RIMAS for UNIX Software Installation

To:            All Users of SLG

From:       The SHARED LOGIC Group, Inc.

Re:           Exporting UNIX Files to the Windows Database

Date:        September 24, 2002

 

The program DCU.DATATOTEXT is executed on the UNIX system to export data from Shared Logic files used in its software for the recycling industry.  The program may be invoked from any menu, or from the UNIX command prompt, by typing “RUN DCU.DATATOTEXT”.

 

When the program is run, there are several options offered to the operator.  This memo will list and explain these options.

 

1.      ENTER CONVERSION PARAMETER ASSIGNED TO YOU FOR FILE BEING CONVERTED:

When you need for a special customized routine in this program, you will be assigned a seven (7) character parameter that will trigger the routine when you run this export program.  The characters in the parameter will consist of your company name abbreviated to three (3) characters and the four (4) character file number.  You must enter the correct parameter for your company and file when the file export is executed, or the special routine will be skipped or the wrong routine will be executed.

2.      ENTER PRECISION/DIMENSION OF NUMERIC ARRAY (#/##), OR (CR):

Most files contain both textual and numeric data.  This entry describes the numeric data to the program, and will be provided to you by Shared Logic.  The values are also on Data File Layouts that have been provided to all users of Shared Logic’s “Executive Inquiry” for UNIX product.

Some of these values are listed at the end of this memo.

3.      ENTER INPUT DATA FILE NAME:

You will enter the relative path and filename of the file to be exported.  Shared Logic will provide this to you.  Most path names are “2/” and all filenames end with your company number (whether letters or numbers).

4.      ENTER STARTING CONTROL NUMBER IN RANGE 1, OR (CR):
ENTER    ENDING   CONTROL NUMBER IN RANGE 1, OR (CR):
ENTER STARTING CONTROL NUMBER IN RANGE 2, OR (CR):
ENTER    ENDING   CONTROL NUMBER IN RANGE 2, OR (CR):

These parameters only apply to files containing control numbers, which are the Purchase/Sales Detail, Purchase/Sales History, and Vendor/Customer Business Detail files.  These parameters will only be requested when one of these files is being exported.

5.      ENTER OUTPUT TEXT FILE NAME:

This is the relative path and filename of the text file to be created in this program and into which all of the exported data is written.  This is the file that will be imported into your Windows database.  These files must be named by taking the Unix file name and changing the third letter to a “T” and dropping the company number from the end.  (For Example, GLF.ACCOUNT01 becomes GLT.ACCOUNT)

6.      ARE ALL OF THESE ENTRIES ACCEPTABLE? (Y/N)

If any response to above questions is unacceptable, enter “N” and return to the first question.  Else, enter “Y” to continue processing.

7.      ENTER EARLIEST DATE OF RECORDS TO BE CONVERTED, OR (CR):
ENTER   LATEST   DATE OF RECORDS TO BE CONVERTED, OR (CR):
ARE THESE DATES ACCEPTABLE? (Y/N)

Some files contain dated records.  If this export programs sees that one of these files is being processed, it will stop and ask for the range of dates to be exported.  This will occur for the A/P Open Items, corresponding Distributions, and Paid Item History files, the A/R Open Items and corresponding Distributions files, the Purchase and Sales Orders files, the Purchase and Sales History files, and the Vendor and Customer Business History Detail files.

8.      NORMAL END OF JOB

This is displayed when the program successfully completes its processing.

 

 

Some processing occurs during the export of certain file content that must be know to the user of this program:

 

1.      All records with a length less that 4 characters will not be exported, because Shared Logic design standards required that every UNIX record contain four or more textual characters.

2.      All records not containing an “A” in the third character will not be exported, because Shared Logic design standards required the “A” to designate an “active” UNIX record.

3.      When exporting A/P and A/R Open Items, all items with a remaining balance (i.e., not fully paid) and with a transaction year equal to that of the latest date to be converted will be exported even when they are not within the requested date range.  This is done to ensure that entries required for accounting reconciliation are included in the export file.  This test is also performed using the Open Item amounts and date when the corresponding Distributions are exported.

4.      Dates that are used in the program are tested to ensure that they do not contain a day of month greater than the maximum number of days possible in the month, not accounting for leap year. If such a situation occurs, the day of month is set to the last day of the month, where February will always be treated as a 28 day month.  This was done to correct errors in the UNIX data that might cause a problem in the Windows database.

5.      Purchase and Sales History records are not exported if there is still a corresponding record in the Detail file.

6.      Purchase and Sale contract and page numbers are automatically zero-filled, meaning that zeros replace any spaces in these numbers.

 

It is possible to customize this program to perform some data transformation during the exporting process. Examples of what has been done for others include:

 

1.      Placing the Driver’s License Number and Hauler Code in the User Defined fields in the Windows Account Master.

2.      Converting Rolling contracts from one numbering system to another.  This was done for contracts, corresponding transactions and histories.

 

The files that this program can export are:

 

            FILENAME                   FILE DESCRIPTION               Precision/Dimension of Array

 

1.      GLF.ACCOUNT          G/L Chart of Accounts                                    4/76

2.      GLF.YDETAIL             G/L Year-to-Date transactions                        3/01

3.      SQF.VENDOR            A/P Vendor Master                                          3/07

4.      SQF.ALTERNAT         A/P Alternate Address                                     No Entry

5.      SQF.OPENITEM         A/P Open Items                                              3/09

6.      SQF.DISTRIB             A/P Distributions for the Open Items              3/01

7.      SQF.PAIDITEM           A/P Paid Item History                                      3/04

8.      SQF.MEMO                A/P Memos (includes Dispatch)                     No Entry

9.      SRF.CUSTOMER       A/R Customer Master                                     3/07

10.  SRF.ALTERNAT         A/R Alternate Address                                    No Entry

11.  SRF.OPENITEM         A/R Open Items                                              3/02

12.  SRF.DISTRIB             A/R Distributions for the Open Items              3/01

13.  SPF.CINV                    Commodity Inventory                                      3/39

14.  SPF.PORDER            Purchase Orders                                            3/41

15.  SPF.PDETAIL             Purchase Detail (Unposted)                           3/85

16.  SPF.PHISTORY         Purchase History (Posted)                             3/75

17.  SPF.PPRICE              Purchase Price Formula and History             3/22

18.  SPF.VBUSDTL           Vendor Business History Detail                      3/03

19.  SPF.SORDER            Sales Orders                                                  3/41

20.  SPF.SDETAIL             Sales Detail (Unposted)                                  3/85

21.  SPF.SHISTORY         Sales History (Posted)                                    3/75

22.  SPF.SPRICE              Sales Price Formula and History                    3/22

23.  SPF.CBUSDTL           Customer Business History Detail                 3/08

24.  SPF.ODLOC              Dispatch-Serviced Locations                         3/34

25.  SPF.ODCON              Dispatch-Containers                                       3/01

26.  SPF.ODCAL               Dispatch-Calls                                                No Entry

27.  SPF.ODCMP              Dispatch-Completed Trips                             3/24

Actually this program is capable of exporting any UNIX file without further customization, but these files are the ones commonly exported and for which the program already contains file specific routines.  Consult with your Windows support technician to learn if other UNIX files can be imported into the Windows database.

 

CONVERSION FILES

It is possible to customize this program to perform some data transformation during the importing process.  This is done by creating conversion text files containing the old Unix code and the new Windows code.  The files that can be created are as follows:

            File Name                    Description                  Old Value Position      New Value Position

            GLACCT.TXT              G/L Chart of Accounts            1-12                             13-42

            VENDOR.TXT             Vendor Master                         1-6                               7-16

            APTERMS.TXT           A/P Terms Codes                   1-1                               2-4

            APTYPE.TXT              A/P Vend Type/Group Codes 1-2                               3-8

            APSHIPVIA.TXT          A/P Ship Via Codes                1-3                               4-9

            CUSTOMER.TXT       Customer Master                    1-6                               7-16

            ARTERMS.TXT           A/R Terms Codes                   1-1                               2-4

            ARTYPE.TXT              A/R Cust Type/Group Codes  1-2                               3-8

            ARSHIPVIA.TXT          A/R Ship Via Codes                1-3                               4-9

            BANK.TXT                   Bank Codes                            1-2                               3-5

            COMMODITY.TXT      Commodity Codes                  1-8                               9-18

            YARD.TXT                  Yard Codes                             1-1                               2-4

            PRODTYPE.TXT        Product Type Codes               1-3                               4-6

            MARKETCODE.TXT  Market Codes                          1-2                               3-12

            MARKETCOMM.TXT  Market Commodity Codes      1-8                               9-18

 

Now that your export and conversion files are created they must be placed in the RIMAS NT/P program directory on your Windows server along with the IMPORT_NTP.EXE application.

 

The final step is to run the Import NT/P application choosing the appropriate programs from the Unix Import tab.