Introduction and DescriptionWinOdEan for windows is a powerful Data Entry package with in-built file manipulation facilities. Data can be Created or Updated at a faster pace with speed and accuracy compared to packages that use external form-interfaces or form-interfaces developed through languages. Tasks are organized in such a way that each one of them can be accomplished by its powerful interactive, menu-driven facilities and does not require any programming experience.
The salient features of this package include:
Commonly Used Terms
The data created can be used directly by any package if SDF format is utilized
Conversion facility provided for xBase products like dBase, FoxPro and Clipper
Powerful Editing Features
Provides powerful file editing, file maneuver and search facilities
Reformatting facility allows the user to alter the file format with little effort
Exhaustive Date manipulation facility
Limited simple solution to coming Millennium problem
Signed field support for COBOL conversion
Operator statistics
Sort, Merge & Calculate facility
Browse Mode and Form Mode Create/Update/Inquire for Field Information and Data Entry
COBOL Source generation for the schema
Exhaustive help facility provided as part of the package(Next Version)
Field :
An Item of information to be stored in the file such as Employee Name, Employee Number, Basic Salary, Phone Number, etc.Record :
A defined set of fields.Conventions
All menu selections must be followed with Carriage Return or Left Mouse Click. The convention used for Carriage Return in the documentation is CARRIAGE-RETURN. The Exit button or "Alt+X" or "Alt+F4" must be utilized whenever an exit is needed from a specific screen. The windows naming convention is used wherever files are need to be created. The format files (Field information file) will always have an extension of '.FMT'. Data files will have extension of .ADF. Following are the standard file names that are used under WinOdEan:
*.FMT - Format File
*.ADF - Data FileCharacter:
The term Character used here (In program and manual) is in conjunction with Bytes. The character may be an alpha, numeric, alphanumeric or special character.Key Board and Mouse:
The standard mode of operation is through the keyboard. However, keeping in view about the need of Mouse support, this has been included for the tasks found to be very essential and where it does not disturb overall efficiency of the program.
Executing WinOdEan
Any one of the following methods can be used to execute/run the application:
- Double click/hit CARRIAGE-RETURN on WinOdEan Short Cut
- Position the cursor on WinOdEan executable file through explorer and double click/hit CARRIAGE-RETURN
- For executing from DOS prompt, get into the directory where the product is installed, type WinOdEan and hit CARRIAGE-RETURN
When you start the application, following screen is shown/displayed and focus will be in the User Name field.
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Only authorized users are allowed to get into the WinOdEan. The first time user is set as SYSTEM and Password SYSTEM. The password can be changed later, if required.
Default Directory: The term Default Directory refers to the directory (Place) where the OdEan is installed and database file exists.
The Administration option provides facility for creation and modification of users who can log into the software. Another important feature that it provides is operator statistics.
The File Maintenance option provides several important features like Sort, Merge, Import and Export. Since, the Sort and Merge feature is made a part of the program, it helps the user to straight away sort/merge and carry across other tasks that (s)he intends to perform. It also carries out two other tasks Import and Export. Import feature is used to Import file from .SDF format to .ADF format and Export facility allows files in .ADF format to be exported to .DBF or .SDF or into another .ADF format file.