The HTML documentation represents the documented class model for the application business layer. The documentation is written by developers and generated in HTML by the development tool that they use (Component Builder tool).

Launching the documentation from Windows.

Launching the documentation from the admin tools.

The main page for HTML documentation contains a hyperlink to each of the development projects that are used to create the final application code.

FC and QADFC are foundation-level projects. FC (Foundation Classes) contains a mixture of abstract classes and technical classes that are required to support all application patterns. This way, the FC project contains the pure technical implementation of the application infrastructure. QADFC (Qad Foundation Classes) is dependent on FC and contains functional implementation classes for mechanisms like role-based security, domains, entities, and so on. This way, the QADFC project contains the more functional part of the application infrastructure.

QADFIN is the application project. This is the biggest project and contains all of the business components that are required for the Financials functionality in the QAD application.

The main page for project documentation contains the following:

The components are all hyperlinked and you can use them to drill down for detailed component information.

The main page for project documentation contains the following:

The components are all hyperlinked and you can use them to drill down for detailed component information. This also applies to includes.

The preprocessors are also available for the Customization code. It is important that Customization developers use these to be less dependent on changes made in the standard application.

The main page for the class (component) documentation contains the following:

All listed methods and queries are hyperlinked to the specific HTML files for each separate method or query.

The main page for the class (component) documentation contains the following:

All listed methods and queries are hyperlinked to the specific HTML files for each separate method or query.

If a method is inherited, but not overridden, the hyperlink brings you to the place in the code for the ancestor code.

The method page contains the following information:

 

The method page contains the program code. This is the code that is inserted by the developer as part of the implementation of the method in the Component Builder.

The code can contain specific CB tags or calls. These calls can be the following:

For inherited methods, the code normally includes an <ANCESTOR-CODE> tag. This is the place where the code in the method of the ancestor component is executed. The tag is hyperlinked for easy navigation to the ancestor code.

The query page contains the following information:

The query page contains the following information:

The query page contains the places in the code that reference (call) the query.

The dataset page contains the list of fields for each table in the dataset.

For an object dataset (for example, BDebtor), the tc_parentrowid shows the relation to the parent table in the object dataset.

 

The ability to have a full code execution trace on the backend BL is indispensible for more complex Customization work. All components follow the same standard patterns for the normal maintenance functionality, and for most other functions too. But some more complex components have a lot of sub-flows or deviations from the normal flow. With the BL Code tracing capability, one can find the exact flow.

Use the “Set Debug Level” function in the menu to activate the backend logging. Make sure that all of the forms are closed before activating this feature. Typically, you select the “Full business code logging” and the “Include parameter values”. You can use the same function to deactivate the logging .

When the logging is on, a file named ct<sessionID>.log is created on the server. All methods and queries executed on the backend are logged.

To view the contents of the current CT log file (containing the business code trace), use “View CTLog” from the menu.

1. Retrieve the current session ID. This is required to start an instance of the business component.

2. Run the instance procedure of the business component persistently to make sure that the methods become available.

3. Run the MainBlock in the instance procedure. This ensures that the state of the business component instance is OK. Remark the viSafIntance. If this value is 0, it means that the instance is initialized. If it has a certain value, the mechanism will try to restore the instance based on previously saved state data.

4. Run the method.

5. Stop the instance. Watch the 4th parameter, which indicates whether to keep the instance for later reuse. Right after the StopInstance call, the handle to the persistent procedure needs to be deleted! (to prevent memory leaks)

For this case, we assume that projects cannot be deleted and that projects are not created through QXtend or other integration. Read the HTML documentation on the business methods used.

GetNumber reserves the project code number; if another user starts project create before we save our project, the user does not get the same number.

CommitNumber confirms that the number was used and is never used again.

ReleaseNumber cancels the reservation on the number used in the project being created. If you create another project, it reuses the number.

1. Run the technical component. As opposed to an instance program, a technical component does not have a fixed parameter set. Look in the HTML documentation to see which parameters to pass.

2. Run the method.

3. Stop the technical component, but first run a (generated) internal procedure to clean up any resources used by the technical component.

 

server.xml is a random XML file that is available. LoggingDirectory is a random node in this file. What would happen if you forget “gipr_DeleteProcedure”? Find out using unit test logging.

 

We use a “CustomCombo” type field. For this type of field, you can specify a list of possible values.

Uncomment the code for BCostCentre.ValidateComponent.After.

1. Loop through the data in the object dataset; only take the new and changed records to validate. Use the t_s buffer.

2. Assign the oiReturnStatus parameter to -1 (general validation error).

3. Use a call to “SetMessage” to pass the appropriate validation message.

 

The Customization needs to contain code to complete the object dataset with the custom data, which in this example is coming from the generalized codes in code_mstr (but this can be whatever table, whatever datasource). Both data retrieval and saving of the data needs to be covered.

1. Implement the method “DefineCustomRelations.After” to give a meaning to one of the custom tables in the object dataset (tCustomTable0, tCustomTable1 or tCustomTable2).

2. Implement the method “DataLoad.After” to retrieve the right data from code_mstr in case of loading of an existing country object.

 

3. Implement the method “PostSave.After” to update the code_mstr table in the database with the changes.

Set the property “AllowAddNew” to true in the properties panel.

Also, use the “columns” from the context menu of the new grid to make the columns visible.

Every business component that inherits from “Database component” has these three extra temp-tables in the object dataset.

This is how extra data can be added to any object in the application in a non-intrusive way. Because the custom tables are part of the named (or typed) dataset that represents the object dataset, the interface for the object will not change from the moment a Customization developer starts using these temp-tables to transfer more than the standard object data.

In the method DefinCustomRelations.After, the Customization developer can specify the relations between the custom tables and the other tables. This is done by adding records in the table tCustomRelation. The relation is always based on the tc_rowid and tc_parentrowid.

The only way to make sure that the system recognizes the custom table is to add at least one record in tCustomRelation temp-table.

Fields in the record that needs to be assigned:

 

This example uses a plain .txt file to store data. In normal situations, the data is stored in a database table.

Set the property “AllowAddNew” to true in the properties panel.

Also, use “columns” from the context menu of the new grid to make the columns visible.

This Customization case demonstrates the maintenance of a fleet of leased cars and vans and to which employee a vehicle is assigned.

Every custom business component is inherited from component “bcustom”. Every custom component has access to three custom tables only.

Copy the bcustom.p template into your source code folder and rename it as required.

Fill in code + label and select the activities Create / Modify / Delete / View.

Define a user-defined field definition for these fields:

tCustomTable0.CustomShort0 (LeaseCarLicensePlate)

tCustomTable0.CustomLong0 (LeaseCarType)

tCustomTable0.CustomDate0 (LeaseCarStartDate)

tCustomTable0.CustomDate1 (LeaseCarEndDate)

tCustomTable0.CustomShort1 (LeaseCarCompany)

tCustomTable1.CustomShort0 (LeaseCarUsageEmployeeCode)

tCustomTable1.CustomDate0 (LeaseCarUsageStartDate)

tCustomTable1.CustomDate1 (LeaseCarUsageEndDate)

 

Define these menu items:

Nr Label Procedure

30.4 Lease Cars 30.4

30.4.1 Lease Car Create urn:cbf:bcustom[leasecar].Create

30.4.2 Lease Car Modify urn:cbf:bcustom[leasecar].Modify

30.4.3 Lease Car Delete urn:cbf:bcustom[leasecar].Delete

30.4.4 Lease Car View urn:cbf:bcustom[leasecar].View

Edit permissions for role “SuperUser” and select the “Lease Cars” box.

The form is completely empty the first time you run the object form.

In the Field List box, the BusinessFieldsLabel tab shows two entries:

Expand the first tab (Lease Car), then drag and drop all fields under this tab to the maintenance form.

Drag and drop the entire second tab (Lease Car Usage) on to the maintenance form.

This creates a grid control. Right-click on the grid control and select “Columns”.

Select all columns available on the grid.

 

By default, you cannot insert new lines in your grid.

Do not forget to set the “AllowAddNew” property of your grid to “True”.

Select “Design Mode” again to end the design. Make sure to select all of the activities and to save your Customization on “general” level.