FormTool

Techniques: Software: FormTool FormTool (by IMSI) is a Windows application for creating database-linked smart computer forms and reports, with a focus on live forms filled out on the computer. These forms can be automated to some degree, and indeed at least one niche-commercial-grade application (BookEm) has been developed with it. In that respect, FormTool may be usable as a replacement for more expensive development platforms such as Microsoft Access. Deployment appears to be an issue, however, as there does not appear to be any obvious support for automated installation of the form-filler executable (despite the fact that licenses for unlimited copying of the form-filler executable are available) so that the end-user can automatically install both (a) any developed applications requiring FormTool and (b) the FormTool form-filler required to run them.

Automated Deployment
(Documentation of this technique is still in progress, as I have not yet achieved a working deployment this way. --Woozle 17:03, 14 May 2005 (CDT)) FormTool does have a form-filler-only application (Filler) which either may be licensed for unlimited redistribution or else comes that way (not sure). However, there does not seem to be any support for automated deployment of Filler along with the form data/application -- that is, one has to install Filler separately from one's FormTool-based application. However, it appears to be relatively simple to make a working, single-application deployment of Filler by simply copying the right files to a common folder.

The Install CD
Looking at the FormTool 5.0 install CD, you see some setup-related executables (autorun.exe, instmsia.exe, instmsiw.exe, setup.exe, setup.ini), what may be an encoded install script of some kind (FormTool v5.msi), and an archive file (Data.Cab) which is readable by WinZip 9.0 SR-1. This last file appears to contain the actual files needed to make FormTool run. Each file in Data.Cab is prefixed by a 5-digit code plus a hyphen; I don't know what the code means.

Files Needed to Run
By attempting to run FormTool.exe and Filler.exe (after removing the filename prefix for each), I was able to determine that copying and renaming the following files (also shown after renaming) to a separate folder will allow each .exe to load:

Frontline
The FrontLine.exe executable appears to be one of those ever-popular Flash-like front-ends for people who don't know where the Start menu is. It uses MSIE through ActiveX to load the HTML files in the Program\Pages folder, which execute VBScript to load the various other programs. I haven't gotten as far as getting it to work without a proper install; the VBScript function calls at least one procedure not found anywhere in any of the HTML files; it may be in a DLL which has to be registered in order for VBScript to find it. Fortunately, FrontLine's functionality is minimal.