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Compacting causing data loss

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    #1

    Compacting causing data loss

    I posted a few days ago about mysteriously losing reports. When at the conference I talked to Finian about why one database would not compact. We found the "temp .$$m" file did not delete properly and thought it fixed it. Now back home, I can compact the database (11,000 recs) once, but if I compact it again right after, it hangs at "100 of 159 62%" of the first operation and totally wipes out the DDM file, which holds all the operations, reports and forms. I am not sure what 100 of 159 is, field rules?? Well... this aint good. Does anyone know what exactly the "compact" does? Specifically this first part of it. I know it packs the database, and reindexes, which I can do manually. But it is doing something else that and I would really like try to do manually to fix this problem.
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: Compacting causing data loss

    Hi Mick:

    The compact, in addition to the pack and reindex, does a dictionary update which would remove deleted records from the data dicionary. These could relate to field rules or layouts.

    I suspect that your data dictionary (or an object within it) is corrupted. Delete the *.$$M file again, open the database but rather than do a compact, open the script editor/interactive window and type

    dictionary.update("fullpathtotable.dbf")

    with the full path to the table name within quotes. I suspect this will cause the same failure at the same point.

    If you have a working backup of the files (that you can compact successfully) then all you need to do is to copy in the .ddd, ddm and .ddx files. THis won't affect the data at all. Of course if you added new layouts or rules since the backup, you would lose those.

    If you don't have a backup then you have a mission to open/design the different forms browses reports field rules etc within the table to see if you can isolate the one that's a problem, delete it and hope that it takes care of the problem.

    As a last resort you can always try copying the data dictionary back into their table elements
    .ddd -> .dbf
    .ddm -> .fpt
    .ddx -> .cdx
    and see what you can do. I have to say that doing this, however intriguing, has never once solved a problem for me.

    Finian
    Finian

    Comment

      #3
      RE: Compacting causing data loss

      Thanks Finian
      I have stripped everything from the database, operations, field rules, etc and it compacts fine. However, there are many field rules, 10 operations, etc. that I now have to rebuild from scratch. This problem has been going on for awhile, so all the backups I have also are corrupted.

      Oh well, I'll be sure to watch for this type of error again! What a pain.

      Comment

        #4
        RE: Compacting causing data loss

        That's never a pleasant experience ...

        The field rules are a pain, since there are virtually no shortcuts you can take. However, when redoing the operations, open up a backup copy af the table and you should be able to copy/paste things like updates or appends.

        Finian
        Finian

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