Daily Archives: July 11, 2012

Algorithm Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Algorithm :

A set of rules and/or a finite series of steps that will accomplish a particular task.

See also : Iteration, Selection, Sequence

Iteration :

One of the three basic building blocks of algorithm development (the others are sequence and selection). Iteration refers to operations that are performed repeatedly, usually until some condition is satisfied.

See Also: Selection, Sequence

Selection :

One of the three basic building blocks of algorithm development (the others are sequence and iteration). Selection allows control to flow along a number of possible paths, depending on the circumstance encountered.

See Also: Iteration, Join, Projection, Sequence

Sequence :

One of the three basic building blocks of algorithm development (the others are selection and iteration). A sequence is a series of discrete steps that must be performed in a particular order.

See Also: Iteration, Join, Projection, Selection

Array Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Array :

A data structure that contains an ordered series of values called elements. The elements of an array are referred to by ordinal number; the first element is number 1, the second is number 2, etc. A numeric expression used to specify an element of an array is referred to as a subscript or index. In Clipper language, the elements of an array may be values of any type, including references to other arrays.

See Also : Array Reference, Nested Array, Subarray, Subscript

Array Functions :

Those functions that specifically perform their tasks on arrays.

See Also : Array, Element, Function, Subscript

Array Iterator :

A function that traverses an array, performing an operation on each element.

See Also : Array

Array Reference :

A special data value that allows access to an array. In Clipper language, program variables and array elements cannot directly contain arrays; they may, however, contain array references. A variable that contains a reference to a particular array is said to refer to that array, and the array’s elements may be accessed by applying a subscript to the variable. If the value of a variable containing an array reference is assigned to a second variable, the second variable will contain a copy of the array reference; both variables then refer to the same array, and the array’s elements may be accessed by applying a subscript to either variable.

See Also: Array, Nested Array, Subarray, Subscript

Constant Array :

See : Literal Array

Dimension :

The maximum number of subscripts required to specify an array element. For example, a two-dimensional array must have two subscripts, a three-dimensional array must have three subscripts and so on.

See Also: Subscript

Element :

A component unit of an array, usually referred to by a numeric subscript or index.

See Also: Array, Subscript

Literal Array :

In Clipper language, an array specified by enclosing a series of expressions in curly ({}) braces. A literal array is an expression that evaluates to an array reference.

See Also: Array, Array Reference

Multidimensional Array :

In Clipper language, an array whose elements consist entirely of references to other arrays (called subarrays). The elements of the subarrays may, in turn, contain references to other arrays. Arrays organized in this fashion are said to be nested. Each level of nesting may be viewed as a dimension of the main array, and the elements of the subarrays may be accessed by applying multiple subscripts to the main array.

See Also: Array, Array Reference, Nested Array, Subscript

Nested Array :

In Clipper language, two arrays are said to be nested if one of them contains a reference to the other. When an array contains a reference to a second array, the second array is sometimes called a subarray of the first array

See Also: Array, Array Reference, Multidimensional Array

Reference :

A special value that refers indirectly to a variable or array. If one variable contains a reference to a second variable (achieved by passing the second variable by reference in a function or procedure call), operations on the first variable (including assignment) are passed through to the second variable. If a variable contains a reference to an array, the elements of the array can be accessed by applying a subscript to the variable.

See Also: Array Reference, Parameter

Single-dimensional Array :

In Clipper language, an array whose elements do not contain references to other arrays.

See Also:Array, Multidimensional Array, Nested Array, Subarray, Subscript

Sort Order :

Describes the various ways database files and arrays are ordered.

. Ascending

Causes the order of data in a sort to be from lowest value to highest value.

. Descending

Causes the order of data in a sort to be from highest value to lowest value.

. Chronological

Causes data in a sort to be ordered based on a date value, from earliest to most recent.

. ASCII

Causes data in a sort to be ordered according to the ASCII Code values of the data to be sorted.

. Dictionary

The data in a sort is ordered in the way it would appear if the items sorted were entries in a dictionary of the English language.

. Collating Sequence

Data in a sort will be placed in sequence following the order of characters in the Extended Character Set.

. Natural

The order in which data was entered into the database.

Subarray :

In Clipper language, an array that is referred to by an element of another array.

See Also:Array, Multidimensional Array, Nested Array, Subscript

Subscript :

A numeric value used to designate a particular element of an array. Applying a subscript to an array is called subscripting the array. In Clipper programs, subscripting is specified by enclosing a numeric expression in square   ([ ]) brackets after the name of a program variable. The variable is then said to be subscripted.

See Also: Array, Array Reference, Nested Array, Subarray

Two-dimensional Array :

An array that has two dimensions. In Clipper language, an array whose elements contain references to other arrays, all of which have the same length and do not refer to other arrays.

See Also: Array, Array Reference, Nested Array, Subscript

Command Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Clause :

An optional or required section of a Clipper language command beginning with a keyword that modifies or enhances the command.

Command :

A statement to be translated by the Clipper preprocessor into source code that will perform a particular operation. All Clipper language commands are defined in the standard header file, STD.CH, located in …INCLUDE. Also, the preprocessor directives that define a command.

See Also: Header File, Statement, STD.CH

Condition :

A logical expression that determines whether an operation will take place. With database commands, a logical expression that determines what records are included in an operation. Conditions are specified as arguments of the FOR or WHILE clause.

Keyword :

A word that has a special meaning to a compiler or other utility program. Commands, directives, or options are often recognized by examining supplied text to see if it contains keywords.

List :

A list of expressions, field names, or filenames, separated by commas specified generally as command, procedure, or function arguments. Code blocks can also execute a list of expressions.

Optional Clause :

A portion of a match pattern that is enclosed in square ([ ]) brackets. An optional clause specifies part of a match pattern that need not be present for source text to match the pattern. An optional clause may contain any of the components legal within a match pattern, including other optional clauses. When a match pattern contains a series of optional clauses that are immediately adjacent to each other, the matching portions of the source text are not required to appear in the same order as the clauses in the match pattern. If an optional clause is matched by more than one part of the source text, the multiple matches may be handled using a repeating clause in the result pattern.

Scope :

In a database command, a clause that specifies a range of database records to be addressed by the command. The scope clause uses the qualifiers ALL, NEXT, RECORD, and REST to define the record scope.

See Also: Condition

Skeleton :

A wildcard mask used to specify a group of filenames or memory variables. The * is used to specify one or more characters and the ? to specify a single character.

Toggle :

As a verb, to choose between an on or off state. As a noun, a value or setting that can be either on or off. A toggle is often represented using a logical value, with true (.T.) representing on, and false (.F.) representing off.

Verb :

The first word of a command that describes the action to perform.

See Also: Command

Configuration Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Application :

A program designed to execute a set of interrelated tasks. Typically referring to a system designed to address a particular business purpose (e.g., Order Entry/Inventory/Invoicing, a document tracking database, or an insurance claims calculator).

Environment Variables :

Operating system variables that can be used to communicate configuration information to executable programs. Environment variables are manipulated using the DOS SET command. The Clipper language compiler and linker respond to certain environment variables. Clipper programs can inspect the settings of environment variables using the GETENV() function.

Executable File :

A file output from the linker directly executable from the operating system command line. Executable files have an .EXE extension.

See Also: Linker

Header File :

A source file containing manifest constant definitions; command or pseudofunctions; and/or program statements merged into another source file using the #include preprocessor directive.

See Also: Program File, Source Code, STD.CH

Library File :

A file containing one or more object modules. The linker searches specified libraries to resolve references to functions or procedures that were not defined in the object files being linked.

See Also: Linker, Module, Object File

Make File :

A text file used as input to a make utility containing the specifications and actions required to build a program or a system of programs. This file is often referred to as a description file.

See Also: Make

Object File :

A file that contains the output of a compiler or other language translator, generally the result of compiling a single source file. Object files are linked to create an executable program.

See Also: Linking, Program File

Procedure File :

An ASCII text file containing Clipper language procedure and function definitions usually ending with a (.prg) extension; a program file.

See Also: Program File

Program File :

An ASCII text file containing Clipper language source code. Program files usually end with a (.prg) extension. The compiler reads the program file, translates the source code, and produces an object file, that is then linked to produce an executable program.

See Also: Linking Object File Source Code

Script File :

A text file that contains command input to a compiler, linker, or other utility program. A script file is often used in lieu of equivalent keyboard input. For the Clipper compiler, script files contain a list of source files to be compiled into a single object file.

Source File :

A text file including source code.

See Also: Program File, Header File

Data Type Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Character :

A special data type consisting of one or more values in the extended character set. Characters can be grouped together to form strings. The maximum size of a character string In Clipper language is 65,534 bytes.

In Clipper, a character data may include any character, including “control” or “unprintable” characters, that are ASCII code less than 32.

Note : Characters with ASCII code 9, 10 and 13 always treated as “white spaces”; this important with EMPTY() and xTRIM() functions.

See Also:  String

Code Block :

A special data type that refers to a piece of compiled program code. In a program, the source code that specifies the creation of a code block.

Data Type :

The category of a data value. A data type is distinguished by the set of allowable values for that type, the set of operators that can be applied, and the storage format used to represent these values. In Clipper language, the following data types are defined: character, numeric, date, logical, array, object, code block, and NIL. Program variables may contain values of any type. Database field variables are limited to character, numeric, date, logical, and a special type called memo which is treated the same as character.

Date Type :

A special data type consisting of digits to store year, month, and day values. Operations on date values are based on chronological values.

Integer :

A number with no decimal digits. Note that Clipper language does not provide a separate data type for integer values.

Literal :

A source code element interpreted literally (as encountered), and assumed to have no abstract meaning. Generally a constant.

See Also: Constant

Logical Type :

A special data type consisting of true (.T.) or false (.F.) values.

See Also: Condition

Memo Type :

A special database field type consisting of one or more characters in the extended character set. The maximum size of a memo field in Clipper language is 65,534 bytes. A memo field differs only from a character string by the fact it is stored in a separate memo (.DBT file) and the field length is variable-length.

See Also: Character String

NIL :

A special data type that has only one allowable value. The special value (NIL) is automatically assigned to all uninitialized variables except publics, and is also passed as a substitute when arguments are omitted in a procedure or function call.

Numeric Type :

A special data type consisting of values that indicate magnitude. Numeric values consist of digits between zero and nine, a sign, and a decimal point.

Objects :

An object is an instance of a class. Each object has one or more attributes (called instance variables) and a series of operations (methods) that execute when a message is sent to the object. The object’s instance variables can only be accessed or assigned by sending messages to the object. Objects are created by calling a special function associated with a class.

See Also: Classes, Instance Variables, Messages, Methods

String :

Generically, a value of type character. In source code, a series of characters enclosed in single or double quotes.

See Also : Character

Substring :

A string within a string, usually to be specified as an argument of a function or command.

Database Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Alias :

The name of a work area; an alternate name given to a database file. Aliases are often used to give database files descriptive names and are assigned when the database file is opened. If no alias is specified when the database file is USEd, the name of the database file becomes the alias.

An alias can be used to reference both fields and expressions (including user-defined functions). In order to alias an expression, the expression must be enclosed in parentheses.

See also : Work Area

Attribute :

As a formal DBMS term, refers to a column or field in a table or database file.

See Also: Column, Field

Beginning of File :

The top of the database file. In Clipper language there is no beginning of file area or record. Instead, it is indicated by BOF() returning true (.T.) if an attempt is made to move the record pointer above the first record in the database file or the database file is empty.

Cell :

In a table, a cell is the intersection of a Row and a Column.

Column :

A database term used to describe a field in a table or database file.

See Also: Field

Concurrency :

The degree to which data can be accessed by more than one user at the same time.

Condition :

A logical expression that determines whether an operation will take place. With database commands, a logical expression that determines what records are included in an operation. Conditions are specified as arguments of the FOR or WHILE clause.

See Also: Scope

Controlling/Master Index :

The index currently being used to refer to records by key value or sequential record movement commands.

See Also: Index, Natural Order

Database :

An aggregation of related operational data used by an application system. A database can contain one or more data files or tables.

See Also: Field, Record, Tuple, View

DBMS :

An acronym for the term database management system. A DBMS is a software system that mediates access to a database through a data manipulation language.

Delimited File :

A text file that contains variable-length database records with each record separated by a carriage return/linefeed pair (CHR(13) + CHR(10)) and terminated with an end of file mark (CHR(26)). Each field within a delimited file is variable length, not padded with either leading or trailing spaces, and separated by a comma. Character strings are optionally delimited to allow for embedded commas.

End of File :

The bottom of a database file. In Clipper language, this is LASTREC() + 1 and is indicated by EOF() returning true (.T.).

Field :

The basic column unit of a database file. A field has four attributes: name, type, length, and decimals if the type is numeric.

See Also: Database, Record, Tuple, Vector, View

Field Variable :

A variable that refers to data in a database field, as opposed to data in memory.

See Also: Local Variable, Memory Variable, Variable

Index :

An ordered set of key values that provides a logical ordering of the records in an associated database file. Each key in an index is associated with a particular record in the database file. The records can be processed sequentially in key order, and any record can be located by performing a SEEK operation with the associated key value.

See Also: Controlling/Master Index, Key Value, Natural Order

Join :

An operation that takes two tables as operands and produces one table as a result. It is, in fact, a combination of other operations including selection and projection.

See Also: Projection, Selection

Key Expression :

An expression, typically based on one or more database fields, that when evaluated, yields a key value for a database record. Key expressions are most often used to create indexes or for summarization operations.

See Also: Index, Key Value

Key Value :

The value produced by evaluating a key expression. When placed in an index, a key value identifies the logical position of the associated record in its database file.

See Also: Index, Key Expression

Master Index :

The index currently being used to refer to records by key value or sequential record movement commands.

See Also : Controlling/Master Index

Memo Type :

A special database field type consisting of one or more characters in the extended character set. The maximum size of a memo field In Clipper language is 65,534 bytes. A memo field differs only from a character string by the fact it is stored in a separate memo (.DBT file) and the field length is variable-length.

See Also: Character String

Natural Order :

For a database file, the order determined by the sequence in which records were originally entered into the file. Also called unindexed order.

See Also: Index

Normalization :

The process of elimination and consolidation of redundant data elements in a database system.

Projection :

A DBMS term specifying a subset of fields. In Clipper, the analogy is the FIELDS clause.

See Also: Join Selection

Query :

A request for information to be retrieved from a database. Alternately, a data structure in which such a request is encoded.

Record :

The basic row unit of a database file consisting of one or more field elements.

See Also: Database, Field, Table, Tuple

Relation :

A link between database files that allows the record pointer to move in more than one database file based on the value of a common field or expression. This allows information to be accessed from more than one database file at a time.

Relational Database System :

A system that stores data in rows and columns, without system dependencies within the data. In other words, relationships between different databases are not stored in the actual database itself, as is the case in a system that uses record pointers.

Row :

A group of related column or field values that are treated as a single entity. It is the same as a Clipper language record.

See Also: Column, Field, Record

Search Condition :

See : Condition, Scope

Scope :

In a database command, a clause that specifies a range of database records to be addressed by the command. The scope clause uses the qualifiers ALL, NEXT, RECORD, and REST to define the record scope.

See Also: Condition

SDF File :

A text file that contains fixed-length database records with each record separated by a carriage return/linefeed pair (CHR(13) + CHR(10)) and terminated with an end of file mark (CHR(26)). Each field within an SDF file is fixed-length with character strings padded with trailing spaces and numeric values padded with leading spaces. There are no field separators.

See Also: Database, Delimited File, Text File

Selection :

A DBMS term that specifies a subset of records meeting a condition. The selection itself is obtained with a selection operator. In Clipper language, the analogy is the FOR clause.

Separator :

The character or set of characters that differentiate fields or records from one another. In Clipper language, the DELIMITED and SDF file types have separators. The DELIMITED file uses a comma as the field separator and a carriage return/linefeed pair as the record separator. The SDF file type has no field separator, but also uses a carriage return/linefeed pair as the record separator.

See Also: Delimiter

Sort Order :

Describes the various ways database files and arrays are ordered.

. Ascending

Causes the order of data in a sort to be from lowest value to highest value.

. Descending

Causes the order of data in a sort to be from highest value to lowest value.

. Chronological

Causes data in a sort to be ordered based on a date value, from earliest to most recent.

. ASCII

Causes data in a sort to be ordered according to the ASCII Code values of the data to be sorted.

. Dictionary

The data in a sort is ordered in the way it would appear if the items sorted were entries in a dictionary of the English language.

. Collating Sequence

Data in a sort will be placed in sequence following the order of characters in the Extended Character Set.

. Natural

The order in which data was entered into the database.

Table :

A DBMS term defining a collection of column definitions and row values. In Clipper, it is represented and referred to as a database file.

Tuple :

A formal DBMS term that refers to a row in a table or a record in a database file. In DIF files, tuple also refers to the equivalent of a table record.

See Also: Database, Field, Record

Update :

The process of changing the value of fields in one or more records. Database fields are updated by various commands and the assignment operator.

Vector :

In a DIF file, vector refers to the equivalent of a table field.

See Also: Database, Field, Record, Tuple

View :

A DBMS term that defines a virtual table. A virtual table does not actually exist but is derived from existing tables and maintained as a definition. The definition in turn is maintained in a separate file or as an entry in a system dictionary file. In Clipper, views are supported only by DBU.EXE and are maintained in (.vew) files.

See Also: Database, Field, Record

Work Area :

The basic containment area of a database file and its associated indexes. Work areas can be referred to by alias name, number, or a letter designator.

See Also: Alias

Debugger Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Active Window :

The window to which all keystrokes (except those valid in the Command Window) apply. An active window is indicated by a highlighted border. The Tab and Shift-Tab keys are used to select the next and previous window, respectively.

Animate Mode :

The mode of execution in which an application runs one line at a time until a Breakpoint or Tracepoint is reached, with the Execution Bar moving to each line as it is executed.

Breakpoint :

A point at which an application pauses execution and returns control to the debugger.

Callstack  :

A list containing the names of all pending activations at the current point in an application.

Callstack Window :

The window in which the Callstack is displayed.

Code Window :

The window in which source code is displayed.

Command Window :

The window in which commands are displayed and entered.

Cursor :

The cursor indicates the current line and/or column position in the active window or dialog box. Note that some windows, such as the Monitor Window, do not utilize the cursor. When a window that does not utilize the cursor is active, the cursor appears in the Code Window.

See Also: Highlight, Input Focus

Debugger :

A tool used to track down errors in a program.

Dialog Box :

A box displayed from within the debugger whenever further input is required.

Execution Bar :

The highlight bar which is positioned on the line of code to be executed next.

Help Window :

The window in which online help is displayed.

Inspecting :

The process of examining work areas, variables, expressions and activations inside the debugger.

Menu Bar :

The bar at the top of the debugger screen, on which the available menu choices are displayed.

Monitor Window :

The window in which monitored variables are displayed.

Monitored Variable :

A variable which is selected by the options on the Monitor Menu and displayed in the Monitor Window.

Run Mode :

The mode of execution in which an application executes without pausing, until a Breakpoint or Tracepoint is reached.

Script File :

A file in which frequently used debugger commands are stored and from which those commands can be executed.

Set Colors Window :

The window in which the Debugger color settings can be inspected.

Single Step Mode :

The mode of execution in which only the line of code highlighted by the Execution Bar is executed, and its output displayed.

Trace Mode :

A mode of execution similar to Single Step Mode, the difference being that Trace Mode traces over function and procedure calls.

Tracepoint :

A variable or expression whose value is displayed in the Watch Window, and which causes an application to pause whenever that value changes.

View Sets Window :

The window in which Clipper language status settings can be inspected.

View Workareas Window :

The window in which work area information is displayed.

Watch Window :

The window in which Watchpoints and Tracepoints are displayed.

Watchpoint :

A variable or expression whose value is displayed in the Watch Window and updated as an application executes.

Error Handling Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Debugging :

A phase of software development where errors are identified and fixed.

Error :

The presence of some element of an operation that does not satisfy the requirements of the operation. An error when encountered causes failure, which in turn raises an exception.

See Also: Exception, Failure, Runtime Error

Error Handling :

The concept of including code in a program so that exceptions to normal operational states that occur during the program execution can be anticipated and dispatched with the least possible detrimental consequences to the use of the program and the data being worked on.

See Also: Exception, Runtime Error

Exception :

An occurrence of an abnormal condition during the execution of an operation. An exception is said to be raised when an operation fails.

See Also: Error, Failure, Runtime Error

Failure :

The inability of an operation to satisfy its purpose. When a failure occurs an exception is raised. Failures are due in large part to errors.

See Also: Error, Exception, Retry, Runtime Error

Recovery :

The process of attempting to handle an exception or runtime error. Generally, recovery consists of three possible actions: terminate processing, retry the failed operation, or resume processing with the next operation. In all cases, the environment of the program must be restored to a stable state.

See Also: Error, Exception, Failure, Retry, Runtime Error

Retry :

After an exception has been raised and the conditions of a failure corrected, an attempt is made to reexecute the failed operation.

Runtime Error :

An error that halts a program while it is executing.

Stub :

A procedure used for debugging purposes that only simulates the intended actions of the real procedure. It may display an indicating message, return a constant value, or do nothing.

Expression Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Assignment :

The act of copying a new value into a variable. In Clipper language this is done with the simple assignment operators (=) and (:=), or the compound operators (+=, -=, *=, **=).

Binary Operator :

An operator that operates on two operands. For example, the addition operator.

See Also: Operator

Character Functions :

Those functions that act upon individual characters or strings of ASCII characters in the performance of their tasks.

See Also: ASCII, Function, String

Concatenate :

To combine two groups of character data together by placing them in a sequence to form a new string of characters.

See Also: Data Type

Condition :

A logical expression that determines whether an operation will take place. With database commands, a logical expression that determines what records are included in an operation. Conditions are specified as arguments of the FOR or WHILE clause.

Conversion Functions :

Generally referring to a category of functions whose purpose is to change one data type to another (e.g., to change a number or a date to a character string).

Date Functions :

Functions that operate on date values (as opposed to character, numeric or other values).

See Also: Function

Decrement :

To decrease a value by a fixed amount, usually one. In Clipper, the decrement operator (–) can be used to decrement a numeric value in a variable.

See Also: Assignment Increment

Destination :

The variable or array element to receive data in an assignment.

See Also: Assignment

Evaluate :

To execute part of a program in order to produce a value. For an expression, to execute the program code associated with the expression and return the resulting value. For the macro operator, to compile the macro string, execute the resulting program code, and return the resulting value.

See also : Expression

Expression :

A combination of constants, identifiers, operators, and functions that yield a single value when evaluated.

Increment :

To increase a value by a fixed amount, usually one. In Clipper language the increment operator (++) can be used to increment a numeric value in a variable.

List :

A list of expressions, field names, or filenames, separated by commas specified generally as command, procedure, or function arguments. Code blocks can also execute a list of expressions.

Macro :

In Clipper language, an operation that allows source code to be compiled and executed at runtime. In Clipper language, the macro symbol (&) does not perform text substitution unless embedded within a character string. Instead, it is generally treated as a unary operator that operates on a character string. The text in the character string is compiled on the fly using a special runtime compiler. The resulting code is then executed, and the value obtained is returned as the result of the macro operation.

See Also: Code Block, Unary Operator

Operand :

A value that is operated on by an operator, or the term in an expression that specifies such a value. For example, in the expression x + 5, x and 5 are operands.

See Also: Operator

Operator :

A symbol that identifies a basic operation. For example, the multiplication operator (*) denotes that two values are to be multiplied. Operators are categorized as either unary or binary, depending on whether they require one or two operands, respectively.

See Also: Binary Operator, Operand, Unary Operator

Precedence :

The stature of an operator in the hierarchy that determines the order in which expressions are evaluated. For example, the expression 5 + 2 * 3 is interpreted as 5 + (2 * 3) because the multiply operator (*) has a higher precedence than the addition operator (+).

See Also: Expression

Recursion :

The calling of a procedure by a statement in that same procedure. When a procedure calls itself it is said to recurse. A recursive call causes a new activation of the procedure. If the source code for the procedure includes a declaration of local variables, a new set of local variables is created for each activation. A private variable created by the procedure is associated with the activation in which it is created, and is visible in that activation and any lower-level activations, unless obscured by a private variable created in a lower-level activation.

See Also: Activation, Function, Private Variable, Procedure

Shortcutting :

A compiler optimization that causes expressions to be evaluated only to the extent required to determine their outcome. For example, in the expression f() .OR. g() function g need not be executed if function f returns true (.T.). Clipper language performs shortcutting on all logical operators (.OR. .AND. .NOT.).

Truncate :

To remove insignificant information from the end of an item of data. With numerics, to ignore any part of the number that falls outside of the specified precision.

Unary Operator :

An operator that operates on a single operand. For example, the .NOT. operator.

See Also: Binary Operator, Operator

File Terms

Posted on by vivaclipper

Binary File :

A file that contains an unformatted sequence of bytes. Carriage return, linefeed, or end of file characters have no special meaning in a binary file. Binary files include executable files, graphics files, or data files.

See Also: Text File

Delimited File :

A text file that contains variable-length database records with each record separated by a carriage return/linefeed pair ( CHR(13) + CHR(10) ) and terminated with an end of file mark ( CHR(26) ). Each field within a delimited file is variable length, not padded with either leading or trailing spaces, and separated by a comma. Character strings are optionally delimited to allow for embedded commas.

See Also: Database, SDF File, Text File

Directory :

The major operating system facility for cataloging files. A directory contains a list of files and references to child directories (subdirectories), and is identified by name. Directories can be nested forming a hierarchical tree structure. The operating system provides a number of facilities that allow users to create and delete directories.

See Also: Disk, File, Path, Volume

Drive :

A disk drive or a letter (normally followed by a colon) that designates a disk drive. On most computers, the letters A and B refer to floppy disk drives; other letters refer to fixed disk drives or logical drives (e.g., fixed disk partitions or network drives).

Extension :

A filename extension normally used for identifying the type or originating program of a file.

See Also: Drive, Filename, Path

File :

A file is an organized collection of bytes stored on disk, maintained by the operating system, and referenced by name. Its internal structure is solely determined by its creator.

See Also : Binary File, Database, Text File

File Handle :

An integer numeric value returned from FOPEN() or FCREATE() when a file is opened or created. This value is used to identify the file for other operations until it is closed.

Filename :

The name of a disk file that may optionally include a drive designator, path, and extension.

See Also: Drive, Extension, Path

Path :

A literal string that specifies the location of a disk directory in the tree structured directory system. A path specification consists of the following elements: an optional disk drive letter followed by a colon, an optional backslash indicating that the path starts at the root directory of the specified drive, the names of all the directories from the root directory to the target directory, separated by backslash () characters. Example: C:CLIPPERINCLUDE. A path list is a series of path specifications separated by semicolons.

SDF File :

A text file that contains fixed-length database records with each record separated by a carriage return/linefeed pair (CHR(13) + CHR(10)) and terminated with an end of file mark (CHR(26)). Each field within an SDF file is fixed-length with character strings padded with trailing spaces and numeric values padded with leading spaces. There are no field separators.

Separator :

The character or set of characters that differentiate fields or records from one another. In Clipper language, the DELIMITED and SDF file types have separators. The DELIMITED file uses a comma as the field separator and a carriage return/linefeed pair as the record separator. The SDF file type has no field separator, but also uses a carriage return/linefeed pair as the record separator.

See Also: Delimiter

Subdirectory :

See : Directory

Text File :

A file consisting entirely of ASCII characters. Each line is separated by a carriage return/linefeed pair (CHR(13) + CHR(10)) and the file is terminated with a end of file mark (CHR(26)).

See Also: Delimited File, Program File, SDF File

Volume :

A unit of disk storage uniquely identified by a label and of fixed size. A hard disk can be partitioned into one or more volumes by an operation system utility. Volumes are subdivided into one or more directories organized in tree structure.

See Also: Directory, Disk