Managing Your Development Environment: Tips

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Managing Your Development Environment Tips
Tricks

• Tammy Lonsberry
• Sr. Programmer/Analyst
• Sungate Solutions, Inc.

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Todays Menu

• Appetizers
• Main Course
• Meat
• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Desert
• Doggie Bag

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Appetizers

• Lower costs
• Increased user satisfaction
• All MFG/PRO versions
• All Progress versions
• All UIs

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Main Course

• Meat
• Databases, Directories Environments
• Potatoes
• Promotion
• Pasta
• Programming

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Meat Databases

• DB sets
• Min 2
• Ex Train, Prod
• Better 3
• Ex Test, Train, Prod
• Best 4
• Ex Devel, Test, Train, Sandbox, Prod, etc.
• Its all about the data-base
• Different purposes, audiences, refresh timing
• Needs vary with business cycle, software phase

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Meat Directories

• Code sets
• Custom Customized
• 3rd Party
• Patches
• QAD
• Code versions
• Devel
• Test
• Prod

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Meat Directories

• You gotta keep em separated
• Create directory structure which allows separate
  locations for each code set and each code version
• ltmfgprogt/test
• /test/src
• /test/us/aa
• /test/us/bb
• ltmfgprogt/prod
• /prod/src
• /prod/us/aa
• /prod/us/bb

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Meat Directories

• Files used for EDI, Interfaces, Automated
  Processes, Batch Jobs, Scripts, etc.
• Provide ability to develop test changes,
  support production, without impacting production
• ltdatagt/test/archive
• /test/export
• /test/ftp
• /test/import
• ltdatagt/prod/archive
• /prod/import
• /prod/ftp
• /prod/export

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Meat Environments

• Environment Marriage of Database Code
• Mix-and-match
• Database set
• Code Set
• Code Version
• Manage your Propath, manage your .pf, manage your
  environment
• Source vs. r-code
• Source belongs in development Propath only
• All other environments run compiled code

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Meat Environments

• Sample Propath for Production users (no source)
• .
• /apps/mfgpro/apm gt Advanced Pricing Module
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/prod gt Custom Production
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21 gt QAD
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/bbi
• Sample Propath for Test/Training users (no
  source)
• .
• /apps/mfgpro/apm
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/test gt Custom Test
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/prod
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/bbi

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Meat Environments

• Sample Propath for Development (includes source)
• .
• /apps/mfgpro/apm gt APM object code (.rs)
• /apps/mfgpro/apm/us/xrc gt APM source (encrypted)
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/test gt Custom Test object code
  (.rs)
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/test/src gt Custom Test source
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/prod gt Custom Prod object code
  (.rs)
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/prod/src gt Custom Prod source
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21 gt QAD object code (.rs)
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/src gt QAD source
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/xrc gt QAD source (encrypted)
• /apps/mfgpro/eb21/bbi gt QAD (misc. include
  files)

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Meat Databases, Directories Environments

• Benefits of good database, directory
  environment management
• Helps with troubleshooting and support
• Can easily peel away the layers to determine
  root cause
• Insulates data from code
• Eliminates redundant code sets
• Eliminates out-of-sync code sets

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Potatoes Promotion

• Version Control
• 3rd-party tools
• Quick Easy method DIY
• Use a simple technique for archiving your custom
  source
• Create save directory
• Prior to overwriting Custom Production source,
  copy the current version into /save.
• Add a file extension indicating date
• Ex Copy from ltprodgt/src/abc.p
• to ltprodgt/src/save/abc.p.YYMMDD
• Source object gt dont create orphans
• Always move .is, .ps, .rs together same time
  same place

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Potatoes Promotion

• Know the difference
• Use a file compare tool (diff, guiffy)
• Promote no more, no less than you intend
• Beyond the code its data, too
• Ex Menu Items, Messages, Gen Codes, Labels,
  Look-ups, Views, Browses, etc.
• Include these in your code promotion process
• Create once, then dump load
• To avoid collisions, avoid the shortcuts
• Never add to Prod db first

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Potatoes Promotion

• Benefits of good promotion practices
• Not just for the auditors or big brother
• Quick roll-back
• Enhanced trouble-shooting
• Reduce human-error
• Stable environments

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Pasta Programming

• Spaghetti code
• Standards
• Suggestions
• Shortcuts
• Performance

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Programming Standards

• When in Rome (support.qad.com)
• Consistent UI
• Lower Maintenance Cost
• Lower TCO
• 3 basic program models
• Inquiry
• Report
• Maintenance

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Programming Suggestions

• Plan ahead - there will be a next time
• Keep it simple, readable, consistent
• Prepare for quick-scan speed-reading
• Use indents
• Quick visual line up of loops, blocks, etc.
• Use white space
• Creates visual columns
• Just say No!
• Tabs
• Uppercase in variables, field, table names
• Abbreviated key words

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Programming Suggestions

• /Comments/ - Use them for
• Message Text
• /ITEM DOES NOT EXIST/
• mfmsg.i 7179 3
• End statements
• loop1
• repeat
• ltsome code heregt
• end. /loop1/
• End procedures
• procedure p_GetData
• ltsome code heregt
• end procdure. /p_GetData/

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Programming Suggestions

• Put dots within the comments
• /REV01 BEGIN COMMENT
• . for each pt_mstr fields (pt_desc1
  pt_desc2)
• . where pt_part part
• . no-lock
• . display
• . pt_desc1
• . pt_desc2
• . with frame b.
• . end. /for each pt_mstr/
• .REV01 END COMMENT /

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Programming Suggestions

• Type the end first, the middle second
• Step 1
• for each pt_mstr
• no-lock
• end. /for each pt_mstr/
• Step 2 fill in the middle
• Walk the screen use same field order for
• Variable Definitions
• Assigning initial values
• hi_char, low_char
• Update, prompt-for
• mfquoter.i

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Programming Suggestions

• Naming conventions - moving beyond xx
• Applies to code, tables, fields
• 1st character alpha
• 2nd character numeric
• Ex a1, b2, p1pt
• Sample program name a1apvdrp.p
• Sample table name p1pt_mstr

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Programming Shortcuts

• Variable names Benefit from smart choices
• Why acc is different than acct
• QAD has already done the work for you
• Get look-up browses for free
• Get field help for free
• Watch the from/to
• Use part/part1, not part1/part2, part_s/part_e,
  etc.

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Programming Shortcuts

• Need a new message?
• findmsg.p
• Havent I done this before?
• findltxxxgt.p
• Remember the 3 models plagiarism is good ?

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Programming Shortcuts

• Reports Give them more than they ask for
• Improved selection criteria
• Faster testing faster enhancements
• Reuse and recycle
• Use includes (.is), called procedures (.ps)
• Eliminate redundant code
• Eliminate out-of-sync code segments
• Reduced development time
• Reduced test-case scenarios
• Faster enhancements

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Programming Performance

• Use can-find to determine whether record exists
• SLOW
• find bom_mstr where bom_parent temp-bom
• no-lock no-error.
• if not available bom_mstr then do
• / ltdo something heregt /
• end.
• FAST
• if not can-find(first bom_mstr where
  bom_parent temp-bom) then
• do
• / ltdo something heregt /
• end.

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Programming Performance

• Use Fields phrase to retrieve just what you need
  (v.8)
• SLOW
• find pt_mstr where pt_part temp-part no-lock
  no-error.
• if available pt_mstr then
• display
• pt_desc1
• pt_desc2
• with frame b.
• FAST
• for first pt_mstr fields (pt_desc1 pt_desc2)
• where pt_part temp-part no-lock
• display
• pt_desc1
• pt_desc2
• with frame b.
• end.

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Programming Performance

• 2-step reporting
• Step 1 Gather data into temp table(s)
• Ignore desired report sort options
• Structure where clauses to maximize index
  performance
• Dont use use-index, Progress is smarter than
  you
• Step 2 Display report from temp table(s)
• Do sorting here
• Much smaller data set
• You control the indexes

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Programming Performance

• Managing multiple sort options
• More options should not mean more code
• Code the report only once, regardless of the
  number of sort options
• Use the 2-step reporting method
• Use include files and parameters
• Can provide the same report sorted multiple ways
• Bonus feature Can provide flexible column layout
  with 1 include and creative parameters

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Desert Sweet Rewards

• Lower costs
• Development
• Troubleshooting Support
• Enhancement Change Requests
• Higher user satisfaction
• Consistent UI leads to
• Same look-and-feel
• Same navigation keys
• Less training
• Quick response resolution
• Increased labor efficiencies

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• Questions?

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Doggie Bag

• For further information or a copy of this
  presentation
• Tammy Lonsberry
• [phone]
• tlonsberry_at_sungate-solutions.com