Download and run one of the two following files.
If you have a fairly recent version of Windows then you probably have the necessary Microsoft run-time files already installed, and I recommend using the msi file, since this is quicker.
This runs a setup bundle. The first part contains Microsoft installers for runtime library files needed by DataView. These may already exist on you computer, in which case you may get a message asking whether you want to repair or uninstall the package or close/cancel the installation. Chose Close/Cancel - it will only close that particular package, not the overall installation. Or you may just get a message saying an error was encountered. Again, just you can just close that part of the installation.
Note that on some computers it can take up to 30 seconds for the setup bundle to start - please be patient.
The second part of the bundle installs DataView itself.
This installs DataView itself. It is the second part of the setup bundle described above - use this if you know that your computer already has the necessary Microsoft files. It normally runs more quickly than the full setup bundle.
If you run this installer and then find that you do not in fact have the necessary Microsoft files, you could run the full bundle above, or download and run installers directly from the Microsoft site. You need the redistributable files for Visual C++ 2010, 2012 and 2017. Make sure to select the x86 version.
The web-based Tutorial gives examples of usage and analysis, with many sample data files. You can also access the tutorial directly from the Help menu within DataView. This is the best resource for learning about DataView.
DataView supports drag-and-drop of any recognized file format for file loading. You can also start it by double-clicking a native DataView file (with extension dtvw-dat).
Context-sensitive help - The program contains full context-sensitive built-in help accessed by pressing the F1 key. This contains functional descriptions of all menu and dialog box options. The tutorial contains the conceptual overview and "how to" instructions.
DataView comes in two versions. The free version can:
This makes the free version ideal for many student lab activities using the recording facilities, and for exploring the various analysis techniques described in the tutorial. You can also analyse your own data if it occurs in, or can be converted to, text format.
The licensed version can read files in a variety of commercial formats, including Axon Instruments files (.abf), CED Spike 2 files (.smr), CED Signal files (.cfs), European Data Format (EDF and EDF+) files, EGAA ECR-mode files, EGAA scope-mode files, Wintrontech files (.vet), PicoScope files (.mat), DataQ files (.wdq), MultiChannel Systems files (.mcd), AxoGraph (.axgx), sound files (.wav) and raw binary (.bin). This by-passes any need to convert the data into text format that the free version can read.
The two versions have exactly the same analysis and display facilities.
(Note: the two download files above both install the free version. A licence can be obtained and installed separately if required.)
A single-user licence costs £69.33 (GBP). This allows usage similar to a book - i.e. only one person can use it at a time. This means that you are welcome to install the software on, for instance, a lab machine and an office and/or home machine, but you should not install it on several machines within your laboratory so that it can be used concurrently by different people.
A laboratory licence costs £176.25 (GBP). This allows you to install on an unlimited number of lab, office and/or home machines within a university research group (i.e. one led by a single PI), and for concurrent usage of these machines by group members.
The laboratory licence also allows the program to be installed on computers used for teaching in laboratory classes led by the PI or members of the group.
DataView has been developed without external funding, and the license fee helps to defray the cost of development and support. The fee has been set at a level which should not cause difficulty to most research or teaching institutions. However, the main purpose of developing DataView is to provide a useful tool, and if fee payment does cause difficulties, it may be waived on application with a reasonable explanation.
Please contact the author for information about purchase options.
Users have access to free upgrades as they become available and free technical support by e-mail.
If you find that a facility does not work in the way you expect in a new version whereas it worked OK in a previous version, please let me know. But if you have an urgent need to use that facility, you can download previous versions of DataView. You will have to manually uninstall any versions of DataView with a higher version number than that you wish to install.
Please report any bugs that you encounter, giving as much detail as possible.
If you find as you use DataView that you develop a "wish list" of things that you'd like in the programme, let me know. I can't promise that I'll be able to implement them (nor any timescale of delivery!), but I certainly take such requests seriously. I may even be able to steer you to an existing facility - there are a lot of options buried in menus and dialogs, and I am aware that sometimes it's not obvious that they exist if you don’t know where to look. Hopefully, the online Tutorials will help, but feel free to contact me if you are still stuck.