Copyright © 1993-2022, RistanCASE PRProgram Environment
Starting DA-C
Command Line Parameters
Environment Variables
User Interface Basics
Menu
Toolbar
Main Window
Status Bar
Keyboard Shortcuts
Editor Macro Compiler
DACEdit Program
Starting DA-C
DA-C is a 32-bit application developed for use under Windows. During Installation, the DA-C Project file extension ".DCP" is associated with the DA-C.EXE program. To start DA-C on a desired project, simply double-click the Project file and the most recent project files will appear on the Start > Documents Windows menu. You may tune extension association in Windows Explorer in View >Folder Options > File Types.
The DA-C program itself does not need any special maintenance. However, it bears mentioning that the program can start incorrectly if the Session File (.SES) is damaged. Should this happen, delete the Session File and restart the program. This file can be found in the same folder as the appropriate Project file ".DCP".
Command Line Parameters
DA-C.EXE [/p project_file_name [ed_file1 [ed_file2 [ ... ]]]] (old style, not longer supported)
DA-C.EXE [/ni] [/p project_file_name [/f ed_file1[ /f ed_file2 [ ... ]]]][ /e Command][ /ef Command file][ /l Log file]
Should any parameter contain spaces, it must be surrounded by quotation marks.
/ni:DA-C starts without intro dialog
/p <project file name>: Project will be opened in DA-C
/f <source file name>: File will be opened in DA-C editor
/e <command>: Execute command after start (see Commands Supported by DDE Server). Multiple commands must be separated by a ";" character.
/sf <script file>: Execute commands from script file after start (see Commands Supported by DDE Server)
Comments: Lines beginning with "//" are comments and will be ignored.
Commands: Multiple commands in one line must be separated by a semicolon ';'.//
// DA-C Script file for ...
//
Window::CloseAllWindowsTabs
Start::RebuildDatabase
Browse::GlobalFunctions
Browse::GlobalVariables
Browse::GlobalConstants
Browse::GlobalTypes
Browse::GlobalMacros
Browse
File::SaveAllBrowserWindows
File::SaveAllMessageLogs
Start::MyName
//File::Exit/lf <log file>: Log file for /sf command.
Line: 00001 //
Line: 00002 // DA-C Script file for ...
Line: 00003 //
OK: Line: 00004 Window::CloseAllWindowsTabs
OK: Line: 00005 Start::RebuildDatabase
OK: Line: 00006 Browse::GlobalFunctions
OK: Line: 00007 Browse::GlobalVariables
OK: Line: 00008 Browse::GlobalConstants
OK: Line: 00009 Browse::GlobalTypes
OK: Line: 00010 Browse::GlobalMacros
ERROR: Line: 00011 Browse
OK: Line: 00012 File::SaveAllBrowserWindows
OK: Line: 00013 File::SaveAllMessageLogs
ERROR: Line: 00014 Start::MyName
Line: 00015 //File::ExitExamples of starting the DA-C:
DA-C.EXE
Starts DA-C with last used project. All projects must be closed in order to adjust default settings that will be used for subsequent new projects.
DA-C.EXE /p c:\myprjdir\myprj.dcp /f c:\myprjdir\mysrc.c
Starts DA-C on MYPRJ project and open MYSRC.C in editor.
DA-C.EXE /ni /p c:\myprjdir\myprj.dcp /e Start::GenerateMakefile;File::Exit
Starts DA-C without intro dialog, opens MYPRJ project, generates makefile or it's components and exits.
Environment Variables
Environment variables defined in Windows can be made a part of various path specifications in DA-C by surrounding the variable identifier with "%" characters. Apart from variables defined in the Windows environment, it is possible, in "Environment Substitutes", also to define "DA-C environment variables".
If the %env_var% construct is found in DA-C paths (project root directory, database directory, headers path or Macro %Env(env_var), ...) %env_var% will be replaced with the value
User Interface Basics
The DA-C user interface consists of a set of windows, menus, toolbars and other elements, which give it the appearance of a modern, standard Windows application that allows you to manage DA-C and your project efficiently.
Menu
The menu is an element of the DA-C user interface which allows you to assign commands to the application. The menu contents as well as the state of particular commands is changed dynamically in accordance with the state of your project and the currently focused window. Use the menu in standard Windows fashion.
Toolbar
The toolbars, just like the menu, are used to assign commands to DA-C but, unlike the menu, do not contain all, but only the most frequently used commands. The commands are represented by buttons with pictures and their state (enabled, disabled, checked, unchecked) changes synchronically with changes to the state of the corresponding menu command.
Main Window
The main DA-C window is the frame for the overall content of the DA-C user interface. The title on the title bar of the main window has the form "DA-C - <name of the active project>". If the default project is active, the title is just "DA-C".
There are two types of windows in DA-C: document windows and docking windows.
You can change document window position and size within the main DA-C window/
Docking windows, however, attach to the borders of the application window, or float anywhere on your screen. The docking windows in DA-C are the Project Explorer and the Message Logs. They can also be switched to document windows view mode.
Status Bar
The status bar shows useful information and messages at the bottom of the main DA-C window. When a menu command or toolbar button is selected, it displays the command description.
When DA-C performs a time-consuming action, the status bar displays a description of the operation being performed.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts offer an alternative method of performing actions for users who prefer the keyboard to the mouse. Some of the commands in DA-C are assigned shortcut keys by default. Other commands do not have any default shortcut key assigned to them.
By selecting a keyboard in Options > Editor / Keyboard, shortcuts are automatically assigned to certain actions, and you can also assign shortcuts to the User-Defined Actions you create yourself.
Editor Macro Compiler
The Editor Macro Compiler (DAEMC.EXE) is a standard Windows application which affords the compilation of the Keyboard Definition File Source (.EML) to the Keyboard Definition File Binary (.KYB).
Compilation can be activated by the File > Compile and File > Compile Previous commands.
The File > Compile command opens the File dialog box, in which a .EML source file is selected for compilation.
The File > Compile Previous command compiles the most recently accessed .EML file.
The Editor Macro Compiler can be activated from DA-C by the Start > Compile Keyboard Definition File command.
DACEdit Program
In the software development, programs you are using there must be a need to define an "External Editor", for example in version control programs. It is not expedient to cite DA-C directly in this case because a new instance of DA-C would be started for each file if you were to do so. That is why the DACEdit.exe program, which, if necessary, first starts DA-C and then passes on the correct commands via DDE (see "Direct Data Exchange (DDE)" in DA-C Users Manual), is now at your disposal. Apart from purely editor-type commands, DACEdit can forward a multitude other commands, meaning that it can be used for DA-C remote control. DACEdit and DA-C communication is asynchronous, DA-C Edit does not wait for the execution of commands. These commands can have the following syntax:
DACEdit [/t time] [/p <project file name>[.dcp] [/saveall]]
DACEdit [/t time] [/f <file path> [/save|update] [/l <line>] [/c column]]
DACEdit [/t time] [/q|h] [/e [UDA macro];[UDA action];[Menu command];[Editor macro]]
DACEdit [/t time] [/f <file path> [/save|update] [/l <line>] [/c column]] [/fc <function>|<line>][/chg <function>][/thg <symbol>]]
Should any parameter contain spaces, it must be surrounded by quotation marks.
/n <instance name>: Name of the DA-C instance (Windows title). On this way DACEdit may connect to right DA-C instance if more than one DA-C instances are open. On DA-C side this is project name or his alias (Options > Project Explorer...").
/p <project file name>: Name of the project to be opened in DA-C.
/f <filename>: Name of the file to be opened in DA-C Editor. The extension has to belong to the list of editable files. If no project was opened prior to this (which is certainly highly advisable as DA-C is a project-oriented tool), a default project with limited configuration possibilities will be opened.
/l <line>: Line on which the insertion point should be positioned on opening a file.
/c <column>: Column on which the insertion point should be positioned on opening a file.
/fc <function|line>: Shows Flowchart from <function> or on <line>.
/chg <function>: Shows Call Hierarchy Graph from <function>.
/thg <symbol>: Shows Type Hierarchy Graph from <symbol> (typedef or structure).
/e <command>: Execute command after start (see Commands Supported by DDE Server). Multiple commands must be separated by a ";" character.
/sf <script file>: Execute commands from script file after start (see Commands Supported by DDE Server)
Comments: Lines beginning with "//" are comments and will be ignored.
Commands: Commands in one line must be separated with semicolon ';'./lf <log file>: Log file for /sf command.
/saveall: Command for saving edited files in the Editor.
/save|update: Command for saving the currently active file in DA-C, if it has been changed. To ensure compatibility with earlier versions, the alternative command /update may be used.
/q|h: Execute action in quiet mode. To ensure compatibility with earlier versions, the alternative command /h (hidden) may be used.
/t <time>: Delay time in sec after DA-C start command was sent.
Copyright © 1993-2022, RistanCASE PR