Indexing a DBF

[asharpham]

I'm experienced with Clipper but am an absolute novice with HMG/Harbour. My attempts to open a DBF file with an Index (NTX) utterly fails.

The line "USE <dbf> INDEX <Index>" just doesn't seem to work. The database file opens okay but not in the indexed order. I've tried a variety of methods but my understanding is still too limited to "translate" from Clipper.

Can someone offer a suggestion? I have a lot to learn and am happy to struggle through but occasionally I get stuck on something simple like this. By the way, I have never tried programming in a Windows environment before.

Regards,
Alan

[trmpluym]

I use:

USE <dbf> NEW SHARED INDEX <index>

But can you post a sample ?

[serge_girard]

Hi Alan,

First: welcome from Belgium!
Theo's suggestion should work. Maybe you should reindex before. USE syntax has not changed in Harbour/Windosw/HMG so it should work.

Regards, Serge

[asharpham]

Hi guys. Thanks so much for your welcome and your suggestion. I realised after I got your replies that I hadn't created the indexes for the new DBF file I'd created. I had been working off an old clipper program I wrote about 20 years ago and then decided to modify it greatly using a new database file.

So I've created 2 indexes. Is there a simple way to view the database via an Index without writing a heap of code? I can view the database with LibreOffice Calc but this doesn't give me the indexed list. I'm still very much in testing mode.

Alan

[edk]

Try this:

Code: Select all

use test index test1
EDIT EXTENDED WORKAREA test

[asharpham]

Thanks so much. It's easy when you know how!

Regards,
Alan

[asharpham]

Okay last question for the night - (Yes, it's night here in Australia) - I've set up a LABEL / TEXTBOX to get user input to be added to the database. How do I save the TEXTBOX input to the database? The old READ statement in Clipper was so simple!

Alan

[serge_girard]

Hi Alan,

Several ways:
I useally take a 'copy' of the database edit fields. Then a button in order to validate etc. and then my update with the edit-field.

Others use browse and then you can update immediatly.

So it depends on how you will edit!

Samples enough in the samples.

Serge

[mol]

Use this code:

Code: Select all

Append blank;
Replace;
  Field1 with Form1.Text1.Value,;
  Field2 with Form1.Text2.Value

[dragancesu]

Hello asharpham

HMG uses a clipper syntax and the transition should be relatively easy but as it says: every start is difficult

Believe that we all passed it, but the effort is worth it, you will get a lot

Look at the topic I've opened a long time ago, a program that will generate a simple program to work with your dbf table

http://hmgforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4170