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- ------------------------------------------------
- Microsoft Access Version 1.1 Btrieve Information
- May 1993
- ------------------------------------------------
-
- (C) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1993
-
- This document provides supplementary information on configuring
- Btrieve for use with Microsoft Access. Before you import,
- export, or attach Btrieve tables with Microsoft Access, please
- read this file.
-
-
- --------
- Contents
- --------
-
- General Considerations
- Using Compressed Data Files
- Using Btrieve in a Multiuser Environment
- Using Btrieve Indexes
- Setting Btrieve Options in WIN.INI
- Configuring the Server-Based Version (BTRIEVE.NLM)
-
-
-
- ----------------------
- General Considerations
- ----------------------
-
- When using Btrieve data with Microsoft Access, keep the following
- considerations in mind:
-
- - Btrieve data files must be in version 5.1x format.
-
- - You must have the data definition files FILE.DDF and FIELD.DDF,
- which tell Microsoft Access the structure of your tables. These
- files are created by Xtrieve or another .DDF file-building
- program.
-
- - You must have the Btrieve for Windows dynamic-link library
- WBTRCALL.DLL, which isn't provided with Microsoft Access.
- This file is available with Novell Btrieve for Windows, Novell
- NetWare SQL, and some other products for Windows that use Btrieve.
-
- - You can't use Btrieve files that have Xtrieve security. To use
- data files with Microsoft Access, disable Xtrieve security.
-
-
- ---------------------------
- Using Compressed Data Files
- ---------------------------
-
- If you're using compressed Btrieve files, you must be sure that
- the compression buffer Btrieve is using is adequate for your data.
- The buffer size must be at least as large as the largest record
- in your data files.
-
- To ensure proper operation, set the compression buffer size
- option (/u) in the [btrieve] section of your WIN.INI file. The
- units for this setting are kilobytes, so if your largest record
- is 2K, you would add /u:2 to the Btrieve options line in WIN.INI.
-
- For more information on setting options, see "Setting Btrieve
- Options in WIN.INI" later in this file.
-
-
- ----------------------------------------
- Using Btrieve in a Multiuser Environment
- ----------------------------------------
-
- If you're using Btrieve in a multiuser environment, you must
- use the same transaction file (BTRIEVE.TRN) as other users on
- the network. To do this, set the transaction file name option
- (/t) in the Btrieve section of your WIN.INI to point to the
- network location of BTRIEVE.TRN.
-
- For more information on setting options, see the next section
- of this file.
-
-
- ---------------------
- Using Btrieve Indexes
- ---------------------
-
- Microsoft Access automatically uses indexes in attached Btrieve
- tables when searching or sorting. However, some types of indexes
- aren't supported. If an index was defined with the Btrieve index
- attributes Manual or Null, Microsoft Access won't use the index.
- In addition, Microsoft Access won't use an index that has an
- alternate collating sequence specified.
-
- To get the best performance when you use attached Btrieve tables,
- make sure your indexes aren't one of these types.
-
- For information about Btrieve indexes, please refer to the Btrieve
- Programmer's Manual.
-
- ----------------------------------
- Setting Btrieve Options in WIN.INI
- ----------------------------------
-
- When you install Microsoft Access, Setup adds the following
- section to the WIN.INI file in your Windows directory:
-
- [btrieve]
- options=/m:64 /p:4096 /b:16 /f:20 /l:40 /n:12 /t:C:\ACCESS\BTRIEVE.TRN
-
- Although these are the recommended option settings, you can
- change these options in your WIN.INI file using the following
- table as a guide. If the option you want to set is not on
- the line, add the option and desired setting at the end.
-
- Option Description Required value
- ------ ----------- --------------
- /m Memory size At least 38
- /p Page size 4096
- /b Pre-image buffer size 16
- /f Open files At least 4
- /l Multiple locks At least double the setting for
- the Open Files option (/f)
- /n Files in a transaction At least 4
- /t Transaction file name Valid path to a .TRN file;
- in a multiuser environment,
- network path to the .TRN
- file shared by all users
- /u Compression buffer size If your Btrieve data files are
- compressed, at least the length
- (in kilobytes) of the longest
- record in your data files
- /i Pre-image file drive
- /c Index compaction
- /a Activate logging
- /s Discard unneeded segments
-
-
- --------------------------------------------------
- Configuring the Server-Based Version (BTRIEVE.NLM)
- --------------------------------------------------
-
- If you're using the server-based version of Btrieve (BTRIEVE.NLM),
- there are several considerations you must keep in mind about your
- configuration. Before you use Btrieve data with Microsoft Access,
- you should check for the following:
-
- - You must have the following section in your WIN.INI file:
-
- [BREQUESTDPMI]
- datalength=4096
- tasks=10
- local=no
- chkparms=no
-
- - You must have transactions enabled on your NLM server.
-
- - You must be using version 6.0 of the NLM requestor files--
- BREQUEST.EXE, WBTRCALL.DLL, and WBTRVRES.DLL. (However, note
- that you must still be using version 5.1x data file format.)
-
- If you don't have the correct versions of these files, you won't
- be able to use Btrieve with Microsoft Access. If you have access
- to Compuserve, you can download the necessary files for this
- configuration using the instructions below. If you don't have a
- Compuserve account, contact your Novell representative and ask
- for the 6.0 versions of the requestor files.
-
-
- To update your Btrieve NLM files from Compuserve:
-
- 1. Connect to Compuserve and GO NOVLIB.
- 2. Go into the Btrieve/XQL library section.
- 3. Download the file BT515.ZIP, and then unpack the file using PKUNZIP.EXE.
- 4. Unpack the file BTRREQ.ZIP (one of the files from BT515.ZIP).
- 5. Follow the instructions in the README file for installing the
- resulting files and applying necessary patches to the
- BTRIEVE.NLM file on your server.
-