Effective Programming Tips for .NetUI Development
Tailoring and customizing Progress 4GL code for QAD users, with a focus on .NetUI development. Learn about data setup, programming dos and don'ts, frame design considerations, and coding tips. Gain insights on browser-like navigation, UI specifics, and the differences between CHUI and .NetUI. Explore how minor code changes can significantly impact program functionality and display.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Programming Tips for .NetUI Tammy Lonsberry Sr. Programmer/Analyst Sungate Solutions, Inc.
About me Tailoring and customizing Progress 4GL code for QAD users since 1995 Most versions (Mfg/Pro 7.3 QAD EA 2013 SE) All User Interfaces (CHUI, GUI, Desktop, .NetUI) Progress and Oracle db s Active PEG member Long time consultant with exposure to many different environments, processes, protocols and lots of really smart people
Agenda About .NetUI Data Setup Programming Do s and Don ts Frame Design Considerations Coding Tips and Common Fixes Summary Questions
About .NetUI Same 4GL code under the covers Screens get rendered as HTML-style forms
Browser-like navigation Back, Next buttons Toggle/check boxes for logical fields Mouse clicks, not function keys
Seems simple enough, but More than just a different look or screen appearance CHUI: Tightly integrated and responsive to keyboard events .NetUI: Stateless, no interaction at the field navigation or keystroke level .NetUI can detect (and therefore respond to) frame events and database events Can: Next button - end of frame or update statement Cannot: Tab, function keys, other navigational keystrokes
Data setup specific to the UI 36.3.21.1 Program Information Maintenance Determines which method will be used to display your program
Same program, before & after Without any code changes
Programming Dos and Donts Not an all-inclusive list, but possibly the most common Biggest offenders; program code that must be changed Without these changes: Program may not function properly or at all Screen may not be displayed correctly or completely Program may hang or crash with no error visible to the user
Do not use; not visible in .NetUI Pause User will not see Press spare bar to continue Processing . and program appears to hang Can use pause 0 but not pause 0 before hide QAD STD-0039 Can use gpwait.i to pause for display-only frames QAD STD-0300 Help phrase Can display informational text on the screen more on that later
Do not use; not visible in .NetUI Validate phrase Wrong: Right: update part and pt_part = part), Item Number does not exist ) with frame a. update part with frame a. validate (can-find (pt_mstr where pt_domain = global_domain if not can-find(pt_mstr where pt_domain = global_domain and pt_part = part) then do: /*ITEM NUMBER DOES NOT EXIST*/ {pxmsg.i &MSGNUM=16 &ERRORLEVEL=3} undo, retry. end.
Messages Do not use Progress message statement Do not use Alert-box Do not use mfmsg.i or its variations (mfmsg01.i, mfmsg02.i, etc) Do not use hard-coded message text Always use pxmsg.i (QAD STD-0277) {pxmsg.i &MSGNUM=123 &ERRORLEVEL=3} Always use msg_mstr
Field Lookups Do not use scrolling windows Ex: window.i, sw*.i Do use browses and lookups as created by Browse Maintenance (36.20.13) Browse Maintenance is entirely new in .NetUI Do not use 36.20.13 in Chui always use the .NetUI version Browses can be developed on one database, exported and imported into other db s Browse export/import will include supporting data Labels, Program Info, etc.
Keyboard actions Keystrokes and other cursor movement is not detectable in .NetUI Program logic cannot be based on keystrokes or frame fields Do not use: Keycode, Keyfunction Cursor-left, cursor-right, cursor-up, cursor-down Status default, ststatus Hard-coded F4 or other keys Can use database trigger events On assign, create, write, etc.
Frame considerations Text displayed in frame statements will not appear in .NetUI Field labels will be displayed but not other informational or hard-coded text Watch for no-label phrase this may indicate a frame made entirely of text.
Sample frame code form skip(1) "Here is some informational text" at 3 skip(1) code colon 11 code1 colon 46 label {t001.i} name colon 11 name1 colon 46 label {t001.i} skip(1) sort-by colon 20 format '9' "1) Customer Number" at 26 "2) Customer Name" at 26 skip with frame a side-labels width 80.
Result before code change Text is missing
To display text: Step 1 Define character variables They will be used to store the text define variable form-text1 as char no-undo. define variable form-text2 as char no-undo. define variable form-text3 as char no-undo.
To display text: Step 2 Place the variables in the frame form skip(1) form-text1 at 3 format 'x(40)' no-label skip(1) code colon 11 code1 colon 46 label {t001.i} name colon 11 name1 colon 46 label {t001.i} skip(1) sort-by colon 20 format '9' form-text2 at 26 format 'x(20)' no-label form-text3 at 26 format 'x(20)' no-label skip with frame a side-labels width 80.
To display text: Step 3 Assign text to the variables assign form-text1 = "Here is some informational text" form-text2 = "1) Customer Number" form-text3 = "2) Customer Name" . Can also use Label Master or Master Comments to store frame text. Allows for language translation.
To display text: Step 4 Display variables with frame a display form-text1 form-text2 form-text3 with frame a.
Determining the run-time mode {gpiswrap.i} Returns a logical True = .NetUI mode False = Terminal/CHUI mode if {gpiswrap.i} then do: /* Some code here for .Net UI */ end. else do: /* Running in Terminal Mode */ end.
Quick List for common fixes To update your existing CHUI custom code and enable for .NetUI, search for these commonly used words These aren t all indicative of a problem, but will give you a quick jump-start towards finding possible offenders Alert-box Cursor F2, F4 Frame Help Keycode Keyfunction Label Message mfmsg Pause Validate
Follow QADs coding style 3 types of programs; very specific structure & flow of control Maintenance, Inquiry, Report Follow the recommended program structure for consistent behavior Utilize standard .i include files as much as possible K.I.S.S. don t reinvent the wheel or get needlessly creative
http://www.qad.com/erp/Support/ Get a login, it s free! Click on: General Reference Development Standards Review these periodically refreshers are good; we all forget things over time
Summary Write code for application functionality, not the user s keystrokes 36.3.21.1 Program Information Maintenance Use Quick List for quick conversion of existing custom code Use QAD s development standards As the application has evolved, it has continually become more and more important to follow these rules Follow the When in Rome principle
Contact information For further information or a copy of this presentation: Tammy Lonsberry (847) 628-4796 tlonsberry@sungate-solutions.com
