Executing FOCEXECs From Within UltraEdit By Kelly Snodgrass

A good full-function text editor can be a useful tool in your Information Builders tool bag. I ran across UltraEdit while looking for a text editor with a good compare facility. I found that it was an inexpensive yet powerful text editor that is very good at manipulating text files of all kinds. On the UltraEdit Web site I found a Word file (for syntax highlighting) for FOCUS files. I downloaded it and modified it for use with WebFOCUS. It was great! Because of the support for FTP and SFTP, I could compare, edit, and save any type file including WebFOCUS (fex) HTML, JavaScript, and data files to any server.

The only problem I had was that I wanted to be able to execute WebFOCUS programs from within UltraEdit for testing purposes. UltraEdit has a utility that allows you to build your own menu options and execute external programs. This is used mostly for executing compilers and such. I created an HTML/JavaScript page that when executed would parse the FOCEXEC being edited, prompt you for any required amper variables and execute the FOCEXEC against the WebFOCUS server.

It works great. I have an auto-complete file that helps complete function syntax, a Word file that highlights the syntax of your WebFOCUS programs, and the Run.htm file that executes WebFOCUS programs for you. Along with these files is a readme file with instructions on how to install. Hopefully, these tools can provide you with some extra ammunition while fighting those coding battles.

To download the files go to: http://www.ultraedit.com/index.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=106.

And be sure to visit the UltraEdit topic via Focal Point: http://forums.informationbuilders.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/7971057331/m/6421048331/r/2131058331#2131058331

Kelly Snodgrass can be reached at kelly.snodgrass@gmail.com.