ACC2: How to Use Btrieve with Microsoft Access 2.0

ID: Q157036

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access 2.0

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic coding, and interoperability skills.

The following article describes how to use Microsoft Access version 2.0 to work with Btrieve data files, using Btrieve for Windows or Btrieve for NetWare.

MORE INFORMATION

To enable Microsoft Access version 2.0 to work with Btrieve data files, make sure the following are true:

Make sure the Btrieve ISAM files were installed during setup. (These files are not installed with a Typical setup.) If the Btrieve ISAMs have been installed, you should see Btrieve in the Data sources box that appears when you click Import on the File menu. If the files have not been installed, follow these steps to install them:
1. Run Setup.
2. Click the Add/Remove button.
3. Click to select the ISAM Drivers check box, and click the Change Option button.
4. Click to select the Btrieve ISAM check box.

Make sure you have installed the Microsoft Access 2.0 Service Pack. For complete information about obtaining the service pack, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q122927 WX1124: Microsoft Access Version 2.0 Service Pack

Before you import, export, or attach to Btrieve files on your local hard disk or on a network, make sure you have one of the following combinations of files on your computer:

For Btrieve Version 5.x use:


    File Name       Size      Location             Supplier of file
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    WBTRCALL.DLL    51K       C:\Windows           3rd party
    NOVDB.INI       Varies    "                    BTI
    WIN.INI.        Varies    "                    Microsoft Access
    BTRV200.DLL     109K      C:\Windows\System    MS Service Pack

For Btrieve Version 6.10 use:


    File Name       Size      Location             Supplier of file
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    WBTRCALL.DLL    13K       C:\Windows           BTI
    WBTRVRES.DLL    22K       "                    BTI
    WBTRLOCL.DLL    51k       "                    BTI
    BTRV200.DLL     109K      C:\Windows\System    MS Svc Pack 2.0
    NOVDB.INI       varies    "                    BTI.
    WIN.INI.        varies    "                    Microsoft Access

For Btrieve Version 6.15 use:


    File Name       Size      Location            Supplier of file
    --------------------------------------------------------------

    WBTRCALL.DLL    16K       C:\Windows\System    BTI
    BTRV200.DLL     109K      "                    MS Svc Pack 2.0
    WBTRLOCL.DLL    14K/17K   C:\Windows\System    BTI
    WBTRVRES.dll    22K       "                    BTI
    WBTR32.EXE                                     BTI
    BTI.INI         varies    "                    BTI.
    WIN.INI.        varies    "                    Microsoft Access

NOTE: A new, "all-DLL" version of WBTRCALL.DLL, 38K in size, is now available with Btrieve for Netware version 6.15. A version, 42k in size, is dated 6/16/95. While these versions do not require you to load Brequest, Brequest may still be loaded as it enhances and stabilizes Btrieve performance.

Make sure that the WIN.INI, NOVDB.INI (for Btrieve 5.x and 6.10), and BTI.INI (for Btrieve 6.15) have valid Btrieve sections and settings as shown below.


    Example of NOVDB.INI
    --------------------

     [Btrieve]
     *****************************************
     *Windows Btrieve initialization values *
     *****************************************
     options=/m:64/p:4096/b:16/f:20/l:40/n:12 /t:C:\ACCESS\BTRIEVE.TRN
     tasks=10                     ;maximum tasks (max=255)
     tracefile=c:\btrtrace.out    ;create a Btrieve trace file
     traceops=0 1 19 20 21        ;specify operations to list in the trace

     [brequestDPMI]
     *****************************************
     * Windows Btrieve interface to BREQUEST *
     *****************************************
     tasks=10             ;maximum tasks (max=255)
     freememory=No        ;allocate/free real DOS memory on each operation
     local=Yes            ;allow access to Client-Only Btrieve DLL

    Example of WIN.INI
    ------------------

    If the WIN.INI file contains a [Btrieve] section when you install
    Microsoft Access, then it adds a line called Access_Options with
    the appropriate settings. If no [Btrieve] section exists, then the
    Microsoft Access Setup program adds the section and includes the
    required Options line, for example:

     [Btrieve]
     options=/m:64/p:4096/b:16/f:20/l:40/n:12 /t:C:\WINDOWS\BTRIEVE.TRN

    When you import, export or attach Btrieve files, Microsoft Access
    checks the [Btrieve] section of the WIN.INI for an Options line that
    meets the following criteria:

      /m must be > 48
      /l must be at least double the /f setting
      /p must be 4096
      /n must be > 0
      /t must point to a valid subdirectory (the file need not exist)
      /u is optional and is only used for compressed Btrieve files.

    NOTE: You must know the compression ratio of your compressed Btrieve
    files in order to use the /u setting to connect to a compressed
    Btrieve data file.

    Btrieve versions 6.10 and later do not use the Options line in the
    WIN.INI, but Microsoft Access requires it.

    Example of BTI.INI
    ------------------

     [Btrieve]
     Tasks=30
     Local=No
     Requester=Yes
     Thunk=Yes
     Verbose=0
     Chkparms=No

     [Btrieve Client]
     Options=/f:20 /h:60 /l:20 /t:15 /m:512 /u:0 Trnfile=C:\WIN95
     Desktopicon=No
     SharingOnLocalFiles=SingleEngine
     SharingOnRemoteFiles=MultiEngine
     EnableSharingBias=Yes
     Tracefile=
     DeleteLockFile=Yes

     [Btrieve Requester]
     Runtime Server Support=yes
     Datalength=4096

BREQUEST only needs to be loaded if you are connecting to a Client/server-based Btrieve-type installation. If you are using Microsoft Access on Windows 95, try to get the Wbtrcall 38K version 6.15 which does not use the MS-DOS level Brequester. You will not be able to load Brequest in the Autoexec.bat on Windows 95 because the Network drivers will not be loaded; however, you can load Brequest in the Winstart.bat.

Make sure you can successfully attach to Btrieve files after you install and configure your Btrieve DLLs and INI files. Follow these steps to attach Btrieve files in Microsoft Access:
1. Start Microsoft Access 2.0.
2. Open a Microsoft Access database.
3. On the File menu, click Attach Table.
4. In the Attach dialog box, under Data Source, choose Btrieve.
5. Choose the appropriate file.ddf, preferably located in the same subdirectory as the data files.
6. Select the table to attach from the list.
You can now work with the attached Btrieve table.

Btrieve is manufactured by Pervasive Software, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.

REFERENCES

For more information about Btrieve settings, refer to the ACREADME.HLP file in the Access subdirectory.


Keywords          : kb3rdparty IsmBtrv 
Version           : 2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: April 17, 1999