What is Clip ?

CCH :
Just extracted this information from the Guestbook entry by Daniel Pascuel...


Preprocessor.
Fully compatible with CA-Clipper with some new possibilities.

Compiler.
slight incompability with CA-Clipper, which may be resolved easily, using the "search and replace" method. In addition it can compile to C program, byte-code, dynamic library and mixed C+byte-code.

Very fast and efficient OO-model.

Difference from CA-Clipper reveals itself in part of descriptions and making an object, but in part of using the ready objects syntax and logic of functioning is completely the same.
It is possible to write programs on CLIP, without using other syntax excepting OOP.
Initial support syntax from FS,CAVO,FoxPro.
C-API. has much more possibilities than CA-Clipper.

Full international support .
Including adjustment on any code page of any language on any keyboard (with stelnet emulator only or on consoles), substitution of string constants during execution and changing a logic of functioning with strings, given for functions alpha, digit, lower, upper, subscripted weight factors etc. Support two-bytes charsets BIG5, GB, may be Korean, Japan too.

GUI, based on GTK.
Provides using of all widgets and processing the events

Using of dynamic libraries, loading and execution of the byte-code from external files ( in run-time, too ).

Compatibility.
up to Clipper 5.3 (support of objects menu, button, check and other get-objects), as well as standard classes tbrowse,get,error.

Are implemented a lot of CA_Tools functions, including all functions for processing the lines, dates, files, mathematicians.

support all SIX functions and features

MEM,DBF,DBT,FPT,NTX,CTX,CDX,NSX...

VFP data types; datetime,currency

RDD allows to use your own drivers, as well as use a driver, combined from several different drivers.

RDD also allows to use only OO-style, without using of aliases

Multitask support.
Builtin simple non-preemptive multitask model

CODB - CLIP Object Data Base.
Library and utils for object storehouse

SQL.
libraries and classes for direct access to SQL-servers (PG,MySql,Oracle,Interbase)
ODBC and ODBC bridge to Windows drivers.
SQL-interpreter and commands, compatible with FoxPro
Other possibilities .

Overloading operators for objects.

Support of regular expressions.

function for TCP/IP sockets connections

COM_() functions

Rushmore like technology, but more fast and efficient.

Support of very-large-scale numbers with unlimited accuracy.

Support of graphic files PNG,GD,JPEG and primitives like lines, rectangles, firing ranges, circumferences etc.

Several common classes for word processorses, html/cgi programms.

Several utilities for interpreting the patterns of the documents, www_sql,clip_bl, clip_blank, clip_sql, clip_hindex, clip_hseek etc.

multiwindows interactive debugger.

Supported OS’es.
Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, SPARC & x86 Solaris, IBM mainframe with TurboLinux, Win32 ( with CYGWIN development tools)

AND IS FREE !!!!!


Home Page
www.itk.ru/english/index.shtml

Download
sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=170673&package_id=194873&release_id=461153

Why you should recompile your CA-Clipper DOS applications to Win32

CA-Clipper for DOS was, once hugely popular amongst Xbase programmers from Summer'87 right up to Version 5.2e. Apparently, 5.3 onwards were not vey popular. Even now, it is amazing to discover that there are still many CA-Clipper programmers out there. However, CA-Clipper for DOS programs don't do well under Windows, and may not run at all in Win'98, ME, XP , Vista or on fast processors, or they may have problems printing. In addition , the interface is text-based , hogs processor time which slows everything else down, and can't communicate with Windows programs.

So what's the solution & I am not talking of GUI ?

Simple, recompile your existing CA-Clipper source codes using a 32-bit CA-Clipper compatible compilers such as the Harbour Project, xHarbour or Xbase++. If you prefer open-source the Harbour Project & xHarbour will definitely be your choice. However, if you require more support, I guess that xHarbour.com & Xbase++ will be the way to go.

Clarification from Ron Pinkas

xHarbour is first and foremost a free open source project, exactly as
Harbour.

In *addition* to being completely free, it's *also* distributed by
xHarbour.com, as a commercial distribution that includes numerous Add-on
Tools & Libraries, as well as tech support services.

Needless to say, the existence of the xHarbour.com commercial distribution
does not take away from the freedom of xHarbour, the opposite it provides
even more resources to the free project.

So what are the benefits of having your familiar CA-Clipper application as a true Windows 32-bit Executable ?

A quick list of the benefits of being a true Windows application is that it can:

• Utilize all the available memory, no more DOS boundaries
• Use bigger sized variables, no more limits such as 4096 array elements, 64K data segment, etc.
• Use any kind of printer installed on Windows, including network printer, Fax printer, PDF printer, etc.
• Use Windows resources easily, eg. clipboard, common dialogs, etc
• Collaborate with other Windows application, eg. Excel, Internet Explorer, etc.

You may want to read about my own experience in porting a sizeable real-life Accounting application (still in use in some customers) from CA-Clipper 5.2e to xHarbour

• Migrating from CA-Clipper 5.2e to xHarbour (Part I)
• Migrating from CA-Clipper 5.2e to xHarbour (Part II)
• Migrating from CA-Clipper 5.2e to xHarbour (Part III)- Updated 2nd March 2009
  

What is CA-Visual Objects ?

CCH : CA-VO aka CA-Visual Objects was Computer Associates attempt to bring CA-Clipper to the Windows World.

BTW, in my quest to move into the Windows world, I actually bought a copy way back in 1995 and attended a 5-day Training by the renowned Clipper Guru, Rick Spence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That was before I discovered Delphi.

As I understand it, CA-VO development was taken over by GrafX Software Development and the latest version is 2.8 released on 15th May 2007

From http://www.ca-vo.com

Clipper Compatibility

Visual Objects features a structured superset of the Clipper Language. While the user interface will need to be redesigned to take advantage of the Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI), most of the core "business logic" used in Clipper applications can be recomplied as-is under Visual Objects.

Visual Objects includes support for Clipper based DBF files including those using the NTX, CDX, and MDX indexing methods via Replaceable Database Driver (RDD) technology.

Xbase Superset

Visual Objects features a structured superset of the Xbase language. (Xbase is the industry standard term for those programming languages that inherit from the original dBASE system, including CA-Clipper, CA-dBFast, the dBASE family of products, and FoxPro.)

The Xbase superset contains extensions for Windows and its environment, including the ability to access all Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) functions for low-level, system programming.

Open Database Access

Visual Objects gives you a wide variety of choices in terms of database access. It supports:

• Both procedural and object-oriented access to Xbase databases
  
  Visual Objects supports the procedural database commands and functions—such as SKIP and EOF()—that are traditional to Xbase languages.
  
  It also includes, however, an object-oriented interface to Xbase database management. The object-oriented interface is akin, semantically and syntactically, to the commands and functions traditionally used in procedural access. Instead of commands like APPEND, COMMIT, and ZAP, for example, you will use methods named Append(), Commit(), and Zap() to perform the same operation.
  
  Note: With these new methods, all the capabilities of the traditional Xbase approach are provided, but have been enhanced to fit the event-driven, multi-tasking nature of GUI applications.
  
  
• Access to both Xbase and SQL databases
  
  When using an object-oriented approach to database management, both Xbase and SQL databases can be accessed. Furthermore, access to these two different types of databases is accomplished using a single, compatible protocol. This allows an application to manage Xbase and SQL databases with the same code.
  
  
• Several different Xbase/SQL database formats
  
  When accessing Xbase databases (using either a procedural or object-oriented approach), you can choose from a variety of file formats. This is accomplished through replaceable database driver (RDD) technology. With RDDs, a single application can access different database file formats using a common language interface. This allows you to tailor your applications so that migrating from one database format to another is simple and straightforward.
  
  Visual Objects supplies several popular RDDs, and through its open architecture allows for development of third-party RDDs. See the Replaceable Database Drivers section in the “Using DBF Files” chapter in the Programmer’s Guide for more information about RDD technology. Refer to the “RDD Specifics” appendix in the same volume for detailed information about specific RDDs.
  
  Similarly, support for SQL databases is accomplished using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), a widely used API for SQL access under Windows. This technology also uses replaceable drivers, supplied as dynamic link libraries (DLLs), which standardize the interface to the various database formats. Visual Objects comes bundled with DLLs for many of the popular ODBC formats, and provides language support for a superset of the standard ODBC API, as well as, an object-oriented interface compatible with that used for Xbase database files.

Clipper on life support ? [28th July 1996]

"Clipper on life support ?- Steve Silverwood's posting of CA's contemplating dropping CA-Clipper development..."

Hi to all Clipperheads,

Steve's posting seems alarming in the sense that CA has indicated on Compuserve that they may drop further Clipper development .

I am the developer of the KarenSoft range of Clipper vertical applications for a wide range of business applications. Visit http://www.cch.com.my/cch/cchss to see what you can actually develop using 5.2e.

As such, I use 5.2e to earn a living and I have not found anything that could not be done with it ! If there is a function that I require which is not available withing Clipper, I'll :

a) write one - beauty of Clippers' UDF concept b) buy a third part product (ok ! is you don't use 5.3) c) look at NANFOR.LIB d) pick up a freeware or shareware on Phil Barnett's OASIS FTP or from any of the fine Clippper WWW sites

What about Clipper for Windows ?

With cheap Pentium PCs with 16MB on board, we can no longer ignore Windows & Windows NT. As a professional software developer, I have looked at virtually all the Windows development tools available to the Clipper developer and have settled for FiveWin+5.2e. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to use Clip4Win as I found what I wanted with FiveWin. BTW, I actually bought Clip4Win and I intend to look at it one day as there are Clipper developers that swear by it...

Trouble is 5.2e+FiveWin produces 16 bit apps... Currently, I don't see any problems but with the growing popularity of Windows NT, the market may begin to demand for 32 bit apps. With no 32bit Clipper, I don't see a 32bit FiveWin..

So what's the choices for 32 bit development tools ?

VO 2.0 - going to public beta soon... and Delphi 2.0 for 32 bits Windows is already available. No comments for VO 2.0 althought it appears to be promising on paper. I have looked at Delphi 2 and it looks very promising though it is pascal based. BTW there are a couple of 3rd party components like Appollo & Infopower that makes it clipper like. That's what the ZAC catalog say..

Conclusion :

Even if CA decides to stop developing Clipper, I'll continue using 5.2e for DOS apps as I have yet to use it to its fullest potential. Moreover, I believe that the numerous non-commercial WWW Clipper sites, including mine and especially Phil Barnett's OASIS will help to keep it alive. So long as there is demand for DOS based applications, Clipper will remain as the premier DOS development language.

As for Windows, I'll continue to use 5.2e+FiveWin for 16 bits Windows apps while I'll look at Delphi 2.0 for 32 bit development.

So is Clipper dead ?

Regards

Chee Chong Hwa

There are many paths from Clipper to Windows... [20th July 1996]

As I see it, there are many paths from developing Clipper apps for DOS to writing 16 bit apps for Windows 3.10 & 3.11 and 32 bit apps for Windows'95 & Windows NT. Except for Borland Delphi which is pascal based, the rest of the following windows development have their roots in XBase :

16 bits Windows

CA-Clipper 5.2e + FiveWin

CA-Clipper 5.2e + Clip4Win

CA-VO 1.0c

CA-dBfast

UltimAde (VO specific)

Microsoft Foxpro for Windows

Microsoft Visual FoxPro

Borland dBase for Windows

Borland Visual dBase 5.5a

Borland's Delphi - Pascal Based

32 bits Windows

CA-VO 2.0

Borland's Delphi - Pascal Based

3rd party Libraries [ on 7th August, 1996]

Here's a table of 3rd party libraries for CA-Clipper which I am aware of . If you have further information to shed on them, please e-mail me for updating purposes.

Table of 3rd Party Libraries

	Name	Author	5.3/5.3a Compatible	Category	Where to Get ?	Do I use it ?
	SuperLib	Garry Prefontaine	Yes - Version 3.6	General with several useful meta-functions	email Garry Prefontaine at 72020.3370@compuserve.com	Yes
	Funcky	Dirk dLesko	Yes - Version 2.5 is supposed to be compatible with CA-Clipper 5.3	No meta-functions. Lots of fast low-level functions		Yes
	Nanfor	Clipper Community	Not sure	Lots of useful functions, come with source codes	Phil Barnett's OASIS FTP Site - See under Cool Clipper Sites	Yes
	Grumpfish	Greg Lief	Yes but not optimised for it.	Good & useful library	No longer available commercially but you can try e-mailing greglief@teleport.com	Haven't tried it.
	FiveWin	Antonio Linares	Yes - Version 1.91 but best used with 5.2e	Clipper for Windows Library. Used to produce 16bit Windows apps. Best used with CA-Clipper 5.2e	Omicron - See unde Cool Clipper Sites	Yes
	Clip4Win	John Skelton	Yes	Original Clipper for Windows	SAPCSI A PC Solutions	I bought it but have yet to try it out !
	DGE	can't remember	Not sure.	Use for GUI	Don't know	Not anymore.
	Telepathy	can't remember	Not sure.	Communications library	Bought it from MicroBina Sdn Bhd, KL	Bought it but have not actually tried it out.
	Frankie	Don't know	LIto Dizon as per George W on 4th August, 1996	Mousing	email at Lito Dizon as per George W	Haven't tried it.