DBIx/Perform version 0.01
=========================


DBIx::Perform - Informix Perform(tm) emulator


Emulates the Informix Perform character-terminal-based database query
and update utility.  

DESCRIPTION

The filename given to the I<perform> command may be a Perform
specification (.per) file.  The call to the I<run> function may be a
filename of a .per file or of a file pre-digested by the
DBIx::Perform::DigestPer class (extension .pps).  [Using pre-digested
files does not appreciably speed things up, so this feature is not highly recommended.]

The argument to the I<run> function may also be a string holding the
contents of a .per or .pps file, or a hash ref with the contents of a
.pps file (keys db, screen, tables, attrs).

The database named in the screen spec may be a DBI connect argument, or
just a database name.  In that case, the database type is taken from
environment variable DB_CLASS.  The username and password are taken from
DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD, respectively.

Supports the following features of Informix's Perform:

 Field Attributes: COLOR, NOENTRY, NOUPDATE, DEFAULT, UPSHIFT, DOWNSHIFT,
		   INCLUDE, COMMENTS

 2-table Master/Detail  (though no query in detail mode)

 VERY simple control blocks (nextfield= and let f1 = f2 op f3-or-constant)


INSTALLATION

You know the drill:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   make install

DEPENDENCIES

This module requires these other modules and libraries:

  DBI  DBD::whatever
  Curses  Curses::Application Curses::Forms  Curses::Widgets::*

FUNDING CREDIT

Development of DBIx::Perform was generously funded by Telecom
Engineering Associates of San Carlos, CA, a full-service 2-way radio
and telephony services company primarily serving public-sector
organizations in the SF Bay Area.  On the web at
http://www.tcomeng.com/  (do I sound like Frank Tavares yet?).

AUTHOR

Eric C. Weaver  E<lt>weav@sigma.netE<gt> 

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright 2003 by Eric C. Weaver and 
Telecom Engineering Associates (a California corporation).

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself. 


=======================================================================
=======================================================================
=======================================================================
DBIx::Perform, version 0.694, 2007 Oct 5.

Many, many changes and improvements.  And perhaps some regressions too.
In order to better duplicate the original, database operations have
unfortunately become much more Informix specific, with much use of "rowid".

Some of the improvements from version 0.05:
Screen, Table, Master, Detail, and Current buttons are implemented.
Most of the attributes and instructions now work.
Query results more closely match the original utility's results.


NOT IMPLEMENTED
View and Output buttons.
'!' key.
Without Null Input in the Database section (p. 2-9).
Alias and Owner in the Table section (p. 2-18).
Color, Invisible, Verify, Wordwrap, Zerofill attributes.
Allowing Input in the Displayonly attribute (p. 2-24).
Delimiters, On Beginning, and On Ending instructions.
Current in the Default attribute.
Today, Current, Max, Min, Count, Total, and Average in the Let instruction.
Datetime and Interval data types (p. 3-11).
All the returns (lngreturn, floreturn, etc.) except intreturn (p. 6-21).
pf_gettype external function for use by external C functions (p. 6-23).

DEPENDENCIES
In addition to those listed above, also need:
  YAML
  RecdescentParser

FUNDING CREDIT
This project was done at:

Valtech
5080 Spectrum Drive - Suite 700 west
Addison, Texas 75001

This project was paid by and done for:

Essilor of America
13515 North Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75234

AUTHORS

  Martin Baer     2007/1/1  -  2007/7/14
  Brenton Chapin  2007/3/16 -  2007/9/12  (chapinb@acm.org)

