[AccessD] corrupt database - backup rather out-dated.

Thu Jun 5 13:44:53 CDT 2014

Brad, what are your steps for backing up the back end...  seems to me you
ought to have a Macro that looks for tables with connections found on a
drive you have access to, and make a determination whether or not to back
up their host according to some logic.

Just a thought.

Bill
On Jun 5, 2014 12:08 PM, "Brad Marks" <bradm at blackforestltd.com> wrote:

> Bill,
>
> Thanks for your reply.  You got me thinking about the situations where it
> would be beneficial to be able to record more detailed notes when a backup
> is generated.
>
> I enhanced my backup script to include two text-boxes.  One for a short
> description and one for lengthy notes.  I used the AutoHotKey "GUI" feature
> for this.
>
> The script now creates a "History" file which includes the date/time
> stamp, the file name of the backup file, the short description, and the
> notes field.
>
> Below is the actual code.
>
> I am glad that we exchanged ideas on how to do backups as I now have a
> better script that creates a history file.
>
> Brad
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AutoHotKey Code ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Gui , Add , Edit , r1  W450 vShortText
> Gui , Add , Edit , r30 W450 vLongText
> Gui , Add , Button , gButtonPushed , Create Backup
> Gui , Show
> Return
>
> ButtonPushed:
> Gui , Submit , NoHide
>
> FormatTime, VarTimeString,, ddd_MMM_dd_yyyy_hh_mm_ss_tt
>
> MySource = C:\DBAM_Portal.ACCDB
> MyTarget = C:\Backups of DBAM
> Portal\DBAM_Portal_Backup_%ShortText%_%VarTimeString%.accdb
> MyHistory = C:\Backups of DBAM Portal\DBAM_Portal_Backup_History.txt
>
> FileAppend Date/Time = %VarTimeString% `nBackup File  = %MyTarget% `nShort
> Description =  %ShortText% `nNotes = %LongText% `n`n`n , %MyHistory%
>
> Filecopy, %MySource%, %MyTarget%,1
>
> ExitApp
> Return
>
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:
> accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Bill Benson
> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 8:26 PM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] corrupt database - backup rather out-dated.
>
> I don't think a single inputbox, presented at the time I decide to do a
> backup, will suffice for me unfortunately, Brad, at least not during the
> development cycle where I am making a LOT of fairly substantial changes. I
> really need a system of entering log details as they occur (design progress
> notes)... and writing to disk as a kind of change-log works better for the
> way I develop. It is pretty hard to remember what I have changed when I am
> asked, but nice that I can open up a text file and add a bit more when and
> as I think of it.
>
> So going forward, I intend to take time writing more notes documenting the
> application, at least a few more comments. With a single double-click of a
> macro, I can write those notes to disk along with a copy of the database,
> and also export all the objects as shown in this thread:
>
> http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=99179
>
> That, combined with my one-liner monstrosity:
>
>
> CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").GetFile(CurrentDb.Name).Copy _
>         left(currentdb.name,instrrev(currentdb.Name,"\")) & _
>         "Backup_" & format(now(),"YYYY_MM_DD__hh_nn")& "_" & _
>         mid(currentdb.name,instrrev(currentdb.Name,"\")+1)
>
>
> The caveat is that the copy of the database on disk may not be 100% up to
> date. I have a little more testing of what behind-the-scenes (file system)
> copying accomplishes while a database is open. And yet, if I close the
> database, I cannot run the code (Catch-22). Unless I create a dictator
> application which performs the ExportAllObjects operations on the closed
> database remotely (or rather, opens and performs executes the procedure).
>
> I realize that what works for one person does not work for the next
> person, assuredly.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:
> accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Darryl Collins
> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 7:40 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] corrupt database - backup rather out-dated.
>
> Nice. Thanks Brad.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:
> accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Brad Marks
> Sent: Wednesday, 4 June 2014 11:48 PM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] corrupt database - backup rather out-dated.
>
> All,
>
> I would like to share how I do backups.
>
> I have one key Access 2007 application called DBAM_Portal that I work on a
> lot.  On some days, I may make 10 or more changes to this application.
>
> I know that it is possible to make backups from within Access 2007 using
> the (Manage / Back Up Database) option.  When I back up the DBAM.Portal
> application with the built-in Backup option, the file name is something
> like DBAM_Portal_2014-06-04.accdb, DBAM_Portal_2014-06-04_(1).accdb, or
> DBAM_Portal_2014-06-04_(2).accdb depending on how many times I create a
> backup on any given day.
>
> This works Okay, but I also started keeping a log of what was changed in
> the application and how this change was tied to a given iteration of the
> backup files.
>
> I decided to put together a small script to make it easier to do backups.
>  This script is written using an open source tool called AutoHotKey, but it
> could be built with several different tools.
>
> The script that I have uses an Input Box to collect my note about what was
> just changed in the application before the backup is created.
>
> The script also puts a date/time stamp in the file name.
>
> Let’s say that I run the script and when the Inputbox is shown, I key in
> “Added Report800”.
>
> The resulting name of the backup file would then look something like this.
> C:\Backups of DBAM Portal\DBAM_Portal_Backup_Added
> Report800_Tue_Jun_03_2014_02_16_39_PM.accdb"
>
> I have used this approach for a couple years and it seems to work nicely.
>  I no longer need to keep a log of what each backup was for as this info is
> now contained right in the file name of the backup file.
>
> Brad
>
>
> Here is the AutoHotKey code.
> _ _ _ _
>
> MySource = C:\DBAM Portal\DBAM_Portal.ACCDB
>
> Inputbox , Variable1
>
> FormatTime , VarTimeString , ,  ddd_MMM_dd_yyyy_hh_mm_ss_tt
>
> MyTarget = C:\Backups of DBAM
> Portal\DBAM_Portal_Backup_%Variable1%-%VarTimeString%.accdb
>
> Filecopy , %MySource% ,  %MyTarget% , 1
>
> _ _ _ _
>
>
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