[slang-users] SLAG update and information.

[Ben Duncan]

Paul Boekholt wrote:
> I suppose you can simply telnet into your UNIX server, but if you're going to
> develop client/server apps, why don't you use a database server such as mysql?

The Idea is to allow "Professional" series of SLAG applications to have
SQL database backends. Immediate needs are , though , to have a Key/pair as
part of the system for the RAD/IDE and eventual runtime. This will
work as the "entry level database" as well. 30 years writing accounting
system has taught me that sooner or later the lesson of:

End User/Client: "My nephews step-son , who is an ACCESS WIZ and genius
on the Playstation came in to tweak YOUR database and now your %$$@$
programs do not work. I WANT you to fix them FREE of charge!!!".

So, at least the "entry" level applications can be using a trivial database
of some kind. Overlay this with some sort of "Multi Value" & string based
routines and you have a pretty flexible database engine.

> 
> 
> 
> I don't see this, unless the payments and the AR are in the same file (and
> even then it should be possible to use the same handle), or you open the AR
> file for each record in the payments file and then forget to close it, which
> would crash sooner or later anyway.

Yes, in this case AR-OPEN is the file that contains OPEN item and it's type.
Type could be a Payment on account, a charge on account, a credit memo, and
a debit memo. IF I post a payment to customer "SMITH", it comes in from a
transactional system on Payment Entry and gets posted to AR-OPEN. Same
as "credit/debit" memo on account. In a Order Entry system, orders
get posted to the Customers AR-OPEN as a charge. SO everything makes a
stop in the AR-OPEN file. In the case of say overpayemnt on account, you
have to "APPLY" (if that is what the customer says to do with it) the "open"
credit. A Prime example of this is say I send ACME a check for $10,000USD to
pay on my account. And ASSUME, I did not put a specific invoice number on
the check. It would get posted to my account as an "OPEN" payment.
Now the "APPLY" screen would call up the AR-OPEN "PAYMENT" type record
and display it along with the "remaining" balance. The second part of the screen
would be a scroll function allowing me to select each "INVOICE" type AR-OPEN
record I wish to apply monies to. So in this case the AR-OPEN file is in the program
twice, once as the "PRIMARY" file and another open as the "APPLY" to. Once the
PAYMENT amount reached ZERO, I can no longer select any more INVOICES  and I am
done, so the Application writes out the "PAYMENT" type AR-OPEN record with a
ZERO balance.


> 
> 
d> With gdbm this is not a problem, when you open the file as a writer it is
> always locked.  With tdb, there are some locking functions but they aren't
> wrapped.  I can wrap them, if you still think you need tdb.
> 

What do you know about "sleepycat" (Berkley)? http://www.sleepycat.com
Seems to have a lot of features including the ability for secondary key
access.

As Always, thanks ...

-- 
Ben Duncan   - VersAccounting Software LLC 336 Elton Road  Jackson MS, 39212
"Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity"
        - Hanlon's Razor