How to Send Alpha Five Files to Demonstrate a
Problem
Often it is easier to demonstrate a problem you are
having with Alpha Five with real data that it is to describe it in words.
Note: This document applies to Alpha Five Version 2,
3 and 4. The Alpha Software message board allows
you to attach a file, up to 1 MB in size, to your message.
Since an Alpha Five
application typically involves a lot of different files, knowing which files to
attach to your message can be quite tricky. Also, since you can only attach a
single file to the message, you must Zip up your files into a single zip file
that is less than 1 MB.
Note: If you don't have
WinZip, you can download a copy from www.shareware.com.
This document describes how to attach a file to your
message.
1. Make a new temporary folder
on your computer.
2. Copy the database files to
the temporary folder. The database files have the extensions: .adb .alm .alx
.alb. For example, if your database is called "Invoices", copy the
files "invoices.adb", "invoices.alm",
"invoices.alx" and "invoices.alb" to the temporary folder.
3. Copy the minimum set of
files necessary to duplicate the problem to the temporary folder. For example,
if your problem involves just a single table, called "Customer" for
example, then copy:
"customer.dbf",
"customer.fpt",
"customer.cdx",
"customer.ddd",
"customer.ddm" and
"customer.ddx"
to the temporary folder.
Note: If the table does not have memo fields the
.fpt file will not exist.
If the table has no indexes, the .cdx file will not exist.
4. If your problem involves a set, copy all of the tables in the set (.dbf,
.fpt, .cdx, .ddd, .ddm and .ddx extensions) and the set itself (.set , .sem and
.sex extension) to the temporary folder.
For example, say you have a set called "Orders" which has two tables,
"Header" and "Items", you would need to copy the following
files to the temporary folder:
Orders.set
Orders.sex
Orders.sem
Header.dbf
Header.fpt
Header.cdx
Header.ddd
Header.ddm
Header.ddx
Items.dbf
Items.fpt
Items.cdx
Items.ddd
Items.ddm
Items.ddx
5. Start Alpha Five and open the database in the temporary
folder.
6. If possible, delete unnecessary records in any tables to make them smaller.
For example, if you have a table with 100,000 records, and you can demonstrate
the problem with just 10 records in that table, delete the unnecessary records,
and then Pack the table.
7. CONFIRM THAT YOU CAN STILL DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM USING THE DATABASE IN THE
TEMPORARY FOLDER.
8. Exit Alpha Five and use WinZip to zip up all of the file in the temporary
folder.
9. Create a new message on the message board. Describe in detail how to
duplicate the problem. For example:
Open "FormA"
Enter a new record.
Give focus to the "Lastname" field. Etc.
10. Attach the zip file to the message.
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