Programmer Tools

Contents

David Bolduc's VPE
M Utilities
VA Utilties
VA's SAC
Procedures for Modifying Applications
Custom %INDEX
Patch Workaround
TK-WORKS Programmer Workbench
ERD extract tool

All workers can benefit from effective tools, and VISTA programmers are no exception. This page is dedicated to making the latest tools available to you, especially those that are tuned for a VISTA environment.

David Bolduc's Victory Programming Environment includes a VISTA-friendly programmer shell with improved routine and global management tools, and an Electronic Data Dictionary that complements and extends the FileMan data dictionary options.

M Utilities - Here is a handy list of common M utilities across various M platforms.

VA Utilities - Here is a brief list of common utilities and APIs in the various subsystems of the VistA Infrastructure.

VA Standards and Conventions (SAC) - If you want to understand the nuts and bolts of the VA's software architecture, you need to study the 'shop' standards. The SAC lays out the VA's current guidelines on required and suggested programming practices. This document was revised by the VA in April 2007. New!

Procedures for Modifying Applications - VISTA employs a very flexible scheme for permitting locally developed enhancements. If carefully followed, this scheme will eliminate the possibility of conflict when installing new versions of an application.

Customizing %INDEX - The powerful %INDEX program was modified to run outside of the VISTA environment by Ed de Moel. He kindly documented the process that is shared here.

Toolkit Patch Workaround - Trying to bring your VistA Infrastructure up to the latest patch level can sometimes be frustrasting due to interdependencies. Such is the case with the Patient Merge patch (XT*7.3*23) that is a prerequisite for the XINDEX patch (XT*7.3*27). But patch XT*7.3*23 requires a patch not found in the FOIA CD (restricted due to sensitive nature). So here is the work around as prescribed by the VA's DBA.

1. Enter "ICR - IMMUNOLOGY CASE REGISTRY" with namespace IMR in the PACKAGE file.

2. Enter 2.1 in the CURRENT VERSION field and create an entry in the VERSION mutiple field named 2.1.

3. In the VERSION 2.1 multiple entry, enter a "2 SEQ #2" entry in the PATCH APPLICATION HISTORY multiple field. An Inquire to the Package file should then look like the listing below.

NAME: ICR - IMMUNOLOGY CASE REGISTRY    PREFIX: IMR
VERSION: 2.1                            DATE DISTRIBUTED: MAY 21, 1999
PATCH APPLICATION HISTORY: 2 SEQ #2     DATE APPLIED: MAY 21, 1999
  APPLIED BY: KREIS,GREG
  CURRENT VERSION: 2.1

4. Now you may run XT*7.3*23 and subsequent patches.

Free Programmer Workbench - While the Hardhats site highly recommends Dave Bolduc's VPE as a VistA-aware programmer workbench, it is useful to know that other high-quality free M programmers tools are available. Patterson Gray and Associates has released their TK-WORKS software for free download.

ERD Extract Tool - This simple set of routines (download) will extract information from VistA Fileman Data Dictionaries to create .SML files that can be used by programs, like ERWIN, to create Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD). Below is an example of the use of the tool.

KRN,ROU>>D ^CJS

     Select one of the following:

          R         Range of Files
          B         Build

Select files by: Range of Files
First file in range: 2  PATIENT
Last file in range: 2  PATIENT
Model Name: PAT
Full path, up to but not including Model Name: C:\
Done

This is the tool that was used to create ERDs for many VistA applications.

Do you have a particular tool that you have found to be extremely useful for VISTA? Please feel free to tell us about it. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.