=============== QuickFile ARexx Command interface ================ QuickFile v3.16 24 June 1995 Copyright Alan Wigginton QuickFile accepts ARexx commands from macros (ARexx scripts invoked from within QuickFile) and from external scripts which may be run from another application or from the shell or workbench. QuickFile's ARexx port is named QUICKFILE.01 for the first copy of QuickFile running, QUICKFILE.02 for the next and so on. QuickFile can open multiple windows so this should not be a problem. Not all QuickFile functions can be executed via an ARexx command. If you would like to see some other commands added, let me know and I will see what I can do. QuickFile expects commands to consist of a command name followed by a series of parameters separated by spaces. Parameters that contain spaces must be enclosed in quotes, therefore two sets of quotes are required in ARexx code as ARexx will remove the first set when it parses the command. For example, to pass the following command to QuickFile ReqMsg 'This is a demo message' the ARexx code required is "ReqMsg 'This is a demo message'" Both ARexx and QuickFile will accept either double or single quotes. You should also include quotes around values included from variables if the variable value could contain spaces. For example: pull filename address quickfile.01 "openfile '"filename"'" If filename was entered as "My file" this would result in the following being (correctly) passed to quickfile: openfile 'My file' If the single quotes had been omitted this would have caused an error. The easiest way to check the string being passed is to display it using say. This will usually make things clear. QuickFile will process commands regardless of case and any ARex variables it creates will be upper case. Case is preserved in field values. Confusion with case is a common problem with ARexx. ARexx always converts any tokens to upper case unless they are in quotes. A common trap is that the PULL and ARG statements translate to upper case as they are equivalent to PARSE UPPER PULL and PARSE UPPER ARG. To preserve case use PARSE PULL and PARSE ARG instead. Return codes The return codes from QuickFile have the following general meanings. See the command descriptions for details 5 Warning or object not found. 10 Command failed 12 Unknown command 15 System error - usually out of memory 20 Syntax error Command notation convention Command names use Initial Capitals eg GetRec Values in square brackets [ ] are optional You must include one of the values in braces {A | D} Repeated values are indicated by ellipsis ... Keywords are shown in UPPER CASE Lower case words represent values you provide ============= AddSearch ============= AddSearch {AND | OR} fieldname operator value1 [value2] Adds a new search criteria to the existing criteria. Use the NewSearch command to replace any existing criteria and use DoSearch to start the search. AND | OR Determines how multiple criteria are to be handled. See QuickFile docs for full details. See the NewSearch command for details of the remaining parameters. Results None Return codes 10 Unknown field or operator 20 Insufficient parameters or first parameter is not AND or OR Example /* select records where surname is brown or smith */ "newsearch surname equal brown" "addsearch or surname equal smith" "dosearch" ============= CloseWin =============== CloseWin Closes the current window and file. You cannot close the last window with an ARexx command. The first window in QuickFiles internal list becomes the current window, Results None Return codes 5 You tried to close the last window. Example "closewin" ============== ClrRec ==================== ClrRec Clears all fields in the current record. Use this to clear all fields before setting up the values for a new record Results None Return codes None Example "ClrRec" "putfield surname Brown" "putfield firstname John" "putfield address '23 George Street'" "insrec" ============== DelRec ================ DelRec Deletes the current record. The next record becomes the new current record. Results None Return codes 5 There are no records in the file. Example "getfield expirydate" if result < today then "delrec" ============== DoSearch ============ DoSearch Searches through the data base and selects records matching the search criteria. The criteria are established using the NewSearch and AddSearch commands. It places the matching records in an index named SELECTED. It does not change the current index. Results RESULT contains the number of matching Return codes None Example "newsearch surname equal brown" "addsearch or surname equal smith" "dosearch" "setindex selected" ================ FreeIndex ============== FreeIndex Discards the current index and frees the storage used. Only temporary indexes, ie those named SORTED and SELECTED, can be freed. Results None Return codes 10 Not a temporary index Example "setindex selected" "freeindex" ================ FreeView ================= FreeView Discards the current view from memory and frees associated storage. The first view in the loaded list becomes the current view. The display is redrawn. You must keep at least one view. It does not affect the disk file containing the view. Result None Return codes 5 You tried to free the last view Example "setview mylist.view" "freeview" ================ GetField ================= GetField field Returns value of field from the current record Result Field value is placed in RESULT. Return Codes 10 Field requested does not exist 20 Field name omitted Example "goto Smith" "getfield surname" say "Found name" result * Displays==> Found name Smith */ ============= GetRec ============= GetRrec stem Returns values for all fields from the current record in compound variables in the form of stem.fieldname where fieldname is the field name from the file definition (not always the title in the view). You cannot use this if your field names contain spaces; use GETFIELD instead. Results stem.fieldname variables updated. Return codes 20 Syntax error. stem not provided. Example "next" "getrec val" say val.firstname val.surname =========== GoTo =========== GoTo value1 [value2...] Sets the current position to the first record with the current key matching the specified values. Value1 is the value for index field 1 and Value2 is the value for index field 2 etc. QuickFile does not tell you if the requested record was not found. It will happily position on the next record. You must compare the record with the requested key values to check if they were found. Result None Return Codes 5 End of file encountered. Requested key higher than any record. 10 More values specified than index fields Example "goto Brown John" "getrec val" if val.surname ~= "Brown" | val.firstname ~= "John" then say "Record not found" ============ InsRec ================ InsRrec Adds a new record to the file. You use PUTFIELD to set the field values before issuing INSREC. Any fields not updated with PUTFIELD will retain the values from the previous record. Use CLRREC to clear all values before setting up your new record. Results None Return codes 10 Error occurred. Probably duplicate key. Examaple "ClrRec" /* omit this to use values from previous record */ "putfield surname Brown" "putfield firstname John" "putfield address '23 George Street'" "insrec" =================== LoadView ============== LoadView path Loads the named view. The full name including extension must be specified. This does not change the display. Use the SetView command to change the current view. Result None Return codes 10 File not found 10 path name not specified Example "loadview df0:QuickFile/Example1/Product.view" =================== NewSearch ============= NewSearch fieldname operator value1 [value2] Replaces any existing search criteria with a new one. Use the AddSearch command to add additional criteria, if required, and use the DoSearch command to start the actual search. operator The search operator. One of the following: like equal between notlike notequal sounds value1 The value to be used in the search value2 The second value required for the between operator. Can also be used for others. See QuickFile docs for more details. Results None Return codes 10 Unknown field or operator 20 Insufficient parameters Example /* find all current memberships that expire in March */ "newsearch status equal current" "addsearch and 'expiry date' between 01-mar-95 31-mar-95" "dosearch" ================== Next ================ Next [n] Moves n records forward or backward through the file. If n is omitted 1 is assumed. If the resulting position is outside the range of the file, the position will be the first or last record. n can be positive or negative. Result None. Return codes 5 No more records. Positioned at first or last record Example "Next -9999" /* move to start of file */ "Next" /* move to second record */ ============ NumRecs =============== NumRecs Returns number of records in the current index. If 'Selected' is the current index, this will be the number of selected records. Result Number of records in RESULT Return codes 10 No file open Example "SetIndex name" say result /* ==> 253 */ "SetIndex selected" "NumRecs" say result /* ==> 16 */ ============ OpenFile =============== OpenFile pathname Opens a new file in the current window. Closes the existing file, if any. To open an additional file, issue the OPENWINDOW command first to obtain a new window. Result None Return codes 10 The file could not be opened. NB Any previous file will have been closed. 20 pathname not specified Example "openfile 'ram disk:Membership'" /* care with spaces in path names */ ================== OpenWin =============== OpenWin Opens a new window which becomes the current window. It will have no open file. Until a file is opened, the only commands that can be issued are OpenFile, CloseWin. Result None Return Codes 10 The window could not be opened Example pull filename "openwin" "openfile '"filename"'" /* quotes in case filename contains spaces */ =========== PutField ============== PutField field value Sets the contents of field for the current record to value. The change will not take effect until you issue the UPDREC command. value must be consistent with the field's type. Result None Return codes 5 The value is inconsistent with the field type. The field is not updated 10 The field does not exist 20 Either field or value were omitted Example "next" newdate = "31-Mar-1996" "putfield 'expiry date'" newdate "updrec" =============== Query ================= Query {FIELD | INDEX} type stem [name] Obtains details about the current file. stem A stem variable to receive the details name An optional name of an object to be queried. If omitted, a summary of all objects of the requested type are returned. Results FIELD without name Returns the number of fields in stem.0 and the field names in stem.1 to stem.n where n is the number of fields. FIELD with name Returns field type in stem.type and the maximum length in stem.length. Name is a field name INDEX without name Returns the number of indexes in stem.0 and the index names in stem.1 to stem.n INDEX with name Returns the number of index fields in stem.0 in the field names in stem.1 to stem.n. Name is an index name. Return codes 10 Requested name does not exist 15 Syntax error. Either a required field was omitted or type was not FIELD or INDEX. Example "query field fld" do i = 1 to fld.0 /* displays all field names */ say fld.i end ============== Refresh ============= Refresh Redraws the screen display. This should not be required in a macro, but will be required if you want to update the display to reflect changes made from an external script. Result None Return codes None Example "refresh" ============== Report =============== Report count [target [title]] Produces the report defined for the current view. Writes 'count' records starting at the current record. The parameters are positional so 'title' cannot be specified without 'target'. count Number of records to process. Specify -1 for all. target Specify 'printer' to write report to the printer, otherwise the report is written to the screen. title Up to 50 characters to be used instead of the title defined for the report. Don't forget the extra quotes. Note that the report definition is not changed. Result None Return codes 10 No report has been defined for the current view. 15 Could not allocate memory. Example "report -1 printer 'Report Title over-ride'" /* note quotes */ "report 10 screen" ============== ReqChoice ============ ReqChoice line1 [line2] Displays a requester that displays two lines of text with OK and CANCEL buttons. Don't forget the extra set of quotes. Result None Return codes 0 User chose OK. 5 User chose CANCEL. 20 No message text specified Example "reqchoice 'Delete requested' 'Are you sure'" if rc = 0 then "delrec" else say "Delete cancelled" ============== ReqMsg ============= ReqMsg message Displays the message in a requester. The message must be enclosed in quotes if it is more than one word. Result None Return codes 20 No message specified Example "ReqMsg 'This message from ARexx script'" ============== ReqString ============ ReqString default [title] Displays a requester with a string gadget to obtain input from the keyboard. default The default value to be placed in the string gadget. Specify '' if no default title The title to be displayed in the requester window. Result RESULT will contain the users input string Return codes 0 User pressed OK 5 User pressed CANCEL 20 No message specified Example "reqstring '' 'Please enter your name'" if rc = 0 then name = result ============== SaveFile ============== SaveFile Writes any updates to disk, if any changes have been made. Result None Return codes None Example "savefile" ============== SetFile =============== SetFile [filename] Selects window containing filename as the current window or returns current file name if 'filename' is not specified. The file must have been opened previously. 'Filename' is the file name part only, not including disk and directory names. Results Current file name if issued without filename, otherwise none. Return code 5 Unknown file name Example "setfile" say result "setfile Images" ============= SetIndex ===================== SetIndex [indexname] Makes indexname the current index. Specify a name as SORTED to use the last sort sequence and SELECTED to use the last selection. Returns name of the current index if issued without 'indexname'. Results Name of current index if issued without name, otherwise none. Return codes 5 Could not find index Example "setindex sorted" ==================== SetView ================= SetView [viewname] Makes the named view the current view and redraws the display using the new view. The viewname must include the extension, if any. If 'viewname' is not specified, returns the name of the current view. Warning: If used from a macro, this may cause the window to be redrawn several times in quick succession after the macro completes. This happens because QuickFile does not respond to Intuition's newsize messages while the macro is running and several may be queued up when the macro completes. This does not happen if it is used from the shell or another program. Result Name of the current view if issued without 'viewname', otherwise none. Return codes 5 Could not find view Example "setview namelist.view" ==================== Sort =================== Sort field {A | D} [field {A | D} ] ... Creates a new index named SORTED in the specified sequence and makes 'sorted the current index. field The field name to sort over order A for ascending, D for descending Both field and order must be specified for each sort field. You can switch between indexes, including SORTED and SELECTED using SETINDEX. Result None Return codes 10 One of the sort fields was not known. 20 Either no parameters specified or there was not an even number of parameters Example "sort country a surname a firstname a" =========== UpdRec ============== UpdRec Commits an updated record to the file. The update is not necessarily written back to disk at this point. Results None Return codes 10 Internal error occurred. Possibly a duplicate key occurred Example "putfield ExpiryDate 31-Mar-95" "updrec" ========= WinToFront ============ WinToFront Moves the current window to the front of the display. Results None Return codes None Example "wintofront"