Keeping Data Bases Consistent

A place for users to ask each other questions, make suggestions, and discuss Bookends.
laup
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:28 pm

Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by laup »

If I add references to Bookends at home and want to update the data base on my office computer, or vice versa, how best do I maintain consistency? One way, of course, would be to use Bookends in a "cloud" (as with a MobileMe account) or to use a USB stick to transfer. However, with big data bases that is a bit of a problem. Is it possible to get a list of Bookend entries in the order in which they were entered (rather than the date of the reference item's publication)? If so, then merely exporting the recent ones and then transferring and importing would be quick and easy. How do I generate that list?
Jon
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Jon »

Hi,

You can have the List View order references by the date added or the date modified (see Preferences). But in you case I suggest you explore the Bookends Sync functions. See the User Guide for various scenarios. And note that MobileMe is NOT recommended -- it's just too slow.

Jon
Sonny Software
laup
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:28 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by laup »

Thanks Jon, I had actually looked in Preferences but didn't see "Added" (i.e., "date added," which is what I wanted) down at the bottom.
dspedersen
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Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:25 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by dspedersen »

I would suggest Dropbox, which gives you two GB of storage for free. Inviting friends gives you an additional 250 MB for each accepted invite, giving you maximum 3 GB for free. You can, however, buy more space, i.e. 20, 50 and 100 GB for a monthly fee.

The concept is brilliant: You install Dropbox on you computer (Mac or PC), which gives you a Dropbox-folder. Each time you put something into that folder it is syncronzied with your webspace-account. So know you have your document on your Mac/PC and on their server. Now, if you install Dropbox on addition computers, you're able to connect those Dropbox-folders to your account. When you turn on the computer, the Dropbox-folder (which is actually a program in disguise as a folder) will syncronize your content between the computers. Also, you can share folders with other Dropbox-users and you even get a Public folder, which allows you to share files via a public link.

I don't use BE on more Macs at the time being, but I would definitely give it a go. In my opinion, Dropbox is pure genious!

You can download Dropbox here: http://www.getdropbox.com
M.Sc., Ph.D. student, neurobiology
Aarhus University
Denmark
Tony Higgins
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:31 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Tony Higgins »

I actually just installed Dropbox yesterday, in part to have access to my BE database from other locations. Here's what I've discovered so far (NOTE: I am still running OS 10.4 on my Mac):

I am able to get the main BE database to backup to my Dropbox folder. I took the "Bookends" folder that was in my documents folder and placed it into my Dropbox folder. I also left an alias of my Bookends folder in the original place (the documents folder). NOTE: This alias has to be named exactly "Bookends" (without any descriptors, like "alias") or BE will try and re-create a folder named "Bookends" in your documents folder. I then ran a manual backup, and I had to manually locate the "backup" folder that is inside the "Bookends" folder--the one that is now in the "Dropbox" folder. I have my BE software set in the preferences to automatically backup every day, but I have not run the program yet today to see if I will have to again manually locate the "backup" folder, or if BE will now locate it automatically, or not.

I am not, however, able to get any of my custom formats to backup to Dropbox. This is due, I believe, to the fact that if you move your "Bookends" folder that contains the "Custom Formats" folder (Path: Home / Library / Application Support / Bookends / Custom Formats) BE will try and recreate the "Bookends" folder that is in the "Application Support" folder; thus, replacing the "Custom Formats" folder with and empty folder. I tried doing the same thing I did with the "Bookends" documents folder--moving the original folder to Dropbox, and leaving an alias of the original (named exactly "Bookends") in the "Application Support" folder, but this did not work. When I ran BE, BE could not find my custom formats.

So, in short, I think Dropbox does have some potential. However, in order for it to work seamlessly with BE, a BE user would have to be able to define where to place the "Bookends" folder that contains any custom formats, filters, journal glossaries, and server information. Is this something that can be done?
ozean
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by ozean »

Have you tried using symlinks instead of aliases? I have read that this can sometimes make a difference. (I don’t have any experience with symlinks myself, I only know that you create them via command line – I guess you’ll have to google that…)
Jon
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Jon »

I don't use DropBox, but have you tried putting the folder alias in the DropBox folder and leaving the original folder where Bookends expects them?

Jon
Sonny Software
laup
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by laup »

It also seems that there are some issues using DropBox in a corporate environment. I was also dismayed in an experiment (create file at home, put in DropBox, access the file the next day in the offie) to find that when I accessed my data base in DropBox this morning that the file was text-only (apparent gibberish) and would not open in Bookends. Perhaps this was a one-time problem, but I wonder whether Bookends doesn't like being processed by DropBox.
Jon
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Jon »

I'm guessing you don't have the .bdb extension as part of the db name (DropBox will strip out the file's metadata, so you can't rely on File Type, but must use the extension).

Add .bdb to the database name and it should work.

I still advise you to look at Bookends sync capability. Then use DropBox for attachments.

Jon
Sonny Software
laup
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:28 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by laup »

Jon, thanks, I can try that. As for Sync, which seems from the manual to be attractive, what do you recommend for the cloud if not MobileMe?
Jon
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Jon »

I'd recommend any server that you have access to at your institution or workplace. You can even sync to a db you keep on a thumb drive. Thats faster than exporting/importing references, and will sync deletions and groups as well (which exporting/importing won't).

Jon
Sonny Software
Tony Higgins
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:31 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Tony Higgins »

ozean wrote:Have you tried using symlinks instead of aliases? I have read that this can sometimes make a difference. (I don’t have any experience with symlinks myself, I only know that you create them via command line – I guess you’ll have to google that…)
I don't have any experience in using symlinks either.
Tony Higgins
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:31 pm

Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Tony Higgins »

Jon wrote:I don't use DropBox, but have you tried putting the folder alias in the DropBox folder and leaving the original folder where Bookends expects them?

Jon
Sonny Software
I tried that, but it does not work. Dropbox basically backs up the folder and the actual contents of any sub-folders. When you put an alias of a folder in Dropbox it does not recognize that their are any actual contents in the folder--as the alias is really just pointing to another location.

Is there any way for BE users to self-define where the BE documents and application support folders are located? Maybe the default locations for each of these folders could be defined as they currently are, so that the program looks in either the main documents or application support folders for the items it needs. However, maybe an override could be provided so that users can self-define where they want to keep certain folders--somewhat like how users can define where to keep attachments. Is this possible? If so, then (theoretically) users would be able to keep their entire database, along with supporting styles, etc., either on their computer, or in a program such as Dropbox, or even on a thumbdrive. Just a little more end-user flexibility. Thoughts?
ozean
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by ozean »

if you google

symlinks "os x"

help does not seem far! If I read the search results correctly, the third hit of this generic search for symlinks seems to refer specifically to using symlinks to get things to work in Dropbox… I suggest you take a look at that! ;)
Jon
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Re: Keeping Data Bases Consistent

Post by Jon »

Flexibility also leads to complexity, of course. Bookends has a number of "special" folders that are in the place they belong in the Mac OS X filing scheme (Application Support and Documents). You might explore other backup options if you want to backup these folders (Time Machine does that for you, for example).

Jon
Sonny Software
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