Setting up a PPCS server

[Jean Vallee]

I finally have all my ppcs server (using guisimpolserver.exe) and client working correctly. There are many “gotcha’s” to look out for: Please bear in mind I have less than 5 months experience with Simpol vs 22 yrs with SB v1 and v2 PPCS Server: When you buy a 5,10 or more db license, you only get the db license part. You do not get the actual server files in the download. Plus you need more than what’s in the utility/simpolservr folder if you want the gui version. You must add the wx.. dll’s and SMPPCS32.DLL, SMSBME32.DLL, and SMSLIB32.DLL, PLUS whatever the QuickStart Guide tells you. In the config file, txfactor matters!, 9 is painfully slow. I’m trying 3 at the moment with no problems so far. There is some glitch between what tables are shown as shared by the server and what Personal will show as available. Personal showed some bogus names but both IDE and runtime opened them fine. If you have typo in your file list, the server loads only the tables to that point with no error messages Loading the tables is not instantaneous. Check your log before trying to access them. I loaded mine in alph order so it was easy to check. The db license MUST BE INSTALLED ON THE SERVER YOU INTEND TO RUN IT ON. You cannot install it say on your computer, get everything set up so you can test it before delivery, then create an installation CD with everything on it and deliver it. PPCS Coding: PPCS does not like numeric indexes. I had 5 tables all with a single numeric indexed field that the runtime would not open. Once I changed the field type to integer, all was ok. Table and record locking syntax is not the same as sbme. You can use lockrecord() after selecting a record (without any lock syntax) and it will decide what kind of lock/syntax to use. In general: IF YOU EVER RENAME A FIELD, be sure to check that the shared name get changed too. That’s another one I chased for a couple if hours. Kept getting a 901 error when I KNEW the field existed. Personal gives no warning messages about mismatched field/shared names I have written a basic setup that asks the user for the IP address of the server. It validates what they entered and tests the connection before proceeding. If anyone is interested, I’d be happy to post it. If you are using the appframework, open your files in order of frequency used. That way appframework will have the most frequently used tables near the top of the dring. I have a very large table that starts with the letter P. Moving it to the top of the open table routine (versus in alpha order) helped a lot. Runtime testing: There is a command line debug program called smpd1_32.exe. Open a command prompt, change to your directory. Enter: smpd1_32 yourproject.smp This can help you uncover errors that are not obvious but will stop your users in their tracks. Not elegant but useful. Jean Vallee

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