Setting up a test company 3

[vbajock]

I want to set up a test company in the Btrieve version, 7.6x. When I refresh my data from the live company, I'd like to preserve the contents of COMPFILE.BTR. Can I just set the properties of this file to Readonly so that it doesn't get overwritten when the live company data is mass copied or will I have to handle it another way?

 

[MacolaHelp]

Quickest thing is to rename the compfile.btr in the new company to compfile.xxx. Then overwrite the existing files on the copy, copy back the original compfile.btr. A precaution, be sure you have the pwe odbc data sources on your local machine for the new databases. Also, determine if a mismatch in the journal transaction info in the company file is a show-stopper. If so, you need to manually change either the new or old company file. It doesn't always seem that the default pwe databasaes are created when you add a company after the fact. It seems to be WS by WS variable, maybe dependent on the netowrk OS as well, but I frankly find no ryhme or reason as to when some options are available and some not. I just fix it after the fact if need be.

 

[crystalreporting]

Here's my take on a test company - ya gotta have one! I find them invaluable for seeing what GL transactions are generated when I do X e.g. release a POP order. For that reason, when I create a test company on a client's site, I usually empty all of the transaction files, and recalculate balances, on order qty's etc. In other words, I create a test company that has NO transactions, just the same setup as the live, and the master files. Then I zip the test company up (much in the same way Macola does with the Electronics company). That way, I can test something, see the effect, then simply unzip the zip file. You don't have to worry about getting everyone out of the live company to copy, and you really only need to refresh the Zip file contents if master files change significantly - phew!

Peter Shirley

http://www.linkcorp.com

 

[tpllc]

One other thing that I find useful is to include the date that you copied the data in both the display name and report name fields on the compfil. I always overwrite this file with the one from the copy as I'm putting the date in these fields and this way you eliminate the question that macolahelp brings up with regards to the next journal number.
It only takes a minute to update compfiles and that way you are sure that you have all the correct data especially if you add additional modules.

Steve Henley
trianglepartners.com
Exact Software consulting, sales and implementations.

 

[vbajock]

We are having a problem with this. After data refresh, ODBC querys on the test database return an Btrieve 94 error
error (Application has encountered a Permissions Error)

I've found a few things on the Web on this, but they are all dead end threads. Any ideas?

 

[vbajock]

OK, we found a fix for this. If the user on whose machine the error occurred simlpy logs in/out back in to the test company, it fixes the error. Don't ask me what the cause is, but that's the fix.

 

[MacolaHelp]

I have recently discovered some anomalies on this. In PWE, I would have assumed that if you added new companies, it would create the _data_xx_isolve data source. But no. However, if you log into the new cmpany in PWE & then log out (even if you get an error), the new isolve db is created. Wierd. Are you using native pervasive Data Sources or the limited macola version (*.dta) used in ICRs? You'll find the native pervasive drivers offer much better performance w/o the lag time that PWE creates loading crystal viewer & ERS. As long as you compile the end resulting rpt, of course.

 

[vbajock]

I'm using the native Pervasive drivers. Always liked them better. Where is isolve db stored?

 

[MacolaHelp]

Back to your very first post: you would need to make compfile.btr to allow at least change permissions. Everytime a posting routine occurs in macola this file is updated, so your users must have update rights to the file.

Logging in/out of the test company you refer to I would assume to be a PWE thing, not a PCC thing? PWE uses those limited edition merant btrieve drivers (ISOLVE) so that macola can use ICRs. You can't use those drivers for newly created crystal reports or links to odbc, you need to use the native pervasive drivers, as you have indicated you use. The merant isolve drivers are created in the datasource administration/system tab. You can see them under the administrative tools/odbc adminstrator. Go to add & you'll see them under ODBC-xxxxxx if macola successfully installed them on the client install or by accessing another db via PWE after the macola client installation. I have had problems before if someone deleted the data_00 electronics company from explorer or add/delete companies in sql. A number of update & odbc functions don't seem to work right if you delete data_00 through explorer or in sql enterprise manager.

And I shouldn't have said it CREATED the isolve db. It creates the isolve DSN when you log in & out of a macola company using PWE.

 

[dmrVA]

I set up a new company. Copy at month end all the "real" company data and let it overwrite all the files. Then I go into System Manager, setup for the "dummy company" and change it to TESTCO where the name shows including report.
I have no problems...just switch to that company when I want to test.