XferDb (tm) v1.30 ---------------- XferDb lets you send or receive database records for NewtDb from a desktop (or other) computer. It could even be used for Newton to Newton record exchange. Your desktop database should be able to export and import text records with a tab character as the field delimiter. Field order of the data should be the same as in NewtDb. Requirements ------------ 1. Serial cable: XferDb supports serial data transfer. Appletalk is not supported. The serial cable that you use for NCK, NCU or NBU is the cable to use. 2. Desktop Computer: Any speed computer can be used. 3. Desktop computer software: You'll need a Terminal program. For sending records, you should be able to do a ASCII (or Text) send. To receive records, you'll need to be able to capture (ASCII / Text) incoming data to a file. NOTE: For PC's you can use the XMITDB.EXE and RCVDB.EXE programs that are at my website (http://netacc.net/~dmpsyst) inplace of a terminal program. They work in DOS, WIN 3.1 and WIN 95. (NT:??). Mac users: Versions of the programs are in the works ! For Mac, Zterm or ClarisWorks are just fine. For PC's you can use ProComm, Windows 3.1 Terminal or Win95's Hyperterm. Just about any other one can be used too. 4. Handshaking, baud rate etc.: XferDb supports Xon / Xoff software handshaking, works at 9600 baud (and others) , no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. Hardware handshaking is not used. However, a hardware handshake cable is OK to use. 5. Data format: XferDb expects to get records that end in a carriage return. Line feeds are ignored. For separating fields a tab character is expected. This is the most common format of records when they are exported from database programs. 6. When sending records from your desktop machine, be sure to set any delays in your terminal program to a minimum value or else you will encounter LONG transfer times. For the MP2K, I've transfer large files with zero delays. For other Newton devices, you should set an inter-record delay to about 1/2 second. For all Newton's, an inter-character delay does NOT seem to be needed. Check your terminal program to see where the inter-character and inter-line delays are set. XferDb will translate received VT's (vertical tabs - FileMaker uses them for inter-record lines) into CR's. The same is true when XferDb sends records. You have the option of sending Line Feeds when transferring records from XferDb. Commonly, PC's use them, Mac's do not. They are ignored when XferDb receives records. Before receiving records, be sure that you have the database defined and has the correct number of fields. Extra data sent is ignored. Conversely, you don't have to send every field. If enough fields are not received, the trailing fields are set to empty. Controls and Usage ----------------- 1. Select which database to send / receive by pressing the Db# popup and selecting the database to use. 2. You may press the Records button anytime when idle to count the number of records in the database. The count is shown to the right of the button. 3. To send records, press the Send button. Before pressing it, set your terminal program to capture (receive) incoming data to a file. After all records are sent, stop the terminal programs receive / capture. You will know when all records are send as the main window will indicate. You may stop the transfer before all records are sent by pressing the Stop button. Be sure to check the Send option if needed. 4. To receive records, press the Receive button. Then start the text file send function from your terminal program. When all records have been sent, press the Stop button. 5. You may also press the Clear All button. It will delete all records in the selected database after confirming the action. 6. Sync is not yet implemented. Push the button and see :) 7. Baud Rate - The default baud rate is 9600. You can also select: 19,200 , 28,800 and 38,400. After selecting a new baud rate, you must exit and restart the program for it to take effect. This is because the serial port is opened when the program starts. Caution ! If you select a high baud rate and are using Windows 95, you may have to set your PC's Transmit Buffer to a small size in order to not overrun Newton with data after Newton has sent an X-Off handshaking character. The higher baud rates were added because many people asked for them. But since Newton spends most of it's time saving data, I only saw about a 5% speed increase when using 38,400 baud over 9,600. 8. Create indexes after receiving data checkbox. Newton normally adds index data to each soup entry (record) when it saves them. This can sometimes make receiving data slow. When you have this option selected, the index data will be removed (yes, it has to) when you start to receive and regenerated after you end the receive. Regenerating the indexes can take from just a few seconds to a minute or more. The status window will inform you of this. A long index regenerate time more than offsets the receive time that would have been used if indexes data was added while receiving. Caution ! Since index data is added after receiving all records, you can run out of memory. If this happens, the database is not usable in NewtDb / UtilityDb as the index data is not there. Press Receive and the Stop after freeing heap (or selting recrods) to try to form the indexes if this happens. If you still run out of memory, you'll have to erase the soup (or delete all records) and download a smaller amount of data. Questions and comments to: Dave Pompea DMP Systems 62 Brittany circle Rochester, NY 14618 email: 74736.172@compuserve.com This program is bound under the general terms and conditions of NewtDb and programs in the NewtDb bundle. Copyright 1997, all rights reserved. Version History: v1.30 11/29/97 Recoded receive decode routine for faster receive on pre-MP2x00 Newtons. Supports smalled records when "Indexes use less memory" option is enabled in NewtDb. Better error message when serial port is already in use and hence no error or lockup upon exit. Updated parts of documentation. v1.15b1 9/28/97 Added baud rates for 19,200 , 28,800 and 38400. Allowed indexes to be created after receiving records. Now saves preferences. v1.13 ~9/12/97 Updated for 64 databases. Fixed interlock as before you could press Send while receiving. V1.12 4/22/97 General public release. Minor changes for verbiage, messages in status window. Added check for NewtDb use (not yet implemented) of compressed index's. V1.01 4/16/97 beta release to selected users. Added Receive, Count, Clear functions. Added internal support for compressed index's. V1.0 4/7/97 beta release to selected users. Send only implemented. The Legal Stuff: ---------------- DISCLAIMER No warranty, express or implied, is made with respect to this software, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for any particular purpose. I do not warrant that the function of the software will meet customers requirements, or will operate in the manner desired by customer or that the software shall be error free. I shall not, under any circumstance, be liable to customer or third party for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, including but not limited to the loss of data or information of any kind, loss of profit, or liability to third parties, however caused, whether by the act or negligence, of use or inability to use or otherwise. It is recognized that the equipment this software is used on contains memories or data or other things that may be valuable to the customer or a third party. In no event shall I be liable to the customer or any third party if any such data or memory or other things are lost or changed or destroyed, regardless of the cause of any such loss or change or destruction, directly or indirectly arising from customers use misuse or inability to use the software either separately or in conjunction with other equipment. Who owns this Software: ---------------------- The programs in this package is licensed, not sold to you, when you pay a Shareware fee of $29.95US. You have 45 days to evaluate the programs before you must decide to send the shareware fee or stop using it. The program remains owned by DMP Systems. The program and documentation are Copyright © 1994,1997 DMP Systems, all rights reserved. You may use the program only on one Newton at a time. No copies of this software shall be made except for backup needs. If you transfer ownership of this software, all copies of this software shall be destroyed. This software may not be disassembled , reverse engineered or altered. This documentation is copyrighted by DMP Systems and may not be reproduced or copied by any means including, but not limited to photocopier, computer, transcribed, verbal, or any other way. NewtDb and related programs were developed using the Newton Toolkit, which is Copyright © 1992-1994 Apple Computer, Inc. DMP Systems accepts no responsibility or liability for the product or what it might do to your Newton. You use this program at your own risk! Newton and NTK are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. "The Relational Database for Newton" is a Service Mark of DMP Systems. NewtDb, UtilityDb, BarCodeDb, DemoDb and XferDb are Trademarks of DMP Systems. Product specifications and prices subject to change. Not responsible for typographic errors and omissions.