For use with FoxPro 2.+, the DD Toolkit is
intended to remove a lot of the drudgery
associated with creating a data dictionary
for an application. The program will scan
the DBF, IDX, PRG, and MEM files in a set of
directories which you indicate, extract as
much useful information as possible, and
place the information in files for browsing.

For use with FoxPro 2.+, the DD Toolkit is
intended to remove a lot of the drudgery
associated with creating a data dictionary
for an application. The program will scan
the DBF, IDX, PRG, and MEM files in a set of
directories which you indicate, extract as
much useful information as possible, and
place the information in files for browsing.
DD Toolkit
----------


DD Toolkit was written by Peter Wagner. It is shareware. I
only ask that if you use it for applications for which you
charge, please send $25 to:

Peter Wagner
11 Monroe Rd.
Wellesley Hills, MA 02181

I appreciate all comments and suggestions. I can also be
reached on Compuserve - 76010, 16.

DD Toolkit
----------

I hope that the program is very straightforward, and will
therefore be brief in this documentation. If you find the
documentation lacking, please let me know and I will update
it with more detail.

Note that the system comes with an example which is the DD
Toolkit documented by itself (with details added by me - the
program cannot fill in the descriptions). If you choose to
modify the program in any way, this example should be very
useful.

The DD Toolkit is intended to remove a lot of the drudgery
associated with creating a data dictionary for an
application. The program will scan the DBF, IDX, PRG, and
MEM files in a set of directories which you indicate,
extract as much useful information as possible, and place
the information in files for browsing. I have set up a
browse mode which I hope you find convenient for accessing
all the information documented by the system. SYSMENU is
set on so you have full BROWSE functionality.

DD Toolkit is semi-multi-user. It will work fine if it
cannot access a file that it is trying to document.
However, if it cannot open its own files (DE, DF, ID, MF,
PF, DIRS, DIRLIST) it will crash quite ungracefully.

DD Toolkit is intended for 43 or 50 line mode. It won't
crash in 25 line mode, but the windows in the browse screen
will need to be resized. The windows can be resized using
the mouse, however, manual resizing will quickly become a
real pain. You can change the default window sizes and
positions in the procedure DDBROWSE.

DD Toolkit
----------


How to document a system
------------------------

First copy all the DD files to a new directory.

Load FoxPro and run DD.

Go to Data Dic Maintenance (Menu 2).

Choose 'Set Search Paths'.

Update the Search Paths - use Ctrl-T to delete a record,
Ctrl-N to add a new record.

Return to the Maintenance Menu.

Choose 'Zap all DD Files'. Note that backups are made
before files are ZAPPED: *.DBF -> *.BKK, *.FPT -> *.BKF.

Choose 'Update Data Files'.

Choose 'Update Data Elements'. You will be asked whether
the Data Files have been updated. The program relies on the
data files found by 'Update Data Files' to provide the Data
Elements. Always update Data Files before updating Data
Elements.

Choose 'Update Index Files'.

Choose 'Update Prg Files'.

Choose 'Update Mem Files'.

Return to Previous Menu.

Browse the work of the DD program.

For Index files fill in the associated DBF's.

Go back to the Maintenance Menu.

Rerun 'Update Index Files'. The index expressions will now
be filled in.


Additional Notes
----------------

In Browse mode you can switch the Browse from one file type
to any other by clicking the file buttons on the top right
of the screen. Special operations (Edit, Add, Exit, Order,
Find) are available in the Action box. Most of these are
self-explanatory. searches for records by
looking through the Long Description memo field for text
which you provide.

You can run the Update routines many times w/o destroying
any documentation that you have added. The system will not
remove any records w/o your consent. The system WILL
overwrite those fields that it fills in automatically, but
it will NEVER overwrite anything in the Brief Description
field. If you have added information to the Long
Description field it will be in jeopardy. If it is a data
file the program will want to replace the Long Description
with the current data structure. If it is a procedure file
the program will want to replace the Long Description with
the contents of the procedure file (though if it is a
program in a procedure file it will be safe). If it is an
index file the program will want to replace the Long
Description with the index expression (provided the
associated DBF is filled in). If it is a memory file the
program will want to replace the Long Description with the
contents of the memory file. All overwrites can be avoided
by setting the READONLY flag to true for those records that
you wish to protect.

During development you may eliminate data files, indices,
etc. If you rerun the Update routines, anything that was
previously documented but is now missing will be marked as
LOST. You can get rid of all LOST records at once by
choosing 'Delete Lost Records' from the Maintenance Menu.

Special Keys
------------

RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON: Click on a record with the right mouse
to edit the record.

CTRL-S: Skip forward 1 record
CTRL-B: Skip backward 1 record
CTRL-X: Skip forward 10 records
CTRL-Z: Skip backward 10 records
CTRL-D: Switch to Data Files
CTRL-E: Switch to Data Elements
CTRL-I: Switch to Index Files
CTRL-P: Switch to Program Files
CTRL-M: Switch to Memory Files



That's about it. I hope you find the program useful. In
the future I hope to have the program document program calls
and fill in the Long Description for procedures within a
procedure file. Any other comments & suggestions are
greatly appreciated.

Peter Wagner