Approach Users Mailing List Web FAQ

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Last updated: 7 Mar 2024

This FAQ contains a summary of answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the Approach Users Mailing List, as well as other material that may be helpful to a wide range of Approach users.

Disclaimer Approach User Support web pages and associated documents (FAQ, Archive of Scripts, newsletters and mailing list documents) are provided as is without any expressed or implied warranties. The editor and contributors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

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Contents

Notices

Our collective wisdom so far...

• The basics ("Stuff you really should know before you read other stuff")
  
  • Getting started with joined databases!
  • Help me design my database!
  • Designing and problem solving techniques
  • Looping macros
  • Record numbering, including auto-incrementing serial numbers
  • Using Boolean fields
  • Reinstalling Approach
• General information
  
  • What is Approach? (Is it truly relational?)
  • How does Approach compare to other DB's?
  • IBM's Lotus Approach Support web site
  • Books
  • Example and commercial Approach applications
  • Other information sources about Approach
  • Other information sources about LotusScript
  • Can I Develop Stand-alone databases (Run-time) using Approach?
  • Can Approach handle big databases?
  • Moving or copying databases (.apr/.vew .dbf .dbt files)
  • Help for MS-Access uses moving to Approach
  • Getting started with LotusScript
• Approach/.dbf specifications and overcoming limitations
  
  • The latest version and upcoming developments
  • Versions of Approach for MS-Windows / NT
  • Versions of Approach for OS/2
  • dBase IV limitations
  • Limitations of Approach
  • Maximum of 50 joins limitation
  • .oyz index files
  • Files and File Types
  • Maximum of 20 charts per .apr
• Optimizing databases and minimising the chance of problems
  
  • Optimizing the speed of a database
  • Compressing databases with a macro or script
  • Reducing ("Compressing") the size of a database file
  • Why doesn't the .dbf file size decrease when I delete records?
  • Good practices to reduce that chances of encountering problems
  • DON'T delete macros, named find/sorts or scripts...
  • Backing-up your data using a macro
• Corrupt index (.adx) files
  
  • .apx files
  • Repairing corrupt index (.adx) files
  • Deleting and recreating index files (.adx)
• Errors, lockups, crashes, and other problems
  
  • General Protection Faults (GPF's)
  • Repairing corrupt .apr/.vew files (e.g. errors when changing views)
  • Out of Memory error message
  • "Record is locked- retry -cancel" error message
  • "Someone locked this record" errors
  • "Unable to open ___.dbf file, 5009" errors
  • "Macro error: Import table has changed" error
  • Internal Error: Cannot load string 0
  • "Could not load infobox dynalink" error
  • InfoBox, Tools Palette, etc... won't appear
  • "Page Fault... at 0137:0049eb64" in Approach 96
  • Approach 3.02 crashing in design mode and when switching views
  • "An error has occured in your program" errors
  • Database being used exclusively error
  • "Internal Error - Cannot load string - 1035." error message
  • "GPF in APPREXPR.DLL at 0009:0D2C." error message
  • Vanishing scripts
  • "Could not find database [path]\name.mdb" error
  • "couldn't open database because it is open in another language..."
  • Globals Sub "Initialize" doesn't always get executed
• Printing
  
  • Printing formatting problems
  • Printer problems (including GPFs, HP Printers)
  • Header / Footer problems in v2.1
  • MS-Windows 95 printing blank pages (v2 & v3)
  • Printing field definitions
  • Printer fonts problems
  • Pages sizes in v9.6
• Dates and times
  
  • Calculating elapsed time
  • Calculating ages from birth dates
  • Calculating number of weekdays
  • Finding or calculating dates
  • 21st Century Dates
  • Two digit year assumptions (eg 01/01/29)
  • Date format with 4 digit year (e.g. 1997)
  • Importing Dates
  • Dates in report titles
  • Find the previous weeks records
  • Y2K / Millennium bug compliance and leap years
  • Time and Date Schedule (uses SQL and multiple records)
• Formatting and displaying fields and buttons
  
  • Field Formatting (including not / rounding numbers)
  • Displaying Negative Values In Red (Changing fonts colours using LotusScript)
  • Leading zeros (eg. 00054628)
  • Trailing zeros (eg. 1.400)
  • Display problems (including problems switching to a particular form)
  • Removing unwanted characters from phone numbers
  • Radio Buttons Field Label
  • Make empty fields disappear (... rather than just turn invisible)
  • Converting numbers to words 34 to thirty-four?
  • Sliding fields together on mailing labels
  • Including quotes, symbols and international characters in strings
  • Phone numbers
  • How to make a field invisible on a form
  • Conditionally display a pushbutton
  • Stopping Approach from using Marlett as the default font
• Reports and form letters
  
  • Deleting the body in summary reports
  • Tips on layout of Reports / Altering report width
  • Total page counts on Reports
  • Form letters (and multi-page reports)
  • Stopping v96 (and beyond) from entering design mode when switching to a report
  • Repeating panels in Reports
  • Creating HTML and text file reports
• Data entry
  
  • Limiting the options in a drop down list using an Alias table
  • Making keyboard entries into a formula or macro
  • Limiting the number of characters entered into a text field
  • Conditional form navigation ( tabs )
  • Recovering deleted records
  • Bypass the misuse of the "Esc"-button when using auto-increment
• Finds
  
  • Automatically finding a 'drop down' list entry
  • Preserving the found set when switching forms
  • Finds on multipage forms
  • Finding records which do not contain *text*
  • Tricky finds
  • Including Find criteria on a report
  • How to pre-fill fields in a form-based find
• Sorting
  
  • Setting default sort order for a database or view
  • Saving records in their sort order
  • Sorting memo fields or fields that reference a memo field
• Calculated fields
  
  • IF limitations in v3.0*
  • Using values from the previous record
  • Tricky calculations
  • Generating a random unused PIN number
  • The Combine() function in calculated and memo fields
  • Using calculated fields in joins and exports
  • Calculations on numbers in a text field (eg imperial measurements such as 3'6")
• Summary fields
  
  • Summary fields
  • Demystifying Summary Functions
  • Problems with summary panels
  • Using a summary field to count records which meet certain criteria
• Repeating panels
  
  • Problems with repeating panels
  • Finds on repeating panels fields
  • Using an alias to limit the records in a repeating panel
• Working with other data formats and applications
  
  • Exporting numbers
  • Approach 97 incorrectly exporting numbers via macros
  • Working with Paradox database files
  • Accessing Access files (*.mdb)
  • Accessing .dbf's updated by Access / Paradox
  • Using index files other than .adx (eg.mdx)
  • Export of Crosstabs to 1-2-3
  • Using Approach and IBM DB2
  • SQL and Approach
  • Using SQL from LotusScript
  • Using SQL in Approach with non-SQL data sources
  • Sending email directly from a form
  • Using the contents of a variable field as an export filename
  • Exporting summary fields
  • Using a macro or Script to open documents in other applications
  • Problems getting TeamMail to work
  • Export in the Quickbooks export format
  • The Approach ODBC SQL server driver
  • ODBC Connection to Oracle database tables
  • Transferring data to the Clipboard
  • Accessing information in an Approach database on the web (WWW)
  • How to lauch your default browser to view a URL contained in a text field
• Network installation of Approach
  
  • Running Approach on a network
  • Finding the current Network ID
  • Dealing with different paths to the same data from different computers
  • Accessing .dbf files using Novell client 4.83 on Windows 2000
• Upgrading Approach and/or your operating system
  
  • Do you need to upgrade?
  • Conversion of old .apr's to Approach 96
  • Approach and Windows NT
  • Upgrading ...
  • Free Approach 3.02 Upgrade
  • Approach v97 and Windows 98/vME
  • Running different versions of Approach concurrently
  • Running applications developed in Approach for MS-Windows on OS/2 versions
  • Installing the Approach 97 apfixpak
  • Approach and Windows 2000
  • Approach on a Linux server
  • Dialing phone numbers from within Approach
  • Approach and Windows XP
• Building applications and working with .apr's
  
  • Automatically opening files
  • Automatically opening a particular view
  • Automatic macro on opening/closing View file
  • Keeping users out of design environment
  • Database security
  • Changing security passwords
  • Stopping people accidentally entering data
  • Stopping users from deleting records
  • Stopping Approach from prompting to save an .apr
  • Running a Macro in a different .apr files
  • Moving a view from one .apr to another
  • Starting Approach without displaying the startup banner
  • User selection of database tables within an .apr
  • Distributing .dbf database files to users
  • Scripts are not imported with an .apr
• Example LotusScripts
  
  • Getting the path of a database file
  • Screen updating during script execution
  • ConvertNumberToText
  • CurrencyToWords function
  • Conditional Automatic Entry
  • Create a delimited text file from two fields
  • Disable the action bar, smart icons, status bar and view tabs
  • Serialized invoice number on billing
  • Draw rounded rectangles to size (for envelope windows)
  • Using keydown event to automatically enter or modify a date
  • Launch multiple Approach applications at start-up
  • Syntax use of currentview.body.objectname.text
  • Script Launch at Record Change Event
  • Check Existing Data and ask for details for new record
  • Lotus Notes SQL script
  • Read in the Approach User Section in win.ini
  • Handling Approach Object Errors
  • Error trapping and data manipulation script
  • Creating a dot notation text file
  • Progress bar
  • Flashing text
  • Import a text file (or .dbf) into a DBF
  • Linked List class (beats 64K limit on arrays)
  • Fill Field No.1
  • Fill Field No.2
  • Named Find Event
  • Named Find Event with selection sort
  • Named Find Event with a different sort routine
  • Find the current network ID No.1
  • Find the current network ID No.2
  • User selection of database tables within an .apr
  • Pushing selections from one list box to another
  • Accessing items in a list box
  • SQL delete
  • Activating a macro in another APR
  • Converting Approach form to MS Word Document
  • Creating a new row in a repeating panel
  • Copying calculated fields to the clipboard
  • A button activated script that launches URL contained in a text field
  • Loading a document into some other application
  • A "Translate" function in LotusScript
  • Another "Translate" function in LotusScript
  • Passing the contents of a field to Google.com
  • Splitting a text field apart at Tabs
  • Using Windows 95/98 API to launch another application
  • Go back to the last thing that the user was using
  • Go back to the last thing that the user was using (A different response)
  • "Freezing" the screen while executing a LotusScript
  • Controlling the window size when opening Approach
• Unclassified articles
  
  • Generating and reading barcodes
  • Zip codes and Post codes
  • Recovering deleted records
  • Turning off screen updates when running a macro
  • Advise when using memo fields...
  • Creating a 'Help' file
  • Storing pictures
  • Remote dialup access to Approach
  • Multi-line messagebox
  • Tips on using the Script Editor
  • Printing out .apr file properties
  • Setting the auto-incrementing serial number
  • Quick access to objects in the script editor
  • Automatically saving your work

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