Intermec 6400, Trakker T2090, EZBuilder Tutorial

Tutorial

P/N 066449-003

™

EZBuilder

Intermec Technologies Corporation
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P.O. Box 4280
Everett, WA 98203-9280

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Outside U.S. and Canada: Contact your local Intermec service supplier.

The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely for the purpose of allowing customers
to operate and/or service Intermec manufactured equipment and is not to be released, reproduced, or used for
any other purpose without written permission of Intermec.

Information and specifications in this manual are subject to change without notice.

2000 by Intermec Technologies Corporation



All Rights Reserved

The word Intermec, the Intermec logo, EZBuilder, JANUS, IRL, Trakker Antares, Adara, Duratherm,
Precision Print, PrintSet, Virtual Wedge, and CrossBar are trademarks of Intermec Corporation. Microsoft,
Active X, Visual C++, Windows, Win32s, the Windows logo, and Windows NT are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Throughout this manual, trademarked names may be used. Rather than put a trademark (

™

or ®) symbol in
every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state that we are using the names only in an editorial fashion, and
to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement.

Manual Change Record

This page records the changes to this manual, which was originally released as version 001.

Version Date Description of Change

002 07/98 The manual was updated and reformatted. Sample applications were added

as an appendix.

003 08/00 The manual was updated to support EZBuilder v 2.3, which adds support

for 6400 hand-held devices.

Contents

Contents

Introduction

1

Introducing the EZBuilder Code Generator 1-3

Overview of How EZBuilder Works 1-3
Overview of EZBuilder Windows 1-3

Menus and Toolbar Window 1-4
Object Manager 1-5
Viewport 1-5

Overview of EZBuilder Components 1-6

Applications 1-6
Menus 1-6
Moving Between Fields 1-6
Screens 1-6
Selecting an Item 1-7
Transactions 1-7
View Resource Dialog Box 1-7

Overview of the EZBuilder Simulator 1-8

Introducing the Tutorial 1-8

Tutorial Organization 1-9
Tutorial Time 1-10

Chapter Summary 1-10

What's Next 1-10

Creating Menus

2

Getting Started 2-3

Exercise 1: Creating the Main Menu 2-3

Exercise 2: Creating Menu Items for User Options 2-8

Creating a Menu Item 2-8
Creating a Second Menu Item 2-10
Creating a Third Menu Item 2-11

Exercise 3: Creating a Hidden Menu Item 2-11

Chapter Summary 2-12

v

EZBuilder Tutorial

Creating Screens

3

Overview 3-3

Exercise 4: Designing the MM_Help Screen 3-3

Labeling the MM_Help Screen 3-3
Creating a Multi-Line Object to Contain Help Data 3-4

Exercise 5: Designing the JobOn Screen 3-7

Labeling the JobOn Screen 3-7

Exercise 6: Defining and Labeling Data Fields 3-8

Defining the Badge Identification Number Field 3-8
Labeling the Badge Identification Number Field 3-9
Defining the Part Number Field 3-9
Labeling the Part Number Data field 3-9
Creating the Order Number Field 3-10
Wrapping Data 3-10

Exercise 7: Programming the Function Keys 3-11

Exercise 8: Programming the Beep Sound 3-14

Exercise 9: Creating the JobOff Screen 3-15

Copying the JobOn Screen 3-15
Changing the Duplicate Screen 3-16

vi

4

Exercise 10: Completing the Data_Help Screen 3-18

Chapter Summary 3-20

Creating Transactions

Overview 4-3

Exercise 11: Creating a Transaction 4-3

Exercise 12: Creating the JOF_Tran (Job Off) Transaction 4-8

Exercise 13: Finishing the Transactions 4-10

Exercise 14: Creating the CopyBadge Transaction 4-12

Exercise 15: Creating Toggle Capability 4-15

Chapter Summary 4-16

Testing Your Program on the Simulator

Contents

5

Overview 5-3

Exercise 16: Building the Program 5-3

Exercise 17: Testing the Program 5-6

Suggested Tests 5-6
Example Data 5-8

Record Identification Codes 5-8
Record Data Order 5-8
Automatic Data Entered into the Record 5-8

Example Output Listing 5-9

Exercise 18: Downloading Your Program 5-9

Chapter Summary 5-12

Where Do You Go From Here? 5-13

Using the Simulator Editor 5-13
Using the Example Applications 5-13
Using the Online Help 5-13

Using EZBuilder Features

A

Using the Example EZBuilder Applications A-3

Working With User Functions and Libraries A-5

Reviewing the Example Application A-6
Building a Static Library From the Function A-7
Placing Function Calls in the EZBuilder Application A-8
Configuring EZBuilder to Link With Your Library A-8

Parsing a Single Scanned Label Into Multiple Fields A-9

Scrolling Through a File and Selecting a Record A-11

Clearing All Fields on a Screen at One Time A-13

Transferring Data Between a TCP/IP Server and a Trakker Antares TCP/IP Terminal A-15

Transmitting a File from a Trakker Antares TCP/IP Terminal to a TFTP Server Using

Static Filenames A-17

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EZBuilder Tutorial

Transferring Files Between a Trakker Antares TCP/IP Terminal and a TFTP Server A-19

Transferring Files Between a TCP Server and a Trakker Antares TCP/IP Terminal Using

Dynamic Filenames A-22

Troubleshooting

B

Troubleshooting Error Messages B-3

viii

1

Introduction

dsf

This chapter introduces the EZBuilder code, defines some basic EZBuilder terms, and
introduces the EZBuilder tutorial exercise.

Introducing the EZBuilder Code Generator

EZBuilder is a software code generator product that provides a quick and easy way to
create application programs for the Trakker Antares terminals, the T2090, and the 6400.

Overview of How EZBuilder Works

After telling EZBuilder you want to create a new application (or enhance an existing
one), you give simple commands to create menus, screens, and transactions and to
define menu items, labels, and data fields. You can set appropriate attributes and other
parameters as properties for these objects; define function keys to cause specific actions
to occur when keys are pressed; and specify other processes, such as calculations, as
needed for your application.

When you have completed your application and give the Build command, EZBuilder
generates the application code for you. Using the Simulator tool, you can then test the
program on your computer. When your application is ready to use, download your
generated application program to your terminal.

asdIntroduction

1

Menus and
Toolbar Window

Object Manager

Overview of EZBuilder Windows

This section illustrates and describes the Menus and Toolbar window, the Object
Manager, and the Viewport. Other windows and dialog boxes are illustrated later in this
document, as needed.

Viewport

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EZBuilder Tutorialasd

Menus and Toolbar Window

EZBuilder commands are available by selecting from drop-down menus or by clicking
toolbar buttons.

Menus

The EZBuilder commands are grouped under menu headings File, Edit, View, Default,
Options, Build, Tools, and Help. Before beginning the tutorial, you should take a
moment to open each menu and read which commands are available on each. Most of
the commands listed on these menus are included in the tutorial.

Applications recently opened in EZBuilder are shown at the bottom of the File menu.
This list helps you quickly locate and open EZBuilder applications you have recently
developed or edited.

Toolbar

EZBuilder toolbar buttons are located beneath the menu headings. Toolbar buttons
provide quick access to many EZBuilder commands. Some toolbar buttons are available
only as needed for the creation of certain objects.

You can often access menu commands using a toolbar button. To learn the function of
any toolbar button while using EZBuilder, move the mouse pointer over the button and
read the description that appears.

The toolbar buttons are identified below:

New Application

Open Application

Save Application

Build

Simulate Trakker and Run
Application

Download

New Math Process

New Screen

New Transaction

Add Label to
Screen/Menu

Add Field to Screen

Add Menu Item to Menu

Add Scrolling Section to
Screen

Add Horizontal Line to
Screen/Menu

Add Vertical Line to
Screen/Menu

Add Box to Screen/Menu

New Menu

1-4

asdIntroduction

1

Object Manager

The Object Manager has three separate parts: the Object List field, the Properties and
Actions area, and three tabs labeled Properties, On Entry, and On Exit. These main
parts are briefly described below. When you make changes to the value of a field in the
Object Manager, you must move to another field to cause those changes to take effect.

Object List

Applications, screens, menus, and transactions that are created as you work in
EZBuilder are called objects, as are menu commands, data fields, and their respective
labels. The Object List, located near the top of the Object Manager, lists these objects
when you click the Object List down arrow. Altogether, objects are generally called
resources.

Objects are also listed in the View Resource dialog box, which is described and
illustrated later in this tutorial.

Properties and Actions Area

The Properties and Actions Area shows the default of each object selected in the
Viewport. In this tutorial, the Properties and Actions Area is referred to as the Object
Manager.

Properties, On Entry, On Exit Tabs

At the bottom of the Object Manager are three tabs labeled Properties, On Entry, and
On Exit. Click any of these tabs to view its respective screen.

The Properties screen shows the values, or properties, of items—menus, menu items
(commands and labels), screens, data items (data fields and their labels), and
transactions—that you create. Use the Properties screen to enter the values for the
object being defined and the actions, if any, caused by specific objects being selected,
entered, exited, or executed by the application user.

The On Entry screen shows parameters used when entering an application or data field.

The On Exit screen shows parameters used when exiting an application or data field.

Details and illustrations of each of these screens are provided throughout the tutorial.

Viewport

The Viewport shows your application as it will appear to your users. When you begin
an application in EZBuilder, the Viewport is blank; when you open an existing
application, the Viewport shows that application. How your application looks in the
Viewport depends upon your device type and terminal characteristics.

The Viewport has row and column coordinates that you use to specify the location of
items. The upper left corner is Row 0 and Column 0. This tutorial demonstrates how to
move items in the Viewport (and, subsequently, in your final application) by changing
Row and Column values.

1-5

EZBuilder Tutorialasd

Overview of EZBuilder Components

In addition to understanding the EZBuilder windows, you need to know a few basic
EZBuilder terms and characteristics before you start the tutorial exercise.

Applications

From the information you provide, EZBuilder generates an application program with
built-in verification functions. For example, you could build applications for

•

•

•

High-level component resources of an application include menus, screens, and
transactions. Each of these components (objects) can include other objects, such as
menu commands, data fields, and their labels.

Menus

A menu usually contains an identification label and a list of user options. These options
are called menu items in EZBuilder, but they are called menu commands by your users.

factory automation systems.

inventory control.

labor time records.

You can create your menus so the user can choose to execute a menu command in a
variety of different ways. For example, the user can

press a function key (such as F1, F2, F3, and so on).

•

use the up and down arrow keys, and then press Enter.

•

enter text or numbers using the keyboard (such as “EXIT”).

•

scan text characters (such as “SFCLBR”) using the terminal’s wand or some other

•

scanning device.

Moving Between Fields

In the Object Manager, use the Tab key to move the cursor to the next field, and the
Back Tab function (Shift+Tab) to move the cursor to the previous field.

Screens

An EZBuilder screen is the software display of information shown in the Viewport. An
identification label is usually included at the top of a screen.

In this tutorial, there are two main types of screens: data entry screens and help screens.
You can also create a screen to show results of calculated data or other processing.

1-6

asdIntroduction

1

Selecting an Item

To edit an item, you must first select it. You can select an item in one of two ways:

Double-click the item in the Viewport.

•

Open the View Resource dialog box, click the object once, and then click Edit to

•

return to the Viewport. For more information about the View Resource dialog box,
see “View Resource Dialog Box” below.

Selected objects appear in the Viewport with small boxes, or “handles, ” around them.

Transactions

An identification label is usually included at the top of a transaction screen.

The variable data that is scanned or keyed in by the user is accepted in the data fields
(shown on data entry screens), and then packaged as transactions. The packaging
process can append data from the system, including the current date and time or
calculated data.

Transactions can be handled in different ways. They can be

sent to or received from the RF network.

•

sent to or received from a COM (communications) port.

•

saved to or read from a record in a file.

•

sent to another field or fields.

•

In this tutorial, each transaction is saved as a record and sent to a file that later can be
printed for review and analysis.

View Resource Dialog Box

The View Resource dialog box graphically shows the interaction of current components
of your application. To open the View Resource dialog box, click Resource from the
View menu.

1-7

EZBuilder Tutorialasd

View Resource Dialog Box

Overview of the EZBuilder Simulator

A simulator allows one device (such as your computer) to act like or emulate another
device (such as your terminal).

EZBuilder comes complete with a Simulator tool so you can run the application that
you create with EZBuilder on your computer for program testing and debugging as well
as for training and demonstration purposes.

The simulator lets you check out all the menus, screens, transactions, and other
processing that you defined in EZBuilder before you download your generated
application program to the terminal.

Introducing the Tutorial

In this tutorial, you will develop a simple application to collect the start and end times
of factory workers as they perform various activities or projects (called “jobs” in this
document). Factory workers keep track of the time they spend on each job by scanning
the SFCLBR (Start Factory Labor) bar code printed on work orders when they begin
the job (producing the Job On transaction). They scan the EFCLBR (End Factory
Labor) bar code when they end the job (producing the Job Off transaction). As
alternates to scanning, the SFCLBR and EFCLBR codes can be entered as text on the
keyboard, or they can be selected from the menu using the up and down arrow keys and
the Enter key.

Each transaction is packaged as one data output record and sent to a file. The data
record will show the worker’s Badge ID Number, the Part Number, and the Order
Number. In addition, it will show the automatic date and time stamps and the Job On or
Job Off transaction identification code (JOTRAN or JOFTRAN).

1-8

asdIntroduction

1

An overview of the process for a Job On transaction (currently being scanned by a
worker with Badge ID Number B714) is illustrated next.

Job On Transaction Process

2

Transaction packaged in a record with data fields delimited

1

Data scanned or
entered into terminal

Job On

Badge B714

Part WIDGET1
234

Order 22

4

Transaction data file listed for
management upon request

by commas; TRAN code, date, time automatically added

JOTRAN,B714,WIDGET1234,22,04-23-1997 02:04:30

Transaction

code

3

Transaction record
sent to a disk file

Date Time

JOTRAN,B714,WIDGET1008,21,04-23-1997 01:00:30
JOFTRAN,B714,WIDGET1008,21,04-23-1997 02:00:25
JOTRAN,B714,WIDGET1234,22,04-23-1997 02:04:30

EZB.001

Tutorial Organization

This tutorial includes several exercises. EZBuilder offers different ways to accomplish
some tasks; however, new users should follow the exercises described in this tutorial in
the order presented, entering the data and building the application step-by-step as
directed.

The exercises for this tutorial are presented over four chapters.

In Chapter 2, you create a main menu and its menu items to provide navigation

•

options to users. This chapter includes an exercise to create hidden menu items that
can be useful during program development.

In Chapter 3, you create screens and their data fields. This chapter includes creation

•

of scrolling sections for help text as well as data entry fields where your user will
enter Badge ID, Part Number, and Order Code for the tutorial’s example
application. This chapter includes an exercise to program function key actions.

1-9

EZBuilder Tutorialasd

•

•

Tutorial Time

Depending upon how thoroughly you study the material and check each screen result in
this tutorial, you can complete the basic tutorial exercises and build and test your
program in less than two hours. Allow more time if you want to explore EZBuilder to
expand on information in the tutorial as you go along.

Note:

with your own enhancements.

In Chapter 4, you create transactions that process the scanned or keyed data for
both Job On and Job Off records. Records of these transactions are saved in a file
that can be listed for management who might want to analyze the time spent for
each job and factory worker.

In Chapter 5, you build and test your application. You will instruct EZBuilder to
build the application’s program code, and then you will use the EZBuilder
Simulator to test your application. This chapter includes information about
downloading your generated application program files to your terminal.

We recommend that you complete the entire tutorial once before experimenting

Chapter Summary

This chapter introduced you to EZBuilder: its purpose, window descriptions, and
definitions of major terms related to creating and using EZBuilder applications. This
chapter also introduced you to the tutorial and its organization.

What's Next

The remainder of this document provides simple tutorial exercises designed to quickly
teach you the basic features of EZBuilder.

An overview of the EZBuilder components included in the tutorial is illustrated next.
This illustration is repeated at the end of each chapter, with the components that you
have created up to that point shaded. Use the illustration at the end of each chapter to
see completed and upcoming exercises.

1-10

Tutorial Exercise Summary

Upon completion of this tutorial, you will know and understand the basic functions of
EZBuilder. Building upon this foundation, you can easily learn additional features
during experimentation and study of example applications included with EZBuilder
(see the

asdIntroduction

Application: EZBTUTRL

Menu Screens Transactions

(Chapter 2)

Tasks 1, 2 and 3

MainMenu

EZBuilder Getting Started Guide

(Chapter 3)

Task 4

MM_Help

Task 5

JobOn

Task 6

JobOff

Task 7

Data_Help

).

(Chapter 4)

Task 8 and 10

JON_Tran

Task 9 and 10

JOF_Tran

Task 11

CopyBadge

1

EZB.002

Before you begin the tutorial, ensure that

EZBuilder has been properly installed on your computer (see the

•

Started Guide

a RAM drive (E drive) has been created on your terminal. This is the disk drive to

•

for more information).

EZBuilder Getting

which you may want to send your output file when your application program is
executed (see the

EZBuilder Getting Started Guide

for details).

You are now ready to start the tutorial! Go to Chapter 2 to learn how to create a menu.

1-11

2

Creating Menus

df

This chapter describes how to create menus and begins the tutorial that provides an
easy way for you to learn the basic features of EZBuilder.

Getting Started

The first time you start EZBuilder, the Viewport and Object Manager screens appear. If
each of these screens is blank (as shown below), go to “Exercise 1: Creating the Main
Menu” to begin the tutorial. If these screens do not appear as shown below, you have
opened an existing application. Select New Application from the File menu to clear
EZBuilder, and then go to “Exercise 1: Creating the Main Menu” to begin the tutorial.

Creating Menus

2

Exercise 1: Creating the Main Menu

When you start a new application in EZBuilder, you can create either a menu or a
screen. In this tutorial exercise, you will create a main menu.

To create the Main Menu

1. Choose New Menu from the File menu. The New Menu default values appear in
the Object Manager.

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EZBuilder Tutorial

2. The default menu name, Menu0, is shown in the Name field in the Object Manager.
Rename the menu by selecting Menu0 and typing MainMenu.

You cannot use spaces in object names.

Note:

To create a screen identification label

1. Choose Add Label from the File menu. The label appears as two dots in the
Viewport, and its default values appear in the Object Manager.

All new objects appear as dots in the Viewport.

Note:

2-4

Creating Menus

2. Type Main Menu in the Caption field. The label automatically widens to
accommodate the length of the caption, and the change appears in the Viewport.

3. In the Object Manager, change the Row value to 1 and the Column value to 6 to
center the Main Menu label.

2

4. Click the Display Attribute field to activate it. A down arrow appears.

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EZBuilder Tutorial

5. Click the down arrow in the Display Attribute field. A pop-up list appears.

6. Select BOLD from the pop-up list. The label appears in bold in the Viewport.

To create a box around a label

1. Select the label in the Viewport, and click Add Draw Box from the File menu. The
box appears in the Viewport, and its default values appear in the Object Manager.

2-6

Creating Menus

2. In the Object Manager, change the Row value to 0, the Column value to 4, the
Height in Rows value to 3, and the Width in Columns value to 13. The box appears
around the Main Menu label in the Viewport.

At this point, you have created

an empty application named “Default.”

•

2

a menu named “MainMenu” that contains a label but no menu items.

•

Before moving on to Exercise 2 in this tutorial, you should save your application.

To save your application

1. Choose Save Application As from the File menu. The Save default As dialog box
appears.

2. Choose a drive for your application in the Save in field, and type a name for your
application in the File name box. Click OK. The Confirm dialog box appears asking
if you want to continue even though the MainMenu is empty.

3. Click Yes. The file is saved.

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EZBuilder Tutorial

Congratulations! You have completed Exercise 1. Continue with Exercise 2 to create
menu items.

Exercise 2: Creating Menu Items for User Options

The main menu of your application should include a number of command options that
allow your users to choose between operations. For example, a menu item can bring up

another menu.

•

a screen where data is entered.

•

a screen where help text is reviewed.

•

When creating a menu item, look at the Viewport and think about where you want to
put an item (Row, Column), what you want to call it (Caption), and any function key
(Activation Key) or string (String to Activate) that will be used to cause an action.

Creating a Menu Item

In this exercise, you will create three menu items for your Main Menu. You will then
set the properties and actions of those items.

The first menu item you create will bring up the online help screen when users press

. You will first set the Activation Key, which tells EZBuilder which key stroke will

F1

bring up the screen; then you will set the Call Screen, which tells EZBuilder which
screen to bring up when the Activation Key is pressed.

To create a menu item

1. Click the Object List down arrow. A drop-down menu appears.

2. Choose Menu: Main Menu. The Main Menu appears in the Viewport.

3. To create a new menu item, choose Add Menu Item from the File menu. A blank
menu item appears in the upper left corner of the Viewport, and the New Menu
Item default values appear in the Object Manager.

2-8

Creating Menus

4. Change the Row value of the new menu item to 4, and change the Column value to

2. The blank menu item moves to the new location in the Viewport.

5. Type “F1 - Help” in the Caption field. This caption tells users that F1 will bring up
the help screen. The change appears in the Viewport.

2

6. Type “F1” in the Activation Key field. The Activation Key is the key that will
bring up a particular screen.

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EZBuilder Tutorial

7. Type “MM_Help” in the Call Screen field. The Call Screen is the screen EZBuilder
will call when the key specified in the Activation Key field is pressed. Press Tab to
move to another field and accept the changes.

Since screen MM_Help does not yet exist in your application, an Information
dialog box appears asking if you would like to create it.

8. Click Yes. A blank screen titled “MM_Help” is created. To view this screen, click
the Object List down arrow and choose Screen: MM_Help. Return to the Main
Menu screen when you are finished.

Creating a Second Menu Item

The second menu item you create will start the JobOn transaction (you will create this
transaction later in the tutorial).

The steps below are more abbreviated than the steps in the previous task (Creating a
Menu Item). Refer back to the previous task if you need more detail or illustrations.

To create the second menu item

1. From the File menu, choose the Add Menu Item command.

2. Position the new menu item at Row 6 and Column 2.

3. Create the caption “F2 - Job On.”

4. Type “SFCLBR” in the String to Activate field.

5. Type “F2” in the Activation Key field.

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