Another year gone, another update

I have extensively reworked my application known as PlodWare-SQLite-OLE, and decided to rename it to pwScripter. It can be downloaded from here pwScripter.  It uses SQLite 3.45.2

The rework, pwScripter, is not 100% compatible with previous versions, so I need to update some command scripts and web help pages.

There is also a new version of PlodWare-MetaData-Tagger. This is a pwScripter script of just over 8000 lines (after empty lines and comments have been removed) that is compressed, encoded and inserted in to a pwScripter executable, thus creating a standalone excutable that can be downloaded here PlodWare-MetaData-Tagger

The full script for PlodWare-MetaData-Tagger is available here PlodWare-MetaData-Tagger-2024-03-18

Over the year I have added a fair bit of content using PHP and HTML to this web site, without using WordPress. See Alternative Content

Yet another PlodWare SQLite-OLE update

The latest version (2022-03-21) has the newest SQLite (3.38.1).

Not to sure why I did it, but I have have included the SQLite loadable extension append.vfs

I might find a good use for it, it seems interesting.

I have also made it possible to use the SQLite run-time loadable extension functionality . There is a PWBasic command to switch the functionality on/off (default is off), whilst the actual accessing of the target run-time loadable extension is controlled using a SQLite command .  I tested this with various extensions ( including: uuid, SpatiaLite/mod_spatialite).

Almost retired 2021-09-23

As part of a mini-celebration, I have uploaded the latest PlodWare SQLite-OLE application.

I have been uploading software since about 2000, although no-one appears interested (except me).

But it does cause me to think about “what is a digital world”. The logic/reasoning/psychology of writing a web site is intriguing.
If it achieves nothing else, writing this web site does encourage me to reflect.

SQLite-OLE 2019-09-13

Updated version available.

Main new features:

Have added to the command line interpeter commands to find (InstrRex ) text, and to replace (ReplaceRex) text using regular expressions. The underlying regexp code is the open source Pcre2 “C” libary.

The SQLite loadable extension module (regexp.c) to support a regular expression as part of a WHERE clause has been added

SQLite-OLE 2019-08-07

Updated version available.

Main new features:

  • In the “Edit Field”, you can select a block of text and send it to the command line interpret ( select the text, double right mouse click, select required option from the pop-up menu).
  • In the “Edit Field”, a limited text find function is available.
  • These edit field features are also supported in the fields: “User macros”, “System macros”, “Report field” and “Help”.

For details about the following SQLite options and loadable extensions please refer to the SQLite web site.

The SQLite engine has been complied with the following options:

  • JSON1
  • FTS5

The following loadable extensions are included:

  • csv
  • fileio

SQLite-OLE 2019-04-27

New version of the SQLite and OLE tool for Windows.  Rightly or wrongly I am quite proud of this tool. Whilst my colleagues are using Excel to do a lot of data analysis they are hitting problems which are trivial in a SQL database environment.

Meanwhile I am running multiple instances of the SQLite-OLE tool on my laptop, often with databases approaching 2 GByte in a single instance. Because the tool is ~ 95% command line orientated, it forces me to create scripts. This has the massive advantage over a WIMP orientated tool because it means that I automatically have a script that I can save and reuse/rerun at a later date and not worry about “how did I do this last time”.

As a consequence of scripting I have found that I have adopted a “fire and forget” attitude. I focus on a task, script it, save it, and then focus on the next task. I do not need to commit to human memory the steps needed to complete a task. Given that I am running/developing scripts every day, I find that “fire and forget”/ scripting frees me from worry.

The output of the various tasks is usually in a Excel file (for easy exchange with my colleagues), the exporting of SQL query results to Excel is built in to the tool. Each Excel that I send out, contains an Admin sheet that identifies the script used to create the Excel file.

So if I am asked to modify/update an Excel file I simply ask the requester to identify the script (from the Admin sheet) and then I create a new version of the script and run it.

Some of the scripts are over 2000 lines long (with comments and lots of space to make it readable and less visually frightening).

The scripting language has similarities with Microsoft VBA to minimize the learning curve, and as the tool’s name implies it supports OLE.

What have you got to lose, go ahead and use it!

Big Screens for big kids

I have replaced my multiple monitor configuration on my PC, it was 1*27 inch and 1*32 inch monitors, by a single 42 inch 4k monitor from LG. To be precise a  LG 43UD79-B 108.98 cm (42.51 inch).

Like a dog with two tails, I do not know which one to wag first.

The only change I needed to do was to get a deeper desk so that I can set the screen about 15 cms further away.