Windows/DOS versions

 

Up

In the table below we compare Windows and DOS versions of PDT. 

If you're currently using PDT (DOS), or are considering upgrading from PDT (DOS) to PDT-Windows, the information below should be very useful.

 

 

PDT-Windows

PDT (DOS)
Greater Capacity:    
 

Maximum File Size

  

18 quintillion bytes *

  

2 billion bytes (2 gigabytes)
 

Maximum Record Length

  

15,000 bytes

  

9,999 bytes
 

Number of Files Open

  

10

  

4
 

Platforms Supported

  

Windows 95/98/NT 4+/2000

  

DOS
New Features:    
Explore Fields Yes, letting you quickly and easily define fields and determine field types with the click of a mouse. No
Read COBOL Copybook to Quickly and Easily Define Fields Yes (some limitations apply; see PDT's Help system) No
Easy, 1-Click Access to Options Yes Some
 

Hex-Mode Editing

  

Yes

  

No (Hex-mode is read-only)
 

Add Record Terminators

  

Yes, in 1 step

  

Several manual steps
 

Change the Case of Text

  

Yes, 3 options

  

No
 

Easily Delete Record

  

Yes

  

Several manual steps
 

Scan File or Field

  

Yes, and very fast

  

Scan file only (later versions)
 

Safe, Buffered Editing

  

Yes

  

No
EBCDIC View Mode Only character fields are dynamically translated on-screen; numeric fields are displayed as-is, as they should be. All fields are translated
Lock Field Beside Data Yes, making it much easier to keep track of where you are while scrolling through data. No
 

Translate EBCDIC to ASCII

  

No (see notes below)

  

Yes, and possibly dangerous

* Important Note: Based on Microsoft's description of the Windows API, PDT-Window's theoretical maximum file size is 18 quintillion bytes.   But since hard disks that large don't yet exist, we can't yet prove or verify Microsoft's statements.  Using PDT-Windows, however, we've easily edited files of 3 - 5 gigabytes -- breaking the 2-gigabyte file size limitation imposed on PC users by DOS and early versions of Windows.

Translating EBCDIC files to ASCII (or the reverse)

When we developed PDT (DOS) many years ago, we added options to translate EBCDIC files to ASCII, and vice versa – on a character-by-character basis. Since then, we’ve learned how dangerous these options can be when EBCDIC files contain packed numeric fields – even though we warn people about these dangers. Because these options ignore field distinctions, they destroy packed numeric fields which should be left as-is. Because of this danger, and because many of PDT’s users need options to re-format fields (especially numeric fields) during translation, we’re developing a new tool to convert data files (see:  Data Conversions). And we’ve eliminated the translate options from PDT-Windows.

PDT (both DOS and Windows versions) lets you view and edit EBCDIC files in easier-to-understand ASCII format. But if you need greater flexibility in converting files from one format to another, contact us for information about our new DATA Conversion tool:  (415) 863 - 0530.

 

Changes

To help ensure that the many users of PDT (DOS) could easily adjust to PDT-Windows, we've tried to keep the look and feel of both versions very similar.  But we have made a few changes, primarily to take advantage of features in Windows, as well as to conform to the "conventions" almost all Windows programs follow.  Please note that the beta test of PDT-Windows was conducted only with users of PDT (DOS). These PDT (DOS) users had no difficulty adapting to PDT-Windows.

The new Windows-oriented features include things like toolbars (for quick, easy access to options), much greater mouse support (scrolling, marking blocks and columns, etc.), and better on-line help.

Windows "conventions" prompted us to change several shortcut keys.   For example, ctrl-F (Find) is the new shortcut key to search for things (it was ctrl-S).  Press F8/F9 to adjust record length down/up by one (it was F9/F10; F10 is not available in our Windows development solution).

Also, since Windows offers a calculator (Calc.Exe) plus several ways to view text files (NotePad, WordPad, Write, Word, etc.), we have not built these features into PDT-Windows.  Instead, if you ask to see a calculator while running PDT-Windows, we'll run Calc.Exe (or any calculator program you specify).  And if you need to view a text file, you can run NotePad, WordPad, etc. to view them -- as long as that file is not currently open in PDT-Windows (we open files for exclusive use).

 

 

[ Top ] [ Up ]

                                     E-mail Support@Pro-Central.Com with suggestions or questions.
                                     Copyright © 1998-2004 Rob W. Smetana  &  Pro~Formance