PICK BASIC Program Lifecycle

How Python drives Eclipse ERP server-side extraction

Your Machine SSH / SCP Eclipse Server
1
Your Machine
Generate BASIC Source Code
Python builds the BASIC program as a plain text string in memory. This is the program that will run inside UniVerse on the ERP server.
# Python function returns a string: build_basic_source() → """ OPEN "INITIALS" TO INTF ELSE STOP SELECT INITIALS LOOP READNEXT IID ELSE EXIT READ IREC FROM INTF, IID PRINT IID, IREC<3>, IREC<37> ... REPEAT """
💡 Nothing has touched the server yet. This is just a Python string.
⬇ SSH pipe — text sent to server
2
SSH Transfer
Upload Source to Server
Python pipes the text string over SSH into a file in the BASIC Programs directory on the server.
ssh user@eclipse "cat > /eclipsedir/BP/SHEPOS.EMPLOYEE.EXPORT" # The BASIC source text is now sitting in BP/ as a record
3
Eclipse Server
Compile the Program
Python sends an SSH command that opens the UniVerse shell and tells it to compile the source into a runnable object.
# Python sends this via SSH: printf 'BASIC BP SHEPOS.EMPLOYEE.EXPORT\nQUIT\n' | uv # UniVerse reads the source and writes: BP/SHEPOS.EMPLOYEE.EXPORT ← source (already there) BP.O/SHEPOS.EMPLOYEE.EXPORT ← compiled object (NEW)
💾 Both persist on disk until deleted. The script overwrites them on the next run but never cleans up.
4
Eclipse Server
Launch via Wrapper Script
Python creates a small shell script on the server that runs the BASIC program and captures output to a file. Launched with nohup so SSH can disconnect.
# The wrapper script at /tmp/: #!/bin/sh cd /eclipsedir printf 'RUN BP SHEPOS.EMPLOYEE.EXPORT\nQUIT\n' | uv \ > /tmp/shepos_employee_export_output.txt touch /tmp/shepos_employee_export_done.flag # Launched detached: nohup /tmp/shepos_employee_export_run.sh &
⚡ The flag file is key — Python checks for it to know when the program finishes.
5
Eclipse Server — Inside UniVerse
BASIC Program Reads ERP Data
The compiled program runs inside UniVerse. It opens the INITIALS file, loops through every record, reads the fields, and prints tab-separated lines.
OPEN "INITIALS" → direct file handle SELECT INITIALS → queue up every record ID LOOP READNEXT IID → next employee initials (e.g. "JRB") READ IREC → full record into memory PRINT IID, name, dept, branch, title, email, active REPEAT # stdout → /tmp/shepos_employee_export_output.txt # done → touch /tmp/shepos_employee_export_done.flag
6
SSH Check
Poll for Completion
Python checks every 10 seconds — "does the flag file exist?" When it appears, the program is done.
# Every 10 seconds: ssh user@eclipse "test -f /tmp/shepos_employee_export_done.flag \ && echo DONE || echo RUNNING" [10s] RUNNING [20s] RUNNING [30s] DONE
⬆ SCP — output file pulled back
7
SCP Transfer
Fetch the Output File
Python uses SCP to copy the output file from the server back to the local machine.
scp user@eclipse:/tmp/shepos_employee_export_output.txt ./local_tmp # The file contains raw TSV: initials name department branch title email active JRB John Brown Sales 001 Sales Mgr jbrown@... Y KLM Kim Lee Warehouse 003 Picker klee@... Y XYZ Old Account ... 002 ... ... N
8
Your Machine
Parse TSV into Python Data
Python reads the text file line by line, splits on tabs, and builds a list of clean employee dictionaries.
parse_output(raw_text) → [ {"initials": "JRB", "name": "John Brown", "department": "Sales", "branch": "001", "active": true}, {"initials": "KLM", "name": "Kim Lee", "department": "Warehouse", "branch": "003", "active": true}, ... ]
9
Your Machine
Deliver the Results
Python outputs the data however you asked — JSON to screen, TSV to a file, or POST to the UET web app.
print(json.dumps(records)) # → stdout write_tsv(records, output_dir) # → employees.tsv post_to_uet(records, url) # → HTTP POST to app

Key Takeaways

💾
Programs persist on server
Source in BP/, compiled object in BP.O/. Overwritten each run, never cleaned up. Harmless — no load when idle.
📝
Generated fresh each time
Python rebuilds the BASIC source on every run. If you change the Python, the next run uploads the new version automatically.
🔒
Read-only extraction
These programs only READ from Eclipse files. They never write, update, or delete ERP data. Safe by design.
⚡
Why not just use the API?
Inside UniVerse, BASIC can read any file, resolve multivalue fields, and run computed logic the REST API doesn't expose.