Category: Commands

Although every application has its own unique requirements, the individual components of applications are often very similar. For example, menus, pop-up windows, and data entry forms and displays are common components of most applications. Pop-up windows, for instance, can vary in size, location and contents, but the commands to present them to the application user and to process the result of user interaction are…
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A variable is a programming object defined in the Object Dictionary for the application. Variables are used to store values temporarily during an application session. A variable is assigned a size and a data type in its definition, but until assigned a value during an application session, the variable is valueless (that is, $Null).

Value expressions represent character or number values. A value expression is an expression that, when evaluated, yields either a number or a character string. Value expressions are subdivided into atomic expressions arithmetic expressions functional expressions A value expression can be very simple, containing only one argument. Such expressions are called atomic expressions. An atomic expression…
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The Report Generator takes a report specification and creates a report for viewing or printing. The elements that must or can be provided to the Report Generator in the report specification are set of records page structure report headings and footings page headings and footings break headings and footings item position and format How To Construct Report Specifications A report specification is a series of commands that describe the set of data to be used in the report, the values to be extracted from the data set, and the formatting to be applied to each value and to the report in…
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Conditional expressions use the conditional operators to compare operands (typically, value expressions). When evaluated, conditional expressions yield a logical result (true or false), depending if  the condition is satisfied. Conditional Operators Operator Condition Being Evaluated expr = expr The values are equal. expr <> expr The values are not equal. expr < expr The left-hand value is less than the right-hand value. expr <= expr The left-hand value is less…
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Boolean expressions use Boolean operators to compare operands (typically, conditional expressions). When evaluated, Boolean expressions yield a logical result (true or false), depending on the nature of the Boolean operator and the values of the conditional expressions. The standard rules of precedence for Boolean evaluation are used. The software ceases to evaluate a Boolean expression as soon as the final result can be correctly predicted. For example, with OR,…
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Permissions A permission mask is assigned to all application directories, to all EntitySets and relationships, and to all fields in EntitySets and relationships. The permission mask indicates the type of access that particular user IDs are to have to the object. The possible permissions for EntitySets and for relationships are READ, ADD, CHANGE, and DELETE. ADD, CHANGE, and DELETE automatically enable you to…
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The purpose of this document is to specify how to write a Zim class. What is the ZCS? The Zim Class Specification provides a standard for the defining and implementing classes in Zim. Standards have been defined for: ✓ Class Interface ✓ Naming Conventions ✓ Layout and Style Background The Zim Class Specification is a…
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Although an object is an instance of a class, it is easier to describe a Zim object first. An object is the encapsulation of attributes and behaviour. Attributes values are stored on an Attribute Structure implemented using a form entity. State values are also stored on this structure (e.g. object modified). Behaviour is described by…
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Defining a method method mAdd(viSelf)endMethod The keywords METHOD and ENDMETHOD have replaced LOCALPROCEDURE and ENDPROCEDURE. The above method declaration does not contain any behaviour. The class zCustomer below shows the class implementation, including behaviour for the add method. %—————————————————————–method mAdd(viSelf)add Customer from aCustomerendMethod %—————————————————————–method mDelete(viSelf)delete sCustomer where ID = aCustomer.IDendMethod %—————————————————————–method mpCustomer(viMethod, inout vtSelf)change aCustomer…
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