comp.databases.informix.4gl: Inx_Util 3.0 now available

Sun Jul 23 22:06:25 EST 1995 Latest version of my tool kit is available: Inx_util 3.0 INX_UTIL is a tool kit for INFORMIX 4GL developers working in the UNIX operating system. Many of the of the tools can be adapted for other uses in the UNIX environment. Many of the tools are UNIX utilities that enhance the INFORMIX development environment. Many are trivial little scripts, but I couldn't decide whether to exclude them or not, so they get dumped in with the rest. Of particular note is that INFORMIX 4GL is in it's finest hour, but with GUI looming on the horizon it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on 4GL. At least this is what I'm told, and thus the main reason the tool kit is free. :-) There are some new tools and some improved tools. This is an upgrade of all previous versions and updates. If you download this latest version, it contains all the previous tools plus a few new ones, and an on-line help browser with more information than before. The tool kit is 90% shell scripts, with a few C programs. As I've stated in the past, this is something I work on in my spare time, not a full-time job, so the release may contain errors and omissions. Your kind email to improve or correct the problem/program is most appreciated. I've tried to include a help message for all the tools, but even at press-time I see a couple went lacking. Point your web browser to: http://www.gate.net/~tschaefe Look for inx30.shr or inx30.zip. Files are in either "shar" or gzip format. What's New: ( worth mentioning :-) loop_scr - command-line program to create multi-table screens for ISQL. Can also be used for 4GL screen generation, but the screen code is intended for ISQL usage. boxper - puts "\\g" borders on your existing per files. For the developer who thought putting graphical borders on screens was too time consuming. As we move to GUI, we can always make the 4GL character-based programs look a little better. Yes it's true, you can always open a window with the border attribute, but this is yet another approach to PER development. grnd_mk - a makefile generator that creates makefiles based on information in a flat-file data base. Use the grnd_dt utility to create the data file based on a list of executables you need to include in this one makefile. You could develop a repository of information about your executables with this program. A single makefile is created for all the executables in the list. This could be enhanced, to a table-based program, with an additional field for the name of the makefile. 4GL-based makefiles are created. Also includes a diagnostic script, grnd_dbg, to view the data file with. inxstall - a cheezy install program to help you install the tool kit. Omitted in past releases for fear of high ridicule, but I'm beyond that now, so here it is. :-) mk_scrg - released before, but mentioned here for newcomers to the fold. This program allows you to create PER files from the command-line, with COMMENTS on all the fields, and REQUIRED attributes on fields that are defined NOT NULL in the data base. The mk_scr? family also has a non-graphical version and a hybrid semi-graphical version. When used with mk_isql, you can create easy table maintenance screens for use with ISQL. bas_4gl1 - This is another version of the mk_4gl1 code generator. You could say this is a kinder, gentler, cleaner version of the mk_4gl1 program, with no context-sensitive help. It also has an update-after-edit-if-ESC-key-is-pressed, rather than the lock_row-edit_buffer-update_row_if_ESC_key_is_pressed method of mk_4gl1. make_mk - Here again, this one was previously noted in the newsgroup, but mentioned again for newcomers. This program creates makefiles for 4GL programs, PER files, and/or groups of PER files. You simply create lists of files to include in the makefile and then run this program which creates a makefile for you. How nice. systabs.zip - Latest release with a constraint viewing pop-up for tables viewed on the main screen. Reports are not available yet for this pop-up, but coming soon, or you can write your own. There is also an improved makefile, generated of course with the make_mk utility. This program is not included in the tool kit, but distributed as a stand-alone gzip or shar file. Look for systabs.zip For newcomers, this 4GL program is like info-for-tables without the need to go into ISQL. It's a basic 4GL program with some cross-referencing and look-up features I wish ISQL had. Occasionally I get a wild hair and try to improve it. Another new feature is command-line arg of a data base. dblook - This program has been enhanced with a few new features. Designed primarily as a command-line reference tool, dblook allows a developer to look-up information in a flat-file data base pertaining to CALLS, FUNCTIONS, MENUS, PERS, COLUMNS, TABLES, and TYPES. It requires a little bit of setting up, but can come in handy for developing reports and analysis. The tools' name is a bit misleading, as it involves more than just a "db look", but also a look at source code used in applications. There's also a few other trivial little scripts and programs I include for your discretion. As to fitness for your particular use, well there's always the rm command. One persons' trash is anothers' treasure. If you find the tool kit of benefit please email me and let me know. Tim :-) -- \\\\|// (O|O) ==============================---o00--(_)--00o---============================ Tim Schaefer tschaefe@gate.net http://www.gate.net/~tschaefe Make America great again: Abolish the IRS and reinstitute public hangings =============================================================================