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Database maintenance

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    Database maintenance

    I am at the point of releasing to the customer my first application created with A5! Thanks to the support we get from this forum.... its awesome.

    Now my question is this... the last thing I have to do is give my client a way to perform routine database maintenance... but exactly what kind of maintenance is required and how often should they do "it"?

    Do they ever need to compact the database since I dont allow record deletions in this application? if so.. how can you do it inside the application? At best the "blank" table wont get compacted.. at worst other tables could be excluded if any are left open...

    If rebuilding the indexes periodically is important... how often and do I need to boot everyone from the networked app to accomplish this?

    Just a few of the questions I have so far...

    Thanks in advance for all the help... Jeff

    #2
    RE: Database maintenance

    Jeff,

    Couple of things I always include on runtime applications.

    I base a 'Tools' form on a dummy empty table and give the user a button to rebuild indexes.
    Another button to remove the $$ files tha build up. (I have not found the property settings option reliable).

    I also give the user a backup and restore button but you will need the Unlimited distribution version of PKZip for this. It is not expensive.

    Michael

    Comment


      #3
      RE: Database maintenance

      Heh... I left this part for last because I thought it was going to be the easiest part... 2 days later I still cant get it to work using the examples in the book... just does not fly... unless I want to rebuild just the production indexes... but I think that doesnt include the indexes "I" made.. the book is ambigious about this.

      I just want to, from a dummy table, open the tables and indexes, rebuild the indexes, close em and be done with it..

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Database maintenance

        The production indexes are all the indexes associated with a table, some probably automatically created by Alpha and any that you created.

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Database maintenance

          Jeff,

          I don't think that the 'Production Indexes' info will help in a runtime scenario.

          This is a sample of index build scripts that I use. I create one for each table and run the script from a form based on a dummy table allowing all other forms and tables to be closed. This method is well documented.

          name="My_table"
          tbl=table.open(name)
          index_create_begin("Roll_no","Roll_no","","")
          index_add("abcd_1","Roll_no","","")
          index_add("Last_name","rtrim(Lname)+fname+ltrim(str(roll_no))","Delete_flag=.f.","")
          index_add("Start","stt_date","","")
          index_add("Lname","RTRIM(Lname)+LTRIM(fname)","","")
          index_add("Leave","Leave_date","","")
          index_add("DOB","DOB","","")
          index_add("With_leave","RTRIM(lname)+LTRIM(fname)+LTRIM(STR(ROLL_NO))","Leave_date={}","")
          tbl.index_create_end()
          tbl.close()

          Michael

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Database maintenance

            I noticed you refer to Alpha in this message. Are you referring to Alpha5 database?

            If so.

            I've been looking at Alpha 5 today, it does refer to Xbasic, but I think it's a different environment than the Max Reason version.

            Can you send me snipets of code to show

            1) Database Login/Logout
            2) Open/Close Tables
            3) Sequential Reads from the database
            4) Random reads from the database
            5) Writes/Updates to database records

            etc.

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Database maintenance

              John,


              Theres a ton of code on this message board and not very far down the list from here.

              kenn
              TYVM :) kenn

              Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Database maintenance

                1) Database Login/Logout

                Alpha loads a database from the desktop or menu. Ver. 5 due out in June has a load database command (A5_load()?)

                2) Open/Close Tables

                tbl = table.open("database name here.dbf")
                tbl.close()

                3) Sequential Reads from the database
                5) Writes/Updates to database records

                tbl = Table.current()
                tbl.fetch_first()
                while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
                vTime = time()
                tbl.Change_Begin()
                tbl.item_time = vTime
                tbl.Change_end(.t.)
                tbl.fetch_next()
                end while

                4) Random reads from the database

                vRec = 1024
                tbl.fetch_goto(vRec)
                Peter
                AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                [email protected]
                https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Database maintenance

                  Oh, I forgot to add, xbasic is easy to work with and fairly intuitive. Hope the examples demonstrate that.
                  Peter
                  AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                  [email protected]
                  https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Database maintenance

                    1) Database Login/Logout
                    [b]
                    If you are referring to security, you have to roll your own in ver. 4.5. In ver. 5, login security is built into the system as a user option.
                    Peter
                    AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                    [email protected]
                    https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                    Comment

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