FormTool - Revision history

Woozle: moved to htyp

2015-01-31T22:06:33Z

moved to htyp

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:06, 31 January 2015
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	~~[[Category:Techniques]]~~		{{to htyp}}
	~~[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''~~

	FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed at least one niche-commercial-grade application ([[BookEm]]) has been developed with it. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as [[Microsoft Access]].

	Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.

	~~==Automated Deployment==~~

	~~(Documentation of this technique is still in progress, as I have not yet achieved a working deployment this way. --[[User:Woozle\|Woozle]] 17:03, 14 May 2005 (CDT))~~

	FormTool does have a form-filler-only application (Filler) which either may be licensed for unlimited redistribution or else comes that way (not sure). However, there does not seem to be any support for automated deployment of Filler along with the form data/application -- that is, one has to install Filler separately from one's FormTool-based application.

	~~However, it appears to be relatively simple to make a working, single-application deployment of Filler by simply copying the right files to a common folder.~~

	~~===The Install CD===~~

	Looking at the FormTool 5.0 install CD, you see some setup-related executables (autorun.exe, instmsia.exe, instmsiw.exe, setup.exe, setup.ini), what may be an encoded install script of some kind (FormTool v5.msi), and an archive file (Data.Cab) which is readable by WinZip 9.0 SR-1. This last file appears to contain the actual files needed to make FormTool run. Each file in Data.Cab is prefixed by a 5-digit code plus a hyphen; I don't know what the code means.

	~~===Files Needed to Run===~~

	By attempting to run FormTool.exe and Filler.exe (after removing the filename prefix for each), I was able to determine that copying and renaming the following files (also shown after renaming) to a separate folder will allow each .exe to load:

	~~{\| border="0" cellspacing="2" style="font-size:12pt;"~~
	~~\|- bgcolor="#dddddd"~~
	~~\| '''Designer'''~~
	~~\| '''Filler'''~~

	~~\|- bgcolor="#eeeeee" valign=top \~~
	\|
	~~''FormTool.exe''~~
	~~CodeBar.dll~~
	~~CTOCRC32.DLL~~
	~~FTFrm.dll~~
	~~GrPropts.dll~~
	~~IMSIctrl.dll~~
	~~Inspector.dll~~
	~~Password.dll~~
	~~Rotr.dll~~
	~~Utils.dll~~
	~~XControls.dll~~
	~~zlib.dll~~
	\|
	~~''Filler.exe''~~
	~~CodeBar.dll~~
	~~FTFrm.dll~~
	~~GrPropts.dll~~
	~~Password.dll~~
	~~Rotr.dll~~
	~~Utils.dll~~
	~~XControls.dll~~
	~~zlib.dll~~

	\|}

	~~===Frontline===~~
	The FrontLine.exe executable appears to be one of those ever-popular Flash-like front-ends for people who don't know where the Start menu is. It uses MSIE through ActiveX to load the HTML files in the Program\Pages folder, which execute VBScript to load the various other programs. I haven't gotten as far as getting it to work without a proper install; the VBScript function calls at least one procedure not found anywhere in any of the HTML files; it may be in a DLL which has to be registered in order for VBScript to find it.

	~~Fortunately, FrontLine's functionality is minimal.~~

Woozle at 19:41, 1 June 2005

2005-06-01T19:41:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:41, 1 June 2005
Line 2:		Line 2:
	[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''		[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''

	FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one ~~person developed a complete reservation system for hotels~~ (BookEm) ~~using only FormTool 5.0~~. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as [[Microsoft Access]].		FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed at least one niche-commercial-grade application ([[BookEm]]) has been developed with it. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as [[Microsoft Access]].

	Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.		Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.

Woozle: /* Frontline */

2005-05-14T22:04:17Z

Frontline

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:04, 14 May 2005
Line 56:		Line 56:
	===Frontline===		===Frontline===
	The FrontLine.exe executable appears to be one of those ever-popular Flash-like front-ends for people who don't know where the Start menu is. It uses MSIE through ActiveX to load the HTML files in the Program\Pages folder, which execute VBScript to load the various other programs. I haven't gotten as far as getting it to work without a proper install; the VBScript function calls at least one procedure not found anywhere in any of the HTML files; it may be in a DLL which has to be registered in order for VBScript to find it.		The FrontLine.exe executable appears to be one of those ever-popular Flash-like front-ends for people who don't know where the Start menu is. It uses MSIE through ActiveX to load the HTML files in the Program\Pages folder, which execute VBScript to load the various other programs. I haven't gotten as far as getting it to work without a proper install; the VBScript function calls at least one procedure not found anywhere in any of the HTML files; it may be in a DLL which has to be registered in order for VBScript to find it.

			Fortunately, FrontLine's functionality is minimal.

Woozle at 22:03, 14 May 2005

2005-05-14T22:03:05Z

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.
-=Notes=
+==Automated Deployment==
-Looking at the FormTool 5.0 install CD, you see some setup-related executables (autorun.exe, instmsia.exe, instmsiw.exe, setup.exe, setup.ini), what may be an encoded install script of some kind (FormTool v5.msi), and an archive file (Data.Cab) which is readable by WinZip 9.0 SR-1. This last file appears to contain the actual files needed to make FormTool run.
+(Documentation of this technique is still in progress, as I have not yet achieved a working deployment this way. --[[User:Woozle|Woozle]] 17:03, 14 May 2005 (CDT))
-Each file in Data.Cab is prefixed by a 5-digit code plus a hyphen; I don't know what the code means. By attempting to run F3063-FormTool.exe, I was able to determine that copying the following files (shown as renamed) to a separate folder and removing the first 6 characters from their names will allow FormTool.exe to load:
+FormTool does have a form-filler-only application (Filler) which either may be licensed for unlimited redistribution or else comes that way (not sure). However, there does not seem to be any support for automated deployment of Filler along with the form data/application -- that is, one has to install Filler separately from one's FormTool-based application.
-  FormTool.exe
+However, it appears to be relatively simple to make a working, single-application deployment of Filler by simply copying the right files to a common folder.
   CodeBar.dll
   CTOCRC32.DLL
@@ Line 26: / Line 41: @@
   XControls.dll
   zlib.dll
-The next steps are: (1) Find the "form-filler" executable and run the same test, to see what files are needed to make it load; (2) Attempt to actually load the application which uses the form-filler, to see if anything further is needed.
+===Frontline===

Woozle at 20:40, 1 May 2005

2005-05-01T20:40:57Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:40, 1 May 2005
Line 2:		Line 2:
	[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''		[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''

	FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.		FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as [[Microsoft Access]].

	Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.		Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.

Woozle at 20:38, 1 May 2005

2005-05-01T20:38:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 1 May 2005
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Category:Techniques]]		[[Category:Techniques]]
	[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''		[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''

	FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.		FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.

Woozle at 20:38, 1 May 2005

2005-05-01T20:38:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:38, 1 May 2005
Line 1:		Line 1:
			[[Category:Techniques]]
			[[Techniques]]: Software: '''FormTool'''
	FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.		FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.

Woozle at 20:37, 1 May 2005

2005-05-01T20:37:27Z

New page

FormTool (by [http://www.imsisoft.com/ IMSI]) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed one person developed a complete reservation system for hotels (BookEm) using only FormTool 5.0. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access.

Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.

=Notes=
==[[User:Woozle|Woozle]] 15:37, 1 May 2005 (CDT)==
We are in the process of contacting IMSI to see if they can provide any support for deployment. In the meantime, I'm making some progress replicating the install process by hand; the main application seems only to need a set of DLLs in order to run, though it may turn out that proper setup of the registry is needed for things to work right.

Looking at the FormTool 5.0 install CD, you see some setup-related executables (autorun.exe, instmsia.exe, instmsiw.exe, setup.exe, setup.ini), what may be an encoded install script of some kind (FormTool v5.msi), and an archive file (Data.Cab) which is readable by WinZip 9.0 SR-1. This last file appears to contain the actual files needed to make FormTool run.

Each file in Data.Cab is prefixed by a 5-digit code plus a hyphen; I don't know what the code means. By attempting to run F3063-FormTool.exe, I was able to determine that copying the following files (shown as renamed) to a separate folder and removing the first 6 characters from their names will allow FormTool.exe to load:

FormTool.exe
CodeBar.dll
CTOCRC32.DLL
FTFrm.dll
GrPropts.dll
IMSIctrl.dll
Inspector.dll
Password.dll
Rotr.dll
Utils.dll
XControls.dll
zlib.dll

The next steps are: (1) Find the "form-filler" executable and run the same test, to see what files are needed to make it load; (2) Attempt to actually load the application which uses the form-filler, to see if anything further is needed.