INFORMIX-4GL

TRAINING

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 Versions of Informix-4GL

»Informix-4GL Rapid Development System (RDS)

»Informix-4GL C Compiler Version

Compiling:
Rapid Development System:
Source file .4glPseudo code
C Compiler System:
Source .4gl->Intermediate fles->Executable file .4ge

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 Differences b/w the two versions:

RDS C Compiler
» Compile Time Less More
» Run Time More Less

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 Basic Components of Informix 4GL

»PROGRAM
»MODULE
»FUNCTION
»FORM

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 Program Blocks

»MAIN
»FUNCTION
»REPORT

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 Compiling .4gl in RDS System
»Creating a program from a single module
fglpc filename.4gl
»Creating a program from multiple modules
Compile each program to p-code
fglpc file1.4gl file2.4gl
Concatenate p-code files together
Cat file1.4go file2.4go >myprog.4gi
»Executing the program
fglgo filename.4go
OR
fglgo myprog.4gi
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 Compiling .4gl in C Compiler version

» Creating a program from a single module

C4gl filename.4gl –o myprog.4ge
» Creating a program from multiple modules
To compile a singe module to object code
C4gl filename.4gl –o filename.o
To create an executable from multiple modules
C4gl file1.4gl file2.o file3.0 –o myprog.4ge
» Executing the program
myprog.4ge

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 Sample makefile

4GL = filename.4gl filename2.4gl

FORM = formname.per
PROG_NAME = application.4ge
COBJS = $(4GL: .4gl=.o)
POBJS = $(4GL:.4gl=.4go)
FORM = $(FORM:.per=.frm)
CCODE: $(OBJS)
c4gl –o $(PROG_NAME) $(COBJS)
@-echo “Finished Compiling ccode…”

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 File Extensions

Extension Description
.4gl Informix 4GL source
module
.4ge C Compiled version
executable
.o C Compiled version
object
.4go RDS Version object

.4gi RDS Version executable

.per Form File Source
.frm Form File Compiled

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 DEFINING VARIABLES

SYNTAX:
DEFINE variablename data-type

Example:
DEFINE fname CHAR(10)
DEFINE start_date DATE
DEFINE x,y,z INTEGER
(OR)
DEFINE fname CHAR(10),
start_date DATE,
x,y,z INTEGER

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 Initialization of Variables
LET:
Assigns value to a variable.
Example:
LET fname = “John”
Let x = 5
Initialize:
INITIALIZE variables to NULL
Example:
INITIALIZE lname TO NULL

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 Scope of Variables
»Global
»Module
»Local

EXAMPLE:
emp_main.4gl
glob.4gl
GLOBALS “Glob.4gl”
GLOBALS
DEFINE var2 SMALLINT
DEFINE var1 CHAR(1) Variable Scope
MAIN
END GLOBALS
var1 Global
DEFINE var3 INTEGER
CALL funct1() var2 Module
Var3 Local
END MAIN
var4 Local
FUCTION funct1()
DEFINE var4 CHAR(1)
END FUNCTION
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 COMMENTS in 4GL

»A pair of hyphens or minus signs

-- this is a comment
»The pound (or sharp) symbol
# this is a comment
»Left and right braces
{ this comment
is multi-line}
»Conditional comments
--@
--#

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 Decision and Looping Statements

» IF
» CASE
» WHILE
» FOR

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 Decisions: IF Statement

SYNTAX:
IF ……THEN
…………..
ELSE
…….
END IF
Example :
IF var_name MATCHES “[Yy]” THEN
ERROR “Customer will be deleted.”
ELSE
ERROR “Delete cancelled.”
END IF.

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 IF Within Other Statements

Syntax: IF ….THEN
IF…..THEN
……………
END IF
END IF
EXAMPLE:

IF state=“IL” THEN
IF zipcode MATCHES “601*” THEN
ERROR “City is Schaumburg”
END IF
END IF

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 Decisions: CASE statement
Syntax:
CASE
WHEN {expr/Boolean-expr}
statement…..
Example:
[EXIT CASE]
CASE
………
WHEN answervar=“Y”
[OTHERWISE]
MESSAGE “Answered Yes.”
statement….
WHEN answervar=“N”
[EXIT CASE]
MESSAGE “Answered NO.”
END CASE
OTHERWISE
MESSAGE “Bad Answer.”
END CASE.

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 Logical Loop: WHILE Loop

Syntax:
WHILE Boolean expression
statement(s)….
[EXIT WHILE]……
[CONTINUE WHILE]…..
END WHILE

EXAMPLE:
WHILE boss_in_office = TRUE
CALL act_busy() RETURNING boss_in_office
END WHILE

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 FOR Loop
Syntax:
FOR integer variable = integer expression to integer expression
[STEP integer expression]
statement……
[CONTINUE FOR]…….
[EXIT FOR]……….
END FOR

Example:
DEFINE i SMALLINT
FOR i=1 TO 10
DISPLAY “i = “, i AT i,1
END FOR

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 SCREEN:

»The screen is the area of the terminal where you can display
the information.
»Default size of the screen is 24*80
»Informix -4GL allows you to break the screen area into
smaller sections called windows.

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 WINDOW

OPEN WINDOW windowname AT screenparameters

WITH no of rows ,no of columns [ATTRIBUTE(attribute-list)]

Example:
OPEN WINDOW w_yesno AT 10,10 WITH 4 ROWS,20
COLUMNS ATTRIBUTE (BORDER)

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 Screen Interaction Statements

»ERROR
»DISPLAY
»MESSAGE
»PROMPT

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 MESSAGE:
Syntax:
MESSAGE display-list [ATTRIBUTE(attribute-list)]

Example:
MESSAGE “Press the first letter of an option.” ATTRIBUTE
(REVERSE)

ATTRIBUTES:
UNDERLINE REVERSE INVISIBLE
BOLD BLINK NORMAL
DIM

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 ERROR

Syntax:
ERROR display-list [ATTRIBUTE(attribute-list)]

EXAMPLE:
ERROR “No Rows Found.”

ATTRIBUTES:
UNDERLINE REVERSE INVISIBLE
BOLD BLINK NORMAL
DIM

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 DISPLAY
Syntax:
DISPLAY “message” [AT row, column] [ATTRIBUTE
(attribute-list)]

EXAMPLE:
DISPLAY “Row Added.” AT 22,3 ATTRIBUTE (reverse)

ATTRIBUTES:
UNDERLINE REVERSE INVISIBLE
BOLD BLINK NORMAL
DIM

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 PROMPT
SYNTAX:
PROMPT “message” [ATTRIBUTE (attribute-list)]
FOR [CHAR] variable
[ATTRIBUTE (attribute-list)]
END PROMPT
EXAMPLE:
PROMPT “Are You Sure? Y/N”
FOR CHAR answer
ATTRIBUTES:
UNDERLINE REVERSE INVISIBLE
BOLD BLINK NORMAL
DIM

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 OPTIONS

EXAMPLE:

OPTIONS
MESSAGE LINE FIRST + 2,
ERROR LINE 23,
PROMPT LINE LAST -3

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 Syntax for creation and compiling of a Form

»To create a default form use

form4gl –d
»To compile a form named filename.per use
form4gl filename
The .per extension is eliminated

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 FORM
»MANDATORY sections
Database section
Screen section
Attribute section
»OPTIONAL Sections
Table section
Instruction section

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 Database Section
The DATABASE section identifies the database (if any) on which the form
is based.
This can be any database that the engine can access, including remote
databases.
The DATABASE section is required , even if the form does not reference
any database tables/columns.
Syntax:
» DATABASE FORMONLY
<database name>
You can specify only one database.
Example :
» DATABASE xyz
» DATABASE xyz@server
To create a form that is not related to any database , use FORMONLY and
omit the TABLES section.
Also , the table name has to be formonly in the ATTRIBUTES section for
each of the field in the screen.
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 ATTRIBUTE SECTION

»It links display fields to database columns by using field tags

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 FORM ATTRIBUTES:
»AUTONEXT
»COLOR
»COMMENTS
»UPSHIFT
»DOWNSHIFT
»DEFAULT
»REQUIRED
»INVISIBLE
»REVERSE
»WORDWRAP
»NOENTRY
»VERIFY
»INCLUDE

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 TABLE SECTION
»The TABLES section lists the database tables that are
referenced in the specification file.
»You must list in this section any table, view or synonym
whose column is referenced in the form.
»The table CANNOT be a temporary table.

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 Instruction Section

»Used to define screen records and screen arrays

»Change the default delimiters for display fields.

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 OPEN FORM

Syntax:
OPEN FORM form-name FROM form-file
Example:
OPEN FORM cust FROM “cust_form”

Cust_form :Name that you gave the form when it was created
Cust :How you will refer to the form throughout the program.

OPEN FORM only loads the form onto the memory and does
not display it.

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 FORM

DISPLAY FORM:
DISPLAY FORM cust
Opens the form from the memory.
CLEAR SCREEN:
Clears the form from the screen but the form still exists in the
memory.
CLOSE FORM:
CLOSE FORM cust
Removes the form from the memory.

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