parameter Field
8.6.7 Entering a Parameter Field Description
8.6.7.1 Field Name Field
8.6.7.2 Edit Data Type Field
8.6.7.3 Field Length Field
8.6.7.4 Input Required Field
8.6.8 Substitutions
8.6.9 Variables
8.6.10 Expressions
8.6.10.1 String Constants
8.6.10.2 Numeric Constants
8.6.10.3 Operators
8.6.10.4 Functions
8.6.10.4.1 Basename Function
8.6.10.4.2 Directory Function
8.6.10.4.3 Eval Function
8.6.10.4.4 File Function
8.6.10.4.5 Interrupt Function
8.6.10.4.6 Length Function
8.6.10.4.7 Match Function
8.6.10.4.8 Result Function
8.6.10.4.9 Size Function
8.6.10.4.10 Strleft Function
8.6.10.4.11 Strlen Function
8.6.10.4.12 Strmid Function
8.6.10.4.13 Strright Function
8.6.11 Commands
8.6.11.1 Ask Command
8.6.11.2 Chdir and Cd Command
8.6.11.3 Echo Commands
8.6.11.4 Eval Command
8.6.11.5 Exit Command
8.6.11.6 Export Command
8.6.11.7 For Command
8.6.11.8 IF, ELSEIF, ELSE and ENDIF Commands
8.6.11.9 Interrupt Command
8.6.11.10 Menu Command
8.6.11.11 Param Command
8.6.11.12 Quit Command
8.6.11.13 Rem Command
8.6.11.14 Set Command
8.6.11.15 While Command
8.6.11.16 External Command
8.7 Format of a Menufile
8.8 Sample Menus
8.9 Additional Information
8.10
Reserved Words
8.11 Menu Error Messages
8.12 Menudef Error Messages
8.13 Menudef Restrictions

Chapter 9
Report Writer Programming Guide

9.1 Introduction
9.2 Specifying a Report
9.3 A Simple Report
9.4 Expressions and Conditions
9.5 A Detail Report with Look Ups
9.6 Master Listing with Details
9.7 Changing Report Attributes
9.8 Using Parameters
9.9 Variables
9.10 Advanced Printing Techniques
9.11 String Manipulation
9.12 Pattern Matching
9.13 Using SKIP
9.14 Learning to READ
9.15 More File Input-Output
9.16 Debugging Report Programs
9.17 The Final Frontier
9.18 Sample Solutions
9.19 Passing Parameters From the Shell
9.20 Running Reports

Chapter 10
Report Writer Programming Reference

10.1 Introduction
10.2 Internal Names
10.3 Numbers
10.4 Strings
10.5 Comments
10.6 Expressions
10.6.1 Data Values
10.6.2 Constants
10.6.3 Operators
10.6.4 Functions
10.6.5 Parameters
10.6.6 Indirect Lookups
10.7 Conditions
10.7.1 Operators
10.8 Precedence Tables
10.9 FILE Declarations
10.10 FIELD Declarations
10.11 VARIABLE Declarations
10.12 Procedures
10.13 MAIN Procedure
10.14 Statements
10.14.1 Compound Statement (BEGIN-END)
10.14.2 Setting Breaks (AT or CHECK/WATCH)
10.14.3 Delete a Record (DELETE)
10.14.4 Call a Procedure (DO)
10.14.5 Find a Record (FIND)
10.14.6 Process File Records (FOR)
10.14.7 If - Then - Else (IF)
10.14.8 Insert a Record (INSERT)
10.14.9 Print Statement (PRINT)
10.14.10 Read Next Record From a File (READ)
10.14.11 Return From a Procedure (RETURN)
10.14.12 Select Records From a File (SELECT)
10.14.13 Setting Report Attributes (SET)
10.14.14 Skip to a Line (SKIP)
10.14.15 Update a Record (UPDATE)
10.14.16 Program Looping (WHILE-REPEAT)
10.14.17 Assignment (:= or =)
10.15 Debugging
10.16 Syntax Summary
10.16.1 Overall Format
10.16.2 Internal Names
10.16.3 File Declarations
10.16.4 FIELD Declarations
10.16.5 VARIABLE Declarations
10.16.6
PROCEDURES
10.16.7 Statement
10.16.8 Conditions
10.16.9 Expressions
10.17 Type Conversions
10.18 Reserved Words List
10.19 Record Selection Techniques


Chapter 11
Creating Terminal Definitions

11.1 Introduction
11.2 Creating a Terminal Definition
11.2.1 Defining Function and Special Keys
11.2.2 Defining Terminal Escape Sequences
11.2.3 Defining Terminal Parameters
11.3 Modifying a Terminal Definition
11.4 Display Attributes


Chapter 12
C/Base Commands

12.1 C/Base Commands

Chapter 13
Formatting Data Values

13.1 Introduction
13.1.1 Overall Implementation
13.1.2 General Formatting Rules
13.2 Output Formats
13.2.1 Boolean Values
13.2.2 Date Values
13.2.3 Time Values
13.2.4 Number Values
13.3 Input Formats
13.3.1 Boolean Values
13.3.2 Date Values
13.3.3 Number Types
13.3.4 Integer Values
13.3.5 Money Values
13.3.6 Real Values
13.3.7 Time Values
13.4 Formatting Errors

Appendix A

  Quick Reference
  Guide

Appendix B

  Reserved
  Words

Appendix C

  Country
  Default
  Format

Appendix D

  Environment
  Reference