Just fielded a user's madExcept bugreport showing an error #100 ...
(The character set does not match the character set in use by the
engine)

It seems to be following a first-time install of my app using EDB 2.05
11(UNICODE) onto XP sp3 English.

Even if it turns out to be an upgrade rather than initial install, I
can't see how I can get that error as I have never used the (ANSI)
version of EDB and it can't possibly be from a 3-year old version based
on DBISAM (or could the user have edited an old DBISAM table file's
extension!).

Need I say that no other users have reported this problem!

Until I get more info, is there any known cause of such an error other
than the passage of some stray neutrino through the user's computer -
or the user managing to hack my files?

Malcolm

Malcolm


From an earlier response of Tim's in this newsgroup

<< One of my clients has an error message with elevateDB :

Error #100 There is an error in the metadata for the catalog AF_MOREAU_D
(the character set does not match the character set in use by the engine) >>

Did they get this with their application, or with the EDB Manager ?  Also,
were there any changes to the database structure recently ?

This type of error indicates that the database catalog is using Unicode and
the application is using ANSI, or vice-versa.  If that's not the case, then
the database catalog could be seriously corrupted, in which case you'll need
to restore the .old version of the database catalog.  However, before doing
so, please email me the edbdatabase.edbcat and edbdatabase.edbcat.old files
along with their original file dates/times in the text of the email.


Roy Lambert [Team Elevate]

Roy Lambert wrote:

> Malcolm
>
>
> From an earlier response of Tim's in this newsgroup
>
> << One of my clients has an error message with elevateDB :
>
> Error #100 There is an error in the metadata for the catalog
> AF_MOREAU_D (the character set does not match the character set in
> use by the engine) >>
>
> Did they get this with their application, or with the EDB Manager ?
> Also, were there any changes to the database structure recently ?
>
> This type of error indicates that the database catalog is using
> Unicode and the application is using ANSI, or vice-versa.  If that's
> not the case, then the database catalog could be seriously corrupted,
> in which case you'll need to restore the .old version of the database
> catalog.  However, before doing so, please email me the
> edbdatabase.edbcat and edbdatabase.edbcat.old files along with their
> original file dates/times in the text of the email.
>

Hi Roy

The madExcept report means it is from my app so I can see no way they
can get the error.  I would not expect them to have the EDB Manager as
I don't distribute it - but they could (unlikely) have got it
themselves.

This is not a user previously known to me (unregistered freeware) so I
have no idea about the circumstances except for the contents of the
report.

If the user replies to my initial questions I expect the solution will
be to uninstall and then delete all traces before re-installing.  Also
worth making sure all AV is temporarily disabled.  But what shook me
was the nature of the error .. it seems to me to be impossible short of
file corruption.  The installer automatically checks its own integrity
so the download must be OK and some other operation has gone haywire.
<shrug>

Malcolm

Malcolm


You offer support for unregistered freeware - I'm impressed

If you had a non-unicode version previously it could be that they had that installed, downloaded the unicode version and tried to use it with their old data.

Roy Lambert [Team Elevate]

ps I'm incurably nosey - what's the freeware?

Roy Lambert wrote:

> Malcolm
>
>
> You offer support for unregistered freeware - I'm impressed

It helps to pass the time.  And most of my users are enthusiasts and
'nice' people, many count as friends.

>
> If you had a non-unicode version previously it could be that they had
> that installed, downloaded the unicode version and tried to use it
> with their old data.

Nah, the previous ANSI version was DBISAM so its files can't even be
opened/used, unless hacked.
>
> Roy Lambert [Team Elevate]
>
> ps I'm incurably nosey - what's the freeware?
Google: DiveRecorder

Malcolm

>> You offer support for unregistered freeware - I'm impressed
>
>It helps to pass the time. And most of my users are enthusiasts and
>'nice' people, many count as friends.

Explains a lot.

>> If you had a non-unicode version previously it could be that they had
>> that installed, downloaded the unicode version and tried to use it
>> with their old data.
>
>Nah, the previous ANSI version was DBISAM so its files can't even be
>opened/used, unless hacked.

That would make it kind of difficult Before they do a full wipe and reinstall try and get them to copy the stuff then if needs be you can send it to Tim for his input.

>> Roy Lambert [Team Elevate]
>>
>> ps I'm incurably nosey - what's the freeware?
>Google: DiveRecorder

I hate the thought of getting that wet, but a mate of mine is into diving so I've passed the link on.

Roy Lambert wrote:

> I hate the thought of getting that wet, but a mate of mine is into
> diving so I've passed the link on.

Hi Roy,

You will be thinking of scuba diving I expect, or I will likely know
your mate.
My app is for diving as in Olympics and Tom Daley.

Malcolm

Malcolm

>You will be thinking of scuba diving I expect, or I will likely know
>your mate.
>My app is for diving as in Olympics and Tom Daley.


Oh he says in an embarrassed voice

Roy Lambert

Malcolm,

Did the error indicate that the problem was with the database catalog, or
the configuration file ?

I would get the user to do a search of their local drive for all
edbdatabase.edbcat or edbconfig.edbcfg files and make a note of their
creation/modification times.  That should shed some light on the situation.

--
Tim Young
Elevate Software
www.elevatesoft.com

Tim Young [Elevate Software] wrote:

> Malcolm,
>
> Did the error indicate that the problem was with the database
> catalog, or the configuration file ?
>
> I would get the user to do a search of their local drive for all
> edbdatabase.edbcat or edbconfig.edbcfg files and make a note of their
> creation/modification times.  That should shed some light on the
> situation.

Hi Tim

The 'unknown' user has not replied to my two emails so I have assumed
it was someone 'messing about' and not serious.

The actual error message was:
"ElevateDB Error #100 There is an error in the metadata for the table
DiveSheets (The character set does not match the character set in use
by the engine)".
This appears to have been while running the table create on a
first-time execution .. but I don't know for sure.  As I have never
installed the ANSI version I don't see how this could happen.

I have never seen this before and as the user has not responded I have
'forgotten' about it! <shrug>

Malcolm