Need help with a problem.

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  • Kidan

    #1

    Need help with a problem.

    I built a small application that took export files from a sales
    application, and transformed them into the format necessary for
    importing by an accounting application. Both the Sales and the
    accounting application are server applications.

    I built the conversion tool using .NET 1.1 on a WindowsXP box.

    It was deployed to a Win2k box.

    And for a while, it worked perfectly fine.

    Then the client upgraded to a XP box and upgraded the accounting
    application. Well when this happened, the accounting application
    suddenly stopped being able to import the files. Whenever it was
    attempted they no longer balanced.

    Yet if we ran the application on the Win2k box - everything worked
    fine.

    My first thought was that the problem was due to upgrading the
    accounting application - but that can't be it, as the software runs on
    the server - so the conversion tool on both the win2k and winxp boxes
    were hitting the same application.

    And unfortunately, I've yet to have a second thought.

    The files being generated by the conversion tool look the same, and
    look correct according to the accounting application's import API.

    Has anyone else had similar problems? Or know if there's a fundamental
    difference in how Win2k and WinXP handles files which could possibly
    account for this?


    Thanks!

  • Miro

    #2
    Re: Need help with a problem.

    I would try to create the file on the Win2k box,
    copy it over to the WindowsXP box and try to import it there.

    An exe should not change the way its "exporting" just cause of win2k or XP.

    Perhaps there is a character like an "enter" key or something that you
    cannot see when you pull it up in notepad that is causeing the problems?

    Miro

    "Kidan" <sswrighton@tec hsoft.comwrote in message
    news:1170707140 .143451.255080@ h3g2000cwc.goog legroups.com...
    >I built a small application that took export files from a sales
    application, and transformed them into the format necessary for
    importing by an accounting application. Both the Sales and the
    accounting application are server applications.
    >
    I built the conversion tool using .NET 1.1 on a WindowsXP box.
    >
    It was deployed to a Win2k box.
    >
    And for a while, it worked perfectly fine.
    >
    Then the client upgraded to a XP box and upgraded the accounting
    application. Well when this happened, the accounting application
    suddenly stopped being able to import the files. Whenever it was
    attempted they no longer balanced.
    >
    Yet if we ran the application on the Win2k box - everything worked
    fine.
    >
    My first thought was that the problem was due to upgrading the
    accounting application - but that can't be it, as the software runs on
    the server - so the conversion tool on both the win2k and winxp boxes
    were hitting the same application.
    >
    And unfortunately, I've yet to have a second thought.
    >
    The files being generated by the conversion tool look the same, and
    look correct according to the accounting application's import API.
    >
    Has anyone else had similar problems? Or know if there's a fundamental
    difference in how Win2k and WinXP handles files which could possibly
    account for this?
    >
    >
    Thanks!
    >

    Comment

    • Nick Malik [Microsoft]

      #3
      Re: Need help with a problem.

      when you say the files "look" the same, are you "looking" using a
      hexadecimal editor? There may be some very big differences. For one, XP
      puts unicode in more places than win2K does. It is possible that the new
      version of the app EXPECTS unicode now.

      Test 0: open a working file in a hex editor. open a non-working file in a
      hex editor. look for differences. I'll bet there is one.

      Test 1: take one of the old files, produced before the upgrade, and see if
      it can be imported into the new application. If not, the application
      upgrade DEFINITELY changed something, because you will have removed all
      other variables.

      Test 2: if you can install the old version of the accounting app on a test
      W2K server, do so. Then take one of your newest converted files and attempt
      to load it into the old version. If it fails, then you have a definite
      effect from XP (unlikely, but who knows).

      --
      --- Nick Malik [Microsoft]
      MCSD, CFPS, Certified Scrummaster
      http://blogs.msdn.com/nickmalik

      Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this forum are my own, and not
      representative of my employer.
      I do not answer questions on behalf of my employer. I'm just a
      programmer helping programmers.
      --
      "Kidan" <sswrighton@tec hsoft.comwrote in message
      news:1170707140 .143451.255080@ h3g2000cwc.goog legroups.com...
      >I built a small application that took export files from a sales
      application, and transformed them into the format necessary for
      importing by an accounting application. Both the Sales and the
      accounting application are server applications.
      >
      I built the conversion tool using .NET 1.1 on a WindowsXP box.
      >
      It was deployed to a Win2k box.
      >
      And for a while, it worked perfectly fine.
      >
      Then the client upgraded to a XP box and upgraded the accounting
      application. Well when this happened, the accounting application
      suddenly stopped being able to import the files. Whenever it was
      attempted they no longer balanced.
      >
      Yet if we ran the application on the Win2k box - everything worked
      fine.
      >
      My first thought was that the problem was due to upgrading the
      accounting application - but that can't be it, as the software runs on
      the server - so the conversion tool on both the win2k and winxp boxes
      were hitting the same application.
      >
      And unfortunately, I've yet to have a second thought.
      >
      The files being generated by the conversion tool look the same, and
      look correct according to the accounting application's import API.
      >
      Has anyone else had similar problems? Or know if there's a fundamental
      difference in how Win2k and WinXP handles files which could possibly
      account for this?
      >
      >
      Thanks!
      >

      Comment

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