Welcome to the RecordEditor, I hope it is useful. If you:
Like the Editor | Please help promote the RecordEditor (i.e. rate it on Software download sites, write a review etc). After all the more people who use the editor, the more people will end up supporting / enhancing the editor |
Do not like the Editor | Let me know at RecordEditor Source Forge forum. Both positive and Negative feed back is useful. |
RecordEditor Source Forge forum
Bug Reporting
Feature Request
I generally start a forum (on SourceForge) for changes to the next version, feel free to contribute. The next version is may contain:
The main File Editor is called Full Editor in the Menu created by the installer. The RecordEditor comes with several sample files, It is probably worth editing several of them to get a feel for the Editor. When you start the Full Editor, the File field should hold the sample file directory.
For Csv (Delimited) Files, Start the Full Editor and select Generic Csv - Enter Details for the Layout; then enter the required details when prompted.
If the file does not have names on the first line, you could also use Layout Wizard. This wizard will guid you through creating the Layout for the file. It will allow you to select columns by pointing and clicking on them.
The easiest way to start editing your own Fixed width Files is to use the Layout Wizard to create the Record-Layout for the file.
The wizard will let you define the fields by pointing to them
For Xml Files, Start the Full Editor and select Xml - Build Layout for the Layout.
To Edit Cobol Files you have to options:
To import a Cobol copybook select menu item Record Layout >>>> Load Cobol Copybook
Then update the following screen
A couple of things to be aware of:
Binary FormaT | This is effectively the Cobol Dialect being used (Mainframe, Open Cobol etc). |
File Structure | This is similar to RECFM=... on the mainframe. This is where you tell the Editor How the file is organized. Options available are Text IO (byte based) - Files with Carriage Returns, Fixed Length Binary - Fixed Length Files. |
After Loaded | Back on the File open screen after the Cobol copybook has been loaded, You will need to hit the Reload from DB to use your new layout. |
Following are a list of programs supplied with the RecordEditor package.
Full Editor | Main File Editor |
Layout Editor | Program to edit Record Layouts (which are used by the RecordEdit to help display the Data Files). The Record Layouts can be
|
Record Editor | Cut down file Editor, should start quicker over networks / on old Computers. |
Cobol Editor | Experimental File Editor where record layouts are stored as Cobol copybooks. At this stage you are better off using the Full Editor program. |
Edit Properties | Program to edit the RecordEditor Startup properties |
RecordEditor - Velocity | Program to test formating files use RecordEditor layouts and Velocity. Note: Velocity must be instaled seperately and installed into the RecordEditor using the Edit Properties program. |
Following are a list of documents supplied with the package
Record Editor Manual | Main RecordEditor Manual. |
HowTo | Basic how to examples. |
CobolEditor Documentation | Very Basic documentation on the CobolEditor. |
Examples | Java Examples of interfacing with / extending the RecordEditor. |
Diff1 | File Compare Utility |
Copy | File Copy utility |
Please review the help documentation Record Edit
Note: On Windows, to start using the RecordEditor you should do one of the following
Warning The RecordEditor Instillation program will install a HSQLDB server into your Windows start-up directory (so the DB server will start automatically when you Start Windows). It is perfectly safe to remove HSQLDB Database server from the Windows Start up directory. But to use the RecordEditor, you will need to start the server manually.
This version uses the Open Source Database - HSQLDB as its backend Database. To use the system, the Database Server must be started (should happen automatically on Windows version when you start Windows). If the Database is not started you will get an error message like
DataBase Connection error: socket creation error
You may find it useful to have a SQL client. If so the connection details are
Driver | &Install_Directory\lib\hsqldbmain.jar |
URL (Connection String) | jdbc:hsqldb:hsql://localhost/recordedit |
Record-Editor features:
The Record Editor can either be started from
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To edit a file Filename and move to the 100 record you would enter
java.jar -jar .../runFullEditor.jar "Filename" -l 100
When the Record Editor starts, it displays the Edit Start Screen
Fields on this screen are
Field | Description |
File | Name of the file to edit, you can select a file by using the Find File button to the right. |
Database | The system stores it's record definitions in a database. The system can also connect to multiple Databases. This Combo allows you which DB to use. You could have different Test / Production Layout DB's. |
System | The Record Layouts can be grouped into different systems. This Combo Box is used to select a specific System. |
Record Layout | The Record Layout used to format the file. Only layouts belonging to the selected System (above) are displayed. Note: A Record Layout describes the format of a file, each layout consists of either
|
Buttons on the Screen
Button | Description |
Choose File | Start the File Chooser dialogue which will navigate the File system and the user to choose a file. |
Reload | Reloads System and Record Layout details from the database. |
Layout Wizard | Start the Record Creation wizard. This wizard displays the file and lets you select the fields (by clicking on the first character in the field). See for more detail. Note: This option is only available in the Full Editor. |
Create Layout | Bring up the Record Layout Creation screen. See for more detail. Note: This option is only available in the Full Editor. |
Edit | Edit the file. |
Browse | View the file, but no changes are possible. |
In jEdit a binary file like a 4680/4690-Register price change file looks like
While in the RecordEditor Table-View, binary fields are converted to there text equivalent. It looks like
In the $IntallDirectory/SampleFiles there are a number of example files for you try out the Editor.
File | System | Record Layout |
---|---|---|
Ams_Receipt.txt | AMS | ams Receipt |
Ams_PODownload_20050101.txt | AMS | ams PO Download |
Ams_PODownload_20041231.txt | AMS | ams PO Download |
Ams_LocDownload_20041228.txt | AMS | ams Store |
Ams_Shipping_04DEC03190126.txt | AMS | ams Shipping Upload |
Ams_Shipping_04DEC02190132.txt | AMS | ams Shipping Upload |
Ams_Shipping_04DEC01190125.txt | AMS | ams Shipping Upload |
Ams_VendorDownload_20041229.txt | AMS | ams Vendor Download |
Pos_Spl_1.bin | POS | SPL |
Pos_Spl_2.bin | POS | SPL |
Pos_Price_2.bin | POS | Price |
Pos_Price_1.bin | POS | Price |
DTAR119_keyode.bin | Mainframe | DTAR119 |
DTAR020.bin | Mainframe | DTAR020 |
DTAR107.bin | Mainframe | DTAR107 |
DTAR192.bin | Mainframe | DTAR192 |
sampleEbcdicNew.bin | Mainframe | Mainframe FB80 |