Update Databases

[Matthias Kuhn]

Hello,

I´m using a big database 3 MB with 300 fields per record.

Now I´ve three notebooks and different users and I will
not use a server to update the files. The users change
different fields at the same time but may be in the same
record.

I think the best will be to change particular fields in a
special update file to update the data.

Any idea´s,examples, etc. how to do it sure and quick ???

Thanks

Matthias Kuhn

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[Michael Mattias]

Match/Merge code is difficult at best, so I would not expect anything "sure and quick".

You might look at a Windows(r) option I have never tried - "My Briefcase."

I doubt it will work, because I think it just replaces like-named files with the most recent version based on timestamp.

About the only way to do a good match-merge is to have a timestamp and maybe a user code as one of the 300 fields in a record; but this will also require each record to have a unique key, so you can find the like records in each file.

Your thought - a "change record" - is a technique I have used, and it works pretty well, but it, too, requires a record key, and is not terrible easy to program.

MCM

[Mike Doty]

I'd use something like the OptTech Sort and
use it's merge capability. Of course, you can
write the code, but it would be hard to beat
the performance of a utility written for this.



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[Matthias Kuhn]

High,

thanks all for the ideas.

Mike what is OptTech?

Another idea:

I could create a small working file of the main-file with only
the needed fields and give the working-file to
another user` PC over disk perhaps.

He worked with a special Part-Programm to change the fields he
need.

When he finished he give the changed working-file back to update
the main-file. Only the specials fields of the working-file will
be updated.

Good: No Datacrashes because all is separated. The user has his
own Part-Programm and can only change special fields.
The working file needs only less place.

Bad: A lot of work to create the working files and the fitting
Part-Program.

Any other idea´s ???

Regards

Matthias Kuhn

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[Mike Doty]

http://www.opttech.com
I've used the Opt-Tech sort for over 10 years
in commercial DOS applications. It is also
available for Windows. It is an extremely
fast commerical sort/merge program that can
be linked in DOS programs or called as a .DLL in Windows.
It was made for doing things like you have mentioned
and has the ability to sort in place, create index
files, tag files, output subsets of records, count
and many more things. Highly recommended.
The DOS version is in assembler.




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