FAQ: Editing the EstiMaker Database
For simple editing jobs, you can edit the EstiMaker parts database directly
from within EstiMaker, by selecting "Edit Parts database" from the Setup
menu dropdown menu at the top of the EstiMaker startup screen. You can
also perform more complex database editing tasks on the desktop
computer.
The EstiMaker parts database is in plain text format on the desktop
computer, so you can edit/print it on the desktop if you are at
least a little familiar with a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel or
even a wordprocessor like Windows WordPad.
Described below is a method to open the parts database into the
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program as an example:
Assuming that you have installed the Estimaker handheld and desktop
versions and installed the Estimaker conduit and performed
HotSyncs as outlined in the Estimaker installation instructions, you
should be set up and ready. You must first locate the parts
database file on your desktop computer. It's generally stored in the
following location:
C:\Palm\[variation of your HotSync name]\Estimaker
For example, if your Palm's HotSync name is John Doe, the Estimaker
data files would probably be in the location C:\Palm\DoeJ\Estimaker.
Once you locate the Estimaker conduit folder described above, you are
looking for the file EstiParts.cdb which is about 320kb in
size. (As an alternative to locating the file in your file browser as described
above, you could go to Start>Search>Search for Files and Folders and
have your computer search drive C for the file EstiParts.cdb.
Once you find EstiParts.cdb in your file browser, right-click on it and select
Copy from the menu that appears. Then click away
from the EstiParts file (to de-select it) and select Paste from the Edit
menu (or right click and select Paste). This should put a
copy of the parts file in the same folder, named "Copy of EstiParts.cdb".
You have created this copy in case you "mess up" the real
one. If you mess it up, you can delete it then rename the copy to
EstiParts.cdb and you'll be back where you started.
Once you've made your backup copy, right-click again on the original
EstiParts.cdb file and select Rename. Change the name from
EstiParts.cdb to EstiParts.csv (Click "Yes" if you're asked if you're sure you
want to change the filename extension from cdb to
csv.) CSV stands for "comma-separated values" and that's the format the
parts data is stored in within the file.
Now start Microsoft Excel and select Open... on the File menu.
In the Open window, there is a dropdown list at the bottom of the window,
labeled "Files of type". Open that list and select Text
files (*.prn; *.txt; *.csv).
Now browse to your Estimaker folder and select to open the EstiParts.csv
file that you renamed.
The database should open into your Excel spreadsheet.
At the top of the spreadsheet there are 10 lines that define the database
format. You should not change anything in these top 10
lines under any circumstances*. You CAN change the data in...
Column C (part numbers)
Column D (part description)
Column E (unit price)
Column F (hours of time assigned to each part number, used in
calculating time charges for the job).
*Note: You can change one thing in the 10-line "header" at the top of
the database file. If you remove records from the database, you need
to reduce the record count number in the header to match the number
of records remaining in the database. Likewise, if you add records,
increase the record count number in the header accordingly so it
always correctly reflects the number of records in
the database.
Note: You can hold down "Shift" as you double-click the divider line
between columns C and D, and column D will resize where you
can see all the data in the column. Likewise with the divider between D
and E.
Next, exit Excel then use your file browser to rename the file from
EstiParts.csv to EstiParts.cdi (NOTE: this is not "cdb" as it
originally was. By naming it with the cdi extension, you are telling the
EstiMaker conduit to install this file onto your handheld
at your next HotSync.)
Finally, perform a HotSync. This will move the newly edited database file
to the handheld, and it will also automatically rename EstiParts.cdi to
EstiParts.cdb.
When you are done with all these steps, you will have the edited
database available in both the handheld and Windows versions of
EstiMaker.
Remember that if you have done something that causes the parts
database to NOT work anymore in EstiMaker, you can delete the file
you changed, then rename the Copy you made to EstiParts.cdb.
