Re: Same options in i4gl, dbaccess & upscol?

On Tue, 4 Nov 1997, Nelson Fredsell wrote: > >The DB-Access constraints should be specified when the table is created, > >but will not be enforced by UPSCOL or the form system -- the form system > >and UPSCOL predate the database-enforced constraints, so it is unaware that > >they exist and does not know it should look for them. It would be sensible > >to have that ability, but that would require changes to I4GL. > > So, when I use INPUT DEFAULT for a screen, none of the > default/constraint work I've done at the table/column level thru > dbaccess will show up. It won't be used in the application validation of the data; it will show up if the application tries to insert data that violates the database rules. This is the last line of defence, but can be invaluable. > Hearty implementation of data rules requires work at both column and > screen levels, right? This appears to be true even for primary key > information and referential integrity? Ideally, yes, but I4GL has been in maintenance mode (as opposed to enhancement mode) for a while now. Adding support for such new features (new compared with the 4.10 OnLine and Se against which it was designed to work) has not happened, more's the pity. > Since these utilities are not well integrated with each other I wonder > if one might be inclined to not use them so much, and opt for data > validation thru code (i4gl) instead. That way one can "see" what is > going on all in one place instead of trying to guess at what level > rules have been implemented. Or, maybe attention to detail thru the > utilities is really worth the effort, in order to insure solid data. I'd put all the available enforcement in the database. I'd also mirror those constraints in the I4GL code. I probably wouldn't use UPSCOL. > I'm working on the time stamp field on a screen form and am getting > "00:00". My column is datetime hour to second as you suggested. The > upscol default is CURRENT. I tried "default = current" at the form > (*.per) level and still no luck: "00:00". Thru dbaccess > query-language I INSERTed a row and received the proper time stamp > (implemented thru dbaccess Defaults option). What have I missed? I don't know; possibly the HOUR TO MINUTE qualifier? The following code works for me (6.05.UC1 I4GL-RDS on Solaris 2.5.1): -- kk.sql -- create table d(t datetime hour to minute); -- kk.4gl -- database fglbld main define t datetime hour to minute open form f from "kk" display form f input t from d.t close form f clear screen display t end main -- kk.per -- database fglbld screen { time [f000 ] } tables d attributes f000 = d.t, default = current hour to minute; end Yours, Jonathan Leffler (johnl@informix.com) #include <witticism.h>