home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
PalmOS Software Digest
/
PalmDigest.iso
/
工具
/
Currency32
/
readme.txt
< prev
Wrap
Text File
|
2001-01-16
|
13KB
|
293 lines
Currency Version 3.2 (last built 16 Jan. 2001)
===============================================
by
Henrique M. Martins
hm_martins@email.com
------------------------------------------------------------
See also
http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/currex.htm
------------------------------------------------------------
Currency is a currency database and conversion utility.
Installation
This distribution comprises two freeware components:
1. The PalmOS application, (file currex.prc), which is distributed
in file currex.zip and must be installed in your Palm as usual.
2. The Currency conduit (credits: Tim Endres), which is distributed
in file conduit.zip and which can be *OPTIONALY* installed in
your host desktop to fully automate the process of updating the
exchange rates. The official site for the conduit is
http://www.dotfile.com/palm/currex
1. Intallation of currex.prc
This is done as usal. Using the palm desktop, add currex.prc
to the list of files to upload at the next Hot-Sync.
If you are upgrading from a very old version of "Currency"
and you find any problem (this is not foreseen), you may have
a database compatibility problem. In this case, just delete
Currency from your Palm (which automatically will also delete
the database) and load it again.
2. Instalation of the conduit
The currency conduit is an optional component which enables
an automatic update of the exchange rates every time an
Hot-Sync is performed.
The instalation of the currency conduit is an easy and
straightforward process described in detail in the file
readme.html, under the "Conduit\doc" folder. Note, howerver,
that you do not have to install the Conduit to test the Palm
application. Even without the conduit, you may daily download
from our site a new database with an updated set of exchange
rates and install it in your Palm using the Palm desktop.
The conduit only enables the full automation of this process
every time you Hot-Sync.
The instalation of the conduit is highly recommended if you
are a professional user of if you need to have the exchange
rates updated in a regular basis.
Full and reduced version
Two versions of "Currency" are distributed. The first one,
distributed in archive currex.zip, includes support for 174 currencies.
The second one, distributed in currred.zip, is a reduced version and
supports 66 currencies. Both are free and daily udapted.
To update Currency it is only required to download a small
update database (either cupdate.pdb or cupdred.pdb), or re-install
the application.
Full Version Reduced version
--------------------------------------------------------
File name currex.prc curred.prc
Number of curr. 174 66
Size (.prc) 52657 43870
Size (.pdb) 25068 10000
Total 77725 53870
--------------------------------------------------------
Update database
Name cupdate.pdb cupdred.pdb
Size 6204 2804
---------------------------------------------------------
Check in http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/currex.htm the
full list of currencies included in each version.
Updating exchange rates
Exchange rate may be updated manually, editing the
"Settings/Currency" (see configuration details below).
It is possible to update all currency rates automatically
downloading a small database from the distribution web site. This
database is kept daily updated according to the official rates
published by the European Central Bank (ECB) (for the main currencies)
or distributed by OANDA (see http://www.oanda.com/). Note that while
ECB rates are "european official rates", OANDA rates are usually
closer to the world market averages. OANDA rates are used,
among many other sites, by CNN currency converter.
To update the rates automatically proceed as follows:
1. Download the update database (cupdate.pdb) from
http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/cupdate.pdb
(or, if you use the reduced version "currred.prc",
http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/cupdred.pdb)
2. On the host PC, run the HotSync application ("Palm desktop"),
select Install/Add and browse until select cupdate.pdb, as
you do to install a standard application.
3. Hot-Sync your Palm as usual.
Automated exchange rate update using a conduit (Credits: Tim Endres)
Instead of manually downloading the cupdate.pdb file periodically
from http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/cupdate.pdb, you may have an
automated procedure that downloads the exchange rate update database
whenever an Hot Sync of the Palm is performed. For this purpose,
the Currency Conduit must be installed in your desktop PC. The
Currency Conduit was written and developed by Tim Endres (thank you!),
and, upon unzipping of the distribution file, can be found under
the <conduit> subdirectory. More detailed information can be found in
conduit/doc/readme.html
or at Tim Endre's site:
http://www.dotfile.com/palm/currex/.
Direct download of the exchange rates to your Palm.
Some Palm applications support direct download of files from remote internet
locations. You may use one of such applications to update "cupdate.pdb"
while on leave. One possibility is SmartDoc (please check
http://www.tapworks.com/) which has the ability to download documents
by FTP or HTTP. In this case, you just have to enter the NetMark
http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/cupdate.pdb.
Main features:
- Freeware.
- Configurable display (see Settings / Display menu)
- Up to 6 simultaneous currencies on display.
- Simultaneous update of all displayed currencies.
- User selectable font size.
- User defined number format (support of international formats)
according to the main system preferences (see the "Prefs"
application in the system folder, format category,
menu "number format").
- All calculations performed in double precision (~14 digits of
precision).
Att: Least significant digits may be incorrect if
more then 14 digits are used.
- 174 or 66 currencies included.
- All 12 Euro currencies (frozen exchange rates).
- Daily update support.
- All to all currency conversions.
(Conversions performed via Euro triangulation,
which may not be correct for conversion between
non Euro currencies.)
- Configurable currency details (see Settings / Currency menu).
- User selectable reference currency for exchange rate updates.
- Warning issued for outdated exchange rates.
- Configurable display format.
- Auxiliary small keyboard input.
- Date of last exchange rate update stored for each individual currency.
- Independent setting of actual and default preferences.
- System default rates as supplied by Olsen and Associates (OANDA,
see http://www.oanda.com/).
- The prc image at EuroCool will be daily updated at about 13:30/14:30 GMT
with the spot rates published by the European Central Bank. Since this
service will be provided at no cost, it may be interrupted at any
moment without prior notice.
- Full keyboard support.
Configuration details:
- The display can be configured tapping the "Select" button.
Use < and > to add/remove currencies to the active display list.
You may reorder the currencies in the active display list
by "drag & drop": select the currency you want to move, drag
the pen until the new position where you would like to see it,
and lift the pen. The currencies in the initial and final positions
will exchange locations.
- The details for each currency can be fully configured taping the
currency code or using the "Settings/currency" option. Editable fields
are clearly marked.
- In the "Settings/Currency" screen select preferred reference
currency, which can be optionaly used to update exchange rates.
- The default button in the "Settings/Currency" screen recalls
the system default value for the displayed currencies.
- The "Reset/Reset all currencies" menu in the "Settings/Currency"
screen resets all currencies (INCLUDING user defined currencies)
to system default values.
- Currency keeps track of two configuration profiles.
Each profile is defined by the set of displayed currencys,
amd the slected font.
1. The actual configuration is the one in use and which is kept when
switching between applications.
2. The "user default" profile can be defined by the user by setting
the desired configuration and then selecting the menu option
"Display/Set as default" in the "Configure display" screen.
3. The "User default" profile can be restored at any time either in
the main screen using the "Settings/User default" menu or in the
Configure Display screen using the "Display/Restore default"
option.
- The download of a new prc image in order to update exchange rates will
not affect user defined settings (display configuration, number format and
user defined currencies). Only the exchange rates of the default currencies
will be updated IF they are newer (more recent) than those in the
currency database.
- Validity period for rates in use can be set at the "Settings/Validity"
menu. After the specified period of time, a warning symbol is displayed
near the currency code.
Calculator
- Full algebric calculator. Standard algebric priorities and
parenthesis supported.
- Given the basic "Currency" design (where all displayed currencies are
treated in parallel) , some inconsistencies may be expected in
operation of the calculator. For example, when computing
$1000 * 0.15 = $150, the 0.15 factor will be treated as "Currency" and
its "rate" computed for all displayed currencies, even if it is
just a multiplication factor. On the other hand, if the active
currency field (the one displaying the insertion cursor) is changed
in the middle of an expression, the result may be unexpected.
But this is an inconsistent (and unlikely) use of the calculator.
- Defining a positive or negative tax rate in the Setting / Tax
menu, a one touch operation key for that factor will be displayed
in the main screen.
-- Known problems
A few users wich own "older" Palm devices, running Palm OS 2.0
prior to 2.0.5, experienced some problems after the installation
of the "full" Currency version. The symptoms are: (1) An attempt
to run Currency makes the Palm return to the application menu
(2) Apparently, it does not seem possible to delete "Currency"
from the main memory. There are no reports of "hard" crashes or
data loss in any of these situations.
It is possible to recover a "normal" Palm behavior as
follows:
1. Perform a backup of your Palm. This is not strictly required, but let's
be safe.
2. Perform an hardware soft reset. With a small clip, press *once* the
reset button in the rear pannel. This reinitializes the system but does
not erase any data, so all your information is kept.
3. Delete "Currency". The delete will work OK now.
4. Download the "reduced" Currency version, wich is known to work
OK with all operating systems.
The reduced version can be downloaded from
http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/currred.zip
The reduced version only supports about 65 currencies, but
it includes the major trading currencies (check which ones
in http://members.nbci.com/HM_Martins/).
Distribution:
- This software may be freely distributed. But an e-mail informing me
would be welcome.
Disclaimer:
- The software is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties,
expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of
merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author nor
anyone else who has been involved in the delivery of this product
assumes any liability for damages, direct or consequential,
which may result from the use of the software.
Comments:
- Comments welcome.
-- Henrique M. Martins
hm_martins@email.com