Utility Programs

Define Project Data Location

Projects provide developers with a method for organizing and managing the various tasks used in the development of business applications. Tasks that can be added to projects include NOMADS Library Objects (i.e. Windows, Dialogs, Popup Menus, Queries), Programs, Report Writer Reports, Data Files and Data Dictionary Entries. Projects are used by the PxPlus IDE and are accessible from the *IT - Integrated Toolkit.

For information on adding tasks to projects, see Project Maintenance and Adding Tasks to Projects from Other Locations.

When a project is created, the data that defines the project contents are stored by default in two data files, wkids.dat and wkseq.dat, in the *plus/proj directory. These two files are created new each time PxPlus is installed in a new location.

Important Note:
The wkids.dat and wkseq.dat files must not be separated or renamed, as this causes issues when accessing projects.

The Define Project Data Location utility allows you to specify an alternate directory to store the two project data files (wkids.dat and wkseq.dat) instead of in the default *plus/proj directory. This is particularly useful when you want to work with pre-existing project data (i.e. data created in a previous PxPlus installation) in a new PxPlus installation in a new location. After defining an alternate directory, you can easily access any pre-existing project data.

(The Define Project Data Location utility was added in PxPlus 2017 Update 0002.)

To invoke this utility, use one of the following methods:

Location	Method
From the PxPlus IDE Main Launcher	Select Projects > Project Location from the menu bar.
From the PxPlus Command prompt	Enter: *RUN "ide/proj_loc"**

The Define Project Data Location window is displayed.

Important Note:
***Before using this utility, make sure that you exit all *IT - Integrated Toolkit and Project Maintenance tasks first.***

This window consists of the following:

Current Project Definition Directory	*(Display Only)* Displays the full pathname of the directory in which the project data files are currently stored. (*Default:* *plus/proj directory)
New Project Definition Directory	Enter the full pathname of the alternate directory for storing the project data files or click the Query button. Maximum length is 50 characters. The directory that is displayed initially comes from the user/machine specific nomads.ini file (if the entry exists); otherwise, it is the same as the Current Project Definition Directory.
Move	Moves the project data files from the current directory (Current Project Definition Directory) to the alternate directory (New Project Definition Directory). The "move" process involves copying the two project data files to the alternate directory and replacing them with two link files in the default plus/proj directory. These link files point to the alternate directory entered for the New Project Definition Directory. This alternate directory is recorded in the user/machine specific nomads.ini* file, which PxPlus uses to verify the location of the project data files.
Cancel	Exits the utility without making any changes.
Restore	*(Available only if the project data files were previously moved from the default directory to an alternate directory using this utility)* Restores the project data files to the default plus/proj directory and deletes them from their current directory. The previously created link files in the default directory (see Move* above) are deleted, and the user/machine specific nomads.ini file is updated.

Defining an Alternate Directory

When using this utility to define an alternate directory for the first time, the Current Project Definition Directory displays the full pathname of the default *plus/proj directory that stores the project data files, wkids.dat and wkseq.dat. The New Project Definition Directory initially displays the same pathname as the Current Project Definition Directory.

To define an alternate directory:

	1.	Make sure that the alternate directory to which the project data files will be moved already exists or has been created.
	2.	For the New Projects Definition Directory, enter the full pathname of the alternate directory either by typing it or by clicking the Query button.
	3.	Click the Move button. The project data files are relocated to the alternate directory, and link files pointing to this directory are created in the default plus/proj directory. The nomads.ini* file is updated with the alternate directory. A message indicates if the files were successfully moved.
	4.	The next time this utility is accessed, the alternate directory displays as the Current Project Definition Directory and the New Project Definition Directory.

The above steps are also used to move the project data files from this directory to a different alternate directory.

Important Note:
If you have multiple PxPlus installations using the same project data files, care should be taken when moving project data files to an alternate directory. The reason for this is that when you use this utility in one PxPlus installation to move the project data files to an alternate directory, this change is not automatically reflected for the other installations that use those same files. This results in the link files in the other installations still pointing to a directory with non-existent project data files.

If this happens, the other installations will display a message when attempting to access project data. To resolve this, PxPlus will reinitialize the project data files, or you can use the Define Project Data Location utility in each applicable installation to define the New Projects Definition Directory to re-establish the link to the project data files.

Restoring Project Data Files to the Default Directory (plus/proj)*

If the project data files were previously moved to an alternate directory, the full pathname of the alternate directory will display as the Current Projects Definition Directory and New Projects Definition Directory.

To restore the project data files to the default directory:

	1.	Click the Restore button. The link files in the default plus/proj directory are deleted and replaced with the project data files copied from the previous location. The project data files in the previous location are deleted. The nomads.ini* file is updated. A message indicates if the files were successfully moved.
	2.	The next time this utility is accessed, the default directory displays as the Current Project Definition Directory and the New Project Definition Directory.

Linking Pre-existing Project Data Files to a New PxPlus Installation

When a new PxPlus version is installed in a new location, the two project data files, wkids.dat and wkseq.dat, are not included initially. They are created as new files in the default *plus/proj directory when necessary (i.e. when accessing the PxPlus IDE for the first time).

If you have pre-existing project data (i.e. data created in a previous PxPlus installation) that you want to work with in the new installation, you will need to connect the new installation to these data files. This is done when using any of the three methods explained below.

Method 1: Accessing the PxPlus IDE for the First Time

When the PxPlus IDE is accessed for the first time, the project data files are automatically created in the default *plus/proj directory and contain only the Default project. See PxPlus IDE Main Launcher (Windows).

The nomads.ini file is checked to determine if an alternate directory was defined for the project data files. If an alternate directory was defined and contains the wkids.dat and wkseq.dat project data files, a message asks if you want to use the data in this alternate directory:

If you respond Yes, the project data files in the default *plus/proj directory are replaced with link files pointing to the alternate directory. The PxPlus IDE is launched using the previously created project data in the alternate directory.

If you respond No, the default *plus/proj directory that contains only the Default project is used.

Note:
The nomads.ini file is user/machine specific; therefore, if this file indicates that an alternate directory exists for the project data files, verify that this is the correct directory and contains the project data files intended for use. This is important particularly if you are working in a client-server or similar environment in which the alternate directory may have been originally defined by a different user and/or on a different machine.

Method 2: Running the Define Project Data Location Utility from the PxPlus IDE Menu Bar

If the nomads.ini file indicates that no alternate directory was defined for the project data files, use the Define Project Data Location utility to define the directory containing the pre-existing project data files. This also applies if you responded No to the message (in Method 1 above) about using the data in the alternate directory.

	1.	Invoke this utility by selecting Projects > Project Location from the PxPlus IDE Menu Bar. The Current Projects Definition Directory and the New Projects Definition Directory initially display the full pathname to the default *plus/proj directory.
	2.	For the New Projects Definition Directory, enter the full pathname of the alternate directory containing the pre-existing project data files either by typing it or by clicking the Query button.
	3.	Click the Move button. The project data in the default plus/proj directory is replaced by link files pointing to the alternate directory, and the nomads.ini* file is updated.

At this point, you are able to work with the pre-existing project data in the new installation.

Method 3: Running the Define Project Data Location Utility from the PxPlus Command Prompt

Use the Define Project Data Location utility in a new PxPlus installation to define the directory containing the pre-existing project data files:

	1.	From the Command prompt, run the *"ide/proj_loc"** program. The nomads.ini file is checked to determine if an alternate directory was defined for the project data files.
	2.	The Current Projects Definition Directory displays the full pathname of the default plus/proj directory. The New Projects Definition Directory* either displays the alternate directory from the nomads.ini file (if this entry exists) or displays the default *plus/proj directory.
	3.	For the New Projects Definition Directory, enter the full pathname of the alternate directory containing the pre-existing project data files either by typing it or by clicking the Query button.
	4.	Click the Move button. The project data in the default plus/proj directory is replaced by link files pointing to the alternate directory, and the nomads.ini* file is updated.