Re: Code designer bugs - are there fixes for these problems?

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Hi Jim,

See my comments below.

Mike

Mike Hockings, P.Eng.
WebSphere Development Tools for AS/400  -  CODE/Designer & WebFacing !
IBM Canada Ltd. Laboratory
hockings@ca.ibm.com

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Subject:        Re: Code designer bugs - are there fixes for these problems?


OMike,

I can recreate the problem of misreading the reference
information every time.  To do this simply create a record
and add a field from a database file.  If the source code
has the following for a keyword;

REFFLD(LIBNAME/FILENAME FIELDNAME)

You have a great setup.  Save and exit the source, then
bring it back up in the designer.  On my installation it
will show the field as a one character I/O field.  It
defaults to this because it can't find the referenced file.
 It interprets the parameters of the REFFLD incorrectly,
and inserts things in the wrong places.  What it does is
put *LIBL in the library prompt, FIELDNAME in the file name
prompt, LIBNAME in the record name prompt, and FILENAME in
the field name prompt.  It does it every time, and causes
me to have to manually fix it.  It recognizes it correctly
before the save and quit, just not when it loads the source
again.  If you still need source, I would be glad to share
the DDS for the reference file and the window I am
designing.

======================>
When I look up REFFLD in the online DDS manual it shows me something like
this:

REFFLD([record-format-name/]referenced-field-name
[{*SRC | [library-name/]database-file-name}])

I would expect the behaviour to be exactly as you describe.
<======================

As for the crashes, I don't think I'm having communication
problems, but then again, I might not recognize them.  I
have not had problems with Code Editor talking with my
AS/400.  My STRCODE session has the correct libraries in
the library list, and has not crashed.  The Communication
Daemon does not like to shut down.  In fact if I tell it to
exit, MOST (not all) times it will leave the system tray,
then come back all on it's own.  I am using a Code projects
listing of members in a source physical file to start the
designer.
======================>
Designer does quite a bit of chit-chat with the iSeries with resolving
ref'd fields, getting job defaults, etc.  The comm daemon will start up
anytime a CODE program does anything approaching communications.

I think that there is another crash or two fixed in SP5 -- I keep finding
them in the old code.
<======================

BTW, did you know that the default for a logical file
source in Code Project is to use the Designer???  Does that
mean that designer will handle logical files soon???
======================>
no, I'll have to have a word with the CPO characters...
<======================


I have run into an additional problem.  When creating an
alphanumeric field that will be used as a program-to-system
field in a window title (alpha 25 char long) the designer
does not put the letter 'A' in colum 35.  When you use this
field on the window title parameter, designer gives you an
error, because the 'A' is missing. (I think you have to
verify the code, or save>exit reload for the error to
show.)  Designer either needs to put the 'A' in column 35
for an alpha field (this would be my preference), or the
title reference needs to be smart enough that it recognizes
that a blank is equal to an 'A'.
======================>
Hmmm, I think it should do both. I've opened defect 42003.
<======================


n Thu, 28 Feb 2002 17:07:11 -0500  you wrote;

> This is a multipart message in MIME format.
> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> Hi Jim,  please see my comments in you message below.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Mike
>
> Mike Hockings, P.Eng.
> WebSphere Development Tools for AS/400  -  CODE/Designer
> & WebFacing !
> IBM Canada Ltd. Laboratory
> hockings@ca.ibm.com
>
> Please respond to code400-l@midrange.com
> Sent by:        code400-l-admin@midrange.com
> To:     <code400-l@midrange.com>
> cc:
> Subject:        Code designer bugs - are there fixes for
> these problems?
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> I am trying to design an AS/400 screen in Code Designer,
> and am running into problems. On the file level I have
> the
> keyword that points to an externally described file that
> is
> my reference field. I then try to add a field from that
> file. Code Designer does not default to that file, but
> asks for which file I would like to get my field. If I
> add
> without a prompt, it adds a field from a file that is
> totaly unrelated file and a library I don't have in my
> library list.
>
> ==========================>
> I understand the problems here.  Unfortunately I don't
> have a way to
> pre-load the open dialogue with a starting value (in this
> case the
> reference file specified on the file level REF keyword).
>  This is a
> "common component" kind of thing and all uses of it
> suffer from the same
> problem -- so you are not alone there :-).
>
> Fields of all types have a styles page in the properties
> notebook.  Select
> a reference field that you like, bring up it's properties
> and select the
> "styles" page.  Here select the "Creation defaults" entry
> and push the
> "Redefine" button.  Now the future reference fields that
> you create will
> have the same settings -- cool eh? You may have to go to
> the source view
> and manually edit the field to remove the hard-coded
> lib,file,record
> information before setting the creation defaults if you
> only wish the
> field to set the field value.  If I get a moment I will
> look into fixing
> this, that is allow you to delete the lib,file,record
> information in the
> properties and have it default to what the REF kwd says.
> <==========================
>
> When I do a save, the little window comes up to say that
> it
> is saving, but then hangs there. It does not ever
> advance,
> so it is hard to tell if the source actually got saved.
>
> ==========================>
> Yup, this happens sometimes, particularly with a fast
> save that completes
> before the gui gets around to showing the save progress
> dialogue.
> <==========================
>
> When I finally get a referenced field on my display, and
> have it saved (I look at the source to make sure the
> changes happened, and got saved with SEU or Code editor)
> i
> then bring the souce back up in the designer, and it
> loses
> all track of those referenced fields. The keyword for the
> reference points specifily to the lib/file field-name,
> but
> when looking in properties for the field, the library
> says
> *libl, the field name is in the file prompt, the library
> name is in the record prompt, and the file name is in the
> field prompt. To make it work right I have to fix all but
> the lib prompt, and then it uses the file keyword for the
> database reference to point to the file and record.
>
> ==========================>
> I have not seen or heard of this particuar problem
> before.  Do you have
> source that you would be willing to send me that shows
> this problem?
> <==========================
>
>
> It crashes quite frequently, and I lose source when it
> does.
>
> ==========================>
> Crashed in Designer are largely (but not always) due to
> problems with
> communications.  There was an eFix for SP4 that included
> a number of
> corrections in the communications code.  If you can give
> me a scenario or
> source that crashes Designer every time I can likely fix
> it.
>
> Save more often, turn on the auto-checkpoints.
> <==========================
>
> Are there fixes available for the designer? Is this thing
> ever going to work properly so I don't have to spend time
> fixing the code? I don't want to go back to SDA, but it
> seems that the designer is not quite ready for prime
> time.
>  (are we using alpha or beta code?????)
>
> ==========================>
> How about gamma code (just sound kinda glow-in-the-dark).
>
> There are fixes for Designer in every WDT400 Service Pack
> including the
> soon-to-be-released-any-day-now SP5.
> <==========================
>
>
> Jim Essinger
> Senior Programmer/Analyst
> Student Loan Fund of Idaho
> esinger@fmtc.com
> 208-452-4058
>
> I am on Win 2000 Pro Service pack 2 with most of the
> fixes
> downloaded from the internet.
>
> On the developer I am at the following levels:
> IBM WebSphere Development Tools for iSeries
> Version: V5R1M0
> Pathname: C:\WDT400\
> Installation Date: 12/10/2001
>
> The following list gives the service and configuration
> levels of each installed product component:
>
> Component: CODE/400
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: Distributed Debugger
> Version: 9
> Pathname: C:\IBMDEBUG
> Service Level: 1
>
> Component: VisualAge for Java for Windows
> [Installed]
>
> Component: Webfacing
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: Base
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: SDK
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: ET400
> [Not Installed]
>
> Component: VisualAge for RPG
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: WebSphere Studio
> Service Level: 4
>
> Component: NetQuestion
> Program Folder: C:\IMNNQ_2K
> _______________________________________________

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