for ZionWorx 2.0
User Manual
Introduction for ZionWorx 2.0 users,
I have developed a very useful utility for creating dBase IV files (Songs.dbf and Songs. dbt) from a collection of *.txt files that will work with ZionWorx 2.0. Whether it's a collection of bible chapters, collection of songs, reading materials, a composite of many, or etc, the possibility are endless to you minds content.
Disclaimer
This utility is offered as FREEWARE, use this software at your own risk, I am not responsible for any problems on you computer system which may or may not have been caused by this program. I have tested it to the best of my knowledge, with the time available to me and made sure that it operated the way I would have liked it to.
Installation Instructions (please follow very carefully):
1. Download the Â?txt2db.zipÂ? from one of two locations:
ZionWorx at:
http://www.zionworx.org.uk/download.htm
My Website at:
http://www.aucp45.dsl.pipex.com/zionworx.html
2. Extract the contents of the zip file to 'C:\txt2db'. PLEASE DO NOT install it to any other directory location, otherwise the utility will not operate properly, the default path is hard coded into the program, it will not be if/when I release a newer version.
3. When all files are extracted to Â?C:\txt2dbÂ?, go to the folder and double click on
Â?ZionWorx txt2db Utility.exeÂ? to start the application
Note: Use mouse over to activate hints, if available.
The Folders in to 'C:\txt2db':
When you go to 'C:\txt2db' you should see 5 folders (please do not delete any of them):
1. template:
this folder contains a template copy of Songs.dbf and Songs.dbt for use as a template (you may like to change this to another template, it's up to you). Default is a blank copy which IÂ?ve created from ZionWorx 2.0 to generate the file structure.
Click on Â?A. Click here to database template' within the txt2db utility to use whatever songs database that is in Template folder.
2. files2convert:
this folder here is where you place '.txt' files from which you want to convert or import into your chosen Songs database. Make sure the text size is less than 8000 characters; this includes spaces and any ASCII characters. Filenames will be used as Â?Title_1Â? in the database i.e. Â?Romans 1.txtÂ? will be Â?Romans 1Â?
I've included 3 sample text files to use and test the program with in the files2convert folder:
- Matthew 1.txt
- Psalm 1.txt
- Psalm 23.txt
3. Database:
this folder here is for when you want to add/import the contents of .txt files in to your existing Songs database and do not wish to create a new one from scratch. Useful for adding new songs or other materials.
Instructions on loading the database:
a. Copy existing database into Â?DatabaseÂ? folder
b. Then click on Â?OpenÂ? to load contents of the database into the program
4. Converted2db:
this folder should house the result of the conversion, your new Songs database. Copy the contents of this folder to ZionWorx 2.0 program folder overwriting the original (Make sure you back up your originals first)
5. notConverted:
this folder should house all .txt files that were not converted by the program due to the text size being greater than the allowed limit (the default is 8000). You can change the limit in the program, convert and test in ZionWorx. Do let me know the official limit.
This limitations imposed by ZionWorx 2.0:
I have used this utility to convert the whole NKJV bible, book by book, the result was that ZionWorx 2.0 Crashed on me, because it couldnÂ?t cope with large Memo text . I will have to develop a program or add a new feature later on to break down the books (from one .txt file) into individual chapters (many .txt files), for me it would be a very tedious task to do hand especially if there are lots of text files and chapters to convert.
Each text files must not contain more than 8000 characters otherwise ZionWorx 2.0 will crash! Maybe there's a higher limit that I havenÂ?t yet discovered, but I didn't have time to test it fully to find a high limit, so someone else with time on their hand could test this out for me and post at the ZionWorx forum here: http://zionworx.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1311#1311
For those wishing to do some beta testing for me:
1. Start the Â?txt2dbÂ? program,
2. Place a .txt file with a block of more than 8000 characters into Â?files2convertÂ? folder.
3. Change the number located at the bottom left corner of the Â?txt2dbÂ? program.
4. In step 2, click on option 2.
5. Then click on option 3 in step 2, copy the song database and paste into ZionWorx 2.0 program folder overwriting the other, make sure you backup first.
6. Start ZionWorx 2.0, try loading the lyrics, and then scroll the lyrics (right panel).
7. Then ask yourself: Did it crash?
- If it did, limit is too high => lower the limit.
- If it did not, than the limit is fine => try increasing it higher till it starts crashing.
When you have discovered a good value for the limit do let me know.
Note: if the program crashes press Â?Ctrl+Alt+DelÂ? and close the program from Task Manager and repeat steps 1 Â? 6 using different limits.
Downloads:
For the latest releases do check My Website at:
http://www.aucp45.dsl.pipex.com/zionworx.html
Or from ZionWorx at:
http://www.zionworx.org.uk/download.htm
Bible Translations can be found here.:
http://www.aucp45.dsl.pipex.com/bible.html
Final Remarks:
This program has taken me about a day or two to research and develop, I even worked throughout the night till 6.30am in the morning without sleep to get it finish. Once I start I it's hard to stop programming, it was a engineering problem I wanted to solve and satisfy myself with.
This is a kind of tool which I think many will find very useful and will free up time for other areas of ministry in which you serve, rather than having to spend huge amount of time converting files and setting up the Songs database to suite your own needs.
I hope this program will benefit many of you out there who use ZionWorx and that this will bare many fruits in the process, may God provide you the inspiration for how to use technology effectively in the World we live in and bring Glory to God, through Jesus Christ.
Please do post at http://zionworx.org.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=11 with your:
- Discussions,
- Comments,
- Suggestions,
- Problems
- Feedback
- Bug reports,
- Hints and Tips
- etc
As I am currently in my final year doing a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London, in England, I will not be able to make any further developments to this utility till maybe mid 2005 or if time allows after which, who knows what God has planned ahead of me, we'll have to wait and see! I would be very grateful for your prayers. Do pray for motivation, strength, wisdom and guidance for the times ahead as I try to focus on the task at hand in life.
This tool is a way of showing my appreciation and thanks to the creators of ZionWorx and for providing it as Freeware. I'm one of those poor students who can't afford the commercial version and in the past spent hours looking for a suitable projection software until I stumbled upon ZionWorx.
With many blessings from God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, AMEN!
Love in Christ
Peter Q. Luu
London, England UK
14th January 2005
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. - Isa 30:18