Datafile Windows: Reasons to Upgrade from DOS

Introduction

As of December 2002 Microsoft no longer supports the DOS operating system and, although some MS-DOS facilities and programs will still run on the latest Windows XP release, Microsoft are gradually withdrawing support for DOS-based functions.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle.mspx

Given this general trend away from DOS, Datafile themselves have stated that they will eventually be withdrawing support for their DOS product. This may still be some years away, but already Datafile have stopped programming any new features into the DOS version – all new development is being undertaken in the Windows version only.

All this means that Datafile users would be well advised to start considering moving to the Windows version to ensure that their system continues to be as well maintained and supported both by their dealer and the programmers, as it always has been.

But there are many more good reasons for upgrading to the Windows version detailed below.

Printing

One of the major drawbacks of DOS-based programs is that they cannot access the list of printers set up in the Windows operating system. Therefore you effectively have to set up each printer twice – once in the operating system control panel and again in Datafile DOS.

In the Windows version, Datafile can directly access the printers that exist in the “printers” folder of the control panel. This has several benefits. Firstly, if you decide to purchase a new printer then Datafile can pick it up as soon as it is installed. You don’t need to configure anything in Datafile at all; the printer will simply appear in the list of available printers when you go to print a document.

Printers in Datafile as picked up from the operating system.

In addition you have the option to change the default settings for each printer at the point of printing – these settings include paper orientation, paper size and font settings.

If you have more complicated document requirements that need, for example, different sizes of print on the same page, you can set up the printer in Datafile using ASCII codes in the usual way.
Another benefit of the Windows version is that you can configure your documents to use a background image. This enables Datafile to include a company logo or another image directly in the documents to make the presentation more ‘professional’.
Font settings in Datafile for Windows printing.

Links to Word, E-mail and the Internet

Windows Datafile offers automatic links through to Microsoft Word which enable two major new features:

A new option on the printer selection screen allows you to choose to print any document to Microsoft Word which means that you can enhance the look of your sales and purchase orders, reports, invoices etc using Word’s powerful editing features. It is then possible to attach the Word document to an e-mail.

However, if you find the possibility of sending documents directly by e-mail attractive, you can bypass the Word stage by using one of several inexpensive third-party utilities. For example “pdfmailer” allows you to send documents to a “printer” (in reality it sends it as a file to the pdfmailer software). Your e-mail client immediately appears with the document already attached.
You can also attach e-mail addresses to your clients’ and suppliers’ accounts files. Whenever this appears on screen, you can click a button to launch your e-mail client with a new message ready to send to that e-mail address.
Similarly, a website address attached to an account enables you to automatically launch your web browser and visit that site.

In certain input screens of the Datafile Windows program (eg Maintain Sales/Purchase Accounts) a shortcut button to Word is enabled. This takes you into a merge screen where you can set up templates in Word using data fields from, for example, your Sales Accounts. Once these are created you can produce merge documents specific to the account you are viewing. Datafile keeps a record of which documents have been created on that account and on what date they were produced.
This is particularly useful for creating form letters such as chasing letters, marketing information, certificates, licenses and other documentation – whatever you might find useful for your business.

Datafile Word Link – Merge Screen.

New Features

Since the launch of Datafile’s Windows version there have been a multitude of new facilities and program features added which are not available in the DOS version. The extra memory capabilities of the Windows-based product has allowed big increases in the maximum number of entries allowed all over the system. For example, the maximum number of sales and purchase transaction detail lines have increased from 32 to 99; the maximum number of purchase order lines has increased to 99.

The Windows version allows for the input of photographs or images related to a particular record; so a stock record could include a photograph of the product, for example, or a payroll employee’s record could contain their photograph.

Other new features include running balances on account enquiries, stock transfers specifically between locations, the ability to print documents for stock transactions, an employee calendar in the payroll and the ability to print the amount in words on cheques. A full list is included below but more new features are added every year – see Datafile release supplements.

Windows-Only features in releases 5.2 and 5.3

q Payment Type Analysis *
q Running Balance on Account Enquiry *
q Default selection criteria on Proposed-to-Pay *
q Amount in words on cheques #
q Exclude payments from ageing columns on Aged Analysis Report *
q Transactions with 96 analysis entries
q Up to 9999 analysis codes on transactions and accounts
q Sales Payments update to Nominal grouped/subtotalled by type *
q Exclude payments/forward transactions from updates to Nominal *
q Journal cleardown/listing allowed in years prior to previous year
q Simplified Year End procedure
q Up to 5000 entries in cash flow forecasts
q Create and Replicate Stock within Assembly Maintenance #
q Multi Level Assembly processing #
q Abandon build if insufficient stock *
q Consolidated stock picking sheet *
q Automatic Stock period end reports *
q Multi-location stock enquiries *
q Alternate footer display in stock transactions *
q Display of costs and description in Assembly Maintenance *
q Warehouse Stock Transfers *
q Extra transaction input items *
q Transaction documents *
q Calendar notes and next year posting in payroll
q Date display when starting new payroll period
q Multiple copies of payroll documents
q Extra Job Statement options *
q Larger Job transaction description
q Alternate display items in quick forms in sales and purchase order processing *
q Generate form from search results *
q Order detail print items can be blank if zero
q Credit text when negative invoice value
q Omit line discount on selected stock items *
q Extra details in fast input/detail pick entry *
q Insert detail lines anywhere in existing order *
q Suppress blank lines in header addresses +
q Only allow whole packs on stock *
q Pre-allocation of batch codes *
q Import and allocate payments *
q Update stock issues in SOP/Job Costing link *
q Copy items from SOD to POD in back-to-back orders *
q Alternate location for saved document files
q Omit cost/margin from price checker #
q Separate authority levels for price checker *
q Record number can be data item on any database +
q Company ID may be recorded on database records *
q Rename input file in ASCII import
q Show user ID in task bar
q System Event log for error-checking
q Automatic pause settings
q Printing Direct in Windows
q Changes to configuration of Printing
q Configuration of Faxing
q Extra select items on F4 key *
q Bitmap background images on documents
q Greater font selection in screen display

* Diamond and Premier Windows versions only
# All Windows versions excluding Compact
+ Windows Premier version only

Contacts

To request a quotation for an upgrade to Datafile Windows please contact your Datafile dealer.

For information on all versions of the program visit Datafile on the web at www.datafile.co.uk

To contact Software Connection e-mail enquiries@softwareconnection.co.uk, phone 020 8896 3838, fax 020 8896 3341 or use the address below.