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Have at it!

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    #16
    RE: Have at it!

    Neat scripts Tom. Sure glad you are active on this board, learn a lot from you and the other big boys. Never knew about the batch thing, going to have to break out the books and find out how that works.

    Mick

    Comment


      #17
      RE: Have at it!

      Wanda, as I recall, you live in Austin. I am doing an Alpha presentation at the San Antonio PC Users group Monday night, if you would like to come - we could have coffee.
      Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
      972 524 8714
      [email protected]

      ____________________
      "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

      Comment


        #18
        RE: Have at it!

        Wanda,

        To go one step in addition to what Ray and Tom suggest, I would like to recommend the following.

        Create an event field rule (OnWroteField)
        for each of those two fields.

        The script should utilize my userinfo.bat to determine the
        actual user that changed the field, as well as time and date.
        You could then update a separate A5 table, or do a low level write to a separate log file.

        I've attached my userinfo.bat.
        The script to read the user is below. It's from A5v1, but should still work. You may need to modify the path to the
        USERINFO.TXT

        '-----------------------------------------------------------
        'Get the NOVELL USERID
        '-----------------------------------------------------------
        progname = A_APP_CURRENT_PATH + "USERINFO.BAT"
        sys_shell(progname, 3)
        ' Add delay sufficient for batch to complete
        for I = 1 TO 5000
        next I
        fh = file_open("C:A5USERINFO.TXT", FILE_RO_EXCLUSIVE)
        data = file_read_line(fh)
        loc1 = at("user", data, 1)
        loc1 = loc1 + 5
        loc2 = at("attached", data, 1)
        loc2 = loc2 - loc1
        V_USERNAME = substr(data, loc1, loc2)
        file_close(fh)

        Comment


          #19
          RE: Have at it!

          Hi Tom!
          Great idea - and thanks for the scripts. Actually, the first thing I do, now, at the beginning of each work day is to check to see if data is in tact in both of those tables. Neither has many records without exit dates, so I'm already doing the count (albiet, not quite as sophisticated as your "count" mechanism!) I'll begin using your scripts, though - it'll be a bit faster, probably.

          Relative to an operation causing the problem - how could you/anyone explain the missing data that occurred without me even opening any Alpha files - when I was at the conference? Data was there when I left - not there when I returned. No operations or anything had been performed...no tables had even been opened...

          NOW - GET THIS...yesterday, after deleting lastnames and SSN's from the files I zipped and Lenny posted for me - I went back to my "working" data on Drive D, and found the same data had been deleted from those files. How can deleting data from a COPIED (via Windows Explorer), affect the original source?

          I'm at wits end and about to have a cardiac arrest, I swear!!! Got a meeting with my Supe this a.m. - we'll see if I still have a job. I shot off an email to him yesterday, stating that I won't work with the data from this point forward, until the problem is solved - it would be futile - and that the only way to determine if the network is causing the problems, is to give me a stand-alone unit. Wish me luck!!!

          Comment


            #20
            RE: Have at it!

            Thanks, Martin - I would love to attend, but I'm in Calif, not Austin...at this point, I'd prefer wine and cheese to coffee, too!!! After all, it's the cheese that makes California cows happy - and I live in Wine Country :)

            Comment


              #21
              RE: Have at it!

              Hi Melvin,
              Thank you! I will save your script - but at this point I'll put the idea on hold because no one else is using the data (supposedly). If I find that someone is getting into it at night (which is unlikely - but possible, I suppose), then I'll use your script to find out who it is...in the meantime, I'll do Ray's suggestion of logging the file size and modified dates to see if there are any descrepancies from the time I log off, to the time I log on.

              I JUST LOVE ALL THE IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM YOU FINE FOLK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This ought to turn out to be a very interesting day...

              Comment


                #22
                RE: Have at it!

                sorry - I have you confused with someone else
                Cole Custom Programming - Terrell, Texas
                972 524 8714
                [email protected]

                ____________________
                "A young man who is not liberal has no heart, but an old man who is not conservative has no mind." GB Shaw

                Comment


                  #23
                  RE: Have at it!

                  Hi Wanda,

                  Got time for 5 Questions? ---

                  1. Is your Server a Novell or MS Server?

                  2. What Server version is it?

                  3. What is your OS system at your workstation?

                  4. What client are you using to connect to the server,
                  MS or Novell?

                  5. If you client is a Novell Client, what version of this client are you running?

                  Thanks,
                  RF-ARS-Motorola

                  Comment


                    #24
                    RE: Have at it!

                    >>NOW - GET THIS...yesterday, after deleting lastnames and >>SSN's from the files I zipped and Lenny posted for me - I >>went back to my "working" data on Drive D, and found the >>same data had been deleted from those files. How can >>deleting data from a COPIED (via Windows Explorer), >>affect the original source?

                    Sorry, one last thing, drive "D" is not considered a network drive by most operating systems. Could we we remap this to "F" or higher.

                    RF-ARS-Motorola

                    Comment


                      #25
                      RE: Have at it!

                      Hi Ray,
                      Most of the questions, I can not answer, and will need to get the info from the IT department, which I'll do asap.

                      Relative to a "client" - I am the developer, user, client - whatever one wants to call me - I AM THE ONLY ONE USING THE ALPHA PROGRAM - I work for the County and don't have any clients. There are no other users or developers in town, that I know of - much less on this system that I've created for work.

                      Also,I don't need to be hooked up to the network at all. The only reason IT has me hooked up to the server is so THEY can do backups, instead of me (or any employee). Lame reason - I'm fighting with them to disconnect me and give me a zip drive so I can do my own backups, and eliminate the network/server being a problem. At least then I'd know the problems lie within Alpha.

                      I just found another table with missing data - this time it's the LASTNAME field. About 50 of the 200+ records no longer have data in the LASTNAME field.

                      I'm ready to scream, again - and am getting really tired of heariang myself whine! If only I knew the network had nothing to do with this - or everything to do with this...

                      Comment


                        #26
                        RE: Have at it!

                        Right - D is not a network drive (supposedly - I don't think IT even knows, anymore, what they have networked!!!) Because it's not a networked drive is the precise reason why my data is stored there - or so I thought.

                        Yesterday, IT told me that what appears to be Drive D, is really Drive S (Shared drive). Then, of course, when the copied data (on Drive C) did the same thing as my working data on Drive D, as if they were in fact the same files (when I deleted sensitive data), IT says drives C and D are on my hard drive only, and therefore IT MUST BE ANOTHER BUG IN ALPHA.

                        Selwyn - getting irritated at them, yet?!!!

                        I'm hesitant to do anything more while connected to the server. I'm going on strike until I have a stand alone unit. If I get fired, will someone out there hire me, please??? (But, I don't want to move - I could do developing from my home for you...pretty please?!!!)

                        Comment


                          #27
                          RE: Have at it!

                          I was referring to the client software that you are using to connect to your network. A majority of the time this client software will be Microsoft's (a gray login box), the rest of the time it will be Novell's client software (a red login box). Novell's client software offers of lot more options than Microsoft's. If some of these options are set incorrectly, the problems your are describing will occur.

                          As far as backing up your data I have a quick solution that you may want to think about.

                          Have your network administrator create a folder on the network just for you. Move your table structure back to your local computer (Your C drive). Create a �bat file� that you run at the end of the day that copies your tables to your network folder for backups (using something like xcopy). This should take about three extra minutes to run the �bat file� before you go home at night.

                          You get your application running trouble-free and they get their daily backups.

                          Again why did your network administrators map a network drive to "d", this really is a not correct.

                          I will be leaving for a java wireless seminar this week to Orlando, Florida and should be returning later next week, please try to get those five questions answered for me.

                          Hang in there!!!!

                          RF-ARS-Motorola

                          Comment


                            #28
                            RE: Have at it!

                            Geez! ARe you for real? You are being so patient with me, and spending so much time helping - thank you from the bottom of my heart! Sorry about not knowing what you meant about "client"...just goes to show you that I know nothing about networking - and at this point, don't think I'll ever want to try to learn it!

                            I will get the answers to those questions for you - but can't guarantee they will be correct...

                            Have fun at your seminar!

                            Again, thank you, Ray :-))))))))))

                            Wanda

                            Comment


                              #29
                              RE: Have at it!

                              PS - My data is on D drive because when I first got this job, the office that I worked out of wanted all data stored on Drive D. Now, at this office, where I am now, the IT wants everyone to store their work in C:Data directory.

                              When I copied all my Alpha files to CData, I couldn't get to any of them, because the pointer was pointing to drive D. So, instead of re-writing every table, form, report, etc, they just created the D drive just for me. So, my data is actually stored seperately, supposedly. On the other hand, I learned, yesterday, that the D drive they created only looks like a D drive, but is really the S Drive, disguised as the D drive..............ever feel like you're in a clear box, where you can see the rest of the world, but can't get beyond the box to communicate with them? That's exactly how I'm feeling. Just give me a sledge hammer and I'll smash through that box for fresh air!

                              Comment


                                #30
                                RE: Have at it!

                                When you first open Alpha 5 you will get a welcome to Alpha 5 dialog box, that's if you didn't turn this off. It will list the Alpha 5 databases.

                                If you're opening the one that maps to Drive "d:" then probably you are opening a local copy.

                                If you're opening the one that maps to Drive "s:" then probably you are opening a network copy.


                                I don't think there anything wrong with your application at all, because after all, it was working properly according to you on your local drive before you went on the network.

                                I think that your mappings to the shared drives on your network, are just incorrect.

                                If you give me the answers to those questions that I've asked, I will reply with a detail, step-by-step instructions on how to properly put the data on a shared network drive.

                                It may be a good idea to just move your data back to your local drive and at the end of the day, copy it to the network drive for backups. Just to get things working right again and to give you a chance to step back for a while from that sledge hammer.

                                Your network administrator should have no problems answering those questions. Might get a bit offended about answering the questions, that how we network people are, just get him a large Snickers bar.

                                RF-ARS-Motorola

                                Comment

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