Dear All,
I have a problem with Revolution accessing databases through ODBC.
I'm running Revolution Studio 2.6.1 build 152 on Windows XP.
1) Background
We are collecting scientific research data in field using up to 25
iPaq PocketPC at a time. For data collection we run a simple database
management software on the PPCs, called HanDBase
(http://www.ddhsoftware.com/). We collect a wide array of data, so we
had to put about 50 linked databases on the PPCs. HanDBase has an
ODBC driver. Revolution is used to access the various HanDBase
databases on the various PPCs through ODBC, to process and store the
data, to join other data sources (eg, results of lab analysis on
biological samples), and prepare tables to be submitted for analysis
to various numerical and statistical packages.
2) The problem
When we read data from HanDBase using ODBC we got a systematic error
for date and time fields; all other fields are read correctly. The
date fields are read on all records as the numeric value "20", and
the time fields are read on all records as the numeric value "18". We
had this problem in the past, starting with Revolution 2.1. At the
time, we were interested in date fields only, and so I sorted out a
workaround to get the required date information without using ODBC,
and forgot the problem. Now, we also need to read the time fields,
and no workaround seems possible.
We can read the same HanDBase date and time fields correctly on all
ODBC programs that we tested, so it seems a Revolution problem.
HanDBase can show date fields, time fields, and timestamp fields
(date + time); all three kinds of fields are coded in the database as
a timestamp; HanDBase technical support confirmed me that the ODBC
format for date and time field isd the standard ODBC timestamp
format, as from Microsoft ODBC API specifications
(http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190234.aspx).
3) What I know.
- If I read the data type using revDatabaseColumnTypes() Revolution
reports all these fields as "TIMESTAMP"; I understand that Revolution
also recognizes these other data types: "DATE,TIME,DATETIME", but it
seems to read the data type of all our date and time fields as
"TIMESTAMP", and this make sense because it is in accordance to the
HanDBase ODBC format
- In my scripts I use the revDatabaseColumnNamed() function to access
the fields in the databases, but the problem exists also if I use the
revDataFromQuery() function
- I suppose the revDatabaseColumnNamed() function to be coded in the
revdb.dll, because I found no trace of it in the "revdatabase" script
4) Possible solution
I can use vbscript to access my HanDBase databases through ODBC, save
the data as ASCII files, the read the ASCII files in Revolution and
follow with the data processing. I made a rough try and it works, but
it doesn't make much sense. Moreover, I'm not very happy with this
solution, because I'm already under pressure from my colleagues to
abandon Revolution, and move our whole data management system to
something else. But this will mean to port a huge amount of scripts,
and I'm a biologist, not a programmer, so I would prefer to sort out
a solution in Revolution.
I will much appreciate your help, thank you in advance. Sorry for the
long email.
Kind regards
Filippo Galimberti
Filippo Galimberti, PhD
Elephant Seal Research Group
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.eleseal.it
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