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  • What is a simple alternative to networking?

    You may want to keep a "running copy" of PAL (a "poor man's network") by setting up a "Transaction Log". From any panel press F9 key. "0" is password for "System and Recovery Operations" menu. Then press "6" ("Start Transaction Log"). Create a filename like " c:\10-11-05.log " so that you will recognize that this log file was begun today and that it can be found easily. Now (after you press the Enter key) everything entered into the database from the creation of the file forward will be entered into that log file. Your assistant can then just email you a copy of that small file and when you import it you will have all the changes she made in any panel of PAL from that date forward. When the file starts to get big you can just create a new one with a new date. When you get the file you import it by pressing "8" ("Import Transaction Log") and typing in 10-11-05.log as the name of the file you are importing. Your copy of PAL will now be in synch with your assistant's copy. Don't forget to use option "7" ("Stop Transaction Log") if you don't need it (because of the disk space it's using up).

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  • Please provide more information about networking PAL

    PAL requires DOS 3.0 or higher to run on a network. No special network version of PAL is needed. As long as the sharing and locking commands of DOS 3.0 are supported on the network, there are no other special requirements to run PAL. The PAL program files (PAL.EXE and PAL.SYS) should have attributes set to shareable (more than one user can use the file at the same time). They also should have attributes set to read-only (users can access the file, but cannot alter it). If you need information on how to set attributes, consult your network supervisor or your network manual. In addition, your PAL database files should not be stored in the same directory as the PAL program files. Network rights can be used to limit access to PAL. For example, if a user doesn t have rights to a certain network directory, the user can't enter a panel contained in that directory. If a user has read-only rights to that directory, the user can enter the panel, but can't edit data or generate a report from that panel. For information on how to specify network rights with your network operating system, consult your system administrator or your network manual. A network database and a single-user database are defined in the same way. However, changes can be made to network database definitions only when no other user is in the database. Several users can look through, edit, create records, and run reports simultaneously in PAL. If a user edits a record while other users are editing or viewing the same record, the following message appears on the other users screens: Data change in network. Save any changes before continuing. Any temporary files which are generated are located on a user's default drive or in the directory indicated with the /d-directory startup option. This means that a user can be given read-only privileges in the directory where the .STR file is located. During network operation, 9,999 users can access a database at the same time. Check your network operating system documentation for limitations that may affect this capability. Important: Do not use multiple releases (dates) of PAL on the network.

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  • "I have tried to set up PAL for the network, but when I try to access PAL through a remote computer it says error can not find the pal.str file. It is in the same directory... but it can not find it. Two computers are connected through a wireless US Robotics Turbo router and using Max G USB adapters, 802.11G wireless turbo router. We are able to see the files across the network - and access the PAL.EXE file. When we click on it - it begins to run - but says it cannot find the PAL.STR file - which is in the same directory... Can you offer some help with this?"

    Suggestion 1: Try mapping a driveletter to the other computer Suggestion 2: Make sure to put a shortcut on the desktop. Then both the 'program directory' (map) as well as the 'working directory' should be the directory where the .str is located. Suggestion: PAL is a runtime of the application, am I right? In that case, I think the runtime can only work in the folder it has been specifically designed for. Working DP over networks never caused me any trouble. What I normally do is setting up a "connect.bat" batch file in the start folder, containing the following lines: NET USE X: /DELETE NET USE X: \\server\shared_path /PERSISTENT:YES NET USE LPT1 /DELETE NET USE LPT1 \\server\shared_printer /PERSISTENT:YES REM X: stands for the mapped drive name you want to use for your application! On the machine that acts as the server, you may also try the following line: SUBST X: C:\pal (or any other drive/path name) The "NET USE LPT1" command makes a shared printer available as LPT1 in DOS, even if it is a USB printer connected to your own machine! Not all Windows printers will accept this, but most HP printers do, and certainly all laserjet models.

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  • Can PAL be networked?

    Yes. Here is some information about networking PAL: Several users can look through, edit, create records, and run reports simultaneously in PAL. During network operation, 999 users can access PAL at the same time. Check your network operating system documentation for limitations that may affect this capability.

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