[Lantica Software Support Center] Most Popular Articles

Where can I find more information, such as online help, with Sesame and Sesame Designer?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:01:20 GMT

Lantica.com Links

Find out more about the Sesame Database Manager software (including what's new in Sesame 2, features, pricing and testimonials).
Download the newest version of Sesame (as well as free trial downloads for Windows and Linux).
View Sesame's Change Log, Errata, the most current sbasic_include.sbas file, dictionary files (needed for Sesame's spellchecker), instructions for Sesame's new button menus, as well as a complete listing, per version, of new features and fixes.
Sign up for one-on-one personal on-line demos of Sesame.
Visit Sesame's Support Center for Getting Started Tips (step-by-step instructions for things like adding, sorting and retieving records), technical support options (such as focused support sessions, online support, and the Lantica Forum and Knowledgebase. (More on the Knowledgebase below.) Through the Knowledgebase you can also "open a ticket" to request help from Lantica Technical Support. Tech support can provide case-specific design advice, programming help, and even make immediate changes to your design, directly on your computer. Additional links and resources are provided to help direct you to consulting services - Sesame professionals from all over the world, and other websites that offer support for Lantica products, such as Hammer Data Systems where you can inquire about Sesame classes. Find your link to Inside Sesame here also - the "monthly do-it-yourself guide to all things Sesame".
Find all the necessary contact information for Sales and Technical Support here (including Q&A support).
Support for Q&A can also be found via the links provided on Lantica's Q&A resource page
And last but not least, what web-page would be complete withoutTwitter and Facebook links?

Lantica Knowledgebase

Browse or search through numerous articles on the various features and facets of Sesame. Articles are arranged under the following topics: Client/Server, Form/Database Design, FAQ's, General Questons, Integration with Other Programs, Internet, Programming, Q&A Translation, Report Design, Sesame Administration, Troubleshooting, and Working With Your Data / Records.

The User Forum is where Sesame users can discuss their experiences, ask questions, and offer advice to other members. Discussions are are organized in the following way: Lantica Discussion (any discussion on any Lantica topic, updates on the newest available version of Sesame, where users can suggest features for the newest version as well), Programming Examples (for tested, working SBasic code designed to perform a particular task/function), Sample Applications (demonstrates technique or performs a task), as well as a board for discussions not directly related to Sesame (such as Q&A questions and off-topic posts of general interest to Forum members.

Documentation (5 printed or pdf guides included with your Sesame software)

The Quick-Start Tutorial

Demonstrates basic commands and building blocks of Sesame by guiding the user through the creation of 5 simple applications, each with focus on different features and tasks.

Q&A Translation Guide

Provides all the info needed to make Q&A translations go smoothly, inclduding advice on preparing Q&A databases to minimize post-translation efforts in Sesame.

Multi-User Guide

Supplied with purchase of Multi-License package, covers setup and operation of Seame in client-server mode.

Sesame User Guide

Comprehensive guide to all Sesame's features and facilities. Provides both basic instruction and more detailed reference info on all aspects of using Sesame.

Sesame Programming Guide

Provides detailed info needed to create useful and intuitive applications to meet the demands of home offices, small business users, all the way to medium-sized organizations and corporate departments. Sesame contains a wealth of programming tools in language designed to be easy enough for non-programmers yet powerful enough for experienced application designers. Includes usage examples. Each Sesame installation also includes pdf documentation files. These enable the user to take the documentation along anywhere Sesame goes, print sections, and copy programming examples in the Programming Guide to paste into their own application.

Sample Databases

Each installation includes sample databases that emphasize different abilities and features of Sesame and Sesame Designer.

Reconfiguring Norton Security Suite To Allow Client/Server Connections

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:28:35 GMT

Reconfiguring Norton Security Suite To Allow Client/Server Connections

Description of Issue:

A recent update to the version of Norton Security Suite that is provided by Comcast to its subscribers may reset all firewall settings and remove exceptions for Sesame.
This can result in network connecivity issues when running Sesame in a Client/Server environment.

Affected Users:

Individuals using the Norton Security Suite utility provided by Comcast who use Sesame in a Client/Server environment.

Symptoms:

Sesame Client connections are dropped and the Sesame Client closes within 1-5 minutes starting Sesame.
Clients may recieve a message that states "Error Communicating With Server".

Quick Navigation:

Jump To Configuring Exceptions For Executables
Jump To Configuring Port Exceptions
Jump To Related Knowledgebase Articles

Steps to reconfigure exceptions for the Sesame exectuable in Norton Security Suite

Open the control panel for Norton Security Suite.
You can do this by double-clicking on the Norton icon in your Windows taskbar or via the Start Menu.
Left click on the option for 'Settings' located in the top right corner of the Norton window.
In the Settings panel, left-click on the option labeled 'Firewall'
In the Firewall panel, left-click on the tab labeled 'Program Rules'
On the Program Rules tab, left-click on the command button labeled 'Add'
A file dialogue box will open and prompt you to select a program
Navigate to 'C:/Sesame2/Program' (or your machine's Sesame directory) and select 'Sesame.exe'
A Norton Security Suite message will appear and ask what you want to do with the executable file
Select 'Allow' and left-click the command button labeled 'OK'
On the Program Rules tab, left-click on the command button labeled 'Add'
A file dialogue box will open and prompt you to select a program
Navigate to 'C:/Sesame2/Program' (or your machine's Sesame directory) and select 'SDesigner.exe'
A Norton Security Suite message will appear and ask what you want to do with the executable file
Select 'Allow'
On the Program Rules tab, left-click on the command button labeled 'Apply' at the bottom of the window

Steps to reconfigure port exceptions in Norton Security Suite

Open the control panel for Norton Security Suite.
You can do this by double-clicking on the Norton icon in your Windows taskbar or via the Start Menu.
Left click on the option for 'Settings' located in the top right corner of the Norton window.
In the Settings panel, left-click on the option labeled 'Firewall'
In the Firewall panel, left-click on the tab labeled 'Traffic Rules'
On the Traffic Rules tab, left-click on the command button at the bottom of the window labeled 'Add'
This will take you to the 'Add Rule' wizard.
In the 'Add Rule' wizard, select the option labeled 'Allow: Allow connections that match this rule'
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard you will be asked, "What type of connection do you want to allow?"
Select the option labeled 'Connections to and from other computers'
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard you will be asked, "What computer or sites do you want to allow access to?"
Select the option labeled 'Any computer'
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard you will be prompted for the type of protocol to allow, leave the combo box set to 'TCP and UDP'
You will also be asked, "What types of communication or ports do you want to allow?", select the option labeled 'Only communications that match all types and ports listed below'
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Add' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Specify Ports' window, make the following settings:
     - Set "Filter By:" to 'Port Range'
     - Set "Locality:" to 'Local'
     - Set "Enter the starting point" to '20000' (or to the first port of the two you use)
     - Set "Enter the ending point" to '20001' (or to the second port of the two you use)
Left-click on the command button labeled 'OK' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard, Left-click on the command button labeled 'Add' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Specify Ports' window, make the following settings:
     - Set "Filter By:" to 'Port Range'
     - Set "Locality:" to 'Remote'
     - Set "Enter the starting point" to '20000' (or to the first port of the two you use)
     - Set "Enter the ending point" to '20001' (or to the second port of the two you use)
Left-click on the command button labeled 'OK' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard, Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard, you can leave both options unchecked
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
In the 'Add Rule' wizard, you can name the rule you have just created
We recommend a name like "Firewall Rule - Sesame Ports
Left-click on the command button labeled 'Next' at the bottom of the window
You can left-click on the command button labeled 'Finish' to complete the wizard
Exit the Norton Security Suite control panel and reboot your machine

Related Knowledgebase Articles:

Troubleshooting Client/Server Connection Issues

Using Sesame For The First Time

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:06:31 GMT

1. The installation puts two icons on the desktop. One for Sesame and a second one for Sdesigner. The Sesame icon will access your databases. Sdesigner is for designing screen layouts, programming applications and designing reports.

To open and use Sesame, double-click on the Sesame icon. The Sesame Database Manager will open displaying the opening screen and menu bar. File, Edit, Macro, View, Help and Quick Start Menu.

2. To open a database, select File then Open Application from the Sesame menu bar at the top of the window or click on the Open Button.

3. With the default installation, a file dialogue will appear showing the data folder - which is initially empty - and the Samples folder beneath it. Click on the Samples folder to display the Sesame sample applications. Each seperate application ends with the extension .db.

4. Click on an application to open it in the Sesame program. When the application opens, you will see the Sesame menu button system from which you can select which form you would like to load.

The menu buttons present your choices in an organized manner. The application name "Sample Customers Application" is at the top. The next level shows the Forms in the application.

Once your records are displayed in Update mode, F10 will save the record & move forward to the next one, F9 saves & moves back a record, Shift-F6 opens the records in table view, F6 expands any field on the record, F7 returns to search mode, F3 deletes a record, Shift-F10 saves the record and returns to the application menu.

5. To Search a database (Customers.db), click on the name of the form (Main Form) on the Application Menu. The form will open in Search mode (where you specify what records you want to see) with a new set of menu buttons displaying search options. To see all of the records, press F10. To select a specific set of record (e.g. all people whose last name is Jones), type the restriction directly in the element on the form and press F10.

6. To add new records, click on the name on the Add New Records button on the menu. You will be put in a new form. Enter your data in the applicable element and press F10 to save and add another or Shift-F10 to save your record and go back to the application menu.

Troubleshooting Client/Server Connection Issues

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 14:31:47 GMT

Problems during initial setup:

Before beginning this troubleshooting guide, double check that server and client versions of Sesame are the exact same version. Version mismatching can lead to many problems, not just communication problems, so always be sure you are running same version on the server and all client computers.

1: I get an Error message saying "One or more of the files may be set to read-only" then I get another error saying that the files failed to open.

Check that there is no space in between the hyphen and the word client (or server) in the target of the Sesame icon.
Check the spelling on the "Client"(or "Server") switch after sesame.exe
Check that the Sesame version string at the top of the Sesame window says Sesame Plus not Sesame Personal. Sesame Personal does not have Client/Server capabilities.

2: I get an Error message saying "Error failed to connect to server"

Check that the Server name used in the target of the Client icon is the computer name of the computer running Sesame Server
Check that the Sesame Server is running on the Server computer
Check Firewall on both Server and Client computers.(See Firewall section below)
Verify network connection to the Server computer using the Ping command
If Ports have been specified in the Server's target path, those same ports need to be specified in the Client's target path
If Ports are specified on the Target path check that there is no spaces in between the Server Name, the colons and the ports
If you're trying to connect Sesame Client/Server over the Internet, verify that the TCP Ports for Sesame, 20000 and 20001 by default, are forwarded to the Server computer in the Port Forwarding section of the Router's configuration.

3: I get an Error message saying "Failed to connect to the Server - too many clients" followed by an Error message saying "Failed to connect to the Server" but there is only one Client connected to the Server

Check the Sesame Server dialog on the Server computer, and see if the "Connections" field at the top of the window says 1 out of 1. If it does the license file may not be in the right place. Start by checking the "Start In:" property of the Sesame Server icon and make a note of the path displayed in it, by default the path is C:\Sesame2\. You will need to place the s_license2.lic file into that directory. Then shut down the Sesame Server program using the shutdown commands under Server Administration from the open client and then restart it. The "Connections" field should now show the correct number of allowed clients. If it does not, contact Technical Support for additional assistance.

Problems after initial setup/connection:

The first thing you are going to want to try if you've just started having issues with Client/Server not working properly is to try a re-boot of the Server computer. Sometimes certain network problems can be solved with a simple reboot of the Server machine. If the problem just started happening and Client/Server was running correctly before and nothing has changed with the network configuration itself, try a reboot.

1: Sesame Client closes after being open for a short period of time

Check Firewall on both Server and Client computers.(See Firewall section below)
Update to Sesame version 2.5.2 or newer, if you're currently on an older version
If you are connected to the Server computer via a Wireless connection, try connecting with a patch cable and see if problem persists
Check for Port conflicts with other programs(See Port Conflcts section below)

2: Sesame Client closes after being open for longer than 5 minutes.

Check Firewall on both Server and Client computers.(See Firewall section below)
Check Power Saving Settings on the Network Card of both the Client and the Server computers(See Power Saving Setting on the Network Card section below)
Check Router settings for port timeouts and connection timeouts or try substituting a different router as certain routers have internal timeouts built into them that can not be changed.
Check to see if the Server computer has been assigned a different IP address from when Client first connected to the Server computer(See DHCP section below)
Check to see if the Client computer has been assigned a different IP address from when it first connected to the Server computer(See DHCP section below)
If you are connected to the Server computer via a Wireless connection, try connecting with a patch cable and see if problem persists
It could be that the problem you are experiencing is a hardware issue. Try substituting in a new network card, different cable, switch, etc.

Firewall

Certain firewall programs will allow the initial connection, but will time out the connection after a few minutes and close the ports that Sesame is using. To get firewalls to not only allow the initial connection, but to also allow the ports to remain open, you need to tell the firewall not to mess with the ports that Sesame is using.

On the Windows Firewall be sure that both the program sesame.exe and the communication ports(Default: TCP 20000 and 20001) are on the allowed exceptions list.

For other Firewalls add exceptions for either the program or the ports or both depending on what it allows you to add for exceptions.

If you already added these exceptions to your Firewall when you first set up Sesame in Client/Server, but are now experiencing problems, double check that the exceptions are still there. Some software updates to Firewall programs have been known to delete exceptions that have been added by the user.

Different firewall programs have different settings for timeouts. If your connections are timing out after some number of minutes, check the manual for your firewall program to see where they set timeouts.

Power Saving Setting on the Network Card

In Windows Control Panel open the System properties. Switch to the Hardware tab and click Device Manager. Under Network Adapters check the properties of all the items listed. If they have a Power Management tab, make sure that the option "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." is unchecked.

Port Conflicts

Sesame by default runs on TCP Ports 20000 and 20001. If you have another program that is using either of these ports, or suspect you have another program on either of those ports, you will want to assign a different set of ports for Sesame to use. The port numbers must be sequential with the second port being 1 number higher than the first port number.

DHCP

Since Sesame requires a constant network connection between the Client and Server computers if either one of the IP addresses was to change, the connection would be broken. If you are using DHCP, to assign IP addresses to the computers, check that the Client Lease Time is set to 24 Hours. In some cases it may be necessary to assign a static IP address to the Server, Client, or both computers.

Running Sesame On The Web

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 19:38:04 GMT

With the free release of the Sesame API, it has never been easier to deploy a Sesame application on the web. Using Sesame's ability to save a form as HTML (the language of web pages) and to then integrate that web page with an online Sesame application using the API, it is no more than an afternoon's work to get your application "on the web." Providing support for the common scripting languages of the web (PHP, Perl, Python, Java, and C#), the API lets any web page send data to a Sesame server, or get data from the server in much the same way as the usual Sesame client software.

As many of you have seen, the convenience of having an application on the web is paramount in today's business climate. Customers, salespeople, regional offices, and your people "on the road" all need access to information, and they need it immediately wherever they are. Deploying information on the web provides that information to your customers or employees anywhere they can get on the internet, with no more software than a web browser. This means that they no longer have to wait until they get back to the office to update the application or get the latest information from the database. It is, quite literally, at their fingertips all of the time.

Getting Your Data Uploaded

Almost all web servers, the machines that provide web pages, run either Linux or Windows. Currently Linux is the much more popular choice for web servers. If you have Sesame for Windows, you can obtain and run Sesame for Linux at no additional cost. To run Sesame on a web server that you own and manage is as simple as copying the executable to that server along with your application and license files. If you are using a third party web server, as most of us are, it is not much more difficult to deploy Sesame, but there are a few simple requirements. You must have some way of copying files to the web server. Typically, this is done using a program known as FTP ("file transfer protocol/program"). There are special FTP programs for Windows that have an easy to use graphical user interface. Alternatively, a command line FTP program comes with every version of Windows since Windows 95. A typical FTP session to send Sesame to a web server would look something like this:

(Instructions are in italics and bold. The portions you need to type are in bold and appear after a "ftp>" or "C:>" prompt. Replies from FTP usually start with a number (i.e.: 220, 230, etc...) and may vary from one server to another.)

On the command line type ftp, followed by the name of your web site
C:\> ftp www.YourWebSite.com
220-Welcome to www.YourWebSite.com

FTP will now prompt you for your login name and password. These should be provided by the company providing your web server.
Name: YourLoginName
331 User YourLoginName OK. Password required
Password: ************
230-User YourLoginName has group access
230 Ok. Current directory is /
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.

Go into the directory where web pages are kept - usually "www" or "public_html".
ftp> cd www
250 OK. Current directory is /www

Make a directory ("folder") to put sesame in.
ftp> mkdir Sesame2
257 "Sesame2" : The directory was successfully created

Go into that directory.
ftp> cd Sesame2
250 OK. Current directory is /www/Sesame2

Send sesame to the web server putting it in the directory you just created: "Sesame2".
ftp> send sesame
local: sesame remote: sesame
229 Extended Passive mode OK (|||36665|)
150 Accepted data connection
100% |*******************************************************************************************************************| 6746 KB 77.14 KB/s 00:00 ETA
226-File successfully transferred
226 87.699 seconds (measured here), 76.93 Kbytes per second
6908361 bytes sent in 01:27 (76.92 KB/s)

Log out of FTP and disconnect from the server.
ftp> bye
221-Goodbye. You uploaded 6748 and downloaded 0 kbytes.
221 Logout.

Yes, it is a bit cryptic and difficult, mostly due to its age. FTP is probably one of the oldest programs still in general use, invented in the late 1960s. Don't let it intimidate you. At the end of the day, it is simply a program from copying files from one machine to another. For this example, send sesame (the linux executable), sunlock (the linux version), s_license2.lic (your license file), and the sample application Customers files - both the .db and the .dat files to your web server, using the approach seen above. You can send more than one file by re-issuing the "send" command for each file. You can send files using a wildcard by using the "mput" command. For example, "mput *.html" will send each HTML file in your local directory to the server.

Starting a Sesame Server on the Web

After you have Sesame uploaded to the server, the next step is learning how to execute Sesame as a server. Fortunately, most web servers provide their users with a simple means for launching programs. Unfortunately, because web servers do not, and usually cannot, have a graphical user interface, we'll be spending a bit more time on a command line. If you are acquainted with the Windows (DOS) command line, this will not be very different. If you have only used icons and menus, this is may help you better understand one of the basic ideas behind any operating system. Whether you are using a graphical user interface (GUI) on Windows or one Linux, you have actually always been using a command line, the graphics simply hide this from you. Right click on any icon on your desktop and select "Properties" from the menu that appears. This will launch the "Properties" dialog box for that icon. Dig around a little and you will find fields that tell the operating system what program to launch and in what directory ("folder") to launch it. These are exactly the same things you would type on a command line, except the operating system's desktop does the typing for you.

Web servers need to provide capabilities to many users at once and need to send information to hundreds, if not thousands, of users simultaneously. It would be impractically slow to provide so many users with their own GUI and desktop through the internet. Instead, most web servers provide a command line interface to your account, files, and directories on the server. Because we are "on the internet," this connection between your computer and the web server for this command line is usually encrypted. This keeps prying eyes from getting your passwords and other critical information you may not want to share with the internet at large. Almost all Linux web servers provide a facility called "ssh" for connecting to a command line on your web account. Linux provides ssh as part of the operating system. For Windows users there are many free ssh utilities. The most prominent of these is PuTTY. If your web server does not provide any means to get to a command line, you should seriously consider changing web server companies.

Setting up ssh or PuTTY to work with your web server isn't difficult and there are dozens of examples for each program provided on the internet. Adapting these examples to your situation is usually just a matter of typing in the name of your web server and the login and password provided when you purchased the web site. Some web providers require that you provide additional identification when you apply to get ssh access to your web site. They do this to make sure that no one else is getting access to your stuff.

Once you have ssh setup, you are ready to log in. You will be asked to provide a user and and password. PuTTY lets you set these up once for each server you plan to access, so you don't have to type them in each time you connect. After successfully logging in, you will be provided with a command prompt. Because your web server is probably a Linux box, this command prompt will probably look a bit different from the command line in the command window in Windows. For example it may use "$" or "#" as the prompt character, instead of the ">" that Windows uses. Some of the commands you can issue on the command line will be the same as those used by "DOS" and some are different. For example, Linux uses "cd" to change directories, just as DOS does. But, instead of "DIR", Linux uses "ls" to list files and directories. Also, Linux is case sensitive. So, "ls" is a known Linux command, but "LS" and "Ls" are not. Another difference is that Linux uses the forward slash ("/") to separate directory names, where DOS uses the backslash character ("\"). To see the path where you are logged in, type the command "pwd". You should see something like: "/home/YourWebName".

To launch Sesame on the server, you will need to "navigate" to the directory you created using FTP. So issue the command "cd www/Sesame2". Now type "pwd" and you should see that your current directory is "/home/YourWebName/www/Sesame2". If you type "ls", you should see sesame, sunlock, s_license2.lic, Customers.db and Customers.dat listed. Launching Sesame on a web server is very similar to launching it on an ordinary Sesame server.

sesame -daemon -server localhost:20000:20001 &

The three differences you should immediately notice are that you have used the "-daemon" flag, that the server is called "localhost", and the command line ended with a "&". The "-daemon" flag tells Sesame to run without any kind of graphical user interface. If you forget to specify this flag, Sesame will complain that it can't open a "display" and exit. We specify "localhost" instead of the server name because we don't want Sesame to be directly accessible to the internet. Huh? What, you ask, wasn't that the point? Well, sort of. Most web servers only allow a handful of well known "ports" to be directly accessible to people connecting to that server from the outside world. Port 80 is open because that is the port that the web server software uses to talk to web browsers. Port 25 is usually open to provide email services. But ports 20000 and 20001 are usually closed on the server's firewall and cannot be opened to the public. So, instead we open those ports on "localhost". The "localhost" is a a nickname for the virtual network that is only available to programs running on the very same computer. Since we want Sesame to be available to the web server software, usually "Apache", and that software is running on the same computer as the Sesame server software, using "localhost" is the way to go. Apache will be responsible for providing access to Sesame to the outside world. The last bit that is different is the ampersand "&" that appears at the end of the command line. This tells Linux that we want our command line back before the Sesame server has completed executing. By running Sesaame "detached", you get to continue issuing commands to Linux while Sesame is running, and Sesame will continue running after you log off.

If you get an error message "Permission denied" when you try to launch Sesame, that means that FTP did not set the execute permissions on the file when it transfered it from your computer. Type "chmod +x sesame" to tell Linux that sesame is a executable file. Linux does not use file extensions like ".exe" to determine if a file is an executable. Instead, it uses permissions that are much the same as the read/write permissions Windows files have. The command chmod ("change mode") is used to change those permissions.

Building a Web Page to Serve Sesame Data

The next steps take place back on your computer, so we need to stop sesame and log off the Linux server. To stop sesame, type "killall sesame". This tells Linux to stop any processes you own (you launched it, so you own it) named "sesame". Once sesame is terminated, log off of the Linux server by pressing ctrl-d or typing exit. You should now be disconnected from the web server and back on your own computer.

Sesame has the ability to make a web page from a form. As an example, open the Customers.db sample application, open the only form, enter "Add Mode" so the form is blank, and select "Save Current Record to HTML" from the menu. Set the filename to "customers.html". HTML is the language of web pages. Basically, you have told Sesame to translate the current form into HTML and to save result in a text file with a ".html" extension. Some small modifications to this file will be needed in order to use it as a web page for the Sesame API. Using a text editor (not a word processor), edit the customers.html file. The code you are seeing is the "source code" of a web page. In our case it is a HTML form. Most of the lines in the file represent different elements that appeared in the Sesame customer's form. You can bring this web page up in your web browser by browsing to the directory where you created the file and selecting "customers.html". The web page should resemble the original Sesame form. In your text editor, move to the line that says "<FORM>" and change it to read:

<FORM action="main.cgi" method="post">

Open a blank line above the line that says, "</FORM>" and type in the following lines:

<div style="position:absolute; left:200; top:500px; background:#e5e5e5; color:#000000;">
<input type="submit" name="mysubmit" value="Search">
&lt/div>

This will create a "Search" button at the bottom of the form. Save the file. The first change to the <FORM> tag tells the web server that the program called "main.cgi" is to be used when someone submits this form. The second change adds a button that will cause the submit to take place.

Using the Sesame API

The next step is to write the "main.cgi" file that runs when a user presses the "Search" button. Again, use a text editor to create a file named "main.cgi". It should contain the following code:


#!/usr/bin/python2.6

import sesame_python_api
import cgi
import os
import sys

happy = sesame_python_api.SesameConnect("www.YourWebSite.com")
if(happy  t.t 2> t2.t &")
else:
        sesame_python_api.SesameDisconnect()

happy = sesame_python_api.SesameConnect("www.YourWebSite.com")
if(happy > 0):
        search_str = ''
        form = cgi.FieldStorage()
        for field in form.keys():
                if(field != 'mysubmit'):
                        search_str = search_str + '!' + field + '=' + form[field].value + '%'
        search_str = search_str[:-1]
        nn = sesame_python_api.SesameSearch("Customers.db", "Customers", 0, 2, search_str, "", "")
        print 'Content-Type: text/html\n'
        print ''
        print ''
        print ''
        print 'Search Results'
        print ''
        print ''
        if(nn > -1):
                num = sesame_python_api.SesameTotal(nn)
                if(num > 0):
                        sesame_python_api.SesameSort(nn, "Last:-1")
                        print '

Search Results

' print '

Your search returned ' + str(num) + ' records:

' print '

Start a New Search

' print '


' + str(loop) + '	' + last + '	' + first + '	' + company + '

' else: print '

Your search returned no matching records.

' print '

Start a New Search

' sesame_python_api.SesameClose(nn) else: print '

Error: Search failed.

' print '

Start a New Search

' print '' print '' sesame_python_api.SesameDisconnect() else: print 'Content-Type: text/html\n' print '' print '' print '' print 'Search Results' print '' print '' print '

Error: Sesame server cannot be started.

' print '' print ''

Of course, replace "YourWebSite" with the actual name of your website. The code is written in the very popular scripting language known as "Python". It is easily adapted to any of the other scripting languages the Sesame API supports, such as PHP, Perl, Java, or C#. If you know SBasic, then you should recognize a number of the commands in the code. For example "sesame_python_api.SesameSearch" is the same command as "XResultSetSearch" in SBasic. Basically, this program knows how to start a Sesame server, if it is not running, get search values off of the submitting web page ("customers.html"), connect to the Sesame server, perform a query based on the values from the web page, and return the results in a table on a new web page.

Putting It All Together

Using FTP, upload the customer.html file, the main.cgi file, and the following files from the free Sesame API package to the same directory (/home/YourWebSite/www/Sesame2) where you uploaded sesame, sunlock, and the Customers.db and Customers.dat files:

sesame_python_api.py
sesame_python_api.pyc
_sesame_python_api.so

Log into your server using ssh or PuTTY. Navigate to your directory ("cd www/Sesame2"). If you issue the command "ls" you should see a list of files. You should have the following files listed:

Customers.dat
Customers.db
customers.html
main.cgi
sesame
sesame_python_api.py
sesame_python_api.pyc
_sesame_python_api.so
s_license2.lic
sunlock

To make sure that each of the files are executable, issue the following commands:

chmod +x main.cgi
chmod +x sesame
chmod +x sunlock
chmod +x sesame_python_api.py
chmod +x sesame_python_api.pyc
chmod +x -sesame_python_api.so

You can now check out your work. Using a web browser navigate to "http://www.YourWebSite.com/Sesame2/customers.html". You should see the same form you looked at earlier. Type a Q&A style search spec into the form, for example set "First" to "a.." and press the "Search" button at the buttom. The main.cgi script will be invoked. It will check if sesame is running. If not it will start it. This may take a short while. It will then return a web page with a table of the results for those people that have a first name that starts with "a":

Your search returned 17 records:


0	Black	Arnold
1	Charles	Angie
2	Delavina	Alice
3	Dent	Anthony	Dent & Dent
4	Depaulo	Anthony
5	Di Paola	Ann	Di Paola Executive Placement Service
6	Farquharson	Aurora & Banny
7	Gemmill	Amy	Gemmill & Partners
8	Harper	Arinn
9	Hughes	Ali	Nationwide Self Storage
10	Liddell	Alice
11	Serra	Armando
12	Targan	Adrian
13	Thompson	Anna	Hop Skip & Jump Enterprises
14	Varnell	Ann Marie
15	Webb	Alice
16	Wise	Anne & Francis

If Sesame is already running, searches will take less time because the web server doesn't have to start up the Sesame server. So it is probably a good idea to run the first search yourself before you let the general public have a go. Of course, if the web server needs to rebooted at any time, the first person to use your page will see the slight slow down as Sesame is invoked.

A Live Example

To see this very example up and running on a website. Send your browser to http://www.lantica.com/APIExample. I have kept this example especially plain and simple so that the code would be as uncluttered as possible. But it is not difficult to pretty it up a bit or even completely change it to post information to a Sesame application, or use multiple applications - some reading others writing. The possibilities are endless. And, because this is a Sesame application running on web page, it can be accessed from all over the world with nothing more complicated than a web browser.

Accessing Sesame Securely Using the Sesame Client

One question that keeps coming up since Sesame was a new product and has special relevence to running Sesame on the web, is "Can I run Sesame through a secure connection?" The answer is, and always has been, "yes". Earlier, you set up ssh or PuTTY to access your web server. As I mentioned, this connection is encrypted. The type of encryption is identical to that used by web sites that need a secure connection for commerce or banking. We can take advantage of the ssh software to use a Sesame client/server connection to talk to the Sesame server running up on your website. Just as Apache (the web server) can be used to talk to the outside world for the Sesame server, the ssh process that is running on your web server can also be used to connect a Sesame client running on your machine to the Sesame server running on your web server.

When you set up the Sesame server for your website, you set it to use the default ports 20000 and 20001 on "localhost". These ports are not allowed to be opened to the outside world, but other programs running on your web server are allowed to talk to Sesame through these ports on "localhost". If you were allowed to run the Sesame client right on your web server, and it could open a graphical user interface window and send it through the internet to your computer, we wouldn't need a "proxy program" to run Sesame securely through the net. Unfortunately, almost no web servers provide that kind of interface. Instead, we can set up ssh or PuTTY to act as a proxy between Sesame running on localhost ports and the internet, and run Sesame client right on your computer. The ssh program (and PuTTY) both know how to use a technique called "port forwarding". This is where a program reads all of the data that comes in to localhost on one or more specified private ports and then sends that across the net on its own public port. It also listens to its public port and send any data it receives to any number of private localhost ports. If your web server is accessible using ssh or PuTTY, it is unlikely that you will need to make any changes to it to connect a Sesame client on your computer to a Sesame server on your website.

Using SSH

If you are using ssh, a simple command line is all you need to connect a Sesame client to a Sesame server on a website:

ssh -L 20000:www.YourWebSite.com:20000 -L 20001:YourWebSite.com:20001 YourLogin@YourWebSite.com

The "-L" flag tells ssh that you want to forward ports locally and on the server. After it is invoked, it will prompt you for your login password. Once that is typed in, you will be connected to the server and see the Linux command line. You don't have to type anything on that command line. Simply stay logged in. Now, on your computer start a Sesame client:

sesame -client localhost:20000:20001

Because ssh has set up port forwarding, the "conversation" the Sesame client has on ports 20000 and 20001 will get intercepted on your computer by ssh. Ssh will encrypt that conversation and send it across the internet on its own port (usually 22) to the ssh server running on your web server. Because ssh has been told to forward these ports, the ssh server on your web server will then send the conversation to the Sesame server listening to ports 20000 and 20001 on the localhost interface. Once the connection between Sesame client and the Sesame server has been established, you can log off of the remote command line. Ssh will continue to run and maintain the connection, unless you explicitly stop the process.

Using PuTTY

PuTTY has a graphical user interface, so set up is a bit different than the command line ssh. After filling your profile for the connection as you would for any other PuTTY session, select and expand "SSH" on the command tree. Your dialog should appear very similar to the screen shot below. Only two fields here need to be changed. Type 20000 into the "Source port" field, type "localhost:20000" into the "Destination" field and press the "Add" button. A line for that port will appear in the "Forwarded ports:" field. Repeat for the second port, 20001. Of course, if you are using port pairs other than 20000 and 20001, use those instead. Go back to the "Session" screen by selecting "Session". If you have not done so, set your server name, login, and password appropriately for your web server, and save the changes for your session.

With your session complete, you can now invoke that session in PuTTY. PuTTY will connect to your server and setup a SSH command line for you. It is also forwarding ports 20000 and 20001 from your localhost virtual network interface to its own port (usually 22) and sending any data that shows up on those ports to the SSH process on you web server. That SSH process will automatically send any data it receives to the Sesame server running on localhost ports 20000 and 20001 on the web server. Start a Sesame server running on the web server:

sesame -daemon -server localhost:20000:20001

then start a Sesame client on your computer:

sesame -client localhost:20000:20001

and you are now connected to the Sesame server on your web server computer using an encrypted secure connection.

This technique kills two birds with one stone. It allows anyone with ssh or PuTTY and a Sesame client to access Sesame applications hosted on a web server from anywhere in the world. It also encrypts their conversation, so prying ears can't listen in. SSH provides password protection, encryption, and port forwarding. This means that you can run a Sesame server on a central computer and then any of your employees or customers with a Sesame client can access it with an internet connection. But, because it is secured using ssh or PuTTY, unwanted visitors are kept away. And because they are using the same Sesame client ordinarily used to access the Sesame server, all of your forms, reports, programming, and customizations are in place and active. For the price of web site hosting, typically less than $10 a month, you can get a Sesame wide area network.

Searching For Records In A Sesame Database

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:43 GMT

Sesame is form-based. To retrieve and view records from your database, you use a Form like the one you used to enter the records in the first place.

When you open your application, Sesame shows you the Application Menu, which lists your Forms.

To retrieve records from a database, open a Form for that database in Search/Update Mode.

1. Find your form on the Application Menu. The first section on the Application Menu displays the names of the forms in your application.

2. Open your form by left-clicking its name on the Application Menu. Sesame will open a new tab showing your form in Search Mode, ready for you to find existing records.

3. Specify which records you want by typing retrieve criteria into the form, which in this mode is called a Retrieve Spec. To get all your records, leave the form blank. If you enter criteria, you will get only the records that match the criteria. The example below shows a Retrieve Spec that will get only those records where the Last Name is "Anderson".

4. When the Retrieve Spec is filled out the way you want it, retrieve your records by pressing the F10 key. Sesame will find all the matching records in your database and show them to you. You can step forwards and backwards through them by pressing F10 and F9.

5. When you are finished, either press the Escape key to leave Update Mode and return to the Application Menu, or press F7 to start a new search.

Adding New Records To A Sesame Database

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:05:51 GMT

Sesame is form-based. To add a record to your database, you type values into a Form.
When you open your application, Sesame shows you the Application Menu, which lists your Forms.
To add a new record to a database, open a Form for that database in Add Mode.

1. Find your form on the Application Menu. The first section on the Application Menu displays the names of the forms in your application.

2. Open your form by left-clicking its name on the Application Menu. Sesame will open a new tab showing your form in Search Mode, ready for you to find existing records.

3. Select Add New Records from the Essential Commands button panel on the left side of your screen.

4. Type your information into the new record.

5. When the form is filled out the way you want it, save your record by pressing the F10 key. Sesame will save the record and offer you a new blank record to fill out. Continue filling out and saving records until you are finished.

6. When you are finished, press the Escape key to leave Add Mode and return to the Application Menu.

Opening A File In Sesame

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:06:42 GMT

1. From the File Menu, select Open Application.

2. The Select an Application dialog opens. In this dialog, the Database Root Directories dropdown lists the directories Sesame has permission to read. The large window shows the application (.db) files and subdirectories in the selected directory.

3. Select a starting directory from the Database Root Directories dropdown.

4. In the large window where the files are listed, browse until you see the application file you want to open. Left-click on a subdirectory to see the files in that directory.

5. Left-click on the application file you want to open.

6. Sesame opens your application. The Application Menu Buttons which list your forms appear in the main Sesame window.

Sorting Records In Sesame

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:58:19 GMT

Records are not stored in a database in any particular order. If you want to see your records in a specific order, you need to sort them.

1. Open your Form in Search/Update.

2. In the lower left corner of your screen is the Sort Spec. The Sort Spec lists each element on your Form.

3. Click the sort button for each element you want to sort by. An S will appear in the sort button each element you click, indicating that it will be sorted. A second button will also appear with an Ascend. The second button indicates sort direction. The Ascend means ascending sort (A-Z).

4. Run your retrieve. Your records will appear in the order you specified in the Sort Spec. In this case, your records will be in order by Company, Last and First.

NOTE: You can click the sort direction button to toggle between ascending and descending sort.

I get a message that says my application is locked and may be in use. What should I do? (For Sesame v.2)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:49:33 GMT

If an application has been closed incorrectly, the next time you open the application it will be locked. When attempting to open a locked Sesame application, a warning message similar to the following will appear.

"Database C:\Sesame 2\Data\MyData.db failed to open. The application is locked and may currently be in use."

To unlock your application so it can be opened follow the steps below:

Select File > Server Administration.
The Administrator Login dialog appears. Enter the correct administrator login information. By default, the login name is "admin" and the password is "hello". Click on the Accept button.
Select the Unlock Application tab at the bottom of the Server Administration window.
In the area to the left where files are listed browse until you see the application file that is locked.
Left-click on the application file you want to unlock. Sesame displays a confirmation message in the status box at the lower right of the window. Above the confirmation message there is a command button labeled 'Unlock Selected Application'. Click on the command button.
Once you have unlocked your application you can exit the server administration window and open your application.

Note: Please be certain that the application is not in use by any user or server before selecting that application to be unlocked.

Exporting Your Data To A CSV File

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 14:50:36 GMT

1. Open your application and open your form in Search Update mode. Retrieve the records you want to export.

2. If the Spec Window title bar at the bottom left of your screen does not display Export followed by the name of your form, click on the large arrow to the right of the title until Export is the displayed spec.

3. In the Spec Window, click the grey box next to the fields that you want to export. An arrow appears in the box to inform you that the field is selected for export. The number displayed next to the arrow indicates the order of the elements you have selected.

4. In the Spec Window, click on the title bar which should say Export followed by your form name. Select Run from the list of options that appears.

5. The Ascii Export window appears on your screen asking you to enter a filename for the export. Be sure to include the file extension(.csv or .txt) in the filename. The default options will work under most circumstances. Enter the filename you want to use in the Ascii Export Filename box and click Accept.

6. Sesame exports your data to the specified file.

More Information:
Information about Exporting data from Sesame is located on page 343 of the 2.0 Sesame User Guide.

Configuring Sesame Server to Run As a Service or Scheduled Task

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 21:52:47 GMT

Configuring Sesame Server to Run As a Service or Scheduled Task

Description:

Some users find it beneficial to setup Sesame Server to run automatically when their Server machine starts up. This allows Sesame Server to start back up automatically after a power-failure or reboot of the Server machine.

Solutions:

Use a third-party utility such as FireDaemon to launch Sesame Server as a Windows Service.
Use Windows Scheduled Tasks. The steps for setting up Scheduled Tasks appear below.

Windows XP

1: Open the Windows Control Panel

2: For Default View(Category View)

Click on Performance and Maintenance

Click on Scheduled Tasks

2: For Classic View

Click on Scheduled Tasks

3: Click Add Scheduled Tasks

4: Click Next

5: Click Browse

6: Browse to C:\Sesame2\Program

7: Double Click on Sesame.exe

8: In Name enter Sesame Server

9: Select "When my computer starts"

10: Click Next

11: Enter a Windows Login and Password

12: Click Next

13: Check the "Open advanced Properties for this task when I click Finish" checkbox

14: Click Finish

15: On the Task Tab

16: In the Run box after "C:\Sesame2\Program\sesame.exe" add "-Server ComputerName -daemon"

*Note* ComputerName needs to be replaced with the Computer name of this Server Computer

17: Change the Start in field to be C:\Sesame2\

18: Click the Settings Tab

19: Uncheck the "Stop the task if it runs for" check box

20: Click Apply

21: Click OK

The next time you restart your machine, Sesame Server will start automatically.

Vista

1: Open the Windows Control Panel

2: For Default View(Control Panel Home)

Click on System and Maintenance

Click on Administrative Tools

Click on Task Scheduler

2: For Classic View

Click on Administrative Tools

Click on Task Scheduler

3: In the Task Scheduler Click on "Create Basic Task"

4: In Name Enter Sesame Server

5: Click Next

6: Select "When the computer starts"

7: Click Next

8: Select "Start a Program"

9: Click Next

10: In the Program/Script box enter: C:\Sesame2\Program\Sesame.exe

11: In the Add Arguments box enter: "-Server ComputerName -daemon

*Note* ComputerName needs to be replaced with the Computer name of this Server Computer

12: In the Start In box enter: C:\Sesame2

13: Click Next

14: Check the Box that says "Open the Properties dialog for this task when I click Finish"

15: Click Finish

16: Uncheck the "Stop this task if it runs longer than:" checkbox.

17: Click OK and close the Windows Task Scheduler.

The next time you restart your machine, Sesame Server will start automatically.

@SendMail() Error Codes.

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:42:28 GMT

@Sendmail is an SBasic programming command that sends an email message using the information in your database. @SendMail returns 0 if the function succeeded (the email was sent). A non-zero return value indicates a failure. The list of these return values are below.

-1 Unable to connect to SMTP server on SMTP port. Check internet connection, spelling of SMTP server name and SMTP port number of SMTP server.
-2 Failure from SMTP server after initial connection (after HELO was sent). Possible causes are trying to access a SMTP server that requires a login and password without specifying one.
-3 Failure from SMTP server after sending from address. Check the From address to verify that it is a valid email address.
-4 Failure from SMTP server after sending recipient list. Check the To, CC and BCC addresses to verify that they are a valid email address.
-5 Failure from SMTP server after sending body and subject of email
-6 Failure to open attachment files for sending. Check file path, that the file exists and that the current user has read permission to the file
-7 Failure from SMTP server after sending end of message tag.
-8 Failure from SMTP server after sending log off command.
-9 Authorization failure. Check spelling of username and password

Will Sesame run on my operating system?

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 13:47:42 GMT

Sesame is a 32 bit application that runs on the following operating systems:

Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Vista (32 bit)
Windows Vista (64 bit as a 32 bit application)
Windows 7 (32 bit)
Windows 7 (64 bit as a 32 bit application)
Windows 8 (32 bit)
Windows 8 (64 bit as a 32 bit application)
Windows 10 (32 bit)
Windows 10 (64 bit as a 32 bit application)
Windows 11 (32 bit)
Windows 11 (64 bit as a 32 bit application)
All Windows Server 20xx Operating systems to date

As well as:

Linux (for Intel)

Can I create merge documents?

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:02:11 GMT

We are continually asked why Sesame does not include a built-in word processor. The answer is rather simple. One of the two best word processors in the world Microsoft Word or WordPerfect is probably already installed on 99% of the computers our users will be sitting in front of. We did not want to compete with these fine products. We wanted to utilize their power and versatility to complement Sesame.

Almost anyone who works with a database manager needs a way to print merge letters, envelopes or mailing labels using the data in their records. We have already shown that Sesame has three ways of doing this:

Free-Form Sesame reports.
Printing-related programming commands.
Sesame ODBC(Sesame Version 2.5.3 and earlier) with an external word processor.

All of these methods are powerful and available to Sesame users. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Your choice depends on your needs and skill levels. Each will require some familiarization and practice.

It gets even easier

However, our potential customers have been asking for a really quick and easy way to perform mail merge operations from Sesame. We have it for you. No special functions, no programming, no additional drivers are required. Merge procedure # 4 (our favorite) is a simple delimited ASCII export.

Built into Sesames export facilities are several features that make this procedure fast, flexible, easy to accomplish, and compatible with both Microsoft Word and WordPerfect even better, in our opinion, than what you can do in Q&A. These features are:

The ability to export data, on-the-fly, from a group of selected database records, without leaving those records. (Not possible in Q&A.)
The ability to include in the export some or all of the fields in those records.
The ability to automatically include a field name header record in the export file. (Not supported by Q&A.)
The ability to include blank (empty) fields as true null or blank values. (Q&A does not do this.)

What does all this mean? Combining these Sesame export capabilities with the built-in text file merge capabilities of both Word and WordPerfect make creating a merge document from your Sesame database as easy as this:

In Sesame, you retrieve and sort the records you want to include in your merge document or mailing labels.
Select Export from the Spec Window in the lower left corner of the screen. Click on the fields you want to include in your letter, or simply click Set All. Click Run.
In the ASCII Export options screen that appears, click Field Name Header, then type in a filename (its best to use a, txt filename extension) and location for the ASCII export file. Leave all the other settings at their defaults (comma separation, delimit strings, and double quote delimiter) and click Accept.
Open Word or WordPerfect and use the programs Wizards or menus to create your merge letter, envelope, or labels, selecting your data source as Text Files (*.txt) and choosing the export file you just created in Sesame. Insert the merge fields in your document from the lists provided, and you are ready to print.

It is important to understand that this final step #4 needs to be performed only once for each combination of merge document/merge data file. Both word processors enable you to associate (link) a merge document (including an envelope or mailing label template) with your data source filename. This way, the next time open the same merge document, it will automatically connect with your Sesame export file, even when the database records included in that file have changed. In other words, you don't have to recreate the merge document each time you want to print the same merge letter, envelope or label. All that is required is that the structure of the associated merge data file along with its filename and location remain the same.

Both Word and WordPerfect have very good help and documentation on merging with external data from a text file. We can't go into this in detail because the steps vary somewhat between the two products, between different versions of the same product, and may additionally depend on the operating system you are using. Suffice it to say that the average user should be able to learn how to do a merge printing with a Sesame export file in either word processor in just a few minutes.

Its as easy as 1-2-3-4! Okay, we stretched it by one, but it really is simple and it brings all the power and versatility of the two word processing giants to your Sesame data. Do it just once and you will be amazed at how fast you can create and merge-print your information. If you save your merge document, you will be able to simply retrieve a different set of data, export it to the same filename, and print a new set of merge letters in a flash.

Our first attempt at a printing a merge letter using this procedure took no more than five minutes and most of that was in typing the body of the letter.

Print Preview Reports in Internet Explorer 7

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:58:13 GMT

From the Inside Sesame Help Desk

I'm using Windows Vista and IE7 with Sesame. I read all the articles telling me how to take my Sesame reports and use the options in IE7 to change the way they print, send them by email, add headers and footers, and so on. I know that this is not really a Sesame question, but can you give me a tip on where to look. I can't find any of these options in my copy of IE7.
Frank

There are lots of places you can find these things by clicking around on the few icons IE7 offers as a default, but the easiest way is to put the old Menu Bar back. To do this, right click on the Status Bar or click on Tools and make sure that the Menu Bar selection is checked.

Once you do this, you'll have the familiar File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, and Help choices at the top of your screen. Clicking on File will give you the options for Print Preview or Send (To).

Can I use my Sesame database from within Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Access, etc...)

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 19:41:45 GMT

Yes you can. You will want to use the Sesame API or ODBC(Sesame version 2.5.3 or earlier) to accomplish this.

Can I run Sesame on the internet?

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:57:46 GMT

Yes. Sesame uses the same network protocol as the internet (TCP/IP) and works well through an internet connection. There is no change in syntax, installation, or licensing for use of Sesame on the internet.

See the "Running Sesame on the Web" article, elsewhere in this Knowledgebase for more information.

Merging Your Data Into Labels (Microsoft Word 2003)

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:46:53 GMT

1. Export data from Sesame with Field Name Headers

2. Open Microsoft Word

3. In the "Tools" menu select "Letters and Mailings" and then choose "Mail Merge Wizard..."

4. On the right hand side select the "Labels" radio button and then near the bottom select "Next: Starting document"

5. On the right hand side select the "Label options..." button

6. Choose the label that you will be using and select "OK"

7. On the right hand side select the "Next: Select recipients..." button

8. On the right hand side select the "Browse" button

9. In the Filed of Type: drop down at the bottom choose "All Files (*.*)" and browse to where your ASCII file is and select it

10. Set the Field Delimiter to ","

11. Set the Record Delimiter to "(enter)" and click on "OK"

12. On the window that pops up select "OK"

13. On the right hand side select the "Next: Arrange your labels" button

14. Click into the first label on your document and then on the right hand side select the "More Items..." button

15. Insert your database fields in the appropriate spots by selecting the field and then selecting the "Insert" button, when completed click on the "Close" button

16. On the right hand side click the "Update all labels" button

NOTE: Saving your document will cause Word to remember all your merge settings so you can begin from this step the next time you open your merge document.

17. On the right hand side select the "Next: Preview your labels" button

18. On the right hand side select the "Next: Complete the merge" button

19. Click "Print" to print the letters, or click "Edit individual labels" to merge to a new document

Does Sesame have an ODBC driver?

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:01:13 GMT

Yes for Sesame Version 2.5.3 and earlier. The Sesame ODBC driver supports both Query and Read.

I get a message that says my application failed to open. What should I do? (For Sesame v.1)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:38:43 GMT

If an application was closed incorrectly, the next time you open that application it will be locked. When attempting to open a locked Sesame application, a warning message similar to this displays.

To unlock your application so it can be opened

1. From the File Menu, select Server Administration.

2. The Administrator Login dialog appears. By default, the login name is admin and the password is hello. Click on the Accept button.

3. The Server Administration window appears. Select the Unlock Application tab at the bottom of the window:

4. In the large window where the files are listed, browse until you see the application file that will not open. Left-click on a subdirectory to see the files in that directory.

5. Left-click on the application file you want to open. Sesame displays a confirmation message in the status box at the lower right of the window.

6. Click on the Exit button. Once you have unlocked your application you can exit the server administration window and open your application.

Warning:
Unlocking an application that is currently in use by this or any other server can have dire consequences. Please be certain that the application is not in use by any user or server before selecting that application to be unlocked.

Does Sesame support "remote access"?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:33:28 GMT

Yes. By running a Sesame Server on the remote computer, Sesame clients can then connect through an internet connection. This can be any kind of internet connection, on either computer - including a simple "dial-up" connection

Why don't the numbers in my translated database look like they did in Q&A?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:23:56 GMT

I have translated my Q&A 4.0 database in Sesame. I had used two fields to define an address, Street Number and Street Name.

In Q&A I got:

1234	Main Street

In Sesame I get:

1234.000000 Main Street

You have the Street Number field in Q&A set to be a Number field (N). When Sesame translates that data, it has no idea that you don't want it to truly display the entire number with all of its internal decimal places, so it displays the whole thing. There are a few ways to correct this issue.

In Q&A, before translation set the field to be N0 rather than N (zero decimal places).
In Q&A, before translation set the field to be T rather than N (text field).
In Sesame, after translation set the field to display zero decimal places using the Property Editor, Format Tab, Custom Format, Decimal Places setting.

Can Sesame be run behind a firewall?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:30:53 GMT

Yes. Sesame can be set up so that only computers behind the firewall can gain access to the Sesame server. With most firewalls, this will be the default (and desired) behavior. See your firewall's user manual for details on how to allow a program to operate through the firewall, if you want to make your Sesame server available to the public. Some firewalls will produce a warning when Sesame is first launched indicating that a program has "opened ports". Your firewall may need to be informed that Sesame is going to open two ports. Again see your firewall's user manual for details.

What are the minimum system requirements to run Sesame?

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:05:23 GMT

Sesame requires a Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11( or newer) or a Linux (for Intel) operating system. Minimum RAM requirements are the same as those required by the operating system. However, it is a good idea to have a total amount of RAM that is three times the size of your largest database. For network use over a LAN (local area network) or WAN (wide area network), Sesame requires installation of the TCP/IP (standard Internet) protocol on the network. The network server must be capable of running a Windows or Linux (for Intel) program on itself.

[Lantica Software Support Center] Most Popular Articles

Where can I find more information, such as online help, with Sesame and Sesame Designer?

Lantica.com Links

Lantica Knowledgebase

Lantica User Forum

Documentation (5 printed or pdf guides included with your Sesame software)

The Quick-Start Tutorial

Q&A Translation Guide

Multi-User Guide

Sesame User Guide

Sesame Programming Guide

Sample Databases

Reconfiguring Norton Security Suite To Allow Client/Server Connections

Reconfiguring Norton Security Suite To Allow Client/Server Connections

Steps to reconfigure exceptions for the Sesame exectuable in Norton Security Suite

Steps to reconfigure port exceptions in Norton Security Suite

Using Sesame For The First Time

Troubleshooting Client/Server Connection Issues

Running Sesame On The Web

Section Links

Getting Your Data Uploaded

Starting a Sesame Server on the Web

Building a Web Page to Serve Sesame Data

Using the Sesame API

Search Results

Putting It All Together

A Live Example

Accessing Sesame Securely Using the Sesame Client

Using SSH

Using PuTTY

Searching For Records In A Sesame Database

Adding New Records To A Sesame Database

Opening A File In Sesame

Sorting Records In Sesame

I get a message that says my application is locked and may be in use. What should I do? (For Sesame v.2)

Exporting Your Data To A CSV File

Configuring Sesame Server to Run As a Service or Scheduled Task

Configuring Sesame Server to Run As a Service or Scheduled Task

Windows XP

Vista

@SendMail() Error Codes.

Will Sesame run on my operating system?

Can I create merge documents?

Print Preview Reports in Internet Explorer 7

Can I use my Sesame database from within Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Access, etc...)

Can I run Sesame on the internet?

Merging Your Data Into Labels (Microsoft Word 2003)

Does Sesame have an ODBC driver?

I get a message that says my application failed to open. What should I do? (For Sesame v.1)

Does Sesame support "remote access"?

Why don't the numbers in my translated database look like they did in Q&A?

Can Sesame be run behind a firewall?

What are the minimum system requirements to run Sesame?