test for a modified table 1

[HowardHammerman]

I have a Visual FoxPro routine that issues a RUN command to an external program that, in turn,zaps a table and then re-populates it with current data.
The VFP program then goes on to do some more work and then needs to use the newly populated table.

I have a problem in timing. If the external program is not done by the time it needs to be used, I get an understanable error.

Is there a FoxPro command to test on the modification date/time, or if the file is current open?

Thanks,


Howard Hammerman,
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[StewartUK]

Hi Howard,

Well FDATE([filename]) will give you the modification date (or datetime), FOPEN([filename],12) can return whether or not the file is availble to write to (and so whether the routine has finished).

However I have to ask why are you using the RUN command to an external program to do something that it seems you could do from the calling routine. Also, if you are going to run an external program, have you thought about using the API call ShellExecute()?

Hope that helps,

Stewart

 

[JRB-Bldr]

While I'd recommend another approach you can use the ADIR() command to determine the Date/Time of when a file was last modified.

I would personally recommend adding one or more fields to the table itself and capture the Date/Time of when each record was added/modified and then have the application use that instead.

Knowing if a file is in use is more complicated.

You could set up an ERROR handler to not 'bomb' out and then attempt to use the table EXCLUSIVE.

If it opened, then you would be the only one using it. If an error was thrown, then someone else had the table in use.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[Mike Lewis]

Hi Howard,

Good to see you here again.

Here's a possible way of achieving what you want:

oWSH = CREATEOBJECT('wscript.shell')
oWSH.Run('MyExernalProg.EXE', 1, .T.)

Basically, this will run an external program, and only return control to the calling program when the external program has finished.

Mike

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Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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[HowardHammerman]

Thank you guys. I especially like Mike Lewis's approach since it simply want my program to wait until the external is done. And to answer Stewart's question, the reason I am running an exeternal program is becuase I am a lousy programmer (a much better analyst) and I am using R&R Report writer to do the heavy lifting and create a reference dataset.

Thanks again.

Howard Hammerman,
Crystal Training and Crystal Material
On-site classes and one-on-one coaching
Low-cost telephone/email support
FREE independent Crystal newsletter
howard@hammerman.com

http://www.hammerman.com

800-783-2269