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mx

Spreadsheets inside database, m-formulas in cells of 'VirtualExcel', based on globals

How it works :

  • Information is kept not in the Excel workbooks, but inside the m-server IRIS/CACHE, in the form of globals ('virtual-spreadsheets-on-globals')
  • When any user connects to the m-server via internet or intranet, his Real-Excel worksheet fills with data from required 'Virtual-sheet'. Real and Virtual sheets are closely interrelated – changes are displayed on both
  • User works with the Real-sheet, m-triggers (MUMPS-commands in cells) track its actions and start the necessary processes in 'VirtualExcel'
  • After disconnection, the Real-sheets is not being saved, however all data still remains inside the database
  • MX work without additional programming of VBA-macros or M-routines, enough m-formulas (MUMPS-commands) in cells

(MUMPS is an acronym for the Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System, also known as M)

MUMPS: http://mumps.sourceforge.net/docs.html#commands
https://community.intersystems.com/post/intersystem-cache-—-high-performence-and-operations-dbms https://docs.intersystems.com/irislatest/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?KEY=AFL_globals https://docs.intersystems.com/irislatest/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?KEY=GGBL_using_storing https://community.intersystems.com/post/m-cell

Download IRIS: https://www.intersystems.com/try-intersystems-iris-for-free/ https://download.intersystems.com/download/login.csp

Preparation (for Windows) to start MX with Cache/IRIS InterSystems :

  • download the repository as ZIP file, then unzip to a separate folder, for example: to c:\mx\
  • if you don’t yet have Cache/IRIS, download and install IRIS, preferably in unicode, on any windows-computer
  • start IRIS terminal, then run the following commands after USER>:
			USER> Set root = "path on filesystem to which repository was downloaded"  ; f.e.  "c:\mx"
			USER> Do $System.OBJ.ImportDir(root,"vmx.ro","ck",,1) Do ^ZSTU
			( Alternative option :   USER> Do ^%RI Do ^ZSTU  )
  • edit the [connections] table in the MX_CONFI.xlsb (edit your m-server-IP4-address)
  • run mx.xlsb (MS EXCEL macros be sure, required dot . as system-decimal-delimiter)
  • select and press the button to connect to the mx-server
Then you will see menu-sheet for calling tests and games.

You also can test MX without m-server installation - just start mx-sea-battle.xlsb.

For install IRIS UNIX in docker, unzip repozitory to /path/to/mymx/, then enter:	
 $ docker run --name myiris -v /path/to/mymx:/mx -p 5264:5264 -d store/intersystems/iris-community:2020.1.0.202.0
 $ docker exec -it myiris iris session iris
   USER>do $System.OBJ.ImportDir("/mx","vmx.ro","ck",,1) do ^ZSTU
   
On clients side (any comp with Windows & MS Excel) :
	unzip MX to any folder 
	open mx_confi.xlsb, sheet [connections ]
	change ‘localhost’ to IP4-address of mx-server (example : 192.168.1.106)
	save workbook and run mx.xlsb

MX shows its power with huge tables and complex logic, provides a fast and convenient interface

With MX :

  • you can create new complex projects, or use MX as an auxiliary tool
  • your working Microsoft Excel applications receive powerful support : the M-database and M-language
  • your working M-projects (Cache, IRIS, MSM, MiniM) receive an additional EXCEL INTERFACE
  • you can use MX as their reporting framework, M creates tables and controls conditional formatting
  • there is no problem exporting documents to Excel - with MX you are already inside Excel and inside the database at the same time
Using the tool is easy enough.
You write commands in sheet cells in MX_FORMA_TEST.xlsb in design_mode.
Do not use just 'write' :    write $zv     in m-commands.
Instead of this :   ?=$zv .  Version will be displayed in this cell.
Question mark to distinguish between m-formulas and  excel’s native formulas.
In order to open a sheet for editing click the design_mode icon on the top bar MX.
After editing click this icon again for save.
Carefully program For …  loops so as not to cause an infinite loop.
Do not use column “A” - it is reserved for the system.
After running the mx.xlsb macro, you will see a few examples. The easiest to learn is game 'i15'.

Try MX - it's just !

see also article
https://community.intersystems.com/post/multiexcel