Recital

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Recital 10 introduced the ECHO command. This command operates in the same way as the PHP ECHO command. It does not append a newline to the output but rather operates in the same way as the existing ?? command in Recital. The string being output can contain C-style string escapes \n \t or \r (newline, tab and carriage return respectively) e.g.
echo "Hello world\n"
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One of the attractive features of Linux is the impressive 3D desktop that even works on most older hardware.

You can enabled the 3D Desktop on CentOS5 by installing the compiz package:

yum install compiz 

After you have done this, go to the top panel and click System, then select Preferences > and click 'Desktop Effects.

You will get a new dialog. To test and see if your hardware supports the 3D Desktop, press the button Enable Desktop Effects. If everything works fine, you can select Keep Settings.

Then test your 3D Desktop by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Left and Ctrl-Alt-Right, or drag a window around or even out of the screen to the left or right. If you maximize a window, you will see another cool effect. If you move the mouse to the upper-right corner of the screen you see all your opened applications.

Way cool!
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This MSDN article provides good details about IE CSS compatibility issues.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc351024(VS.85).aspx
 
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This article examines the advantages of using databases and looks at how to create databases for new and existing applications.

Overview

file which contains information, including full path details, about all the files that belong to that particular database. Opening a database gives an application access to all that database's files - operating system and data dictionary protection and security permitting - in whichever directory on the system they reside and database commands can target the files as a single unit.

NOTE: The word 'database' has often been used in Xbase products to refer to an individual '.dbf' file. In this article these are referred to as 'tables' and a database may contain many tables.

Advantages

Recital has always offered developers the maximum in flexibility in the design and deployment of their applications. The SET DEFAULT and SET PATH commands along with the ability to access files via their full Operating System path name has allowed data and code to be created and stored in any required location. Such flexibility does however put the onus on the developer to manage all elements of the application and ensure that maintenance tasks cover all files. The introduction of the database commands retains the established developer-driven design, but provides functionality to facilitate the access and maintenance of the components of that design. The functionality offered is in three main areas:

  • Facilitate data access
  • Facilitate the storage and extraction of information about the files in an application
  • Facilitate the maintenance of the files in an application

These three areas are looked at in more detail in the sections below.

Data Access

The immediate effect of using a database is that all the database's tables and associated files (indexes, dictionaries, memo files) are accessible with the issue of a single command, the OPEN DATABASE command.
// Open the database
> open database southwind
// List the database tables
> list tables
Tables in Database southwind:
Name Source
categories /usr/recital/data/southwind/categories.dbf
customers /usr/recital/data/southwind/customers.dbf
employees /usr/recital/data/southwind/employees.dbf
example /usr/recital/data/southwind/example.dbf
order_details /usr/recital/data/southwind/order_details.dbf
orders /usr/recital/data/southwind/orders.dbf
productsbyname /usr/recital/data/southwind/productsbyname.dbf
products /usr/recital/data/southwind/products.dbf
shippers /usr/recital/data/southwind/shippers.dbf
suppliers /usr/recital/data/southwind/suppliers.dbf
cisamdemo /usr/recital/data/southwind/cisamdemo.dbf
> use example
In the case of the sample southwind database that ships with Recital products on all platforms and is shown above, this effect can be achieved in other ways (SET PATH or SET DEFAULT), since its files all reside in the southwind directory. The database advantage comes when the database catalog contains files from multiple directories, e.g.
// Open the database
> open database myapp
// List the database tables
> list tables
Tables in Database myapp:
Name Source
zipcodes /usr/myapp/data/lookups/zipcodes.dbf
customers /usr/myapp/data/current/customers.dbf
archive03 /usr/myapp/data/archive/archive03.dbf
archive04 /usr/myapp/data/archive/archive04.dbf
users /usr/allapps/data/users.dbf
menus /usr/myapp/data/system/menus.dbf
// Open a table
> use users
The OPEN DATABASE command requires only the database name to be specified, not the complete path of a directory as with SET PATH or SET DEFAULT. Databases are searched for in the sub-directories of the directory defined in the DB_DATADIR environment variable or symbol. DB_DATADIR is set in the system wide configuration file.
#---------------------------------------------------
# location of directories and important files
#---------------------------------------------------
DB_DATADIR="${ROI_ROOT}data/" ;export DB_DATADIR
NOTE: DB_DATADIR is read from these files at startup to determine the home directory for databases. Updates to DB_DATADIR once a Recital process is running do not change this setting. The OPEN DATABASE command and certain other database commands allow a '?' to be specified in place of a database name. In this case the 'Select a file' dialog is displayed, listing the available files in the DB_DATADIR directory.

Click image to display full size

Fig 1: Recital Terminal Developer OPEN DATABASE ? command.

This functionality is also supported by the PACK DATABASE, REBUILD DATABASE and REINDEX DATABASE commands.

Databases can also simplify data access for Recital Client Drivers using the Recital Database Server: instead of specifying a starting directory, only a database name is required. The database can handle files from multiple directories and associate tables with their single index files.
Recital Universal .NET Data Provider
/////////////////////////////////////////
// include the references below
using System.Data;
using Recital.Data;

/////////////////////////////////////////
// sample code to call a Stored Procedure
public int CallStoredProcedure()
{
string source = "Data Source=localhost;" +
"Database=southwind;" +
"uid=?;"+
"pwd=?";

RecitalConnection conn = new RecitalConnection(source);
...
Recital Universal JDBC Driver
import java.sql.*;
import java.io.*;
import java.net.URL;
import java.math.BigDecimal;
import Recital.sql.*;

public class jdbc_test {

public static void main(String argv[]) {
int i;
ResultSet rs;
ResultSetMetaData rsmd;

System.out.println("Recital JDBC driver verification.");

for (int ii=0; ii<1; ++ii) {
try {
//----------------------------------------------------------
//-- Load the Client Driver for the
//-- Recital Universal Application Server
//----------------------------------------------------------
System.out.println("Loading Recital JDBC driver.");
new RecitalDriver();
//-----------------------------------------------------------
//-- The standard format of the connection URL is as follows:
//-----------------------------------------------------------
String url = "jdbc:Recital:" +
"SERVERNAME=?;" +
"DATABASE=jdbc_test;" +
"USERNAME=?;" +
"PASSWORD=?;" +
"ENCRYPTION=false";
...
Windows Recital Universal ODBC Driver

Click image to display full size

Fig 2: Recital Universal ODBC Driver DSN setup using a database.
Database Procedure Libraries
A database can have an associated procedure library, which is automatically opened when the database is opened. This way, any procedures required by the database's data files are always available. The procedure library should reside in the database's directory and be named dbc_xxx_library.prg, where 'xxx' is the name of the database. When the OPEN DATABASE command is issued, a check is made for the database procedure library and a SET PROCEDURE TO dbc_xxx_library.prg ADDITIVE issued automatically. The procedure library is in turn closed when the CLOSE DATABASES command is issued. This is particularly convenient for client/server database access.
Database Events
Issuing the OPEN DATABASE or CLOSE DATABASES command also fires a database event. Database events, like triggers for tables and forms, can have programs associated with them. The OPEN DATABASE command fires the DBC_OPENDATA event and will run a program called db_opendata.prg if one exists in the database's directory. Similarly, the CLOSE DATABASES command fires the DBC_CLOSEDATA event and runs the db_closedata.prg program. Both of these events also allow the current open or close operation to be abandoned if the associated program returns a logical false (.F.).

Information

Databases, specifically database catalogs, are an excellent place to store information about the files required by a particular application. Instead of having to search through application code to determine which tables are being used and what index keys they have, this information can be viewed in the database catalog. Database catalogs are themselves Recital tables and can be viewed and/or updated in the same way as any other Recital table. There is also a series of commands to provide information about the currently open database. DISPLAY/LIST DATABASE The DISPLAY DATABASE and LIST DATABASE commands display the database name and path, followed by the equivalent of LIST STRUCTURE INDEX and LIST DICTIONARY for each table in the database, e.g.
> open database southwind
> display database
Database Name:  southwind
Database Path: /usr/recital-9.0/data/southwind/

Structure for database : categories.dbf
Number of data records : 8
Date of creation : 05/12/2004
Date of last update : 05/12/2004
Database encrypted : False

Field Field Name Type Width Dec Description 1 CATEGORYID Numeric 10 Category ID 2 CATEGORYNAME Character 15 Category Name 3 DESCRIPTION Memo 8 Description 4 PICTURE Memo 8 Picture ** Total ** 42
Production DBX file: categories.dbx
Master Index TAG: CATEGORYID
Key: categoryid
Type: Binary
Len: 8
...
DISPLAY DATABASE shows the data one screen at a time, whereas LIST DATABASE is ideal for output to a file.
> open database southwind
> list database to file info.txt
DISPLAY/LIST TABLES
LIST TABLES, as we have seen above, lists all the tables from the database, giving each table's name and path. DISPLAY TABLES shows the information one screen at a time.

Maintenance

Using a database can simplify the maintenance of an application's programs, tables and indexes. Multiple files, possibly in different directories, can be targeted by a single database command.
COMPILE DATABASE
The COMPILE DATABASE command can be used to issue a COMPILE command for all program files listed in the database catalog.
// Open the database
open database myapp

// Compile all the database's programs
compile database
NOTE: Program files are added to a database using the SQL CREATE PROCEDURE command.
PACK DATABASE
The PACK DATABASE command issues a PACK command for every table in the database catalog. The PACK command is used to permanently remove any records that have been marked for deletion using the DELETE command.
// Open the database
open database southwind
// Pack all the database's tables
pack database
REINDEX DATABASE
The REINDEX DATABASE command rebuilds all the tag and single indexes in the catalog. This is the equivalent of an INDEX ON <key> TO | TAG <index> for each catalogued index key.
// Open the database
open database southwind
// Rebuild all the database's indexes
reindex database
NOTE: Using a database helps protect against a table being opened without its associated single index files also being opened. Any single index files that are included in the database catalog will automatically be opened when their table is opened via the database. If a single index appears in the database catalog, but the physical file no longer exists, it will be removed from the catalog when its associated table is next opened. All indexes, tagged indexes or single indexes, created while the database is open, are added automatically to the database catalog.
REBUILD DATABASE
The REBUILD DATABASE command is used to PACK, rebuild the index tags and refresh the contents of the database catalog file.
// Rebuild the database
rebuild database southwind

Creating and populating a database

Databases are created using the CREATE DATABASE command.
// Create new database
create database newdb
The CREATE DATABASE creates a sub-directory in the DB_DATADIR and initializes the new database's catalog file. The catalog file is given the same basename as the database and is a Recital table with a '.cat' file extension. It has a production index file with a '.cax' file extension and a memo file with a '.cam' file extension.
// Open the database
open database newdb
With the database open, the catalog file table is opened in the highest available workarea and is given an alias name of its basename preceded by an underscore, e.g. '_newdb'. Any new tables or indexes that are created will be automatically added into the catalog and form part of the database. 'Free' tables can also be manually added into a database using the SQL ADD TABLE command.
// config.db
set sql on
set sql to vfp
// end of config.db

// Create a 'free' table, with no database open
create table free1 (field1 char(10), field2 date)
// Open the database
open database newdb
add table free1
As the application runs, 'myapp' in the example above, each table that is opened is added to the database catalog. Indexes that are opened are added in the same way. Using SET AUTOCATALOG OFF, inclusion in the catalog can be restricted. Once all required areas of the application have been catalogued, the application can be updated to make use of the database commands.

Converting an existing application

The AUTOCATALOG commands can be used to automatically create a database catalog based on an existing application. The SET AUTOCATALOG TO >database< command will create the database if it does not already exist.
// Database must be closed during autocatalog process
close databases
// Specify the database
set autocatalog to myappdb
// Start the autocatalog process
set autocatalog on
do myapp
// The autocatalog process can be toggled off to exclude
// certain parts of the application if required
// set autocatalog off

Exporting a database

The BACKUP DATABASE and RESTORE DATABASE commands have been added to simplify the process of moving applications between binary incompatible platforms. Binary files such as tables, memo files and data dictionaries must be exported to ASCII format to allow them to be transferred from one platform to another where the platforms have different binary ordering. For example, this is the case when moving files between a SUN Sparc Solaris machine and an Intel Linux machine. The BACKUP DATABASE and RESTORE DATABASE commands are extensions of the BUILD and INSTALL commands: where BUILD and INSTALL operate on a specified list of tables, BACKUP DATABASE and RESTORE DATABASE automatically handle an entire database.
// Open the database
open database southwind
// Export the database to ASCII format
backup database
The BACKUP DATABASE command goes through the database catalog, exporting each file into an ASCII format that can be handled by the RESTORE DATABASE command. The files are created in a directory with the same name as the database. This directory is a sub-directory of the directory specified in the environment variable DB_BACKUPDIR and is created automatically. By default, DB_BACKUPDIR is the 'backup' sub-directory of the Recital home directory.
// Query the DB_BACKUPDIR environment variable setting
> ? getenv([DB_BACKUPDIR])
/usr/recital/backup
Like DB_DATADIR, DB_BACKUPDIR is set in the system-wide configuration file and is read at startup to determine the home directory for database backups. Updates to DB_BACKUPDIR once a Recital process is running do not change this setting.
# profile.db/uas extract
#---------------------------------------------------
# location of directories and important files
#---------------------------------------------------
DB_BACKUPDIR="${ROI_ROOT}backup/" ;export DB_BACKUPDIR
Once the BACKUP DATABASE command has completed, the files can be transferred to another platform, for example from Intel SCO OpenServer to IBM AIX and the RESTORE DATABASE command used to recreate the database.
// Export the database to ASCII format
// Note: the BACKUP DATABASE command operates
// on the active or specified database
$ db
> backup database southwind
> quit

// 'tar' up the files for transfer
$ cd /usr/recital/backup
$ tar cvf southwind.tar ./southwind

// Transfer the tar archive to DB_BAKUPDIR on the
// target machine, then extract the files
$ pwd
/usr/recital/backup
$ tar xvf southwind.tar

// Rebuild the database on the target platform
// The database is automatically created
// as a sub-directory of DB_DATADIR
$ db
> restore database southwind
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Recital provides the following additional benefits:

  • Easy to Install and Deploy - Users can set up Recital in minutes enabling organizations to deliver new applications faster than other databases.
  • Easy to Administer - Recital is a low administration database that eliminates the need for highly trained, skilled, and costly database administrators to maintain the database.
  • High Performance - Superior database performance for the most demanding of OLTP applications. Additionally, Clustered Recital provides 99.999% availability.
  • Embeddable Library - Recital Embedded Edition provides in-process data storage engine that delivers all the features of a traditional relational database but in a size which makes it ideally suited for ISVs/VARs who need a small footprint and easy to use toolkit.
  • Platform Independence - Recital runs on Linux, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Windows, and Mac OS X giving organizations complete flexibility in delivering a solution on the platform of their choice.
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An extremely useful article that describes some firefox undocumented features that allow you to install Firefox XPI And JAR Firefox Add-ons And Themes. 

http://www.universefirefox.com/how-to/how-to-install-xpi-and-jar-firefox-add-ons-and-themes
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Recital is a rich and versatile product with many ways to do the same thing. Developers usually write code in the way that they are accustomed to without paying much attention to how this will perform in a multi-user environment with large amounts of users and transactions. The best way to optimize Recital applications is to use the built-in tuning capabilities introduced in Recital 10.

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STRERROR()

Syntax

STRERROR( [ <expN> ] )

Description

The STRERROR() function returns a string describing the last operating system error message. If the optional error number is specified then the related operating system error message will be returned.

Example

mqdes=mqcreate("/myqueue", 2)
 if (mqdes < 0)
     messagebox(strerror()+",errno="+alltrim(str(error())))
    return
 endif
 rc = mqsend(mqdes, "Test message")
 if (rc < 0)
     messagebox(strerror()+",errno="+alltrim(str(error())))
    return
 endif
 mqclose(mqdes)

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Recital is a dynamic programming language with an embedded high performance database engine particularly well suited for the development and deployment of high transaction throughput applications.

The Recital database engine is not a standalone process with which the application program communicates. Instead, the Recital database is an integral part of any applications developed in Recital. 

Recital implements most of the SQL-99 standard for SQL, but also provides lower level navigational data access for performing high transaction throughput. It is the choice of the application developer whether to use SQL, navigational data access, or a combination of both depending upon the type of application being developed.

The Recital database engine, although operating as an embedded database in the user process, multiple users and other background processes may access the same data concurrently. Read accesses are satisfied in parallel. Recital uses automatic record level locking when performing database updates. This provides for a high degree of database concurrency and superior application performance and differentiates the Recital database from other embeddable databases such as sqlite that locks the entire database file during writing. 

Key features of the Recital scripting language include:

  • High performance database application scripting language
  • Modern object-oriented language features
  • Easy to learn, easy to use
  • Fast, just-in-time compiled
  • Loosely-typed
  • Garbage collected
  • Static arrays, Associative arrays and objects
  • Develop desktop or web applications
  • Cross-platform support
  • Extensive built-in functions
  • Superb built-in SQL command integration
  • Navigational data access for the most demanding applications
  • Scripting  language is upward compatible with FoxPRO

Key features of the Recital database include:

  • A broad subset of ANSI SQL 99, as well as extensions
  • Cross-platform support
  • Stored procedures
  • Triggers
  • Cursors
  • Updatable Views
  • System Tables
  • Query caching
  • Sub-SELECTs (i.e. nested SELECTs)
  • Embedded database library
  • Fault tolerant clustering support
  • Chronological data versioning with database timelines
  • Optional DES3 encrypted data
  • Hot backup
  • Client drivers for ODBC, JDBC and .NET 
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Recital 10 Express Edition Linux x86 Free Download.

Recital 10 introduces the free single-user developer edition called Recital Express that can be used to develop and test multi-user Recital, Recital Server and Recital Web applications. Once the applications are ready for deployment a commercial license must be purchased. Recital Express, Recital Server Express and Recital Web Express can be used unlicensed for non-commercial purposes only.

What does this download include:

Recital 10

A powerful scripting language with an embedded database used for developing desktop database applications on Linux and Unix. Recital has a high degree of compatibility with Microsoft FoxPRO enhanced with many additional enterprise class extensions.

Web

Recital 10 Web

A server-side scripting language with an embedded database for creating web 2.0 applications. Includes plugins for apache and IIS. Coming soon! Recital Web Framework, a comprehensive OO framework built on YUI for building RIA (Rich Internet Applications) in Recital Web.

Recital 10 Server

A cross-platform SQL database and application server which includes client drivers for ODBC, JDBC and .NET enabling Recital data to be accessed client/server from Windows, Linux and Mac.

 Safe

Recital 10 Replication

A comprehensive replication product that addresses urgent data movement and synchronization needs to help support disaster recovery and business continuity for Recital applications.


Recital 10 Quick Start:

Graphical Installation

Note: The installation must be run as root. For systems with a hidden root account, please use ’Run as Root’.

  1. Download the distribution file into a temporary directory
  2. Check that the distribution file has the execute permission set
  3. Run the distribution file
  4. Follow the on screen instructions:
    1. License agreement
    2. Select components
    3. Installation directory and shortcuts
    4. Linking to /usr/bin
    5. ODBC Installation type (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    6. Java Virtual Machine selection (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    7. TomCat Installation type (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    8. Apache Firecat Plugin Installation (Recital Web Developer)
    9. Replication Service Type (Recital Replication Server)
    10. Install license file

Text Installation

Note: The installation must be run as root. For systems with a hidden root account, please precede commands with ’sudo’.

  1. Download the distribution file into a temporary directory
  2. Check that the distribution file has the execute permission set
  3. Run the distribution file
  4. Follow the on screen instructions:
    1. License agreement
    2. Select components
    3. Installation directory and shortcuts
    4. Linking to /usr/bin
    5. ODBC Installation type (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    6. Java Virtual Machine selection (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    7. TomCat Installation type (Recital Server / Recital Client Drivers)
    8. Apache Firecat Plugin Installation (Recital Web Developer)
    9. Replication Service Type (Recital Replication Server)
    10. Install license file


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