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ESL Documentation

-apio

Specifies that messages tracing communication to and from applications are to be placed in the errorlog file. When using this option, you should also use the -e option. Used for debugging.

 

-config

Creates a list of the full filenames used by DLLs defined by the MAPENTRY statements within the configuration file. This option forces all the DLLs to be loaded at application start-up even if the functions within a DLL are not used. This option is useful in locating naming clashes, but can cause other runtime issue, so must not be used as the production norm.

 

-d VAR_NAME INITIAL_VALUE

Initializes ESL scalar (non-array) integer, float, boolean, and string variables. The variable must be declared in the program being started. The initialization occurs once, when ESL is started, and it overrides program initialization values. This facility does not affect subsequent program changes, except that global variables retain their values.

To initialize a string variable with a value containing more than one word, enclose the entire initialization value in double quotes ("). ESL attempts to convert the initial value to match the type of the variable. It is an error if any of the following conditions apply:

ESL can determine that the types do not match.

There is no initial value.

The variable is undefined.

The variable is not one of the following: integer, float, boolean, or string.

The variable is an array.

 

-debug

If specified, must be in both the EPARSE.EXE and ESLRUN.EXE files. Causes line numbers to be placed in the errorlog when traces and errors are generated during runtime. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-e FILENAME

Sends error messages to FILENAME. If you omit FILENAME, the errors are not output.

 

-ew

Exit Windows when the application is closed.

 

-f FILENAME

Defines the configuration file that ESL is to use.

By default this is EslConfig.ini within the current directory or the same directory as the executable.

 

-g SIZE

Specifies initial size, in bytes, of allocated global memory. This overrides the value of GLBSIZE specified in the configuration file EslConfig.ini. If the size specified is greater than GLBMAX, then GLBMAX is also set to this size.

 

-m SIZE

Specifies initial size, in bytes, of allocated ESL program memory.

This overrides the value of PRGSIZE specified in the configuration file EslConfig.ini. If the size specified is greater than PRGMAX, then PRGMAX is also set to this size.

 

-nb

Turns off pointing device sounds (beep for correct selections and boop for incorrect selections). You can change the frequency of these sounds in the EslConfig.ini file.

 

-p

Makes all dialog boxes and dialog regions permanent, regardless of how they were defined.

 

-terp

Causes ESL to generate trace messages for the entire ESL program or until a turn trace off action statement is encountered. These trace messages are useful for following ESL program execution at a low level. When using this option, you should also use the -e option. (The -terp option works in exactly the same way as the turn trace on action statement, except that

-terp traces the entire program from the beginning, only stopping if a turn trace off statement is encountered.)

 

-terpF

Causes ESL to generate trace messages for every call to an external function. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-terpS

Causes ESL to generate trace messages for every call to a subroutine and when that subroutine completes. This facility is useful when trying to locate a fault in a program, when a full trace would generate a very large errorlog or would slow the application to an unworkable state. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-terpSE

Causes ESL to generate trace messages for every call to internal ESL subroutines and when that subroutine completes. This facility is useful when trying to locate a fault in a program, when a full trace would generate a very large errorlog or would slow the application to an unworkable state. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-terpSX

Causes ESL to generate trace messages for every call to external subroutines. This facility is useful when trying to locate a fault in a new library, when a full trace would generate a very large errorlog or would slow the application to an unworkable state. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-tfork

Logs the starting of Local and Remote Application in the errorlog. When using this option, you should also use the -e option.

 

-u WIDTH HEIGHT

Defines the size of a dialog unit. When this option is not specified, dialog units used by the ESL program are identical to Windows dialog units. The size of a Windows dialog unit is one-quarter the average character width and one-eighth the maximum height of the Windows system font. When this option is specified, the size of an ESL dialog unit is WIDTH/4 by HEIGHT/8. You should use this option to override the Windows dialog unit size when an application was created with the layout facilities of ESL Workbench (that is, non-Windows­ size dialog units).

The values for WIDTH and HEIGHT depend on the runtime display resolution, as follows:

Runtime Display Resolution WIDTH        HEIGHT

EGA                    (640 x 350)    6.02                   11.55

VGA                    (640 x 480)    6.03               16

SVGA                  (800 x 600)    7.53               20.17

SVGA                 (1024 x 768)   9.63                  26

 

The default values are the average character width and maximum character height of the Windows system font.

 

-xsdll FILENAME

Use the specified file as the external string resource DLL for the program. If no extension is specified, .DLL us used. By default, the DLL specified when the program was compiled, with an externalize strings options, is used.

 

-inclst

List the included source code files in the errorlog used when the program was compiled.