Datafile Report System Help

Datafile Open Source
Logging In and Security
Logging In

To access the Datafile system through a browser you will need to login - using a user id and password issued by your System Supervisor.

If you are using Datafile as Open Source without support, please refer to the manual for details on how to create Datafile users.

Problems logging in

To access the Datafile system through a browser you will need to login - using a user id and password issued by your System Supervisor. If you are unable to do so - please contact your System Supervisor.

If you are using Datafile as Open Source without support, please refer to the manual for details on how to view/create Datafile users.

Change Password

To change your Datafile password, use the Change Password option available from the Main Menu.

Report Retrieval
Finding a Report by Report Identifier

Report identifiers usually match those which you see in the Report Header when viewed. If you are unsure of the identifiers available to you, leave this field EMPTY and all reports will be retrieved for the date or date range specified.

WARNING ! Make sure you enter either a single date (using Start Date and One Day Only fields or a short range using Start and End Date. If not, you may end up with a large number of reports.

Report identifiers may be typed in whole (e.g. REP1234B) or you can use a partial report identifier.

Date Ranges and Date Formats

Reports are stored by reverse date : YYYY/MM/DD. To recall reports for a single date, enter only the Start Date.

Alternatively, to recall a date range, enter both Start and End Date in the same YYYY/MM/DD format.

To begin the search, hit the search button 🔍 on the Toolbar

Note : the range of dates which have been or are currently being archived depents on your company/site/staff policy. For more details please contact your Operations Department or Supervisor.

Toolbar Options - Movement and Page Configuration

Toolbar options include :

  • ∇ Page down
  • ∆ Page up
  • ⤒ Top of report
  • ⤓ Last page of report
  • 🔍 Search for - enter search text in box above *
  • ⤥ Jump to page number - enter page no. in box above
  • ✘ Return to Report selection screen

* Note on Search : When searching, remember that you are searching a report, exactly as it would be printed - with commas in numbers and that it is CASE-SENSITIVE. or Supervisor.

Report Capture
Report Download Process

The process for Report Download may vary according to the host machine. The files may, for example, be downloaded from an AS400 using one or more .TTO files which specify format (using a .FDF file) and listing the source and destination.

In this way the file(s) from the host machine are loaded onto the Datafile Linux server into the Data Directory as specified in the <system id>.json file.

This download process will normally be executed daily - to match an End of Day/Month/Year report run. After downloading the files, the Indexing Process must be run.

If your Datafile system is installed by Project Computers, the <system id>.json will have been configured for you. If not, please refer to the Configuration details in the downloadable manual.

Other configurable parameters will also be defined in the .json file, inclunding, where applicable, the line Leader Length and criteria for searching for report identifiers.

Report Indexing Process

The indexing process - which is required after every download session - must be run from the Linux command line using the strong security available under Linux. If download comprises more than one file the indexing need only be run once - for that day - after all files have been transferred successfully to the Datafile server.

Log onto the Datafile server using the Linux user datafile. The password will have been created for you or will be the default - see the Configuraton manual.

The command required is :

indexing <system id> <date> (in YYYYMMDD format) - hit Enter to execute the command.

The process will display the following information about the reports located - report identifier, data file name, start and end offset.

To check the results of the indexing, access the Datafile system using the browser and logging on as a valid Datafile user (as defined in the Datafile database - not to be confused with the Linux user used for the indexing process).



Index Checking Process

To check the results of the indexing, access the Datafile system using the browser and logging on as a valid Datafile user (as defined in the Datafile database - not to be confused with the Linux user used for the indexing process).

  • Via the Datafile login page and menu, access Report Retrieval
  • Leave the Report Identifier field empty - to recall ALL reports for the given date
  • Enter ONLY the Start Date in YYYY/MM/DD format
This should bring up all the reports indexed during the most recent download/indexing run. Each will display :
  • Report Identifier
  • Date
  • Total Pages

Review the reports located, viewing as many as required to verify that the download/indexing process has produced what you would expect. Whilst bedding in the new system, it is often helpful to view a few pages, including paging up and down and visiting the end of the report.

Identifying and sorting any anomalies immediately can save a lot of time in re-indexing. Look for any new reports which may have been added to the system in case they don't conform to the standard used in the rest of the reports.

If any such are located, inform support and attempt to get this sorted BEFORE the next download/indexing run. If you are using the system as Open Source without support, please refer to the manual.



System Overview
The Datafile system

Our flagship product, Datafile, has had many incarnations during its life. Now an Open Source version is available under Linux - free for you to install, compile, utilise under the GNU GPL v3 licence.

Functionality
Datafile OS provides :

  • indexing of downloaded report files
  • report retrieval - view, search ...
  • user and group security
Datafile Licence/Open Source


What is Open Source ?

There have been many technical and legal words written about Open Source software but the analogy used by Wikipedia referring to sharing recipes seems a good one. People have been sharing recipes for hundreds of years. You can borrow a recipe and make your own modifications - though it is polite to acknowledge the source "based on a recipe from my grandmother".

Open Source software is similar - if the software is published with the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) it permits the recipient to use the recipe and enhance it provided that you acknowledge your debt to the previous creator and allow others to benefit from your work (provided they too provide acknowledgement and and offer their work to the common good). There's plenty of extra information, and a great video from Stephen Fry here.

Datafile Licence

Datafile is licensed under the GNU v3 licence. supported under the Free Software Foundation.

The essence of the licence is :

Copyright © Project Computers Limited 2022-

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

For further details please refer to the GNU v3 licence website.