Converting PB-DOS 3.5 Code to PBCC

[OTTO WIPFEL]

Had my first go at trying PBCC to see what it takes to convert my simple
IO-DEMO program, samples of what I do to get formatted and controlled by
my I/O procedures Data Input from users.

You can download the PB-DOS 3.5 source code and IO-DEMO.EXE from: www.ottowipfel.btinternet.co.uk

Seems that PBCC can not display Extended Keyboard Codes such as BOX lines
in the Editor and therefore can not compile them to show on screen either ?

After checking imcompatibilites first and removing a few signicant ones
I compiled it. This is how it went:

ERROR 484 - [b]COLOR %B, %CY[/b]      - yes the constants are defined
ERROR 484 - [b]CLS[/b] 
ERROR 484 - a Line Label: [b]MENU:[/b]  
ERROR 484 - [b]DIM HLPSCR(1:2000)[/b] to save screen displays into
ERROR 484 - [b]CALL BGCOLOR[/b] a SUB to use all 16 Colors for background

And that was just the first few lines !

There is no way I am going to try to convert well tried and tested PB-DOS
Source Code of my programmes, containing millions of lines, to anything
else.

I shall continue to fight to preserve the use of DOS for as long as live


------------------




[This message has been edited by OTTO WIPFEL (edited April 13, 2002).]

[Lance Edmonds]

Giving up so soon Otto? Come on! You can do it! The first step is to read the "Writing Programs in PB/CC" chapter in the on-line help file.

Next, an Error 484 means that you did not enclose the code in a Sub/Function wrapper, as clearly described in the above chapter of the documentation.

For example, the first part of your DOS code looks like this:

 $STACK 16000
 $OPTION CNTLBREAK OFF
 $DYNAMIC
 
 DEFINT B-W, Y, Z
 DEFSTR  A
 DEFFLX  X
 
 %BCKSP =   8 : %TAB   =   9 : %RET   =  13 : %SPACE =  32 : %ESC   =  27
 %HOME  =  71 : %END   =  79 : %DEL   =  83 : %INS   =  82 : %PGUP  =  73
 %PGDN  =  81 : %CURSL =  75 : %CURSR =  77 : %CURSU =  72 : %CURSD =  80
 %CTLH  = 119 : %CTLE  = 117 : %CTLPU = 132 : %CTLPD = 118 : %CTLCL = 115
 %CTLCR = 116 : %SHTAB =  15 : %NUL   =   3
 %F1    =  59 : %F2    =  60 : %F3    =  61 : %F4    =  62 : %F5    =  63
 %F6    =  64 : %F7    =  65 : %F8   =   66 : %F9    =  67 : %F10   =  68
 %F11   = 133 : %F12   = 134 : %ZAP   = 147 : %SAVE  = 146 : %PASS  = 140
 
 %B     = 0   : %GY    =  8  : %F = 16   ' Blinking, add to ForeGround
 %BL    = 1   : %LB    =  9              ' Color for BRIGHT BackGround.
 %GR    = 2   : %LG    = 10
 %CY    = 3   : %LC    = 11
 %RE    = 4   : %LR    = 12
 %MA    = 5   : %LM    = 13
 %BR    = 6   : %YE    = 14
 %W     = 7   : %WW    = 15
 
 %CNA = 1 : %CNB =  5 : %CNC =  7        ' Normal Cursor
 %CHA = 1 : %CHB =  7 : %CHC =  6        ' Half Block Cursor
 %CBA = 1 : %CBB =  2 : %CBC =  1        ' Block Cursor
 %C0A = 0 : %C0B = 14 : %C0C =  0        ' No Cursor - or  0,0,0
 
 DIM HLPSCR(1:2000)
 DIM BOXSCR(1:2000)
 DIM OLDSCR(1:2000)
 DIM BROSCR(1:2000)
 DIM ABOX(1:24), FCOL(1:24), BCOL(1:24)
 
 MENU:
'ßßßßß
    SCREEN ,,0,0: CALL BGCOLOR: LOCATE ,,0,0,0: COLOR %B,%CY,%CY : CLS
    MAP XPROG * 4

    COLOR %WW,%MA
    LOCATE 1,12: PRINT" ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» "
    LOCATE 2,12: PRINT" º  D A T A  I N P U T - P R O C E S S I N G  D E M O  º "
    LOCATE 3,12: PRINT" ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ "

The first steps in translating the code to PB/CC should make it look something like this:

#COMPILE EXE
 DEFINT B-W, Y, Z
 DEFSTR  A
' DEFFLX  X -> data type conversion needed
 
 %BCKSP =   8 : %TAB   =   9 : %RET   =  13 : %SPACE =  32 : %ESC   =  27
 %HOME  =  71 : %END   =  79 : %DEL   =  83 : %INS   =  82 : %PGUP  =  73
 %PGDN  =  81 : %CURSL =  75 : %CURSR =  77 : %CURSU =  72 : %CURSD =  80
 %CTLH  = 119 : %CTLE  = 117 : %CTLPU = 132 : %CTLPD = 118 : %CTLCL = 115
 %CTLCR = 116 : %SHTAB =  15 : %NUL   =   3
 %F1    =  59 : %F2    =  60 : %F3    =  61 : %F4    =  62 : %F5    =  63
 %F6    =  64 : %F7    =  65 : %F8   =   66 : %F9    =  67 : %F10   =  68
 %F11   = 133 : %F12   = 134 : %ZAP   = 147 : %SAVE  = 146 : %PASS  = 140
 
 %B     = 0   : %GY    =  8  : %F = 16   ' Blinking, add to ForeGround
 %BL    = 1   : %LB    =  9              ' Color for BRIGHT BackGround.
 %GR    = 2   : %LG    = 10
 %CY    = 3   : %LC    = 11
 %RE    = 4   : %LR    = 12
 %MA    = 5   : %LM    = 13
 %BR    = 6   : %YE    = 14
 %W     = 7   : %WW    = 15
 
 %CNA = 1 : %CNB =  5 : %CNC =  7        ' Normal Cursor
 %CHA = 1 : %CHB =  7 : %CHC =  6        ' Half Block Cursor
 %CBA = 1 : %CBB =  2 : %CBC =  1        ' Block Cursor
 %C0A = 0 : %C0B = 14 : %C0C =  0        ' No Cursor - or  0,0,0
  
#INCLUDE "LIB-PROC.BAS" ' Moved to the top to eliminate forward-reference problems
  
FUNCTION PBMAIN
    DIM HLPSCR(1:2000)
    DIM BOXSCR(1:2000)
    DIM OLDSCR(1:2000)
    DIM BROSCR(1:2000)
    DIM ABOX(1:24), FCOL(1:24), BCOL(1:24)
 
 MENU:
'ßßßßß
    CALL BGCOLOR  ' this seems unnecessary?
    CURSOR OFF
    COLOR %B,%CY
    CLS
'    MAP XPROG * 4 -> data type conversion needed
 
    COLOR %WW,%MA
    LOCATE 1,12: PRINT" ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» "
    LOCATE 2,12: PRINT" º  D A T A  I N P U T - P R O C E S S I N G  D E M O  º "
    LOCATE 3,12: PRINT" ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ "
 
    WAITKEY$ ' pause to read the screen
END FUNCTION

A couple of notes for you, to help you get started:[list=1][*]Flex strings are not supported, so you'll need to revise that code to use UDTs, or some other data type.
[*]The graphic-characters are displayed unusually in the IDE, since that displays ANSI text, but when such characters are displayed with the OEM (DOS) character set in the Console Window, they should show up fine.[/list=a]
I hope this helps!

------------------
Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[OTTO WIPFEL]

O.K. Lance, so I am not giving up converting this small program

Also BTRIEVE needs FIELDS to OPEN or Create the Layout and Internal Index
Keys Structure of a new file. The latter is one if it's unique features
which make files virtually immun to power-outs, not losing indexes in memory
nor leaving files open. It also rolls back to the last sound transaction
processed when the file is opened again after such event.

All files, BTRIEVE and other Random ones have one field only, containing
one Flex String, mapped to the length of the Data records and sub-mapped
into the individual record's Data fields.

Doubt whether "TYPE" or "DIM" defining the structure of a record would work ?
You know the saying; "If it works, don't change it".

Can you imagine me having to do change all this and more in all my major programs ?
Got a "Pistol-to-my-head" Smily ?

I remembered having purchased the printed PBCC Manual. Will have a search for
it. It is so much easier to learn from a printed manual (relaxing with a sip of your
favourite ) than screwing up your eyes trying to read small fixed font Online Help.

BTW, tried the old Ctrl-F1 on a highlighted code item and got the message
that the PBCC Editor could not find WIN32API.Hlp. Where can I find that one !

As I said before, what would we do without you


------------------




[This message has been edited by OTTO WIPFEL (edited April 13, 2002).]

[Fred Buffington]

Otto, the win32api.hlp file is
here: http://www.powerbasic.com/files/pub/mstools/


------------------

[Lance Edmonds]

How are you planning on using BTRIEV from your Windows app? Since Windows does not have a generic Flex string data type, some changes will be necesary to accomodate BTRIEV in Windows anyway.

So on the face of it, your flex string appears to have a fixed length specified at compile-time, so using a fixed-length string may be a viable substitute.

Where DB record formats and lengths vary, then the usual solution is to use a combination of UDTs, UNIONs, and pointers, along with a generic buffer to hold the data (declared to hold the largest possible record size).

In use, you always load the data into the same buffer, but reference it using a UDT pointer. By combining all your UDT pointers into a UNION, you can simplify code in some cases too.

For example (pseudocode)

TYPE RecType1
  sName AS STRING * 20
  sID   AS LONG
END TYPE
TYPE RecType2
  sID as LONG
  CreditLimit AS CURRENCY
END TYPE
UNION pRecType
  pRec1 AS RecType1 PTR
  pRec2 AS RecType2 PTR
END UNION
...
a$ = "some data" ' (ie, a$ could be filled from a disk record, or whatever)
DIM pR as pRecType
pR.pRec1 = STRPTR(a$) ' set up the pointer address - we use STRPTR for the dynamic string data address
 
' if the data is a 'type 1' record, we can use the 1st pointer to reference it
PRINT [email protected]
 
' if the data is a 'type 2' record, we can use the 2nd pointer to reference it
PRINT [email protected]

The advantage of using a UNION of pointers is that by a single STRPTR assignment to any of the member pointers, the other member pointers all reference the same address.

I hope this helps rather than confuse!


------------------
Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[OTTO WIPFEL]

Yes, it does help !

Ok to use PBCC for new applications, but I would not want having to re-code all my
existing and well tried programmes. In any case, they still work, if need be, from
Windows up to 98 SE Desktops, looking more or less the same way as the PBCC Console
window. And there is DOSEMU ? Waiting to hear more about it from DR-DOS tomorrow.

The easy to use USING$ is also sadly missed. With Accounting Software a quick and
easy way to format Numerical Data is a must. The work-around Function and FORMAT$
are no viable alternatives.

I make more mistakes changing existing code than writing new. This must also be the
reason why MS manages to create more bugs than they fix with every Update

I shall give it rest for now and have fun creating Web sites for my friends. The latest
can be viewed at: www.bristolaero.btinternet.co.uk

Took me a day to do it, hacking everything from his Web Site created by some other
guys he paid to do it. Have a look what they call a Web site www.horders-tp.co.uk

If it's that easy to to copy stuff from anybody's Web site, I am not surprised a lot of people
and corporations are apprehensive about using it for serious stuff other than PORN



[This message has been edited by OTTO WIPFEL (edited April 14, 2002).]

[Deon Judkins]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by OTTO WIPFEL:

The easy to use USING$ is also sadly missed. With Accounting Software a quick and
easy way to format Numerical Data is a must. The work-around Function and FORMAT$
are no viable alternatives.

OTTO,

I understand your feelings. I am just completing my 1st program
conversion from PBDOS to PBCC. It was very frustrating at times.
I use ascii box characters alot, print usings alot, etc. But I had
to get around the DOS print driver problem. I have used alot of
code from the forum as learning templates and modified them for my
purposes. I think I can help with some ideas on how I am handling
things, maybe they will help. I, too, am a solid DOS fan, but
Windows does have some nice features - it's just getting to them.
I am not planning on converting all my programs either (as I had
origionally planned) - Just the ones that are really necessary.
These PB forum guys really came through for me!
Good Luck.
Deon




------------------
Deon Judkins