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Frequently Asked Questions

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DiscSox InformationReaderware FAQ

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All Platforms

 

CueCat®

 

Windows

 

DiscSox Information Why does Readerware auto-catalog always return a not found error?

If Readerware auto-catalog consistently returns a not found error when searching for an item, then Readerware is probably unable to connect to the internet. There are a few reasons why this could happen:

If you are using a dial up connection, try connecting to the internet before starting Readerware. Some users report that they have to connect before starting Readerware.

If you have a firewall, make sure it is not blocking Readerware access to the network. Readerware just uses port 80, no special ports are required. Some firewalls require that you authorize each program that accesses the net. Refer to your firewall documentation for more information.

If you are using a proxy server, make sure you have set the Readerware proxy server preferences. If you are not sure whether or not you need to specify a proxy server, your network administrator or ISP should be able to help you. .

If you are not  using a proxy server, make sure that your Readerware proxy server preferences are empty.

If you are running Windows 95, make sure you have Winsock 2.0 installed.

If you are still experiencing problems, please contact Readerware Support for assistance, support@readerware.com.  

 

 

Why can't I update a category? My changes aren't saved.

You need to first add the new entry to the Readerware categories list and then select the new value and update the item. All Readerware drop down list fields work this way. Full information on how to add, update and delete drop down list entries is provided in the online help.

 

DiscSox InformationHow can I display items in the order they were entered?

Click on the Row Number column header to sort your search results in the order they were entered.

Readerware assigns a unique sequential number to each item as it is added to the database. So to sort items in the order they were entered into the system, just sort on this column. Click on the Row Number column header to sort in ascending sequence, click again to sort in descending sequence.

 

If the Row Number column is not visible, edit the view and add it. From the Readerware menu bar, select Edit->Preferences and then the Views tab. Select the view you want to edit in the left list. In the right list  look for the "ROWKEY" column. A green check mark indicates the column is displayed, a red X indicates that it is hidden. Double click on the column name to toggle the display. You can also use the arrow keys to change the position of the column in the view.

 

For more information see Readerware View Preferences.  

 

DiscSox InformationHow can I merge two Readerware databases?

Readerware does not have a merge feature as such, but you can merge two databases using Readerware Import/Export. First you need to export from your source database. You can export the entire database or only selected items. To export an entire database:

  1. Open your source database, the database you are merging from
  2. Select File->Export to open the Readerware Export Wizard
  3. From the drop down list, select the tab delimited  format, Click Next.
  4. Enter or select the name of the export file, Click Next.
  5. Select the All items radio button, Click Next.
  6. Select the Selected Database Columns radio button. Ensure that all columns are selected. If a column has a green check mark next to it, it is selected. If it has a red X, it is not selected. Double click on any column to toggle its status. Click Next.
  7. Review your choices and Click Next.
  8. When the export completes, Click Next. Readerware will display a count of the items exported.
  9. Click Finish to close the  wizard.

Now that you have created your export file, you can import it into your target database:

  1. Open your target database, the database you are merging to.
  2. Although not required, it is a good idea to backup your database before the merge. Select File->Backup Database. Backing up your Readerware Database.
  3. Select File->Import to open the Readerware Import Wizard.
  4. From the drop down list, select the tab delimited  format, Click Next.
  5. Enter or select the name of the import file you created, Click Next.
  6. Review your choices and Click Next.
  7. When the import completes, Click Next. Readerware will display a count of the items imported.
  8. Click Finish to close the  wizard.

If there are any errors on the import, you can review the Readerware log file, rwuser.log for a full description of the errors.

Your target Readerware database will now contain all the items  imported from your source database. But the import does not handle images. Fortunately Readerware auto-update has the ability to search for images and add them to existing items. You can use this feature to add the images to your merged database:

You now have a fully merged database.

If you only want to do a partial merge, the export procedure  is as follows:

  1. Open your source database, the database you are merging from
  2. Search for the items you want to export. You can search by date entered, category, author etc. The results displayed will be the items exported.
  3. Select File->Export to open the Readerware Export Wizard
  4. From the drop down list, select the tab delimited  format, Click Next.
  5. Enter or select the name of the export file, Click Next.
  6. Select the Current Search Results radio button, Click Next.
  7. Select the Selected Database Columns radio button. Ensure that all columns are selected. If a column has a green check mark next to it, it is selected. If it has a red X, it is not selected. Double click on any column to toggle its status. Click Next.
  8. Review your choices and Click Next
  9. When the export completes, Click Next. Readerware will display a count of the items exported.
  10. Click Finish to close the  wizard.

Once you have created your partial export file, continue with the import as described above. 

 

DiscSox InformationHow can I save the Readerware database during a session?

All updates to the Readerware database are written to the database immediately so there is really no need to save the database as you go.

You can force Readerware to close and reopen the database at anytime by selecting File->Checkpoint Database from the Readerware menu. This is the equivalent of a save in a word processor application for example.

 

Can I scan books outside of Readerware and still use Readerware auto-catalog?

Yes, Readerware can read files of bar code scans or ISBNs. Just select the Load button in the auto-catalog window. Readerware will then load the file, convert bar code scans to ISBNs and display the list of ISBNs in the auto-catalog window. You can then run Readerware auto-catalog as normal.

There are several uses for this feature:

Maybe you have a portable bar code reader, scan your books without removing them from their shelves. Then upload the data from your portable bar code reader to your PC and open it in Readerware.

If you already have some books cataloged and want to convert to Readerware, export a list of ISBNs from your existing database and let Readerware re-catalog your books automatically.

The file you create can contain bar code scans or ISBNs. The ISBNs can be with or without hyphenation. Just make sure that the file contains each bar code scan or ISBN on a new line. 

 

DiscSox InformationWhy can't I copy text from the Readerware browser?

The Readerware browser does not currently allow you to copy text from the browser window. Copy and paste can be useful if there is additional information on the web page that Readerware did not extract. You can copy text from the browser window and paste it into Readerware. Fortunately there is an easy workaround. Right click on the Readerware browser window and select "Open Page in External Browser" from the popup menu. Readerware will then display this page in your default browser, Netscape, IE etc. and you can copy from your browser into Readerware.  

 

Can I order a book from the Readerware browser?

Yes! When you display a book at one of the online vendor sites in the Readerware Browser you will see the normal order buttons or links. You can place orders from within the Readerware browser just as you would in your regular browser. Readerware supports access to secure sites. So you can safely enter your credit card information. Look at the padlock icon at the top right hand corner of the Readerware browser window. When it is closed you have a secure connection to the remote server and all messages will be encrypted. If the padlock is open you have a normal connection, and data sent is not encrypted.

 

This means that you can order any title in the Readerware Browser window, via secure servers.

 

You can also place orders directly from the Readerware Shopping Cart. The shopping cart provides a number of additional features to make shopping much easier and can save you money. You can price each item at all sites with a single click, before you buy. You can accumulate titles in your Readerware shopping cart until you are ready to buy. You can export your shopping cart to Readerware Palm Edition or print it for trips to your local bricks and mortar book stores.. You can order securely online as the Readerware shopping cart works with the Readerware Browser to provide access to secure servers at vendor sites.

 

DiscSox InformationCan I use amazon.com one click ordering with Readerware?

Yes. amazon.com one click ordering provides you with an easy and secure way to order from amazon.com right from the Readerware Browser. amazon.com uses cookies to enable one click ordering and Readerware fully supports cookies. As the cookies are saved per system and per browser, you must first register for one click ordering from within the Readerware Browser. Open the Readerware Browser and go to the amazon.com home page. Login to your account using the secure or standard server and sign up for one click ordering. Readerware will remember the settings and it will always be available from Readerware. Just select the one-click button as normal from within the Readerware Browser.  

 

How Do I backup my Readerware database?

Select the File->Backup Database menu item. Readerware will create a single ZIP file containing the entire database and all image files. You can then easily archive this ZIP file. To restore a Readerware database simply select File->Restore Database. You will be prompted to select the backup file and the name of a new database, it must not already exist. Readerware will then create a new database with the contents of the backup file.  

 

DiscSox InformationCan I use Readerware with a proxy server?

Yes, Readerware can access the internet via a proxy server. Just select the Options->Proxy Options menu item and fill in the proxy server information. See your system administrator if you need help with proxy settings.  

 

 

Why can't I connect to the internet with Windows 95?

Readerware may not run reliably with Winsock 1.1 which is included with Windows 95. If you still have Winsock 1.1 installed and experience problems, you must upgrade to Winsock 2.0.

The following URL contains information about how to determine if the Winsock 2.0 components are installed on a Windows 95 platform:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q177/7/19.asp

 

You can download Winsock 2.0 for Windows 95 from Microsoft:

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wuadmintools/s_wunetworkingtools/w95sockets2/

 

Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98 include Winsock 2.0 so this is only an issue for Windows 95 users. 

 

DiscSox InformationWhy is the Readerware window not repainting correctly?

According to Microsoft. this indicates a problem with your video driver. There are a number of things you can do that may solve this Windows problem. The easiest is to adjust the Windows graphics acceleration until the screen is painted correctly:

  1. Go to the Windows Control Panel
  2. Double click on System
  3. Click on the Performance tab
  4. Click on the Graphics button
  5. Adjust the Hardware acceleration slider until the problem is resolved. We find setting it to the "correct problems with the mouse pointer" setting normally resolves the problem, but you may have to try other settings.

The Windows Desktop Themes can cause a lot of painting problems. If you turn off themes and revert to a standard Windows desktop the problem will often go away.

Similarly cursor schemes can also cause problems. Try using the normal Windows cursor.

Another approach to this problem is to contact your video card manufacturer and see if an updated video driver is available.

Some users report that setting the display properties to 256 colors resolved this issue.

 

 

Why does my web browser open when I scan a barcode with my CueCat®?

The CueCat® software will automatically open your web browser and go to a site related to the barcode you scan. Effectively the CueCat software is stealing the scan and Readerware never sees it.

It is not necessary to install the software that came with your CueCat when using it with Readerware. So one solution is to uninstall the CueCat software. If you want to be able to use both the CueCat software and Readerware, you must remember to close the CueCat software before starting Readerware. You can do this from the CueCat icon in your Windows task bar.    

 

DiscSox InformationWhy doesn't my CueCat® work with my Laptop?

The CueCat® has problems working with some laptop computers.

If you only have a single port for connecting both a keyboard and mouse to your laptop, I have found that you sometimes need to install a Y cable and then connect your CueCat. Even if you are not connecting an external mouse.

On some laptops you may need to install a real external keyboard on the other end of the CueCat cable before the laptop will see the CueCat. An alternative is to add a keyboard terminator. Typically you will need to use this in conjunction with a Y cable. Plug the Y cable into your laptop, plug the CueCat into the keyboard socket on the Y cable. Plug the keyboard terminator into the CueCat keyboard socket. Keyboard terminators are available from Wasp Bar Code.

If your laptop has a USB connection, try getting a USB CueCat. They are now available and should work better with a laptop.

More on this issue from the CueCat packaging:

Because of wide variations and the lack of standardization among notebook computers, your CueCat may not function properly with your particular notebook computer.

Notebook computers have a built in keyboard but the CueCat generally requires an external keyboard. However your computer need not have a real external keyboard. Simply "enabling" an external keyboard is usually sufficient. Some models allow you to enable an external keyboard either by changing your computers BIOS setting or by changing a control panel setting.

To change you computers BIOS setting:

  1. Shutdown Windows
  2. Turn on your computer and watch the screen as it starts up
  3. Press the necessary keys displayed on the screen to enter the BIOS program
  4. Find the option to enable the external keyboard
  5. Save you changes and exit

To change the keyboard driver with the control panel:

  1. Click Start and choose Settings > Control Panel
  2. Double click the Keyboard icon. The keyboard properties dialog box opens
  3. Look for an option that enables the external keyboard, probably on the Options or Driver tab

If neither of these options work, use you CueCat with a real keyboard or keyboard terminator.

DiscSox InformationWhy does my computer go nuts when I scan a barcode?

If strange things start happening when you scan a barcode, menus get selected, windows open, chances are you have the CueCat plugged into your mouse port. You must plug the CueCat into your keyboard port.

If you are using the CueCat on a laptop with a single port, you may need to use a Y cable. See Why doesn't my CueCat® work with my Laptop?  

 

Why does Readerware say the ISBN is invalid when I scan a barcode?

This CueCat wand reader looks like a keyboard. This error indicates that the input from the CueCat contains unrecognized data. Check the following:

  • Make sure your caps lock key is off. The CueCat data is case sensitive and this will cause the data to be input with the wrong capitalization.
  • Make sure your system is set up to use an English keyboard. CueCat will not work with other languages.

 

 

DiscSox InformationAuto-Update is giving my unexpected results, Why?

As you probably know, Readerware auto-update allows you to update your database and extract additional information.

You select the items you want to update, which database columns you want to extract and tell Readerware to either always update a column or only update it if empty. You set this option on a column by column basis.

This is a very powerful feature, but some users have found the update mode setting to be confusing. The update mode setting is on a column by column basis, it does not apply to all columns.

This means that in a single auto-update run you can for example, always update the LCCN column and extract images only if the image is currently empty.

The way to do this is to double click on the LCCN column to select it for updating, then set the mode for the LCCN to always update. Next you double click on the image column and then set the image mode, update if empty.

Some users thought that the mode applied to ALL columns not to an individual column. Therefore they would select LCCN and image and select always update, thinking that both fields would always be updated. But the mode setting only applies to the selected column. You need to set the mode as you select the column.

 

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