SheerPower® 4GL
A Guide to the SheerPower Language
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DESCRIPTION:

SET SCROLL statement sets up a scrolling region from line num_expr1 to line num_expr2.

11.12.1 RANDOMIZE

FORMAT:


        RANDOMIZE

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-17 Randomize statement 

  randomize
  x = rnd 
  print x 
  end
 
run
.244013674718 
 
        
run
.524856061388

PURPOSE:

RANDOMIZE gives the RND function a new starting point. This ensures a different random number sequence each time a program executes.

DESCRIPTION:

SheerPower uses a list of random numbers when the RND function is used. If no RANDOMIZE statement is used, SheerPower starts at the same place in this list each time the program executes. This means the same series of random numbers is returned each time the program executes.

RANDOMIZE tells SheerPower to pick a random starting point in the list. This ensures that a different series of random numbers is returned each time the program executes. (See Section 6.1.12, RND for information on the RND function.)

11.13 ASK | SET SEED

FORMAT:


        ASK SEED num_var 
        SET SEED num_expr

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-18 ASK/SET SEED statement 

  randomize
  ask seed seed_num 
  for i = 1 to 3 
    print rnd(1000) 
  next i 
  print 'Reset the random sequence' 
  set seed seed_num 
  for i = 1 to 3 
    print rnd(1000) 
  next i 
  end
 
 
608 
88 
506 
Reset the random sequence 
608 
88 
506

PURPOSE:

ASK SEED sets or resets the pseudo-random number sequence.

DESCRIPTION:

ASK SEED returns the current starting point of a pseudo-random sequence and stores the number in num_var.

SET SEED sets the starting point of a pseudo-random sequence with the number in num_expr.

11.14 ASK | SET SYSTEM

There are a number of ASK SYSTEM and SET SYSTEM statements. These are described in the following sections. The ASK/SET statements ask about and set various system operation features.

11.14.1 ASK SYSTEM: COMMENT

FORMAT:


        ASK SYSTEM: COMMENT str_var

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-19 ASK SYSTEM: COMMENT statement 

  set system: comment 'Invoice Entry' 
  ask system: comment c$ 
  print c$ 
  end
 
 
Invoice Entry

DESCRIPTION:

The ASK SYSTEM: COMMENT statement asks for the SheerPower operating system comment for the process.

11.14.2 SET SYSTEM: COMMENT

FORMAT:


        SET SYSTEM: COMMENT str_expr

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-20 SET SYSTEM: COMMENT statement 

  set system: comment 'Invoice Entry' 
  ask system: comment c$ 
  print c$ 
  end
 
 
Invoice Entry

11.14.3 ASK SYSTEM: DIRECTORY

FORMAT:


        ASK SYSTEM: DIRECTORY str_var

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-21 ASK SYSTEM: DIRECTORY statement 

  ask system: directory z$ 
  print 'Current directory is: '; z$ 
  end
 
 
 Current directory is: c:/sheerpower

DESCRIPTION:

ASK SYSTEM: DIRECTORY asks the operating system for the current default device and directory.

11.14.4 SET SYSTEM: DIRECTORY

FORMAT:


        SET SYSTEM: DIRECTORY str_var

Important note on the following example:
The following example assumes that you have a folder named "examples" inside of your SheerPower folder [c:\SheerPower\examples].

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-22 ASK SYSTEM: DIRECTORY statement 

  ask system: directory z0$ 
  print 'Current directory     '; z0$ 
  set system: directory 'c:\sheerpower\examples' 
  ask system: directory z1$ 
  print 'Directory set to      '; z1$ 
  delay 2 
  set system: directory z0$ 
  print 'Directory set back to '; z0$ 
  end
 
 
Current directory      c:\sheerpower 
Directory set to       c:\sheerpower\examples 
Directory set back to  c:\sheerpower

DESCRIPTION:

SET SYSTEM: DIRECTORY sets the default device and directory.

11.14.5 ASK SYSTEM, LOGICAL: VALUE

FORMAT:


        ASK SYSTEM, LOGICAL str_expr: VALUE str_var

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-23 ASK SYSTEM, LOGICAL: VALUE statement 

  ask system, logical "SheerPower": value scr$ 
  print '"SheerPower" points to: '; scr$ 
  end
 
 
"SheerPower" points to: c:\SHEERPOWER\

DESCRIPTION:

ASK SYSTEM, LOGICAL asks the operating system to translate the logical name in str_expr and place the result into the variable specified by str_var.

11.14.6 SET SYSTEM, LOGICAL: VALUE

FORMAT:


        SET SYSTEM, LOGICAL str_expr1: VALUE str_expr2

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-24 SET SYSTEM, LOGICAL: VALUE statement 

  set system, logical 'SheerPower': value 'c:\sheerpower\examples\tester' 
  ask system, logical 'SheerPower': value z$ 
  print 'Logical set to '; z$ 
  end
 
 
Logical set to c:\sheerpower\examples\tester

DESCRIPTION:

SET SYSTEM, LOGICAL: VALUE statement sets the operating system logical name in str_expr1 to the value in str_expr2.

You can also set logical values by editing the SP4GL.INI file, creating a [logicals] section, then defining the logical. For example:

Example 11-25 Set Logicals in SP4GL.INI 

  [logicals] 
  mylogical=c:\somewhere

11.14.7 ASK SYSTEM: MODE

FORMAT:


        ASK SYSTEM: MODE str_var

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-26 ASK SYSTEM: MODE statement 

  ask system: mode process_mode$ 
  print 'Process Mode: '; process_mode$ 
  end 
 
 
Process mode: BATCH

DESCRIPTION:

ASK SYSTEM: MODE statement returns the mode of the process which is one of the following:

INTERACTIVE
BATCH
NETWORK
OTHER

11.14.8 ASK SYSTEM: PARAMETER

FORMAT:


        ASK SYSTEM: PARAMETER str_var

Note

ASK SYSTEM: PARAMETER works only in Windows 2000 and Windows NT.

EXAMPLE:

Example 11-27 ASK SYSTEM: PARAMETER statement 

  ask system: parameter param$ 
  print 'Parameter was: '; param$ 
  delay
  end
 
 
 
c:\sheerpower> test.spsrc hello  <---- type in 'test.spsrc hello' at the Command (DOS) 
                                       prompt to run this program. 
                                       
Parameter was: hello             <---- this will appear in the console window

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