file_add_to_DB()

[enstorms]

Have an app I've distributed and have added a couple of new tables. Am wanting to put in my autoexec script a way to check to see if the users current version includes these two tables. My question is will just using this function add all the necessary files to their application, i.e. .cdx etc.??
Thanks.
Ernie

[Mike Wilson]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Using what function?

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

The topic of this thread.

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Don't know if this is the best way to do this or not. I created a little zip file of the files I need (10 total) and included it in the update zip file. Then in the autoexec, I check to see if one of those files exists (either they all exist or none of them). If not, then unzip the little zip file.
If anyone has a better way, please let me know.
Ernie

[MikeC]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

I have done the same Ernie in simply testing for the existence and if the table is not present, add it....works just fine....are you having issues with it or just curious as to other possible ways?

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Hi Mike. I was just looking for a simple way to get this done. It seems the file_add_to_db() function is only a way of having it show up in the Control Panel and therefore it must exist on the users machine somewhere. In my case, if the dbf file is not on the users machine, using this function would do nothing because it would have none of the structural info. Only the name. I had thought about just adding the files to the zip itself, but then the install would overwrite what was on the users machine, if those files had already been installed by a previous install. My previous install did include them because it was the first update after adding them. This is a subsequent update.
So I guess my real question now is, how to handle this? We have the functions to add fields to tables if they haven't already been added, so was looking for similar functions to add tables if they don't exist.
Ernie

P.S. Just found the create_table() function. Don't know why I didn't see that in all my research yesterday. I think I got sidetracked when I saw the file_add_to_db() function.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Ernie,
if you are looking to test for the presence of the table in the application, this will work.

dim vtable as C="staff"

if is_one_of(vtable,a5.Table_Enum())
	msgbox("Table is in the application")
else
	msgbox("Table ain't here, Pal, so don't do it!")
end if

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Mike,
This is what I've got in my autoexec script.

dim vFilename as c
dim zip_Filename as c
dim vFilemask as c = "*.*"

vFilename = datapath+"\expense_net.dbf"
zip_Filename = datapath+"\net.zip"
if file.exists(vFilename) = .F. then
     file.unzip(zip_Filename,vFilemask,datapath)
end if

The net.zip file is included in the application zip update. It contains the 10 files I need to load on the users machine if they haven't already been loaded.

Ernie

[MikeC]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

looks like it would work just fine Ernie. In your case you stated that if one existed all existed so no need to test for each. But you should have all the files in the zip file that correspond to a table/set....not just the dbf.....is the way I have done it.

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Thanks, Mike. My only concern in doing it this way is that it leaves the zip file on their machine. I guess I could write the code to delete it after the unzip, if it was successful. I'm going to take a look at the create_table() function. This would solve the problem of my concern. Just takes a little more time to write the extra lines of code for the fields.
Ernie

P.S. Just thought that I would have to create the indexes also. This may be more trouble that it is worth. Maybe deleting the zip file would be the way to go.

[MikeC]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

If you are sure this is a one time deal, you could just delete the zip after the addition if missing or right away if the exist says the table already is there.....but then what about the autoexec? It will still be testing for the table and should find it I guess...but if worried about cleanup..... :)

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Mike,
Here's "my final answer".

dim vFilename as c
dim zip_Filename as c
dim vFilemask as c = "*.*"
dim vSuccess as L

vFilename = datapath+"\expense_net.dbf"
zip_Filename = datapath+"\net.zip"
if file.exists(vFilename) = .F. then
	vSuccess = file.unzip(zip_Filename,vFilemask,datapath)
else
	file.remove(datapath+"\net.zip")
end if
if vSuccess = .t. then
	file.remove(datapath+"\net.zip")
end if

Tested just fine. Lots less work.
Ernie

[enstorms]

Re: file_add_to_DB()

Well, may have run into a road block here in including my little zip file with the app zip update file. Evidently, when you include a "zip" file in your zip, it puts that zip file in a folder it creates called "Install". However, when you unzip the main zip file, it doesn't extract that folder. So can't get to the zip file within the main zip.
Here is the code to unzip:

dim filename as c
filename = ui_get_file("Select Backup File...","ZipFiles (*.zip)",backup_folder+ chr(92) + app_filename)
if filename = "" then
    msgbox("Cancelled","Restore Cancelled.")
    end
end if

if file.unzip(filename,filemask,datapath)
    msgbox("Success...","Files restored successfully.")
else
	msgbox("Unsuccessful...","There was a problem restoring the Files.")    
end if

Any ideas on how to make this work?
Thanks.
Ernie

P.S. I uplink the zip file I create from within alpha5 to my web server. THen have code to download the zip to the users computer. Then they go through a basic restore from that zip file. The above code is the restore code I have on a button.

LATER: Well, I just zipped up the files I needed using 7-zip. Would rather use alpha5, but maybe in this situation, it's not possible.