| Title: | FOCUS, from INFORMATION BUILDERS |
| Moderator: | ZAYIUS::BROUILLETTE |
| Created: | Thu Feb 19 1987 |
| Last Modified: | Mon May 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 615 |
| Total number of notes: | 1779 |
Hello fellow focus users. I have a problem. I'm trying to access
existing RMS files in order to produce reports. I thought that the
best way to do this would be to use a variation of the example given
in the FOCUS USERS MANUAL (Release 1.0 - Page 3-50). I entered a VERY
similar layout and did a 'check file' on it. This produced errors
FOC207 and FOC209 (error in format and data value exceeds length spec).
Have I got an out of date manual ?
Also, I noticed, after running the IVP (ex cartest - install. guide)
a MFD was created in my account (hold.mas) which looked not much like
any of the examples...
Are the examples wrong or are some features undocumented ?
I'm actually looking at FOCUS as a report facility for direct user
control, but if someone like myself (an experienced analyst/programmer)
is having so much trouble with such fundamental items... then God
only knows what the users are going to make of it !
Peter F. Gray
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.1 | I should have known ! | RDGCSS::GRAY | Home by the C | Thu Jun 23 1988 07:37 | 5 |
Just in case anyone else has this (or similar) problems...
FOCUS doesn't cope too well with TAB's in the MFD's.
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| 82.2 | Not such a big deal.. | FR0002::DADDIECO | John D'Addieco | Thu Jun 23 1988 07:39 | 42 |
>... FOCUS USERS MANUAL (Release 1.0 - Page 3-50). ...
>Have I got an out of date manual ?
Yes you do. I believe IBI released manuals in 3 ring binders around
April. But don't let that bother you, IBI is very slow to revise
the contents of existing sections of the manuals.
>Also, I noticed, after running the IVP (ex cartest - install. guide)
>a MFD was created in my account (hold.mas) which looked not much like
>any of the examples...
??? Can't help you here.
>Are the examples wrong or are some features undocumented ?
Some examples in the manual have been found to be incorrect.
And IN GENERAL, IBI has left some features (but more often,
limitations) of FOCUS undocumented.
>I'm actually looking at FOCUS as a report facility for direct user
>control, but if someone like myself (an experienced analyst/programmer)
>is having so much trouble with such fundamental items... then God
>only knows what the users are going to make of it !
Users usually make a mess from the command line! TABLETALK is the
FOCUS facility that is best suited to end users. Even with TABLETALK,
a P/A is required to configure the environment in which to run
tabletalk (master file descriptions, locations of db's, etc). Beyond
that, I consider FOCUS as a tool for programmers.
NOW... about your master:
-Is the RMS file indexed?
-Have you carefully checked the syntax of the description?
-Did you use tabs?
There are loads of things that could go wrong. The master and a
better description of the RMS file are required to decide.
Good Luck!
-John
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