View binary records with ease!

It is a full featured set of tools to format (for viewing and editing) sequential data files (binary files consisting of fixed length records). The record structure is compiled from your C source code or defined/modified within this program. Having the record structure allows the individual fields within the records to be viewed or manipulated.

S-Databaser is an easy to use utility for displaying fixed length records in data files for which you have processing programs and their source code. The structure definition in your source code makes it possible to format the fields in data files and therefore make them readable. There are several reasons why you might want to read them: to see if the format is correct, and if not, why; to see the values themselves. Values can be edited. Test data for new programs can be created. Also, structure definitions for "orphan" data files can be created.

S-Databaser makes sequential files readable; makes a sequential file look like a database. (A series of fixed length records, one per row, with the data for each field name lined up by column.)

Display

Given a record structure, S-Databaser can display and scroll through data files of any size, making it human readable, with each field formatted and displayed in its own cell; A record structure is obtained from C source code that contains the struct that describes the record layout.
The source structs are compiled. Structs can be defined or modified (fields added or removed) within this program. The complete structure of the record is displayed in the grid header with all nested structures completely delineated in their hierarchical positions.
Field names are displayed in the header. Union members are sequenced by a mouse click on the (U) in front of the union name. Any individual field is displayed in 3 formats: native, ascii, or hex (binary). These formats are shown because different field types are best displayed in a particular format.
A date field or float can best be understood in its native format; whereas char data is best understood in ascii or hex. But only hex can show what is in the entire field and is the best representation of what's 'really' in that field.
The field can be edited in any of these three formats.
A find feature allows searching through the whole record or a particular column. A find and replace function is provided. Find is by exact record match (for non ascii values) or a quick ascii search.

Testing and problem finding

The record structure itself can be edited, as a testing and debugging tool. When data does not match the record structure exactly, problems occur, and processing programs don't work correctly. The best way to solve these problems is visually, by observing what changes cause char or numeric data to line up and display correctly. This can happen when data comes from outside sources or when formats are not rigidly enforced. Options in the program are provided to test incorrect data formats. Packing of the record structure, which is space between fields, can be changed. The record structure itself can be modified to change record length, or the offset of any particular field can be changed (this is automated for char fields). Therefore the record length and fields can be discovered even for a file that the record structure is unknown for. A record structure can be created from scratch. New blank records can be added, then edited to make test data. If a certain value in a field in the data is causing a problem, then that value can be edited. The changes can be made to every row in the data file for that column. A new data file can be made using a modified struct definition. Fields that match by name are copied to the new file. Sorted files, sorted on any fields, can be created from the data file.

Ascii Utilities

A current data file can be converted and copied to an ascii file. This is a format that allows the file to be read into a conventional database. An ascii file can be read according to the current record structure, creating a sequential data file.

Setup

For convenience, combinations of: data file name, record structure file name, and which structure in that file is the desired one, can be saved as one unit so that by selecting that unit name, all of the files and structures are set at once. Any unit name can be selected to display automatically at program startup.

Options

Since the structures are compiled from '.h','.c', or '.cpp' files, the options dialog allows setting of the include directory (if it's necessary). Also, any defines which might help compilation can be put in the defines box.