Windows Programming

[Guest.Visitor]

I have just been assigned to handle all programming between Windows and the AS/400. I am quite comfortable with the AS/400, but I don't know much about PC programming. For starters: 1. Where can I find documentation on switches for Windows commands? FTP commands? 2. What PC software can I use to create small and simple programs to manipulate ASCII data? I don't mind creating and running DOS programs, as long as they will run in Windows. Any tips will be welcome.

[Guest.Visitor]

What will you need to do? I can better help you if I understand what you are trying to do.

[B.Myrick]

Ricardo, We use a product called MRC, Michaels-Ross&Cole) that is a program generator. We use the /400 files and an SDA type editor to define our report and interactive screen programs. This product generates native VB and Java programs on the PC side. We use these programs for out field agents and to send real HTML and PDF reports as E-mail to our sales force. Very easy to use and it actually allows me to generate add/update subfile programs with multiple file links in less than 30 minutes, but the VB and JAVA is the really neat part. BTW, these programs are generated as reall Windows 95 and 98. Haven't tried on Windows 2000 yet. Margaret Jeronim (Yee-ron-im) margaretj@mrc-productivity.com http://mrc-productivity.com

[Guest.Visitor]

1. Where can I find documentation on switches for Windows commands? For DOS commands, type the command with /? after the command and you get help text for the command. For windows commands, search for the command you are interested in in the Windows help file. 2. What PC software can I use to create small and simple programs to manipulate ASCII data? I don't mind creating and running DOS programs, as long as they will run in Windows. I create a lot of these little windows programs with Visual Basic. It is easy to write in and compiles to an EXE file. ==Scott==

[Guest.Visitor]

Some examples of what I would like to be able to do with an ascii file: 1. To add or strip special characters. 2. To read routing data in a downloaded file prior to transmission to the final destination. 3. To chop a huge file into smaller chunks of given maximum record count. Since most of my work on the PC side will be in Windows, I will need to know what switches are available in the Windows commands.

[Guest.Visitor]

Margaret, I have heard much praise about MRC. But I think it is an overkill (like getting a shotgun to kill a fly). I just need be able to program something quick and simple. Things like deleting the first or last record of a file. Or appending a carriage return code at the end of a specific record. Or checking if the first 5 bytes of a given record are not blank. Thanks anyway for your suggestion.

[Guest.Visitor]

Scott, I know about the /? of DOS commands. But it won't work for cmmands such as FTP and TELNET. They do not seem to be in Windows Help either. Visual Basic may be suitable for my needs. But I wonder if there is anything better.