Unicode support in EA

[skiwi]

We use EA both against *.eap files and an SQL server repository.

We are having problems with unicode, eg in notes and in names.
For example in some cases we can enter the data, but it is not the same when retrieved
( eg [ch257] comes back as a)

Is it possible this is related to the underlying access DB, or the use of the Jet 3.5.

Note I am using Jet 4.0, but there still appears to be a problem.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

We use EA both against *.eap files and an SQL server repository.

We are having problems with Unicode, eg in notes and in names.
For example in some cases we can enter the data, but it is not the same when retrieved
( eg [ch257] comes back as a)

Is it possible this is related to the underlying access DB, or the use of the Jet 3.5.

Note I am using Jet 4.0, but there still appears to be a problem.

There may be problems with Unicode support.

When we were developing our EA tables as Views support in SQL Server we wrote some triggers for the underlying tables that imposed some further constraints on the EA model.  We accidentally made the t_object name variable in the Trigger a varchar instead of nvarchar.  This meant that the name in the real field was: P[ch257]olo - but the name we were storing in the foreign key field of a related table was Paolo (via the processing through the trigger). This caused no end of problems and was hard to track down because we had existing Unicode data that seemed to work fine - because it had been entered before the Trigger change...

SO... if there's some intermediate code (yours or Sparx's) that's also mis-specifying the datatype, you'll get the effect you see.

Since we fixed the code, we haven't found any problems.   You don't specify which column/table you're experiencing the problems with.  We move models to/from .EAP and SQL Server.

However, that notwithstanding.  You shouldn't be using Jet 3.5 with EA ANYWHERE.  All EAP files should be upgraded to at least ACCESS 2000 format running Jet 4.0.

HTH,
Paolo

[skiwi]

Create a view - note name ([ch257][ch275][ch299][ch333][ch363])


Saved - not name (still ok)


Click once on name to select - What happened to name !?

[skiwi]

SO... if there's some intermediate code (yours or Sparx's) that's also mis-specifying the datatype, you'll get the effect you see.

All EAP files should be upgraded to at least ACCESS 2000 format running Jet 4.0.

Thanks, most helpful. We don't use triggers, stored procedures etc.
How do we upgrade *.eap files, or check to see what format they are currently are?
Simon

[skiwi]

In spell checker try to change aeiou to [ch257][ch275][ch299][ch333][ch363]


[highlight]note the way the unicode characters are displayed[/highlight]

after a click on the change button

[highlight]where did the unicode characters go?[/highlight]

[Paolo F Cantoni]

SO... if there's some intermediate code (yours or Sparx's) that's also mis-specifying the datatype, you'll get the effect you see.

All EAP files should be upgraded to at least ACCESS 2000 format running Jet 4.0.

Thanks, most helpful. We don't use triggers, stored procedures etc.
How do we upgrade *.eap files, or check to see what format they are currently are?
Simon

.EAP files are just renamed MS Access .MDB files.  Just use MS Access to determine the the version of the .EAP file and use the Convert function within Access.

I thought EA had recently been updated to be able to read Access 2007 format files, but I just converted one of my .EAP files and got an Unrecognized File Format message.

Can anyone (especially a Sparxian) confirm/deny that MS Access 2007 (.accdb) files are usable by EA (as of build 848).

HTH,
Paolo

[skiwi]

The *.eap was access 97 format.
We have access 2003 installed.

I compacted and repaired the database.
Then converted to Access2002-2003.

Is it possible to tell EA what version of Access to create new *.eap files for?

TIA

[Eve]

Yes, you can use Access 2007.  But you will need to do it as a server, which of course means you can only do it for the corporate edition and above.

Click Connect to Server... (on the start page) and look for Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider.

Find your file.

New .eap files are based on the EABase.eap file in your install directory.  If you want to create JET 4 models you need to replace that with a JET 4 base model.

[KP]

New .eap files are based on the EABase.eap file in your install directory.  If you want to create JET 4 models you need to replace that with a JET 4 base model.

There is a JET 4 version of EABase.eap at http://www.sparxsystems.com/bin/EABase_JET4.zip

Or you can click "Copy a Base Project" on the Start Page and choose some other .eap file to copy...

[skiwi]

Simon & KP, thankyou

[skiwi]

As indicated in the answers and solutions above here is the solution from support
[size=10](actually here is a thought, make all the support answers available in a knowledgebase)[/size]


By default, the .EAP file format is a Microsoft Jet 3.5 (Access 97) database format.  For full support of Unicode text, use the Jet 4.0 (Access 2000) file format.

First, open "Tools | Options | General" and enable "Use JET 4.0".  If this option is not enabled, EA will not recognize JET 4.0 eap files.

• Download the Jet 4.0 version of the EABase.eap file from the website: http://www.sparxsystems.com/bin/EABase_JET4.zip
• Extract this eap file to your local machine
• Run "Tools | Data Management | Project Transfer"
• Perform an EAP to EAP transfer with your own file as the source and the jet4 eap file as the target.
• Open the jet4 eap file and attempt to enter the characters you require.  Files should now save and open again without any data loss.

Alternately, if Microsoft Access 2000 or higher is available, use the 'convert database' feature in Access to upgrade the EAP file for this purpose (may need to rename file to .mdb and back to .eap when finished).

If you wish to make sure that all new .eap files created by EA use the Jet 4.0 format, replace the EABase.eap file in your EA install directory with the file in the EABase_JET4.zip file.


I can't help thinking though that a sensible default going forward (10+ years after access 97) in to support unicode out of the box.

[skiwi]

There is still a problem with spell checking, the spell check dialogue box does not display unicode characters correctly (see previous illustration)
and certainly does not correct a word where the correction includes a unicode character.

[skiwi]

I have reported a number of Unicode ([ch257][ch275][ch299][ch333][ch363]) issues for EA 7.5 848 on Windows with SQL Server 2003.

These include

• the spell checker issue
• unable to read an ODBC connection that is named with a Unicode character)
• odd behaviour where unicode data is entered in some fields (and subsequently lost)

I urge you to report any more you find.

[skiwi]

In some cases the use of Unicode causes the project integrity check to fail, see the (not attached - grrr) image below

[nvtrung]

And we CAN'T use Unicode character in RTF editor of EA (right click on an element --> Create Linked Document).