pilot-db-list

[pilot-db-list] Re:Test of Palm -> Mac too

[irntooth <irn...@ez...>]

>I have finally had the time to put together a beta for a Pilot-DB
>translator for MPC <http://www.mootjelitt.com/mpc.html>.=20
>
>I'm not a user of Pilot-DB myself so I'm not the best person to test
>it (this beta version have only had VERY limited testing) so I would
>be very grateful if you could test it and see what works and what
>doesn't (I'm pretty sure there are some bugs for calculated fields).
>
>You can download the program at <http://www.mootjelitt.com/MPC1.8b3.sit>

Ive tried MPC in both Mac OS 9.1 and 8.6, with similar results.  When I 
launch the program, I get a dialog that says "No Preferences Set", along 
with an option whether or not to set a location of a 'backup catalog'.  I 
have chosen 'No', and then I get a 'File Browser' window, which doesn't 
appear to have any function. I can't drag-and-drop into the window, for 
example. Using the menu commands, I then open a pilot-db .pdb file and am 
asked to specify the output file.  With the very simple database that I 
have tested, I have been able to open the subsequent file in AppleWorks 
as a spreadsheet, and it looks as though I could define database fields 
and import the data.

Drag-and-drop also works to open the .pdb file for output. 

It appears that this is a one-way translator, .pdb to tab-delimited text 
file.

A bit confusing, but functional.

 - Don

 






-- -- -- -- -- -- -- 
Don V. Zahniser
<irn...@ez...>

Re: [pilot-db-list] Re:Test of Palm -> Mac too

[Jan E. <li...@mo...>]

2003-04-17 06:59: irntooth <irn...@ez...> is believed to have
typed:

> Ive tried MPC in both Mac OS 9.1 and 8.6, with similar results.=20
> When I launch the program, I get a dialog that says "No
> Preferences Set", along with an option whether or not to set a
> location of a 'backup catalog'.  I have chosen 'No', and then I
> get a 'File Browser' window, which doesn't appear to have any
> function.

The 'Backup Folder' is the HotSync backup folder (the folder where it
stores all files and applications). MPC scans this folder for databases
it knows of and list them in the browser window.

The reason why the browser window is empty is because you didn't specify
the backup folder and the default folder doesn't contain any Palm PDB
files. (I should change the code so it tries harder to find the backup
folder)

> It appears that this is a one-way translator, .pdb to
> tab-delimited text file.

Yep, it's one way only, to cite the FAQ:

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Why is MPC not able to create databases?

Mainly because we don't need the ability to create databases 8-).
Another problem is that creating databases would mean that we need to
spend a lot more time on testing to make sure that everything works as
expected ... which means that we would have to charge for MPC.=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

To be honest, MPC is a one-person spare-time project done when I don't
need to do anything else (including playing with the kids, feeding the
cats, ect) ... which means that I have limited time for doing this.

I could make a version that creates databases also (for some
applications) but it would require a lot more testing (since writing
data is more complicated than reading) which in turn would mean that I
had to take time from "get money to pay the bills" projects ... which
means that we would need to charge for MPC since I can't do the other
stuff.


> A bit confusing, but functional.

Any idea how I can make it less confusing?

                        jem
--=20
Jan Erik Mostr=F6m   je...@mo...    www.mostrom.pp.se