MDS Global INI File¶

Sample mds_global.ini¶

Each piece is optional.

[SQL_BTR]
;Tracing
TRACE_ON=c:\trace\sql_btr.tra
TRACE_LEVEL=0
TRACE_FLUSH=no
;Locking
SERVER_SIDE_LOCKING=yes
SQL_LOCKS=no

[ORA_BTR]
;Location of the debug trace file
TRACE_ON = c:\trace\ora_btr.tra
TRACE_LEVEL = 0
TRACE_FLUSH=no
;Locking
SERVER_SIDE_LOCKING=yes
SQL_LOCKS=no

[PGS_BTR]
;Location of the debug trace file
TRACE_ON = c:\trace\pgs_btr.tra
TRACE_LEVEL = 0
TRACE_FLUSH=no
;Locking
SERVER_SIDE_LOCKING=yes
SQL_LOCKS=no

A semi-colon (;) at the beginning of the line in the mds_global.ini file indicates that line is a comment and is ignored. A setting is assigned in mds_global.ini by entering a value after the equal sign (e.g., Trace_On = c:\trace\sql_btr.tra). Spaces are ignored before and after the equal sign. Leaving a value empty means use the driver’s default value. All settings and values are case insensitive.

Entries under a specific heading (e.g., heading [SQL_BTR]) are only used for that driver (e.g., driver MS SQL).

NOTE: A sample mds_global.ini file can be found in the installation folder (<Program Files>\Mertech Data Systems\DB Drivers\Btrieve\bin)

MdsSetSetting¶

The format for the call is:

MdsSetSetting(foldername, settingname, value)

• foldername is the full or relative path to the folder where the msd.ini file would reside (for example, “c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5”). The folder does not have to exist, it is simply the virtual location for the mds.ini file. If the setting being changed is in the mds_global.ini file, specify NULL for foldername.

• settingname is any entry in the mds.ini file (for example, INT-Folder) or mds_global.ini file (for example (Trace_Level). Setting names are not case sensitive.

If a call to MdsSetSetting is made to enable TRACE_ON, that should be the last trace setting updated. If a trace is already active, it is stopped and a new file takes over using the latest trace settings.

• value is the value to be assigned to the setting. If a Password value is provided and it starts with 0x, it is assumed that the password was encrypted using MdsEncryptPassword.

There is no need to specify a Section Name (for example [SQL_BTR]). The assumption is that the setting is for the current driver. All parameters are enclosed in quotes, so the value itself should never include quotes.

Examples:

// (mds.ini) Set the password for data files opened in the cust5 folder
MdsSetSetting("c:\\myapp\\ver4\data\\cust5", "Password", "0xed8ee3e72436da3169")
// (mds_global.ini) Limit buffer output in the trace to just KeyBuffers
MdsSetSetting(NULL, "Trace_Buffers", "kb")

How does MdsSetSetting work?¶

In the example below global memory settings are highlighted in turquoise, folder-specific settings are highlighted in gray and new or updated settings are shown in red text.

1 When the application starts:

1. Registry values are read and stored.

Trace_On= c:\trace\sql_btr.tra, Trace_Level=0, TRACE_FLUSH=no, Server_Side_Locking=yes

b) Environment variable values are read and stored, overwriting any existing values.

Trace_On= c:\trace\sql_btr.tra,Trace_Level=1, TRACE_FLUSH=no, Server_Side_Locking=yes

c) mds_global.ini values are read and stored, overwriting any existing values.

Trace_On= c:\tracesql_btr.tra, Trace_Level=1,TRACE_FLUSH=yes, Server_Side_Locking=yes, Trace_Query_Times=yes

2 When the application calls MdsSetSetting (NULL, “Trace_Level”, “2”) to set a global value, any existing global value is overwritten.

Trace_On= c:\trace\sql_btr.tra,Trace_Level=2, TRACE_FLUSH=yes, Server_Side_Locking=yes, Trace_Query_Times=yes

3 When the application calls MdsSetSetting (“c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5”, “Schema”,’cust5”) to set a folder‑specific setting:

a) If an mds.ini file exists in the specified directory (and the file was not already read when a create or open call was made) then the mds.ini file is read and the values are stored.

c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5: Server=testserver, Database=testdb

2. MdsSetSetting is run and in memory values are overwritten.

c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5: Server=testserver, Database=testdb,Schema=cust5

The values set by MdsSetSetting remain in effect until the process stops.

NOTE: Be careful changing values for Schema, Database, Table-Prefix and Table-Postfix using MdsSetSetting since the changes affect all subsequent create and open calls for the selected directory.

NOTE: If there is an mds.ini file on disk, settings in that file are NOT changed by a call to MdsSetSetting. Values set by MdsSetSetting are not stored on disk.

Example¶

Below is an example using MdsSetSetting to create a virtual mds.ini file and then using these settings to create and open a new table.

// First, execute an embedded sql call to create new schema 'cust5'

// Next, create a virtual mds.ini file for 'c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5'
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","INT_Folder","c:\myapp\ver4\data\intfiles_mssql")
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","Server","testserver")
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","Database","testdb")
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","Schema","cust5")
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","User","testuser")
MdsSetSetting("c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5","Password","password")

// Now, create and open Person.mkd using the virtual mds.ini settings
B_CREATE      "c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5\Person.mkd"
B_OPEN        "c:\myapp\ver4\data\cust5\Person.mkd"

The INT_Folder setting in the virtual mds.ini directs the application to “c:\myapp\ver4\data\intfiles_mssql” where the Person_mkd.int file is stored.

A sample directory structure is shown below. The cust1, cust2, and cust5 folders (shaded in gray) do not actually exist, they are virtual folders, created in memory by MdsSetSetting to contain a virtual mds.ini file. The application must include calls to MdsSetSetting to create these virtual data folders before it opens or creates any tables for these schemas on the server.

c:\myapp
  ver4
    data
        mds.ini(int-folder=.\intfiles_mssql server=testserver schema=common)
        intfiles_mssql
          person_mkd.int
        cust1
          mds.ini(int-folder=.\intfiles_mssql server=testserver schema=cust1)
        cust2
          mds.ini(int-folder=.\intfiles_mssql server=testserver schema=cust2)
        cust5
          mds.ini(int-folder=.\intfiles_mssql server=testserver schema=cust5)

MdsGetSetting¶

You can retrieve global and folder specific settings programmatically with a call to MdsGetSetting. The format for the call is:

MdsGetSetting(foldername, settingname, return value)

All settings in the mds_global.ini file and all settings in the mds.ini file (except Password) can be retrieved. Additionally these global settings, displayed at the top of the trace file, can be retrieved:

• Driver_Info: for example, “SQLBTR 5.2.6900.99”

• Driver_Location: for example, “C:\myapp\w3btrv7.dll”

• Process_Info: for example, “C:\myapp\myapp.exe, Process ID 3628, WTS ID 0”

• Computer_Name: for example, “mycomputer”

• License_Info: for example, “Serial Number 2000 for 10 users registered to MY COMPANY”

• Current_Working_Folder: for example, “C:\MyApp”

• Ini_Location: for example, “C:\MyPath\mds_global.ini”   or  “C:\MyApp\data\mds.ini”

C:\MyApp\Archives
  GLOBAL_DAT.int
  PROJ_DAT.int
  RESOURCE_LIB.int
  INTFILES\
    BILLING_MKD.int
    CLASS_MKD.int
    DEPT_MKD.int
    ENROLLS_MKD.int
    PERSON_MKD.int
  1999\
    mds.ini
    PERSON_MKD.int