• Spool-Explorer    Upcoming Release &    Feedback Request • WebSmart Developer    Feedback Request • WebSmart 5    Directions: SQL    Prototyping • WebSmart Client    Snapshot: Kawasaki    Motors • WebSmart Fall    Training Class • Tech Notes: WebSmart     Execution of SQL    Stored Procedures • New WebSmart    Example Programs • Nexus 2 WOW    Search Enhancements • ProGen 9: Last    Call for Feature    Requests

Spool-Explorer IV Upcoming Release and Feature Requests

Development on the new release of Spool-Explorer has been moving along quickly, and we hope to be making the new version available before too long. Headlining the list of enhancements are a few features that have already made their way into recent releases of Catapult, and others besides, such as integration with the Nexus WOW (Web Object Warehouse), much more powerful and efficient PDF file generation and an upgraded user interface.

Here is an illustration showing a few of the enhancements to the Main and Save-as windows (click on the image to see the full-size version):


In the background of this image you can see that the list has been grouped into folders based on the criteria of the folder you've selected, and the Save-As window (foreground) is the gateway to numerous formatting and zipping options, as well as the link to the Nexus Web Object Warehouse.

But even though development is well on its way, we are still looking for feedback on your must-do features for this upcoming release.

If you are a frequent Spool-Explorer user and have had any great (or small!) ideas on how to improve the interface of the tool in general, or if in the course of working with the software you have run into any limitations that have stymied you, please get in touch with us.

Client input is always an important part of the decisions made in favor of, and against, the value of features we come up with in-house. So no matter how trivial you may think your suggestion may be, we take into account all the input we get. So if you have any suggestions, please give us a call at (250) 655-1766, or drop us a note. We look forward to hearing from you.


WebSmart Programmers Survey

As we continue work on WebSmart 5 and chart out directions for subsequent future releases, it's helpful to us to have a ongoing, accurate picture of how WebSmart is being used by our clients. If you are a WebSmart programmer or are using WebSmart to build applications at your site, we would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey below.

Click here to complete the survey.

As an incentive to completing our feedback request form, BCD will enter everyone who submits the survey into a draw for $100.00 (US), as well as 5 BCD T-shirts. Winners will be announced in the September Technical Update.


WebSmart 5 Directions: SQL Prototyping

In the July technical update we began profiling some of the new features that have been completed for the upcoming WebSmart 5. The first one we reviewed was the addition of wizards for inserting HTML. But just as you may have struggled with the finicky nature of HTML, trying to sort out a missing tag without having to recompile your program over and over, you may also have gone through similar experiences with SQL, as you work on fine-tuning a query.

To assist you with the process of testing and perfecting your SQL select statements, WebSmart 5 includes a new SQL tool, shown below (click on the image to see a full-size illustration):



This utility is available from the Tools menu in WebSmart 5, and allows you to quickly and easily prototype your SQL strings, optionally using the same library list as the program you're building. You can immediately view the results of a query in your window, and even save the output as .csv file. The new SQL utility automatically saves a history list of all the queries you create, and further to that, allows you to save your completed strings so that you can later insert them easily into your PML with the new right-click option in the WebSmart IDE.


WebSmart Client Snapshot: Kawasaki Motors

If you are interested in the experiences that other companies have had with WebSmart, you can review our recently published Snapshots in Productivity. Through these articles you can get a sense of:

• Examples of applications that have been successfully built with WebSmart.
• Application development alternatives that have been tested and evaluated prior to a company settling on WebSmart.
• Hardware choices that have been made as a result of using WebSmart.
• When other companies have involved BCD consultants in their projects.

Our most recently published Snapshot discusses how Canadian Kawasaki Motors recently developed a WebSmart application to manage ordering and communications for their 250 dealers across the country. Using WebSmart, Kawasaki developed secure, web based application's permitting dealers to place parts orders, register vehicles, send in warranty claims, etc. Take a few minutes to review programmer/analyst Thierry Gosset's feedback on how they implemented the project. Also, see the alternatives they looked at before settling on WebSmart.

How to execute an SQL Stored Procedure in WebSmart WebSmart has the ability to use both DB2 and SQL as a database query language. Normally when you use SQL within WebSmart you build the select string and do a FETCH to retrieve the data. If you have a need to run an SQL stored procedure on your i-Series, WebSmart has the ability to do just that as well. Some typical reasons to use an SQL Stored Procedure instead of building the select string straight from the PML are outlined below. Stored procedures assist in achieving a consistent implementation of logic across applications. The SQL statements and logic needed to perform a commonly performed task can be designed, coded, and tested once in a stored procedure. Each application needing to perform that task can then simply execute the stored procedure. Coding business logic into a single stored procedure also offers a single point of control for ensuring that business rules are correctly enforced. Stored procedures can also improve performance. Many tasks are implemented as a series of SQL statements. Conditional logic applied to the results of the first SQL statements determines which subsequent SQL statements are executed. If these SQL statements and conditional logic are written into a stored procedure, they become part of a single execution plan on the server. The results do not have to be returned to the client to have the conditional logic applied; all of the work is done on the server. You can call a stored procedure using the SQLEXEC WebSmart function, within your PML. The syntax is as follows: SQLEXEC("call Library/StoredProcedure (:parm1, :parm2, :parm3, :parm4)"); Notice that you will need to have the call to be fully qualified. As well you well need to populate your parameters prior to the SQLEXEC. If you have any questions on this issue, please drop us a note.

WebSmart 4 Public Training Class

We have scheduled a WebSmart 4 public training session for the week of November 1-4, 2004. We plan to hold the class at our location here in Sidney, BC. This class will be the first to use our all-new training training material and labs. Our senior trainer and WebSmart programmer Derek Woods has been working for several weeks now on developing new training labs and improved class notes, using new files and creating a brand new application.

If you are interested in attending this class and would like additional information, please fill out our Training Request form. ( Note: If you aren't able to attend this class, but are interested in attending in the future, please indicate this in the form; we already have a number of people planning to attend the fall session.) You can also contact Marcel Sarrasin, our training coordinator.

For a general overview of the contents and structure of our training class, you can visit the Training page at our web site.


WebSmart Example Programs

Below are descriptions of the WebSmart Example Programs that are new this month. Click on the links to see the demos and additional details on how you can implement these features in your own programs.

• Example 72 - Use style sheets to change the look of your page. To illustrate the impact of style sheets on your page design, we have created a page that you can present with three different style sheets. Download the program to see how it was done.
• Example 71 - This simple JavaScript example illustrates how to set focus on and select the contents of a field when the page is presented.
• Example 70 - This program illustrates how to present different data sets in a list-style program depending on the authority level of the person logged in. In this case, a manager gets to see wholesale prices in the list, while a user sees only the retail.

If you have been frequenting the example list in the past, you'll also notice that we have made a number of changes to the interface, beginning with listing the latest examples at the top. You can also subset the list by example type (HTML, SQL, PML, or JavaScript) and sort the list by clicking on the column headings. In addition, the search has been improved, and there is also a checkbox available to hide/show the longer text descriptions.

For further details on any of the WebSmart examples, or if you have any questions on how to implement the techniques they illustrate, please contact Technical Support.


Nexus 2 WOW Search Enhancements

The Nexus feature that has seen the most growth lately is the Web Object Warehouse (WOW). Since the introduction of the WOW a few months ago, we have had numerous suggestions and requests on how to expand and improve its functionality. Many of these enhancements have already made their way into production in Nexus 2.10.

Using Search Keys
One of the most frequently used enhancements to the WOW interface has been the addition of a pop-up window that allows you to select search key values from a pop-up list. Here is an illustration of this feature:



In this illustration, the user popped up the window by clicking on the button to the right of the search field. They then selected the Department value which dropped the key value DEPT into the field. You can pop up the window as many times as you like to create complex search strings to subset your WOW documents.

Advanced Searches
To enable the advanced search, click on the button to modify your WOW instance settings, and at the Advanced Options tab, click on the Use Advanced Search option. When you do this, Nexus presents a button from which you can customize your search options. Here is an illustration of the window presented:



In this example we have selected several fields to search by, and some additional options for how each field should be handled. When we hit the Apply button shown here, the WOW is reloaded as shown here:



In this illustration, all the search keys we selected have been placed in a column down the left side of the page, with the default search box above them. Setting up your searches this way makes it much easier to subset your list of WOW documents by the criteria that you most often use. An option not illustrated here also allows you to set whether you want Nexus to apply an OR or an AND relationship between multiple search entries entered here.

These enhancements and numerous others (some already available, others available soon in updates) are making Nexus even more powerful and flexible.


Last Call for ProGen 9 Feature Requests

The ProGen Plus Release 9 development team is now mapping out list of features for the next release of the software, and we still have some time available to allocate to client requests for new features and enhancements.

If you are currently developing applications with ProGen Plus, and are running into any limitations with the current release, please get in touch with us and tell us about it.

Client input always plays an integral role when we decide what features to implement. So, no matter how trivial you think a feature may be, or how difficult to implement, we greatly appreciate all the input we get and it is always taken into account.

If you have any suggestions, please give us a call at (250) 655-1766, or drop us a note. We look forward to hearing from you.


 Summary List of Recent Updates

Nexus 2.10

Nexus 2.10 (2004/07/29) is now available to be downloaded, and includes the following enhancements and fixes:

• The Web Object Warehouse (WOW) UI has been reworked, with particular attention to the area for working with search keys.
• Added new Telnet Portlet.
• UI improvements for the WOW distribution rules Portlet.
• Improvements to the harmonics demo site.
• Improved Portlet class help.
• This version also includes a number of fixes, mainly relating also to the WOW.

For additional information on version 2.10, please visit the Nexus Updates page on our web site.

WebSmart 4.02

• W402005P.EXE - 2004/08/01 - Please note that this update requires a minimum OS/400 release level of V5R1. If you try and apply the update while at a lower release of the operating system, the update will fail (though WebSmart will continue to run without changes). You should also note that once you have applied the update, any programs that you generate will not be distributable to any system with an OS/400 release level previous to V5R1.
  
  Update 5 includes all previous enhancements and fixes plus:
  
  
  • Fix for rare 14 char field name/date formatting problem.
  • Automatic creation of SQL packages (pertinent to remote iSeries database access using SQL).
  • Server side support for up to 100 files in one PDW.
  • vfyusr support for V5R3.

Please visit the WebSmart Updates page for further information on the available updates.

File-Flash Plus 4.02
These updates require V4R5M0 as a minimum operating system release level.

• FFP40004 - 2004/07/08 - Corrected problems with numeric fields over 15 bytes. Fixed looping problem when incorrect subfile options taken from F23, F24.

Please visit the File-Flash Plus Updates page for further information on the available updates.

ProGen Plus 8.01

• PG8R012 - 2004/07/28 - Corrected a problem with copying lines in the RPDA in a Style F definition.
• PG8R011 - 2004/06/30 - Corrected a problem with parameter passing from a window look up.
• PG8R010 - 2004/06/14 - Corrected a problem where &s was not creating the subtotal work field over the specified field.

Please visit the ProGen Plus Updates page for further information on the available updates.

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© 2004 ExcelSystems Software Development, Inc.
ProGen Plus and ProGen WebSmart are Trademarks in the US and Canada.