Important Note: The DBU is a
database utility program that you can use to manipulate data directly. Great care should
be taken when working in the DBU. You may cause irreparable damage, delete or change data
if you do not know what you are doing. Make a backup before you open the DBU. Please
follow the instructions very carefully. If you are unsure of any instruction please do not
hesitate to contact Otomys directly at (012) 348 4071. Otomys will not be held accountable
for any data loss or corruption.
A data width error occurs during a data
conversion when a value in a field is larger than the width of the field. The field that
keeps the amount for a creditor transaction is 10 characters wide with two decimal places.
This means that the maximum value it can hold is
9999999,99. If the amount is 10 million or
more, it needs 11 characters and will give a data width error.
Steps to correct this problem:
1. Identify
the table
2. Restore
a single template file from the update
3. Run
the data conversion on a single file
4. Get
the record number with the illegal value
5. Repair
the value
6. Re-run
the data conversion
7. Open
Microvet
Exit from of Microvet on all the computers
Do these steps on the File Server
Make a backup
1. Identify
the table
When you run the update, the name of the table
with the problem will be displayed at the bottom left of the screen e.g. UPDATING
STOCK.DBF. In this case the file with the
problem is STOCK.DBF
It could also bee in one of the following files:
UPDATING CASHCOLS.DBF. In this case the file with the problem is
CASHCOLS.DBF
UPDATING CASHITEM.DBF. In this case the file with the problem is
CASHITEM.DBF
2. Restore
a single template file from the update
In this case the name of the update file is
APR2003.ZIP
The name of the template file is STO.DBF
Type the following on the DOS screen:
PKUNZIP -O APR2003
STO.DBF (Problem with STOCK.DBF)
(Use the zip file name of the update that you
have run)
or
PKUNZIP -O APR2003
COL.DBF (Problem with CASHCOLS.DBF)
PKUNZIP -O APR2003
CHI.DBF (Problem with CASHITEM.DBF)
3. Run
the data conversion on a single file
Type the following on the DOS screen:
DBUPD STOCK.DBF STO.DBF
or
DBUPD CASHCOLS.DBF COL.DBF
or
DBUPD CASHITEM.DBF CHI.DBF
The update will run and get stuck at the same
point with the message: ‘DATA WIDTH
ERROR.’
Press Enter to QUIT
4. Get
the record number with the illegal value
Start DBU as follows:
DBU
F2
OPEN
Open STO.DBF or (COL.DBF) or
(CHI.DBF)
OK
F5
DATABASE
Look at the top of the browse window for the
record counter. It may say RECORD 1/2345.
Get the number after the slash. Zap the file as follows:
ESC
F6
ZAP
ZAP sto.dbf or (col.dbf) or
(chi.dbf)
Yes
5. Repair
the value
DBU is still open.
F2
OPEN
Open STOCK.DBF or (CASHCOLS.DBF)
or (CASHITEM.DBF)
OK
F5
DATABASE
F7
GOTO
Fill in the record number obtained in the previous step e.g. 2345
OK
The record pointer is now on the record with the
illegal value. Press the right arrow to
scroll to the right.
Look at the field values. We are looking for a field that is filled with ************
instead of numbers.
Remove these and replace it with 0.
Write the name of the stock file down so that you
can correct the value when you open Microvet again.
Press Enter
ESC
ESC
Exit to DOS
Y
6. Re-run
the data conversion
Type the following on the DOS Screen:
DPUPD
STOCK.DBF STO.DBF
or
DBUPD CASHCOLS.DBF STO.DBF
or
DBUPD CASHITEM.DBF STO.DBF
Hopefully the conversion will complete its task. If it gives the same ‘DATA WIDTH ERROR’,
it means that there is another record with an illegal value. Repeat steps 5 - 7
7. Start
Microvet
Start Microvet
The program will automatically start to re-index
A message may appear: ‘File is not marked
with a code page’
Click on Windows
The selection will go to Windows ANSI
Click on Select
Log in
Edit the stock and type in the valid values of the affected fields