Wish List Item - "Public" file name

[John Esak]

Sctt,

I like the idea of a public (viewable, understandable) name for filePro
files... to make this work well, I would add that there should be an
environment variable specifying which name to use in error messages filePro
generates.

John Esak


> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf
> Of Scott Walker
> Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2007 9:52 PM
> To: 'Filepro_List'
> Subject: Wish List Item - "Public" file name
> 
> I think in ddefine you should be able to have a "public" file name
> field.  It should be as long as possible.  Ddefine should also let me
> have a "locked file message field".  Let me explain the use.
> 
> I think filePro apps should be able to be built as fast as possible.
> Thus we want messages to end users to be as automatic as possible.  But
> they need to be effective.  To be effective they must be as meaningful
> as possible (ie. NOT CRYTIC - and remember I mean not cryptic to the end
> user not the developer who wrote the application).  A few examples....
> 
> When someone is adding cash receipts and someone else tries to post cash
> receipts filePro says (to the user attempting to post):
> 
> 1) *** A filePro Error Has Occurred ***
> 
> 2) On file:  ..../filepro/otsarcrheadunp/lockfile
> 
> 3) Inquire, Update, Add Function Running On This File
> 
> 4) File not available.?
> 5) Somebody else is modifying the file;  try again later.?
> 
> I've added the line numbers for ease of this discussion.
> 
> 1) I don't believe that this is an "Error".  That is not an error but
> rather the system is preventing you from doing something that would
> cause an error.
> 
> I think it should say "This file is currently locked"
> 
> 2) On file....   This is totally meaningless message to the average user
> of my application.  Yes otsarcrheadunp is the name I gave the file and I
> know what it means.  A user has no freaking idea what it means.  In my
> mind, that makes is a bad message.  I would like it to use the "public
> name" that was specified in ddefine.  So it would say:
> 
> "File:  Accounts Receivable Cash Receipts Entry"
> 
> 3) Probably OK as is.
> 
> 4) Probably not necessary.  We have already several lines that tells us
> about the situation.
> 
> 5) Perhaps misleading.  It may not be "somebody else" modifying the
> file.  It may be the same user that is trying to post who has another
> telnet connection to the server.  Plus, why the "?" at the end.
> 
> Here's what I would say:
> 
> 	The AR Cash Receipts Entry file is currently locked.
> 
> 	This prevents certain operations from being performed when
> someone is
> 	already in the file.
> 
> 
> Another use of the "public name" would be when we have a locked record
> and a process tries to post to that record.  For example, when a user
> tries to post AR Cash receipts which will update the balance in the
> customer file, if some other user is in that customer file record, the
> posting user sees:
> 
> 	"Waiting for 'otscust1' record 1 to be unlocked"
> 
> Once again this message is way too cryptic for a user to receive.  Users
> don't know what the heck this means.  Sometimes they kill the posting
> process by clicking the quit "X" on their telnet program, thus creating
> a mess.  Using the public name for the file, at least we could say:
> 
> 	"We are waiting for Customer File record 1 to be unlocked"
> 
> Maybe we could have a flag for rreport processes that would add this
> warning if a locked file message is displayed:
> 
> 	"Do not cancel this posting process.  Wait for the record to
> become 		unlocked."
> 
> 
> 
> I know what we are capable of doing in processing with the "locked"
> function but I think having and using a "public name" for the file would
> go a long way toward providing automatic, and much more meaningful,
> messages to the end users with no programming on the part of the
> developer.  Of course, using more meaningful names for the files in the
> first place would help, but don't forget many of these files got named
> back when they only allowed 8 characters.
> 
> Anyhow that's all.  I would love to hear others thoughts on this.
> 
> BTW, who do I send this to at fp for wishlist consideration.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Scott
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scott Walker
> RAM Systems Corp.
> ScottWalker at RAMSystemsCorp.com
> Ph: (704) 896-6549
> Fx: (704) 896-7458
> 
> 
> 
> 
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