Built-In Text Editor

Business Rules! utilizes a very simple text editor for program entry. The editor is available in the system as soon as you start up; all you need to do is type. The options and features of the text editor can be summarized as follows, however, it is recommended that you use a third party editor for a faster editing experience:

Changing a program line

Typing in the new line, beginning with the line number, can change program lines. You can use the List command to list and edit the line you wish to change; the change becomes permanent when you push Enter. Since Business Rules is interactive, you can even change most lines while execution of a program is temporarily stopped during ATTN, ERROR or STEP mode. In most cases, the change in the program line will take effect as soon as program execution has been resumed.

Clearing memory

Before starting anything new, we recommend that you type in the command CLEAR ALL to erase everything (programs and data) from temporary memory.

Clearing the screen

If you wish to work from a clean screen, type in the command Print Newpage (or, if you prefer, just NEWPAGE). This immediate mode statement will erase the contents of the screen without affecting anything in memory. Pressing the F4 key when Business Rules is in READY mode has the same effect.

Cursor movement

See Control Keys and Predefined Functions for a list of control keys and their functions.

Cut And Paste

The Business Rules program editor now has cut and paste capability. The F7 and F8 keys are used to accomplish the tasks of marking, copying, moving and pasting all or a portion of a program line or command. Their functions are described in detail below:

F7 (Mark/Copy)

Mark

Pressing F7 causes Business Rules! to mark the starting point of the text to be copied or moved. Business Rules highlights the starting position and mark is said to be active when F7 is pressed.

Copy

Pressing F7 when mark is active causes Business Rules! to copy the marked text into a scratch buffer. To help you confirm that the marked text has been copied, the message "x Bytes Saved" (where "x" represents the number of bytes) is displayed in the message area of the status line.

F8 (Move/Paste)

Move

Pressing F8 when mark is active causes Business Rules to move the marked text into a scratch buffer, deleting the marked text from the current line. To help you confirm that the marked text has been copied to the buffer, the message "x Bytes Saved" (where "x" represents the number of bytes) is displayed in the message area of the status line. Note that Business Rules does not enter the change to the current line. If a portion of the current line was deleted, you must press ENTER to save the deletion. If you wish to delete the entire line, you must still use the DEL command.

Paste

Pressing F8 when mark is not active causes Business Rules to insert the buffered text at the current cursor position. There is no limit to the number of times that buffered text may be pasted into a program.

Deleting a program line

Once a program line has been entered, the only way to remove it from temporary memory is to use the DEL command. Contrary from what you might expect, typing over a statement with a statement of a different line number does not delete the original; character-by-character deletion of a program line also does not remove it from memory. (In both cases, the line will reappear in a LIST of the program.)

Editing programs with an external editor

Requires Business Rules! 4.15+

In Business Rules! versions 4.15 or later, in addition to the built-in Business Rules! editor, you may optionally use an external text editor to enter and edit your programs. For complete details on using external text editors with Business Rules! programs see Edit.

"Entering" an instruction

Business Rules will not check the syntax, enter any statement, or execute any command until the typed-in instruction has been entered by the pressing of ENTER. Likewise, a change to a statement will not be retained unless the changed statement is entered by the pressing of ENTER.

Generating line numbers

Every program line must have a line number, but it isn't necessary for you to type in your own line numbers if you don't want to. The AUTO command can be used to automatically generate line numbers.

Listing the program

Business Rules LIST command allows you to view the complete contents of a program. This feature can be used both while Business Rules is in READY mode and while execution of a program has been temporarily stopped during ATTN, ERROR or STEP mode.

Merging programs

Use the MERGE command to combine all or part of a program on disk with the one in memory.

Moving program lines

Use the RENUM command to move several program lines from one part of the program to another.

Renumbering program lines

The RENUM command allows you to renumber all or some of the lines in a program. If you wish to change line numbers for the purpose of combining one program with another, see the MERGE command.

Repeating program lines

It is not necessary to repeatedly type in program lines which are very similar or which are identical except for their line numbers. Simply change the line numbers of the lines to be repeated (remembering always to press ENTER after each change). The old lines will be retained and the new lines will be entered; you can use the LIST command to Verify that each line was entered as you expected.

Saving a file

Use the SAVE command to save a file under a new name. Use the Replace (REP) command to replace an existing file with a newly edited version.

Save font size and position

The ability is now provided to save the font size and position for each session number. To access this feature, click on the upper left corner of the BR window.

Type-over vs. Insert mode

Business Rules defaults to the type-over mode, which means that typed characters replace the characters, which previously occupied the same position. If you wish to use insert mode (where typed characters are inserted between existing characters) you have to press the INS key. However, insert mode will remain in effect only until an up or down arrow or ENTER is pressed.

Interrupting a Program

The only way to interrupt a program while it is in execution is to press Ctrl-A (BR versions 3.9+)

Pressing Ctrl-A causes the program to go into ATTN mode. Other commands and immediate mode statements, including the STOP (St) and END (En) statements, may be executed from ATTN mode. The use of many debugging features -such as the LIST command, PRINT statements, editing of programming lines, STEP or TRACE modes and changing values of variables -are supported in ATTN mode. If the program is not ended with a command or immediate statement, entering GO causes program execution to resume.

Conventions Used In This Manual

<Help>

The symbol <HELP> is used to represent the key that accesses the Help facility. Business Rules is set up to access help with Ctrl-Y. Since this combination will frequently be remapped, however, we have chosen to use <HELP> to refer to the appropriate key.

Uppercase VS Lowercase Letters

Throughout this manual, uppercase letters are generally used to denote the names of commands, statements, functions and other specifications. Uppercase is also used with the names of most files or programs except where the file or program being referred to is exclusively used with the Unix or Linux operating system. Regardless of your operating system, Business Rules accepts both uppercase and lowercase letters as identical except when they are used in a literal string. It defaults to displaying all but literal strings in uppercase (see the BRConfig.sys STYLE specification to change this default).

Diagram Rules

Syntax diagrams show the optional and required parameters for statements, commands and specifications. The following LINPUT statement diagram will serve as an example for the set of rules, which applies to all Business Rules syntax diagrams

Read from left to right

The logic and order of the syntax always flows from left to right.

Uppercase parameters are exact keywords

Items in solid uppercase letters (LINPUT) are keywords and must be typed in either letter-for-letter as they appear or with an allowable abbreviation (see keyword abbreviations for a complete list).

Lowercase parameters must be replaced

Items in lowercase letters (string-var) are specifically defined in the "Parameters" section, which follows each syntax diagram. When specified, these parameters must be replaced with a specification that fits the requirements of the definition.

Include special characters

Special characters, such as commas, colons and slashes (the colon in filenum:) must be included in the written statement.

Items on the main line are required

Items that appear on the main line of the diagram (string-var) must be included in the written statement. If you can follow the line of the diagram to the end without passing a parameter, it is optional.

Items above or below the line are optional

Items that appear above or below the main line of the diagram (error-cond line-ref) are optional.

Dotted line items with an arrow can be repeated

Items with a returning dotted line may be repeated. When multiple items are indicated, they must be separated with the punctuation mark (usually a comma or semi-colon).

Defaults are listed in brackets

Numbers that are enclosed in brackets (<1>) identify the default action or value, which is taken when nothing is specified for an optional parameter. These numbers correlate to the "Defaults" section of the text that describes the default action.

Insertable diagrams use ooo

Some of Business Rules commands and statements are so powerful that it is difficult to show all the available options in a single diagram. In cases such as this, a section of the diagram may be shown separately as an "insertable syntax". An example of this usage is the "helpstring" parameter that appears in several diagrams, including INPUT FIELDS. Another example is the "share spec" parameter (shown below). Insertable diagrams do not have start and end circles to prevent them from being confused with full syntax diagrams.

End of statement

The circle at the end of the diagram identifies the end of the statement.

Starting Business Rules - The BR Command

BR32.exe, more recently named BRNative.exe, is a computer file which is the Business Rules! start-up command for non-Client Server installations. BR32.exe can be executed only from the host operating system.

BR32.exe is also commonly known by the following names:

• BR.exe
• WB.exe
• WB32.exe
• BRNative.exe
• BRServer.exe

Comments and Examples

As BR32.exe is executed from the operating system, it is operating system dependent. In the next example, Business Rules! is started on a Windows system. Immediately after Business Rules! starts up, the Run command is executed and the MENU program begins to run:

BR32.exe "RUN MENU"

The BR command in the next example causes Business Rules! to start up at the same time that it assigns a workstation ID (WSID) of 42 and specifies altconfg.sys to be used as the BRConfig.sys file:

 br32.exe -42 -altconfg.sys

The BR command in the next example uses all the available specifications for a Windows version of Business Rules!. It causes a PROC command to be executed as soon as Business Rules! is started, assigns a WSID of 21 to the workstation, and identifies ALT6.SYS as the alternate BRConfig.sys file:

BR32.exe "PROC START" -21 -ALT6.SYS

Syntax

{br|BR} [{"<statement>"|"<command>"}] [{-WSID[+][<increment>]|-WSIDCLEAR|+<increment>}] [<file ref>]

Parameters

The top path represents Unix and Linux versions of Business Rules "br". Lowercase letters must be used to start up Business Rules from either of these systems.

The bottom path represents Windows versions. "BR" must be specified in either uppercase or lowercase letters.

A complete "statement" or "command" may follow the BR keyword. It will be executed as soon as Business Rules is entered. The use of quotation marks around the command or statement is not required, but it is highly recommended.

The "-xx" parameter represents the workstation ID. It may be a one or two-digit number from 01 to 99.

The "-file-ref" parameter allows you to specify the name of an alternate Business Rules configuration file (BRConfig.sys). The system automatically tries to access a file named BRConfig.sys when no other name is specified. All versions of Business Rules (except the single-user Windows version) must access a BRConfig.sys or alternate file that includes a DRIVES specification. If such a file cannot be accessed, the start-up will fail.

The -WSID parameter identifies the workstation ID that is to be assigned to this session. The actual specification must consist of a dash (-) followed by a workstation ID of up to three digits. If no -WSID parameter is specified, Business Rules automatically tries to assign a workstation ID of 1 to the session.

A plus symbol (+) may optionally follow the -WSID parameter to indicate that when the specified WSID is already in use, Business Rules should increment accordingly to create a new ID. If the plus symbol is followed by the increment parameter, the increment specified will be used when it is necessary to increment. If the plus symbol is used but increment is not specified, 1 is used as the incremental default. If no plus symbol is specified and the requested ID is already in use, an error results.

The increment parameter may be any whole number from 0 to 999. If the requested -WSID is not available to assign, Business Rules adds this specified increment to the ID requested and attempts to assign the resulting sum as the ID. If the result is also already in use, Business Rules continues to increment in the same fashion until an unused ID is found.

The -file-ref parameter identifies the name of an alternate Business Rules configuration (BRConfig.sys) file. This configuration file can contain important information that helps customize a number of configurable Business Rules and application options for the user. The actual specification must consist of a dash (-) followed by a path (optional) and file name. If -file-ref is not specified, Business Rules automatically looks for a file named BRConfig.sys and uses its contents as the configuration file.

Note that with more recent versions of Business Rules, the BR executable file may have a different name (NOT BR.exe). Additionally, you may rename the exe file to anything you like. This is especially handy if you have multiple BR versions on your computer. You might name them according to version or release number (i.e. BR41.exe, BR390k.exe, etc). If this is the case, simply start Business Rules by using the name of the executable file.

Defaults

1.) Do not load Business Rules! as a memory-resident task.

2.) 25.

3.) Enter Business Rules! without executing a command or statement.

4.) Assign a workstation ID of 01 on single-user systems; assign the workstation's hardware- dependent ID on Unix and Linux systems; assign according to sign-on order on Windows systems.

5.) Access BRConfig.sys from the default directory. (If not found, it will look for WBConfig.sys).

6.) Load Business Rules! without executing a command or statement.

7.) On single-user systems, assign a workstation ID of 01. On networks, assign ID numbers according to sign-on order.

8.) Use the specified WSID. If already in use, return an error.

9.) Use an increment of 1.

10.) Assume that the configuration file is named BRConfig.sys.

11.) At startup, the number of authorized users is displayed, in addition to the number of current users on the splash screen.

See Also

• BR32.exe Debug

Installing Business Rules

The Installation procedures for Business Rules! vary according to the operating system and hardware you will be using. See the Installation instructions that came with your Business Rules system for the appropriate procedure.

Location

The Windows icon Working Directory path specifies where the Windows BR32.EXE file resides. The location of the BR executable file is also the default location of BRCONFIG.SYS. The startup parameters on the Windows icon or the DOS or Unix command line can specify an alternate pathname for BRCONFIG.SYS. Simply begin the config filename with a minus sign. Br interprets it as a config file if it begins with a letter and is not a recognizable parameter.

WBSERVER.DAT

BRCONFIG.SYS can also specify the location of a WBSERVER.DAT file, which is created by BR!, and used for tracking workstation IDs. A BRCONFIG.SYS statement example

WBSERVER F:\\CENTRAL\\

The WBSERVER.DAT file must be common among the various workstations on a network in order for file sharing to work properly. BR produces error 4175 when a file is opened by the second of two workstations that use different WBSERVER.DAT files.

Fonts

In versions 3.8-4.0 BR requires its own font to be installed. This is available in the Other Utilities section of the web site. If you don't install it you may notice horizontal lines, like underlines on your screen, especially when you resize the window. To install a font, go to the Control Panel Font Manager and add the font.

Printer Spool Settings

Windows clients that print to a local printer should go to Start Settings Printers File Properties Details Spool-Settings and set the Spool Data Format (default EMF) to RAW. Otherwise all data spooled through the Windows print manager will be dropped. The print manager can also be bypassed with "SUBSTITUTE PRN:/10 LPT1:".

INSTALL SHIELD CHANGES

After the License Approval, the installation location is confirmed with a browse option and the automatic creation of any missing directories. This much is unchanged.

If the user selects a new location, it is now properly honored by the installation setup. However, no changes are made to any user provided configuration files. This means YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER DRIVE STATEMENTS IN A BRCONFIG.SYS FILE PLACED ON THE INSTALLATION MEDIA prior to installation. These must specify the directories to be used AFTER installation.

To support updating with Install Shield

If a BRConfig.sys file HAS BEEN PROVIDED by the programmer

If a pre-existing BRConfig.sys file is found at the target location, the operator is asked if the new file should replace the existing file. THE DEFAULT ANSWER IS TO RETAIN THE CURRENT FILE. If the operator requests REPLACE then a backup (.BAK) copy is made before installing the new file.

If no pre-existing BRConfig.sys file is found the provided configuration file is installed.

If a BRConfig.sys file IS NOT PROVIDED by the programmer

If a pre-existing BRConfig.sys file is found, no configuration file changes are made by the installation process.

If no pre-existing BRConfig.sys file is found, the installation process creates a BRConfig.sys file consisting of only one drive statement.

Installshield now permits retention of a pre-existing BRConfig.sys file. During installation, the user will be asked if it should be overwritten.

Using Business Rules

Business Rules! must be installed on your system before you can start it. See the Installation instructions that came with your system for the proper procedure.

Once Business Rules! has been installed, you should make sure that the system is accessing the directory within which Business Rules resides.

Business Rules must be started from the host operating system with the br start-up command. Since the Unix and Linux operating systems are case sensitive, the command must be entered in lowercase on these systems.

The BR start-up command accepts some useful specifications that are outlined in the next section. If you are impatient to get started, however, the following commands show the shortest possible way to start Business Rules.

Under DOS and UNIX the BR startup command is simply br, under Windows the command is the name of your particular Business Rules executable file. For instance, if your Business Rules! program is BR32.exe, then you'd type in BR32 to start Business Rules!. This command can be connected to a desktop shortcut.

Version and Station Number

Information you should have at hand when you call for support

1.) What version of BR are you using: WBVERSION$ or STATUS

2.) What operating system version are you using

3.) What is your workstation id - WSID$

4.) What NetWork are you using

5.) What platform are you using?

6.) Serial number - serial

7.) Session Id - Session$

Message Area

The message area portion of the status line (columns 9- 37) contains information about what action is required from the programmer or operator in a particular situation.

Program Name

The program name portion of the status line (columns 49-56) displays the last eight characters of the name of the currently executing program.

Procedure Status

The procedure status portion of the status line (columns 58-59) displays information about the currently active procedure file. A "P" followed by a number that represents the nested level of the currently active procedure will appear in this position whenever a procedure or sub-procedure is being executed. When a program calls a procedure, or when a procedure is initiated with the PROC]] command, "P1" is displayed. If that procedure then calls another procedure, "P2" is displayed, and so on. When no procedure file is running this portion of the status line is blank.

Serial Number

The serial number portion of the status line (columns 61-69) always displays the serial number of the Business Rules system in use.

Quitting Business Rules

The only proper way to exit Business Rules is with the SYSTEM command. Use of this command returns all control to the operating system. Remember to save all important programs or data before using this command

The SYSTEM command followed by an executable name can also be used to temporarily "SHELL OUT" to another program and then return to Business Rules.

Row and Column / Release Number

On Windows versions of Business Rules, the row and column numbers of the cursor's current location appear in the ninth field (columns 75-79). The row number is displayed first, then a colon and the column number.

On Unix / Linux versions of Business Rules! (columns 76-79) display the Business Rules release number.

Special Syntax Consideration

In addition to the syntax described by syntax diagrams, Business Rules! commands may include a comment at the end of the command. At least one space and an exclamation point must separate the comment from the rest of the command (!).

The Status Line

Once you have entered Business Rules, you will see the Business Rules sign-on screen and some licensing information. You may press <CR> to hurry the presentation of the licensing information if you wish.

When the licensing information has left the screen, the status line will appear. The status line is the bottom or 25th line on the screen. Some Unix / Linux terminals do not fully support 25-line displays; if you are using one of these terminals, you will need to press the Esc key to see the status line except when an error occurs in which case the status line is displayed automatically.

For information about how to alter the information or attributes in the status line, see the STATUSLINE and SCREEN specifications in the BRConfig.sys chapter. See also the MSG$ function in the Functions chapter

Interrupting a Procedure

Procedure files may be interrupted in the same manner as identified above for a program. However, one difference is that pressing Ctrl-A causes a procedure file to interrupt and cancel the currently executing command. Typing CLEAR PROC ONLY while a procedure is interrupted will end it; typing GO will cause it to continue executing with the next command in the procedure.

Operating Mode

The operating mode portion of the status line (columns 1-7) contains information about what Business Rules is currently doing. Each of the different operating modes (described below) is identified with a message in this section of the status line.

ATTN

ATTN indicates that execution of a program has been interrupted as a result of pressing Ctrl-A. The last character in the 23rd line will be blank while a program is in ATTN mode; it will be restored when the program is resumed. While a program is in ATTN mode, you may execute many Business Rules commands, including LIST and PRINT. To resume execution, type GO.

CHAIN

CHAIN indicates that a program chain (as executed by the CHAIN statement) is in progress. No action is required.

ERROR

ERROR indicates that an execution or syntax error has occurred. When this message appears, a number that identifies the type of error appears in the error code field, and the number of the line where the error occurred appears in the line number field.

When a running program enters ERROR mode, execution temporarily stops so that you can both fix the error and continue by typing GO, or end the program (see the END and STOP statements and the CLEAR command for information about ending a program).

It is possible to execute most Business Rules instructions, including LIST (to see the program) and PRINT (to test the value of variables), while a program is in ERROR mode; this capability should aid you in determining the cause of an error.

HELP

HELP indicates that Business Rules is accessing the help facility either because the programmer or operator pressed the <HELP> or F1 key or because a program initiated access with the HELP$ function. See the Help Chapter Facility for more information.

If the help files have been installed on your Business Rules system, the help facility may be used to get immediate information about the cause of the error. If the error occurred from a running program, simply press the <HELP> key, and information about the error will appear on the screen. If the error occurred while program lines were being typed into Business Rules press the down arrow once and then press the <HELP> key; information about the error will appear on the screen.

HOLD

HOLD indicates that program execution is on hold because the Esc key was pressed. Business Rules will not accept keyboard input while it is in HOLD status. Pressing Esc again resumes execution.

INPUT

INPUT indicates that the program is waiting for data input as required by an INPUT, LINPUT, RINPUT, INPUT FIELDS or RINPUT FIELDS statement. When the required information is entered and <CR> or a function key is pressed, the program will continue.

INSERT

INSERT indicates that the Ins key has been pressed and INSERT mode is active. In this mode, typed characters insert themselves between existing characters at the position where they are typed. (When INSERT mode is not in effect, typed characters replace the characters, which previously occupied the same position.) To return to the normal keyboard mode, either press INS again or press <CR>.

LOAD

LOAD indicates that Business Rules is loading a program as specified by the LOAD command. No action is required.

PAUSE

PAUSE indicates that a program has encountered a PAUSE statement and is waiting for operator action. The last character in the 23rd line will be blank while a program is in PAUSE mode; it will be restored when the program is resumed. To resume execution, type GO.

PR-EDIT

PR-EDIT indicates that a program edit is in process. No action is required.

PROC

PROC indicates that a procedure file is being executed. If the cursor is on the last line of the screen, the procedure has been interrupted; type GO to resume execution.

READY

READY indicates that Business Rules is ready and waiting for program statements or a command to be typed in from the keyboard.

REPLACE

REPLACE indicates that the current program is being stored and will replace an existing program, as specified by the REPLACE command. No action is required.

RUN

RUN indicates that a program is being executed, as specified by the RUN command or CHAIN statement. No action is required.

SELECT

SELECT indicates the program is waiting for a menu selection as required by an INPUT SELECT or RINPUT SELECT statement. When the required information is entered and <CR> or a function key is pressed, the program will continue.

SAVE

SAVE indicates that the current program is being stored under a new file name, as specified by the SAVE command. No action is required.

STEP

STEP indicates that the program is running in STEP mode, which means that Business Rules stops and waits for you to press <CR> before it executes each program line. STEP mode is designed to make debugging easier, as it allows you to follow the line-by-line action of a program and check the values of variables at different points in the execution.

Each time that Business Rules stops, the number of the line to be executed next is listed in the line number field of the status line. It is possible to execute most Business Rules instructions, including LIST (to see the program) and PRINT (to test the value of variables), while a program is in STEP mode. This capability should help you in determining the cause of an error.
See the RUN or GO commands for information about initiating STEP mode.

SYSERR

SYSERR indicates that a system error has occurred. When this message is displayed, an error code also appears in the error field of the status line.

The error code portion of the status line (column 38- 41) contains a number, which identifies the error code of the most recent error. When an error occurs and the error code number first appears it is displayed in reverse text. As soon as <CR> or an arrow key has been pressed, however, the display changes to normal text.

The error code number will not disappear, even after an error has been corrected and Business Rules has left ERROR mode, until it is replaced with the number of the next error that occurs. If you must clear the status line of the error code number, you can use the CLEAR command (but this will clear other contents of memory, including the current program, as well).

Program debugging extensions

Display

DISPLAY variable-name / ALL [ OFF / PRINT ] [ >filename ]

Shows the value of 'variable' or all variables, after any changes, plus the line number associated with the change(s), in the format

line-number (that caused the change) variable-name new-value

Program Flow

In STEP mode GO indicates GO RUN. Enter indicates GO STEP.

Break variable-name / line / label: [ OFF ]

Causes the program to go into step mode when the variable contents are changed, or the specified line is encountered. Both "BREAK variable" and "DISPLAY variable" may be active on the same variable concurrently.

DISPLAY and BREAK debug commands work with specific array elements.
e.g. BREAK CUSTOMER$(6) will cause a program break whenever CUSTOMER$(6) is changed.

1.) Debug data can be redirected to a file.

2.) Debug commands will generate errors 1006 and 1070 instead of ignoring commands with errors.

3.) Debug now displays up to 240 characters of scalar or array element data instead of just 80 characters.

Extended Function Key [Shift F1 - Shift F4] Stepping:

Shift-F1	Step Into Clause - Processes only the next clause.
Shift-F2	Step Over Clause - Processes the next clause plus all routines called by it.
Shift-F3	Step Into Line - Processes up to the next line number encountered.
Shift-F4	Step Over Line - Processes the next line plus all routines called by it.

Note Shift F1 - F4 increases Fkey number as scope of step increases.

Screen Restore

The command RUN STEP NORESTORE suppresses the restoration of the screen after the initial restoration. This enables DOS and Windows models to work like Unix in this regard when stepping through a program.

The command RUN STEP RESTORE causes the application screen to be refreshed before processing each execution step, even in Unix.

GO RUN does not reset the NORESTORE option.

Duplicate Label Checking

Duplicate label checking has been relocated to SAVE/RUN processing. So EDIT will not fail when merging duplicate labels.

Speed improvements have been made when resorting via AIDX.