Readme Last Updated:  Sun Jan 18 16:52:19 GMT-8:00 1998

CONVDB Revision Number: 2.3

T A B L E    O F    C O N T E N T S
===================================
 

Description:
============

CONVDB :
This utility converts a formatted text file to the datebook database format. The output can be imported into the Pilot Desktop.

Program notes:
==============
C Program Compiled with mingw32 and Cygnus gcc for winNT/95 on NT4.0 SP3.
 

==========================================================================

What's new in the latest release?
=================================

USAGE:
======

COVNDB works from the command prompt. There is no user interface.

CONVDB without arguments prints this message out:
-------------------------------------------------

Usage: convdb -[OPTIONS <value>] <filename>
        Alarm may be set globally:
        -m N     N minutes in advance
        -h N     N hours   in advance
        -d N     N days    in advance
        -x  e'x'plain more : Help
$Revision: 2.3 $
 
How do you make a text file?
==========================

The text file can be created manually using a text editor or by exporting data from your scheduler. When exporting data from the scheduler, you can usually define the fields that need to be exported. The most reliable format would be a tab delimited format. As far as the event description goes, do not include any delimiters such as quotes ("). Next you may need to clean up this exported file if it has fields that do not conform to the requirements of CONVDB. Once this is done, insert the field definitions record as the first record in the file. Here are the basic requirements:
 

 
Description of the flexible format text reading capability
==========================================================

The flexible format allows you to have any group of characters as a delimter. You could have for example: "gobble-de-gook" as the delimiter. The only requirement, therefore, is that the *data* inside a field should not contain this group of characters. Since, the record is parsed one field at a time, the search for a delimiter group is forward. Meaning, if your string had a tab which was used to delimit field #1, and say your event string is the last field (therefore delimited by return character), then your string may have tabs in it. This would not cause problems.
To illustrate:

The event field, even though has a tab in it (which was the delimiter for another field), does not have problems being read because *its* delimiter is the end of line.
 

Field definitions within the text file
======================================

 

Flag Description Type of value Default Value
%d [d]ate  Number  
%y [y]ear Number, 4 digit or 2 digit. Ex: 1998, 98 Current Year
%m [m]onth  Number, String: 10, Oct, October, Octo  
%h [h]our: start hour Number  
%i [i]   : start min 
    (i follows h)
Number zero
%e [e]nd : end hour Number start_hour + 1
%f [f]: end min 
    (f follows e)
Number start_min
%t [t]ime span: duration of event Number: integral hours. Ex: 2 (hours) 1 (hour)
%r [r]epeat flag String:  
Date: Yearly by date 
Day : Yearly by day of the month 
None: No Repeat 
"None"
%a [a]m/pm: start time String/Char case ignored, only 1st character is checked: A[M], P[M]. 
If field not specified time is assumed to be in 24 Hr format.
 
%b [b] am/pm: end time 
   (b follows a)
-- ditto --  
%p [p]rivate flag Boolean, case ignored: y, n, 1, 0 N (not private)
%u [u]ntimed event flag Boolean, case ignored: y, n, 1, 0 
Note: event must have some number (dummy value) in the time fields even if it is untimed.
N (not untimed)
%v e[v]ent. String: Preferably be the last field. 
Multi-line string not supported because return character is considered to be end of record.
 
 
 

Minimum fields required:
========================

Month, date, start_hour, event


TroubleShooting:
================

Take a .45 and point it at .... alright, alright.
 

  1. First Line: First Line *MUST* be the field descriptor. This line cannot be anything else.
  2. Field Descriptor: The descriptors are case sensitive.
  3. Event String: Event description should preferably be the last field because delimiters are confusing for a string.
 

E X A M P L E S
===============

I have moved the sample text data to 2 files (example1.txt and example2.txt). These files are correctly formatted so that you can use convdb and see the results on your desktop.

Example : To add an alarm 10 minutes prior to every event in the file:

convdb -m 10 example1.txt

 
Development History and,

BUGS! ( Eeeeeeek! take that! and that! and that! *splat*):
=====================================================================
(Seems like the bug list grows as I improve(?) the converter)

Fri Jan 16 20:03:26 GMT-8:00 1998:
----------------------------------

     Bugs Fixed: Tue Dec  9 23:10:21 GMT-8:00 1997:
---------------------------------- Mon Dec  8 22:45:26 GMT-8:00 1997:
---------------------------------- Earlier:
-------- Earlier still:
-------------- - Narayan Natarajan aka Venkman
E-mail: venkman1@ix.netcom.com
Web   : http://www.netcom.com/~venkman1
(you can see this file at ~venkman1/Readme.html)