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ChimneySweep

ChimneySweep

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Can repair, maintain and safely back-up an entire Paradox database with just one double-click of the mouse.
Chimney Sweep is a database maintenance and repair tool for Paradox/BDE tables that preserves indices and validity-checks preserved, maintains passwords and is job-access password-protectable.
It is available in the following Editions:

  • Chimney Sweep Traditional: builds jobs using an easy point-and-click wizard, and runs them anytime thereafter with a double-click of the mouse.
  • Chimney Sweep Professional Edition: can run jobs, but cannot build or edit them.
  • Chimney Sweep Runtime Edition: places the full power of ChimneySweep into the hands of software developers who wish to use its most-advanced features or to integrate it into their own software product.

ChimneySweep - Features

Chimney Sweep Standard Edition Chimney Sweep Professional Edition Chimney Sweep Runtime Edition

Chimney Sweep Standard Edition

Chimney Sweep Standard Edition can be used to create and run jobs when it is not necessary to embed ChimneySweep into an application or to re-programme the way that it works. It is user-friendly and fast and solves the majority of database table-corruption problems. The opening screen of the application is simple and effective for running a job, building a new job or to see the on-line help. When asking to run a job, a selection menu appears and the user selects the job to execute. When the job is complete a summary screen shows the results. A detailed report can be viewed, printed or e-mailed containing full information about exactly what the job encountered and what it did. These displays will eventually time-out allowing the job to end normally when it is being run in unattended mode such as by means of a third-party scheduler or the Microsoft Windows-NT At command.

The Job Editor is an interactive wizard that provides several steps including selection of job options, choosing the tables to be processed and entering master password information. All information is concealed in the completed script-file and is not revealed to or needed by the end-user. When the job editor is finished, the new job is added to the selection menu. As with Paradox for Windows, it is possible to save a delivered copy of the script that cannot be edited and that does not contain any script source-code.

NEW Features in version 5:

  • Restore Validity Checks: capture validity-checks, passwords, referential integrity and secondary index files and restore the data
  • Increased Internal Capacity and Speed: ChimneySweep is commonly applied to very large databases involving hundreds of tables which can create very large workloads depending on the options selected. Version 5.0 increases limits considerably allowing large jobs to be processed efficiently
  • Multi-threaded Execution: jobs are executed in a background thread on 32-bit systems, greatly reducing the impact on system performance. Mouse movements and keyboard inputs that are addressed to other applications will be processed without delay
  • Improved Job-status Display: the job status window separates the output from the processing stages and displays them while the job is running. The output from any stage can be viewed separately
  • Internal Fixes and Improvements: including improved accuracy of results when handling non-ASCII character sets and improved performance of memo-file verifications.

Chimney Sweep Professional Edition

Chimney Sweep Professional Edition unlocks the full power and potential of ChimneySweep and is the edition that is needed to embed ChimneySweep functionality into applications, re-programme the way that the product operates or for full customisation options. Write applications that are customised to use ChimneySweep and customise ChimneySweep to work precisely with them.

NEW Features in version 5:

  • Restore Validity Checks: capture validity-checks, passwords, referential integrity and secondary index files and restore the data
  • Increased Internal Capacity and Speed: ChimneySweep is commonly applied to very large databases involving hundreds of tables which can create very large workloads depending on the options selected. Version 5.0 increases limits considerably allowing large jobs to be processed efficiently
  • Multi-threaded Execution: jobs are executed in a background thread on 32-bit systems, greatly reducing the impact on system performance. Mouse movements and keyboard inputs that are addressed to other applications will be processed without delay
  • Improved Job-status Display: the job status window separates the output from the processing stages and displays them while the job is running. The output from any stage can be viewed separately
  • Internal Fixes and Improvements: including improved accuracy of results when handling non-ASCII character sets and improved performance of memo-file verifications.

Features include:

  • VCL Component and OCX Control: with full annotated Delphi source-code. Integrate ChimneySweep tightly with applications. A well-documented API provided in the form of a 16-bit and 32-bit DLL (without source) is used to execute ChimneySweep scripts and to exchange information with them
  • Complete source-code to the ChimneySweep System Scripts: provided only to Professional Edition users. These two key programs, BUILDER3 and SYSTEM3 control exactly how jobs are built and how they run. Use the source-code to customise them to cause jobs to be built and run exactly as required
  • Script Editor: a tool available only in Professional Edition to write, edit and customise all scripts. Compile and save them with or without source-code. Write user-jobs that operate differently from those built by the Job Editor
  • Technical Manual: supplied in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format only to Professional Edition users, supplying comprehensive information about the structure, programming features, deployment and internal operation of ChimneySweep.

Chimney Sweep Professional Edition does not confer unlimited distribution rights. ChimneySweep is a royalty-based product. A Runtime Edition licence is required for each application copy distributed that incorporates ChimneySweep technology. Runtime Edition licences are sold in quantity with varying discounts.

Chimney Sweep Runtime Edition:

Chimney Sweep Runtime Edition enables end-users to run jobs but not to build or modify them and can be installed as an OEM table-repair utility in applications. It is functionally identical to the Standard Edition but lacks the Job Editor. The completed script is saved in a file with the filetypes .MXP or .MXD and it is added to the job-selection menu. It is possible to create a shortcut or icon referring to the file and place it on the Microsoft Windows desktop or the Start-menu so that the user can invoke ChimneySweep and run the job by clicking on the icon or menu-item. Runtime Edition represents the basic royalty and licence unit that is required for each copy of an application that is deployed using ChimneySweep technology by means of the tools provided in the Professional Edition.

NEW Features in version 5:

  • Restore Validity Checks: capture validity-checks, passwords, referential integrity and secondary index files and restore the data
  • Increased Internal Capacity and Speed: ChimneySweep is commonly applied to very large databases involving hundreds of tables which can create very large workloads depending on the options selected. Version 5.0 increases limits considerably allowing large jobs to be processed efficiently
  • Multi-threaded Execution: jobs are executed in a background thread on 32-bit systems, greatly reducing the impact on system performance. Mouse movements and keyboard inputs that are addressed to other applications will be processed without delay
  • Improved Job-status Display: the job status window separates the output from the processing stages and displays them while the job is running. The output from any stage can be viewed separately
  • Internal Fixes and Improvements: including improved accuracy of results when handling non-ASCII character sets and improved performance of memo-file verifications.