Copyright: Dipl.-Ing. Knoefel (c) 1996


Help Index
Help FileConverter

Commands

File Adjustments

Option Commands

Sample File

Forward

Backward

Goto

Help Registration

Summary

Define FileConvert


Help FileConvert Index


The Index contains a list of all Help topics available for the Help Example. For information on how to use Help, press F1 or choose Using Help from the Help menu.


File Menu
File Adjustments

The file adjustments includes commands that enable you to open dbase or ascii/ansi/ebcdic - files and convert these.

For more information, select the FileTyp menu command name.

FileTyp 	Help you to see the right characters on your PC.

Open  	Open dbase (2.4;3;3+) or ASCII/ANSI/EBCDIC - or Structure - Files.

Convert 	Converts your file via your selected conversion table (-> Translate).

PrintStruc 	Prints the structure from your dbase- or data-file.

InfoStruc 	Show you some file information.


File Menu
Option Menu

The Option menu includes commands that enable you to choose all your necessary parameters for converting a file.

For more information, select the Option menu command name.

Translate 	Here you select the Conversion table (*.con) for translating your file.

Average 	Make you able to create a file as a cross-section from whole.

Part of File 	Maybe you dont need the whole data_file. Choose this command!

Del_Record 	You can choose whether you want include deleted records by convert dbase->dat.

Append_RuNo 	Also you have the possibility to append a running number during converting.

Left_Right 	The Content is not in your range? You can change the sequence from your records!

Split_File 	You need smaller parts from your biiiii...g data_file? Split it!

MakeFix 	Variable RecordLength? No problem: just MakeFix!

Error_Log 	Different Field_Amount inside the records? Choose 'Error_Log' for file it!

TransRead 	Use it for very uncommon data-files. So you can solve code-problems before you do something.

Insert_Fix 	You want insert some fix code? Do it on end or top on your file!


Sample

The Sample command enable you to produce sample_records from the original data_file.

For more information, select the Sample command name. (For DAT only)


Summary

For what is this program useful??

The main reason for developing such kind of CONVERTER are the two different computer worlds

PC<>Mainframe. So we have in the most of the cases also two different codes:

ASCII/ANSI<>EBCDIC. For a lot of people (and also companies) it is absolutly necessary to work

with. The base for translate a file are the conversion tables (*.con)! This is a matrix with

16*16 Bytes (256) which you can edit in a normal Hexeditor. For example the first byte in the

fourth range is the Hexvalue '40'! It's up to you to say which byte should be '40' afterwards

if you change this value to another. All together I prepare the following tables:

EBCTOASC.CON	: Input: Ebcdic	Output: ASCII

EBCTOANS.CON	: Input: Ebcdic	Output: ANSI

ASCTOEBC.CON	: Input: ASCII	Output: EBCDIC

ANSTOEBC.CON	: Input: ANSI	Output: EBCDIC

These two tables are not special conversion tables. For this translation I use a standard

windows function (OEMTOANSI..)! That means you can't edit this translation because I trust

the programmer. In the most of the cases that is a conversion between DOS created (ASCII)

and WINDOWS created (ANSI) files which are different after Hex '7F' (dec 128):

ANSTOASC  	: Input: ANSI	Output: ASCII

ASCTOANS	: Input: ASCII	Output: ANSI

And last but not least you have a customer table because all others are standard conversions

which you should prepare one times and use only later on:

CUSTOMER.CON	: Input: X'00' to X'FF' Output: your table

One word to special PC-Hexcodes: The input file is all the time 'binary' open but the output

file isn't. That means that Hexcodes like '00','1A' (EOF),'0A' (Linefeed) a.s.o. should go

to value >= X'20'. The reason is very simple: I'm sure you will use the converted file later

and your software understand data's from X'20' to X'FF' only. Values less than X'20' could be

not in a 'normal' datafile.


File Filetyp Command

It's important for two things: a) You will see the right characters on your screen and

b) the program must know which kind of code you have open for a correct conversion. So

don't forget to select the filetyp!


File Open Command

Before you can do something with a file you have to open this first.


File Convert Command

After you select your parameters under (beside you want convert dbase-dat only) the Options

menu you say then 'CONVERT'.

The job will running and create a new file which have 'c' on the end of the name. The program

appends for each convert-run a new 'c' on the filename. If you have already a 8byte long name

don't worry, the second byte from your filename will be deleted first.


File PrintStruc Command

Here you can print the whole structure (length,fields etc.) for your open dbase file.

For datafiles it's depend on there is a structure open or not.


File InfoStruc Command

For both filetyps you get the main information on your screen.


Option Translate Command

It's up to you to know which code is source and which code should have the destination.


Option Average Command

Average_of_File make sense if you want to make a quick check of your data file. It is for safety to check a cross-section from a file and not e.g. the first 50 records.


Option Part Command
Option Part_of_File Command

If you need a part of your file in sequence than give the 1st and the last record and choose convert->datfile .


Option DelRecord Command

May be you know about this, that some people sign a dbase-record as deleted but

they didn't say 'delete'. So you can decide whether you want to include such records

or not. However, if the program find deleted records you get a message on the end on

each conversion.


Option AppendRuNo Command
Option AppendRNO Command

Sometime it's necessary to know on one view how many records are in my file. So you

have the possibility to append a running number which is 7 digits long. Don't forget

to select the right filetyp first! Otherwise it could be that you have Ebcdic file

with a Ascii-RuNo behind. Hard to print!?


Option Change_Seq Command
Option Left_Right Command

Left/right Mailing... means you split your datafile for printing in 2 sides: Left side

RuNo 1..5000; Right side: RuNo 5001..10000 (f.e.)! It's important sometimes for the

the following cutting/folding-process to have a 2up-Page in this sequence!


Option Change_Seq Command
Option Split_File Command

Split File means to make smaller parts from your data_file (f.e. 1st file: 1..100;

2nd file: 101..200 a.s.o.)! You answer the question how many records you want to have

per file and say File->Convert->DatFile!  Beside the 'c' on the end from the filename

you get additional the filenumber behind (FILEc1.dat; FILEc2.dat...)


Option MakeFix Command

You get a lot of different files from your customer! One of these could be a file with

a variable record-length. So, don't worry: Say 'variable RecLength in your Filetyp_Menu

choose the right record delimiter and open this file. The FC search the longest record.

Now you should select 'MakeFix'! Answer the questions whether you have any field- or

text-delimiter inside the datafile. FC check - if necessary - the field structure for each

record. Ready with search, say ->convert->datfile! Here we go !


Option ErrorLog Command

If you have a file with a variable record_length and the fields are splited with 'field-delimiters',

it could be that the field_amount isn't correct because your customer choose a very common delimiter

like "," or ";" !! So say 'Error_Log' before you select 'Make_Fix' and the FC can file all these records

during the structure_search! It's up to you to edit these records afterwards and prepare the datafile

again or not. Important is you know about this!


Option TransRead Command

Some data_files have f.e. terrible field-delimiters (like CR/LF) and also record-delimters. Other files have total wrong hexcodes inside. However, it could be useful. The base is - of course - a translation table: transread.con!


Option InsertFix Command

If you need some fix code in your datafile (like creation-date etc.)  than use the 'INSERT_FIX' command

and insert your fix message on top (Prefix) or on the end (Suffix) from each record!


Forward

With the Forward command you can go 15 records forward in one step. If you change the Filetyp then use this command for change the viewing.

For more information, select the Forward command and try it.


Backward

With the Backward command you can go 15 records backward in one step. If you change the Filetyp then use this command for change the viewing.

For more information, select the Backward command and try it.


Goto

With the Goto command you can go direct to this record which you need. Key in the record number and press <enter>.

For more information, select the Goto command and try it.


Help_Reg
Help_Registration

With the Registration command I can check whether you use a registered copy or not. Without registration you can convert 500 records only! How can you change this?

This program is shareware and cost me some hours!

Please send US$99,90 or DM 149,90 to:

Mr. Klaus-Peter Knoefel

Schmaltalgasse 10

D-73252 Lenningen

Germany

You can reach me via:

              Phone:      +49-7026-3499

              CompuServe: 100407,476

For commercial use, please request permission via CompuServe.!!!

*** To register online in CompuServe GO SWREG: registration ID 7182 ***

Then I find in the next 30 days a way to give you a licence for all your records. Thanks!

Licensor does not warrant the Program will be free from errors or will meet your specific

requirements. You assume complete responsibility for the selection of the Program and for

decisions made or actions taken based on the information obtained using the Program.


Context Sensitive Topics

This Help system includes topics that you can call directly from the Helpex sample application. To get context-sensitive help from Helpex, press Shift+F1 and click on any element of the Helpex application window. You can also highlight any Helpex menu command using the keyboard and press F1 to get help on the command. Each topic has a unique context identifier, listed in the [MAP] section of the Help project file:

[MAP]

#define HELPID_FILE_OPEN        101

#define HELPID_FILE_CONVERT     109

#define HELPID_FILE_PRINTSTR    113

#define HELPID_FILE_INFOSTR     114

#define HELPID_OPTION_FILETYP   400

#define HELPID_OPTION_TRANSLATE 201

#define HELPID_OPTION_DELRECORD 301

#define HELPID_OPTION_APPENDRNO 302

#define HELPID_FORWARD          107

#define HELPID_BACKWARD	     108

#define HELPID_GOTO	     110

#define HELPID_HELP_REGISTRAT   902