F3.PC.FILE: Select PC File

[precisonline]

So you have this cool program that prompts for a file name and then transfers that file from the PC to the host via the TU.. library for processing in your SB+ application.  Wouldn't it be cool if the user could press F3 and bring up the standard Windows File | Open dialog for selecting the file to be transferred?  Well, here's a quick little BASIC subroutine that does exactly that.

(And what's cool is that it's not specific to GUI - it works just fine in character mode.)

SUBROUTINE F3.PC.FILE
*
$INCLUDE DMSKELCODE COMMON
*
START.PATH = FIELD(PARAM,',',1)
FILE.DESC  = FIELD(PARAM,',',2)
FILE.EXT   = FIELD(PARAM,',',3)
RESULT     = ''
FILE.ERROR = ''
CALL TU.FORM.OPENDOS("", START.PATH, FILE.DESC:@SM:"*.":FILE.EXT, RESULT, FILE.ERROR)
*
IF NOT(FILE.ERROR) THEN
  VALUE = RESULT
END ELSE
  VALUE = ''
END
*
RETURN

Assuming you create a /PD.B to run this (called F3.PC.FILE) you can put this on an Intuitive Help slot with:

F3.PC.FILE,path,desc,ext

As to the variables, path is the path you want to start in (like C:\Temp) desc is the description of the files you want to select (like Comma Separated Value) and ext is the extension you want to select (like CSV - note: no dot).  So the whole thing all together might look like this:

F3.PC.FILE,C:\TEMP,Comma Separated Value,CSV

The fully qualified file name (with drive letter, colon, and path) is then returned for you to use as you see fit.

I've added this to my Standard Processes document - and a big THANK YOU to Jim Jedrey for the tip on TU.FORM.OPENDOS!

[Tom Pellitieri]

I'm guessing that this only works if you're using SB Client, is that correct??

--Tom

[precisonline]

Ah yes.  I did forget to mention that.  Thanks for clarifying!

[nmorgan]

Yep, anything that starts out TU. is going to be specific to SBClient, formerly known as TermUlator.  Us Accuteerm and Anzio users just have to watch and wish.

[precisonline]

There's got to be a way to do it in Anzio or Accuterm - those are pretty sophisticated emulators, as I recall (though I regret that I personally have no experience with them).  Dynamic Connect, on the other hand, yeah, that ain't gonna happen!