The Game Analyzer for Golf now provides a full database backup and recovery facility. Available from the File Menu, the administration function contains the following features.
With this function, you can change the database you wish to point to on the fly. The database name must always be gafgdb.mdb, but may reside in any directory. Click Browse to select a database in a different directory. When selected, the new database path will appear on the screen. If it is correct, then click the ‘Change Database File’ button. Since a new database is being initialized, all data not saved in the current database will be lost. You will be warned of this. If a connection to the new database has been made successfully, then all data in your system will now be of the new database.
The database you last used is always the default on start up. After the application is open you can always use this function to change databases. However, you have the option to select a database every time you start the application. From the Help select on the Menu Bar, if you select ‘Show DB File Dialogue on Startup’, then every time the application is started, you will be asked which database file you wish to use. This dialogue will also appear if the application is opened and the database file that was last used, no longer exists (i.e. a LAN database was moved). This feature ensures that the application will never stop functioning due to database problems.
With this function, you can move a database, on the fly, from one location to another. You want to do this if you wish to move your database to your briefcase to move it to another computer, or if you wish to move it to a directory that you keep data files that regularly get backed up. To move the database, click Browse to select a new directory. When selected, the new database path will appear on the screen. If it is correct, then click the ‘Move Database’ button. Since a the database is being moved it needs to be closed then reopened and all data not saved in the current application will be lost. You will be warned of this. If a connection to the moved database has been made successfully you will receive a confirmation message.
At any time, you can direct the software to create a backup of the currently used database. Click Browse to select a directory and enter any database name (with or without the .mdb suffix). If the full path name is correct, click the ‘Backup DB’ button. The system needs exclusive use of the database, so all database connections on your machine will be temporarily deleted. After the backup, you will be reconnected. Any data that is not saved before the backup will be lost.
You can restore any backup database that you have made. Click the Browse button to locate the database you wish to restore. The file name should appear on the screen. Click Restore DB to have the database selected replace the currently used database. Since the current database is overwritten, it is strongly recommended that you back it up first before restoring. After you have restored the database, all data in your system will reflect the data in the restored database.
As you add, update and remove data from your application, the Microsoft Access will grow in size. When the database gets too big, it takes more time to move, backup and in general the application may run into slight performance problems. If your database is over 50mb it might be time to compact the database. Simply click the button and after answering yes to the warning message, the database will be compacted. It should reduce the size to approximately 50% but could be more or less depending on when the last compact occurred.