I have another concern that comes up quite a bit in our environment - and that is adding a field and/or an additional index to an existing table (in a runtime/production system). It seems like that could be a pretty complicated matter as things stand right now.

If I add the index to the file in development, can I update the

dictionary on the runtime version and then 'update' the index?

I think it would really be nice if we could just add an index using the database manager in the runtime environment - but maybe that's linked to the runtime engine that is running.(?) The 'suggested' method of copying the development engine over the runtime, building the index, and then copying files back - means some downtime or late night index builds in our situation - not something I look forward to.

Is that the best (only?) way to do it?

TIA,

Jeff

Jeff,

You can just attach the runtime tables from your development OI just like you would in runtime. Add the indexes that you need , change your dictionaries, then save the database (to update the DBT file) and then copy the new DBT file from the development directory in the runtime environment directory.

Yes, it would be nice to be able to add indexes in runtime mode but if we could do everything in runtime, why would people buy extra (more expensive) development seats? It's all economics, right Cam ?

Jeff,

The indexing information is stored in the dictionary item. When that dictionary item is deployed, the deployed system will create the index.

Cameron Purdy

Revelation Software

Cameron,

The indexing information is stored in the dictionary item. When that dictionary item is deployed, the deployed system will create the index.

Excuse me for asking really basic questions, but could you please comment on the following procedure:

(1) A client of mine has a runtime system at his site, running version 1 of our app.

(2) I develop a new version of the app - version 2, and send him that. I send him a full copy of OI with the app, not just an upgrade. This new copy has empty data tables, but all indexes are in place. (The indexes are of course empty.) I cannot send him a system without indexes, because with his runtime he cannot add indexes.

(3) I tell him to do the upgrade from v 1 to 2 by installing v 2 to a different place than where he's got v 1, and copy the app's five user data tables (i.e 5x2 LK/OV files) from the old to the new system.

(4) Finally I tell him to re-restablish the indexes by… …erm… …uh… …he cannot use Database Manager, so it'll have to be some tool I've developed and made accessible from the app. But what should that tool do? Run Update_Indexes?

I thought perhaps my case and Jeff's were similar enough that your answer to him covered both. But there is one thing I don't understand. You seem to say I could send my client just dictionaries with index information in them, and not send the (empty) index tables themselves. But then the runtime would have to create the index tables, and I thought a runtime couldn't do that either (create tables).

Clear this up for me and I'll be eternally grateful…

- Oystein -

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