One of the new features in ITScriptNet 3.1 is what we call Override INI files.  This is a mechanism that you can use to help ease deployment of your ITScriptNet solutions.  Actually, these files have been around for awhile, but were never documented before now.

Here is a simple example of the kind of problem that you could run into.  Let's say you are developing an ITScriptNet program that collects data to SQL Server.  You are developing against your corporate server, and you setup a connection string on the Configure Receive screen, and configure Validation Files are are autogenerated from your database.  Everything works great in your testing, but when you want to deploy the program to your customer you run into the problem.  You customer has a different SQL Server, or maybe SQL Express, or maybe they are using some other database entirely.  How can you deploy your program without having to change all of the connection strings?

The answer is an Override INI file.  When ITScriptNet is going to make a connection to the database (either to generate a Validation File or for Collected Data), it looks for this file first.  If there is an INI file with the same name as the ITB program, ITScriptNet reads the file to see if there is a different connection string specified.  If there is, it uses that one instead of the one that was set in the Program Designer.

This allows you to easily change the database at every customer without having to rework your programs.  You can simply use Notepad or any text editor to change the connection string parameters and put the INI file in the same directory as the ITB program.

There are a handful of other parameters that you can change with an Override INI file besides just the connection string.  For example, you can change the data base type (from ODBC to SQL Server to SQL Compact Edition), you can override the field names of collected data, change the auto-generation mode of a validation file, and more.  For all of the details, check the User Guide where all of the parameters are documented.

Over the next few weeks we are going to spotlight some of the new features in ITScriptNet V3.1.

Integration with Vangard Voice Systems AccuSpeech Mobile.
Many applications can take advantage of voice-enabled data collection, which typically falls into two categories: voice prompting, and voice data collection. 

Voice Prompting is where the device speaks to the user with a text-to-speech converter.  This eliminates the need for the operator to look at the screen to see which data field is next to be collected.

Voice Data Collection is where the operator speaks the data to be collected, and the device recognizes it and performs the appropriate action.  Voice prompts can be Actions, such as pressing buttons or selecting a choice from a drop down list, or general speech such as speaking a part number or word that can be recoginized.

ITScriptNet's integration with AccuSpeech supports both Voice Prompting and Voice Data Collection.  We can assist you in voice-enabling any ITScriptNet application.  Then, the AccuSpeech engine can be deployed to your devices along with the ITScriptNet client to allow your users to take advantage of the increase productivity that voice enabling and provide!  Contact us for more information on how Voice Enabling works, and how it can help you.

The October ITScriptNet News is published! Read all about the release of the Asset Tracking Solution Pack, our new Ready-To-Go Applications, and ITScriptNet 3.1a.