Conference iosg::all-in-1_v30

    At the very end of this reply is some simple (okay, it's totally
    trivial) named data which can change the TMTINDEX form.  This took
    about 10 minutes of work and about 30 seconds of thought.  It
    implements two additional options to the Index form:  IS gives an index
    sorted by Schedule Date and ID gives an index sorted by Due Date.  A
    better way to implement this would be to let the user specify the index
    order via the TMTINDEX_FIND form and select the desired BIND.

    The IS option uses the alternate key of AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS to have the
    phantom data set created by the Schedule Date.  This is efficient and
    effective.  The ID option uses the /SORT option on the BIND on the
    AI_DUE_DATE field.  This is neither as effective or efficient as the IS
    option.  The effectiveness loss is caused by the fact that the field is
    the ASCII date so they are sorted in ASCII based on the date used on
    the system.  The efficiency loss is caused by using the /SORT option.
    It would be much better if there were a AI_DUE_DATE_NBS field which
    were an alternate key.  AI_DUE_DATE be sufficient for your customer,
    however.

    As I said, the code is trivial (I'm that way, too ;').  All I did was
    to copy the code for OA$_MO_INDEX and change the BINDW statement as you
    can see from the code below.

    Your comments about using ASSETS is quite good.  Does this mean that
    Texas has started their own country?  The US Office ASSETS library has
    been 'improved' to the extent that it is virtually gone.  It's part of
    the Business Overhead and professional management which is 'righting'
    the company.  Fortunately, Europe and GIA are not 'blessed' with such
    professional management, yet.  It's really humorous observing the
    'professional' managers explaining how those 'foreign' parts of the
    company are doing so well while the US is sucking swamp scum.  Clowns
    are so entertaining but it gets old after a while.

    Keep the faith,
    don



;;OA$_MO_INDEX;;

FORM TMTINDEX_FIND\IFEXIT\CLOSE_PRIOR\OA$FLD_STAY\OA$SCL_EXIT
\BIND_BREAK *TASK
\BINDW *TASK to AIENT
 WITH .AI_STATUS = #SEARCH_STATUS
 AND .AI_DUE_DATE = #SEARCH_DUE
 AND .AI_CLOSE_DATE = #SEARCH_CLOSE
 AND (.AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 EN #SEARCH_STARTTO:8
   OR .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 LE  #SEARCH_STARTTO:8)
 AND .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 GE #SEARCH_STARTFROM:8
 AND .AI_CLASS = #SEARCH_CATEGORY
 AND .AI_ITEM = #SEARCH_TASKTITLE
\OA$SCL_INIT ,,,*TASK

;;IS;;

FORM TMTINDEX_FIND\IFEXIT\CLOSE_PRIOR\OA$FLD_STAY\OA$SCL_EXIT
\BIND_BREAK *TASK
\BINDW *TASK to AIENT:AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS
 WITH .AI_STATUS = #SEARCH_STATUS
 AND .AI_DUE_DATE = #SEARCH_DUE
 AND .AI_CLOSE_DATE = #SEARCH_CLOSE
 AND (.AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 EN #SEARCH_STARTTO:8
   OR .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 LE  #SEARCH_STARTTO:8)
 AND .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 GE #SEARCH_STARTFROM:8
 AND .AI_CLASS = #SEARCH_CATEGORY
 AND .AI_ITEM = #SEARCH_TASKTITLE
\OA$SCL_INIT ,,,*TASK

;;ID;;

FORM TMTINDEX_FIND\IFEXIT\CLOSE_PRIOR\OA$FLD_STAY\OA$SCL_EXIT
\BIND_BREAK *TASK
\BINDW/SORT=".AI_DUE_DATE" *TASK to AIENT
 WITH .AI_STATUS = #SEARCH_STATUS
 AND .AI_DUE_DATE = #SEARCH_DUE
 AND .AI_CLOSE_DATE = #SEARCH_CLOSE
 AND (.AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 EN #SEARCH_STARTTO:8
   OR .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 LE  #SEARCH_STARTTO:8)
 AND .AI_SCHED_DATE_NBS:8 GE #SEARCH_STARTFROM:8
 AND .AI_CLASS = #SEARCH_CATEGORY
 AND .AI_ITEM = #SEARCH_TASKTITLE
\OA$SCL_INIT ,,,*TASK

    Wow.  Thank you for the reply, Don.
    
    I wish more sources of internal expertise would be generous as you were
    with your time and knowledge, especially when the solution seems obvious.
    Thanks for actually including the code segments.
    
    This may be a long shot, but are you familiar with an old assets
    program called Calendar Event Alarms?  It has been retired in the U.S.
    and this same customer would buy it (or code that did something
    similar) if it were available for ALL-IN-1 V2.4.  The code apparently 
    sent mail messages or rang bells to remind users of meetings and other 
    scheduled events.  Any ideas/pointers/suggestions/offers?
    
    Thanks again, sincerely.
    
         Henry Fahey @FOO, Sales Support
    	 DPDMAI::FAHEY  DTN 481-6087
    
    

    Henry,

    The old Time Management Alarms package was a real serious piece of
    junk.  It should have been retired and replaced with something better. 
    I wrote it for a customer acceptance test in 1986 (I still have the
    airplane in a bottle reminding me of the effort on my desk) and the
    alarm system required less than a day to complete.

    The alarm package allowed a user to specify which events were to have
    alarms, how early the alarm should ring prior to the event, and whether
    the alarm should be a single shot or repeat until disabled.  The alarm
    was just a broadcast message to the user's terminal giving the event
    description.

    The event user interface was 'enhanced' to provide for the alarm
    settings for an event by event basis.

    All of this sounds nice but the implementation under this was VERY
    ugly.  Afterall, I did it.  Any user with alarms active (as determined
    when they entered ALL-IN-1 via OAINI) or having set an alarm in the
    current session had a subprocess active with the image being a BASIC
    program which scanned the user's calendar file for alarm events and
    taking actions on them.

    One of the former TM people in Charlotte developed a prototype of a
    much better alarm system for ALL-IN-1 several years ago.  I don't
    believe that anything has been done with it since he left the company.

    Adding alarms in a manner similar to what I did in 1986 with a more
    robust and reasonable implementation could be done in a few weeks for a
    customer in my very biased opinion.  If your customer is interested I
    am sure that we could work out a way to get it done for them.

    Have fun,
    don