PsiDat

PsiDat for EPOC (v1.25 release 3)

A Powerful Freeware Relational Database Management System for EPOC...

PsiDat - Split view on Series 5 sized screen


Download PsiDat for EPOC (~0.3MB)
Download PsiDat for WINS Emulator (~0.3MB)
Colour Backgrounds / Mono Backgrounds
Example Databases & Templates

More Information including 'Welding' example Database
Revo Screen Shots
Operating Manual and Tutorial for v1.10
(24 Pages as a zipped fully-illustrated MS Word 95 Document)
Or as an Adobe Acrobat file (thanks to David Rossall) :-
psidat-manual.pdf
(warning : this document is rather out-of-date so some limitations mentioned no longer apply.
However, it's still a useful guide so I've left it available)
 


"The freeware PsiDat... is just about the ultimate database tool for Psion palmtops - it can open, import and export virtually everything, but you definitely have to know what you're doing. Thankfully, there's some truly excellent help text and documentation provided, plus a number of examples...."
(Palmtop User magazine issue 2)

Aim :

To create a database application for the Psion Series 5/5mx, Revo, Series 7/Netbook, NetPad, Osaris, & Geofox that will allow browsing and editing of all OPL DBMS data files, create EPOC databases with and without indexes, and feature good import/export of industry-standard database and delimited text files.

Specification :

  • Full Relational capabilities including table lookups, one-to-many parent-child subtables; up to 10 nested levels.
  • Opening and editing of all tables created with OPL's standard database functions.
  • Auto-recognition of field names (can be overridden with user-defined aliases).
  • Search functions: Basic Text or SQL
  • Option to use a successful SQL query as a genuine filter.
  • Save SQL queries so that they can be selected from a picklist.
  • AutoSQL filters - create filtered views on-the-fly to match current criteria with a single shift-F
  • Multiple Indexes.
  • 5 toolbar buttons  (increasing to 7 when using sub-tables) on all machines including Revo. Buttons are dynamic (ie. they can respond to a pen held down instead of just standard pen down / pen up events).
  • Up to 255 fields per table.
  • Create tables containing all 17 EPOC DBMS field types.
  • Browse standard EPOC Data files (and 'Save As' them to OPL database/PsiDat format)
  • User-upgradeable system of field modifiers for defining special field properties, input/output effects, and flags.
  • Editing of 13 Field Types :-

Field Type

Calculations

User Extensions

Notes

Bit

Yes
Logical: True/False, Yes/No, or Male/Female
0 or 1

Signed Byte

Yes

-128 to 127

Unsigned Byte

Yes

0 to 255

Integer (OPL %)

Yes
Stopwatch
-32768 to +32767

Unsigned Integer

Yes
Stopwatch
0 to 65535

Long Integer (OPL &)

Yes
Stopwatch
-2147483648 to +2147483647

Unsigned Long Integer

Yes
Stopwatch
0 to 4294967296

Single Float

Yes
Stopwatch
(Range uncertain but larger than Long Integers)

Double Float (OPL Real)

Yes
Stopwatch, Lat/Long, DateTime Display
2.2250738585072015E-308 to 1.7976931348623157E+308
Lat/Long option allows coordinates to be entered in DMS as well as displayed. Realtime coordinates can be read directly from an NMEA-compatible GPS (or indirectly via RealMaps if installed)

Date/Time

Operand
Created, Modified
Can be displayed as a DateTime, Date, or Time.

Text (OPL $)

Yes
Table Helps/Lookups, Filename
'Lookups' must match a value in the lookup table whereas 'Helps' may be used to select a value which can be edited if desired. New values entered in 'Helps' can optionally be added to the helps available. Various field modifiers can be used to alter the exact behaviour.

LongText8 (Memo)

No


LongBinary (File Objects)

No
Rich Text file (defaulting to Word or Jotter)
Can be used for EPOC pictures and other documents. Most files that can be opened by tapping them in the system screen can be launched.
  • Extensive Import / Export Capabilities :-

File Type

Import

Export

OPL Database
Native
Native
EPOC Data
Browse and 'Save As'
No (*)
dBASE III/III+
Yes
Yes
dBASE IV
Yes
Yes
CSV Files
Yes
Yes
Delimited Text Files
Yes
Yes
HTML
No
Yes
XML
No
Yes
Idealist Natural
No
Yes
Lotus Notes Structured Text
No
Yes
TreePad (via application file)
Yes
Yes
Others
via OPL code
via OPL code
  • * PsiDat CSV files can be easily reimported into the EPOC Data application (including memo fields).
  • dBase III and dBase IV files (DBF) imports/export include memo (DBT) files and codepage conversion.
  • Intelligent importing (ie. Text & CSV files are scanned and interpreted so that field types and names are automatically assigned)
  • Comprehensive control of HTML exports in tabular and single record modes. See Example Unedited PsiDat HTML Export Pages and single record view (ideal for reports)
  • Various XML export options See Example Unedited PsiDat XML Export Page 
  • Calculated Fields
  • User-defined opening banner for individual databases with automatic opening of correct table and index.
  • Extensive Help File
  • Create example OPL code for creating/opening/reading/writing tables with and without DATA.OPX (if you're an OPL programmer developing a standalone application, PsiDat can do much of the coding for you so that you can copy-paste the required source code into the program editor)
  • Tabular Printing - up to 8 rows per record, gridlines, summary results.
  • Summary Fields - COUNT, SUM, MINIMUM, MAXIMUM, AVERAGE
  • Report Design (unlimited number of different reports can be saved for each table)
  • Quick Print for any table without having to define a report (including LongText8 Memos and MBM graphics embedded in long binary fields)
  • Restructuring of Database tables
  • User-defined colours and background tiles
  • Export field, record, or multiple records to clipboard with user-control of delimiters.
  • Support for latitude/longitude information directly from an NMEA-compatible GPS (or indirectly through RealMaps if installed)
  • On-the-fly additions to lookups and helps
  • Storage & Launching of embedded files
  • Built-in EPOC picture viewer.
  • Built-in Sound Player
  • Autowidth multi-column List View and Split List View :-
  • User-defined menus and custom OPL routines.
  • Simple password protection to prevent casual users altering the structure of PsiDat databases
  • Italian, German, French, Dutch, and Spanish resource files included 
  • Colour display on WINS emulator and Series 7 / Netbook

Cost :

  • Freeware - Enjoy !


Other Tools :

WebCol - Tool for picking colours - netBook / netPad / WINS (3KB)
(This is included in the PsiDat.ZIP and PsiDat-WINS.ZIP archives but can be downloaded separately)