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Database Viewer Plus Frequently Asked Questions
    1. What is Difference between Database Viewer, Datasbase Viewer Plus and Database Converter ?

    • Database Viewer:
      Database Viewer allows desktop database contents to transfer and view on handheld devices like Palm/Pocket Pc/Smart Phone/Mobile.

    • Database Viewer Plus:
      Database Viewer Plus keeps desktop and handheld device database in synchronization mode. Allows desktop contents to transfer on handheld and vice versa. Allows to add/modify/delete contents on handheld device.

    • Database converter:
      It's Palm OS developer utility program. It converts desktop database in palm standard pdb format, allowing developer to access and manipulate pdb contents programmatically.

    1. What is Database Synchronization Profile?

    "Database Synchronization Profile" is a link between your desktop database and handheld database. It manages, what database to keep in synchronization with handheld and when to synchronize.

    1. How do I keep Desktop database synchronized with Handheld device?
  • Start Desktop DBViewerPlus
  • Create a new profile
  • Select profile property as "Desktop to Handheld"
  • Synchronize
  • Use desktop or handheld database as usual
  • If you made modifications at handheld end and want to transfer it on desktop then, Open desktop Profile and set "Keep Sync" property to "Handheld to Desktop" and Synchronize
  • If you made modifications in desktop database and want to transfer it on handheld then, Open desktop Profile and set "Keep Sync" property to "Desktop To Handheld" and Synchronize
    1. How do I stop Desktop database & Handheld database synchronization?

From desktop DBViewerPlus, select a profile which you want to stop from synchronization, Open profile properties and select "Do not Sync" option for "Keep Sync" property.

    1. What is DSN/ODBC Database?

DSN or Data Source Name is a way of Database connectivity through ODBC. Database Viewer Plus allows you to connect to ODBC database using DSNs available on your machine. You can create/manage DSNs on your machine. For that, Click on Config button in Database Selection dialog or on your machine, click Start->[Settings]->Control Panel->[Administrative Tools]->Data Sources (ODBC)

    1. What are filters and How to Apply filters?

While creating Database Profile, you may want to transfer only selected record contents on handheld. Here, you can apply filters i.e. condition on record contents to transfer on to handheld. Open Apply Filters dialog, Check mark the filters for those you want. Select database field on which you want to apply filter, select appropriate filter operator and enter the filter condition value. You can apply one or more filters. To apply more than one filter, you must select joining in between two filters i.e. "AND" or "OR".
Remember, you must set proper filter value as per field selection. If you selected numeric field, say ID, then filter value must be numeric, say 35. For character data type filter value must be included in single quotes ('). For date/time fields, filter value must be in #.
If you want, you can manually enter filter condition in SQL query instead of using "Apply Filters" dialog.  In SQL query, at the end, put "Where filter conditions" by removing earlier condition, if any.

Here are some examples of filters.

name = 'John'
amount >= 2000
birthdate = #1/1/1978#
time >= #2:10#
birthdate >= '1-jan-1978'

Note: Using # for filter conditions may change depending on which database you are using. MS Access, Excel allows to uses # where as Oracle, SQL Server allows to use single quote (') for date filter values.

SQL Query Example :
Where name='John' and birthdate > #1/1/1978# or EmpID > 15
For Oracle/SQL Server:
Where name='John' and birthdate > '1-jan-1978' or EmpID > 15

    1. How to Apply Sort Orders?

You may want handheld database contents in some particular order. Using Database Viewer Plus you can apply "Sort Orders" on record contents. Open "Sort Orders" dialog box, Select field on which to sort and select sort order either "Ascending" or "Descending". You can apply more than one sort orders at a time.

    1. What are ways to connect to Excel Database?

DBViewer Plus offers two ways to get connected with Excel Database using file browsing. When you browse a Excel file, DBViewer Plus will ask prompt with "Excel Connection" dialog, asking you to View as a "ODBC database" and view as a "Excel Worksheet".
Using ODBC Excel connection, will allow you to work on user defined tables. Where as Using Worksheets will allow you work on Entire Worksheets available in Excel file.

    1. What is SQL Query?

SQL Query directs what contents from connected database to synchronize with handheld device. Using "Build Query" dialog user can select tables, fields, filters, sort orders which is summarized in terms of SQL query,  which DBViewer Plus uses to fetch data. What ever changes you made on database, tables, fields, filters, sort orders etc, finally all these will get reflected in SQL query. So, if user has some SQL knowledge, he can directly modify SQL query to get expected data. Use can enter any valid SQL Select query, which may include table joining, filtering, sorting, grouping etc

    1. What are Sync Option?

Sync Options, means the way by which your database contents will transfer. Using "Desktop to Handheld" your desktop database contents will transfer to handheld Database while synchronizing. Using "Handheld to Desktop", handheld database contents will flow from Handheld to desktop. "Do not sync" will disable profile from transferring data. At any time, you can switch among these options. For "Handheld to Desktop" sync option will be allowed for those profiles which have selected only one table and all fields from that table.

    1. I deleted a profile from handheld, at synchronization it gives me error "could not open handheld database". What can I do?

Using desktop DBViewerPlus, set this profile to transfer data from "Desktop to Handheld". On next synchronization, this profile will get transferred on handheld. 

    1. I applifed filters on database profile, on preview, it gives me Invalid Query error message. What can I do?

While applying filters, you must take data types of field into consideration. Filter value for character must be included in single quote('). Also date field filter value must be in proper date format included in single quote or # depending selected database. For more information see filter help in user guide.

    1. What is Profile Configuration?

Through Profile Configuration, you can view/manage existing profiles. Also you can set, how the profile will work? You can set User with whom Database will be synchronized. You can set occasion of Database Synchronization. Syncing Desktop Database contents with handheld at every device connection/synchronization may increase sync time and decrease speed. When you set sync occasion, then DBViewer Plus will sync database contents at the given sync occasion only.

About "Sync On" :
Using "Sync On" you can set the date/time when desktop database sync occurs.

      1. Every Time:

Will synchronize desktop database contents with handheld at every device connection/sync.

      1. Once Every Day:

Will synchronize desktop database contents on or after entered time once in a day. Once database get synchronized, it will not get synchronized again on that day.

      1. Once Weekly :

Will synchronize database once every week on specified "Day of Week" and on/after specified time on that day.

      1. Once Monthly :

Will synchronize database once every month on specified date of every month and on/after specified time on that day of month.

      1. Only Once:

Will transfer desktop database contents onto handheld only once after profile creation or first time after profile modification on desktop. 

    1. What is difference between Excel WorkSheet & Excel ODBC Connection?

  • Excel ODBC Connection create a connection between Desktop Excel and handheld as a ODBC database. Here you can SQL queries to filter result. However, if excel contents doesn't fit in Database Table criteria in this case only those contents which are valid will get transferred on handheld and rest contents are ignored. In such case, while synching from Handheld to Desktop, you may lose some data.
  • Excel Worksheet connection allows user to transfer excel contents as is to handheld device. It will be treated as a text data. Each and every column is treated as text and not as corresponding data type such as date/time/number etc.

    1. I created a profile, and synchronized but it doesn't appear on my handheld, What should I do?

    While creating a profile please ensure that you created profile for the same user for which you are syncing. Ensure that you have installed Database Viewer plus handheld application. After creating profile, synchronize your device with desktop. Open handheld Database Viewer plus application, you will get profile name in available profile list.