Q. How much does DataLoad cost?
A. There are two versions of DataLoad, Classic and Professional. DataLoad Classic is absolutely free of any charges to download, use and distribute. DataLoad Professional is a commercial product containing advanced functionality for loading data via the forms server using the Oracle Forms playback technology.
Q. Why isn't data being sent to my form(s) (Copy & Paste mode, not Forms playback)?
A. First you need to establish whether it is DataLoad that isn't sending the data or Oracle that isn't pasting into the forms. Run the following tests to identify the issue:
If 1 and 3 succeed while 2 fails then Copy and Paste isn't working in the Oracle forms. Two common reasons for this are:
If test 1 didn't work or test 2 does work then contact DataLoad support.
Q. Why don't my mouse clicks work (Copy & Paste mode, not Forms playback)?
A. Follow the same testing procedure as described in the previous answer but with mouse clicks rather than data.
Q. Why can't I use Excel-like formulas and functions in DataLoad?
A. DataLoad doesn't support Excel-like functions and formulas and we don't intend to introduce this functionality because we would just be replicating Excel. We recommend that users who need to use formulas build their loads in Excel then transfer the data to DataLoad when the load is ready. To help facilitate DataLoad V4.2 and above includes fast Excel Import functionality. This allows the user to import data from Excel in one mouse click and there is also the option to start the load as soon as the data has been imported too.
Q. Does Oracle support data loaded into Oracle Applications using DataLoad?
A. Although Oracle does not support the DataLoad product they do appear to support data loaded via Oracle. Indeed, Oracle Support have been known to recommend DataLoad to customers in certain situations. This has been recently confirmed by the posting of a Note on Metalink, Note 147380.1, which again appears to give Oracle's blessing to DataLoad.
Q. Why doesn't *PB or *NB work in Oracle Applications 11i?
A. A number of users have reported issues with *PB and *NB in 11i, and while we have not been able to reproduce these we have identified two possible causes of this problem:
If you are unsure what versions of software you are using please ask your Applications DBA.
Q. Why doesn't the *CW() command change forms in 11i?
A. The *CW() command is to change the active window not the form. The command was actually introduced with the intention of it being used to change forms, and this works fine in 10.7 NCA and 11.0.x because each form is a separate window. However, we knew that 11i returned to the single parent window approach so named the command *CW rather than something like *CF (Change Form) because it does actually change the window not the form.
In order to change the active form in 11i you will need to enter the keystrokes and/or mouse clicks in DataLoad that will open or activate the other form for you. In other words, make a note of how you would do this when using the Applications and setup DataLoad to action the same sequence of keystrokes.
Q. In forms playback, how can we easily check what data has been loaded?
A. During the playback you can also record by adding a record parameter to the command line. In 11i this needs to be added to the URL. For example, add the following to the URL, replacing '[filename]' with the name of a file to record to:
&record=[filename]
The whole load will be recorded to that file. When the load completes open this file in DataLoad and you will be able to see what the load did.
Q. Can I use DataLoad with Oracle Applications 11i?
A. DataLoad works with any Windows based applications and there are no issues using DataLoad with 11i. A number of changes have been made to shortcuts in 11i, therefore the commands.dat file does need to be updated to reflect these changes when using the Copy & Paste functionality. The revised commands file is available to download.
Q. How do I toggle a checkbox in Keystroke simulation mode?
A. Use a single space in the cell or the *SB command
Q. How do I select an item from a pick drop down list?
A. Values can be selected by the first letter of the value. Where 2 values begin with the same letter, repeating the letter moves down the list. For example:

Column containing I would select Indirect
Column containing C would select Contract
Column containing CC would select Capital
Q. Is DataLoad Classic open source/can we have the source code?
A. No! Even though DataLoad Classic is free it is not open source software and the source code is not available.
Q. The DataLoad spreadsheet isn't big enough, how do I make it bigger?
A. DataLoad versions prior to V4.1 had a fixed grid size, but inserting rows or column using "Edit, Insert…" where data has already been entered would add rows or columns to the grid. V4.1 and beyond have grids whose size is limited only by the PC's memory.
Q. How do I send non-printing keys like the function keys (F1…F12) to the target window?
A. First, precede your data with a \ (backslash) to indicate you want to send keystrokes. Then use the appropriate character code - see Sending Keystrokes.
Q. What is the latest version of DataLoad?
A. V4.2 (standalone) and V3.2 (macro) are the latest versions.
Q. When I start the load the first 1 or 2 fields are missed but this only happens at the start, why?
A. This appears to be a forms issue. You have to work around this by adding keystrokes at the start of your load to compensate for this.
Q. Why isn't the window I want listed in the Window Name drop down box?
A. Prior to V4.1 only running Oracle NCA forms were listed in this list. If you want to use a window which isn't Oracle NCA, or an Oracle form which isn't currently running, type the window name in this box manually. V4.1 and beyond lists all active widows.
Q. Why doesn't the Oracle pick list respond when I send data to it?
A. You must send data to a pick list as keystrokes, not the default DataLoad cut and paste. Prefix your data with a \ (backslash) to force DataLoad to simulate keystrokes.
Q. Will DataLoad start automatically when I double click on a .dld or tab delimited file?
A. From V4.2 onwards DataLoad automatically configures Windows to use DataLoad to open .dld files. Prior to this release you would have to do the following. Double click on a .dld file (or your tab delimited file) and in the "Open With" dialog box click on the "Other" button and select dataload.exe in the directory when it was unloaded. Enter a description for .dld files and press OK.
Q. I am using 10SC and commands like *PB and *SAVE won't work. Why?
A. Before V4.1 the built in commands were scripted for NCA and wouldn't work with the different keyboard shortcuts used in 10SC and other applications. You could, however, write powerful keyboard control statements in DataLoad which give you access to all combinations of keyboard characters. Use these to access new or unsupported commands. See Sending Keystrokes. V4.1 introduced "Command groups" that allow you to specify which command definitions should be used.
Q. I have a large amount of data that I need to send as keystrokes, not using Copy & Paste. How can I quickly prefix this data with the necessary '\'?
A. DataLoad has functionality to change single or multiple cells to & from keystroke and Copy & Paste cells. Use "Convert To…" from the Edit or grid pop-up menus to access this functionality. See Convert To.
Q. Can I change the names of the command groups in V4.1, or add or delete groups.
A. Yes. The commands.dat file holds the command definitions in a TAB delimited format. Simply edit this file and you can have as many command groups as you want with names of your choice.
Q. Can I use DataLoad with Windows 2000?
A. Yes, DataLoad has been extensively tested with Windows 2000 and can be used without any issues. Indeed, DataLoad is now developed on Windows 2000 and this operating system is Comstar's primary testing platform so there should be no issues particular to this OS.