Just wanted to describe a recent application need and how the
combination of MPE/iX, KSAM, Transaction Manager, and Vesoft's MPEX and
its expression program capability solved the problem.
 
Task:  Wand bar codes on incoming mail
Why:   - Create a status file of which households have returned
       - Sort into mail cubby holes based on a value in the bar code
 
Hardware:  2 otherwise useless 386-25 PC's
           2 PSC laser bar code guns ordered thru Globe
 
Software:  Reflection for DOS
           Vesoft's MPEX
           Transaction Manager
           KSAM
 
Requirements:  quick development; reliability (cannot lose status
records if program or system fails); ease of maintenance.
 
The tools selected made the job easy.  MPEX's expression program
capability is sort of like interpreted Pascal.  There is almost complete
functionality, including file system routines and the wonderful feature
set provided by MPEX.  Development is quick since there is no compile
and link cycle; simply create a source file with code 171 and execute it
in MPEX.  The KSAM file was created with BUILD and loaded from a text
file using FCOPY (15 minutes).  The output file was created with BUILD
and tied to Transaction Manager by enabling serial write queue (FSETMODE
option 1).  The core expression program (since enhanced several times)
took less than 2 hours.
 
Everything works like a charm.  Configuring bar code readers takes a
little learning, but isn't really hard once you understand symbol sets,
check digits, etc.  It attaches between the keyboard and PC, so the
program just sees a really fast typist.
 
We have used MPEX expression programs several times.  Don't overlook it
if you are a regular MPEX user with tasks that exceed the capability of
command language programming but don't warrant a full programming
language.
 
If there is any interest, I can post the expression program source.
 
Rob Joseph
The NPD Group
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