Initialization of environmental parameters

Soykan, I am sorry, but I forgot to mention what did not work.

Everything worked up til SET TALK &vctalk, but SET TALK &vctalk gave an error message ("Syntax error").

Well, I tested by removing a lot of  stuff and only kept this in a separate prg file::

vctalk = SET('TALK')
SET TALK OFF
.
.
SET TALK &vctalk

Now, it works fine. No error message for SET TALK &vctalk. So, it has something to do with

DO twsmame.prg
READ EVENTS

I do not know what could happen. I do not use vctalk anywhere else, and just before SET TALK &vctalk, I check, and have "TALK OFF" and the data in vctalk is still U (unidentified).

Any suggestions about what might happen?

Regards,

Hans L

Will do!

Hans L

SET TALK (m.vctalk) results in an error message in the simplified file I run (no DO twsmame.prg
READ EVENTS)

SET TALK &vctalk does not result in an error message in the same file.

Regards,

Hans L

vctalk = Set('TALK')

 

Wait Window m.vctalk

 

If Set ('Talk')='ON'

    Set Talk Off

    &&READ EVENT or do what ever 

Endif

Set Talk &vctalk

above codes works for me w/o error

some Quotes (translated) from Cetin about using macros,

* first rules in macros "use if necessary "

* general pference is usage name expressions

* & is working 99%  but loosing speed and causing errors such as "unrecognized command"

* basically macros executings any strings like you written your hand

let us showing some examples

lcFields = "company, contact, cust_id"
lcTable = "customer "
lcColumn = "country"
lcValue = "USA"

* some picked values from users

lcSelect = "select "+m.lcFields + from " + ;
m.lcTable + " where " + m.lcColumn + "[" + m.lcValue +  "]"
&lcSelect

results is like below

select company, contact, cust_id from customer  where country = [USA]

at this point some sections needs macro but some of sections need 'name expression' instead of fixed and macro

first prefence for name expression : fileName, windowName, tableName, aliasName .. using between brackets ()

lcAlias = "customer"

select lcAlias && search for alias named lcAlias 

select &lcAlias && mean : select customer - dont use!

select (lcAlias) && lcAlias is a name expression and written like select customer - use it !

let us examine below codes

lcFields = "company, contact, cust_id"

lcTable = "customer "

lcColumn = "country"

lcValue = "USA"

 

* some picked values from users

 

select &lcFields from (m.lcTable) where evaluate(m.lcColumn) = m.lcValue

we can also use like below

select &lcFields from (m.lcTable) where &lcColumn = m.lcValue

step by step examination

lcFields: a column list . we can not use instead of  'name expression' or  evaluate() . macro necassary

lcTable: table/cursor/alias name. each one specially for name expression

lcColumn: a column name , at the first look it seems we need 'name expression' but here we need column value not column name

if we cant use Name expression there is evaluate and macro alternatives so at the first sample we used evaluate() then macro.

another bad sample

lcFileName = getfile("TXT")

copy file &lcFileName to yeni.txt

above codes may be tested 100 times w/o error but customer can call you tomorrow ! why ?

may be you selected a file from folders which containing w/o space like "c:\temp\file.txt"  but customer may be be selected like "c:\Program files\my file.txt"

result is like below

copy file c:\Program files\my file.txt to new.txt

error ! just we need name expression

lcFileName = getfile("TXT")

copy file (m.lcFileName) to new.txt

Hans,
Name expression wouldn't work in your case because it is not a 'name'. It is an 'ON/OFF' setting. You would need to use &. Clear all is the culprit. To protect such variables from clear all you could instead use a property. ie:

_screen.AddProperty('SetTalk', set('Talk') )

SET TALK OFF

.

.

READ EVENTS

.

.

local lcSetTalk

lcSetTalk = _screen.SetTalk

SET TALK &lcSetTalk  && Resetting to previous values