Getting Started with dBASE - dBase V for DOS - Extended characters

Author

dBase V for DOS - Extended characters - Printing

Guy Lafrenière

2006-02-03, 9:23 am

Hello,

I have created executable applications with dBase V for DOS for a client. They are french speaking. They need to use extended characters (é, è, à, etc.). When they used those applications on computers with Windows 98, these applications worked fine.

Recently they changed their computers for new computers with Windows XP PRO with SP2. Since that time, we have three problems.

Problem 1

The extended characters which are already saved in their databases or used by my interface are shown at screen, but we can't no more write extended characters, like if the french pagecode was not in used. I have created new config.nt and autoexec.nt files
but it doesn't work. You can read
at the end of this message the old config.sys et autoexec.bat files and the new config.nt and autoexec.nt files. What is wrong with those new files? What names should I give to those files? Where should I save those files?

Problem 2

When we print on a dot matrix printer, we have to wait about 30 seconds before the printing begins, which was not the case with Windows 98. And more, the printing stops every 30 seconds like if the printer was waiting for data that Windows XP is slow to s
end.

Problem 3

I used directly dBase V for DOS on one of their computers to change the source code of one of the programm. dBase executed correctly for 5 minutes and suddendly the keyboard and the mouse freezed. I had to close the programm by Windows. My executable appl
ications don't freeze, but dBase itself freeze each 5 minutes. What is the problem?

Here are the files used.

Old CONFIG.SYS

device=c:\windows\hi
mem.sys
device=c:\windows\em
m386.exe noems
dos=high,umb
device=C:\WINDOWS\CO
MMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
Country=002,850,C:\W
INDOWS\COMMAND\count
ry.sys
files=255
buffers=15
SHELL=c:\windows\com
mand.com /p /e:32768

Old AUTOEXEC.BAT

mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\e
ga.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb cf,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMA
ND\keybrd2.sys
set dbtmp=c:\windows\tem
p

New CONFIG.NT

dos=high, umb
device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\himem.sys
device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
country=002,850,%Sys
temRoot%\system32\co
untry.sys
files=255
buffers=15

New AUTOEXEC.NT

lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\mscdexnt.exe
lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\redir
lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\dosx
mode con codepage prepare=((850)%Syste
mRoot%\system32\ega.cpi)
mode con codepage select=850
keyb cf,,%SystemRoot%\sys
tem32\keyboard.sys
set dbtmp=%SystemRoot%\t
emp

Thak you for any help.

Guy Lafrenière

John Marshall

2006-02-03, 11:23 am

I have a few suggestions ... get rid of the himem and emm. and all the loadhi calls. In fact you might be cautious of reponting to any old .sys files under XP. You might rem out everything for starters, and reinsert one by one.

Second, I woyuldn't use the old redirect commands, but set up a printer pool adding LPT1: as a second port in addition to your default printer (or matrix). This may solve most issues including the delays. Take a look at how your spooling is set, and eit
her turn it off, or add a set printer to or eject to your code to flush the buffer.

As for the location to place these, you may choose the root drive, or better yet the \Documents and Settings\"user name" or "All Users"\
Start Menu\Programs\Startu
p

Good Luck!

JM

Guy Lafrenière Wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have created executable applications with dBase V for DOS for a client. They are french speaking. They need to use extended characters (é, è, à, etc.). When they used those applications on computers with Windows 98, these applications worked fine.
>
> Recently they changed their computers for new computers with Windows XP PRO with SP2. Since that time, we have three problems.
>
> Problem 1
>
> The extended characters which are already saved in their databases or used by my interface are shown at screen, but we can't no more write extended characters, like if the french pagecode was not in used. I have created new config.nt and autoexec.nt fil
es but it doesn't work. You can read
> at the end of this message the old config.sys et autoexec.bat files and the new config.nt and autoexec.nt files. What is wrong with those new files? What names should I give to those files? Where should I save those files?
>
> Problem 2
>
> When we print on a dot matrix printer, we have to wait about 30 seconds before the printing begins, which was not the case with Windows 98. And more, the printing stops every 30 seconds like if the printer was waiting for data that Windows XP is slow to
send.
>
> Problem 3
>
> I used directly dBase V for DOS on one of their computers to change the source code of one of the programm. dBase executed correctly for 5 minutes and suddendly the keyboard and the mouse freezed. I had to close the programm by Windows. My executable ap
plications don't freeze, but dBase itself freeze each 5 minutes. What is the problem?
>
>
> Here are the files used.
>
>
> Old CONFIG.SYS
>
> device=c:\windows\hi
mem.sys
> device=c:\windows\em
m386.exe noems
> dos=high,umb
> device=C:\WINDOWS\CO
MMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
> Country=002,850,C:\W
INDOWS\COMMAND\count
ry.sys
> files=255
> buffers=15
> SHELL=c:\windows\com
mand.com /p /e:32768
>
>
> Old AUTOEXEC.BAT
>
> mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\e
ga.cpi)
> mode con codepage select=850
> keyb cf,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMA
ND\keybrd2.sys
> set dbtmp=c:\windows\tem
p
>
>
> New CONFIG.NT
>
> dos=high, umb
> device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\himem.sys
> device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
> country=002,850,%Sys
temRoot%\system32\co
untry.sys
> files=255
> buffers=15
>
>
> New AUTOEXEC.NT
>
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\mscdexnt.exe
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\redir
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\dosx
> mode con codepage prepare=((850)%Syste
mRoot%\system32\ega.cpi)
> mode con codepage select=850
> keyb cf,,%SystemRoot%\sys
tem32\keyboard.sys
> set dbtmp=%SystemRoot%\t
emp
>
>
> Thak you for any help.
>
> Guy Lafrenière
>

DLIT

2006-03-05, 8:27 pm

I met some problems with this characters as well when passing from dos to windows. Ken gave me the reply with the ascii/ansi question.
What you have to do is to convert your ascii texts into ansi with the ansi() command.
Dom

Guy Lafrenière Wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have created executable applications with dBase V for DOS for a client. They are french speaking. They need to use extended characters (é, è, à, etc.). When they used those applications on computers with Windows 98, these applications worked fine.
>
> Recently they changed their computers for new computers with Windows XP PRO with SP2. Since that time, we have three problems.
>
> Problem 1
>
> The extended characters which are already saved in their databases or used by my interface are shown at screen, but we can't no more write extended characters, like if the french pagecode was not in used. I have created new config.nt and autoexec.nt fil
es but it doesn't work. You can read
> at the end of this message the old config.sys et autoexec.bat files and the new config.nt and autoexec.nt files. What is wrong with those new files? What names should I give to those files? Where should I save those files?
>
> Problem 2
>
> When we print on a dot matrix printer, we have to wait about 30 seconds before the printing begins, which was not the case with Windows 98. And more, the printing stops every 30 seconds like if the printer was waiting for data that Windows XP is slow to
send.
>
> Problem 3
>
> I used directly dBase V for DOS on one of their computers to change the source code of one of the programm. dBase executed correctly for 5 minutes and suddendly the keyboard and the mouse freezed. I had to close the programm by Windows. My executable ap
plications don't freeze, but dBase itself freeze each 5 minutes. What is the problem?
>
>
> Here are the files used.
>
>
> Old CONFIG.SYS
>
> device=c:\windows\hi
mem.sys
> device=c:\windows\em
m386.exe noems
> dos=high,umb
> device=C:\WINDOWS\CO
MMAND\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
> Country=002,850,C:\W
INDOWS\COMMAND\count
ry.sys
> files=255
> buffers=15
> SHELL=c:\windows\com
mand.com /p /e:32768
>
>
> Old AUTOEXEC.BAT
>
> mode con codepage prepare=((850) C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\e
ga.cpi)
> mode con codepage select=850
> keyb cf,,C:\WINDOWS\COMMA
ND\keybrd2.sys
> set dbtmp=c:\windows\tem
p
>
>
> New CONFIG.NT
>
> dos=high, umb
> device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\himem.sys
> device=%SystemRoot%\
system32\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
> country=002,850,%Sys
temRoot%\system32\co
untry.sys
> files=255
> buffers=15
>
>
> New AUTOEXEC.NT
>
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\mscdexnt.exe
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\redir
> lh %SystemRoot%\system3
2\dosx
> mode con codepage prepare=((850)%Syste
mRoot%\system32\ega.cpi)
> mode con codepage select=850
> keyb cf,,%SystemRoot%\sys
tem32\keyboard.sys
> set dbtmp=%SystemRoot%\t
emp
>
>
> Thak you for any help.
>
> Guy Lafrenière
>

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