Andy Lacey
andy at minstersystems.co.uk
Sat Sep 27 02:12:10 CDT 2003
Stephen Been thinking about this overnight. There just HAS to be a means in the system of rebuilding those indexes. Clipper indexes corrupt at the drop of a hat - and certainly at the drop of a network. No-one in their right mind would distribute a Clipper system without index rebuilding. If it doesn't rebuild on the way in when no indexes are present then look for a separate EXE that does it, or a supervisor menu option to do it. Oh and the utility I mentioned as DBA should have been DBX. The problem with that though is that if an index is so corrupt it crashes then you won't be able to open the index long enough to tell DBX to rebuild it. If, however, it opens but is incomplete ( as does happen) then DBX would let you rebuild it. If you want to go and have a look and assess what the situation is I'd be happy to help with advice based on what you find. Spent years earning my keep as a Clipper developer but it's a while ago so I'll be very rusty, but happy to try. Andy Lacey http://www.minstersystems.co.uk > -----Original Message----- > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Andy Lacey > Sent: 26 September 2003 22:54 > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: Clipper > > > > You must have Clipper on your > > machine to look at the code (I believe). > > Not so. The code can be viewed and edited with a text editor. > Most Clipper systems I've come across (and all that I wrote) > would rebuild indexes if they were absent. IOW to rebuild > indexes you simply deleted them and started the program. > That's not to say this one will do that but it may (take a > copy before you try). Native Clipper uses a separate file for > each index (.NTX I think) but you could use 3rd party > products to create files where all indexes for any table were > contained ina single file. Take a look and see what they > have. You could look for code which does a MakeIndex, > there'll surely be some somewhere in the program. But yes > your dbase skills will port pretty well. You build prg's with > a text editor (or with a specialised editor), compile into > object files (.OBJ) then use a linker to create an EXE. If, > however, the client just has an EXE and no source then you're > up a gum tree. Decompilers do/did exist but the code you > arrive at is horrendous. So see if deleting the indexes > (after copying I say again) and running up the EXE does the > trick. If not see if they have source code. If no to that too > then find the author and pass problem to him. > > Oh and there are also utilities like DBA (I may even have a > copy) which will browse files and do stuff with indexes. > > Andy Lacey > http://www.minstersystems.co.uk > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of > Jim Hewson > > Sent: 26 September 2003 22:19 > > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: Clipper > > > > > > > > Many years ago (mid 80s), I did Clipper programming. > > The database file is the same as dBaseIII. dBase IV file > > format won't work. IIRC the indexes are in a separate file. > > All the code can be compiled to an exe file. The code files > > are separate from the exe. You must have Clipper on your > > machine to look at the code (I believe). The indexes need to > > be rebuilt through the Software, but I don't remember how. I > > still have a full copy of Clipper at home. HTH Jim > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Stephen Bond [mailto:stephen at bondsoftware.co.nz] > > Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2003 7:40 PM > > To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com > > Subject: [AccessD] OT: Clipper > > > > > > I have had a request to look at a Clipper system where > > (apparently) the indexes have become corrupted. The > > prospective client is a distance away and I want to evaluate > > my chances of succeeding before I travel. > > > > I did a lot of dBaseIII / IV stuff quite a few years ago, > > but nothing in Clipper. Back in those days, I had the > > impression that dBase and Clipper were very similar, and with > > Clipper you could 'compile' the processing module(s). > > > > Can someone tell me how well my dBase skills will port to > > Clipper? And if it's a 'compiled' system, is the source held > > separately? And are the indexes in Clipper like the indexes > > in dBase which are easy to re-construct? > > > > Any middle-aged fellow travellers out there who can help? > > Tips, Tricks, Traps? > > > > Cheers > > > > Stephen > > _______________________________________________ > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/a> ccessd > > Website: > > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > _______________________________________________ > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/a> ccessd > > Website: > > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/a> ccessd > Website: > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > >