Clarion Programming Language

[Kerby Kolpack]

TheClarion development environment (IDE) runs on the Clarion language. The IDE provides code generation facilities via a system of templates which allow programmers to describe the program from an abstract level higher than code statements. The generator then turns this higher level into code, which in turn is then compiled and linked using a normal compiler and linker. This generation layer is sometimes referred to as 4GL programming. Using the generation layer is optional. It is possible to create programs fully at the code level (the so-called 3 Lager), bypassing all code generation facilities.

If the templates are used to generate code, then programmers are able to inject their own code into the generated code to alter, or extend, the functions offered by the template layer. This process of embedding code can be done while viewing the surrounding generated code. This mixing of template code and generated code allows the template settings to be updated, and the code regenerated, without loss of the embedded code.

The templates (from which the code is generated) are provided in source form and developers are free to create their own templates. Many templates have been written by various developers: some are offered as commercial add-ons, and some are free.

In 1991 Barrington licensed compiler technology from a company named Jensen & Partners International (JPI). JPI was founded in 1987 by Niels Jensen, who had earlier (1979 or 1981) been one of the founders of Borland. Philippe Kahn was the marketing person who built Borland around the $49 Turbo Pascal compiler. Niels and his team were working on a new compiler technology at Borland when Kahn decided to buy Wizard C, and name it Turbo C. Niels and several other developers left Borland and started JPI, where they continued to work on their compiler technology, named TopSpeed, which they bought from Borland for $1.7 million.

During this time the relationship between Clarion Software and JPI grew closer, and on April 30, 1992, Clarion merged with JPI to form an entity which would eventually be named TopSpeed Corporation. Employees at the TopSpeed Development Centre in London went to work on CDD and resolved many of the bugs.

During this time, MS still gaining and maintaining market dominance, innovating and pushing new tech, so all other programming tools like Clarion, Delphi are driven/held back by what MS do with Windows.

Windev obviously had a toe in the Apple pool perhaps to hedge bets.

Apple, niche following amongst media types, but those media types fuel the public consciousness. Also lacked any commercial sense, were more focused on multi media and iphone. Sure they had their servers but they werent into the commercial domain, ie AFAIK they didnt produced their own RDBMS. They developed a few of their own protocols like AppleTalk but thats about it.

All of them were employing patent lawyers left right and centre to fortify defences whilst picking fights with each other in the patent courts, even MS was getting hauled up in court by the US govt for some of its tricks and now by the EU Govt.

In this time, niche products appear, like MySql, Apache becomes dominant webserver, Exchange become dominant email server, Blackberry appear for a short period with BBM and their interface for Exchange.

I should mention Google, they built a successful advertising business around a search engine, they have tried competing in various domains, like documentation & email, there is probably some subconcious bias that MS has that domain wrapped up, Google bring out new stuff then shelve it, unlike MS which makes a big play on backwards compatibility, a resource drain in its own, but MS have that tangent handled well. MS also probably understands the needs of big business more than anyone else like Apple, Google & Facebook.

So when you look back at the history of the IT industry, we have had standards changed/improved/worsened, new players become dominant, new technology appearing and evolving, because no one knows where the investment is going, like who could have predicted mobile internet and Covid would make it possible to work from anywhere in the world as we get forced to work from home?

I only found Clarion when I was 14, part time data entry into dos program, was convinced the program could be improved, found out the programmer was relative to store owner, an accountant who picked up CPD2.1 when in the states at a computer fair or something, and wrote it as a side line to his accountancy job.

Having been taught programming at primary school by school (didnt realise how much my primary school had fast tracked us on somethings until a few years ago when looking back) and a university graduate who lived next door. So when I saw the way Clarion worked, ie it saved alot of time by removing the repetitive tasks in programming I was hooked and havent seen a better way in anything else, because the templates are like the ultimate framework building code generation tool.

At least this way I wont be trapped in anyway, but some bigger richer entity could still buy up Clarion just to shelve it, that is a risk which exists today, has done in the past and will exist in the future, which is a risk with all programming languages, other than what comes out of a FAANG entity, and even then they might still shelve it, when looking at what Google has shelved.

Saying that, I do think there is some political pressure being applied to STEM subjects, Eric Schmidt (ex Google ceo) has had alot of high profile influence at Govt level in driving people especially women to STEM subjects, as the need for programmers is massive because humans by nature are lazy, the computer now exists in various guises and the security services/military/law enforcement/govt especially the US are not going pass up an opportunity to spy on everyone either through legislation or secret court orders to big players, to maintain control, further the knowledge of science and anything else they deem to be worthy. Besides they know where we all are if we are stuck in front of computer!

Picking the best strategy is the hard bit, do you choose safe option like .net MAUI or something else like Wine or something from this list?

The Top 226 Library Cross Platform Open Source Projects on Github (awesomeopensource.com)

I dont think anyone has the answer because no one can predict the future, I think at best all you can do is learn from the past and try to spot trends occurring and work out if its going to be useful or not.

The Clarion Template framework is a nice concept, I havent seen anything quite like it, the .h files have tiny bits of macro code in, but how much work do you put into a template?

The #RunDLL and TXA/TXD makes things easier but there are still things I cant do in C11 today with the templates, at least very easily, I could with the IDE command line facilities, but the Return versus the Required Effort is not there.

I got 5.25" floppies for CPD2.1 although it might have been the smaller floppies (long time ago - too many parties), CW1.5 came on the 3.5" floppies, then I jumped to and got C5 on CD, C5.5 on CD, C6 on CD, and I found out that things like C6.3 905x came on CD, so the UK distributor sent me a copy of the all C6 updates that came on cd which was useful as these were full updates not the smaller delta patches. ODBC developer addon came on CD as well.

When I talk to non-Clarion developers, especially the younger ones, they are immediately put off by the cost. That acts as a barrier to them trying and seeing the benefit of such a powerful environment. I then have to suggest they try Lazarus, to see a RAD. The idea of a student copy, or evaluation option as suggested is therefore something that might help.

We do need Clarion to grow rather than retract because without this it will be increasingly difficult to find work where the investment in gaining Clarion skill can be turned into income.

At that stage they are not convinced that its an investment. I think maybe some youtube videos could demonstrate what it does over other languages and tools. Sure a bit of time but then its up on youtube and anyone can be directed to it and see it in action.

I am glad that this discussion is going in the direction of knowledge, empiricism and professionalism. I have always held that theory and knowledge are inseparable. We hope and strive that positive trends will prevail in informatics.

I will give you right in the following statements

> great debugger

Absolutely. I love the debug window, and syntax checking is most presise.

>Clarion had a Poor IDE

My customers don't see it, and except for the rather simple editor, I have

no problems whatsoever.

Acitve X is Microsoft technology. I could hammer a nail with an axe, but I

would be better of with the right tool. It is possible to create both

activex and Com, but it is a complete waste of time.

> I have completely moved from Clarion to VB. And I think VB is great

> language

> (regardless its bugs which are in every language), but most important

> thing is that VB is more human RAD than Clarion.

I have never had a client care what I use. And in all the years that

ActiveX have been around, I have never used one. Never needed to. Clarion

gives me all the power I need to create the products that my customers

what/need.

What do you care? You have moved on. I wish you the best on you life with

VB. I will continue to be productive in my work with Clarion. Not only can

I use Clarion to write Clarion apps, but Perl, C, Lex, Yacc, etc.

Illia

I think you did not understand clarion well. You can do almost all of

the things you written down. (As long as you are a good programmer not

a newbie). Basic and visual brother are good old languages. But pain

in the neck. If you like 100% hand code writing why not move to C++.

This is much better. And you do more thing than you do with every

other language.(except ASM) Clarion is not for code writing like

basic. Clarion is easy to use quick application generator which you

can do some hand code writing.

3a8082e126