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Software Documentation - v1.40
wOBD DTC Editor Screen
Last updated August 27, 2004

Summary   Menu Items   Field Descriptions

Summary The standards involved in DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) definition allow wide variation between manufacturers as to which codes appear under each diagnostic circumstance. In addition, every manufacturer provides extended manufacturer specific codes. For these reasons it is expensive (if not impossible) to provide every possible necessary code definition. The DTC Editor screen allows the user to maintain the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) database. Files of definitions can be imported, and individual entries can be easily edited to provide insight to future diagnostic efforts. The database can also be exported into a file to allow easy manipulation via text editor or external database tool, then re-imported. Definitions not included can be researched over the internet or in shop manuals, and then entered into the database for future use. Multiple databases may be maintained for different manufacturers, or for multiple conflicting sources. The database is a simple Microsoft Access ™ database, there are many good tools to directly manipulate it. You can also use the export file function to make a text file copy, which can be edited easily with a text editor. It can also be used as a backup before importing another definition code file over your current database. Editor modes The editor tries to keep itself out of trouble by protecting fields currently inappropriate. This is best described as editor modes. There are four modes: db control, null db, record navigation, and data. DB Control mode - Until the database is created or opened, none of the other controls are enabled Null DB mode - Until the database has records, most of the record navigation controls are disabled. To escape this mode, close the database or add records via the add button or the import function Record Navigation mode - All controls with the exception of the data controls are available. To go to data mode, press the Add or Edit buttons. To go to db control mode, close the db Data Edit mode - The Save,Cancel,and the three data fields (code,description,notes) are the only enabled fields. Save or Cancel must be pressed to go back to record navigation mode Database setup Example After install, the database will need to be initialized. It is recommended that you load some common definitions into your new database. No definitions are supplied with the software install, however, definitions files are readily available via the internet. Find a good code definition file - for this example, we will be using OBDII Research Center DTC list. There are many others (use www.google.com and search for DTC code) Download the file - save the file to your local harddisk. If you are using an IE browser, simply do Alt-f(File Menu), A(save as), then change the save as type to text, browse to a location can easily find again (such as c:\), and name the file dtcin.txt Start a new database - start on the wOBD software, go to the DTC Editor page. Use the browse for DB button to find a valid place to put your new database (such as C:\), name the file dtc.mdb. If the file does not exist (it shouldn't) the top right button should be labeled Create New DB. Press the button Import the file - In the lower box, find the Browse for Text File button. Press the button and find the file you downloaded (C:\dtcin.txt if you used our example names) In our example we do not have to change any of the defaults (OBDII Research Center file is not delimited, and has the 5digit code followed by the description) so press the import DTC's button.

Menu Items

Field Descriptions

• Current DTC database file data field - protected once the database open, this is the current DTC database file. It is remembered between program executions, you should only have to specify this once per computer.
• Browse for DB file button - used to locate a database file, or to position a new database file
• Create New DB button - hidden unless filename in current DTC database file doesn't exist
• Open DB button - hidden unless filename in current DTC database file exists and is not already opened
• Close DB button - hidden unless current database is open
• Back to Main Menu button - will close database (if appropriate), discard any unsaved changes if in data mode, and unload the form.

• Add New DTC button - Clears the code, description, and notes fields and allows a new DTC definition to be typed in. Definition will be saved upon pressing the Save button. Pressing cancel will return the user to record navigation mode without adding in a new record. No record navigation can be done until the Save or Cancel button is pressed.
• Edit Current DTC button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will allow the current DTC definition to be edited. Editing the code itself has the effect of moving the definition to the new, edited code (such as deleting the old, and adding in a new) Pressing Cancel will undo changes. Pressing Save will write the changes to the database. No record navigation can be done until Save or Cancel is pressed.
• Delete Current DTC button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will immediately remove the DTC definition from the database.
• First button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will immediately move to the first record (least code value) in the database.
• Prev button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will immediately move to the previous record (lessor code value) in the database.
• Next button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will immediately move to the next record (greater code value) in the database.
• Last button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will immediately move to the last record (greatest code value) in the database.
• Search button - Protected until there are records in the database, this button will attempt to find the code specified by the text value. If not found, will issue error tone and attempt to get the next greater record. Failing that, will get the next lessor value record.

• Save button - Protected until in data mode (by pressing edit or add), will save the contents of the data fields to the database. Will exit data mode into record navigation mode.
• Cancel button - Protected until in data mode (by pressing edit or add), will cancel the edit or save and return to the last record displayed. Will exit data mode into record navigation mode.

• Code data field - Protected until in data mode (by pressing edit or add), this is the 5 character DTC code. A DTC description is in our tech section including a description of valid characters
• Description data field - Protected until in data mode (by pressing edit or add)
• Notes data field - Protected until in data mode (by pressing edit or add)

• Import/Export Filename data field - the text file to be used as a source for import, or a destination for export
• Browse for text file button - use this to navigate directories to locate the file
• Import DTC's button - use a text file as a definitions file and import it into the database. Definitions too large to fit into the description field will be by default continued in the notes field.
• Export DTC's button - output the contents of the database into a text file
• Exclude Notes Field option - (import/export) By default, definitions exceeding the length of the description field are overflowed into the notes field on import. When Exlude Notes Field option is set, the overflow is discarded. Note that comma delimited files with a comma present between description and notes fields will always truncate the description, setting this option in that scenario will discard the 3rd field pulled from the import file. If the overwrite duplicates option is set, this option has the effect of preserving the content of the notes field if the record is overwritten. On export, this option will prevent the content of the notes field to be written into the text file.
• Delimit Notes Field option - (export) By default, the notes field is written without a delimiter after the description. This has the effect of rejoining any definitions split between the description and the notes fields. Setting this option will cause the export to treat these fields as seperate items, placing the delimiter specified by the delimiter option between them.
• Overwrite duplicates option - (import) If a code definition is encountered that already has a definition in the database, the default behaviour is to skip the new definition. If you believe the new definition has a better chance of being correct, check this box to overwrite the current definition with the one from the file. Be aware that this may overwrite the description and notes fields for those definitions.
• Not Delimited choice - (import/export) The code and description fields are not seperated. The import function will get the first 5 non-blank characters as the code, the rest will be description and notes. If the definition does not fit into the description field, it will be continued in the notes field unless the Exclude Notes Field option is checked.
• Tab Delimited choice - (import/export) A tab is present between the code and the description, and perhaps between the description and the notes fields. On export this will place a tab between fields.
• Comma Delimited choice - (import/export) A comma is present between the code and the description, and perhaps between the description and the notes fields. On export this will place a comma between fields.
• Space Delimited choice - (import/export) The code and description is seperated by a blank (space). On export a space is placed between the code and the description fields.