A Baker's Dozen Tricks in a Button Thirteen Tricks of the SIR Trade Rolled into a Single Useful Application © Tom Shriver, DataVisor 2002

Thirteen Tricks ©2002 Tom Shriver, DataVisor 3

Everyday Problem and a Suggested Solution

Problem: Starting a New PQL Program We need another new PQL Retrieval We start writing the same 20 lines of code We add a few Variations

Solution: Make a Menu Option or Button That writes the skeleton That has the bells and whistles you conveniently forgot


What do we want the button to do?

1. Create Starter PQL Code That is Efficient That has the tricky code already written

Commonly Used User Prompts Date Booleans Tabulate Structure

2. Give us some options Filename or Member name Output (Report) Filename Prompt for Common Parameters Post Processing Options (e.g. Print, Display)


13 Tricks at a Glance


The Baker's Dozen Tricks

1. Generate PQL Program2. Automatically Edit PQL &

make it SIR Default File3. Run Many Programs in

one Procedure4. Prompt for Date Range

(allow human formats)5. Abort Complex Procedure

Midstream6. Disconnect & Reconnect

Master for Speed7. Use "Template Code" for

PQL Procedures

8. Post Process PQL Output (only if PQL Runs OK)

9. EDIT Output File

10. Print Output File

11. Display as Web Page

12. Start other Software that uses PQL Output (e.g. SPSS)

13. Do it all with a Customized Button


1. Generate a PQL Program

1. Create a Template of the PQL (TRICKS.BASE_PQL)

2. Write a PQL Program, a VisualPQL Dialog (TRICKS.RUNPMT) that:

1. Prompts for Output File Name

2. Prompts for Other Customizations

3. Reads PQL Template

4. Inserts Customizations where Necessary

5. Writes all to the New File when Done


2. Automatically Edit Generated PQL & Make it the SIR Default Edit File

1. After the "END PROGRAM" of Generator Program, use the DBMS Any-Time Command: EDITFILE "file_name"

PROGRAM. WRITE(NEW.PQL)"c This is my New PQL Program"END PROGRAM

EDITFILE "NEW.PQL"

2. In the Generator Program, set Global FILENAME with name of PQL File. SIR uses this global when you invoke the File Editor.

COMPUTE FNAME="NEW.PQL"COMPUTE N = GLOBALS("FILENAME",FNAME)


3. Put Many Programs and Procedures in a Single Command Set

All DBMS commands & command sets allowedo PQLo DBMS Anytime Commandso Utilitieso Schema Definitiono Compiler Controls (CIF)

Later Commands Use Results of Earlier Ones

Have to Make Sure all Possibilities are handled


4. Prompt for Dates & Date Ranges (allow human date formats and variations)

Single most frequently used booleans are to limit retrievals by date or date ranges. Create a standard way to do this (TRICKS.DATERANG)

Since Y2K we've formatted our dates with 4 digits for the year – makes for lots of typing

Users would prefer to enter strings like"1 1 2" for "Jan 1 2002"

A PQL program can interpret these, expand them and put them in globals for later use (TRICKS.DATEEDIT)


5. Abort Procedures Midstream

In Complex Procedures, user may request an abort How to Stop things Midstream?

1. In First Program, set an "Abort" global

2. After Program, use Conditional Compilation ( CIF )

3. FINISH command stops everything

PROGRAM. compute n = globals("ABORT","YES")END PROGRAMc this comment is very importantCIF EQ "<ABORT>" , "YES"FINISHCIF END


6. Disconnect & ReConnect Master to Speed Up Retrievals (NoUpdate)

Check if Master is Connected with SYSTEM(38) Set a Global Variable to Remember Setting DBMS Command CLEAR MASTER Disconnects

PROGRAM | TRICKS.MSTCLEAR

. COMPUTE MST_STAT = SYSTEM(38)

. COMPUTE X=GLOBALN('MSTSTAT',MST_STAT)

. IF(MST_STAT = 1)EXECUTE DBMS 'CLEAR MASTER'

END PROGRAM

ReConnect with:

PROGRAM | TRICKS.MSTSET

. COMPUTE MST_STAT = <MSTSTAT>

. IF(MST_STAT = 1)EXECUTE DBMS 'SET MASTER'

END PROGRAM


7. Use Template Code for PQL Procedures

Figure out Tricky Procedures Once

Have the Program Generator Insert Needed Code

You modify the Template, e.g. change variables


8. Post Process PQL Output (only if PQL Program ran Successfully)

Anything you typically do after you run a PQL program is a candidate for Post Processing Options

o Edit, Print, Modify, Use with other Software

But you Only want to Post Process if PQL was OKo TERROR system global has count of errors

o Conditionally Compile the Post Processing Code


9. Edit the PQL Output File 10. Print the PQL Output File

Set Filenames in a Standard Global (e.g. REPFILE) Use Global in Procedure Definitions Use DBMS EDITFILE command to Edit Use DBMS PRINT FILE command to Print

GLOBAL REPFILE = GENDER.REPPROGRAM. PROCESS REC 1. GET VARS GENDER. PERFORM PROCS. END RECFREQUENCIES INTEGER = GENDER(1,2) / FILENAME="<REPFILE>"END PROGRAMcEDITFILE "<REPFILE>"PRINT FILE "<REPFILE>"


11. Format & Display as a Web Page (HTML)

Use HTML Option on some Commands like TABULATE

Post Process Output and Add HTML commands (DVPROCF.DVTOOLS.MKHTMTX, DVPROCF.DVTOOLS.MKHTMTAB )


12. Start other Software Using Output

SIR Interface Procedures: SPSS, SAS, etc

GLOBAL REPFILE = GENDER.REPPROGRAM. PROCESS REC EMPLOYEE. GET VARS ALL. PERFORM PROCS. END RECSPSS SAVE FILE FILENAME="<REPFILE>" / VARIABLES = ALLEND PROGRAMcPROGRAM. DISPLAY YESNOBOX 'Start SPSS?' RESPONSE YN. IFNOT(YN=1)STOP. PQL ESCAPE ' "C:\Program Files\SPSS\SPSSWIN.EXE" <repfile>'. END PROGRAM


13. Pull it All Together with a Custom Tool Bar Button

Several Methods to Add a Button (or Menu Item)o Copy, Edit & ReCompile SYSPROC.SYSTEM.MAINMENUo Use DVMenu Dialog Tool

To Edit MainMenuo Declare Integer Variable as a Menu Item Alias

o Assign a Value not Given to Other Menu Item Aliases

o Define Button:TBARITEM MKPQL , "MKPQLPIC","PQL Starter",0

o Define what to do if item is selectedIF(ID=MKPQL)execute dbms "CALL TRICKS.PQLSTART"

o Save, Run, Exit SIR, Start SIR again to see changes

Documents

A Baker's Dozen Tricks in a Button Thirteen Tricks of the SIR Trade Rolled into a Single Useful Application © Tom Shriver, DataVisor 2002