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Clipper manual for beginner
- Thread starter acnaiB
- Start date
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
Try:
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
Did this link help?
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #4
Hm, it has snippits etc, usefull, but me as newbee I dunno how to compile and use Clipper (or any other compiler). I hope for a link with step by step example or things like that. And, how to compile the *.prg files from dBase to a complete .exe file. Coz that is the target...
Found also a decompiler (Valkyrie), but after changing it's unknown to make it .exe again... But thank you for reply, any help is welcome!
Found also a decompiler (Valkyrie), but after changing it's unknown to make it .exe again... But thank you for reply, any help is welcome!
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
I have a copy of the official clipper 5.3 manual in help file format. That may help you.
Are you working with a functioning dBase application now?
To help you focus your research more on your requirement, fill me in on a few items.
1. Type of software used currently.
2. Does new requirement need to be multi user and a shared network?
3. Client workstation type(s).
4. Existing data type, if any.
I've never had any luck decompiling a Clipper application and then continuing its development.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Are you working with a functioning dBase application now?
To help you focus your research more on your requirement, fill me in on a few items.
1. Type of software used currently.
2. Does new requirement need to be multi user and a shared network?
3. Client workstation type(s).
4. Existing data type, if any.
I've never had any luck decompiling a Clipper application and then continuing its development.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #6
>I have a copy of the official clipper 5.3 manual in help >file format. That may help you.
I have 5.2 here, so only small difference maybe.. It would be very welcome!
>Are you working with a functioning dBase application now?
Not at this moment. ;o)
I have 2, one dBase, one .exe that was made in clipper and that need some changes like e.g. fields, and screen layout.
>To help you focus your research more on your requirement, >fill me in on a few items.
>1. Type of software used currently.
dBase III (IV also available)
Clipper 5.2
Win98 2nd
Dos 6.0
Valkyrie
>2. Does new requirement need to be multi user and a shared >network?
Primary not, if available: network printer. If easy to program/change/setup/fix: use of network printer IP based.
>3. Client workstation type(s).
Old DOS 6.0
Win98
>4. Existing data type, if any.
Explain? About the dbf records?
>I've never had any luck decompiling a Clipper application >and then continuing its development.
Oh, you can 'try' the Valkyrie if it will help...
I have 5.2 here, so only small difference maybe.. It would be very welcome!
>Are you working with a functioning dBase application now?
Not at this moment. ;o)
I have 2, one dBase, one .exe that was made in clipper and that need some changes like e.g. fields, and screen layout.
>To help you focus your research more on your requirement, >fill me in on a few items.
>1. Type of software used currently.
dBase III (IV also available)
Clipper 5.2
Win98 2nd
Dos 6.0
Valkyrie
>2. Does new requirement need to be multi user and a shared >network?
Primary not, if available: network printer. If easy to program/change/setup/fix: use of network printer IP based.
>3. Client workstation type(s).
Old DOS 6.0
Win98
>4. Existing data type, if any.
Explain? About the dbf records?
>I've never had any luck decompiling a Clipper application >and then continuing its development.
Oh, you can 'try' the Valkyrie if it will help...
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
-Valkyrie I've tried it but didn't really help us. Thanks.
- >4. Existing data type, if any. Explain? About the dbf records? dBase is the answer.
- for where you are now the 5.2 help files will be just fine. They'll come in handy if you get the hang of this...
OK, it looks like you've got an existing clipper app that uses dbase tables to store your data; a very common environment.
You should have a folder with files that have a .prg extension. That is your source code.
In that folder, hopefully, are some files with a .lnk extension. Tell me if you have these and if there are only one or two post their contents and file names on here, otherwise just post their file names. Then, in the same folder, see if there are any .bat files. If so post them too.
Some developers keep the source in the working folder or they may be elsewhere on the computer. Look things over and see if you can find the .lnk files and .prg files that seem to be the source of this app.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- >4. Existing data type, if any. Explain? About the dbf records? dBase is the answer.
- for where you are now the 5.2 help files will be just fine. They'll come in handy if you get the hang of this...
OK, it looks like you've got an existing clipper app that uses dbase tables to store your data; a very common environment.
You should have a folder with files that have a .prg extension. That is your source code.
In that folder, hopefully, are some files with a .lnk extension. Tell me if you have these and if there are only one or two post their contents and file names on here, otherwise just post their file names. Then, in the same folder, see if there are any .bat files. If so post them too.
Some developers keep the source in the working folder or they may be elsewhere on the computer. Look things over and see if you can find the .lnk files and .prg files that seem to be the source of this app.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #8
In dBase dir, there is a dir that stores the .prg files and the .dbf files.
In the clipper, there is only the Clipper program.
The disassembler is program, not used, this must do a disassemle a .exe file that was made by clipper..
Nothing found with a .lnk extension.
In Clipper\Bin\cl.bat:
---
clipper %1
if not errorlevel 1 rtlink file %1
---
Rest are .exe files. Most popup a dos window, then come with a list, or just do 'nothing'.
In the clipper, there is only the Clipper program.
The disassembler is program, not used, this must do a disassemle a .exe file that was made by clipper..
Nothing found with a .lnk extension.
In Clipper\Bin\cl.bat:
---
clipper %1
if not errorlevel 1 rtlink file %1
---
Rest are .exe files. Most popup a dos window, then come with a list, or just do 'nothing'.
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
try searching the whole hard drive for .lnk
i.e.
dir c:\*.lnk /s
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
i.e.
dir c:\*.lnk /s
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #10
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
Since you don't have any custom .lnk files there is a good chance you don't have the source code to your application...
Maybe that is why you have a copy of Valkyrie. If you did decompile the .exe's the complexity of the resulting code would surely overwhelm you as a beginner. I've been coding in clipper for 17 years and have never successfully salvaged an application with a decompiler.
You need to make an all out effort to locate the source code. It will be in .prg file(s).
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Maybe that is why you have a copy of Valkyrie. If you did decompile the .exe's the complexity of the resulting code would surely overwhelm you as a beginner. I've been coding in clipper for 17 years and have never successfully salvaged an application with a decompiler.
You need to make an all out effort to locate the source code. It will be in .prg file(s).
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #13
That's right, I only looked around a bit in the disassembler. Always been told, if you don't know how to use, then stay off. ;o)
No .clp files too.
Is it possible to start with compiling an .exe file out of the .prg files from the dBase application?
These .prg are stored in the dBase dir.
No .clp files too.
Is it possible to start with compiling an .exe file out of the .prg files from the dBase application?
These .prg are stored in the dBase dir.
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
It's very possible. Is there one that has the same name as the exe? It would be a good candidate.
By the way, what is the exe file name?
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
By the way, what is the exe file name?
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #15
Only dBase exe.
Then the .prg files, so usual have to startup dBase, then DO PROGGIE.prg and it runs.
Better was to fix that in a single exe file, then proggie.exe only need to be started, no chance to make trouble in the dBase .prg files or commands.
Would that be possible? Easy way?
Then the .prg files, so usual have to startup dBase, then DO PROGGIE.prg and it runs.
Better was to fix that in a single exe file, then proggie.exe only need to be started, no chance to make trouble in the dBase .prg files or commands.
Would that be possible? Easy way?
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
Is there not a proggie.exe now?
Is the application only being run from dBase at this time?
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Is the application only being run from dBase at this time?
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
- Thread starter
- #17
Hope you did the search for .lnk files with a dos-prompt, as the Search function of Windows id *never* going to show any of them. Any shortcut really has a .lnk extension, so you should at least find a few ;-)
Try a dos-prompt at C:\ (or the disk that holds the Clipper-stuff) and type
that should reveal all .lnk files. You probably can't edit them with notepad, so the old Edit program should probably used (edit yourfile.lnk).
HTH
TonHu
Try a dos-prompt at C:\ (or the disk that holds the Clipper-stuff) and type
Code:
dir /s/b *.lnkHTH
TonHu
- Thread starter
- #19
Ofcourse there are some *.lnk files in the windows stuff, but these are not related to the programs used by Clipper, I guess the .lnk files we must have are information files to link one file/library/whatever to the other thing while compiling.
The programming and DOS related software are also stored on a complete different disk.
Didn't know that windows had a search option ;o) (it never had anything found for me nor was it usefull for other things so I stopped using that rubbish years ago..)
Tnx for reply.
The programming and DOS related software are also stored on a complete different disk.
Didn't know that windows had a search option ;o) (it never had anything found for me nor was it usefull for other things so I stopped using that rubbish years ago..)
Tnx for reply.
LyndonOHRC
Programmer
I think it's settled. You are running a dBase only program. If you want to post the content of one or two of them I’ll look at them and provide some feedback.
Most likely the system relies on dBase interactive commands such as "edit", "Browse" and others that are not compliable in Clipper. You are, most likely, facing a significant education challenge to duplicate the functionality of your dBase application(s) in Clipper.
That said, in my opinion, your efforts would be better spent developing a solution using a more modern tool, many of which can read and write your existing database files.
Either MS Access or Excel would probably do just fine. There are many others as well.
I suspect, at some point, someone bought Clipper hoping to compile this dBase application into an executable and found the task too daunting. I've taken over many projects in that early stage of development.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
Most likely the system relies on dBase interactive commands such as "edit", "Browse" and others that are not compliable in Clipper. You are, most likely, facing a significant education challenge to duplicate the functionality of your dBase application(s) in Clipper.
That said, in my opinion, your efforts would be better spent developing a solution using a more modern tool, many of which can read and write your existing database files.
Either MS Access or Excel would probably do just fine. There are many others as well.
I suspect, at some point, someone bought Clipper hoping to compile this dBase application into an executable and found the task too daunting. I've taken over many projects in that early stage of development.
Lyndon
---People Remember about 10% of what you say ---They never forget how you made them feel. Covey
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