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DB/TextWorks is a content management system—a type of database software that enables you to build networked and standalone textbases to manage text, numbers, dates, and electronic images. DB/TextWorks combines traditional database power, including the ability to manipulate data and perform arithmetic calculations, with the ability to handle large amounts of text. When you want to publish your textbase(s) over the Web, you can use either DB/Text WebPublisher PRO or Presto for DB/Text.
Important! The features implemented in the textbase structures and designers described below mean that textbases created using version 15.0 or upgraded to version 15.0 are not compatible with any Inmagic product prior to version 15.0. You will need to upgrade DB/Text WebPublisher, DB/Text PowerPack, DB/SearchWorks Run-time, and so on to version 15.0 before you will be able to use them with a version 15.0 textbase. When you open an existing textbase with DB/TextWorks version 15.0, you will be prompted to upgrade the textbase. If you upgrade the textbase, you will not be able to access the textbase with any Inmagic product prior to version 15.0.
For example: If you use Inmagic Genie, you will need to open each Genie textbase (GenieKey, Catalog, etc.) in DB/TextWorks to upgrade it to 15.0. If your textbase includes any Link fields, you will need to open the secondary/associated textbases directly (File>Open) to upgrade them to 15.0. If your textbase uses the Thesaurus feature, you will need to open the thesaurus textbase directly (File>Open) to upgrade it to 15.0. And so on.
Each new and enhanced feature is discussed briefly here. For more information on a feature, see the online help, unless otherwise noted. If applicable, the Inmagic Software Feature Request number follows each item listed.
New Field Type – Rich Text. The Rich Text field type permits you to change fonts (font name, size, color, bolding, italics, etc.) within a single field, align text, create bulleted lists, and so on. When editing a Rich Text field, you use the Rich Text Editor (Ctrl+E) to format the text. To add a Rich Text field to a form, in the Form Designer, use Edit>Add>Rich Text Box. Note that Rich Text Boxes handle box height differently than Form Boxes; please click Help on the Rich Text Box Properties dialog box in the Form Designer for more information.
New Field Type – Call Number. When records are sorted by a field using the Call Number field type, Call Numbers are sorted the correct order.
E-mail Enhancements. SMTP e-mail has the following new features
Mailing Information. This tab is now listed first, and includes all the address fields (From, To, etc.) and Subject, so that the experience of sending e-mail more resembles a standard New E-mail window.
Additional message text. The Mailing Information tab also includes a box where you can type text to appear before the records.
Signature. The Mail Format tab includes a Signature box where you can type text to appear at the bottom of the e-mail message.
More more more. Several limits have been increased. Note that these increases required increasing the size of several dialog boxes.
| Setting | New Value | Old Value |
|---|---|---|
| Number of fields in textbase structure | 500 | 250 |
| Characters in field names | 30 | 20 |
| Characters in box names for form scripts | 30 | 20 |
| Number of passwords | 1000 | 250 |
| Number of Linked textbases | 10 | 4 |
| Number of Forms, Query Screens, etc. | 2000 | 450 |
| Characters in Form, Query Screen, etc. names | 50 | 20 |
| Characters in Textbase, Form, Query Screen, etc. descriptions | 200 | 80 |
| Characters in prompt text in Forms | 100 | 50 |
| Characters in Menu Screen file names | Windows limit | 20 |
Substitution Lists. Additional Field Types now support Substitution Lists: Call Number, Code, Image, Link, and Number.
Import Document. Improved IFilter text extraction for PDF files, especially those with text in the margin. Also, line breaks are added after each period-space (". ") to improve readability.
Web Features:
Open link in new window. The Form Designer, Query Screen Designer, and Menu Screen Designer have a new option on the HTML tab of the Box Properties dialog box that permits you to specify that the link should be opened in a new window.
Validation List Editor. The Validation List Editor (part of InmagicBrowse) now permits you to modify just the case of a value (e.g., change TRUE to True).
Use Alternative Search Syntax. In the Query Screen Designer, the HTML tab of the Screen Properties dialog box includes this new option. Previous versions of DB/TextWorks asked the question each time you used Export Query Screen to HTML.
Use Cascading Style Sheets to preserve formatting. In the Query Screen Designer and Form Designer the HTML tab of the Screen Properties or Form Properties dialog box includes this new option. Previous versions of DB/TextWorks asked the question each time you used Export Query Screen to HTML or Export Editing Form to HTML. In addition:
Whether cascading style sheets (CSS) are used is explicitly specified for each form, rather than for WebPublisher as a whole or by query screen.
The WebCSSOpt= DBTWPUB.INI option and the CS= URL parameter have been removed.
WebPublisher no longer tries to guess whether CSS will cause overlapping by automatically disabling CSS for forms that include Raw HTML or Inline Images.
When DB/TextWorks upgrades a textbase for use with v15.0, all query screens and forms will be modified to have this option checked. If any of your forms include Raw HTML or Inline Images, which may cause overlapping, you may need to open them in the Form Designer to uncheck this option.
Options>Text Encoding. The "Read/write extended characters in MS-DOS format" option has been replaced with a Text Encoding tab on the Options dialog box, which gives more precise control over the format of import and export files.
HTML and XML output. All HTML and XML files and output are created using UTF-8 encoding, regardless of the specified Text Encoding option. Customers with Inmagic Genie should review the UseLegacyEncoding= option in the DB/TextWorks Help; see the "DBTWPub.INI (ICSWeb.INI) File" topic under "WebPublisher PRO Configuration" in the Help Contents.
Deleted Records Log file. The textbase files include a new .DRL file, which lists the record deletions to improve transferring this information using the TextWorks and/or Genie Connectors.
Form Scripts. The "formatting signal" discussed in the "Box Object" topic in the Help has changed from 13 characters to 23 characters. Any Form Scripts that use the script snippet in that topic will need to be modified to use the new length.
The following features are no longer available in DB/TextWorks.
WebPublisher Multiple Textbase Query. Presto for DB/TextWorks provides a much more robust ability to search across multiple textbases and display these results.
Scan Image.
Textbase-Specific Help. Microsoft has dropped support for the .HLP format in modern versions of Windows. You can use a script button or the Applications menu to launch a textbase-specific help document.
Email – MAPI Support. Microsoft has begun deprecating MAPI features in Windows. See the new features for SMTP e-mail, which allow the inclusion of Additional Message Text and a Signature.
Removed Message. The following message has been removed:
"The last textbase you opened with this name was in path1 rather than path2. If you have different textbases with the same name, information stored in your user file may be incompatible with one of them. Continue?"
The following issue is addressed by this version. The applicable Inmagic Software Problem Report (SPR) number is enclosed in [square brackets].
Import – Exception files now list the reason a matching record was not updated (e.g., the record was locked or read-only). [7701]
Export – Addressed an issue with last-used Export Options settings and Profiles not retaining the settings if the Fields to Export tab had Include Linked Fields checked, when a secondary textbase included more fields than the primary textbase, and one or more of those high-numbered secondary fields was moved to the Fields to be Exported list. [7996]
In Print Preview, Rich Text fields appear to use tiny fonts. Print does use the correct font sizes.
Below is a list of the documentation and help resources for DB/TextWorks. All of these documents and resources are available on the Inmagic Customer Extranet. Some may be installed with the software as well.
Support Matrix. The DB/TextWorks Support Matrix is available on the Inmagic Extranet. It lists requirements for installing and using the product.
Installation and Upgrade Notes. DBTextWorksInstallAndUpgradeNotes.pdf explains how to install and upgrade the product.
Online Help. To open the help file, start DB/TextWorks and press F1, or choose Help>Help Topics from the DB/TextWorks menu bar.
Knowledgebase. Use the Inmagic Technical Support knowledgebase on the Web to search for solutions to common problems and explanations for error messages. To access the knowledgebase, go to the Inmagic Customer Extranet.