>Does anyone know of or has anyone ever tried implementing a table like the old COBOL/CICS Program Control Table (PCT Table) where a non-object oriented component of an application, say the procedural code PRGs, are table driven?
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>What I'm trying to do is externalize the PRG that is called from an OnPrint() method of a report generator interface form. When User's click the Print or Preview icon, the form's OnPrint() method does all the generic stuff, but eventually, has to call a PRG that massages the data some more and then issues the REPORT FORM myReport PRINT PREVIEW etc. These are all packaged up inside an EXE. The problem I've run into is that often, the EXE makes it out there and someone discovers a bug. This necessitates a whole new EXE, InstallShield Insalation, burn a CD, print collateral materia, etc., etc.
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>What would be nice is if the PRG and FRX names were stored in in a table that, if necessary, could be updated programattically with newer PRG or FRX names. Conceptually, OnPrint() would seek the table for a known constant, say a report ID or something, and bring forward the values from the program control table. Then the OnPrint() method would DO the updated PRG (name) and the PRG would REPORT FORM the updated report form (name), instead of one that is currently hardcoded inside the method. We could develop a simple patch that would place the debugged PRG and FRX onto their systems, and update the "PCT" table so the updated PRG and FRX are called instead.
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>What do you think? Anyone ever try this or heard of something like this?


Have you tried creating a free table with the report name and program name to run.