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Download
DataRelate (for Windows 98, 2000, NT, XP)
Alternative
link
Download VB 6.0 Runtime
Base Tutorial Electrojunky |
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DataRelate is a data storage, data rate, network address
and base conversion utility. |
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Reviewed by CompletelyFreeSoftware, and
awarded '5 doves'. Rated '5' by TopQualityFreeware, Top-Shareware,
DailySofts, Bestsoftware4download, Bestfreewaredownload.
Bluesofts' Editor's Choice. |
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What's this? It couldn't be...a rectangular grey form as the User
Interface! (well, it's not COMPLETELY grey - you'll notice a texture of binary
digits through the background). I have to admit that the insistence of some
people convinced me to get the initial release of this application out sooner
rather than later - so here it is.
Installation: If you do not already have the
VB 6.0 Runtime installed in your system, download the VB 6.0 Runtime, save
it to a temporary directory, double-click the icon and follow the instructions. Then, download the
DataRelate application installation file, unzip it (using eg. FreeZip, WinZip), and
save the individual extracted files to a temporary directory. From this
directory, select and double-click the file named 'Setup' and follow the
instructions.
DataRelate
PAD file: 'Portable Application Description' files are datasets which allow software authors to communicate specific and most often requested information
about their products to online communities in a concise and standard way. Click
here for DataRelate PAD file which can be opened in a standard browser. Click
here for DataRelate PAD file in XML format (data can be extracted and
parsed using standard XML toolkits).
The genesis of DataRelate was in a few stand-alone modules I
had originally created for particular customers, which
I've now packaged together in one convenient application. For example, the 'Data Storage' panel emerged
from discussions with friends and acquaintances who weren't clear on how the
capacities of the different types of CDs, ZIP, Jaz,
floppy and Orb disks compared, or what 'Terabyte' means in SI and non-SI
language, the 'Data
Transfer' panel arose from a Telco Product Manager's requirement to easily compare the throughput of different data channels, the 'Token Ring/Ethernet Convert' panel was for a network integrator who
needed to quickly convert between 'canonical' and 'non-canonical' addresses, and the
'Base Convert' panel was conceived as a superior version of the
standard Windows calculator's base converter - allowing instantaneous
conversions of sequences up to 64 bits in length and rapid performance of bit-wise
operations.
 It may not be the most eye-catching application in the Measurement And
Conversion Software canon, but just as you've come to expect of all
Measurement And Conversion Software products, some thought has gone into
DataRelate's capabilities, it is useful, easy to use, and there's nothing else
around quite like it. In fact, whether you are a 'layperson' or a technical
specialist, if you have anything at all to do with PCs and networks, you'll find
DataRelate of value.
One user's comment:
"If you've ever been confused or felt
overwhelmed by the varieties of storage and data transfer technologies out
there, spend 20 minutes with DataRelate and it'll make things much clearer - the
context-sensitive explanations of terms and the ability to compare 'any with
any' unit is a compact and powerful teacher - way easier than having to surf
around different sites, read PC journals, try out utilities, talk to
'experts', sift the facts from opinions and build up
this knowledge-base yourself".
This is what CompletelyFreeSoftware had to say about DataRelate:
"It offers such a huge array of important data conversions and
comparisons, that virtually everyone will find it of value in some way. Maybe
DataRelate is not a tool you may use every day but, when you need access to that
data, you will be grateful that you have a copy on your computer. We were most
impressed with the scope of related data available through DataRelate, and especially
liked the popup definition box which explains the terms and devices mentioned in
the program. We consider this a 'must have' tool".
Detailed Features List
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The Data Storage panel makes it easy to correlate groupings of bits and
storage units. For example:
A grouping of 4 bits is a 'nibble', or half a byte. A grouping of 8 bits
is a byte - memory capacity is commonly referred to in
bytes. A 'short word' (or just 'word') is 2 bytes (16 bits) - the size typically
used to represent integers in programming languages. A long word (or 'double
word') is twice as long as a word - 4 bytes (or 32 bits), etc.
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Also, using the Data Storage panel, you can get a good feel for how the
capacities of popular storage media compare - for example, the wide range of
floppy disks, CDs and DVDs, and ZIP, Jaz and Orb disks in use throughout the
world. |
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And
if you tick the checkbox 'Show Definitions', then whenever you click on or
scroll to a term in the lists, a pop-up panel provides a
description/explanation about that term - how handy is that! |
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The Data Transfer panel features transfer rates of channels ranging
from the 'micro' level (hard disk and peripheral speeds) through to the 'macro'
level (LAN, WAN and Internet speeds). For example, if you're looking at WAN
connections, you can very easily compare the transfer rate of a top-speed T3
line, with say a T1 line, a DSL line, an ISDN line and an ordinary telephone
line: |
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Or, you can see how the throughputs of all the varieties of Broadband
transmission known to humankind (cable, wireless, satellite etc) stack up
against each other. |
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And
just like the Data Storage panel feature, if you tick the checkbox 'Show
Definitions', then whenever you click on or scroll to a term in the lists,
a pop-up panel provides a description/explanation about that term. |
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The
Base Convert panel performs conversions 'as you type' between Decimal, Hexadecimal and Binary
numbers (upto 64 bits). It also includes bit shifting, rotation and inversion
buttons: |
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Click here for a tutorial on
Decimal, Hexadecimal and Binary notation and bit-wise operations (featuring
exercises using the Base Convert Panel to demonstrate the basic principles). |
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'Pick a color, Any color...': Pressing the 'Color
Value' button at any stage results in a color picker dialog being
presented: |
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When you choose a color and press 'OK', that color's
value in Decimal, Hexadecimal and Binary is displayed in the Base
Convert panel.
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The
Token Ring/Ethernet Convert panel is useful for network integrators who have a need to bridge
between dissimilar LANs - for example Ethernet and Token Ring, or Ethernet and
FDDI. Ethernet addresses are typically stored in a format called 'Least
Significant Bit' first - also known as 'canonical' format. Token Ring and FDDI
addresses however are stored 'Most Significant Bit' first - ie 'non-canonical'
format: |
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This panel is also a handy troubleshooting aid when dealing with certain
Ethernet cards which have one address typed on the adapter, while another is
actually used on the wire. |
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The panel allows you to enter a 1 to 12 digit hexadecimal
number, and then:
-if the number you enter is less than 12 digits in length,
a sufficient number of zeroes are prefixed to the number to make it 12
digits
-digit pairs of the number are inverted
-the number is converted according to a translation
mapping
For example, if you enter: 1C3D25A and press 'Convert':
1. The number is represented as a 12-digit sequence: 00 00
01 C3 D2 5A
2. Digit pairs of the number are inverted: 00 00 10 3C 2D
A5
3. Digits are converted (according to the Translation
Mapping below): 00 00 80 C3 4B A5
4. The Result is shown as: 000080C34BA5
Translation Mapping:
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0 > 0
1 > 8
2 > 4
3 > C
4 > 2
5 > A |
6 > 6
7 > E
8 > 1
9 > 9
A > 5
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B > D
C > 3
D > B
E > 7
F > F
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Conversion reports - You can choose which conversions to save, and when
you're done, pressing 'Make File' results in a CSV textfile of your chosen
conversions being produced: |
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You can easily import this textfile into say, a
spreadsheet. |
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