Multiple databases interface
Budgets GetReal Version 2.02 (Build 037) provides the facility to manage multiple database files and their backups within sub-folders of the main Database folder.
To be able to use this facility you must install a digitally signed multiUserKey within your Database folder and rearrange its contents as outlined in Configuring to use multiple databases.
Having done this you will see the following Database selection interface on opening Budgets GetReal.
On selecting a Client folder to use
All your databases (and all backups) are maintained separately within their own “Client” folders.
Your options, having selected a “Client folder” are generally as follows. If no database or backup files exist only the Change folder name and Select new client file options will exist.
Note that you can use the Generic type multiUserkey with just one database. This may be more convenient if you need to view the contents of several backup files.
Select a file or action for chosen client
The operation is straightforward however the following limitations are worth noting
Selecting files from within Other client folders
You cannot select the BGRdata.vdb file or any Backup file from within another Client folder and try to copy or use this for your currently selected Client folder. Of course this protection does not prevent you manually coying files between client folders.
You can only select backup files
You can only select backup files using the “Select new client file” option.
Restoring a backup where a BGRdata.vdb file exists
The single database interface required you to delete or rename the BGRdata.vdb file to auto-recognize the contents of your Backups folder. This is not necessary with the multiple database interface
You can choose to revert to a prior backup even though a BGRdata.vdb file exists. In this case you will be given the following warning
The “Take a backup and then overwrite” option firstly creates a backup file and then uses the selected file to form the new BGRdata.vdb file. The backup of the existing database is typically named:
Overwrite20091125111856.bak
where the numbers correspond to the full date & time of the event in YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format
Copy to Backups folder required
You may choose to restore from a file anywhere on your computer (i.e not within the normal Backups folder) using the “Select new client file” option. Only database backup files will be recognised.
In this case the source file will be left unaltered in its existing location and copied to your Backups folder.
“Keep source name” option
As can be seen there are two options for naming files copied to the Client’s Backups folder. In all cases a rename to a “Selected….” file exists.
The “Keep source name” option is only available where the source file is a validly named backup e.g. BGRbackup1234.bak. To be selected a source file must be a valid backup file (irrespective of how it is named).
You cannot copy a file that conflicts with an existing file in the Backups folder. Your existing backups are safe from deletion.
The main consideration with the “Keep source name” option is how this may effect the numbering of future backups produced by the program. This is because, before BGR makes a backup, it searches the Backups folder for the highest numbered backup file. It then uses a reference number one more than that – so your backups always remain in sequence.
If the source file has a reference number more than that of the highest numbered backup in your Backups folder, the backup numbering sequence will be reset. If it is less then the sequence will be unchanged.
The “Keep source name” option is very useful in working between multiple computers using USB drives. See Running Budgets GetReal on multiple computers for details.
