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jwfv · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:59 pm Post subject: inifile help

I have a program that uses sequential "quote" numbers that are assigned to customers as they are entered into the program.

As a customer is saved, the program reads the next value from an .INI file and then increments that value in the .INI file. Here is the code:

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

Locking is a very simple process if you want to implement it. Basically you
can create a text file in a network share with read/write access for your
program. Your program can check the content of the file to see if it is locked.
For example, if the text file contains "0", then the file is available
to read/write to. If an instance of your program has written the content
to "1", then your program should recognize that as meaning the file is
locked. When the instance of the program that locked the file is done using
the file, it should write the content back to "0". Smile

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 11:12 pm Post subject:

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

I guess that's right. Then I'm not sure exactly what to do. Confused

Mac · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 12:23 am Post subject:

If you can use regular file access instead of @iniread()
you might try VDSug.dll.

It doesn't allow sharing when a file is opened in WRITE
or READ|WRITE mode. Wink

Cheers, Mac Smile

jwfv · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 2:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll keep working on it. I guess the file locking using VDSug or some other method is the best idea so far, but I'm not looking forward to changing the code around. I'm going to mull it over ...

DavidR · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: inifile help

Mac · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 4:17 pm Post subject:

jwfv · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 4:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the great suggestions.

Mac - a question on VDSug:

To make sure I have your suggestion straight in my head -

I would use the command UG FileOpen to open the .ini file in what mode? I would then use FILE COPY command in VDS to copy to another .ini file, make my changes, then copy back? Or would I need to use VDSUG since that is the DLL that has it locked?

Mac · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 4:47 pm Post subject:

You'd have to use VDSug to write to the temp file,
but there is a FILEREAD command that allows you
to read to an internal buffer (and FILEWRITE from
it) without returning the data to VDS. The buffer
size is adjustable if your INI file is over 4k.

There are help files at the link in my sig in both
txt and hlp format, and I'll be glad to help ya if
you have any questions.

Cheers, Mac Smile

DavidR · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 4:48 pm Post subject:

Mac · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 4:52 pm Post subject:

On second thought, you prolly could copy the file
while it's open if you prefer. But this could negate the
file lock effect if a second instance of your prog fails
to check if the file is open, and just copies it anyway.

Cheers, Mac Smile

jwfv · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys -

Yeah, I'll definitely need to have a good routine in there to handle locked files, which I haven't had to deal with in this program yet. But I think I'll try one of these methods out.

Thanks again -

Mac · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 5:06 pm Post subject:

BTW, VDSug's FILEOPEN command sets "OK" to FALSE
if the file/device/etc. cannot be opened, so error checking
should be relatively painless. Wink

Cheers, Mac Smile