GAMBAS BOOK 3.19.1

This chapter is preceded by the following considerations:

• The Gambas project' gui_gnuplot' was created, developed and tested in the Gambas IDE.
• Then another developer took over the sample project' gui_gnuplot'. The project folder is $HOME/gui_gnuplot.
• After the first tests the source code was changed in a suitable editor like' BlueFish'.
• Then the modified project - without using the Gambas IDE - will be tested until all requirements of the specification are sufficiently fulfilled.

After every change to the source code, the program must first be recompiled for a program test, then an executable program file must be generated, and then the program must be restarted. The necessary programs compiler, archiver and interpreter have already been introduced in chapters 5.0.1 and 5.0.2.

To compile the sample project, the following commands are alternatively executed in the console:

Syntax:	gbc3 [options] [<project directory>]
 
hans@linux:~$ gbc3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot
OK
hans@linux:~$ gbc3 –all $HOME/gui_gnuplot
OK
hans@linux:~$ gbc3 -ag $HOME/gui_gnuplot
OK
 
hans@linux:~$ cd $HOME/gui_gnuplot
hans@linux:~/gui_gnuplot$ gbc3 --all
OK
 
hans@linux:~$ gbc3 -agv $HOME/gui_gnuplot # Extensive comments and information
OK
hans@linux:~$ gbc3 -agv $HOME/gui_gnuplot > gui_gnuplot.log

If the compilation was successful, OK is returned as a confirmation and there is a new hidden folder. gambas in the project folder or the content is overwritten. This folder contains files with the file names of the files in the. src folder - here FMAIN and MTERMINAL (in capital letters).

If an error occurs during compilation, a note is displayed with a reference to the line in which the error occurred:

hans@linux:~$ gbc3 -ag $HOME/gui_gnuplot
FMain.class:58: error: Unknown identifier: En
hans@linux:~$

Here it was a simple clerical error: En dif instead of Endif. Even in case of an error, a hidden - but empty - folder . gambas is created in the project folder. This is not critical, since the contents of the folder are overwritten during a further, error-free compilation run.

Only if the project has been compiled successfully, the executable file gui_gnuplot. gambas or an update will be created in a further step by the program Archiver in the project folder.

Syntax:	gba3 [options] [<project directory>]

No acknowledgement is issued if the generation of the executable file was successful. The executable file (archive file) is given the project name (default) and file extension gambas. These commands generate an executable file:

hans@linux:~$ gba3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot
 
hans@linux:~$ cd $HOME/gui_gnuplot # Alternative
hans@linux:~/gui_gnuplot$ gba3
 
If you want to give the executable file a different file name, then you must use the following synatx:
 
hans@linux:~$ gba --output=ZIEL QUELLE
 
hans@linux:~$ gba3 --output=$HOME/gui_gnuplot/gnuplot44.gambas $HOME/gui_gnuplot
hans@linux:~$ gba3 -o $HOME/gui_gnuplot/gnuplot44.gambas $HOME/gui_gnuplot
 
hans@linux:~$ cd $HOME/gui_gnuplot # Alternative
hans@linux:~/gui_gnuplot$ gba3 -o $HOME/gui_gnuplot/gnuplot44.gambas

Excursion

If you set the -x option, you can display the contents of selected files in the Gambas archive - if the file exists in the Gambas archive:

Syntax:	gba3 -x <archive-path> <file>

This call was successful:

hans@linux:~$ gba3 -x  $HOME/gui_gnuplot/gui_gnuplot.gambas .project
# Gambas Project File 3.0
# Compiled with Gambas 3.3.4
Title=GnuPlot & Process
Startup=FMain
Icon=Symbols/projekt_icon.png
Version=0.0.78
Component=gb.image
..
Authors="Dr. Hans Lehmann ~ Osterburg ~ 2014"
TabSize=2
SourcePath=/home/hans/Desktop
hans@linux:~$
In this case, too, the result is clear:
hans@linux:~$ gba3 -x $HOME/gui_gnuplot/gui_gnuplot.gambas .settings
gba: file not found in archive
hans@linux:~$

To execute the file projektname. gambas or neu_name. gambas you need the interpreter gbx3, which must be installed on the system. The archive file is marked as a script with the' Magic Header' #! /usr/bin/gbr3' and shows Linux how to execute the script. Linux executes the script by calling the interpreter specified in the header:

Syntax:	gbx3 [options] [<project-file>] [--<list of arguments: arg_1 arg_2 … arg_k>]

By default, gui_gnuplot. gambas is searched for and - if available - started by the interpreter; otherwise the path to the archive file must be specified and the symbolic link to the interpreter must be used:

hans@linux:~$ gbx3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot ' Standard projectname.gambas
hans@linux:~$ gbr3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot/gnuplot44.gambas ' Changed name of the archive file

A separate chapter is dedicated to starting gambas programs with parameters: 5.3.3' Programs with parameters'.

Here you can find the Compile, Archive and Interpret actions for the sample project in the $HOME/gui_gnuplot directory in a tried and tested summary:

hans@linux:~$ gbc3 -ag $HOME/gui_gnuplot
OK
hans@linux:~$ gba3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot
hans@linux:~$ gbx3 $HOME/gui_gnuplot

The result is impressive:

Figure 5.3.1.4.1: GUI for the console program' gnuplot'.

Figure 5.3.1.4.2: The console program' gnuplot' in action