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Link to an Alpha 4 db

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    #1

    Link to an Alpha 4 db

    Is it possible to have someone using a file in A4v6 and at the same time have an ODBC link to the dbf in A5v4?

    The user is using an app in A4 and needs to print barcode labels for the inventory items. They don't have the barcode font pack for the DOS version and I thought it would be simple enough to link simultaneously to the dbf and print the barcodes out of a5v4.

    Thanks
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

    George

    Interesting question. Both databases use the dbf format, which would imply that you can open the same table directly in both, but there are subtle differences, particularly in memo fields. Opening both programs at the same time should be no problem, but opening the same table in both at the same time may / may not work. If you open a a4 table in a5v4, the a5 program may alter some aspects of the files that will effect how they work in a4. I know a4 files are forward compatible, but I don't know if a table opened in A5v4 will reopen in A4.

    There are a few options. The safest would be to copy the a4 dbf file to a differnt location and open the copy in A5V4. File copy can be done easily and quickly in A5V4. The downside it that you would have to copy the dbf everytime you want to run the barcodes, but this method would leave the original files unaffected.

    A second option would be to try to attach the dbf file to an A5V4 database and open it directly. Before I would try that, I would backup the complete A4 database and all related files. Opening the table in A5v4 will add some data dictionary files, but these should not effect opening in A4. One thing that doesn't transfer are indexes. You would have to create new indexes in A5V4. I don't know if this would effect using the table in A4. After opening the tables in A5, you can go back to A4 and see if everything still works as expected.

    I have all versions loaded on a computer I can't access right now, so I can't test the scenario. If it fails, you always have the backup copy to rollback any damage.

    Jerry

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      #3
      RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

      Thanks Jerry, I had option 2 in mind.

      If anyone has tried this or has any insight, I would appreciate it.

      Comment

        #4
        RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

        George,

        Option 2 sounds very dangerous to me. Would not attempt it except for the simplest of cases, where the database consists of only a single table. And then, only if the one table did not contain any memo fields.

        Because Alpha Four and Alpha Five use different indexes neither one will automatically update their other's indexes when any of the data is changed. It would be mandatory to reindex the tables each time either program loaded. Simultaneous (concurrent) use would present REAL obstacles for any field rules that depend on indexes.

        Because Alpha Five will automatically convert a DBT file (for memo field data) into an FPT file (for memo field data) when the table is first opened by Alpha Five, the Alpha Four users will lose all memo field access.

        -- tom

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          #5
          RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

          Tom

          I agree that the second method is not what I would recommend. However, I was able to open an A4 table that has a memo field and dbt file in A5V4, make a change in a memo and save it. The program did not convert the dbt file to the newer format. While the A4 indexes were not available in A5, I was able to add indexes in A5V4 and they did not seem to effect the A4 indexes although the A4 indexes were obviously not updated.

          I went back to A4 and was able to still use the files normally and they showed the edited memo. As a test,I had the same table open in both programs at the same time and was still able to access the data in each. Not something I would recommend.

          Still, my preferred method for any working database in A4 would be to make a copy of the A4 table as needed and use that as a read only table in later versions. This eliminates all of the issues or corruption and lost data. I guess it just depends on how brave you are. I have had to rebuild data files once too often to be that brave.

          Jerry

          Comment

            #6
            RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

            Jerry,

            I no longer have Alpha Four installed, and was going from memory. May I ask if Alpha Five created the FPT when you used it to enter or change records? My recollection is that Alpha Five converts the DBT, sounds like my memory is playing tricks on me. However, even if the DBT is left undisturbed and simply used to create a new file, with FPT extension, since the formats are different, and neither supports the other, how will the memo field values be kep synchronized? -- tom

            Comment

              #7
              RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

              Jerry,

              I must have missed this thread, two years ago:

              http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/alphaphorum/read.php3?sortby=lastreply&direction=desc&num=4&id=1041&thread=1031


              Looks like A5 can use the DBT 'as is'. The FPT won't be created until the user restructures the table in V5.

              I did not know this. I apologize for the confusion.

              -- tom

              Comment

                #8
                RE: Link to an Alpha 4 db

                Tom

                The last time I used A4 was years ago, so I had to run a little experiment on an old computer that still had it loaded. The interesting thing is that I opened the table structure in A5V4 and resaved it. I didn't make any changes, but it did not convert the dbt file. Perhaps if you make any changes or add a memo field, then it will convert.

                Jerry

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