Export DataPerfect

Export DataPerfect

This article describes how to export data from a DataPerfect database, based on the Rohwer data set.

Data Perfect is a DOS based database system. It's latest release is 2.6Y from June 2008. It can be downloaded via http://dataperfect.nl/ .

Install and run DOSBox

To run DataPerfect a DOS emulator is needed. The free emulator DOSBox works quite well. Go to http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1 or http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/, download the latest release and install it. For this articles DOSBox 0.74 will be used and installed under Windows 7.

Download DataPerfect

Go to http://dataperfect.nl/ and download the DataPerfect. Unzip the files into a specific folder. The folder used for this article is C:/DOS/DP26Y.

Copy your data files in the DataPerfect Folder

You can either copy them directly in the folder or create a subfolder for your data files and copy them in there. The data files for this article are located in the directory DIAS/ within the DataPerfect folder.

Start DOSBox

When starting DOSBox a second console window is opened. When running several instances of DOSBox these additional windows can bloat the window bar quite a bit. To avoid this just start the version DOXBox-0.74/Extras/DOSBox 0.74 (noconsole) from the Program Menu.

File:DPE01 DOSBox.png

The DOSBOX Start Window

Mount the DataPerfect Folder

After starting DOSBox the directory of the DataPerfect files needs to be mounted as a virtual drive. Type mount c C:\DOS\DP27Y to mount the folder and C: to change to the drive.

File:DPE02 DOSBox mount.png

Mounting the DataPerfect Folder

Start DataPerfect

Start DataPerfect by typing DP26YU and pressing Enter.

File:DPE03 DataPerfect start.png Switch to C: and start DataPerfect

File:DPE04 DataPerfect welcome.png The Welcome Screen of DataPerfect

Change to the folder of your data files

If the data files are not in the directory of DataPerfect you need to change the directory. Press 2 to change the directory and type in the path to the directory of your data.

File:DPE05 DataPerfect open.png The initial screen of DataPerfect

File:DPE06 DataPerfect change directory.png Change to the data directory

Open the data files

If you are in the correct directory you see the DataPerfect datasets within the folder. Use the cursor keys to select the correct data set and press enter.

File:DPE07 DataPerfect select DIAS.png

Selecting the DIAS data set.

Select the table to export

You can now see the tables within this database project. Select the table you want to export by using the up or down keys and pressing enter.

File:DPE08 DIAS Overview.png The list of available tables.

File:DPE09 DIAS Table1.png The first entry in the first table of DIAS

Navigate the Table

This these steps are not necessary for the export, but will be documented here anyway. Here are important keys for navigating thought a table:

• Tab the next field is highlighted
• Down on a field which has references to entries in another table, that referenced entry is displayed
• Up The list of entries in this table where the content of the current field is displayed. Navigate though this list using the Up and Down keys. When typing characters this list the focus will jump to the entry whose unique key column is like the typed characters. For example in the table displayed in the image below, typing a number will focus on the entry with that id. The corresponding entry is automatically displayed. To edit this entry, press Enter.
• F7 Goes to the next upper level in the hierarchy. For example if the list of entries is opened, it will jump back to the

File:DPE10 DIAS Table1 browse.png

Browsing through the first table of DIAS

Select Report

File:DPE11 DIAS Table1 Report List.png

The list of available reports.

Set Export Properties

Set the export settings as shown in the first image below. Press the number of the property you want to change. For example, to change the file name of the output file, press 2 and the file options will appear, as can be seen in the second image. Press 1 to create a new file and enter the name of the file (image 3). The filename of the export file must not be longer than 8 characters without file extension and the file extension itself (without the dot) must not be longer than 3 characters.

File:DPE12 DIAS Table1 Export 1.png Export Settings Overview

File:DPE13 DIAS Table1 Export 2.png Changing the File Options

File:DPE14 DIAS Table1 Export 3.png Changing the File Name

Run Export

To start the export press Shift + F7 again. The screen now shows a counter of how many elements from the table have already been exported. DOSBox starts with a limited CPU speed for the programs running in it. The speed can be increased by pressing Ctrl + F12. Increasing the speed to much, however creates a big overhead which will also result in a slower export. For some reason when increasing the speed the CPU load will jump from around 5% of one core to 100% within just 2-3 increase steps. So the CPU load should be watched when increasing the speed of DOSBox. On a DualCore 3 GHz Processor a speed of 50000-55000 cycles (can be seen in the title bar of the DOSBox Window) appears to be a good export speed without overhead.

File:DPE15 DIAS Export.png

The export is running.

After the export is done, you will see the list of available reports again. To step to the next higher level of the hierarchy press F7. Repeat this until you see the list of tables within this database project again. Now repeat the export process for all the other tables you want to export.