Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Tip of the Day #2: Managing External Form File Applications
Supported Versions: . R:BASE 7.6 for Windows (Build: 7.6.1.30323 or higher) . R:BASE C/S:I 7.6 for Windows (Build: 7.6.1.30323 or higher) . R:BASE Turbo V-8 for Windows (Build: 8.0.15.30323 or higher) The External Form Designer to create External Form File is an innovative tool for your custom R:BASE applications. It combines the power and flexibility of a GUI to provide virtually infinite options in design. It combines the power and flexibility of an R:BASE form, without the need to be connected to a database. It is a totally portable external form file with every control and anything you can imagine, except Database Controls. A typical External Form File application would be to create a switchboard style application. Each button or control may CONNECT or DISCONNECT any database locally or on the network and run the entire application. When you close the application, the control returns back to the switchboard form. The entire code may be embedded and secured within the form. External Form Files are saved with the file extension (.rff). Once designed and tested, you may file-associate the R:BASE Form Files with (.rff) extension and run the form by simply double clicking on the file, or use the following new commands if you wish to execute from within R:BASE. -- To Run R:BASE External Form File REFF externalformfile.rff -- To Design R:BASE External Form File in Form Designer DEFF externalformfile.rff -- To Run R:BASE External Form File using a shortcut on desktop Shortcut Properties: Example (R:BASE 7.6): Target: C:\RBTI\RBG76\RBG76.exe "RSwitchboard.rff" Start in: \yourdefaultfoldername Example (R:BASE Turbo V-8): Target: C:\RBTI\RBG8\RBG8.exe "RSwitchboard.rff" Start in: \yourdefaultfoldername -- Managing External Form Files using Database Explorer Database Explorer includes a separate menu item to manage External Form Files, including: . New . Run . Design . Copy . Rename . Delete Imagine the possibilities! Very Best R:egards, Razzak.
