Handy tools give great results

The Problem
There are such tasks, in which the program makes record of data into text files from time to time. You can find many examples for this case. As rule, programmers use '?' command for such output. Of course, if program outputs line by line then usage of command is very easy. That's a horse of a different color, when you need make output of a single line, close file and a little later make output for another line and so on. Even worse, if you need output lines by turns in different files. The 'SET' commands are flashing before your eyes.

The Solution
All becomes simpler if you have some class, which controls data stream to specific file and uses 'SET' commands itself according situation. Such class helps to create objects which will control output streams into files. Now you can forget about 'SET' commands and output data very easy.

Approximate properties and methods

Properties:
- File name for the output channel
- Output mode: .T. = additive, .F. = overwrite
- Status of the channel: .T. = opened, .F. = closed

Methods:
- Open channel for output
- Open channel, output text line and close channel
- Output text line and retain channel status
- Close channel



Approximate class definition

DEFINE CLASS textfile AS CUSTOM

	NAME = "textfile"
	*-- File name for output channel
	filename = "output.txt"
	*-- Path
	PATH = ""
	*-- Output mode: .T. - add records, .F. - create new file
	ADDITIVE = .F.
	*-- Channel status: .T.-opened, .F.-closed
	STATUS = .F.
	*-- Internal status
	HIDDEN intstatus
	*-- Console state before channel opening
	HIDDEN CONSOL

	*-- Output line openning and closing channel
	PROCEDURE OUTPUT
		LPARAMETERS lcString, llMode
		LOCAL lnParam
		lnParam=PARAMETER()
		IF lnParam < 2
			llMode=.T.
		ENDIF
		THIS.OpenOutput()
		IF llMode
			? lcString
		ELSE
			?? lcString
		ENDIF
		THIS.CloseOutput()
	ENDPROC

	*-- Open output channel
	PROCEDURE OpenOutput
		IF THIS.ADDITIVE
			SET ALTERNATE TO (ALLT(THIS.PATH)+'\'+ALLT(THIS.filename)) ;
				ADDITIVE
		ELSE
			SET ALTERNATE TO (ALLT(THIS.PATH)+'\'+ALLT(THIS.filename))
		ENDIF
		SET ALTERNATE ON
		SET CONSOLE OFF
		THIS.intstatus=.T.
	ENDPROC

	*-- Close output channel
	PROCEDURE CloseOutput
		SET ALTERNATE OFF
		SET ALTERNATE TO
		SET CONSOLE ON
		THIS.intstatus=.F.
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE additive_assign
		LPARAMETERS vNewVal
		IF THIS.STATUS
			THIS.CloseOutput()
		ENDIF
		THIS.ADDITIVE = m.vNewVal
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE filename_assign
		LPARAMETERS vNewVal
		IF THIS.STATUS
			THIS.CloseOutput()
		ENDIF
		THIS.filename = m.vNewVal
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE path_assign
		LPARAMETERS vNewVal
		IF THIS.STATUS
			THIS.CloseOutput()
		ENDIF
		THIS.PATH = m.vNewVal
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE status_assign
		LPARAMETERS vNewVal
		THIS.STATUS = THIS.intstatus
	ENDPROC

	*-- Output line does not changing channel state
	PROCEDURE listoutput
		LPARAMETERS lcString, llMode
		LOCAL lnParam
		lnParam=PARAMETER()
		IF lnParam < 2
			llMode=.T.
		ENDIF
		IF llMode
			? lcString
		ELSE
			?? lcString
		ENDIF
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE status_access
		RETURN THIS.intstatus
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE RELEASE
		RELEASE THIS
	ENDPROC

	PROCEDURE INIT
		LPARAMETERS lcPath,lcFile,llAdd
		IF TYPE('lcPath')='C'
			THIS.PATH=lcPath
		ENDIF
		IF TYPE('lcFile')='C'
			THIS.filename=lcFile
		ENDIF
		IF TYPE('llAdd')='L'
			THIS.ADDITIVE=llAdd
		ENDIF
	ENDPROC
ENDDEFINE

The example of usage
It creates two output channels into different text files.

#DEFINE CR .T.
#DEFINE NOCR .F.

LOCAL loChannelOne, loChannelTwo
* create output channels
loChannelOne=CREATEOBJECT('TextFile',CURDIR(),'First.txt',.T.)
loChannelTwo=CREATEOBJECT('TextFile',CURDIR(),'Second.txt',.T.)

loChannelOne.ADDITIVE=.F.
loChannelOne.OUTPUT('The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Silver Blaze.',NOCR)
loChannelOne.ADDITIVE=.T.
loChannelOne.OUTPUT('',CR)
loChannelTwo.ADDITIVE=.F.
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('The Return of Sherlock Holmes.',NOCR)
loChannelTwo.ADDITIVE=.T.
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('The Adventury of the Empty House',CR)
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('',CR)
* ... some code lines
loChannelOne.OpenOutput()
loChannelOne.ListOutput('...And so it happened that an hour '+;
	'or so later I found myself in the',CR)
loChannelOne.ListOutput('corner of a first-class carriage flying '+;
	'along en route for Exeter, while',CR)
loChannelOne.ListOutput('Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager '+;
	'face framed in his ear-flapped...',CR)
loChannelOne.CloseOutput()
* ... some code lines
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT(' '+;
	'... Even now, after this long interval, I',CR)
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('find myself thrilling as I think of it, '+;
	'and feeling once more that sudden',CR)
* ... some code lines
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('flood of joy, amazement, and incredulity which '+;
	'utterly submerged my',CR)
loChannelTwo.OUTPUT('mind...',CR)
RETURN

The result
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Silver
Blaze.

...And so it happened that an hour or so later I found myself in the
corner of a first-class carriage flying along en route for Exeter, while
Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed in his ear-flapped...

File SECOND.TXT
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
The Adventury of the Empty House

... Even now, after this long interval, I
find myself thrilling as I think of it, and feeling once more that sudden
flood of joy, amazement, and incredulity which utterly submerged my

Download code
You can download this article and the program sample here. The download is a zipfile. Its size is 17.953 bytes.

Hi
How can I use above codes. I just copy and paste it in a prg and execute.
Is it the way to use. I don't have much idea about class creation, could you please guide me how it use.
Sajan Jacob
India