Why can I download new EBFs but cannot open the according readme files?

[VolkerBarth]

It seems there are new EBFs available for v16 and v17 on Windows in the SAP Support Portal:

• SQL Anywhere 16.0 SP65 Build 2344
• SQL Anywhere 17.0 SP0 PL15 Build 2182

(Aside: The order they are listed in the Software Downloads page does not really make it easy to find out whether these are the newest ones, particularly for v12 and v17 newer EBFs appear before older ones...)

I guess these EBFs are quite fresh but I do not know because no release date is revealed.

Now, when I try to have a look at the according readme files (and follow that long navigation path with several authentication steps, you know...), I'm finally told:

Dokument ist nicht freigegeben/SNO/CORE_ERROR_MSG/037

(According URLs: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/000238517 resp. https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/0002384497).

Well, if the download is available why is the readme file not (yet)?

I guess I could do the download and check the contained readme file - but that seems the wrong order of steps...

[VolkerBarth]

Note, that's just to understand - I'm quite happy the SAP Support Portal is not yet relaunched in a manner similar to the new SCN...

[reimer_pods]

I've had the same issue at first. In a later attempt I've marked the doc entry for printing and was able to download the readme thru the child window, that was opened prior to printing. See Always Problems ...

[VolkerBarth]

Ah, the Should Always Print workaround:)

[VolkerBarth]

Just to add:

The readme for 12.0.1.4436 is available to me, so it's no general problem IMHO.

[VolkerBarth · Accepted solution]

FWIW, today I can open these readme files, so possibly the original message telling that the document has not been released has had some actual meaning:)

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BTW: This might have been a déjà vu, cf. that older FAQ:

The SAP Support Portal shows the EBF 12.0.1.4278 readme as "Document is not released".

[Former Member]

I've check both of those out and in both cases the readme is a link from the 'Note' associated with that. The difficulty in navigating to that is probably why it is not obvious.

Depending upon how you are pulling these up you may slip past a point where access to 'the note' is no longer obvious. For my case, searching for "SQL Anywhere 16" (or 17) and filtering for "WINDOWS ON X64BIT" I can get to 'the note' through these picks:

• in the right-most column "Related Info" you have two picks: "Info" and "Content Info" pick the latter ("Content Info")
• For each SP/EBF there will be a link to the release note ... follow that link
• The note itself will confirm the SP, PL and build information and has the link to the readme at the bottom {click on the file name at the bottom}
• at which point you can save it or just open it

You may be able to navigate to this point through other ways as well but I do agree it is too many steps the way it is currently. As it is I can find the readmes for both of the EBFs you mentioned. If you ever do find a missing read me, though, do let us know.

As an alternative, I believe the readmes are also included in the downloads (if that matters or help any).

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I did not understand how the sort order of the downloads prevents finding the latest. Would the latest not just be the first 1 at the top ... if ordered the way I find them? {don't you see the columns for "File Size", "Release Date", "Change Date" and "Related Info"? They are there in the English and Deutsch version of those pages for me ... maybe a you are using a different browser?}

[VolkerBarth]

Hm, unfortunately I have just one pick w.r.t. "Related Info" (see, I'm using a German locale, the column is called "Zugehörige Info"), and the pick is named "Informationen zum Inhalt"). That would correspond to "Content Info".

at which point you can save it or just open it

No, at that point I get the cited error message - and even if I try to print it instead of opening it, as Reimer has suggested.

don't you see the columns for "File Size", "Release Date", "Change Date" and "Related Info"?

Hm, I just see them once I have applied a filter to the list, here for v17, filtered by "Windows X64"), and the list has no sortable column headers:

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Ah, I now see that I can sort them via the "arrow" button. Not really intuitive, methinks.

When I open the list without applying a filter, it is sorted by "name/description" which is not necessarily sorted chronologically, i.e. for v17, build 2182 is listed somewhere between 2100 and 2053...

(Sorry for messing up the page layout...)

[reimer_pods]

Hi Volker, I'm with you wrt. sorting, usability seems to get low priority. One difference: my experience is based on using the default language (English), so YMMV.

[VolkerBarth]

I'm with you wrt. sorting, usability seems to get low priority.

Well, that's the problem with SAP's focus on "user experience": It doesn't tell whether that should be a good or bad one, probably just a "noticeable" one, and you'll agree that it's a success in that respect:)

[MCMartin]

The .zip files usually only contain the setup.exe but no readme file

[VolkerBarth]

Yes, but once you do the setup, the readme html is in the install dir. - And as it is there, I still do not understand why it seems to be "made available" explicitly in the Software Download area as "Content Info" although the install itself (including that exact file) has already be made available.

However, as discussed several times before in that forum, it is somewhat counter-intuitive to install an EPF just to get to know what fixes it will contain.:)

[reimer_pods]

I surely would appreciate having a simplified access to the release notes. Sometimes we check for relevant changes before downloading the EBF.