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Creating new files

Every 4gl program can include 6 groups of files (you can have as many files in each group as you need for your program):

4gl source files which contain your code;
form files - .fm2, .ad2, .sm2, .tm2, and .tb2;
theme files;
images;
text files, and
other files like styles and script files, documents, media files, etc.

Most files can be created in LyciaStudio by means of different wizards:

4gl source files,
.fm2 forms,
.ad2 action defaults forms,
.sm2 start menu files,
.tm2 top menu files,
.tb2 toolbar files,
.qxtheme files,
4gl message files,
C header files,
C source files,
classic text forms,
ESQL/C Source files,
ICU recourse bundles,
message files, etc.

There are several ways to start the New File wizard:

from the New toolbar group of the main toolbar,
from the Create a new 4gl source file toolbar group of the main toolbar,
from the context menu of a 4gl program in the 4GL Project view, and
from the File menu group: File → New

4gl source files can be also created by the Create a new 4gl source file toolbar button in the main toolbar:

New File wizards basically follow the same algorithm:

All the file names you use in your 4gl development must be platform-independent.

If you use platform-dependent names (e.g., combine upper and lower case, use colons, finish names with a full stop, etc.), please remember that they might cause different problems when you move your project to another platform.

That is why we give you only several examples of creating the files most frequently used in 4gl projects:

creating a .4gl source file
creating an .fm2 form
creating a .qxtheme file
creating a 4gl message file
creating media files

Creating a 4gl source file

To create a 4gl source file, please follow these steps.

Creating an .fm2 form

To create an .fm2 file, please follow these steps.

After an .fm2 file is created, you have to switch to the Design mode and create a form by Lycia Form Designer.

Creating a .qxtheme file

When creating 4gl programs, you can automatically create an .qxtheme file - the master theme. Master themes have the same name as the program they are added to and are loaded at runtime by default.

However, you may create the master theme later or add new user themes to your program.

To create a .qxtheme file, please follow these steps.

After this, your have to create a new user theme in Lycia Theme Designer.

Creating a 4gl message file

To create a 4gl message file, please follow these steps.

Creating media files

4gl programs can include a different media files in addition to source, form, and theme files.

You can create these files from LyciaStudio by means of the New media file wizard:

When creating a new media file, you will follow this algorithm:

If you chose to create new media files with LyciaStudio, please keep in mind these aspects:

You have to specify the file extension explicitly because otherwise Lycia will not know what kind of media file you want to create (the Finish button remains disabled until you enter the extension).

After completing the New media file wizard, you will only get an "empty" file which has still to get its contents.

After you press Finish in the New media file wizard, the new media file will open in the editor associated with the specified extension. If you have no associated editors installed in our system, you will not be able to edit the zero-length file and to get the necessary media file.

Please remember that viewers are not editors, i.e. they have no editing options.