Forms Server

A Forms Server is a computer dedicated to receiving, importing, and printing Forms. It may be useful to have a PC running as a Forms Server in a central office so appraisers can send appraisals to the central office’s appraisal database using the phone lines. A Forms Server also allows you to batch print and import at a convenient time, for example, 3 AM.

This section is primarily intended for system administrators. Support for this implementation is at the discretion of the Day One Technical Support Team.

How a Forms Server Receives Files

1. An appraiser sends an appraisal package file to the Forms Server. The Forms Server PC receives the appraisal package and places (or downloads) it into the PAKPath directory. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how the appraisal package arrives—it could arrive via America Online or Compuserve or via any other method. What is important is that the appraisal package has a .PAK file extension and that it is placed into the PAKPath directory.

2. The Forms Server periodically (approximately every 8 seconds) checks for .PAK files.

3. When the Forms Server finds a .PAK file, it makes a note of the file it has received in the formssrv.log file.

4. The Forms Server imports the .PAK file into your Day One appraisal database.

5. The Forms Server prints the newly imported appraisal and deletes the original .PAK file it received from the PAKPath directory.

Configure the Computer As a Forms Server

To configure Forms to run as a Forms Server:

1. Choose Configuration | Forms Server. The Forms Server box appears, as shown below.

2. If you need to change the location of the Command File or the Log File or where Package Files go, you can do so using the Path buttons statement.

Your other options are:

Delete on Import-If you would like to delete package files after they have been imported, click to place an X in the Delete on Import box. You will usually want this to be checked so that extra copies of files are not around. Warning: the PAK file will really be deleted! It is recommended that this box be left unchecked, except on dedicated Forms Server machines.

Print on Import-If you would like to print files as they are imported, click to place an X in the Print on Import box.

Check for New Files Every XX Seconds- lets you tell Forms how often to check for incoming files.

Check MAPI Inbox for Day One attachments - Check this box if you would like Connect to automatically check your e-mail inbox for .pak files. If you are not using the Pinnacle Viewer or Connect and you are receiving .pak files, check this box. Note: due to advanced features in Connect, this option is no longer supported, and is provided for backward compatibility with existing systems only. If you are receiving PAK files, Connect is the recommended method for receiving them.

The Forms Server dialog

Run the Forms Server

1.   Create a desktop shortcut (or Startup group icon) that matches the Nova Forms desktop icon.

2.   Add a /Q to the end of the application name in the shortcut, for example C:\Nova\Forms\D1Frms32.exe /Q.

3.   Double-click the icon

How the Forms Server Executes a Script to Print and Convert Forms

1.           A script called COMM.FIL arrives in the PAKPath directory.

2.           The Forms Server periodically (approximately every 8 seconds) checks for a non-empty text COMM.FIL.

3.           When the Forms Server finds entries in COMM.FIL, Forms executes the COMM.FIL script.

4.           The Forms Server deletes the text in COMM.FIL.

Write a Script for the Forms Server

To write a script for the Forms Server to execute, create a file called COMM.FIL and put it in the d:\NOVA\TRANSFER\ directory. The file should list the commands you would like the Forms Server to perform. The commands you can use are:

Example COMM.FIL Script

ImportIntoDB D:\NOVA\DATA\12345678.NUA

PrintEntirePackage 12345678

This script will import D:\NOVA\DATA\12345678.NUA into the appraisal database and then print its entire print package.