Using Harbour+WVG +xMate - Part IV - CONCLUSION

From Part III of this series of articles, this is what I have achieved thus far.


How about adding features to the Console Window itself ?

This is how you change the caption and application icon :-

//This ensures that window is physically existent when any operation on console are requested.
CLS

// Add icon
hb_gtInfo( HB_GTI_ICONFILE, "ksred.ico" )

// Add Window Caption
hb_gtInfo( HB_GTI_WINTITLE, "FAS4WVG - Clipper... Clipper... Clipper" )


Is there a GUI Alert() that is fully compatible with CA-Clipper Alert() ?

Why not, with Pritpal's excellent programming skills, ALERT("Reindex ALL Files ?, {"No","Yes"}) gives you this Windows Dialog :-

Isn't this what you would have expected ?

Please note that the GUI Alert() available in the April 2009 Edition of xHarbour.com distro simply maps to MessageBox with OK as the only option. So if your code is nChoice:=ALERT("Reindex ALL Files ?, {"No","Yes"}), Pressing OK will never Reindex !

You will have no such issue with Pritpal's Harbour Ready to use Distro.

Actual Reindexing in action ...

The above was achieved using wvg_BoxRaised(), wvg_BoxRecessed() and wvgBoxGroupRaised().

CONCLUSION :

To quote Pritpal from one of of his email response

" GTWVG is meant to update your Clipper code to have Windows look and
feel without any code changes, just addition of few lines. If it were to mimick exact
GUI behavior then there are many other options, but you end up writing practically
everything, which is simply difficult if not impossible.

This is a matter of focus. "

What do we wish to achieve for our keyboard-loving customers ?

Well, we need to break the DOS barriers and avoid the need for the customers to be retrained in their daily usage of their mission-critical applications.

So, if you wish to avoid lots of re-programming your Clipper Codes and only want to provide your keyboard-loving customers with a simple GUI but clearly 32-bits Windows solution, IMHO, Pritpal's Harbour Ready to Use Distro that includes Harbour +WVG +xMate is the way to go...

If your needs are more onerous, may I suggest HMG or HMG Extended ?

Good Luck !

BTW, this is the final part of Using Harbour+WVG +xMate but I will continue to write on my experience with Harbour Ready to Use + GTWVG aka WVG