Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

[Hansolo]

Gentleman and/or ladies. I have developed an online wellness database that has been in use for about two years. It has several field rules including an auto increment ID field, and numerous calculated fields. Last week I had to make some changes to the database. Added two user entered character fields and updated some grid components to reflect the new fields. Did not delete any fields. Beta tested the entire system (not just the changes) and all was well before publishing to the Alpha server on zebra host. My clients entered an additional 150 records without problems and then as they were still using the database and entering data they noticed age was not included in the last two records entered. A custom ID based on DOB and last name was not being included in the last two records. They noticed these because they are used as lookups in some grids. In fact, it turns out none of the fields that were calculated fields or auto increment had data in the last two records entered.

I downloaded the database to find all of the calculate fields set to �user entered�, the auto increment field also set to user entered. All of my field rules GONE!

I checked my last backup copy which was done just before publishing the database with the changes and all field rules are intact on the copy. That means this occurred while the database was on the server and in use.

The data table has 3112 records. The last two of which were recorded without data in the calculated fields.
Anyone please help. I can reenter all of the field rules but I am very nervous that this could happen on the server and while in use. Clients are not happy with the extra down time.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Hansolo]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

UPDATE.... Added back the field rules. Table will not implement the rules past record 3110 including auto increment. I know about the record limit for dbase files and this is not even close. Besides I can still add records. Is there a limit to the number of records that can implement field rules in alpha5 data tables?? This is the largest table in terms of records I have experience with in alpha5.

[Hansolo]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

Another update.... Attempted to run "update field rules" after reentering the field rules several time without success. Added a record to the table and the field rules disappeared again. I don't understand.

Is there a file independent of the .dbf that contains the field rules that could be corrupted? If so could someone share the extension with me? Perhaps I could replace it with the backup copy, I hope.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

Is there a limit to the number of records that can implement field rules in alpha5 data tables??

No. That's a very small number of records in any case.

.... Attempted to run "update field rules" after reentering the field rules several time without success. Added a record to the table and the field rules disappeared again. I don't understand.

Sounds like some kind of corruption.

Is there a file independent of the .dbf that contains the field rules that could be corrupted?

Yes. The ddd/ddm/ddx files for the table.

[Hansolo]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

Thanks Peter but how does this happen? Crazy and such a pain.

I had to replicate table that kept loosing field rules. It is now stable. The problem is that I lost all the reports I designed they were evidently tied to that particular .dbf and were not replicated with the .dbf.

So I still have backup of the old dbf with the letter files. How can I bring them into the new project with the new .dbf? Note the new .dbf is named the same as the old.

I tried bringing in the older .ddd file (replacing the new one) which contains the letters but the letters don't appear when I load the project. Unlike the ability to import other tables there seems to be no way to import letters or reports. I really don't want to spend the hours and hours remaking those letters. That designer is such a hassle in V9.

Thanks for any help.

Chuck

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

Thanks Peter but how does this happen?

I don't know. It used to happen to me in certain versions of Alpha a long time a go. Never really used v9.

I tried bringing in the older .ddd file (replacing the new one) which contains the letters but the letters don't appear when I load the project.

Again, the ddd/ddm/ddx files should do the trick. When you say "load the project" do you mean loading the adb? They should be visible in the CP. Try compacting the db and see if they show up. Hit the refresh button on the CP, as well.

Unlike the ability to import other tables there seems to be no way to import letters or reports.

Not sure what you mean by "import". You can right click on a report in the CP and select "copy to". That allows you to copy a report to another db or table.

[Robin James]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

This brilliant utility by Finian Lennon will copy objects, including your letters and reports, from one database to another.

The utility is here: http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...ad.php?t=79729

and some discussion about it: http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/al...=finian+lennon

Robin

[Hansolo]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

WOW� wish I would have come up with the correct search terms to find this utility before posting. But I guess it was important to post what had happened anyway.

After trying to just replace DDM and DDD files with backups without success. I ended up reverting to a backup version of the DBF that had the letter. I then was able to import the last 150 records from the corrupted DBF.

During that import process I also found that the corrupted DBF suffered damage not only to the field rules but in the field names as well. Many fields were truncated and some were truncated but with a single letter added. There was no correlation with the change in field names and the field rules. The fields that suffered name truncation were not the fields associated with field rules. Very strange!

As always I thank you guys for posting helpful guidance. I only wish I was as knowledgeable to return the favor.

Best.

[Peter.Greulich]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

During that import process I also found that the corrupted DBF suffered damage not only to the field rules but in the field names as well. Many fields were truncated and some were truncated but with a single letter added.

Truncated field name typically occurs if you were to, say, open a dbf with Excel (as one example) and then save back to the dbf. Or, if you were to open the dbf w. Alpha - but w/o the data dictionaries. Why that would affect the other field rules, can't say exactly.

[MikeC]

Re: Field rules wiped out while on server side!!

Many fields were truncated

You didn't mention it but note that the fields most likely were truncated to 10 characters....which means the data dictionary which stores field names longer than 10 characters is corrupt. As Peter mentioned, this used to happen more often in prior versions, mainly (always?) due to Alpha not being able to resolve something or an Alpha crash. Ever since in v5 when this happened to me more often than I like to remember (bad coding!), I always use 10 or under for field names and index names....and have not had these issues since.

BTW, normally this will prevent the form from even opening and if, by chance, you knew exactly what the names were prior to truncation, by renaming to whatever they were, the form would then open again.