SheerPower® 4GL
A Guide to the SheerPower Language


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EXAMPLE:

Example 15-3 OPEN STRUCTURE

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client', & 
    access input, lock    
  extract structure cl 
    include cl(state) = 'CA' 
    exclude cl(phone)[1:3] = '619' 
    sort ascending by cl(last) 
  end extract
  print 'List of California clients by last name' 
  for each cl 
    print cl(first); ' '; cl(last), cl(phone) 
  next cl 
  close structure cl 
  end
 
 
List of California clients by last name 
Dale Derringer      (818) 223-9014 
Earl Errant         (408) 844-7676 

DESCRIPTION:

The OPEN STRUCTURE statement is used to open a data structure. The structure must be open in order to reference data in the structure (i.e. change field data, add or delete records). struc_name is a name (i.e. nickname) you assign to the structure. You use this name to refer to the structure within the program. The structure name must be unique within the program or program system. If the structure name is associated with another open structure, an exception is generated. The structure name must meet the requirements for variable names.

After the keyword NAME, is the file specification of the structure file being opened. (See Chapter 16, Database Setup for information on legal structure file names.) The file specification can be any valid string expression.

The ACCESS option tells SheerPower whether to open the structure for input (reading field data) or for input and output (reading, changing and adding field data). ACCESS input is the default open mode for structures, meaning, that if no ACCESS option is provided, SheerPower opens the structure for INPUT.

When SheerPower executes the OPEN statement, it searches for the structure file specified. SheerPower opens the structure and assigns it the structure name. If the structure file does not exist, an exception is generated.

15.2.1 ACCESS Option

The ACCESS option determines how you can access the structure.

The access options are:

15.2.2 LOCK Option

The LOCK option causes SheerPower to lock the structure from write access by others. As long as the structure is open, the structure cannot be modified by others. This can speed up SheerPower's structure statements (EXTRACTs especially). The particular effect depends on the file management system being used.

15.2.3 DATAFILE Option

The DATAFILE option overrides the default datafile as specified by the structure.

FORMAT:


        DATAFILE file_spec 

file_spec is the file specification of the data file you want to open. The file_spec can be any string expression.

15.3 CLOSE STRUCTURE struc_name

FORMAT:


        CLOSE STRUCTURE struc_name 

EXAMPLE:

Example 15-4 CLOSE STRUCTURE

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client' 
  extract structure cl 
    include cl(state) = 'CA' 
    exclude cl(phone)[1:3] = '619' 
    sort ascending by cl(last) 
  end extract
  print 'List of California Clients' 
  for each cl 
    print cl(first); ' '; cl(last), cl(phone) 
  next cl 
  close structure cl 
  end
 
 
List of California Clients 
Dale Derringer      (818) 223-9014 
Earl Errant         (408) 844-7676 

DESCRIPTION:

CLOSE STRUCTURE closes a structure from further access. Once the structure is closed, you cannot reference records or add them, and you cannot change field data. struc_name is the name associated with the structure, the name assigned with the OPEN statement.

You can use the statement CLOSE ALL to close all open structures and other files.

15.4 ADD STRUCTURE

FORMAT:


        ADD STRUCTURE struc_name 
              ---                    
          [LET] struc_name(field) = expr 
              --- 
        END ADD 

EXAMPLE:

Example 15-5 ADD STRUCTURE/END ADD - Add structure record

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client', access outin
  input 'Enter ID number': id% 
  input 'Enter last name': last$ 
  input 'Enter first name': first$ 
  input 'Enter state': state$ 
  input 'Enter phone': phone$ 
  add structure cl 
    print
    print 'Adding '; last$; ', '; first$ 
    let cl(id) = id% 
    let cl(last) = last$ 
    let cl(first) = first$ 
    let cl(state) = state$ 
    let cl(phone) = phone$ 
  end add        
  close structure cl 
  end
 
 
Enter ID number? 12233 
Enter last name? Jones 
Enter first name? Tom 
Enter state? NV 
Enter phone? 2345556161 
 
Adding Jones, Tom 

DESCRIPTION:

ADD STRUCTURE adds a record to a structure. The ADD STRUCTURE statement begins the add block. struc_name is the name associated with the structure that the record is going to be added to. END ADD marks the end of the block.

When ADD STRUCTURE is executed, SheerPower executes the block of code between the ADD STRUCTURE statement and END ADD. This block of code with LET statements is used to put data into the fields.

LET assigns a value to the field specified. struc_name(field) specifies a field in the structure. expr is an expression. When SheerPower executes the LET statement, it evaluates the expression and assigns the value of this expression to the field specified. END ADD writes out the new record.

15.4.1 CANCEL ADD

FORMAT:


        CANCEL ADD 

EXAMPLE:

Example 15-6 CANCEL ADD - Cancel adding a structure record

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client', access outin
  add structure cl 
    input 'Client ID': cl(id) 
    if  _exit  then cancel add
    input 'Last name': cl(last) 
    if  _exit  then cancel add
    input 'First name': cl(first) 
    if  _exit  then cancel add
    print 'Adding client' 
  end add
  end
 
 
Client ID? 14422 
Last name? White 
First name? exit 

DESCRIPTION:

CANCEL ADD immediately transfers control to the next statement after the END ADD statement, without adding any of the current record to a structure.

This statement can be used only within an ADD block---that is, between an ADD STRUCTURE and an END ADD pair of statements.

15.4.2 EXIT ADD

FORMAT:


        EXIT ADD 

EXAMPLE:

Example 15-7 EXIT ADD - Exit when adding a structure record

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client', access outin
  add structure cl 
    input 'Client ID ': cl(id) 
    input 'Last name ': cl(last) 
    input 'First name': cl(first) 
    input 'Contact   ': cl(contact) 
    if  _exit  then exit add
    input 'Salesman  ': cl(salesman) 
    input 'Mother    ': cl(mother) 
    input 'Comment   ': cl(comment) 
  end add
  print 'Client added' 
  end
 
 
Client ID ? 11111 
Last name ? Hollerith 
First name? Herman 
Contact   ? exit 
Client added 

DESCRIPTION:

EXIT ADD transfers control immediately to the corresponding END ADD statement and ADDS the record to the structure.

This statement is useful when you want to add a record but do not have all the data. You can enter data into the first few fields and skip the rest of the fields.

15.5 DELETE STRUCTURE

FORMAT:


        DELETE STRUCTURE struc_name 

EXAMPLE:

Example 15-8 DELETE STRUCTURE - Delete structure record

  open structure cl: name 'sheerpower:samples\client', access outin
  add structure cl 
    input 'Client ID ': cl(id) 
    input 'Last name ': cl(last) 
    input 'First name': cl(first) 
    input 'Contact   ': cl(contact) 
    input 'State     ': cl(state) 
  end add
  print 'Client added' 
  delay  
  extract structure cl 
    include cl(state) = 'PA' 
  end extract
  // delete all clients from Pennsylvania 
  for each cl 
    print 'Deleting '; cl(first); ' '; cl(last) ;'...'; 
    delete structure cl 
    print 'record deleted' 
  next cl 
  close structure cl 
  end
 
 
Client ID ? 87433 
Last name ? Shores 
First name? Sandy 
Contact   ? 8435557373 
State     ? PA 
Client added 
Deleting Sandy Shores...record deleted 


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