| SUMMARY: How
AppleShare 4.2 causes the Clients & Profits database to become
invisible to Windows users -- and how to fix it. |
AppleShare is a cross-platform file server.
This means both Macintosh users and Windows users can share files,
such as the Clients & Profits database, on the same file server.
Windows users access the AppleShare file server using software called
AppleShare Client for Windows. AppleShare Client for Windows gives
Windows 3.1 users a Chooser-like dialog box that connects to shared
Mac servers and laser printers. AppleShare and the AppleShare Client
for Windows work together to overcome the differences between the
Macintosh OS and the Windows operating system.
File Name Compatibility
The DOS/Windows file system can only handle short file names up to
8-characters long (and with no special characters like slashes or
spaces) plus a 3-character extension (e.g., (.TXT, .LBR, .DF1, etc.).
The Macintosh operating system handles file names up to 31 characters
long (including punctuation marks and spaces). When Mac files are
opened on a Windows PC, long file names are truncated (for example:
"Clients & Profits Database 1999" changes to "!Clients_"). When
a conflict occurs the last character is automatically changed until
it is unique in the Windows directory.
Sharing the Database
Most applications (such as word processors, spreadsheets) are programmed
for either Mac or PC. Clients & Profits is made to work on both
"platforms," allow both Mac and Windows users to share the same database.
When you save the database you have the option of saving in a Mac
file format ("C&P Database 1999") or a Windows file format ("CPDATA.DF1").
The Mac is capable of reading the DOS file format; however, Windows
cannot read the Mac file format without alterations.
The Problem: The Database is Invisible to Windows Users
There's a problem with the newer version of AppleShare (v4.2; earlier
versions of AppleShare didn't have this problem) that causes some
Mac files to appear as invisible files on Windows. This happens because
some Mac files have "resource forks." Resource forks are confuse Windows,
since it doesn't recognize resource forks--so the files are consider
system files and are hidden. You can see these files in the Windows
File Manager by enabling the "show hidden files" option. To make these
files appear in Windows, the resource fork needs to be removed from
the Macintosh file.
- If you created your database on a Windows PC first then copied
it to your AppleShare server, then it will appear correctly. The
invisible problem only happens when the database is first created
on the Mac, then accessed by Windows users.
How to remove the Macintosh "resource fork" from your Clients
& Profits database:
1 From the Windows PC, use the File Manager to find the C&P
database on the AppleShare server.
2 Rename the database, giving it a Windows file name with the
.DF1 extension.
3 Choose By File Type from the View menu.
4 Select the option to "Show Hidden Files."
5 On the Windows hard drive, create a new directory (e.g.,
ACCT_DATA) for the database.
6 Copy the database from the AppleShare server into that directory.
7 On the Windows hard drive, select the Mac database (database
with the exclamation point).
8 Choose Properties from the File menu, then deselect the "Archive"
and "Hidden" options.
This will cause the exclamation point to disappear, meaning the file
is no longer invisible.
9 Copy the database into it's original folder on the Appleshare
server.
The C&P database can now be seen and accessed by both Mac and
Windows users.
