The following is just a brief overview of some of the features you will find in JFTrans. It is by no means exhaustive. If you require more information, please download the JFTrans 5 / JFTrans 5 2000 User's Guide in PDF format.
JFTrans 55 / JFTrans 55 2000 User's Guide ( 885 k. / updated Nov. 21, 02 )
JFTrans supports inline editing. Just double click on the cell you want to modify to make your changes.
JFTrans supports popdown lists. Any popup field type information in the original PDB file is loaded into JFTrans as a popdown list attached to the appropriate column.
JFTrans allows you to select multiple rows so that you can select records for deletion, and then delete them all in one pass.
Columns can be resized to suit the data. JFTrans sets the widths automatically when you first import the PDB file, but you can change them as you wish. The settings are retained by JFTrans and restored the next time you open the file.
You can adjust the column width and row height so that long strings can be properly displayed and printed. Any long text automatically wraps into the resulting box, as illustrated below.
JFTrans supports Excel like splits to view large tables more conveniently. The splits are retained by JFTrans and restored the next time you open the file.
The Import PDB File function is the first step in creating an Access MDB file from your Pilot data. You must first consider whether you will need to modify field names or types in the resulting Access file. The JFTrans defaults should work for most purposes, unless your JFile database contains string that are longer than 250 characters. If this is the case, then you must enable the Modify Field Types option first. This is necessary, as JFTrans will truncate a long field to 250 characters unless you change the field type from a text to a memo type.
Once this is decided and the option is set appropriately, you can click on the Import button. A standard Windows file dialog box will open displaying all of the PDB files in your Pilot BACKUP directory. You can change the path to another directory should you wish. Just double click on the JFile PDB file you want to import, or select it and click on the Open button. JFTrans verifies that the selected file is indeed a JFile database, and will display an error message if it is not. JFTrans will then process the database and display its' progress in the right panel of the status line. If the Modify Fields option is toggled On, then a dialog box will appear, as illustrated below, that will allow you to change the field types and names used in the resulting Access file.
Due to the fairly large differences between to two database engines, on Import, JFTrans makes some basic assumptions about the type of data and how to translate it, and provides you with a means to clearly specify the data typing that you require.
You can also modify the data structures of the Access file and the associated PDB file at any time after the initial data has been imported.
You can also create a new Access file / PDB file from within JFTrans and define the associated structure and field types. If you prefer, you can also open an existing Access file and automatically create an associated PDB file with the equivalent JFile field types. The data from the existing Access file will be loaded into the new file, ready to install on your Pilot.
The Export PDB function allows you to write out a new PDB file for use on the Pilot. The resulting PDB file is not installed automatically with the your next HotSync. The new file is written out to the Export directory you have specified, and the created IFO and CSV files are stored in the your specified Data directory.
Delete CSV - IFO - This option tells JFTrans to remove the resulting IFO and CSV files after the MDB data has been exported, in order to minimize the disk space in your Data directory.
Use MDB Field Names in PDB File - This option tells JFTrans to use the modified field names in the Access MDB file, instead of the original field names from the JFile PDB file.
Export Filtered Only - If the database is currently , then this option will be enabled. It allows you to export only the filtered records contained in the current grid view. This is useful if you only want a subset of records written back for use on the Pilot.
JFile Title - This box allows you to enter the title of the database that will appear in the database list in JFile. JFTrans associates a title with a specific MDB file and remembers the title whenever you Export the data.
The Sort function provides the same sort options as JFile itself, in that you can select Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary sort items, and set each one in either ascending or descending (reverse) order. Just select the sort field for each category from the dropdown list, check or uncheck the associated Reverse option, and then click the Sort button to sort the database.
JFTrans will sort the database and save the current sort order into an internal table so that the next time you load the MDB file, it will be sorted as it was the last time you opened it.
The Filter function allows you to view only those specific records in the database that meet a certain criteria. When the criteria is entered and the Filter is executed, the JFTrans grid reflects the result of the filter. These results can be manipulated in any way. You can, for example, apply a filter to the database and then export only those records.
The Report Options Tab allows you to modify the fonts and other attributes used by the built in report form.
A JFTrans report contains four basic sections. The first is the report header that only appears on the first page and contains a title and the date and time that the report was printed. The second is the page header that appears on all pages and contains the column titles and a black dividing line. The third is the detail section that prints the actual records from the database, and the the fourth is the page footer that contains the page number.
The Header options enable you to determine the font and font size of the report title. By default, this is set to 14 point Arial. The fontsize setting only affect the title itself, as the date and time printed in the report header use the same font as the title and the fontsize set for the body of the report (detail section).
By default, JFTrans prints the report header on top of a light gray background. This can be changed to a dark gray background, or the background can be suppressed entirely.
The Body Text options allow you to set the font type and size used to print the records themselves and the column titles and page numbers. The column titles will always be printed bold, as will the page numbers. The default is 10 point Arial.
The Print Preview screen is a dynamic viewer that allows you to view the report as it will be printed, before actually sending it to the printer. All of the report elements are correctly rendered in the fonts you have set, or the JFTrans default values. The Preview window can be moved anywhere on your screen, and can be maximized for easier viewing. When Preview opens, the report is loaded into a page cache and the first page of the report is displayed. By default, Preview configures itself to show the complete width of the page, but this can easily be changed with the various tools on the toolbar. The toolbar contains tools to modify the scale or zoom factor of the display, select a page to view, or send the report to the printer.
Copyright © 1999-2004 Steven Hawkins
Last revised: April 18, 2004