Programming
FlagShip is a programming and development tool. As with other compilers, it is designed mainly for professional software developers. But because of its simple interface, it is also perfectly suitable for semi-professionals and advanced computer users, who need to create database applications with minimal programming effort. Thanks to its full Clipper compatibility, it is also best suited for porting already available DOS applications to nearly any Unix, Linux or MS-Windows systems.
There is no learning curve if you are already familiar with any xBase dialect, like dBase, FoxBase, FoxPro, Clipper, Visual Objects etc. There are millions of well trained programmers who have been using this easy but powerful 4GL syntax for years. All of them can directly switch to FlagShip. If you don't have any programming experience with xBase, but are familiar with any other language (C, C++, Java, Pascal, Delphi, Basic, Perl etc.), the learning curve is very short. With about 10 commands, you will be able to create your first application.
Visual FlagShip makes an GUI based application from your available textual xBase code automatically. Of course, because object oriented, you can modify the behavior by yourself too, using either classes or corresponding functions in procedural programming. The same source and the same application supports GUI, textual and stream mode (e.g. for Web or background). The i/o mode is either detected automatically from the current environment (heterogenal application), or can be specified at compile time or at run-time using command-line switch.
For example, these few statements, stored in text file address.prg
USE address ALIAS adr SHARED NEW
SET COLOR TO "W+/B,GR+/R,W/B,W/B,GR+/BG"
SET GUICOLOR OFF
cls
@ 1, 0 SAY "Id No. " GET adr->IdNum PICT "999999" VALID IdNum > 0
@ 3, 0 SAY "Company" GET adr->Company
@ 3,35 SAY "Branch" GET adr->Branch WHEN !empty(adr->Company)
@ 4, 0 SAY "Name " GET adr->Name VALID !empty(adr->Name)
@ 4,35 SAY "First " GET adr->First
@ 6, 0 SAY "Country" GET adr->Country PICTURE "!" + repli("x",24)
@ 8, 0 SAY "Zip " GET adr->Zip PICT "@!" VALID !empty(adr->Zip)
@ 9, 0 SAY "City " GET adr->City
@ 10, 0 SAY "Street " GET adr->Street
@ 6,35,11.4,47 GET adr->Type RADIOGROUP {"Male","Female","Company","None"}
@ 7,50 GET adr->Interest CHECKBOX CAPTION "Interested party"
@ 8,50 GET adr->Customer CHECKBOX CAPTION "Customer"
@ 9,50 GET adr->Reseller CHECKBOX CAPTION "Reseller"
@ 10,50 GET adr->Distrib CHECKBOX CAPTION "Distributor"
READ
... and compiled by simply
FlagShip address.prg -o address
... creates self-containing executable (i.e. address.exe in Windows)
Additional examples and screenshots are available via the External links below.
Read more about this topic: Flagship Compiler
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