Visimage 2.6 FAQ

How to install Visimage to a network server

Start the installation in the normal way. Use the directory browse button to locate and specify a network drive. You must have write access to this drive. The installation will then provide you with three options.

How to install Visimage from a network directory

Visimage can be installed from a network server by running the setup program from the network drive. For example, if Visimage has been installed in F:\APPS\VISWIN2, an individual workstation can be installed by running:

F:\APPS\VISWIN2\DISK1\SETUP.EXE

Error installing Visimage, DLL too old

The main Visimage installation was written using the latest version of Microsofts Visual Basic. Consequently, it requires recent versions of Microsofts own Windows DLL files. If you get an error message for a specific DLL file when you insert the CD, take one of the following steps to resolve the error.

COPY the DLL from the CD. The Visimage Installation CD contains newer versions of the Microsoft DLLs. Copying the DLL from the CD will allow you to run the installation program successfully. It is possible that a DLL in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory cannot be updated, because it is already in use. If this is the case, copy the DLL from the CD into some other location on your C drive. Then reboot in DOS mode and copy the DLL from your C drive into the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

Install Visimage without using the main Installation program. To install Visimage without running the main installation program, run X:\DISK1\SETUP.EXE Where X: is the appropriate drive letter for your CD drive.

I click the Visimage icon but nothing happens!

If Windows is unable to load the Visimage program, and no error message is displayed, it means that there is a problem with one of your DLLs. It could be a Reflection DLL or the WINSOCK DLL. The most common problems are with PPL.DLL, RCOM.DLL and WINSOCK.DLL.

PPL.DDL and RCOM.DLL

Visimage uses the files PPL.DLL, RFILES.DLL and RUSER.DLL. These DLLs should be located in the Visimage installation directory (VISWIN2). During installation, Visimage will verify the version of Reflection you are using and install the correct versions of these DLLs.

Reflection Version (*)	DLL Creation Date
4.01	7/21/93
4.1x - 4.2x	4/21/94
5.x (16 bit)	12/12/95
5.x (32 bit)	Not supported
Dummy (1)	9/4/95

Use File Manager or Windows Explorer to search for all occurrences of PPL.DLL. Make sure that there is one located in the Visimage installation directory (VISWIN2) and that it has the correct date. If the dates are wrong, update the appropriate files from installation disc 2 (4.01 & 4.1-4.2) or disc3 (5.x). See Extracting a file from the installation disc for more information. You will need to update PPL.DLL, RFILES.DLL, RUSER.DLL, PPLSERVE.EXE and PPLDDE.EXE (5.x only).

(1) For users that do not want to use a Reflection connection and specify TCP only during installation, Visimage will install a dummy PPL.DLL file. This is because Windows requires that all DLLs be present, even if they are never called. This DLL must be deleted if you later wish to use a Reflection (PPL) connection.

In addition to the DLLs mentioned above, Visimage must also have access to DLLs in the Reflection directory. Make sure that Reflection directory (R1WIN) is included in your DOS path. To check, shell to DOS and type PATH. Do not move any Reflection DLLs from R1WIN into the Visimage directory, instead modify your path to include R1WIN and reboot.

WINSOCK.DLL

For TCP connections you must have a TCP/IP stack installed and a WINSOCK.DLL. The directory that includes the WINSOCK.DLL must be included on your DOS path.

If you specified Reflection only during the installation, Visimage will install a dummy WINSOCK.DLL in the Visimage installation directory. This is required if you do not have a valid WINSOCK.DLL but must be deleted if you later install a TCP/IP stack that contains a valid WINSOCK.DLL

Why does Visimage GPF when I click buttons or move screens?

Visimage, like most Windows programs, uses a Microsoft DLL call CTL3DV2.DLL. There are many different versions of this DLL floating around and not all of them are compatible with Visimage. If you find that Visimage will GPF when you click certain buttons or when you try to size or drag windows, it could be due to a bad version of this DLL. The Visimage installation includes a test program that verifies whether or not you have a good version of CTL3DV2. The program is called CTL3DVER.EXE and is located in the Visimage installation directory. The program will report one of three possible conditions. The DLL is OK, it is bad, or its status is unknown. If the DLL is bad, or the status is unknown, you should change the DLL for the version distributed with Visimage.

This DLL is located in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. Before loading the new DLL, rename the old one CTL3DV2.OLD. Then, expand the DLL located on disc number 2. See the information on extracting files from the installation disc for more information.

How do I extract a single file from an installation disc?

Most of the files on the Visimage installation discs have been compressed using Microsofts compress. You will need to use EXPAND to extract these compressed files. You can tell if a file has been compressed by looking at the last character of the extension. If it is an underscore, the file is compressed. For example, follow these steps to expand CTL3DV2.DL_ :

First shell to DOS and switch to the location where you want the file to be expanded. In this case C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

1. Insert the correct disc in the floppy drive. 2. Type the EXPAND command followed by the compressed file name and then the new file name. In this case:

If your computer does not have a copy of expand, you can find it on each of the Visimage discs. In this case type: A:\EXPAND A:\CTL3DV2.DL_ CTL3DV2.DLL

What is the minimum requirement to use a TCP/IP connection?

Client Software: Visimage for Windows version 2.1 or higher.

A WINSOCK compliant TCP/IP stack.

Server Software: HP 3000 - MPE/iX version 5.0 or higher. The VSRVJOB must be running. HP 9000 - HP-UX version 9.x or 10.x. The vsrvtcp listener service must be running.

What does the error TCP Service not available mean?

This error can have many possible explanations.

The listener job/service is not running. See the Administrator Manual for instructions in starting this service. An invalid IP address (or DNS) was specified for the host server. Verify the IP address and correct if necessary. (see TELNET below)

I connect to the HP 3000 via TELNET. Is there anything special I need to know?

In many HP 3000 environments, TELNET connections are implemented via TELNET cards placed in the DTC. In this case, when you do a TELNET connection with terminal emulation software, you specify the IP address of the TELNET card. Visimage requires the HP 3000 IP address which is different from that used by the TELNET card. Ask your System Administrator if you are unsure of the correct IP address.

Common TCP Errors

Once you have correctly installed and configured Visimage to use a TCP connection you should not have any problems starting server. If you are having trouble starting server, you should check the following:

The host listener job/service is running. You are specifying the correct IP address. You are using a valid user name. The user name must have been added to VSRVINI.

If you continue to have problems after verifying that all of these are correct, check the $STDLIST of the VSRVJOB listener. This may give you some additional clues. If you continue to have problems, contact technical support.

How do I do Date Conversions with Visimage?

Visimage is able to handle most common date formats using date conversion operators. The two most common operators are DATINT and DATEXT. The first converts dates stored in most popular formats into Visimages INTernal date format and the second converts an internal date into most popular EXTernal formats. We recommend creating Date Conversion Macros to perform the date conversions required by your users.

How do I ignore blank or invalid dates?

You can teach the date conversion functions DATINT and DATEXT to ignore invalid or blank dates using the system variable VOIDDATE. The purpose of VOIDDATE is to specify the value, in internal format, of dates that should be ignored. Using DATINT, any external date that is invalid will be converted to the value of VOIDDATE. Using DATEXT, any internal date with the value of VOIDDATE will be set to blanks. The most common setting is VOIDDATE = 1. Using this setting, all invalid dates will be converted to blanks.

Printing a Report when no data is selected.

What happens if my selection does not qualify any records, but I want to print some output that shows my report ran but no records were selected. This can be done in Report using the First Page level. Add a First Page level to your report and set up several lines that contains the information you want to print. For example, the name of the report, the date and a comment indicating that no records were selected. Next add Print If logic to each of the lines. The condition you want to use is: $ENTRIES = 0. Using this method, these lines will only be printed when the report runs and the total number of selected records ($ENTRIES) equals zero.

Resetting the page number (List/Report)

Resetting the page number in List is very easy but some users have had trouble finding the same option in Report. In List, the option can be found in the Sort Options window. In report, the option is located in the Line Attributes window. This can be accessed from the Report menu or by double clicking any blank portion of the line. Page numbers can be reset at Begin Sort or End Sort levels. To accomplish the same thing in AskPlus, use the command: Tn/99, $PAGENO where n is the sort level.

Where did Column/Row go on status line?

By mistake, the current row and current column indicators were removed from the status bar when we shipped the latest release of Visimage. These indicators, particularly column, are very useful in the report designer window. To turn them back on, edit the VISWIN.INI file in your WINDOWS directory. Change the settings for RowWidth and ColWidth (in the [VISWIN] section) from 0 to 40.

How do I adjust column spacing in list?

Many users have called asking for ways to adjust the print width of columns in list. This can be done using several different techniques. The size of the printed column is always the maximum of the size of the Column Heading (number of characters) and the size of the field being printed. The size of the field is determined by the maximum number of characters that could be displayed, or by the format (edit mask) if one is present. Therefore to increase the column width you can add leading or trailing blanks to the column heading, or increase the size of the format. You can also insert a dummy column, but this is rarely necessary and tends to make the list more difficult to read. Remember that adjusting the column width displayed in the List Designer does not change the size of the column when the data is printed.

How do I extract a sub-string from a Numeric field?

The standard sub-string syntax -- ITEM.(offset:typelen) is only valid for character or zoned fields. You cannot use this syntax with a numeric or integer field. So the question is raised, how do I extract specific digits from a numeric value? By taking advantage of truncation most operations can by done using simple arithmetic. For example, to extract all but the last two digits requires division by 100. To extract the last two characters requires the remainder after dividing by 100. It turns out that calculating remainders allows you to perform a lot of different and interesting operations in Visimage. For more information, see How do I calculate a Remainder? and the technical tip Selecting Data at Random. Another way to perform a sub-string is to combine the special operators !CVT and !GETSTR. Using !CVT you can convert the numeric field to a zoned field. Then using !GETSTR you can extract the required digits. For example, to extract the 3 and 4 digit from the right, you would use:

!GETSTR:X2(!CVT:Z8(ITEM),"5,2")

Use remainder logic if you want the last n digits, use division if you want all but the last n digits and use !GETSTR if you want any other combination.

How do I calculate a remainder?

Calculating a remainder is very easy in Visimage. The key is remembering that by default, Visimage uses whole numbers and division returns a truncated (not rounded) result. The following expression calculates a remainder:

REMAINDER = ITEM - (ITEM / N * N)

For example if the value of ITEM is 23 and the value of N is 10, this expression will return the number 3. This is because 23 / 10 equals 2 (a truncated result). Two times 10 equals 20 and 23 - 20 equals 3, the remainder.

For more information see the technical tip Selecting Data at Random.

Why are no percentages displayed during selection?

If you are not seeing any percentages in Visimage it means that the system variable GAUGE has not been set. To see percentages in Visimage, but not in AskPlus, add the following line to the VSRVJOB and re-stream the job. To see percentages in both AskPlus and Visimage, add the line to the CMDIN files of both PUBNAT and PUBTCP.

SETVAR GAUGE 1

Why do my percentages appear multiple times?

Percentages are now displayed during selection, sort and output. This means that you might see the percentage vary from 1% to 100% up to three times in a single report.

What do the messages in my STDLIST mean?

If the setting of GAUGE is equal to 1 for batch jobs, the percentage complete will be displayed as many as three times. Once for the selection, once for the sort and once during output. The percentage appears as part of a message. The number that appears after the is the percent complete of the current phase. If the job contains an "Assign VPCVERS" greater than 2.2.8, then the status message will be printed using a different format.

What does the error Unable to copy setup1.exe mean?

This occurs when the installation program is unable to copy SETUP1.EXE into the WINDOWS directory. This happens when a previously installed third-party application leaves a copy of its setup files on the computer. The file is not used by Windows and is safe to remove. The solution is to delete C:\WINDOWS\SETUP1.EXE. Once this file has been deleted, you can restart the Visimage installation.

How do I install using Private Volumes?

A special version of the host installation is provided for sites that use private volumes. Sites with private volumes should use the command file VINSTPV.PUB.SYS (provided on the supplied DDS) instead of VINSTALL.PUB.SYS. In some cases it may be necessary to perform the installation from the system console in order to have the required capabilities.

Why does the date print as A0/01/01 in the year 2000?

When printing the current date as a 6 digit date, using $DATE or $DATE6, the default format for the years greater than 1999 uses the format A0 for the year. Thus January 1st, 2000, will be displayed as "01/01/A0". To change this default, you must activate the setting ASK_OLDDATE. The best place to make this change, so that it effects all versions of AskPlus and Visimage is in the CMDIN files in both PUBNAT and PUBTCP. To force the date to be printed as 00 or 01, use:

SETVAR ASK_OLDDATE 1

Why is my job using PUBNAT instead of PUBTCP? What causes the message Error Getting Information for User?

Both of these are symptoms of the same problem. Your network LOOPBACK has not been started. Every machine on the network has a special IP address that allows a program to communicate with itself via TCP/IP. This function is initialized in the same way that you start the rest of your network. This feature is needed by Visimage and AskPlus. To check if the LOOPBACK is running, type: NETCONTROL STATUS;NET=LOOP To start the LOOPBACK, if it is not running, type: NETCONTROL START;NET=LOOP You must make sure that this is added to your network startup (or system startup) files so that LOOPBACK is always available to Visimage and AskPlus.

Why do I see Garbage Characters on the screen or in my report?

Both of these are symptoms of the same problem. Your network LOOPBACK has not been started. Every machine on the network has a special IP address that allows a program to communicate with itself via TCP/IP. This function is initialized in the same way that you start the rest of your network. This feature is needed by Visimage and AskPlus. To check if the LOOPBACK is running, type: NETCONTROL STATUS;NET=LOOP To start the LOOPBACK, if it is not running, type: NETCONTROL START;NET=LOOP You must make sure that this is added to your network startup (or system startup) files so that LOOPBACK is always available to Visimage and AskPlus.

Why does the PUBTCP banner display the wrong time?

The date and time on the PUBTCP welcome banner use a C function that relies on a system variable being correctly set. The variable TZ tells the system the current timezone, which allows the C function to correctly calculate the current time. The default, if TZ is not set, is EST time. To set TZ, use one of the following, or check your HP documentation.

SETVAR TZ "PST8PDT" - For Pacific Standard/Daylight Time

SETVAR TZ "MST8MDT" - For Mountain Standard/Daylight Time

SETVAR TZ "MST7" - For Mountain Standard Time (no daylight savings)

SETVAR TZ "CST6CDT" - For Central Standard/Daylight Time

SETVAR TZ "EST5EDT" - For Eastern Standard/Daylight Time

This should be a system wide setting so that it is available to all users and all programs.

How do I Save Contexts in a Directory with a Long Path Name?

Visimage does not allow you to type a long path name when saving files. However, as long as you use the Browse button to select the appropriate directory, Visimage will save the context to whatever directory you choose. Context names are limited to 8 characters.

Why do I see Garbage characters

Garbage characters can be caused in two different ways. Running on Windows ME will sometimes cause screens to be corrupted. This is caused by a Windows bug and you must upgrade from ME to a version of Windows that works with Visimage.

Another possible cause is a missing font file. By default, Visimage uses MS Line Draw for the Report Designer screen and for List and Report output. If you do not have this font installed, copy it from another computer, or change the default font used by Visimage.

Visimage 2.5.2.3 Known Problems

The host file type 'MAILMERGE' does not work. The 'MAILMERGE' keyword is missing, and a binary sequential file is created. Add',MAILMERGE' to the OUT statement of the generated code's SAVE command.

Creating temporary host 'SD Indexed' does not work if the specified filename is more than 3 characters long.

(The above problems also exist in the current 2.5.0.x release of Visimage.)

Visimage displaying gibberish when setting up profile

Visimage will display gibberish in the drop down list boxes when setting up a profile while biometric scanner software is installed on some machines. The work around is to first uninstall the biometric software, setup the desired Visimage profiles and then re-install the biometric software.

Visimage displays a write access error when editing a profile

This error is caused by having VisiPass open while editing Visimage profiles. Close VisiPass and try again.

Microsoft Windows Issues

What versions of Windows are supported with Visimage?

Visimage for Windows is supported on Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP, VISTA and Windows 7 (32bit only). Visimage does not work with Windows ME or any 64bit version of Windows. - Only 32 bit versions of Windows are supported - Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (32 bit) are supported. - To run Visimage on a 64 bit OS, you must use a (32 bit) Windows Virtual Machine. (Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate x64 editions include a license for the XP Mode VM.)

Vista Compatability Issues

'Launch Associated Program' does not always work properly on Vista. (There is a VISWIN.ini setting to correct this problem, please contact support.)

Microsoft Office Issues

Office 2003, 2007 and 2010 Support

Excel (XML) files created by Visimage are compatible with Office 2003, 2007 and 2010. The new option in Visimage is called 'XML Excel Worksheet(.xls)'.

In AskPlus and batch jobs, use the 'XWB' option with the SAVE command OUT statement.

SAVE
OUT=filename.xls,XWB,delete
...
END

• Requires AskPlus E.8.0.4 or higher.

Excel 2003/2007 can't open .wk1 and .slk files

Microsoft has added strict file blocking to the Office 2003 Excel product. These file types include wk1 and slk. The solution offered by Microsoft to remove the registry entry preventing such files from being opened by Excel can be found here: [support.microsoft.com/kb/922848]

Another solution is to install Visimage 2.5.2.3+. Excel (XML) files created by Visimage are compatible with Office 2003 and 2007. The new option in Visimage is called 'XML Excel Worksheet(.xls)'.

In AskPlus and batch jobs, use the 'XWB' option with the SAVE command OUT statement.

SAVE
OUT=filename.xls,XWB,delete
...
END

• Requires AskPlus E.8.0.4 or higher.

Office 2007 complains when I open the xls (XML) file that Visimage created.

Office 2007 by default will display an alert box when opening a xls file that contains xml content. To disable this warning please follow the directions at the following Microsoft site: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948615

Invalid msg in Tracing Window

Invalid msg showing up in the tracing window of Visimage can be caused by a Buffer overflow or invalid ascii characters from environment variables on a HPUX host.

Example 1: MANPATH environment variable contains strange characters as the last path entry and an Invalid msg immidiately follows.

Solution 1 : Append MANPATH=SHORT to the /ASKPLUS/vsrvtcp.ini profile block that contains the default settings.

[default_settings]
ASKCHAR=ROM8
IEEE=1
ASKODX=1
ASKJOINS=1
VMGRLIST=1
DBCLOSEMODE2=1
ASK_OLDDATE=1
HPSPLITYEAR=50
ASKERR=1
GAUGE=1
CISAM=Y
DISABLE_STREAM_CMD=Y
ALLOW_EDIT_HOST_FILE=N
MANPATH=short

Example 2: IFS environment variable exists when typically it is only a shell variable.

Solution 2a : Modify the UC4 job that starts the listener to contain unset IFS prior to the launch of the listener. This file is located in: /sbin/init.d/vsrvtcp. Look at page 54 in [installation and config manual].

'start')

# source the system configuration variables
if [ -f /etc/rc.config.d/vsrvtcp ] ; then
. /etc/rc.config.d/vsrvtcp
else
echo "ERROR: /etc/rc.config.d/vsrvtcp defaults file MISSING"
fi

# Check to see if this script is allowed to run...
if [ "$VSRVTCP_START" != 1 ]; then
  rval=2
else

  # Unset IFS for the launch of vsrvtcp
  unset IFS

  # Execute the commands to start your subsystem
  /ASKPLUS/vsrvtcp -a > /dev/null
fi
;;

Solution 2b : Login to the HPUX host as the askplus user, stop the listener, enter unset IFS and then start the listener.

# Login as the askplus user with Putty / Reflection

# End the Listener
/ASKPLUS/kill_vsrvtcp -stop_all

# Unset the IFS variable
unset IFS

# Start the Listener
/ASKPLUS/vsrvtcp -a > /dev/null