Backing Up

[Michael Humby]

Have adapted Tom Cone's excellent Learn Alpha Automated Back Up Procedures as an add on to my unlimited runtime app. Brilliant!

My client owns several branches and each branch can now email the data to head office. The bonus is, he now has full running versions and backups for each branch on his main office computer. The operation takes seconds. I am happy to share the technique that I have learnt should any one be interested.

I have one button to do this which prompts for the floppy and branch name etc but I would like to add an end 'Back Up Complete' message. Does any one know if Xbasic can detect if drive A: has finished writing?

Michael

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Backing Up

Michael, thanks for the compliment. I'm glad it proved useful to you.

In my own application the backup routine runs in a DOS window, as described in the article. I've changed the batch file commands somewhat to make the process more meaningful to the user.

Using the echo command you can display lines of explanatory text.

Using the pause command you can interrupt the batch process altogether.

Using these in combination I pause the batch process when the backup is complete, and explain to the user how to close the DOS session.

I do not know how to gracefully determine when the DOS batch file has run its course, but will be 'lurking' about to see if others have suggestions on this.

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Backing Up

Tom,
I struggled with the same issue with a DOS based backup routine. My problem was that I used the process to backup data before another operation and I needed to be sure that the backup was complete. The solution was to use the last line of the DOS batch file to copy a dummy file to a specified location. I then used a loop to look for the dummy file. The file only exists when the batch file was complete. When the loop finds the file, the script will continue. A sample of the script is below. Back is the pointer for the DOS batch file (backup_d.bat) which is created by the script. new_path and new_private_path are the paths of the backup batch file location and the A5 private path that have been converted to DOS short form (I created a function to convert from long name to short name)

'/// lines to create batch file
back.write_line ("copy "+new_path+"backup_d.bat "+new_private_path+"done.txt")
back.flush()
back.close()
timer = toseconds(time())

if file.exists(:A5.Get_Private_Path()+"done.txt")
file.remove(:A5.Get_Private_Path()+"done.txt")
end if

sys_shell(:A5.Get_Path()+"backup_d.bat")

while .not.file.exists(:A5.Get_Private_Path()+"done.txt")
if toseconds(time()) - timer > 60
error_generate("Timed Out Error")
exit while
end if
end while
'/// lines to indicate process is done or additional xbasic processes.

As you can see, the script will time out after 60 seconds in case the DOS batch file fails. Otherwise the user would have to use A5Halt. This method works very well for me.

Jerry

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Backing Up

Ahhhhh! Great idea!

(Now why is that this kind of thing seems so obvious after it's described, than when we're staring at a blank screen?)

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Backing Up

It came in my sleep. I was staring at blank eyelids. Less glare. :)

jERRY

[Elliott Lester]

RE: Backing Up

Hey guys, why do all this when you can just winzip
up your A5 folder and attach that to an e-mail as attachment, or write it to a CD, or zip drive or secondary drive (on the server/standalone or on a networked drive. This can be very easily automated in fact.

Then, if needed just unzip it and you are ready to go.

In our office we unzip and run the program--nothing like a
backup that will not work [i am supposing that is why you are checking for that dummy file].

Is there some advantage that I do not know about?

P.S. I believe in A5v5 this is made even easier to do.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Backing Up

Aside from a personal tendency to do things 'the hard way', I have it set up this way because:

1) my users are poorly trained, and cannot be trusted to select the right files or folders to backup; and

2) I want to make it *easy* for them. If it's not easy they won't do it.

Remember that 'deer in the headlights' look you got the first time you tried to explain to a newbie how their hard disk is organized?

-- tom

[Michael Humby]

RE: Backing Up

Me too, the market that I am aiming at have got no knowledge of Winzip or Windows explorer. Every thing has to be by buttons.

Michael

[csda1]

RE: Backing Up

Also check this this thread on Power Outages for a whole disertation on Backup issues;


http://msgboard.alphasoftware.com/alphaphorum/read.php3?sortby=lastreply&direction=desc&num=4&id=23970&thread=23912


Regards,

Ira J. Perlow
Computer Systems Design & Associates
[email protected]

[Michael Humby]

RE: Backing Up

Winzip zips the whole folder and it spans more than one disk, my clients do not want to email the whole app every day so my routine only includes the .dbf, .cdx and .fpt files. Takes seconds.

Michael

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Backing Up

Some users seem to have enough trouble reading and understanding the buttons. If the operation isn't automatic, it doesn't get done. I even have a script attached to the CanExit event for my main menu that asks if the user wants to backup data. The default button is yes and the default directory is the appication directory. All the user needs to do is hit the ENTER key. Most can do that.

Jerry

[csda1]

RE: Backing Up

Jerry,

I know users who are still looking for the "ANY KEY" Key! Do you really expect them to be able to find the ENTER key? :?)

Michael,

You don't need the CDX file either. It can be recreated if need be. The CDX files can get quite large depending upon index key values

Regards,

Ira J. Perlow
Computer Systems Design & Associates
[email protected]

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Backing Up

Ira, your 'acquaintenances' who are looking for ANY KEY may be related to some I've heard of who think the CD tray was intended as a drink holder for their coffee!

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Backing Up

Ira,
An idea - create a blank cdx file (table with no data) and rename as cdb or something similar and back that up. At least the index formats, and expressions, etc are saved.

Michael,
That explains why I keep spilling my coffee!

Jerry

[Jim Rowlen]

RE: Backing Up

I knew a girl who really liked our fax machine because it gave her a copy of the fax after it sent the other.

IN a previous company, a contractor called in and asked why we sent him 20 copies of a fax. When we asked the girl (a different one) she said it was because the fax machine kept kicking out her copy instead of sending it.