This module is a series of exercises that introduce the fundamental skills required to begin programming Windows Desktop applications. This module uses LANSA's low code programming language, RDML, and the Visual LANSA Editor for graphical form-based development.

If web programming is your main interest, see Web Application Development with Visual LANSA.

The following exercises are included:

FRM015A - Getting Started with Forms Programming – Part A

FRM015B – Getting Started with Forms Programming – Part B

FRM025 - Insert a Database Record

FRM035 - Maintain a Simple Database Table

FRM045 - Using LANSA Debug

FRM055A - List Component Basics – Part A

FRM055B – List Component Basics – Part B (Optional)

FRM065 - Using List Components

FRM075 - Using a Working List

FRM085 - Maintain Employee and Notes

FRM090 – Using a Tree View

FRM095 - Tree View which loads on demand

FRM100 - Calling a Function

FRM105 - A Tree that Controls the Detail Shown

FRM110 - Check Out / In to IBM i

Before you begin

If you are familiar with coding LANSA's functions, you need to understand there is a fundamental difference between forms and functions in the programming paradigm.

• Functions are procedural programs that execute in a "top to bottom" fashion.
• Forms use an event-driven paradigm based on graphical user interfaces. The form waits for a specific event to occur and then executes the event. Once the event is completed, control is passed back to the interface. Hence, the location of the event routines in a form's code is not important to the execution of the program.