Compiling an Application Interface

Once an AI is entered and saved, it is "compiled." The compile process analyzes the AI text and creates the actual interface.

There are three ways to compile an Application Interface.

First, from the File menu, select Database Definition and you get the DBD dialog. Drop down the menu where it says "Data Base Definition" and select "Application Interface." Now you are looking at an AI dialog:

Select an AI from the list and click on the "Compile" button.

Second, if you have the definition up and are looking at it (be sure you have saved any changes you may have made) you can press the Compile button on the toolbar:

Third, you can compile from the command line via the AI COMP command.


Compiling

The AI text file is the source. The outputs from the compile process are:

                                MMMMMMMM.PI           - The actual Interface
                                MMMMMMMM.PRS        - The user Catalog associated with this AI

                                where MMMMMMMM is the name that you gave the AI text file at the time that you created and saved it. The output files are placed in the same folder as the source AI file.

You can modify and compile AIs at any time. Anytime you recompile a Data Base Definition all AIs associated with that database are automatically recompiled. If for some reason one of them does not get recompiled, you can always compile it yourself with one of the above methods.

Once the AI has been compiled, it is ready to use in an OPEN command.

Be sure to see "Moving Data Bases from one folder to another ."