Dynamic List Window Manager-Instructions NOT Included

Dear Net, I am posting the code below knowing that it is bound to help someone. Similar coding examples have helped me many times over. I am sending this code in its initial development state. It has some stubs and some comments regarding some features. Also if I add more stuff the concept will be more difficult to demonstrate. There has been discussion in the past regarding Dynamic Help Windows as described in the Summer 89 Tech Notes. Using that code as a model I have attempted to build a method that is more generic and provides access to expanding features. Routine show_list is a simple "state machine" that does all of the work that pop_up, shflup and shfldown did in the Tech Notes example with the addition of paging through the list. A major improvement is that it can be put in a library and linked in. For any function that needs list services you need to create a routine like state_list that does the application specific code. show_list communicates with "list servers" by returning a "state" which is predefined for a specific purpose. READ THE CODE IT's easier then explaining it. I also wanted to have more standard forms to show lists. So that all fields would all be just one big string that was preformatted by a list server. The memory array list is a fixed structure that should be useable by any list that you construct. It is also possible to select a form based on the number of list items selected or the actual window size of the required list. State 2 (open window) could expand into a large function. I left in an example of the intent. Anyone is free to use this code, with the following exceptions: 1. Paul Mahler must sign an affidavit agreeing not to complain about the pukey code. P.S. Please notice the comments in show_list are around column 40, this happens to be where they were on IBM 360 Assembler Coding sheets (circa 60ish). Sure is tough trying to teach these old dogs eh Paul. :-). I can remember the ecstasy when I first had access to lowercase characters. Thoseoooo were dayszzzzz..... 2. Informix personnel must provide a coupon for one free Version Level upgrade for each time code is used; as I am afraid some new policy may "break the bank". My grateful thanks to anyone who has ever posted anything in the Informix newsgroup or mail list. Michael J. Kuhn Consultant phone:410-254-7060 Email: rhlab!kuhn@uunet.uu.net or uunet!rhlab!kuhn c/o Baltimore Rh Typing Laboratory, Inc. phone:410-225-9595 #! /bin/sh # This is a shell archive. Remove anything before this line, then unpack # it by saving it into a file and typing "sh file". To overwrite existing # files, type "sh file -c". You can also feed this as standard input via # unshar, or by typing "sh <file", e.g.. If this archive is complete, you # will see the following message at the end: # "End of shell archive." # Contents: f_list.per f_list1.per f_test.per intro liblist.4gl # statecd.sql # Wrapped by kuhn@rhlab on Sat Mar 14 00:08:38 1992 PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/ucb ; export PATHif test -f 'f_list.per' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \\"'f_list.per'\\" else echo shar: Extracting \\"'f_list.per'\\" \\(462 characters\\) sed "s/^X//" >'f_list.per' <<'END_OF_FILE' Xdatabase formonly Xscreen size 24 by 80 X{ X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X} Xend Xattributes Xa = formonly.checkbox type char, autonext; Xb = formonly.checkbox1 type char, autonext; Xc = formonly.liststr type char, noentry; Xinstructions Xscreen record list_array[5] (formonly.checkbox, formonly.checkbox1, X formonly.liststr); Xdelimiters " "; Xend END_OF_FILE if test 462 -ne `wc -c <'f_list.per'`; then echo shar: \\"'f_list.per'\\" unpacked with wrong size! fi # end of 'f_list.per' fi if test -f 'f_list1.per' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \\"'f_list1.per'\\" else echo shar: Extracting \\"'f_list1.per'\\" \\(613 characters\\) sed "s/^X//" >'f_list1.per' <<'END_OF_FILE' Xdatabase formonly Xscreen size 24 by 80 X{ X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X[a|b|c ] X} Xend Xattributes Xa = formonly.checkbox type char, autonext; Xb = formonly.checkbox1 type char, autonext; Xc = formonly.liststr type char, noentry; Xinstructions Xscreen record list_array[11] (formonly.checkbox, formonly.checkbox1, X formonly.liststr); Xdelimiters " "; Xend END_OF_FILE if test 613 -ne `wc -c <'f_list1.per'`; then echo shar: \\"'f_list1.per'\\" unpacked with wrong size! fi # end of 'f_list1.per' fi if test -f 'f_test.per' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \\"'f_test.per'\\" else echo shar: Extracting \\"'f_test.per'\\" \\(112 characters\\) sed "s/^X//" >'f_test.per' <<'END_OF_FILE' Xdatabase formonly Xscreen size 24 by 80 X{ X[b ] X} Xend Xattributes Xb = formonly.xfield type char; Xend END_OF_FILE if test 112 -ne `wc -c <'f_test.per'`; then echo shar: \\"'f_test.per'\\" unpacked with wrong size! fi # end of 'f_test.per' fi if test -f 'intro' -a "${1}" != "-c" ; then echo shar: Will not clobber existing file \\"'intro'\\" else echo shar: Extracting \\"'intro'\\" \\(2634 characters\\) sed "s/^X//" >'intro' <<'END_OF_FILE' XDear Net, X X I am posting the code below knowing that it is bound to help someone. X Similar coding examples have helped me many times over. I am sending X this code in its initial development state. It has some stubs and some X comments regarding some features. Also if I add more stuff the concept X will be more difficult to demonstrate. X X There has been discussion in the past regarding Dynamic Help Windows X as described in the Summer 89 Tech Notes. Using that code as a model X I have attempted to build a method that is more generic and provides X access to expanding features. X X Routine show_list is a simple "state machine" that does all of the X work that pop_up, shflup and shfldown did in the Tech Notes example X with the addition of paging through the list. X X A major improvement is that it can be put in a library and linked in. X For any function that needs list services you need to create a routine X like state_list