Features

With SPEED Ferret, you can quickly search all properties of all objects for a text string, simultaneously view and print out all occurrences, make changes to selected occurrences, test the changes, and undo unwanted changes. The result?.... Shorter lead times for changes, increased client satisfaction, and decreased tedium for you.  

Working With Access 2003 Databases

SPEED Ferret 4.1 is capable of searching any database that you might be using with Access 2003, but you need to have a previous version of Access also installed on your system.

To find out more, read Using SPEED Ferret 4.1 with Access 2003.

Improved Project Interface

SPEED Ferret 4.1 makes it easier to create and maintain your project definitions.

• You do not need to know which version of Access, SQL Server, or Visual Basic created the database or project that you wish to add. Just specify the location, and SPEED Ferret will automatically determine the project format and select the appropriate driver.
• The project parameters have been integrated into the project window, making it much easier to review and edit them.

Improved Substitution Sequencing

When you use a substitution list to perform multiple replacements, the substitutions are now performed in decreasing order of the length of the search strings. This automatically prevents unintentional substring replacements of the type that might occur when replacing grand with large prior to replacing grandfather with grandmother.

Increased Performance

SPEED Ferret 4.1 has been internally restructured to improve performance.

• An improved driver interface uses fewer out-of-process OLE Automation calls, thereby increasing performance.
• The Activate and Deactivate commands have been eliminated. Access and SQL Server projects are now automatically deactivated when not in use to minimize run-time memory requirements. NOTE: VB sessions are not automatically closed because significant time is required to reopen them.
• An Access session is no longer required to inspect backend Access databases containing only tables, queries, and relationships. SPEED Ferret now requires only a DAO connection for this purpose, which is much faster and uses less memory.
• An Access session is no longer required to list the objects in an Access database, and a VB session is no longer required to list the objects in a VB project. As a result, you can now view the names of objects in the project window and in the Object Filter Builder drop-down list without causing Access or VB to start up.
• SPEED Ferret now exits faster, because it doesn't have to close a lot of active projects.

Verification Error Override

SPEED Ferret verifies replacements by reading back the modified properties and comparing them to their expected values. Sometimes when SPEED Ferret assigns a new value to a property, the value is reformatted by the program that stores it. For example, Microsoft Access sometimes reorders the fields in a WHERE clause. This causes SPEED Ferret to report a verification error, because the actual and expected values of the property do not match.

The Save Replacements and Undo Replacements dialog boxes now provide an option to Ignore Verification Errors. It is recommended that you employ this option only after you have attempted the replacements and reviewed any verification errors to ensure the errors are benign

Performance Profiler

A new profiling system tracks the number of invocations and total execution time for almost every subroutine in SPEED Ferret. This feature is normally disabled, and is mainly intended for our own internal use. But if you should happen to encounter a performance issue, this feature will allow us to more effectively troubleshoot the problem.

To enable the performance profiler, go to Tools>Options>Diagnostics. SPEED Ferret runs more slowly when profiling is enabled, so you should not use this feature routinely.

Comprehensive Searching

SPEED Ferret searches your entire application design, including all object properties and source code. With SPEED Ferret, you can be sure that you’ve located all of the occurrences of a string and completed all of the changes. No more embarrassing calls from clients, complaining of incomplete changes. You can confidently deliver projects that are completely updated.

Unique Four-Step Process

SPEED Ferret takes the guess work out of find and replace tasks. Unlike traditional methods, SPEED Ferret’s unique four-step process allows you to:

• Search all properties of all objects
• Review and modify the search results
• Save changes to selected occurrences
• Test the changes, and undo unwanted changes

Multiple Platforms

You can use SPEED Ferret 4.1 to inspect and modify object properties and source code in:

• Access 2002 Databases
• Access 2000 Databases
• Access 97 Databases (mdb)
• Access 2000 Projects (adp)
• SQL Server 2000 Databases
• SQL Server 7 Databases
• SQL Server 6.5 Databases
• Visual Basic 6 Projects
• Visual Basic 5 Projects

Multiple Projects

You can search multiple projects of different types at the same time, and SPEED Ferret will automatically perform replacements in the proper sequence.

You can think of the SPEED Ferret workspace as a catalog of your projects. SPEED Ferret remembers where your projects are located and how to open them. You can browse the objects and, in many cases, open the objects in design view directly from SPEED Ferret. This makes all of your Access, SQL Server, and Visual Basic projects seem like one big super-project.

Object Filters

At times, you’ll want to precisely tailor your searches, limiting them to specific objects. You can use wildcard specifications to precisely control which objects SPEED Ferret inspects. For example, to search all forms in the Northwind project whose names start with the letters 'inv', you could use the object filter {Northwind.Forms.inv*}.

You can also use an object filter to search a specific type of object across multiple projects. For example, to search all forms in all projects, you could use the object filter {*.Forms.*}.

Property Filters

You can use wildcard specifications to precisely control which properties SPEED Ferret inspects. For example, to search only the Caption properties of forms in Access 97 databases, you could use the property filter {MSAC80.Form.Caption}.

Property filters help you to automate searches that you perform routinely. Using a property filter, you can view and edit a single property across an entire collection of objects. This helps you to spot errors and inconsistencies in your application.

Substitution Lists

Substitution lists allow you to find and replace an unlimited number of values during a single search. This saves time when a large number of changes need to be made. It also allows you to easily and repeatedly apply a consistent set of terminology changes when delivering updated versions of an application to various clients with differing preferences.

Multiple Property Types

SPEED Ferret 4.1 searches all types of properties, including text, numeric, and Boolean. This makes it possible to systematically change the BackColor, ForeColor, Visible, Enabled, and all other properties of your objects.

Property Cache

The properties of all objects are cached for rapid retrieval. Each time you begin a search, SPEED Ferret updates the property cache by directly inspecting only those objects that have been modified since the last time they were searched. Then SPEED Ferret rapidly searches the cache to find the properties that match your criteria.

Your initial search may take several minutes, but subsequent searches will typically be completed in a matter of seconds.

Preview Window

SPEED Ferret’s unique Preview Window allows you to simultaneously view all search results and pending replacements in a single list. You’ll be able to quickly see whether you've specified the correct search criteria and what impact your changes will have on your application.

Selective Replacement

While reviewing the search results, you can exclude specific replacements that you do not wish to perform. Only the changes that you have not excluded will be applied when you save your replacements.

Restartable Saves

If some of your replacements cannot be saved because of invalid replacement values, you can correct the values and restart the save operation as many times as necessary.

Selective Undo

If some changes that you have made using SPEED Ferret are later discovered to have caused unintended side-effects, you can selectively undo those changes by opening the saved search, selecting the unwanted changes, and clicking the Undo button.

Automatic Replacement Sequencing

When saving replacements across multiple projects which contain references to one another's objects, it is frequently necessary to save the replacements in a specific sequence. For example, the SourceTableName property of a linked table in an Access database cannot be changed until the backend table has been renamed.

SPEED Ferret automatically determines the correct sequence and saves replacements in that order. As a SPEED Ferret user, you do not need to concern yourself with replacement sequencing issues as long as you remember to include all of the related projects in your searches.

Unlimited Search History

You can save an unlimited number of prior searches for later review, printing, or undo. You can sort searches by name, description, or execution date for quick and easy lookup.

Session Spanning

If you are sidetracked by an urgent request while reviewing or editing the results of a search, you can save the search and exit SPEED Ferret, and then return later to finish the job. Your previous work is saved, and you can pick up right where you left off.

Non-modal User Interface

You can directly interact with all of your projects while your SPEED Ferret session remains open. After returning to the SPEED Ferret session, you can click the Refresh button to insure that SPEED Ferret will reinspect any objects that you may have modified externally.

Extensibility

You can perform a Live Update to download the latest interfaces provided in the online interface library. You can also use interfaces supplied by third parties, or use the Interface Wizard to create an interface for virtually any ActiveX control, including non-commercial controls that you have developed yourself.

Automation Interface

You can automate repetitive or complex tasks by controlling SPEED Ferret directly from your own code through the OLE Automation interface. Just set a reference to the SPEED Ferret 4.1 Object Library, create an instance of the sflib.Workspace class, and the entire SPEED Ferret object model is available to your program.

Pricing
Speed Ferret 4.1 Single Developer License		$199
Speed Ferret 4.1 Single Developer Upgrade*		$99

* All upgrades require the serial number from the original Speed Ferret disk.  If ordering through our secure shopping cart, please send an email to sales@databasecreations.com including this information.

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