dougie@its63b.ed.ac.uk (Dougie Nisbet) (05/27/88)
A couple of queries; can anyone help or advise? 1 The SET MEMOWIDTH command allows the default memo width field output to be altered. The default for this is 50 characters. My problem is when *entering* data - I want to disable the 'wrap-around' feature of the default dbase editor, which is called whenever one edits/creates a memo entry. I'm aware that it is possible to tell dBASE to use a different editor, but I want to avoid this because the application should be available to anyone who has a PC & dBASE III Plus - the addition of another editor would be asking the client to buy too much. (I thought of using Micro Emacs - since it is public domain, but did not consider it friendly enough. Perhaps someone can suggest a super friendly Public Domain editor?) So, is there any way in which I can increase the margins which the default dBASE editor uses, or, better still, disable the wrap around completely? 2 A recurring problem I have, which is presumably experienced by others, is differentiating between BLANK or MISSING numeric data, and the valid possibility of the data being zero. dBASE seems to be a bit inconsistent in the way it displays this type of data. i.e. It is possible to Append records to a file, and press <return> on numeric data fields, leaving the fields (apparently) blank. Typing LIST later, also seems to suggest that the fields are blank, but typing LIST FIELDNAME (where FIELDNAME is a numeric field), displays zero's (0's) for records which had previously appeared blank with a simple LIST command. Also, typing LIST FOR FIELDNAME = 0 will display the records which have numeric fields which *appear* to be blank, although dBASE obviously treats them as zero. How do people get around this problem? I know the most straighforward work-around is probably to use character fields - but then you lose the automatic range checking facility which is really useful. Dougie
pvirgo@cucstud.UUCP (Paul Virgo) (05/31/88)
In article <1382@its63b.ed.ac.uk>, dougie@its63b.ed.ac.uk (Dougie Nisbet) writes: > > A couple of queries; can anyone help or advise? > > 2 A recurring problem I have, which is presumably experienced by > others, is differentiating between BLANK or MISSING numeric data, > and the valid possibility of the data being zero. dBASE seems to > be a bit inconsistent in the way it displays this type of data. > i.e. It is possible to Append records to a file, and press > <return> on numeric data fields, leaving the fields (apparently) > blank. Typing LIST later, also seems to suggest that the fields > are blank, but typing LIST FIELDNAME (where FIELDNAME is a > numeric field), displays zero's (0's) for records which had > previously appeared blank with a simple LIST command. > Also, typing LIST FOR FIELDNAME = 0 will display the records which > have numeric fields which *appear* to be blank, although dBASE > obviously treats them as zero. > > How do people get around this problem? I know the most > straighforward work-around is probably to use character fields - > but then you lose the automatic range checking facility which > is really useful. > > Dougie Doug, if I am on the right track, you want to be able to know when data in your field is either blank or a true zero. First, I assume you do command procedures and if you do, you notice that the numeric fields when shown on the screen default to zero. This is a feature that I guess the Ashton-Tate people put in for their own belief that the're helping us, who knows?? Anyway, if you decide to use character fields but you want that great range checking try using the VAL function. This converts your string to a numeric value and thus allows you to use the range checking facility. It is available on most dBase III+ ver. If you are unsure of the syntax, here's an example: maccount is a string equaling : 1.27 VAL(maccount) evaluates the string to a true number so you can use it in any mathematical equation. Personally, I feel(no, think) that dBase III+ is able to evaluate whether a *zero* is typed in or whether the data value is a default. Can't quite say. If you have any questions I'm netsys!cucstud!pvirgo Hope it helps. P.S. you running dBASE III+ on a PC or a micro?? MadVirgo and the dBASERS of the Future