🎯 Understanding Uniface 10.4's $entname Function: A Developer's Guide

ℹ️ This blog post was created with AI assistance to help developers understand Uniface better.

🤔 What is $entname?

The $entname function is a handy ProcScript function in Uniface 10.4 that does two main things:

📍 Returns the name of the current entity you're working with
🔍 Checks if a specific entity exists in your component

Think of it as your "Where am I?" tool when navigating through entities in your Uniface application! 🧭

📝 Basic Syntax

The function is super simple to use:

$entname {( Entity )}

You can use it in two ways:

Without parameters: $entname - Gets the current entity name
With parameters: $entname("CUSTOMER") - Checks if "CUSTOMER" entity exists

🎛️ Parameters and Return Values

Parameter	Type	Description
Entity	String	Name of entity to check (optional)

📤 What You Get Back

No parameter: Current entity name in UPPERCASE, or empty string "" if no current entity
With parameter: Entity name if it exists, or empty string "" if it doesn't

💡 Real-World Examples

🆕 Example 1: Smart Record Creation

This example shows how to create a new record intelligently based on user choice:

trigger create
 call AddInsertOcc()
 if ($rettype = 65)
   creocc $entname, -1    ; Insert before first record
 else
   creocc $entname, 1     ; Add after last record
 endif
end

Here, $entname gives us the current entity name so we can create a new occurrence in the right place! 🎯

🔍 Example 2: Entity Verification

Sometimes you need to make sure you're working with the right entity:

retrieve ENTITY2
if ($entname = "ENTITY1")
  setocc "ENTITY2"        ; Switch to the correct entity
endif

This prevents bugs by ensuring you're on the expected entity before doing important operations! 🛡️

⚠️ Important Things to Remember

Case sensitivity: Entity names are returned in UPPERCASE 📢
Current entity: The last node in your active path must be a field or entity
Global ProcScript: Perfect for writing reusable code that works with any entity 🌐
Debugging: Super useful when stepping through code in the debugger 🐛

🎯 When to Use $entname

This function shines in several scenarios:

Global ProcScript modules: Makes your code work with any entity
Dynamic operations: When you need to work with entities determined at runtime
Debugging sessions: To check which entity you're currently on
Validation logic: To ensure you're on the correct entity before proceeding

🔧 Where Can You Use It?

Good news! The $entname function works in all component types in Uniface 10.4. Whether you're working with forms, reports, or services, this function has got your back! 💪