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PRELUDE Application Data Files

  • June 6, 2022
  • 7 replies
  • 2 views
Brian Cram
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Anybody out there familiar with an application called "Prelude"? I've got an end user out there who's migrating to Prophet ( Profit? ) 21 who is having trouble extracting the data they need. The developer modified and locked down Prelude, passworded everything, removed any source, then died taking all knowledge with him. It would be nice to know stuff like "blah blah is the invoice file, blah blah is the customer file..." etc.

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Brian S. Cram
Principal Technical Support Engineer
Rocket Software
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    7 replies

    A
    • Anonymous
    • June 7, 2022
    Anybody out there familiar with an application called "Prelude"? I've got an end user out there who's migrating to Prophet ( Profit? ) 21 who is having trouble extracting the data they need. The developer modified and locked down Prelude, passworded everything, removed any source, then died taking all knowledge with him. It would be nice to know stuff like "blah blah is the invoice file, blah blah is the customer file..." etc.

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    Brian S. Cram
    Principal Technical Support Engineer
    Rocket Software
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    Would Epicor be philanthropic enough to offer support services gratis?

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    [Doc] [Ruckel]
    [IT Guy]
    [Southwest Traders]
    [Temecula] [CA] [USA][Doc]
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    Will Johnson
    • Will Johnson
    • Participating Frequently
    • June 8, 2022
    Anybody out there familiar with an application called "Prelude"? I've got an end user out there who's migrating to Prophet ( Profit? ) 21 who is having trouble extracting the data they need. The developer modified and locked down Prelude, passworded everything, removed any source, then died taking all knowledge with him. It would be nice to know stuff like "blah blah is the invoice file, blah blah is the customer file..." etc.

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    Brian S. Cram
    Principal Technical Support Engineer
    Rocket Software
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    In a situation like this, I would certainly not trust the end user.  Sounds more like an issue where they fired the developer and refused to pay them.

    There should be an active license with Epicor, if this is indeed their product Prelude, and they could be contacted directly to work with the end user.

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    Will Johnson
    Systems Analyst
    Rocket Forum Shared Account
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    Brian Cram
    Forum|alt.badge.img+3
    • Brian CramRocketeer
    • Author
    • Rocketeer
    • June 8, 2022
    In a situation like this, I would certainly not trust the end user.  Sounds more like an issue where they fired the developer and refused to pay them.

    There should be an active license with Epicor, if this is indeed their product Prelude, and they could be contacted directly to work with the end user.

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    Will Johnson
    Systems Analyst
    Rocket Forum Shared Account
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    Yeah, it's actually Epicor that started this inquiry. The now deceased developer did a lot to secure the system and didn't leave any passwords in his will, so they're stuck. I've got a few people lined up to help, so I think we're good.

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    Brian S. Cram
    Principal Technical Support Engineer
    Rocket Software
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    Keith Grill
    • Keith Grill
    • Participating Frequently
    • June 9, 2022
    Yeah, it's actually Epicor that started this inquiry. The now deceased developer did a lot to secure the system and didn't leave any passwords in his will, so they're stuck. I've got a few people lined up to help, so I think we're good.

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    Brian S. Cram
    Principal Technical Support Engineer
    Rocket Software
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    Once upon a time, there was a product called "Unbasic" which one could use to produce source code (less comments) from compiled Pick Basic code.
    I don't know if it still exists or is supported.  It seems to me that this would be the cure to this problem.  Use of such a product without permission of the copyright holder of the product being "decompiled" could possibly result in civil or criminal liability, so caution is encouraged.

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    Keith Grill
    President
    DBMS Inc
    Shreveport LA US
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    Will Johnson
    • Will Johnson
    • Participating Frequently
    • June 9, 2022
    Once upon a time, there was a product called "Unbasic" which one could use to produce source code (less comments) from compiled Pick Basic code.
    I don't know if it still exists or is supported.  It seems to me that this would be the cure to this problem.  Use of such a product without permission of the copyright holder of the product being "decompiled" could possibly result in civil or criminal liability, so caution is encouraged.

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    Keith Grill
    President
    DBMS Inc
    Shreveport LA US
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    You're right.  Although UNBASIC only worked on R83 code, and Universe/Unidata doesn't use that type of coding.


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    Will Johnson
    Systems Analyst
    Rocket Forum Shared Account
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    Brian Cram
    Forum|alt.badge.img+3
    • Brian CramRocketeer
    • Author
    • Rocketeer
    • June 9, 2022
    Once upon a time, there was a product called "Unbasic" which one could use to produce source code (less comments) from compiled Pick Basic code.
    I don't know if it still exists or is supported.  It seems to me that this would be the cure to this problem.  Use of such a product without permission of the copyright holder of the product being "decompiled" could possibly result in civil or criminal liability, so caution is encouraged.

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    Keith Grill
    President
    DBMS Inc
    Shreveport LA US
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    Yeah, David Andresen's product. Haven't used that since the '90's. Wouldn't recommend that anyway. Just need a Prelude resource that can tell us what file is what.

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    Brian S. Cram
    Principal Technical Support Engineer
    Rocket Software
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    Merry Player
    • Merry Player
    • Participating Frequently
    • June 9, 2022
    Once upon a time, there was a product called "Unbasic" which one could use to produce source code (less comments) from compiled Pick Basic code.
    I don't know if it still exists or is supported.  It seems to me that this would be the cure to this problem.  Use of such a product without permission of the copyright holder of the product being "decompiled" could possibly result in civil or criminal liability, so caution is encouraged.

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    Keith Grill
    President
    DBMS Inc
    Shreveport LA US
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    Hi,

    maybe the DECOMPILE command, decatalog object first, or use the Debug !, trace, break, get file and variable names, there's a couple of User Exits Brian could drag up, when using debug and the !command to give a complete list of variables and their values including filenames, look at the records being written and deduce their attributes, et al. Another UE at ! Command gives select list contents to deduce ids. Files, DL/IDs, contents. 

    Big assumption is that the source was compiled with the map correct options (MX


    Beware of Unbasic in a UK or French system - check the source first, there was a version I wrote in late 70's for April fools day, The proper one worked fine though on CMC and Microdata/MDIS/Reality.

    Merry



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    Merry Player
    Pick Multivalue Person since CMC (1978) /Microdata/McD/Northgate and onwards Reality/Zebra/Mentor/Ultimate/Universe/Unidata into Pick, Pick AP, and so on up until 2021 on mvBase/D3 - so far ....
    Isle of Wight England
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