Erik Wachtmeester,
  In a message on 14 August, you wrote to me :
EW> Reply-To: erik.wachtmeester@bighole.iaf.nl
EW> Denis Braussen wrote in a message to Jean Menten:
EW> 
EW> JM> I'm trying to get acquainted with the clipper add-on library
EW> JM> CLIP4WIN. I'v got some questions about this library:
EW> 
EW>  DB> nice idea, excellent choice. :-))
EW>  DB> Clip4win is a (very good) library wich allow you to write REAL 
EW>  DB> WINDOWS EXE (but only in 16 bits, because Clipper makes 16 
EW>  DB> bits *.obj) The structure of your PRG is, in such a windows 
EW>  DB> style programming, very close from C style. (BUT, last Version 
EW>  DB> of Clip4Win include an OOP engine which allow you to create 
EW>  DB> your own classes...)
EW> 
EW> Hmm. I'm quite new to Windows programming, but wouldn't it be 
asier/bette
EW> write a user interface in e.g. Delphi, C++ Builder or Visual C++ that
EW> communicates with a Clipper engine on the background through named pipes 

EW> shared memory? I don't know if a Clipper library that supports named 
ipes
EW> shared memory exists, but if yes, you've got a much more flexible 
olution
EW> Thefront end could also been written for OS/2, X11, System7, Java, etc., 

EW> theClipper engine could be running on another machine (maybe even 
upporti
EW> different clients). The latter would only work with named pipes of 
ourse,
EW> because shared memory over different machines just isn't possible...
    nice idea...
    but it seems to be difficult to do it :( 
    i've never heard about such pipes.
    
    Besides CLIPPER makes 16 bits exe and programs like DELPHI, C++
    Builder are 32 bits App. So you have to call within a 16 bits exe
    32 bits *.dll and vice et versa (i've red something about that:
    it's something named 'THUNK' (there are some build in Win95 for
    compatibility with old 16 bits apps). it was very hard stuff,
    impossible (IMHO) to make it with clipper :( )  
    -------->BUT i've heard that John Skelton will implement such
             call (16->32) in the next release aof Clip4Win.(?)
      ?:-/   That will allow you to call 32 bits *.dll like R&R
             (report maker) for instance) <------------
    
    
    It's perhaps possible to only make somme 'call' to external
    clipper module (exe) ? IMHO, it's possible, but complex  (too
    many small clipper *.exe, you need also to maintain a lot of
    temporary files for transmitting parameters for instance)
    that sounds to me like the (bad) (very) old basic ands
    its (ugly) RUN "C:\..." within a pgm :-)
    
   'pipe' are only well implemented on UNIX plateform (you can try
   LINUX :-)) ). halas, UNIX is not so easy (IMHO) to use as MS-DOS
   and even windows programming.
   
   in conclusion, i think that if your custommers don't _really_
   insist to have a 'windows look & feel', you can continue to
   produce (good) old clipper *.exe in ms-dos mode.
   If you really wants to continue using the (exellent) old (good)
   :-)) clipper AND having a windows look&feel, IMHO, the best choice is
   Clip4Win (perhaps FiveWin, but i've not tried it yet). Windows
   programming is not so difficult after all  ...
   
Best regards from France,
Denis.
        - ---  )\                            ___           _
           /\_('')/\   Bien Amicalement,    |   \ ___ _ _ (_)___
     - --  \__   __/   Best regards,        | |) / -_) ' \| (_-<
            _/   \     FidoNet 2:325/200    |___/\___|_||_|_/__/
        --- \____/   --e-mail--> denis.braussen@suptel.frmug.org
   
      
---
 þ ATP/Linux 1.50 þ Origin: - SuPTeL NaNCy BBS  -(33)- 03 83 53 16 17 -8N1-
--- QScan/PCB v1.19b / 01-0633
---------------