CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
W98 CMD Batch Commands Fail on Gary's Home Computer CMD NTVD Not Sup

0903 -
0903 -    ..
0904 - Summary/Objective
0905 -
090501 - Follow up ref SDS 7 0000, ref SDS 4 0000.
090502 -
090503 - This morning we tried to review progress on preparing the ASB form for
090504 - setting an SDS standard at Aerospace company that is listed in the record on
090505 - 040625. ref SDS 8 EF7O
090507 -  ..
090508 - This work entailed opening the file on 040625 in a web browser to
090509 - demonstrate using explicit links into the ASB file for navigating in
090510 - Knowledge Space between the ASB content and SDS records for planning,
090511 - performing and reporting on developing the content.
090513 -  ..
090514 - Failure occurred because Gary could not execute the function developed
090515 - on 040417 to open the current file in a web browser. ref SDS 6 0001
090517 -  ..
090518 - Gary investigated and found that he could not convert the record into
090519 - HTML using the standard function that calls 070405.  Further
090520 - investigation showed that 070405.bat has redirection parameters on if
090521 - and copy commands.
090523 -  ..
090524 - Gary advised that the w98 operating system installed on his home
090525 - computer does not support redirection commands on DOS batch file
090526 - "if..." commands.  He suggested changing if... commands to use goto
090527 - and label commands that eliminate the need for redirection parameters.
090528 - Initially, removed redirection parameters on if... commands in
090529 - 070405.bat.  This causes a flicker on the screen, but is easier to
090530 - deal with than continual problems customizing SDS updates on Gary's
090531 - home computer.
090532 -
090533 -     [On 040823 Gary switched OS to Windows XP, and this solved
090534 -     problems, eliminating need for special code to support W98.
090535 -     ref SDS 10 HM7L
090537 -  ..
090538 - Later, after the call to Gary, decided to try his suggestion to use
090539 - goto and lable comands in 070405.bat, ref OF 2 LP4O, for eliminating
090540 - redirection parameters on if.... commands, and this seems to work.
090541 - There is still a flicker, but it is less severe.
090543 -  ..
090544 - After this problem was fixed, Gary was able to convert the record on
090545 - 040625 (and any others) to HTML, but the function that opens the
090546 - current file in a web browser still failed.
090548 -  ..
090549 - Gary reported that w98 does not support cmd operations, developed in
090550 - the program on 040417 for this operation using 00903, ref SDS 6 6N3L,
090551 - based on prior work reported 031102, ref SDS 4 TT7P, for solving the
090552 - problem Gary reported earlier on 031020 to open long filenames.
090553 - ref SDS 3 F18I
090555 -  ..
090556 - Gary will investigate using cmd.exe from w2k or XP under w98; do not
090557 - expect the solution to be this easy.
090559 -  ..
090560 - Gary is reluctant to upgrade his home computer to w2k because he has
090561 - bad luck upgrading successfully.  We reviewed success with this
090562 - operation reported on 000310. ref SDS 1 4978  Gary cited other reports
090563 - of success, but his home computer system is complex, and he has not
090564 - had good luck upgrading prior versions of Windows, and expects w2k or
090565 - XP will not upgrade effectively, and if so he will have to spend
090566 - several days to a week configuring his home computer system.  This is
090567 - a major investment, illustrated by the record on 010202. ref SDS 2
090568 - 0001
090569 -
090570 -     [On 041118 example of Gary's concern is upgrading to c14 3.2 GHz
090571 -     system running under Windows XP took a week or so to configure,
090572 -     with several false starts. ref SDS 11 0001
090574 -      ..
090575 -     [On 041118 discovered using /realtime in 00903.bat increases
090576 -     performance 12 times when running on c14 3.2 GHz under Windows XP.
090577 -     ref SDS 11 TU4F
090579 -  ..
090580 - Gary is concerned about migrating away from w98 support by applying
090581 - tools only availabe in w2k and above.  Some migration seems useful and
090582 - inevitable in order to take advantage of increased power, in this case
090583 - memory.  The challenge is how to accomplish transition responsibly to
090584 - avoid causing customers inconvenience.  Some argue that the entire SDS
090585 - program should be transformed into Windows, the sooner the better.
090586 - Gary was concerned today we may be moving too rapidly away from legacy
090587 - support for w98.
090589 -  ..
090590 - If cmd is foreclosed from use on w98, this will impact using SDS on
090591 - Gary's home computer in the following ways....
090592 -
090593 -    1.  Launching other programs failure....
090594 -
090595 -        a.  Running 00903 to open files listed in SDS records, either
090596 -            in the Reference field or in the narrative, including with
090597 -            a web browser using IE, developed on 031020 at Gary's
090598 -            suggestion, ref SDS 3 0001, and upgraded on 031102 to open
090599 -            long filenames, ref SDS 4 0001, and which Gary developed a
090600 -            refinement recently on 040701 to handle filenames with %
090601 -            characters. ref SDS 9 RV4G
090603 -             ..
090604 -        b.  Open current record or current file in a web browser either
090605 -            on the Internet or on the local server, developed at Gary's
090606 -            suggestion on 040417 by applying experience using cmd
090607 -            methods on 031102. ref SDS 6 0001
090608 -
090610 -         ..
090611 -    2.  0702053a.bat minimal impact on F2 save....
090612 -
090613 -        This is a relatively minor part of the F2 save operation for
090614 -        SDS records, that only runs on rare occasions when a reference
090615 -        data base file needs to be deleted, reported on 031203.
090616 -        ref SDS 5 WX5F
090618 -         ..
090619 -        Gary mentioned today that he has had problems saving SDS
090620 -        records on his home computer, and initially we attributed this
090621 -        to w98 not supporting cmd operations added to the save tasks.
090622 -        Further research today on 031203 when cmd was added to the code
090623 -        for saving records, this does not appear to cause failure of
090624 -        the save operation.
090626 -  ..
090627 - Submitted this record linked in an email to Gary clarifying
090628 - understandings today.  Gary is researching options for meeting SDS
090629 - objectives with w98.
090630 -
090631 -
090633 -  ..
090634 - F2 Save New Issue
090635 -
090636 - There seems to be a new issue on saving SDS records under w2k.
090638 -  ..
090639 - When F2 is used once there is no flicker in the screen, but on the 2nd
090640 - pass there is a noticable flicker.  This seems repeatable -- every
090641 - other pass there is a flicker.  Maybe Gary can comment on why, and
090642 - what can be done to get consistent performance?
090644 -  ..
090645 - Tried adding delete commands at the end of 0702051.bat to remove
090646 - stufq* files created by processing, except for stufq itself, which is
090647 - needed to restore revised content to the user's file online.  This was
090648 - not successful, so removed the delete commands from 0702051.bat.
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0907 -