EDIAS - Providex - Techtips

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ProvideX Techtips

How to convert to ProvideX

There are different ways to convert your 'Business Basic' software. Once you've installed ProvideX, you find 4 specific directories under \pvx\lib\ that are necessary to convert from another BASIC.
These are :

Thoroughbred directory :	_conv.tbd
Mai OpenBasic directory :	_conv.ob
BBx / PRO5 directory :	_conv.bbx
MicroShare Basic directory :	_conv.msb

In the HELP-files, you can read all about the older conversion programs. But, because there are recent developments, which are not documented, I'd like to explain these new tools.

GUI_CV
This program converts BBx programs and files, without the need of a BBx (or PRO5) executable.
It has a fully graphical interface.
The next items can be turned on or off :

testconversion

write in log file :

name of program or file.
a program statement that contains $0A$.
a file containing non-ASCII characters.
a filerecord containing non-ASCII characters.
warnings.

append to log file or not.

variable length records or not.

files with a maximum number of records or not.

convert string files or not.

field separator is $0A$ or $8A$.

OEM to ANSI conversion in programs.

OEM to ANSI conversion in files.

CV_NOBBX
This is a non-graphical conversion program. The interface is the same as the
standard CV program. Major advantage : You don't need a BBx executable !

CONVDATA.BBX
In directory *TOOLS, there is a new tool called convdata.bbx.
Besides DIRECT, SORT and MKEYED files, it converts also INDEXED files.
No BBx executable needed !

READ BBx files
Since version 4.20 of ProvideX, you have the possibility to read BBx files from within ProvideX. To write to them is not possible.
Your ProvideX must be activated with a special 'package key' : 20010.

LOADBBX
This is a 'console mode' command to load and convert a BBx program into memory. From then on, you can EDIT, LIST and SAVE it, just like any other ProvideX program.
You can find this 'command' in the *cmd directory.

Syntax: LOADBBX str1{,RAW}    (pay attention to the 'space' just after LOADBBX)

   'str1'     (path+)name of a BBx program file.
   'RAW'     don't convert verbs/functions to ProvideX format.
pay attention : user_lex settings still apply.

BBx, PRO5, and VPRO5 are registered trademarks of Basis International.
ProvideX is a registered trademark of Sage Software Canada Ltd.