FTP / Btrieve Questions

[Jim Stephenson]

I am extremely new to PowerBasic and am looking for some advice. I have two projects I would like to do using PowerBasic: One is a simple FTP download of some zip files from a server and then unzipping the files into their appropriate folders; The second is accessing some btrieve files for displaying a table/grid. I am just looking for some general advice on how to get started and where to look for some examples.

Thanks,
Jim Stephenson

[Mike Trader]

Hello Jim,

Look for the PB code archive. Its called Poffs.
Download and install
Search for FTP in the subject

Don Dickenson has some code for FTP

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/forums/Forum4/HTML/012352.html

For unzipping you will need to implement zlib.dll wrappers

What created the Btrieve files?
What format are they?

[Mark Strickland]

Some ideas

If you search these forums for FTP and Don Dickson you will find some public domain FTP code. I personally use SocketTools from Catalyst.com. It is not free but has lots of options beyond just FTP.

You can take several approaches to Un-ZIPPING. One would be the "poor man's approach" by just SHELLing to the appropriate command line un-zipper program (7Zip comes to mind). You can also find here lots of posts about ZLIB (a free compression library).

If you search this forum for Betrieve you should find some code snippets and you may be able to "roll your own" in terms of reading a Betrieve file. Plan B could be an ODBC driver (but that would require some SQL tools from somebody like Perfect Sync). I am sure somebody here can find a Plan C if these don't work for you.

If you are new to PowerBASIC you might take an "iterative" design approach. Start simple (like SHELL to the un-zipper program), get that working, then build your own function to replace the SHELL command.

This way you can get familiar then raise the level of complexity.

If you are looking for a GUI frontend to design graphical user interfaces PowerBASIC has PowerFORMS that will generate native DDT code. You can use EZgui, PowerDev, or my favorite FireFly. Check out the Built With PowerBASIC link on the main PowerBASIC.com website for lots of options.

Don't forget to visit here also.

http://www.jose.it-berater.org/smfforum/index.php

Don't be afraid to post your questions here. These forums are filled with the best and most helpful people on the planet.

[Steve Rossell]

Hello Jim,

Look for the PB code archive. Its called Poffs.
Download and install
Search for FTP in the subject

Actually I think you would be better off searching the forums as you will find more recent content and it has more search features. See http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pb...196#post263196 for a list of the advanced boolean search options available for use in the forums.

[Roy Cline]

I found the Btrieve consatants some where, if you don't
find them I can email you one I have, if you want.

[Mike Doty]

Jim,
If you like Btrieve then Tsunami by Timm Motl will interest you.
Don Dickinson wrote TTDS to handle client/server for Tsunami.
Don also has some Btrieve wrappers (not sure where they are.)

http://www.trm-ug.com/

[Claudio DalZovo]

Using Btrieve (from version 6.15 to psql9) is rather simple.
All you need is the interface dll (wbtrv32.dll) and of course one version of Btrieve installed.

Here an example of how read a Btrieve file and write data records on a random access file in the same way the Btrieve utilities BUTIL.EXE do.

Sample is simplified; things are a bit more complex to manage more files at once.
If you wish I can post examples of how to write to a file, delete records and so on.
Using Btrieve however requires some info and concepts quite long to explain, you can find it on Btrieve manuals.
Tsunami, referenced in previous posts, is very similar and perfect for small applications.
However if you already have existing Btrieve file to read ... you need Btrieve, not Tsunami

The code is for a batch program in PBCC, but difference are only in writing results and errors; Btrieve calls are the same as in PBWin.

      declare function btrcall lib "wbtrv32.dll" alias "BTRCALL" (byval op as integer,pb as any,db as any,byref dl as integer,kb as any,byval kl as integer,byval kn as integer) as integer

Function PBMain() as long
      local posblkz as string * 128
      local chiavez as string * 256
      local btrbufz as string * 2048

      cmd$=ucase$(command$)
      cmd$=trim$(command$)

      filebtr$=""
      fileseq$=""
      i%=instr(cmd$," ")
      if i% then
         filebtr$=trim$(left$(cmd$,i%-1))
         fileseq$=trim$(mid$(cmd$,i%+1))
      end if
      if filebtr$="" or fileseq$="" then
         stdout "Error, Btrieve filename or output filename missing"
         exit function
      end if

      stdout filebtr$+" -> "+fileseq$

      op%=0 ' open
      buffer$=""
      buflen%=0
      chiave$=filebtr$+chr$(0)
      chiave%=-1
      gosub Btr

      op%=15 ' stat
      buffer$=space$(1000)
      buflen%=1000
      chiave$=space$(255)
      chiave%=0
      gosub Btr

      lun%=cvi(mid$(buffer$,1,2))
      lun$=trim$(str$(lun%))
      lunlun%=len(lun$)+1
      open fileseq$ for output as #1
      close #1
      open fileseq$ for random as #1 len=lun%+lunlun%+2
      rec1$=space$(lun%+lunlun%+2)
      mid$(rec1$,1,lunlun%)=lun$+","
      mid$(rec1$,lun%+lunlun%+1,2)=chr$(13)+chr$(10)
      rec1!=0!
      mille%=0

      op%=9 ' get >=
      buffer$=space$(lun%)
      buflen%=lun%
      chiave$=string$(255,0)
      chiave%=0
      gosub Btr
      do while status%=0
         mid$(rec1$,lunlun%+1,lun%)=buffer$
         rec1!=rec1!+1!
         put #1, rec1!, abs rec1$
         mille%=mille%+1
         if mille%=1000 then
            mille%=0
            if istrue consout then
               stdout "*"; ' simple progress display
            end if
         end if
         op%=6 ' get next
         buffer$=space$(lun%)
         buflen%=lun%
         chiave%=0
         gosub Btr
      loop

      op%=1 ' close
      buffer$=""
      buflen%=0
      chiave$=filebtr$+chr$(0)
      chiave%=0
      gosub Btr

      stdout
      stdout "Records saved"+str$(rec1!)

      exit function


      ' Btrieve calls (should be #included in source or modified to a sub/function)
      ' op%                 ' operation
      ' buffer$             ' data record or parameters for file create
      ' buflen%             ' data reford length
      ' chiave$             ' key for get or filename for open/close,
      '                       must be long enough!
      ' chiave%             ' key number or open mode for open
      ' posblk$             ' file info, set from open/close,
      '                       must be passed on subsequent calls
      ' status%             ' Status

   Btr:
      select case op%
         case 0 ' open
            posblk$=space$(128)
            gosub ChiamataBtrieve
         case 1 ' close
            gosub ChiamataBtrieve
            posblk$=""
         case 14 ' create
            posblk$=space$(128)
            gosub ChiamataBtrieve
            posblk$=""
         case else
            gosub ChiamataBtrieve
      end select
      return

   ChiamataBtrieve:
      status%=0
      posblkz=posblk$
      btrbufz=buffer$
      chiavez=chiave$
      keylen%=len(chiave$)
      status%=btrcall(op%,posblkz,btrbufz,buflen%,chiavez,keylen%,chiave%)
      posblk$=posblkz
      buffer$=btrbufz
      chiave$=left$(chiavez,keylen%)
      posblkz=""
      btrbufz=""
      chiavez=""
      if status%<>0 and status%<>4 and status%<>9 then ' only status ok, not found and eof are returned, other errors are trapped
         gosub ErroreBtrieve
      end if
      return

   ErroreBtrieve:
      stdout "Btrieve Error (Op"+str$(op%)+", Status"+str$(status%)+")"
      while inkey$=""
      wend
      if status%<>20 then
         op%=28 ' reset all resource
         buffer$=""
         buflen%=0
         chiave$=""
         chiave%=0
         posblk$=space$(128)
         gosub ChiamataBtrieve
      end if
      cls
      close
      exit function

End Function