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Harry Doldersum.
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Januari 2003 issue.
For the previous issue, januari 2002, click here.
Dear user,First of all, we'd like wish you all the very best for the new year 2003.
We appriciate it, that you choose to use our software products. With this newsletter, we will
inform you about the improvements that have been implemented into our applications and the additions to our website.
(By the way, readers that aren't registered users, might find themselves wondering about which applications we're writing here. If you are such a reader, you may find links to the mentioned products on the left side of this page. These will take you to the product information pages, where all details on the various applications can be found).
We'd like to bring following items to your attention:
- Implemented product enhancements for MCBase.
- MCBase update released (V3.4).
- Plans for a "music resources" link page.
- Implemented product enhancements for PictureBook.
- SQLBox update released (V1.1).
- TGrab released (now at V1.3).
- Awards that our software products received over 2002.
- Introducing our Product Knowledge Base section.
- Product Support utility: "RCheck - the Resource Checker".
- Finally.
Let's have a look at what we have been able to improve and add to the MCBase music database system, during 2002:
- Solution to a "Key Violation" error in the databaset set, with MCBaseRepair.
In Januari '02, we have released an update of our database repair utility "MCBaseRepair". (MCBaseRepair is part of the MCBaseUtilities program set). With this update to V1.3, this database repair utility has been enhanced with the ability to automatically remove "key violation" errors from the MCBase database set, during a database rebuild.
What is a "key violation" error? Well, the main index keys, used within the database set to organize the data, are unique by nature and cannot have doubles. The BDE database engine will simply not allow them being added. (This is a process, that is executed behind the scenes - you may never actually notice it). So, should you get this errormessage, you may already have experienced an abnormal situation, that will have triggered the error. When we had a user reporting this "key violation" error, we immediately extended MCBaseRepair's data recovery routines to include appropriate measures against this problem.
This update also introduces a new set of reports, the "ID Lookup reports". A descriptional .DOC file on their purpose, is included. In short, these "ID Lookup reports" are developed to assist you in checking and correcting data integrity, in case this integrity would appear to be compromised, after a database repair or rebuild (should this ever occur, MCBaseRepair will inform you about this). Up until now, MCBaseRepair has never failed, fortunately. But it is not impossible that a database set might get damaged to a state, where you would have good use for these reports. (This is also a very good reason to maintain a good backup procedure, by the way).
- Expansion of available data import and export routines in MCBaseUtilities.
A while later, in Februari, we released an update of the MCBaseUtilities program set: it has been updated to version V3.2, release 1, build 17. The main improvement to this release is the ability to import and export the collection's data to and from dBaseIV and Ascii format. The also updated MCBaseUtilities helpfile describes the required details. (The import routine will actually also handle dBaseIII format). Now, your data can be imported from and exported to all previous versions of MCBase, the dBase database standard and general Ascii (i.e. clean text) format. Since the standard format for MCBase V3.x is the Paradox format, your data is now even more accessible for other applications then it was before.
On december 14th, we released MCBase V3.4 (V3.4, release 1, build 47). Amongst other things, this release includes following improvements:
- In the previous release V3.3 (V3.3.1.44), our new data retrieval method "SafeSearch" was implemented behind the scenes, to prevent the rare case of a long search through a database for a non-existing record (a possible symptom of a key violation error). Now, in V3.4, we have added an option to switch this "SafeSearch" mode on and off, for diagnostical purposes (please use the switch only on request of MCBase product support).
- We also implemented a minor improvement on the graphic memo containers. When responding to multiple calls from other MCBase dialogs, to display images, it could occur that an image was not properly scaled. This has now been corrected.
- The final improvement we'd like to mention here, is that the online helpfile set (which is also the manual) is now fully browsable, in order to improve readability.
We are fiddling about with the idea to create a "music resources" link page?
You may have noticed, that the "MCBase for Windows" page now contains a link to "The Record Collectors Webring". While looking at this webring and at some of the other "topic related" link sites, we figured that it might be a good service to our users, to create such a link page.
On our existing "Other links" page, there are a few "music related" links already in place. If you have other interesting and music related links available, which you would like to share, please forward these to us. You can find our email address through the "Contact us" link on the upper left of this page. If sufficient suggestions become available, we may decide put these up on a special link page for the benefit of MCBase users?
On October 7th, we released an update to the PictureBook toolkit: "PBToolkit", V1.3. This update of the toolkit now includes a new utility function to import a batch or group of images at once (this new utility is "PbBatchImport"). It is easily accessible from within the PictureBook Toolkit program and a description of it's functions is added to the also updated PictureBook online help & manual file (included in the update archive).
We recommend to download and install this free update to PictureBook's toolkit. You may find it on the PictureBook download facility page. (For clarity's sake, we would like to emphasize, that the PictureBook V1.4 setup archive includes only PBToolkit V1.2. So, you will need to download and install this new and seperate archive to get access to the above mentioned new functions of PBToolkit V1.3).
Editor's note: In march 2003, PictureBook V1.5 has been released. This new release includes PBToolkit V1.3 and replaces the previous setup and add-on archives, that were mentioned in the text above.
On June 2nd, SQLBox V1.1 was released. Please note, that release V1.1 of our SQL assignment processor is only a minor update: please see the product revisions page for details. A seperate "executable only" update archive had been made available earlier, on may 17th.
Our new product, TGrab - the Timer automated image Grabber, was initially released (as V1.0) on november 5th and updated (to V1.3) on november 16th.
TGrab is a new type of "image grabber", a utility to take snapshots of either your full windows desktop screen or the active window. It can not only take screenshots in a manual mode (like most others), but also in a timer automated mode.
You can actually configure TGrab to take a picture at a preferred timer interval, either during a time limited session or until a quantity of images is reached (or both). If preferred, it can even run totally invisible and/or close itself when the task is completed.
TGrab runs in the background, while you are using the program from which you want to obtain pictures. At every snapshot command (whether invoked by the timer mode or manual) the active window (or full screen) is captured and saved to a disk file (in either a .jpg or .bmp format), using a sequentially numbered filename (as in "MyFileName(##).bmp"). You don't need to do ANYTHING about this process, it's fully automated.
For further details, please refer to the product information page.
Unfortunately, TGrab got off to a bit of a rough start - due to error, part of the testing procedure had been skipped. This caused a few glitches to remain unnoticed in release V1.0! Once we noticed our error, we quickly improved where required and released update V1.3 on november 16th. Please see the product revisions page for details.
You can download a free TGrab V1.3 evaluation version from the TGrab download facility.
During the year 2002, we were proud to receive various awards for our software products. We highly appreciate the recognition, shown to us with the presentation of these awards, and we consider them a stimulation to continue with out strive to produce low-cost and good quality software products.
MCBase received following awards:- in februari: 5 star rating, from FileHungry.
- in march: 4 star rating, from The File Transit.
- in march: "Editor's pick" from SoftwareSeeker. "We sincerely congratulate you for the excellent job that you have done and want to recognize your achievement by awarding you with our Editor's pick gallardon: our highest recognition".
PictureBook received following awards:- in februari: 4 star rating, from FileHungry.
- in march: 4 star rating, from The File Transit.
- in februari: 5 star rating, from FileHungry.
- in march: 4 star rating, from The File Transit.
- in november: 5 star rating, from FileHungry.
On september 29th, we opened up a new support section on our website, the "Product Knowledge Base": http://www.doldersum.com/kbase/. It's the first setup of what might become an important source of information & support for you in the future.
What we're doing here, is that we are publishing our existing support experiences for our programs, in easily accessible text files. Each file (there's a seperate text file for each application) holds the support questions and their solutions, that we have experienced with our applications so far. In those cases, where a solution resulted in an improvement to the application concerned, then the solution answer also indicates in which release the improvement has been implemented. As such, you could even choose to use these Knowledge Bases as upgrade guides (in our view, however, it's always best to use the most recent release of our applications).
We will also be publishing any product support related utilities here, these will be released as freeware: fully copyrighted, but free to use. You may find the first one already in place.
The release of the Knowledge Base section on our website also initiated an update to the "online support" pages (<name>_support.html), included with all our applications. These updated pages are all downloadable from the respective product download facilities. Instructions on how to store these on your system have been included at the download link. Feel free to download these updated pages, to replace the ones issued with your application.
RCheck monitors the amount of available ram memory on your system and reports memory load. It performs a continous "Resource Check" on your system (4 checks/sec.). Having a certain amount of physical memory *present* on your computer and actually having memory *available* are two different things. Often, people appear to have a great deal of programs running on stand-by in the taskbar, consuming a lot of memory without real purpose. RCheck can help you monitor the percentage of actual available memory. RCheck can be downloaded from the Product Knowledge Base and is freeware (fully copyrighted, but free to use).
Some notes:
- In the previous newsletter, it was announced that we would look at the possibility to make a data backup application, that could write multiple volume CD-rom's. We were close to releasing the first working beta that could do this, using ZIP compression technology, but then prices for DVD systems came tumbling down. Today, some computer user groups are already distributing freeware, shareware and various application update patches by means of DVD compact discs among their users. DVD's are cheap & easy to handle and as such, they're an excellent data backup solution. As a result, we cancelled our project for our own data backup application.
- The year 2002 was first full year that the Doldersum.com domain ran as a "real" domain. In november 2001, we moved from a free "homepage" hosting service at Tripod to our own real domain, hosted by Powweb. We now have plenty of space for our website and we even have our own email server. Powweb offers a lot more then we think we'll ever need.
- Then, a word to those of our registered users, that changed their email address or that have relocated. Every now and then, we send email software update notifications to our registered users. Since these downloadable updates are free for all registered users, we have a moral obligation to inform users about their availability. Users that purchase our software and provide us their email address are automatically included on the distribution list. (Since it is our obligation to inform users about the free downloadable updates, to which they are entitled, this particular distribution list is set up as an "opt-out" system: until you inform us otherwise, you're included on this list when you purchase a product - it's your privilege).
Sometimes, we receive a few "bounced emails": emails that were sent to an address that isn't valid anymore (for whatever reason). These email addresses are then removed from the user database. If you are a user that doesn't receive these update notifications anymore and you feel that you'd need to get back on this distribution list, we recommend that you use this form. We will put you back on the distribution list immediately: you're entitled to it. (Please note: registered users only).
Wishing you all the best,
Harry Doldersum,
http://www.Doldersum.com