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Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

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    Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

    Hi All,

    After deleting some of my tables and sets, I noticed that all my saved forms and browses were also deleted.

    Is it a normal behavior in AlphaFive?

    Thank you

    Thierry

    #2
    Re: Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

    Yup. Think about it a bit and it makes sense. When you design a form (any layout) you have to select a table or set to link it to. When the table or set is deleted, so are all the associated layouts. Some operations are also linked to the table/set and they would also disappear.

    If you have a backup (Rule #1 - Always make a backup - especially before deleting something. Rules 2,3, and 4 - see rule 1. It's a terrible comment on life but most of us have learned that the hard way.) you have two possibilities:
    1. You can restore the table AND all matching files - whichever ones exist - .dbf, .cdx, .fpt, .ddd, .ddm, .ddx.
    2. You could re-create the table then delete the "data dictionaries" (the .ddd, .ddm, and .ddx files for that table) and restore the original data dictionaries. (Not sure why you would want to do it that way but I suppose you could. I recommend #1 and just edit field structure if necessary.)

    The only other solution I can think of is to start from scratch and rebuild it all.

    FYI: Since a set is just a combination of tables, the only thing a set has is a data dictionary - the .set, .sex, and .sem files - these define which tables are in the set and how they are related plus they store the associated layouts and/or operations.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

      Thank you CALocklin.

      I do understand the logic behind it.

      But since a table is just a data source for the form, if the table is deleted, it would be more user friendly to have the obvious error message in every field and let the user change the datasource of the form to another table (just the way Access does).

      Since I rename/delete table often (I am dealing with a database of more than 100) and I put a lot of efforts in how my forms look, I just don't see the added value of the current AlphaFive method...

      Anyway, Thank you for the explanation!

      Cheers

      Thierry

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

        "I rename/delete table often"
        Why??? I've been developing apps since A5v1 (about 1981) and have never had a need to delete anything other than temp tables which did not have any layouts attached. Maybe if you explained why you are doing that we could suggest a better way in A5.

        "it would be more user friendly to have the obvious error message in every field"
        Please no! I know of some tables with hundreds of fields. Don't make me answer the same question hundreds of times just to delete a table.

        "and let the user change the datasource of the form to another table"
        1. If you change the data source of the whole form in A5, then every field name in the new table will have to exactly match the field names in the original table.
        2. In A5 you can copy the layouts to another table or set but you have to do it before deleting the original. There are a couple built-in ways for a developer to do that 'manually' but there probably isn't any built-in method for doing that with code. I'm sure it can be done but it may require some rather advanced code. (I just can't imagine a situation where I would need to let a user do something like that. I suspect this is just a matter of different ways of doing things in A5 vs. Access.)

        There was also a third-party utility created by Jim Chapman some years ago that allows developers to send individual layouts to customers for updates. This might be adapted to a more automated process. But I think you should try explaining the reason you are deleting and recreating tables first and let us try to find a better way in A5.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

          "I rename/delete table often"
          My bad: I should have written "I rename table very often". True indeed that deleting tables occurs less often.
          I rename tables as the database grows out of convenience, giving them prefix to find them faster in the control panel.
          I would occasionally delete a table when I simply don't need it anymore. But I may still want to keep its related forms for its design elements.
          Please note that I am not a developer working on a defined specification documents but rather designing applications to optimize my daily activities. Hence the many modifications/change of directions.

          "it would be more user friendly to have the obvious error message in every field"
          Sorry I did not mean having these annoying "pop up messages" but simply to have a "N/A" (or whatever) in each field and give the user the freedom to select the datasource again.
          If the name of each field does not match then he could simply change the source of each field individually as well.


          "and let the user change the datasource of the form to another table"

          My bad again: by "user" I meant "developer" (I'm not a native English speaker as you probably already noticed! ;)
          (basically same point as the previous one)

          By the way, after renaming a table, I suppose it is also normal that the related sets are not automatically updated with the new table name?

          Thank You

          Thierry

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Deleting Table = Deleting Forms?

            Originally posted by jakircevic View Post
            I'm not a native English speaker as you probably already noticed!
            Actually no - I hadn't. Your grammar wasn't perfect but I've seen a lot worse from "natives".

            I'm not sure but it sounds like you've figured out that you can rename a table by right clicking on the table name and selecting "rename".

            Originally posted by jakircevic View Post
            IBy the way, after renaming a table, I suppose it is also normal that the related sets are not automatically updated with the new table name?
            Correct. In this case I've usually duplicated the table (with data, field rules, and/or indexes as appropriate), modified the set to use the new name, then deleted the original table. I believe this is also likely to mean you will have to modify any the fields on the layouts that belonged to the old table.

            Reminder: Don't delete the original table until after modifying the set or you will have to go back and "reduplicate" the table to the original name in order to even open the set.

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