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Revised: November 16, 2008 for V5.0

Copyright ©2001-2008 Touch Technologies, Inc.

Contents

Index

SheerPower 4GL is a next generation database language for Windows. It works on Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server. It includes a Rapid Development Environment (SPDEV) and a fourth-generation Database Language (SP4GL) .

The SheerPower language:

• is concise and powerful
• promotes structured programming
• is easy to use--even for programming novices

SheerPower excels at both character and mathematical utility, combining them into a powerful, easy-to-use framework. SheerPower can be used to write programs of any size, from simple-input applications to vast database infrastructures and Web applications. SheerPower's layout may look somewhat similar to that of a structured BASIC program, but SheerPower is beyond BASIC!

SheerPower includes a transparent interface to the ARS (Advanced Record System) database engine as well as to other database engines. (ARS is bundled into SheerPower).

ARS is integrated into SheerPower featuring extremely high speed sequential and random access to database information. In addition, ARS is optimized for client/server applications through the use of high performance memory resident shared data.

The interface includes:

• simple structure statements for complex data manipulations
• numerous extensions which allow the technical programmer to develop advanced applications

The SheerPower environment is designed for developing complex applications rapidly. This interactive environment:

• allows immediate response and fast development
• allows you to interrupt program execution, change code and then continue execution
• has high-level debugging facilities for pinpointing program bugs quickly and accurately
• returns errors immediately--for rapid development--while code is optimized by the compiler

Development cycle time is the time it takes to edit, compile, link, run and debug code. SheerPower reduces this time by providing an interactive and fast response environment. SheerPower offers features that cut cycle time significantly--up to 80%.

You will find SheerPower an exciting and powerful programming tool.

SheerPower Reference Manuals

All SheerPower manuals are designed to provide information in a manner that is concise and easy to use. The manuals are:

• A Guide to the SheerPower 4GL Language
• SheerPower Coding Standards

Purpose of this Guide

The purpose of this Guide is to present the information you will need to develop programs with SheerPower. The intent is to provide you, the user, with simple and concise explanations of the SheerPower system, features, and language. This manual is designed to provide a basic and thorough explanation of each element. This manual can also be used as a reference guide by advanced users.

Intended Audience

This Guide is written for both experienced programmers and those self-learners who have had some exposure to computers and programming languages.

User Feedback and Technical Support

We want your feedback! Tell us what YOU think about:

• SheerPower 4GL
• the SheerPower 4GL WEBSITE
• the SheerPower 4GL MANUAL

We really want to know!

If you have any technical issues, please email them to us and we will respond!!

Send all feedback and technical support emails to:

SheerPower@ttinet.com

Thank you for using SheerPower 4GL!

Download SheerPower 4GL

Download the latest version of SheerPower 4GL by clicking HERE .

Click on the FREE!! Download SheerPower 4GL NOW! link.

Follow the instructions on the download webpage to download and install SheerPower 4GL.

How to Start SheerPower Rapid Development Environment

To start SheerPower Rapid Development Environment (SPDEV), double click the SheerPower shortcut icon located on your desktop---a circle with a lightning bolt through it.

Below is an image of what SheerPower Rapid Development Environment looks like when it is running.

To create a new program in SheerPower Rapid Development Environment, click once on the New icon in the toolbar---a white paper with one corner folded. This will create a new file for you to work in.

You can also click on File in the SPDEV toolbar and select New from the drop down menu of choices to create a new file.

The Name New File... dialog box will appear and ask you to name your new file, and to specify the location you want to save it to.

Type the name of the new program file inside the File name: field. Name this new file Menu.

The default file type to save a file is .SPSRC. This is a SheerPower source program file. When you click on [Save] the file type extension will automatically be added on to the file name. Clicking on the down arrow will drop down a list of different file types to save your files as.

Since .SPSRC is already selected as the file type, click on [Save].

After you click on the [Save] button in the "Name New File..." dialog box, a new document window will open within SheerPower Rapid Development Environment.

A dialog box will also appear prompting you for your name, company name and program name.

When you fill in this information and click on [OK], a program template will automatically be inserted into your new program file. See Appendix I, Developing Professional Applications with SheerPower for a detailed discussion on the special features built-in to SheerPower designed to save time and money when creating professional applications.

For the purpose of this basic tutorial, click on [Cancel].

You can now begin to write your new SheerPower program inside the new document window.

Copy and paste or type the following program into the new menu.spsrc file inside SPDEV.

Note The examples show how commands or statements are used. Wherever possible, the example is a full program rather than a program fragment. You are encouraged to type in (or copy/paste) the SheerPower examples into SPDEV throughout this manual and try running them.

Example 1-1 Menu Program

do line input menu '"calculator" = calc,"DOS prompt" = dos,"exit"': ans$ if _exit then exit do select case ans$ case 'CALC' pass nowait: 'calc' case 'DOS' pass nowait: '$$' end select loop end

RUN this program by clicking on the Run icon in the SPDEV toolbar---the running man.

The following menu will appear:

Click on the word calculator in the menu. The program will run your Windows calculator program.

Click on DOS prompt in the menu. The program will run the MS DOS Prompt (or Command Prompt) program.

Click on exit or the [X] to close the menu. The console window will appear. Close it by typing in exit and pressing [Enter], or by clicking on the [X] in the top right corner of the window.