RAQ - Recently asked questions
Last updated 29 August 2001
OASIS: "Error: Variable does not exist: DISPOSED" when finalising stocktake
The fieldname DISPOSED is missing from LWRITOFF.D. Update the file structure to include DISPOSED "C 1.
OASIS Backup Error: 'Error 2 executing zp.bat with parameters f:\oasis\*.d a: /s'
COMSPEC is not set correctly. OASIS Backup is trying to shell out to a DOS command but can't find it. If it is a win9x machine, rem out one of the lines in oasenv.bat (set comspec=y\:command.com). If it is a DOS machine, unrem this command.
This error can also occur if the environment variable T is not defined. Add 'SET T=LH' to AUTOEXEC.BAT if the station has a local hard disk. (added 2/2/2001)
AfW says 'There is a recovery (or shutown) in progress on station nnn'
The file RECOVERY.003 in the AfW base directory will cause the message There is a recovery in progress on station 003.
The file SHUTDOWN.003 in the AfW base directory will cause the message There is a shurtdown in progress on station 003.
Typically these files will have been left behind after a failed recovery or shutdown. If you are quite sure that there is no Recovery or Shutown in progress, deleting the file will make the message go away.
How do I force AfW to Recover from its internal Archive?
Rename FLAG.OK to FLAG.RR (Recovery Required) and start AfW. You will be prompted to perform a recovery.
All Author information lost after a SCIS Download
After loading some SCIS records I find that none of the resources in my library have any Authors!
A bug in AFW 5.33 can cause ALL Author details to be lost from catalogue records if specific conditions are met during the download of SCIS records. The actual Author Authority File remains intact, but LAUTCAT.D which contains a series of links between the catalogue and the Author File is purged.
If the problem is identified immediately, and before LAUTCAT.D is packed which will remove the 'deleted' records from the file, it may be possible to 'recall' the deleted records using DBU and then rebuild the file's indexes. If the records are really gone, the only solution is to restore (at least) this file from a recent backup and add authors to the catalogue records of any newly added titles.
The real risk associated with this problem is that it may not be noticed until some time has elapsed and a full external backup cycle has completed. In this case, no intact copy of LAUTCAT.D will be available from a backup. If the PRE5xx directory is still present, it may be possible to partly recover an oldish LAUTCAT.D file from this souce. If not, then start typing!
Recommendations:
This bug is fixed in AfW 5.40
Norton AntiVirus. Any Conflicts with AfW?
Is there any suggestion that Norton Antivirus has conflicts with AfW, someone has said this and I'm wondering whether this may have caused some of the crashes I had a while ago.
I am not aware of any specific conflicts that Norton Antivirus may have with AfW. That is not to say that they do not occur. Antivirus programs as a whole are notorious for causing other applications to go belly up.
Accession number is not incremented
In Systems Parameters - Management - the Accession No. has not advanced from the number set in the parameters when AfW was loaded. Should it have advanced as they have added new resources. [Barcodes and accesion numbers ARE set to match in Parameters.]
The accession number parameter in Systems Parameters - Management - the Accession No, is not referenced when Match Accession Number to Barcode is set, hence it does not increment. This is normal behaviour.
I Loaned an uncatalogued item, but didn't follow correct procedure. The information in the "Loans Screen" comes up with "Choice SEP 00 as the barcode, and "Temporary" for the Call No. When I try to return it by typing in CHOICE SEP 00 as the barcode, AfW will not accept this, and rates it as an invalid barcode. But how can I return the item?
It worked OK for me when I tried it. Remember that the 7th character may be stripped out of the barcode as this is the position of the check letter.
Within AfW, how can I find the next Resource Barcode to be used apart from referring to their existing sheet of barcodes?
The field LAPPL->NEXTBC stored the next barcode in OASIS. I don't believe that this is used in Alice. Alice seems to want you to enter the barcode in Management, Cataloging so I suspect there may not be a simple way other than looking at the sheet of barcodes. It would appear to me that Alice will work out the next available barcode on-the-fly.
SCIS Data Loading and Next Barcode
I cannot leave NEXT in the first barcode field as indicated. If I do this I cannot go any further with the process. I must enter a barcode number to proceed. Is there a problem here?
I presume you are talking about SCIS data loading. You can enter EITHER a starting barcode OR a Prefix to use in conjuntion with .NEXT. but not both. The help screen is quite helpful here.
The total value of the fine is always about 20c short of what it should be. I don't use fines, but thought you might have an idea here.
I don't use fines either and know of no school that does. Is the amount the fine is short by, one day's worth of fine? If this is the case perhaps it is just an difference of opinion about how many days are being counted for fine purposes.
Acquisitions. Nothing to Print.
In Acquisitions, I create a
wish list item (Grab from Management - Cataloguing, and Put in
Wish List), complete all the details, Select 'Order', and it
appears as a Wish List entry with 'Ordered' next to it. When I go
to Print Orders, and I complete all the details in the dialogue
box, it gives me a message "Nothing to print".
Yesterday, I was able to print some orders, but not others. Do
you have any ideas about this?
When I tried this (using AFW 5.40 demo library) it seems to work as I would have expected. If you specified a Range for suppliers or Dissections, was the range specification forwards e.g. ANGUS to JACARANDA and not JACRANDA to ANGUS ?
Two primary schools are having problems with the limits on the number of books students' can borrow. Even though they have gone in and set the borrowing parameters at 3 fiction and 3 non - fiction, OASIS only allows students to borrow a max of 3 books and then says that the max fiction books borrowed has been reached. The librarians are having to override the message. This happens if a student has 1 fiction, 2 non - fiction and you go to give them another fiction book or non - fiction book. Any ideas where we can check the settings for fiction and non fiction?
Borrower loan limits are stored against each borrower in the borrower record. Check a specific student's record in B2/A1 and see what it says there. It is a common misconception that loan limits are enforced globally. The global change option for loan limits actually changes the loan limits individually for each borrower in the specified group. See what it says on the loans screen that the loan limits actually are for the borrower.
If that doesn't work, try rebuilding the indexes. In fact 'try rebuilding the indexes' is always the first thing to try irrespective.
G1 Finance Utilities / E3 Restore Finance Archive does not appear to be working after the GST updates
The code for H3OASIS.EXE, E1, E2 and E3 was last touched on 27/05/97. If it doesn't work it is more likely to be an external influence. In essence, all the option does (after a few checks) is to shell to COMMAND.COM and run the batch file FARCHCEO.BAT passing the parameter REAL or TUT.
Cannot find ASYSTEM.D Error Base/1002 Alias does not exist ASYSTEM
I have seen this error a few times and not quite known what has caused it though it usually seems to go away after the user quits and trys again. The error is it offers the user the option of quit or retry. This happens when the user is opening oasis.
The error message 'Alias does not exist' means that the program went to access a file that it should have opened but then later found that the file had not been opened. The usual reason for this is that some other program has the file open in a mode that prevents this program from opening it in the mode it wants to use. For example, if program A opens ASYSTEM.D ReadOnly and program B attempts to open it EXCLUSIVE, the open will fail. The error should be trapped at the time the file is opened, but frequently is not, and hence the first evidence of the error is when the program attempts to access the file. The program traceback would be helpful here to pin down where the problem is occurring. That's the 'Called from XXX(33)' section.
Printer Maintenance in Progress - Press <Esc>to continue when printing a reciept
The operator states that usually when leaving the message for a while then hiting <Esc> the receipt prints though occasionally it does not.
The OASIS Printer selection function will return this message when the field OPRIN->CHANGE = 'Y' for the currently selected printer record. Although I have not done an exhaustive check, the only place this field seems to be set is in System Maintenance, I2 - Printer definitions. It is hard to check its status since it is beyond the 64 fields that are displayed by DBU.
When printing absentee report in Oasis Extras on a Postscript printer, Four Page report only three print out.
Is this a common problem with postscript printers. (Printing via Netware Server)?
OASIS Admin Extras does not make any attempt to support Postscript printers. It does not send the postscript initialisation file to the printer as 'real' OASIS modules will do and hence could well produce different results. OASIS Admin Extras does not support printers connected via a Serial Port either.
Is the partly filled last page still sitting in the printer's buffer waiting for a page eject? If the printer shows 'Data Present', and you can press the Form Feed button and eject the last page then, you need to configure a 'Form Feed at end of job' into the Netware printer queue of the printer.
What is the correct procedure for a SCIS download?
I have done one, but today it is not proceeding correctly."Says- unsuccessful"
If the message is happening when you initially read the USMARC.DAT file from floppy disk into AfW, then the most likely reason is a bad Floppy disk that is giving read errors or contains corrupted files. Display USMARC.DAT using NOTEPAD and see if the data section looks 'regular'. Yes, I know it looks like rubbish, but is it uniform looking rubbish. You can also get this message by selecting the wrong FORMAT when downloading. AfW is not very forgiving about misakes. It expects you to know what the correct format is.