[9c]

FreeCEN FCTOOLS / TOOLBOX

These are powerful Utilities and are not intended for general use by volunteers.
Personal guidance may be obtained, in suitable circumstances, from "Support"

FCTOOLS comprises a suite of Utility Programmes which are designed for "command-line" use.

The TOOLBOX is a DOS-based compilation of those routines, allowing Menu Selection with "prompt and reply" facilities for the various operations.
A Tutorial is provided to enable understanding of the essential functions of the Utilities.

Functions:
FCTOOLS/TOOLBOX are designed to allow editing of FreeCEN data-files without risking file corruptions which can easily occur if editing is attempted using any other method.

The method involves the conversion of any FreeCEN Data File into a Spreadsheet format for controlled editing, before converting it back to the relevant FreeCEN format.

The Conversion Utility enables change of SSCENS (.CSV) data to the FreeCEN format for subsequent Checking and Validation.

Whether converting to, or from, the Spreadsheet format the Utilities will produce an Error Report which draws attention to potential problems with the Data-file.
Such items may be reported as "Errors" (which must always be corrected.)
or as "Warnings" which concern all aspects which appear to be not compliant with FreeCEN standards and which may require correction.

Note that "Warnings" will include items which are, in fact, correctly transcribed from the images but which are the result of Enumerator mistakes! (e.g. Schedule Numbers not in correct sequence).

Installation:
FCTOOLS/TOOLBOX must be installed into a main folder named \FCTOOLS\, but may be installed onto any hard drive.

TOOLBOX is started by RUN drive:\FCTOOLS\FCT.BAT (the "Batch" file).

It is urged that ALL USERS should study the relevant documentation provided: either the command-line guidance provided with the Download; or the Tutorial included in TOOLBOX.

BACK-UP: It will generally be found that TOOLBOX work can be completed within a single session, in which case Back-Up is not a criterion since finished work is loaded back to the original source floppy-disk (with automatic renaming of the original files so that these are preserved and not over-written).

While it is possible to work on more than one Piece at a time it is strongly recommended that this should not be attempted (because of the potential for mixing files between the two pieces) and that the "working folder" is cleared between pieces. Folder cleaning is included as a TOOLBOX Menu Option.

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Aug 2003