The Clipper conversion process

Data Based Advisor

November 01, 1993 | Gutierrez, Dan D.

If you're new to the Clier environment, you may nee! to ta"e an e#i$tin% #&a$e 'mo$t any
!iale(t a$t or re$ent) or Clipper *ummer '+, relea$e ali(ation an! %ive it a fa(elift by ma"in%
it (omatible with the late$t ver$ion of C-.Clipper. In thi$ arti(le, I'll refer to the (urrent ver$ion
a$ $imly /Clipper./

I, er$onally, en0oy 'an! $en! a $i%nifi(ant art of my (on$ultin% ra(ti(e) imrovin% e#i$tin%
ali(ation$ by (han%in% !ate! #&a$e metho!olo%ie$ to more (ontemorary /Clier (ool/
te(hni1ue$. I no lon%er a%ree to mo!ify *ummer '+, $y$tem$ without !oin% a full Clier
(onver$ion. 2he 0u$tifi(ation for thi$ attitu!e (enter$ aroun! my belief that future !eveloment an!
maintenan(e will be more $treamline! an! (o$t effe(tive on(e a more robu$t lan%ua%e (ome$ into
lay..whi(h, in my oinion, 0u$tifie$ the (onver$ion (o$t u front.

In thi$ arti(le, I e#lore the in$ an! out$ of $u(h a (onver$ion. 3ou'll nee! to !raw on your ba$i(
"nowle!%e of (urrent ver$ion Clipper lan%ua%e feature$, ro%rammin% (on$tru(t$, an! te(hni1ue$,
mo$t of whi(h we've (overe! in a$t (olumn$.

Levels of conversion

2he fir$t thin% to (on$i!er when you !e(i!e to move an e#i$tin% (o!e ba$e to Clipper, i$ how
!etaile! a (onver$ion i$ re1uire!. 2here are $everal way$ to ro(ee!4

Enough for an OBJ

2hi$ metho! yiel!$ the 1ui("e$t re$ult$, but in the lon% run, i$ the lea$t benefi(ial. 5ere, you
u$e Clipper'$ (omatibility with *ummer '+, an! !&a$e III 678*, alon% with a few a!0u$tment$
!ue to a minority of un$uorte! (omman!$, an! (ome u with a $u((e$$ful (omile an! re$ultin%
9&: file. 2rue, you're now u$in% the mo$t (urrent ver$ion of Clipper, but you aren't u$in% any of
the feature$ that ma"e it a better !eveloment latform.

Unobtrusive conversion

Goin% !own thi$ ath, you $et the $ta%e for a full (onver$ion by u$in% (ontemorary Clier
te(hni1ue$ only where imme!iately obviou$, leavin% ol!er metho!$ for another !ay.

Full conversion

2hi$ i$ the mo$t !iffi(ult, but %enerally yiel!$ the mo$t favorable re$ult$. 5ere, you %o all the way,
$o to $ea", by intro!u(in% ra%%e! array$, built.in (la$$e$, (o!e blo("$, et(. into the new
ali(ation. 2he balan(e of thi$ arti(le fo(u$e$ on thi$ aroa(h.

Steps toard conversion

2o ro(ee! with a $eamle$$, trouble.free evolution to the Clipper lan%ua%e, follow thi$ (he(" li$t.
If you ay attention to all the$e item$, you'll a(hieve a full (onver$ion. I've al$o thrown in a few
item$ that romote an imrove! (o!in% $tyle, whi(h, when (arrie! forwar! with the full (onver$ion,
yiel!$ very rewar!in% re$ult$.

!ungarian "otation

- arti(ularly %oo! time to intro!u(e 5un%arian notation in an e#i$tin% ali(ation i$ !urin% the
(onver$ion. 2hi$ way you (an better mana%e the e#an!e! number of !ata tye$ available in
Clipper, e$e(ially when !ealin% with array$, (o!e blo("$, an! ob0e(t$.

8$in% 5un%arian notation al$o la(e$ ne(e$$ary limitation$ on #&a$e'$ inherent /!ynami( tyin%/
fa(ility whereby a variable'$ !ata tye (an be (han%e! by $imly a$$i%nin% it a value of a !ifferent
tye. Con$i!er the (o!e $e%ment below4

; In #&a$e you (an !efine a (hara(ter variable an!
; then rea$$i%n to a numeri(.

mZipCode = '90278'
mZipCode = 90024 && Type re-assignment!


; <ith 5un%arian notation, thi$ (an t haen if you follow the rule$.

cZipCode = '90278' // 'c' prefix allows only char.
nZipCode = 90024 // Another memvar is required, this time with a 'n' prefix.

3ou'll fin! that a lot of le%a(y #&a$e an! *ummer '+, ali(ation$ u$e e#(e$$ive !ynami( tyin%.
2he (onver$ion ro(e$$ i$ a %oo! time to ferret out the e#(e$$ive !ynami( tyin% to %et a more
$table (o!e ba$e.

<hen !ealin% with Clipper, you $houl! al$o (ontemlate e#li(itly !e(larin% all memvar$ in LOCAL
or STATIC $tatement$. 2hi$ way, there will be one (entral la(e to (he(" for a variable'$ e#i$ten(e
an! it$ $ole !ata tye.

Clipper Operators

7e%a(y #&a$e (o!e may nee! an imortant fa(elift with Clipper'$ $erie$ of $treamline! oerator$.
5ere'$ a li$t of the$e oerator$4

#$ a$$i%nment
%%, && re. an! o$t.in(rement=!e(rement
%$, &$, '$, ($, )$, (omoun! a$$i%nment
$$ e#a(t e1uality
* +"OT *$ not e1ual

Intro!u(in% the$e oerator$ !urin% a (onver$ion i$ imortant for many rea$on$. 6robably the mo$t
imortant of the$e rea$on$ (enter$ aroun! the ability to embe! them a$ /in.line/ e#re$$ion$ in
lo%i(al e#re$$ion$, arameter li$t$, an! (o!e blo("$.

2he !ate! STORE (omman! fin!$ a rela(ement by the (omoun! a$$i%nment oerator, yiel!in% a
more rea!able form4

; >ir$t an ?ba$e ver$ion

STORE O TO nCount1, nCount2, nCount3

; Now in Clipper

nCount1 := nCount2 := nCount3 := 0

Co,piling ith (-

<henever (omilin% a 6@G with Clipper, e$e(ially !urin% the initial $ta%e$ of a (onver$ion, I
re(ommen! u$in% the (- (omiler $wit(h. &eware thou%h, a$ a !elu%e of warnin% me$$a%e$ will
en$ue. 2hi$ tell$ you how the (omiler really feel$ about your ro%ram. 3our %oal $houl! be to %et
a (lean (omile 'i.e., no error$ or warnin%$). 9ne otentially annoyin% $i!e affe(t of Clipper i$ the
ubli( array GetList whi(h i$ referen(e! by many (omman!$. 2hi$ referen(e %enerate$ warnin%
me$$a%e$. 3ou (an eliminate the warnin%$ by la(in% a MEMVAR GetList $tatement in ea(h
ro%ram that the (omiler !ia%no$e$ with a warnin%.

Shortcutting

2he !efault ro(e$$ of /lo%i(al oerator $hort(uttin%/ in Clipper may leave le%a(y #&a$e $y$tem$
runnin% !ifferently than before. *hort(uttin% involve$ $ituation$ where a lo%i(al e#re$$ion i$n't
evaluate! (omletely 'a$ an otimization te(hni1ue), (au$in% in(orre(t re$ult$. Con$i!er the
followin% e#amle4

IF lDelinq .AND. Fees() < ...
Statements > ...
ENDIF

5ere, if the lo%i(al value of lDelin% i$ .>., Clipper !oe$n't evaluate the re$t of the e#re$$ion,
namely (all the >ee$') 8D> $in(e the value of the e#re$$ion ha$ been !etermine! be(au$e lDelin1
i$ fal$e. 8nfortunately, >ee$') may erform an imortant (al(ulation. >ee$') woul! have been
(alle! in other lan%ua%e$, in(lu!in% *ummer '+,. 3ou (an turn off $hort(uttin% for (omatibility
uro$e$ by $e(ifyin% the (. (omiler $wit(h, but it'$ re(ommen!e! !urin% the (onver$ion
ro(e$$ to re.write the offen!in% lo%i(al e#re$$ion$ to ta"e a!vanta%e of $hort(uttin%. In our
e#amle, we $ee the e1uivalent (o!e4

LReturn := Fees() // Call Fees() no matter what
IF lDelinq .AND. lReturn // Now shortcutting OK.


TBrose and TBColu,n

9ne $ellin% oint for Clipper i$ it$ TBrowse an! TBColumn re!efine! (la$$e$ that to%ether rovi!e
for an a!van(e!, ob0e(t.ba$e!, !ata brow$in% te(hnolo%y. >or *ummer '+, ali(ation$, all
o((urren(e$ of DBEDIT() $houl! be (onverte! 'Clipper li$t$ DBEDIT() a$ a (omatibility fun(tion)
to a TBrowse e1uivalent. 2hi$ may be a !iffi(ult ro(e$$, e$e(ially if DBEDIT()'$ u$er fun(tion
arameter wa$ u$e!. Convertin% from other #&a$e lan%ua%e$ involve$ ta"in% the BROWSE
(omman!'$ fun(tionality an! (omin% u with $omethin% $imilar in Clipper.

The /reprocessor

<herever aroriate, you $houl! (on$i!er u$in% the feature$ of the rero(e$$or. 2hi$ in(lu!e$
u$in% manife$t (on$tant$ in$tea! of memory variable (on$tant$, u$in% the re!efine! manife$t
(on$tant$ foun! in the $tan!ar! Clipper hea!er file$ 'e$e(ially "ey !efinition$ li"e ABC*C, AB86,
et(.), an! intro!u(in% $eu!o fun(tion$ to rela(e $imle 8D>$.

In the (a$e of lo%i(al (on$tant$, COMMON.CH (ontain$ two very u$eful (on$tant !efinition$4

#define TRUE .T.
#define FALSE .F.

I've foun! that TRUE an! FALSE ma"e for mu(h more rea!able lo%i(al e#re$$ion$.

0evised scoping(lifeti,e

2hi$ i$ one of the mo$t imortant area$ !urin% the (onver$ion ro(e$$ an! often the mo$t !iffi(ult.
Dany #&a$e an! *ummer '+, ali(ation$ have be(ome e#tremely tan%le! !ue to the mi$u$e of the
#&a$e lan%ua%e'$ ability to /wil!ly inherit/ variable$ o$$e$$in% a PRIVATE $(oe. >or e#amle, I've
$een $y$tem$ that !e(lare a rivate memvar, a$$i%n it a value, an! not refer to it until it rea(he$ a
mo!ule five level$ !ee in the (allin% (hain. 2hi$ i$ an abu$e of the inheritan(e of rivate$,
e$e(ially if that lower level mo!ule i$ (alle! by other mo!ule$.

In Clipper, you $houl! !e(lare re%ular memvar$ a$ LOCAL an! a$$ them to $ubro%ram$ a$
arameter$ in$tea! of !een!in% on their inheritan(e.

2here are $ome in$tan(e$ where limite! $(ale inheritan(e i$ a((etable, namely for !ata.entry
ro%ram$ that i$$ue GET$ for memvar$ an! (all $ub$i!iary mo!ule$ to $(atter an!=or %ather
!ataba$e fiel! (ontent$ 'althou%h u$in% array$ i$ more effi(ient).

Durin% a (onver$ion, you $houl! try to eliminate all PRIVATE$ an! PUBLIC$ in favor of the le#i(ally
$(oe! LOCAL an! STATIC 'in(lu!in% file.wi!e $tati($).

@emember that a file.wi!e $tati( %ive you the $ame lifetime a$ a PUBLIC 'i.e., forever), but it$
$(oe i$ limite! to $ubro%ram$ in the (urrent 6@G file. If you truly nee! /%lobally $(oe!/
variable$, tho$e that are "nown everywhere an! live forever, u$e PUBLIC$. Da"e $ure you !e(lare
PUBLIC$ in the Dain') mo!ule

Functioni1e

Contemorary u$e of the Clipper lan%ua%e $ay$ you $houl! (on$i!er /fun(tionizin%/ all ro%ram
mo!ule$. 3ou (an %rou relate! $ubro%ram$ in a $in%le 6@G file an! en(lo$e ea(h mo!ule in either
a FUNCTION or PROCEDURE !e(laration. 3ou (an treat the PROCEDURE form of $ubro%ram a$ a
fun(tion, (allin% it a$ a fun(tion. 2hi$ way the arameter a$$in% te(hni1ue$ are the $ame for both
form$ of $ubro%ram$. 2he only !ifferen(e i$ that a 8D> return$ a value an! a ro(e!ure !oe$n't.
2he mo$t imortant thin% i$ to %et ri! of the DO/WITH $tyle of ro(e!ure (all$. @emember, when
u$in% thi$ $ubro%ram $tyle, you nee! the =N (omiler $wit(h.

Eli,inate ,acros

2here are u$ually many oortunitie$ to eliminate ma(ro$ in favor of (o!e blo("$. 3ou'll fin! that
many ol!er #&a$e an! *ummer '+, ali(ation$ %o overboar! with the 2 ma(ro oerator. In
Clipper, you (an avoi! u$in% ma(ro$ by otin% for e#ten!e! e#re$$ion$ a$ in4

LOCAL cDatabase := 'Orders'

; In$tea! of4

USE &cDatabase

; we (an !o the followin%4

USE (cDatabase) // Extended expression

? (cDatabase)->CustNo //Also with alias notation.

Co!e blo("$ al$o offer an oortunity to avoi! ma(ro$ in (ertain $ituation$, a$ in4

LOCAL cSelection := 'Grade > 80
LOCAL nTotGrade

; In$tea! of4

SUM Class->Grade TO nTotGrade FOR &cSelection

; we (an !o the followin%4

bSelection := { || Grade > 80 }

SUM Class->Grade TO nTotGrade FOR EVAL (bSelection)

2he (hallen%e i$ to re(o%nize when to $ub$titute a (o!e blo(" for a ma(ro.

Use the enhanced arra3 facilities

Dany of the (o!in% !e(i$ion$ an! ra(ti(e$ that were art of ol!er ali(ation$ may have been
ba$e! on the limitation$ or ab$en(e of array $tru(ture$. <hen (onvertin%, the$e !e(i$ion$ $houl!
be re(on$i!ere! an! the ra%%e! array aroa(h alie!. In a!!ition, the array ro(e$$in%
(aabilitie$ in the variou$ built.in array fun(tion$ $houl! be u$e! whenever o$$ible. &e aware,
however, that intro!u(in% array$ to a ro%ram that !i!n't reviou$ly u$e them, normally re1uire$ a
re.write.

2he har!e$t art in alyin% Clipper'$ array te(hnolo%y i$ in re(o%nizin% when the ro%ram nee!$
array$. 9ften the nee! 0um$ out at you a$ in4

IF nCounty == 1
nTaxAmt := nPrice * nTaxRate1
ELSEIF nCounty == 2
nTaxAmt := nPrice * nTaxRate2
ELSEIF nCounty == 3
nTaxAmt := nPrice * nTaxRate3
. .<statements>.

5ere, an array (an $horten an! (larify the (o!e (on$i!erably a$ in4

LOCAL aTaxRate[26] // Array of tax rates
nTaxAmt := nPrice * aTaxRate[nCounty]

Database functions

- "nowle!%e of Clipper'$ ability to have the rero(e$$or tran$late many !ataba$e.oriente!
(omman!$ to their built.in fun(tion e1uivalent$ '$ee *2D.C5), $he!$ li%ht on an alternate way of
writin% Clipper (o!e..(allin% the !ataba$e fun(tion$ !ire(tly. 2hu$, the followin% *ummer '+, (o!e
mi%ht evolve in thi$ manner4

; *ummer '+, ver$ion

SET SOFTSEEK ON
mName = 'Gorham'
SEEK mName
DO WHILE Customer->Name = mName .AND. .NOT. EOF()
? Customer -> Name, Customer -> Zip
SKIP
ENDDO

=; Clier ver$ion ;=

LOCAL cName
DBSEEK(cName, TRUE) // 2nd parm indicates a softseek
WHILE Customer->Name == cName .AND. !EOF()
QOUT(Customer->Name)
QQOUT (Customer->Zip)
DBSKIP()
END

2he only %ain in (allin% !ataba$e fun(tion$ !ire(tly i$ that they may be alia$e! a$ in

Employee->(DBSKIP()).

Using the order ,anage,ent s3ste,

Clipper ha$ a va$tly imrove! $y$tem for or!erin% !ata in a !ataba$e file whi(h i$ ba$e! aroun! it$
@DD 'rela(eable !ataba$e !river) te(hnolo%y. New (on(et$ $u(h a$ or!er$, or!er ba%$, an! or!er
li$t$, rovi!e (omatibility with in!e#in% $(heme$ for !&-*C IE, >o#6ro, an! 6ara!o#. *o if the
*ummer '+, $y$tem you've been !ealin% with wa$ ben!in% over ba("war! to %et thi$ (omatibility,
the roa! i$ now mu(h $moother.

Other orth3 ,entions

5ere are a few mi$(ellaneou$ item$ you may (on$i!er when !oin% a Clipper (onver$ion4 Get ri! of
ob$olete (omman!$ $u(h a$4

CALL CANCEL CLEAR ALL DIR FIND NOTE RESTORE SCREEN SAVE SCREEN SET COLOR SET EXACT
SET EXCLUSIVE SET FORMAT SET PROCEDURE SET UNIQUE STORE TEXT/ENDTEXT WAIT

8$e the SET() fun(tion to $ave an! re$tore Clipper $ettin%$. >or e#amle4

Fin(lu!e '$et.(h' == *ave (urrent (ur$or $ettin% uon entry.

LOCAL LCursorSave := SET(_SET_CURSOR, 0)
. .<statements>.
SET(_SET_CURSOR, LCursorSave) // Restore before leaving.

Convert all >D2 $(reen form$ an! >@D reort form$ to native Clipper (o!e. 2hi$ ma"e$ them mu(h
more fle#ible for han!lin% future re1uirement$, it al$o remove$ the !een!en(e on e#ternal file$
'e.%., >D2$ an! >@D$).


4n su,,ar3

<ith the ti$ outline! in thi$ arti(le, you $houl! have a retty $oli! i!ea of what you're u a%ain$t
when ma"in% the ro%re$$ion to the Clipper G.H lan%ua%e. 2he ro(e$$ may $eem ar!uou$ at
time$, but the benefit$ outwei%h the !iffi(ultie$. 9ne la$t wor! to (onvin(e you a (onver$ion will
a$$i$t future !eveloment en!eavor$ i$ that the (omin% C-.Ei$ual 9b0e(t$ <in!ow$ environment
(ontain$ all the feature$ !efine! here. Da"in% a tran$ition from Clier to C-.E9 will be all the le$$
ainful if you $tart mi%ratin% your (o!e to a better way now.

htt4==www.a((e$$mylibrary.(om=(om$H=$ummaryB0H+I.9H+H3JHBI2D