Data Selection Process for Dclerk

[John Esak]

Yes, I have a solution.
On the first line of script, go into clerk and on a popup screen ask the
questions needed to build the demand index.  Then drop to a system command
and build the index.  Then exit clerk.  The second line of the script should
take you back into clerk using that index.  The speed of today's computers
would make this very viable.

Now, do you want to know what *I* would do instead of this.  I think this is
a fairly kludgy way to do what you want.  It will work... But it lacks a
lot.  I would stand in a 'stand" file and bring up a browse of just the
records desired.  Build all the processing needed in that table and let them
go at it.  You would pretty much have to copy all the INPUT table processing
and screens from INPUT to the new processing... Then change the real fields
on the screen to dummies and change the appropriate parts of the processing
including @w[ef]l* fields to the new dummies.  This is the very best way to
maintain complete control and allows the added nicety of not having to use a
demand index.  A good thing because what if the user changes a demand
indexed field to take that record *out* of the appropriate slection set for
that demand index.  With the method I'm suggesting it would dissappear from
the browse as it should.  In the other more kludgy method it would still be
visible when it really shouldn't be.

You may say John is crazy to spend so much time as to copy and modify a
whole INPUT table just to do this one job... But that is prcisely what I do
for almost every application.  Consider each as a tiny input table all its
own with its own @wlf/@wdf at wuk etc., etc. type processing.  You just have
such complete control, it is worth it.

John



> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.com 
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces+john=valar.com at lists.celestial.co
m] On Behalf Of Rodgers Hemer
> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:00 PM
> To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
> Subject: Data Selection Process for Dclerk
> 
> SCO 6.0/ filePro 5.0.14
> 
> I am trying to create a process that can run from a user menu to  
> permit selection of a group of records for view and access within  
> dclerk.  What I want, and cannot find, is a way of requesting 
> records  
> similar to that using sort/selection processing under dreport.  I do  
> not want to use scan table processing which I believe is not 
> suitable  
> for new and untrained clerical personnel and certainly cannot be  
> consider user friendly.
> 
> The selection consists of a single client ID and a range of dates  
> (earliest to latest).  The problem with using an automatic index is  
> that it requires a specific date that is in the data base, 
> and it does  
> not stop after the last item for that client ID.  It is 
> possible that  
> creating a demand index would work but I do not see an 
> obvious way to  
> create it using a question and answer technique as can be used in  
> output sort/selection processing.
> 
> Does any one have a suggestion of how to provide a user friendly  
> solution to this question.
> 
> Thanks in advance for your assistance.
> 
> Rodgers Hemer
> 206.523.2329
> r.hemer at w-link.net
> 
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