CFOG's PIP, June 1987, Volume 5 No. 8, Whole No. 56, page 2
Questions and Answers: dBase II
[I found these on the Lillipute Z-Node, 312-649-1730. -- bhc]
Msg # 6030 posted 05/08/87 by Jeff Moro
Does anyone know how to make a dbase II CMD file abort back to a main menu with a keystroke? I've done a nice little menu set-up for some folks who don't want to touch the innards. The problem is that they may want to abort printing their labels before the job is finished (slow printer, paper jam, etc.) and return to the menu. [Esc] will (partially) work but it dumps them back to the (dreaded) dot prompt; wait, input, accept and various combinations of get and read I've tried don't seem to do the trick. Seems there should be some kind of INKEY procedure which could flip a logical to false and allow a graceful abort.
Msg #6035 posted 05/08/87 by Steve Cohen
There is no INKEY function in DBASE. If you want one you have to put it in with assembly language. A routine to do this is given in the book "advanced programmer's GUIDE" by Castro, Hanson, and Rettig, published by Ashton-Tate pp. 538-539. You should also read Chapter 22 of this book on the assembler interface in general. In my opinion this is the best book I've seen on dBase and it covers versions II, III, and III+ (somewhat).
Msg #6038 posted 05/09/87 by Charlie Kestner
I seem to recall that if you modify dBase with one of the NEWBASnn inserts, you can prevent the user from EVER getting the dot prompt.
Msg #6043 posted 05/09/87 by Bruce Morgen
NEWBAS11.ASM has both INKEY and dotprompt lockout options. In a word, indispensable to the serious dBase user.