Wish List Item - "Public" file name

[Scott Walker]

I think in ddefine you should be able to have a "public" file name
field.  It should be as long as possible.  Ddefine should also let me
have a "locked file message field".  Let me explain the use.

I think filePro apps should be able to be built as fast as possible.
Thus we want messages to end users to be as automatic as possible.  But
they need to be effective.  To be effective they must be as meaningful
as possible (ie. NOT CRYTIC - and remember I mean not cryptic to the end
user not the developer who wrote the application).  A few examples....

When someone is adding cash receipts and someone else tries to post cash
receipts filePro says (to the user attempting to post):

1) *** A filePro Error Has Occurred ***

2) On file:  ..../filepro/otsarcrheadunp/lockfile

3) Inquire, Update, Add Function Running On This File

4) File not available.?
5) Somebody else is modifying the file;  try again later.?

I've added the line numbers for ease of this discussion.

1) I don't believe that this is an "Error".  That is not an error but
rather the system is preventing you from doing something that would
cause an error.

I think it should say "This file is currently locked"

2) On file....   This is totally meaningless message to the average user
of my application.  Yes otsarcrheadunp is the name I gave the file and I
know what it means.  A user has no freaking idea what it means.  In my
mind, that makes is a bad message.  I would like it to use the "public
name" that was specified in ddefine.  So it would say:

"File:  Accounts Receivable Cash Receipts Entry"

3) Probably OK as is.

4) Probably not necessary.  We have already several lines that tells us
about the situation.

5) Perhaps misleading.  It may not be "somebody else" modifying the
file.  It may be the same user that is trying to post who has another
telnet connection to the server.  Plus, why the "?" at the end.

Here's what I would say:

	The AR Cash Receipts Entry file is currently locked.
	
	This prevents certain operations from being performed when
someone is 
	already in the file.


Another use of the "public name" would be when we have a locked record
and a process tries to post to that record.  For example, when a user
tries to post AR Cash receipts which will update the balance in the
customer file, if some other user is in that customer file record, the
posting user sees:

	"Waiting for 'otscust1' record 1 to be unlocked"

Once again this message is way too cryptic for a user to receive.  Users
don't know what the heck this means.  Sometimes they kill the posting
process by clicking the quit "X" on their telnet program, thus creating
a mess.  Using the public name for the file, at least we could say:

	"We are waiting for Customer File record 1 to be unlocked"

Maybe we could have a flag for rreport processes that would add this
warning if a locked file message is displayed:

	"Do not cancel this posting process.  Wait for the record to
become 		unlocked."



I know what we are capable of doing in processing with the "locked"
function but I think having and using a "public name" for the file would
go a long way toward providing automatic, and much more meaningful,
messages to the end users with no programming on the part of the
developer.  Of course, using more meaningful names for the files in the
first place would help, but don't forget many of these files got named
back when they only allowed 8 characters.

Anyhow that's all.  I would love to hear others thoughts on this.

BTW, who do I send this to at fp for wishlist consideration.

Regards

Scott


	


Scott Walker
RAM Systems Corp.
ScottWalker at RAMSystemsCorp.com
Ph: (704) 896-6549
Fx: (704) 896-7458