TechSPEC Database Installation Guide. Version 1.0

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TechSPEC Database

Installation Guide

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Special Notices TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

Tech Data Corporation ii

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Special Notices

Tech Data Corporation iii

Special Notices

Information in this document is subject to change. Companies, names, and data used in examples are fictitious unless otherwise noted.

The following terms used in this document are protected by copyright and trademark laws:

• Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

• Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

First Edition (January 1998)

This document is current as of its edition date. New editions will reflect changes in procedures or technical details.

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Special Notices TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

Tech Data Corporation iv

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Contents

Tech Data Corporation v

Introduction

This guide contains information about the TechSPEC application download and structure. TechSPEC is the Product Detail download application within the TDintegration suite of solutions.

The TechSPEC Database contains all the technical specifications that are associated with Tech Data products. For example, if you are using TDonline or TDweb and click on a line item display, you will see the product detail listing all the current specifications associated with that product. This information is extracted from the TechSPEC Database. The TechSPEC Database is distributed weekly as a single, self-extracting executable through the TechSPEC application on TDweb. The TechSPEC Database is a file that contains only technical information. The uncompressed database file is approximately 130 MB. Compressed it is approximately 13 MB. It has three fields and the current version has more than one million records. These fields and records are described in Chapter 1. “Table structure.”

The TechSPEC Database is offered to your company for internal or external use only. You may not sell the TechSPEC Database to a third party. For complete information, see the TechSPEC User Agreement in the Appendix of this guide.

Technical support

For support related to TechSPEC, call TD InterAct Support at 1-800-222-7926. This toll-free support line is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. If a problem occurs during non-support hours, please email the team at [email protected]. We will reply to your inquiry as soon as possible.

TD InterAct Support can help you with information and guidelines on the location, download, and execution of the self-executable TechSPEC file. TD InterAct Support cannot help you import TechSPEC into your application.

Technical support will also assist you with information on the location of and access to the

Products.dbf file directing you to either TDonline or TDweb. The Techspec.dbf file can be joined to the Products.dbf file to enable customers to search by manufacturer part numbers and descriptions.

TD InterAct Support cannot answer questions concerning programming the databases or how to incorporate the TechSPEC Database in your systems.

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Introduction TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

© Tech Data Corporation viii

What this guide contains

This is an installation guide that includes information about the TechSPEC Database, explanations of the database file structure, and downloading instructions.

Chapter 1. Table structure explains the information found in the Techspec.dbf file.

Chapter 2. Downloading the TechSPEC Database describes what you need to download and how to perform the download.

Chapter 3. Using the Products.dbf file with the Techspec.dbf filelists the components of the price files.

The Appendix contains the TechSPEC User Agreement.

Technical specifications

The technical specifications are contained in a file named Techspec.dbf that has the dBASE III database format.

This file does not need to be run under one specific application. You can use this database file with applications such as Microsoft Access and Microsoft FoxPro.

An index file, Techspec.cdx, accompanies the Techspec.dbf file. It has two tags that Tech Data has created: td_part and U_td_part. Td_part is an ascending tag in the

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Chapter 1. Table structure

© Tech Data Corporation 1

Chapter 1. Table structure

The Techspec.dbf file contains fields and records. Fields are the columns or different sections in the file. Records are the rows of information in the file. Techspec.dbf has three fields:

TD_PART ATTR_NME ATTR_VNME

The TD_PART field contains the Tech Data part number. This is the number you use to search for a product in the database file. An example of a Tech Data part number is

337753. This record can contain up to 15 characters.

The ATTR_NME field contains the attribute names, for example, Vendor name. This record can contain up to 50 characters.

The ATTR_VNME field contains the attribute value. An example of an attribute value is

ADC Kentrox. Some entries in this column may be blank, depending on the product. This record can contain up to 50 characters.

The Tech Data part number is repeated for every attribute of each product. There are no dividing entries to separate the different products. Some Tech Data part numbers may have no entries, depending on the information in the files.

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Chapter 1. Table structure TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

Sample screen

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Chapter 2. Downloading and installing the TechSPEC Database

Chapter 2. Downloading and installing the TechSPEC

Database

To use the TechSPEC Database, you must download the Techspec.exe file and install it. Access to the Techspec.exe file on TDweb is provided to participating customers upon approval from Tech Data. You can download the TechSPEC Database manually, or you can automate the process. This chapter explains both processes.

Downloading Techspec.exe enables you to search by Tech Data part number only. Because Tech Data part numbers are unique, you can easily search for specific products. If you want to search for information using other attributes, such as description or manufacturer part number, you must download an additional file. Information about this file and downloading instructions are in Chapter 3. “Using the Products.dbf file with the TechSpec.dbf file.”

You must run the TechSPEC Setup program to download the database files. The

TechSPEC Setup program is a self-extracting executable. This means that the installation starts automatically.

Note: We recommend that you exit all Windows programs before downloading the database files.

Downloading TechSPEC manually

To download the database files manually, follow these steps: 1. Access TDweb.

2. Click the “Price File Download” link from the Quick Links section.

3. Enter your login ID and password and click OK. The “Updating your Price Files” screen is displayed. If you are eligible to use TechSPEC, the TechSPEC executable (Techspec.exe) is the last file listed.

4. Click Techspec.exe to download it.

After you have downloaded the TechSPEC database, you must install it.

Automating the TechSPEC download

You can use GetProd, the Automated Price File Download Utility to automate your download. GetProd is available on TDweb from the “Automate Your Price File Download” option; and on TDonCD Volume 4 Issue 1. Be sure to download the

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Chapter 2. Downloading and installing the TechSPEC Database TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

To run GetProd from the Windows 95/NT Start menu, follow these steps: 1. Select Run...

2. Type this command line: GetProd (userid) (password) TechSpec.exe TechSpec

3. Click OK.

After you run GetProd, the Techspec.exe file will be downloaded to the same directory as

GetProd.exe and a GetProd.log will be created.

To automate the file update process, you must use a scheduling utility such as System Agent (available in Windows 95 Plus Pack); the “AT” utility available in Windows NT; or a third-party utility (such as “AutoMate 2.6” or “AtNow 1.0”).

An advantage of using GetProd to download the TechSPEC Database is that the download only occurs if the database has been updated. For instance, you can schedule the

download to run nightly, and if the database has not been updated, the download will quit. After you have downloaded the TechSPEC Database, you must install it.

Installing the TechSPEC Database

Note: You need to install the TechSPEC Database after every time you update it, either manually or automatically.

To install the TechSPEC Database, follow these steps:

1. Click the TechSPEC executable (Techspec.exe). The WinZip Self-Extractor is displayed. It contains three buttons: Setup, Cancel, and About.

2. Click the Setup button. The TechSPEC Setup program displays a welcome screen. 3. Click Next. The Tech Data License Agreement is displayed.

4. Click Yes to agree to the Tech Data License Agreement. The setup program displays the next screen.

5. Click on the boxes to select the files you want to install. The files are: Techspec.dbf,

Techspec.cdx, and Techspec.doc.

6. To select the directory in which you want to store these files, click Browse. You can display the remaining space available on each drive by clicking Disk Space. The capacity of each of these files is displayed.

When you choose a drive and directory, TechSPEC displays a message telling you how much space is required for the expanded files and how much space remains in the specified directory.

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Chapter 2. Downloading and installing the TechSPEC Database

8. When a message is displayed stating that the setup is finished, click Finish to close this screen.

To open a .dbf file, first import it into a database software application, such as Microsoft FoxPro or Microsoft Access. Follow the import directions for the database software application you chose.

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Chapter 2. Downloading and installing the TechSPEC Database TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Chapter 3. Using the Products.dbf file with the Techspec.dbf file

Chapter 3. Using the Products.dbf file with the

Techspec.dbf file

The Products.dbf can be joined to the Techspec.dbf file to enable searches using the manufacturer part number and descriptions. Alone, the Techspec.dbf file can only search using the Tech Data part number.

Techspec.dbf has one record for each product and contains no blank entries. It is part of the ProdCOD.exe update. This file is necessary to search for products using an attribute other than the Tech Data part number, such as manufacturer part number or description. The Products.dbf file is one of the six database files contained in the Tech Data price file download. These price files are updated daily.

To start this download, locate the “Updating Your Price Files” area on TDweb and click ProdCOD.exe.

The Products.dbf file contains these fields:

• GRP

• CAT

• SUB

• VEND_CODE

• Manufacturer part number

• Part number

• Description

• Cost

• Retail cost

• Quantity

• List price

• Effective date (the date the product came online)

• TechFax availability

• Status

Some fields are Tech Data specific. For instance, the first four fields (GRP, CAT, SUB, and VEND_CODE) contain the Tech Data commodity code. The Tech Data commodity code is used for the Tech Data Electronic Catalog.

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Chapter 3. Using the Products.dbf file with the Techspec.dbf file TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

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TechSPEC Database Installation Guide Appendix. TechSPEC User Agreement

Appendix. TechSPEC User Agreement

Tech Data Corporation (“Tech Data”) has compiled Tech Specs database which is Tech Data’s

compilation of certain manufacturer specifications related to products distributed by Tech Data. The Tech Specs database includes trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos or other identifiers of products or services, or of companies, which are the source of such products or services (“Trademarks”) contained in the Tech Specs database. Please read the information below. Complete the bottom section, sign the form, and either fax or mail it to Tech Data.

LICENSE

The database is not sold but is licensed to you for your and your customers use in the review, selection, order preparation and purchasing of Tech Data’s products. Your license is perpetual, subject to your maintaining authorized reseller status; nontransferable and nonexclusive; and for use only in your computer reseller business. YOU MAY NOT, except as otherwise specified in this Agreement, (a) copy any of the database, (b) distribute, rent, sublicense or otherwise transfer or disclose, or transmit any of the database electronically, to any person or entity, (c) modify, translate, merge or prepare derivative works from the database, (d) modify, alter, or make other changes to the Trademarks, and will not allow others to make such modifications, alterations, or changes to the Trademarks, or (e) use any of the database for service bureau or other purposes not specified in this Agreement. You hereby acknowledge that this Agreement and the delivery of the database is not a deliverable under any contract with the government of the United States of America or any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF REMEDIES

Tech Data is licensing the data “AS IS.” You acknowledge that this data is licensed for use by you as a convenience for you in communicating with Tech Data related to ordering products.

TECH DATA HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS AND

CONDITIONS, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. TECH DATA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR AS A RESULT OF ANY DELAY, OMISSION OR ERROR IN THE DATA, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE DATABASE CONTAINS INFORMATION OBTAINED BY TECH DATA FROM

MANUFACTURERS AND OTHERS THAT INDUSTRY SOURCES BELIEVE RELIABLE, BUT TECH DATA MAKES NO WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY REGARDING

DATABASE ERRORS AND OMISSIONS, INCLUDING ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS STATED. YOU AGREE THAT THE DATABASE GIVES YOU A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FOR MODEST ECONOMIC CONSIDERATION. YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE

REMEDY FOR ANY BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY TECH DATA SHALL BE RETURN OF ANY FEE PAID BY YOU TO TECH DATA FOR THE DATABASE. IN NO EVENT WILL TECH DATA BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ON ANY LEGAL THEORY WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, EQUITY OR AT LAW EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. TERMINATION

If you do not comply with any provision of this Agreement, this Agreement and the license to use the database shall automatically terminate, and Tech Data may pursue any and all available contractual, legal and/or equitable remedies at its option. You understand that the data may need to be updated from time to time and that Tech Data is not obligated to modify or keep the data current. You agree on termination of

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Appendix. TechSPEC User Agreement TechSPEC Database Installation Guide

this Agreement to immediately cease accessing the database and to return the software. The database includes, but is not limited to, data structures, technical and other specifications, advice and other data or information. All data and other information available on the database is proprietary, confidential and the sole property of Tech Data or its licensees. Unauthorized action may violate not only this Agreement but the copyright laws of the United States, for which both criminal and civil penalties exist by law.

GENERAL

You and Tech Data intend to be legally bound by this Agreement. This Agreement is governed by internal Florida law (with any provision held invalid being severable) and the Federal law of copyright. This Agreement binds you and Tech Data and your and Tech Data’s respective successors and assigns. This Agreement contains the entire understanding between Tech Data and you with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may only be altered by paper-based written agreement signed by both parties.

I have read the above Agreement and accept: Customer No.: ______________________ Company: _____________________________ Contact Name: _________________________ Authorized Signature: _____________________ Title: ________________________________ Address:________________________ ________________________________ City/State/ZIP: _________________________ Phone: (_____)_________________________ Fax: (_____)___________________________ Mail To:

Attention: Tech Data Tech Specs Tech Data Corporation

P.O. Box 6260