JFileVw

A viewer for JFile datbases

The JFileVw application is a Win95/WinNT standalone application which allows you to

view
edit
cut, copy, paste
print
import, export

database information that is destined for the Palm Pilot.

The JFileVw viewer works in cooperation with the JFile application on the Pilot.

Installation

GCM Environment

If you have installed the GCM (Generic Conduit Manager) on your desktop, the JFileVw app will recognize this at startup, and display a list of your database conduits on the right hand side. You can simply select a database from this list and you will see the data displayed in a grid on the left hand side. From here you can:

edit the data in any database
add or remove conduits from this list
open any arbitrary database file
modify the sync direction for the next hotsync
see the time/date of your last hotsync

JFile requires GCM25 or higher to offer hotsync services to the user. Bothway hotsync allows you to make changes to the data either on the PC or the Pilot, and the two machines with exchange data during a hotsync to make the two versions of the database the same.

To install:

create one or more databases on the Pilot
hotsync
run the CondMgr.exe
select "Install JFile Conduit"
click on "Update"
run the JFileVw
click on "Add/Remove"
click on the "database-name" entry and "Remove it from conduit list"
select the databases from the left hand list (the Backup directory) and "Add them to conduit list"
hotsync

at this point, you should check the HOTSYNC.LOG file to make sure that the conduit is working properly

you can click on the database names in the right hand list to view and edit the data

NonGCM Environment

If you have not installed the GCM, the JFileVw app will start up and display the database files that it finds in your Backup directory. You can simply click on them to view the data in the grid on the left hand site. From here you can:

edit the data in the database
send this database to the Pilot ("install")
open any arbitrary database file

With the nonGCM environment, data is transferred from the Pilot to the PC during a hotsync, and deposited in the Backup directory. If you make changes on the PC, you can send them back to the Pilot using the "install" feature. These changes will over-write any changes you make on the Pilot between the time you sync'd and when you "installed".

[The current PilotDesktop only sends data from the Pilot to the PC once. If a file of the same name already exists, the PilotDesktop does not over-write it. This means that the data file in the Backup directory is often "stale". You can freshen it by deleting or renaming the datafile. A future version of JBaseVw will have some feature to try and deal with this problem.]

Operations

To view a database

click a database name on the right hand list

click on the "Browse" button to select a file

select File/Open Database from the menu

To make a new database

click on File/New Database from the menu (no implemented yet)

clock on File/Open from the menu, and bring in a CSV (comma separated variables) file

To save the database

click on File/Save Database from the menu

To add data to a database

select a database; click on the grid; click on Edit/InsertRow; type in the data not implemented yet

select a database; click on the grid; click on Edit/Paste to add data; if you paste at the end of the grid, you add new rows automatically

To remove data from the database

select a database; click or drag on the grid; click on Edit/Cut

To export data

select data on the grid; click on File/SaveAs and select the file type; hit OK

select only one cell on the grid;click on File/SaveAs and select the file type; hit OK

The rule here is that if only one cell is selected, the whole database is saved; if multiple cells are selected then only the selected area is saved.

To import data

select data on the grid (any number of cells) and paste

select File/Open Database from the menu and change the file type to .csv and select a file

To edit text

click on the cell, or tap the F2 key; type the new text; hit enter or tab, or click outside to confirm your changes, hit Esc to retract your changes

GCM enabled

To add a database to the conduit list

click on the Add/Remove button
select a viewing directory on the left hand side; the recommended directory is your Backup directory; there is a push button to take you right there
select a database from the list
click the "Install into Conduits >>>" button

You can select any directory to view database files. The ones that currently exist in your Pilot are usually the same ones that you find in your Backup directory, so that's a good place to start searching.

To remove a database from the conduit list:

click on the Add/Remove button
select a database from the right hand side
click on the "Remove from Conduits >>>" button

NonGCM enabled

To install a database into the Pilot

select a database from the right hand side and click the "Install" button (code not written yet)

use the Explorer and drag the database file onto the InstApp.exe program

run the InstApp program and hit the "Browse" button and select the database file

CSV Files

This file type allows for the most flexibility with regard to import and export. In the Preferences dialog, you can select whether the first line of a .csv file contains the field names, or whether it contains the first line of data. Here is a typical .csv file with the first line as field names:

"Book Title",Author,Price
"A Tail of Two Cities","Charles Dickens",$14.95
"Murder in the Rue Morgue","Edgar Allan Poe",$3.95
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy","leCarree",$19.95
"""Mandingo""","Kipling",$10

The rules are:

separate fields by commas
records are separated by carriage-return
if data has a comma or carriage-return in it, you must surround it with quotes
extra quotes don't hurt
quotes are coded as quote-quote

JFile does not handle carriage-returns within a piece of data; don't do it.

If you use Basic, you can just Write #1 or Input #1. If you are using Quattro, Excel or Access, just create/use .CSV files.

Menus

File

New is not implemented yet

Open lets you select a file of either .pdb type (JFile/Pilot binary) or .csv (see above)

Save saves the current screen data over top of the original data file. If the file was opened as .csv, it is saved as .csv. The application title bar shows the current file. A trail of backup files is created automatically.

SaveAs allows you to specify the file name for the next Save. If the file name ends in ".csv" then the data will be saved in .csv format; otherwise, it is saved in JFile binary format

Edit

Cut/Copy operate as you might expect. Cut does not collapse the rows; it simply clears them. If you have the preferences set, the clipboard also contains the field names for the "cut/copy" data.

Paste adds text to the current grid. It works right and down from the current cell. If the paste buffer is bigger than the current database, the database gets new rows added to it.

DeleteRow and InsertRow are not implemented yet

Help

Overview should display this file

Surf to GCM should wake up your browser and go to the GCM home page.

About is not implemented

Preferences

Use first line of .csv file as field labels

During file read or write, the first line of the .csv file is treated as field labels. In the example file above, the fields labes are "Book Title", "Author" and "Price". Without this option, the first line of the file is treated like data. If field names are not available, the defaults are "Fld1", "Fld2", etc. Note: you cannot change field names on the PC; you must use the JFIle program on the Pilot.

Include field labels in Cut/Copy operation

This controls the use of field titles during cut &copy operations buggy

Auto open first database

When the program starts up, the first database is automatically opened not implemented yet

Display deleted records

In this mode, you can see records which have been deleted on the PC, but not yet deleted on the Pilot. Not very useful.

Select cell text on edit

When you edit a cell, the whole text will be selected. The normal mode is that the edit point is put at the end of the existing text.

Make backup copies of .csv files

When you save a .csv file, a trail of backup files will be kept. Note: whenever you save a .pdb file, a trail of backups is kept automatically. The number of backups is set by you in the CondMgr program.

Limitations

This build of JBaseVw does not allow you to edit the field names or datastructures. These must be modified on the Pilot itself. The reason is that the sync process becomes way to complex if we allow this feature.

Known Bugs

If you start to edit a cell in the spreadsheet, and then scroll the table, the edit cell gets left in the incorrect position.