RoloFlex 12.4 Released Today

RoloFlex 12.4 Released:

RoloFlex 12.4 was released today as a small upgrade to RoloFlex 12.3 which features finishing work to isolate 2 small bugs and add 4 small features.

Features Added:

• Print List Of RoloFlex Entries
• Print Envelope
• Active Toolbar with more choices and data aware highlighting courtesy Peter Brooks [Australia] based on work by Vincent Oorsprong [Netherlands].
• Color (or colour if you prefer) added to notes courtesy Nat St. Pierre [Canada].

Bugs Fixed:

• [export all and re-import all did not function properly in all cases]


• [print lead card was not programmed]

In addition, RoloFlex has been featured in some web articles, and is starting to be offered by some free software download sites:

http://www.freewarehome.com/index.html?http%3A//www.freewarehome.com/Business_and_Productivity/Business_Specific/Sales_t.html

and featured alongside the release of Visual DataFlex personal edition:

http://www.dataaccess.com/enews/2007/Jan_18_2007.htm

Thanks to all who contributed to this revision,

Regards,
Peter and Kimberly Donovan

Rewrite: VDF or VB? VDF Advantages

Visual DataFlex Advantages

Ref: Should I rewrite my system in VB or VDF?

Visual DataFlex (VDF)

VDF’s main advantage is speed of development. On a system that deals with large quantities of data, VB will probably require twice the coding time.

One example of this is in error handling. In VB error handling must be coded by hand.

Another example of “out of the box advantages” is the find messages of VDF. Coding “find first or last” is completely supported and coded by VDF into augmentable methods available at both the object and datadictionary class levels.

Overview: VDF is designed for data awareness in a completely scripted environment while VB is not designed as a data aware out of the box solution.

Second, VDF is completely in harmony with your current code base and data.

A conversion of DOS DataFlex to VDF can take your tried and true code and move it mostly intact into an OOPS VDF system dependably without reinventing the wheel.

A conversion of DOS DataFlex to VDF also has the advantage of being run simultaneously with DOS. You can phase the system in gradually instead of being an all out conversion. You can even use the same data tables as DOS until the conversion is complete, and then switch over to client-server when VDF passes validation and takes over the complete role from DOS.

VDF is a great front end for many databases: DataFlex, Pervasive, MySQL, DB2, Oracle, and MS SQL Server for example. The same program code will work, no matter what database you choose (or switch to).

VDF has a 30-year history as a development language designed for working with data. VB has data capability as an add-on. The first 2 versions of VB weren’t even database aware!

VDF has a light footprint. Complex systems can run tolerably well on 5+ year old computers. VB.net requires “power-user” type computers for all users to get reasonable performance.

VDF is truly Object Oriented. This type of programming makes development faster, cleaner, & more easily changed down the road. VB is “Object Based” – a partway implementation of the OOPs concept. One part of OOPs is “Classes”. These allow flexible extension of the controls that are used to display data.

· For example, suppose you want to color all fields that are indexed (& therefore can be used for finding). Add the code for doing this into the class, recompile & now every instance of every field that is indexed will be colored. In VB, this change could take weeks – finding every control & adding the code to it.
· Another major advantage to this process is centralized coding. If, for instance, you wanted to change the color assigned to the indexed fields VDF can do this by changing one centralized spot, giving both great power to your code, and also making month-to-month maintenance chores a snap rather than a huge conversion job.

VDF has Data Dictionaries. DD’s are arguably the most powerful part of VDF. All business rules & much of the custom code go here.

· The advantage? As a very basic example, say you always want the Customer Name capitalized. Set this in the Customer DD. From then on, every view, dialog, etc. that uses the Customer DD will always capitalize the Customer Name.

· Two years later, you decide to allow lower case. Go to the DD, change it there & then recompile the application. Every place that uses the Customer Name (doesn’t matter if it’s 1 place or 100) will now allow lower case.

VDF’s Interconnected Data Dictionary Rule Base:

In a VDF application, the database table rules are coded [as above] with basic and advanced business rules. Example: The customer table has a globally applied rule that says the customer can’t go over their credit limit. When you combine the customer DD along with the sales order and lineitem DD, this is what you get:
Customer

Sales Order

Lineitem

Now, when saving a new lineitem, the save operation cascades upwards to the customer table and any attempt to save a lineitem that puts them over the credit limit is denied!

VDF has interface features that make it far easier for the user:

Lookups: These are popup lists that (at the click of a button or press of a key) are set up to make finding easy. For example, to look up an order, you might show Order #, Date, Customer, Ship To, Total & Status. The user can really see what they need to do their job efficiently.

Indexing: Put the cursor in the Order # field & you can move back & forth through the table in Order # order. Put it in Order Date & you can browse by Order Date, etc. – no programming required (except creating the indices).

The VDF interface is designed for data entry:

The standard VDF application is MDI (Multiple Document Interface). This allows the user to have 2, 3 or more views of data open at a time, but the whole application can be minimized at one click of a button. It also puts menus and toolbars at the top of the application so they don’t have to be added to each view.

If your users prefer to navigate from field to field with the Enter key (instead of Tab) – add one line of code, recompile & you’re done.

Every action that you can do with a mouse, you can also do with a key or key combination. This means faster & easier entry for skilled users, while allowing the use of the mouse by users who prefer it.

VDF has backward & forward compatibility. An application written in version 9.1 will compile & run in 12.0 (5 versions later) with little or no changes to the code.

VDF pioneered teaming Windows applications with Web applications. A VDF WebApp can easily work with the same data (including the data dictionaries!) that your Windows system uses.

-End Presentation-

Publications:
Your article, "Visual DataFlex Vs Visual Basic - Visual DataFlex Advantages" - has been accepted and added to the EzineArticles.com directory:
http://EzineArticles.com/?id=731962
You've also earned Expert Author status:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Donovan

Subclassing SL in Visual DataFlex

Hi, while others would think it strange to hear, I have just programmed my first global variable ever and am happy with my decision! As many know, Applause Software is a North American Mfg's rep for Soft Sys which is currently negotiating a VDF 12.1 release of it's proven VDF7 verticle market product named "MASS" (Membership Administration Software Solution). This work is for that project. Much of the code design involves making all instances of a GUI standardized and centralized in coding technique.

Ref: http://www.membershipadmin.com/
Ref: Peter Brooks @ SoftSys: Info@MembershipAdmin.Com

In keeping with my best oops foundation, I have never ever coded a global variable until now. I always used client area properties to communicate between views etc.

The premise:
How to program a selection list or popup dialog to say whether the user pressed OK or not.

Many decisions, especially in views and reportviews need to know if the user changed the value in the dbform or form. Usage of onchange needs to be programmed into each and every dbform or form if this is desired, getting the value prior to forward sending prompt and getting the value after forward sending prompt. Very messy that way.

So:
My global variable is necessary because:
It's programmed into the classes which will be precompiled prior to the client area existing.
Since it's a SL value, each and every dbmodal panel would have to be non-deferred-create if the panel carried the property.

Explanation of this:
Procedure Prompt
Boolean bOk
Set pbOk of (prompt_object(self)) to false // doesn't exist yet! // error!
Forward Send Prompt
Get pbOk of (prompt_object(self)) to bOk // dialog has been destroyed // error!
End_Procedure

The gv: // [global variable]

Boolean gbOK
Contained in the TOP of the custom classes use package.
This way, if the classes are used in another program, you don't have to code the gv again.
My classes for Soft Sys based on the dbModalPanel: (special subclass for selection lists).

//============================================//
Class cSoftSysDbModalPanel is a dbModalPanel
Procedure Construct_Object
Forward Send Construct_Object
// Define new Properties:
Property Boolean pbSelectionList Public False
// Create child objects:
// Set property values:
End_Procedure

Procedure End_Construct_Object
Forward Send End_Construct_Object
// Add your code that needs to be executed at the end of the object construction here:
// This overrides the individual object settings as existed in VDF7
If (not(pbSelectionList(Self))) Set Border_Style to Border_Dialog
Else Set Border_Style to Border_Thick
End_Procedure
// Create and augment procedures and functions
Procedure Popup
Move False to gbOk
Forward Send Popup
End_Procedure
Procedure Set Label String sMyLabel
// intercepts the setting of the label, and does a language [australian to usa] translation!
Integer iPos1 iPos2
If (sMyLabel > "") Begin
If (CurrentCountry(Self) = "United States") Begin
POS "Enrol" in sMyLabel to iPOS1
POS "Enroll" in sMyLabel to iPOS2
If (iPOS1 <> iPOS2) Replace "Enrol" in sMyLabel With "Enroll"
POS "enrol" in sMyLabel to iPOS1
POS "enroll" in sMyLabel to iPOS2
If (iPOS1 <> iPOS2) Replace "enrol" in sMyLabel With "Enroll"
End
Forward Set Label to sMyLabel
End
End_Procedure
// Automatic Save_Header for dbgrids etc. built into dbView-dbModalPanel.
Function DoSaveHeader Returns Boolean
Send Request_Save_No_Clear
If (Should_Save(Server(Self))) Function_Return True
If (IsNullRowID(CurrentRowID(Server(Self)))) Begin
Error DFErr_Operator "Please Enter Info In Top Part Of Entry Form"
End
If (Err) Function_Return True
Function_Return False
End_Function
// Note: See individual topic in previous post for this function!
End_Class
//============================================//
// Note: with search and replace, I replaced the class of all SL panels with this one:
Class cSoftSysDbModalPanelSL is a cSoftSysdbModalPanel
Procedure Construct_Object
Forward Send Construct_Object
// Define new Properties:
// Create child objects:
// Set property values:
Set pbSelectionList to True
End_Procedure
Procedure End_Construct_Object
Forward Send End_Construct_Object
// Add your code that needs to be executed at the end of the object construction here:
End_Procedure
// Create and augment procedures and functions
End_Class
//============================================//
// Note: with search and replace, I replaced all instances of dbLists with this class:
Class cSoftSysDbList is a dbList
Procedure Construct_Object
Forward Send Construct_Object
// Define new Properties:
// Create child objects:
// Set property values:
Send DoDefineShadowedColorUpgradeProperties
End_Procedure

Import_Class_Protocol cSoftSysShadowedColorUpgrade

Procedure End_Construct_Object
Forward Send End_Construct_Object
// Add your code that needs to be executed at the end of the object construction here:
// These setting OVERRIDE the object settings whatever they may be!
// Makes previously coded stuff all uniform now.
Set CurrentRowColor to clYellow
Set GridLine_Mode to Grid_Visible_Both
Set peAnchors to anAll
End_Procedure
Procedure Set Header_Label Integer iColumn String sText
// Another interception of setting the label for a language translation...
If System.Label_Surname gt "" Replace "Surname" in sText with (Trim(System.Label_Surname))
Else If (CurrentCountry(Self) = "United States") Replace "Surname" in sText with "Last Name:"
Forward Set Header_Label item iColumn to sText
End_Procedure
// Create and augment procedures and functions
Procedure Ok
If (Move_Value_Out_State(Self)) Move True to gbOk
Forward Send Ok
End_Procedure
End_Class
//============================================//

So now, in effect, what I am doing with the global variable is setting it to false on popup and setting it to true upon clicking the OK button of the SL or pressing enter to select a record in the SL.

Because it's a global variable, it can be coded into the classes which are precompiled prior to the client area (on the desktop) and referred to in class code prior to the oApplication being executed to open the workspace etc.

End Result in Code: // if you need to know whether the user is getting a variable from the SL:

Object oMyForm is a cSoftSysForm // non data aware such as in a report.
Procedure Prompt
Forward Send Prompt
If (gbOk) Begin
// do whatever you need to do with the value like setting a property to govern the constraints or output options.
End
End_Procedure

//===================================//
End Article!
PAD

SaveHeader Function: an upgrade

SaveHeader Function

Upgrade Suggested for your dbgrid's saveheader call to allow entry in them:

// DAW coded save_header function.

Function Save_Header Returns Integer
Boolean bHasRec bChanged
Handle hoSrvr

Get Server to hoSrvr // The Header DDO.
Get HasRecord of hoSrvr to bHasRec // Do we have a record?
Get Should_Save to bChanged // Are there any current changes?

// If there is no record and no changes we have an error.
If ( not(bHasRec) and not(bChanged) ) Begin // no rec
Error DfErr_Operator 'You must First Create & Save Main Order Header'
Function_Return 1
End

// Attempt to Save the current Record
// request_save_no_clear does a save without clearing.
Send Request_Save_No_Clear

// The save succeeded if there are now no changes, and we
// have a saved record. Should_save tells us if we've got changes.
// We must check the data-sets hasRecord property to see if
// we have a record. If it is not, we had no save.
Get Should_Save to bChanged // is a save still needed
Get HasRecord of hoSrvr to bHasRec // current record of the DD
// if no record or changes still exist, return an error code of 1
If ( not(bHasRec) or (bChanged)) ;
Function_Return 1
End_Function // Save_Header

// Suggested replacement for same:

Function SaveHeader Returns Boolean
Send Request_Save_No_Clear
If (Should_Save(Server(Self))) Function_Return True
If (IsNullRowID(CurrentRowID(Server(Self)))) Begin
Error DFErr_Operator "Please First Enter Info in the Order Header"
End
If (Err) Function_Return True
Function_Return False
End_Function
// Notes:
// Save Requests never save blank records so it's safe to call at any time
// We don't give an error when changes exist because the errors already have run
// We only give an error if no info was entered at all in the header
// Ref: Garret Mott's whitepaper "Software as a conversation" we say please.
// This function returns a true value for ANY error not just the one that we send.
// We always return a value in a function whether implied or not.

The second function is both less verbose and superior in both coding technique and performance to the code many software engineers have copied intact from the sample examples.

In addition, it can be dropped almost intact into a dbview subclass!

Note: Garret Mott's "Software as a conversation" can be found in the whitepaper section on http://www.nedataflex.com/ and the author can be reached at http://www.automatesoftware.com/

The author, Peter Donovan, can be found at http://www.applausesoftware.com/

Selection List Upgrade #1

Selection List Programming in Visual DataFlex

Programming a selection [lookup] list in VDF12 can be enhanced with the use of an “enter new” button that allows you to enter a new parent record, and have it “fall thru” the selection list into the data entry program or report.

The selection list has been made such an amazingly easy task by Data Access Worldwide, where a lookup (as pictured below) can be created in just a few clicks and keystrokes.

The Selection List [stock] from the Order Entry Sample Example VDF 12.1 …

The second SL pictured is a great candidate for the addition of an “add new” button.
End result desired pictured here:

… and the add new dialog:

What follows is;

[1] The code from the Modal Dialog
[2] The code from the Selection List

(In VDF 12.1 code)

//====================================//
// dbModalPanel = Popup Dialog for entering new sales person

Use DFClient.pkg
Use SalesP.DD
Use Customer.DD
Use OrderHea.DD
Use DFEntry.pkg

Object SalepAddNewDialog is a dbModalPanel

Property Boolean pbOK
Property RowID priRowID

Object oSalesp_DD is a Salesp_DataDictionary
End_Object

Set Main_DD to oSalesp_DD
Set Server to oSalesp_DD

Set Label to "Add or Edit Sales Person"
Set Size to 83 308
Set Location to 2 2
Set Border_Style to Border_Dialog
Set Auto_Clear_DEO_State to False // no clear on save

Procedure Popup
Set pbOk to False
Send Clear of oSalesp_DD
Forward Send Popup
End_Procedure

Object oSalesP_ID is a dbForm
Entry_Item SalesP.ID
Set Location to 9 91
Set Size to 13 42
Set Label to "Sales Person ID:"
End_Object

Object oSalesP_Name is a dbForm
Entry_Item SalesP.Name
Set Location to 23 91
Set Size to 13 156
Set Label to "Sales Person Name:"
Set Label_Col_Offset to 2
Set Label_Justification_Mode to JMode_Right
End_Object

Object oOK_btn is a Button
Set Label to C_$OK
Set Location to 44 185
Set Default_State to True

Procedure OnClick
Handle hServer
RowID riRowID
Move oSalesp_DD to hServer
Send Request_Save
If (Should_Save(hServer)) Procedure_Return
If (not(Current_Record(hServer))) Begin
Send Info_Box "Please Find Or Enter A New Sales Person ~ Then Click Ok"
Procedure_Return
End
Get CurrentRowID of hServer to riRowID
Set priRowID to riRowID
Set pbOK to True
Send Close_Panel
End_Procedure

End_Object

Object oCancel_btn is a Button
Set Label to C_$Cancel
Set Location to 44 243

Procedure OnClick
Send Close_Panel
End_Procedure

End_Object

On_Key Key_Alt+Key_O Send KeyAction of oOk_btn
On_Key Key_Alt+Key_C Send KeyAction of oCancel_btn

End_Object

//====================================//
// Selection List augmented only for the add new button:

Use DFClient.pkg
Use DFSelLst.pkg
Use Windows.pkg

Use SalesP.DD
Use SalepAddNewDialog.dg

CD_Popup_Object SalesP_sl is a dbModalPanel

Set Minimize_Icon to False
Set Label to "Sales People List"
Set Size to 118 265
Set Location to 4 5
Set piMinSize to 97 174

Object SalesP_DD is a SalesP_DataDictionary
End_Object // Salesp_DD

Set Main_DD to SalesP_DD
Set Server to SalesP_DD

Object oSelList is a dbList
Set Main_File to SalesP.File_Number
Set Ordering to 1
Set Size to 71 248
Set Location to 6 6
Set peAnchors to anAll
Set pbHeaderTogglesDirection to True

Begin_Row
Entry_Item SalesP.ID
Entry_Item SalesP.Name
End_Row

Set Form_Width 0 to 40
Set Header_Label 0 to "ID"

Set Form_Width 1 to 200
Set Header_Label 1 to "Sales Person Name"

End_Object // oSelList

Object oOK_bn is a Button
Set Label to "&Ok"
Set Location to 81 97
Set peAnchors to anBottomRight
Set Default_State to True

Procedure OnClick
Send OK To oSelList
End_Procedure

End_Object // oOK_bn

Object oCancel_bn is a Button
Set Label to "&Cancel"
Set Location to 81 151
Set peAnchors to anBottomRight

Procedure OnClick
Send Cancel To oSelList
End_Procedure

End_Object // oCancel_bn

Object oSearch_bn is a Button
Set Label to "&Search..."
Set Location to 81 205
Set peAnchors to anBottomRight

Procedure OnClick
Send Search To oSelList
End_Procedure

End_Object // oSearch_bn

Object oAddNew_bn is a Button
Set Label to "&Add New"
Set Location to 81 8
Set peAnchors to anBottom

Procedure OnClick
Handle hModalDialog
Move (SalepAddNewDialog(Self)) to hModalDialog
Send Popup of hModalDialog
If (pbOk(hModalDialog)) Begin
Send FindByRowID of (Server(Self)) Salesp.File_Number (priRowID(hModalDialog))
Send Display of oSelList
Send Ok of oSelList
End
End_Procedure

End_Object

On_Key Key_Alt+Key_A Send KeyAction of oAddNew_bn
On_Key Key_Alt+Key_O Send KeyAction of oOk_bn
On_Key Key_Alt+Key_C Send KeyAction of oCancel_bn
On_Key Key_Alt+Key_S Send KeyAction of oSearch_bn

CD_End_Object // SalesP_sl

//====================================//

End Result of Code:

The code above results in a “drop-thru” of the new Sales Person entered and puts their ID/intials in the data entry view without stopping at the selection list.
By
Peter A Donovan
Applause Software
September, 2007

The Theory Of Meaningless Numbers

The Theory Of Meaningless Numbers (TMN0001)
By
Applause Software
Peter A Donovan

What is a meaningless number?
Meaningless numbers are ID and CODE columns which uniquely identify a record in a database table. They were made up by computer programmers, and in traditional programming, they formed the first entry window where you were responsible for remembering that “D” means Doctor, and “402” is your best customer. Since it would be wrong to discriminate against an entry window just because it’s a letter and not a number [age of equality] I’ll include meaningless letter combo’s in this theory also.

The point?
Users should not be required to remember “402” for General Electric of Massachusetts and “791” for General Electric Turbine Division”, but programmers should indeed still make use of them as the basis of relationships between database table records. Just don’t expect the users to enter or remember them: the truly meaningless numbers and codes can be totally hidden from users and as a study, I will refer to RoloFlex by Applause Software as a good example where each table is based on a unique meaningless number. [reference: http://www.applausesoftware.com/ : free RoloFlex]

What is a meaningful number?
A meaningful number is those database records that are referred to commonly by number such as PO #4067, Sales Order #1, and Speeding Ticket #352-4635A. These numbers exist on paper and are the primary way of referring to a record of this type. When you go to look up my speeding ticket, you might indeed look it up under my name also, but when a payment is received [good luck] you want to be able to enter the printed number 352-4635A and quickly locate and apply payment before my check bounces.

Can a meaningful and meaningless number co-exist?
Yes. Numeric meaningless numbers are the foundation of unique identifiers of each record, and a meaningful number can co-exist as [both] uniquely indexed [findable] columns in the same data table.

There’s a space here while the programmers hold their heads.

Let’s say you are a database programmer and know that numbers rather than a string which varies in length [throwing off the sort order completely] should be the foundation of the database record [for speed and relationship purposes only], you can program your unique (meaningless) ID column of speeding tickets, and also have a unique (meaningful) column which is ascii [mixed numbers and letters] which is used for finding it.

Why not make the key column a automatic increment number for relation purposes alongside a humanly enterable column consisting of alpha-numeric characters? Hands please? How many programmers have written 200 lines of code to auto-increment “#352-4635A”? The role of the meaningless number is to get auto-incremented in 1 line of code, being totally hidden from the user, and the foundation of the relationship to it’s parent database table. The role of the Speeding Ticket number is to humanly find a record more easily than 12342345345565.

Table Layout Proposed:
-Fines-

Column: Element: Type: Length: Index: Relates To:
1 ID Numeric 16.0 1 (unique)
2 TicketNo Ascii 20 2 (unique)
3 VIN_ID Numeric 10.0 3 VIN.ID // Not VIN (Ascii Field)
4 SSN_ID Numeric 10.0 4 SSN.ID // Not SSN (Ascii Field)

-VIN-
Column: Element: Type: Length: Index: Relates To:
1 ID Numeric 10.0 1 (unique)
2 VIN Ascii 20 2 (unique)

-SSN-
Column: Element: Type: Length: Index: Relates To:
1 ID Numeric 10.0 1 (unique)
2 SSN Ascii 11 2 (unique)

This structure makes use of meaningless numbers and meaningful numbers side by side, each fulfilling their job.

Hopefully there is a programmer slapping his/her head here like the V-8 commercial.

The ROLE of a meaningless number:
Let’s face it. Meaningless numbers are here to stay. Everybody’s got one, but programmers are still stuck on what to do with them. HIDE THEM! In a relational database model, where the child is related to it’s parent by the ID, the value will automatically drop down to the child upon a successful save, making display of this number absolutely unnecessary. I should point out that many good programming firms are based on “Intelligent Design” such as Auto-Mate Software of the USA http://www.automatesoftware.com/. Please visit this site to read about the story about “Enter the field matrix number”…. It’s a great story.

Let’s go a step further and call a byte a byte. Whether it’s a field matrix number or a part number, due concern needs to be put into the design of a “key field” lookup to determine whether or not it’s meaningful or meaningless. On a part number, why not both? To programmers, here’s my argument: why not use this technique so that if the part number is mis-entered, or changes, you can simply reenter the part number without altering the relationship? Madness or magnificent? It’s your opinion that counts.

Let’s take an example in RoloFlex 12.3 from Applause Software (open source and freeware). The database tables all have a unique ID that is 10 digit numeric: Please refer to the running program and you will see that none are visible. In addition, I have coded the key fields as “noenter” so that if they were made visible, they could not be used! Ten digit ID numbers for everything? Meaningless or Madness?

Hands again? Each programmer who has had to increase a user’s key ID field from 6 to 8 to accommodate 20 years of data entry please stand up! I’ll bet there are a good many among us. Let’s also note in passing that dates on computers are stored as 6 digit integers, and in the western world we are almost out of numbers in the six digit length! Why have we not expanded our dates to 8 or 10 digits? I guess we’ll have to wait until “Y6K” to find out!

The design of meaningless numbers in action:
Let’s take on a RDBMS [relational database management system] example and specifically look at parent and child table design. My first point should be obvious to most programmers, that a parent ID field is used to uniquely identify the parent but (being meaningless) is not displayed to the user at all. In RoloFlex, please note that the parent database tables of the main table have a unique ID which drops down into the main table upon a save, forming the relationship without being seen.

Please note (when inspecting the inner table def's for RoloFlex tables) that the Key ID column has a noenter attribute, meaning that the user cannot change or type in a new value to that column should it appear on the screen. It is auto-incremented from the system file “sysfile” and is totally meaningless to even the database designer other than being a unique value. No surprises here, but let’s look at a child table to see the same technique:

So, what’s the surprise here? On many occasions, I have noticed the lack of a single unique key field on child records. For example, the child of order header would have a key combination of HeaderID and Linenumber. If I applied the same consideration to the CallHist table, then there would be a combo of RolodexID and Call Date as the first index. What [the used] this technique does is to form the basis of a future child table to CallHist. From the get-go, a strong ID field exists to form a potential one-to-one column relationship to a child of CallHist which may exist in the future. The point, then, is to always program an ID column as a unique meaningless number for every table and index it accordingly. Then, progress onwards to specifying all the other columns of the database table.

As an extra bonus, you will see that “recnum” or record number is not defined in any of the indexes making a move from any one back end to another manufacturer’s back end a relatively easy job.

Whitepaper Summary:
I believe I have defined the difference between a meaningful number and a meaningless number and stated that meaningless numbers have no place in data entry! On the other hand, the argument for placing a meaningless number as the foundation of your relationships overwhelms the reasons that you might have for designing a meaningful number as the relationship key: It is my contention that an alphanumeric or string column has no place as the relationship key, and lastly that each table should have an ID field for forming the relationship which totally frees you to change the secondary key column with data entry without compromising the relationships.

Let end users see meaningful numbers only, but put your foundation on “meaningless design” with [hidden] data architecture!

Modern Sales Theory Explained: The Funnel Theory

Author: Peter A Donovan of Applause Software.

The Funnel Theory:

First: The Funnel:

The Funnel is a way of describing your prospect base that is used by ACT and GOLDMINE as their basic premise. The problem with both of these 2 most popular packages in my opinion is that they include so many extra functions in order to sell their product that the basic intent of their system gets lost by users with little or no training and even by veteran users.

Imagine a funnel, like a megaphone with a large open side on one end and a small open side on the other.

Many businesses find themselves in business for 30 years and the sales department has information on about only 20% of the potential market due to turnover, record keeping on paper (unusable in many cases because of being outdated), and general policy of not understanding the funnel theory.

The premise:
The large side represents how many potential accounts you know about in order to be able to contact them and sell your services to.
The small side represents prospects who are ready to make a yes/no decision on a quote or proposal or bid you make and a percentage of these will fall through the small end and become sales.

4 Goals:

1. Increase the funnel by marketing, cold calling, meetings, conventions, inbound phone calls, etc. Premise: The more in the funnel, the more fall thru as sales.
2. Increase the number of prospects at the small rim of the funnel, thereby (making the assumption that your closing ratio stays the same) you get more sales.
3. Skew the funnel with leads that are more likely to be sold. This is done by accessing your funnel lead base and marketing (cold call/direct mail, etc) to a proven segment of the market with a higher closing ratio, or customers where you have an add-on product for what they use.
4. By whatever means including skewing the funnel and teaching modern sales tactics to the field reps, you increase your closing ratio.

6 Assumptions:

1. The more leads in the funnel brings more opportunity to sell your product. If you don't have a way of regularly contacting the entire funnel this assumption is meaningless. Therefore you must generate advertising directed individually at each funnel listing via phone and mail and email.
2. The more information you gather about each funnel lead brings you closer to a sale. You can't sell an account unless you know the name of the decision maker or beginning contact person. You can't determine the value of the account to you without knowing what size the account is, what potential they have to be a client, or information that would make them non-desirable as a customer. If you don't have this information, and a way of using it to select segments of your prospects for contact it's useless.
3. The more frequency of calls to your best market segment leads to higher sales volume. You must have information to fuel this market segment and identify it.
4. Price is meaningless in many cases. You must present yourself to situations where you are the only bidder or have identified the needs of the customer properly and prove both in speaking to the prospect and backup in print that their needs will be best addressed by your company. If you don't save this information for future use [assuming no sale] you put yourself back in time having to do this all over again and lose the ability to skew the funnel based on the information you gather.
5. You must have a way of reporting the funnel. You must have a list of prospects considering a quote ready to make a decision. You must have a list of each field rep's active accounts that they are pursuing. You must have a way (mail merge, email blast) of regularly putting your name in front of the target market based on the info collected.
6. From #5 you must have a way of determining if the inner funnel leads are sold or lost or postponed. This gives you a closing ratio which is the heart of the funnel. To explain, you must log a history that a quote was given, and have a history of which of these resulted in sales (otherwise you can't compute a closing ratio) after the fact. Monitoring activity of leads (the number active), the prospects on the inner edge with quotes, and keeping track of field rep closing ratios over time gives you a pulse.

2 Rules.
1. If a field rep produces many sales you can't touch them and they can do anything they want until the sales stop flowing. To keep this salesrep on top of the heap you must provide them with incoming leads of a high quality which they will only pursue a percentage of due to their status.
2. Longevity and Burnout. The longer you keep the top salesreps as employees, the closing ratio will increase and sales will increase, and it will become easier to project budget and rely on your projections. The supply of quality leads to these reps is the key to keeping them longer.

Your goals as business director is to make everyone understand the funnel theory as explained above and make the:
FUNNEL, the HEART, and the KEY in your sights and produce the needed reports, mailings, etc. to make it happen. You must skew the funnel to do this and keep your eyes on the pulse.

Regards,
Peter A Donovan

Applause Software
Wakefield, MA USA
(781) 968-5240

Upgrade For Free ROLOFLEX Published Today

In a previously announced release, a fully featured contact manager and personal information center named RoloFLEX written in Visual DataFlex by Applause Software was upgraded to include the following features:

*** UPGRADE TO ROLOFLEX AVAILABLE ***

Please see http://www.roloflex.biz/ for downloading the free RoloFlex.

New Features Include:

1. An active toolbar that has these features:
* Shadows the find keys when not in an indexed field.
* Shadows the delete key if a record is not found.
* Shadows the save keys if no changes exist to be saved.
* Puts the DELETE button WAY AWAY from the SAVE button.
* Offers A Save and Clear, or a Save and No Clear. etc.

Thank you to Vincent Oorsprong of DAW Netherlands and Peter Brooks of
Soft Sys/Australia (www.MembershipAdmin.Com) for the ActiveToolbar.

2. VDFQuery is part of the file structure now (The 2.4 beta)
* You can compile now right away without having to path to VDFQuery.

Thanks dearly to Sture Anderson of DAW Netherlands for sharing VDFQuery.

3. VDFSORT Included.
* International Downloaders not in USA English must reindex prior to using.
* This tool is now included without having to use database builder.

There have been over 1000 visits to the download page of RoloFLEX and if you
haven't tried it yet please give it a shot as it is well constructed and highlyuseful.

Thanks to all who visited my website in the process.

Peter A Donovan
Applause (TM) Software
Wakefield, MA USA

***NOTE: THIS UPGRADE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DATA OR LETTERS FOLDER SO IT IS SAFE TO DOWNLOAD OVER YOUR EXISTING APP. I DID.

Steps:
1. Install Personal Version Of VDF12.0 (Link On My WebPage)
2. Install RoloFLEX 12
3. Install Updgrade1

Hope you enjoy.

Note: this fully featured RoloFLEX is totally free and includes source code (open source)
and is based on a free personal edition of Visual DataFlex studio by D.A.W.
(Data Access Worldwide of Miami USA)

Note: If you find this RoloFLEX useful for BUSINESS NEEDS there are 2 comments I would
like to make:

1. A runtime license (extremely inexpensive) is required for business use. I would be happy
to quote you pricing on this license.
2. Customization: If you would like RoloFLEX muscled up for your specific business needs
please contact Peter Donovan of Applause Software for a quotation on such.

All the elements mentioned above are freeware with no expiration date for personal usage and to get accustomed to ~the best kept secret~ in the Database Visual Studio industry.

Trademark Turnaround!

[Title:] Trademark Turnaround

[Header:]
Concerning the trademark of Sonata Software LTD previously posted by Peter A Donovan was an article concerning a trademark owned by Sonata Software LTD which could be construed as criticizing Sonata Software LTD for enforcing such.
This is an apology letter to Sonata Software LTD concerning same.

[Article:]

Points Of Apology::
Since I posted my article about Sonata Software LTD enforcing their trademark on the word Sonata in conjunction with developing and marketing business software I have come to realize that;

1. They have every right to enforce their trademark since I had references to my former business under a similar name on the web describing me as performing the same functions as the trademark held by Sonata Software LTD..

2. If Sonata Software LTD did NOT enforce their trademark they could set a precedent which could negate their trademark and damage the company’s investment.

* Now, my business (renamed) is in the same shoes as Sonata Software LTD (Applause TM Software) where I am "composing" this letter to say that I must now also enforce my trademark in the same manner as Sonata Software LTD on the word "Applause" in conjunction with developing and marketing business software and creation of dynamic content web sites.

Apology:
In my dealings with the Attorney for Sonata Software LTD I have been treated with patience and they have taken the time to explain our mutual dilemna and their position as described above with courtesy and professionalism and I now regret any aspersions I have cast against this company in my previous post in my journal news story and blog.

Where I went wrong!:
I began my DataFlex software business license in 1991 from Data Access Worldwide under the name of Sonata Software without checking if a similar business existed under the same name. For me, the term "Sonata" was a personal term for "moonlighting" since the Moonlight Sonata is my favorite musical composition by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Sonata #14. The sonata is the third most common form of classical musical venue after the symphony and the concerto.

I am hereby giving up all claims to the company name "Sonata Software" and moving on to Applause Software, operating the same business began in 1991 under a new name.

I am also moving the ownership of 2 previously operated sites "SonataSoftware.US" and "SonataSoftware.Biz" to Sonata Software LTD as part of our settlement agreement which meets my approval since I do not operate either anymore.

Former Clients Of Peter A Donovan:
Please find me now at http://www.ApplauseSoftware.Com (781) 968-5240 Still in the same location.

Applause TM Software: A Visual DataFlex Consultancy:
Nothing except my new business name Applause TM Software (I am learning) has changed except the name transition, and Applause Software is the hoped for end result of my efforts for each client!

My Trademark Applause.:
Applause designates my business of developing and marketing custom software for business needs and for developing (currently Electos from the maker of Visual DataFlex) dynamic content publishing websites.

DataFlex:
DataFlex began in the days of CPM when "I-CODE" and when DOS began, DataFlex was in the forefront of options and was chosen by a great many companies for it's "FLEX" ability and the English language syntax which is easy to learn similar to COBOL.

My Toolset: Visual DataFlex:
VDF, or Visual DataFlex is the PC (Vista/Windows) version of DOS DataFlex which has been successfully migrated to a world class development studio for database and web to database applications in a RAD (rapid application development) environment especially and specifically suited to database programs.

Backends and FrontEnds:
A "backend" is the database operating environment behind the screen where the data is saved. Visual DataFlex is a "transparent front end", creating programs that can run on most major "backends" such as DataFlex itself, Express SQL, My SQL, IBM DB2, Pervasive, etc.

Sonata Software LTD Clients and Prospective Clients:
If any person reading this review is seeking to contact Sonata Software LTD please do so at www.SonataSoftware.Com.

Summary:
Intentions: In any future dealings with other companies named "Applause" involved in the same business as my trademark, I intend to extend the same professionalism and courtesy that Sonata Software LTD has shown me.

NEW: Free Database Development Studio

1/1/2007
Just Released From Data Access Worldwide Of Miami.

Freeware database application development studio with no restrictions other than for personal use.

Visual What? has been our bane of existance because we utilize a world class development tool that isn't known by most developers. A Personal Edition of "VDF" is released is so that you can discover the power and rapid development abilities of this system which includes a PC/windows program creator, (WebApp) a web application extention (interface your data with the web), and (Electos) a dynamic content publishing website creator.

"Our most valuable asset is the easiest to market free", a quote by the CEO of Data Access Corp.

Here's the scoop: Visit my website for BOTH a free copy of Visual DataFlex AND a free personal rolodex application which shows the abilities of this tool. I personally am adding both a freeware application which anyone can use for personal reasons (see site for pic) and an offer for a discounted business version once you've decided that this system is desireable for business use.

Data Access is following the example of many other vendors such as MS SQL which now offers a free 25 user "Express SQL" with many of the development features removed from the product. NOT SO with the Personal Copy of Visual DataFlex: you get everything with the agreement that only personal use is allowed.

So, therefore, I offer this personal application which lets you auto-dial, email, save pictures of your contacts, save contact history, report on callback dates, and easily filter your entries by source of entry or category of entry plus letter writing options etc. It's a powerful application for real world personal use so that you can see the power of "VDF". There is also a link to video instruction in VDF where over an hour of presentation on concepts as applied to Visual DataFlex coding may be obtained from Sonata Software.US See: http://www.ApplauseSoftware.Com

The hope of Data Access is that the "geeks" out there (me being one) will download, play, and discover how great this system really is, and how easy it is to develop a rapid application deployment system whether it's PC based software, web data integration, or website CRM publishing.

It is my personal hope that my contribution will lead to new "VDF" developers in the near future. We have a camaraderie amongst "VDF" developers where we share code and help solve others problems and have a number of Newsgroups for help and support, plus a huge online help directory for personal research on the spot.

So, why not take a double freeware offer: the entire development system of a 4GL language which contains sample examples on how to implement usage, and a freeware personal example that you can use immediately with no cost or expiration date? http://www.ApplauseSoftware.com

Quoting from the "Blues Brothers" movie: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses: HIT IT!"

Looking forward to seeing your name on the VDF newsgroup, sincerely Peter A Donovan.