Re: [Gramps-users] Bugs?

[Don A. <dal...@us...>]

Bret,

I'm not exactly sure what has happened here - I've never seen or heard
of anything like this before. Hopefully an explanation of how GRAMPS
handles files will help.

A GRAMPS database is actually a directory. This directory stores a
database file (normally data.gramps, but gramps.zodb if you are using
the ZODB interface). This directory also stores media objects (images,
sound files, etc.). This has to be established before GRAMPS can do
anything, including importing a GEDCOM file. Since GRAMPS will import
images on GEDCOM import, so it has to have some place to put the import
images.

The default directory serves the purpose of establishing the directory
that GRAMPS uses to use as the default directory when the file dialog
opens. This is not the directory that contains the data.gramps file, but
instead its parent. If the default directory is "/foo/bar" and the
database was named "fred", then you need to open "/foo/bar/fred". GRAMPS
will look for the data.gramps and media files in the "/foo/bar/fred"
directory.

To import a GEDCOM file, open a new database, then import from GEDCOM.
Importing from GEDCOM appends to the currently open database.

GRAMPS is written in python, and attempts to catch any errors. If an
error is not caught, a message will either appear in a dialog box, or
written to the terminal window if GRAMPS was started from the command
line,

If you get a traceback, send it to me, and I will be able to debug what
has happened.

Don


On Mon, 2003-01-27 at 02:26, Bret Busby wrote:
> 
> I have just started using GRAMPS, over the last two days, and have lost 
> about a day's input typing.
> 
> I am using version 0.8.1-1, running on Red Hat Linux 7.3.
> 
> When I installed GRAMPS, I set it to "open last database".
> 
> I imported a GEDCOM file, with about 1000 people, and then typed in more 
> people and information.
> 
> At the end of the first session, when I exited, I got a dialogue box, 
> saying that the database had been modified, and asking whether the 
> changes should be saved. I selected the "Save Changes" option.
> 
> When I went to run the applicatioon today, it did not load the 
> database, and I could find no trace of the database. The source GEDCOM 
> file was unchanged, so the work had all disappeared.
> 
> I set up a dedicated directory to store databases created by GRAMPS.
> 
> I then restarted entering the data. After a few records, I used the 
> export to GEDCOM facility. I tried to do a save of the database, but it 
> defaulted to my home directory, and not to the dedicated GRAMPS database 
> directory. I have write permissions to the dedicated directory, as me, 
> user. Due to the time taken to reroute to the dedicated directory, I 
> left the save.
> 
> Some time later, after entering more data, I exited the program, to save 
> the database.
> 
> When I reloaded the program, it did not open the database.
> 
> There was no database.
> 
> I then imported the GEDCOM file again, and found that it had saved four 
> extra records (the few that I had entered before the Export as GEDCOM).
> 
> I then created a new database, with a dummy person, then closed the 
> database, then reopened it.
> 
> I then imported the GEDCOM file again, and deleted the dummy record.
> 
> I have reloaded the program, and it has reopened the file created and 
> then into which the GEDCOM file was imported.
> 
> Now, what happened when I loaded the program, yesterday, and the first 
> time that I ran the program today, is that, when loading the program, it 
> came up with the dialogue box that has the two options "Open an existing 
> database" and "Create a new XML database". I wanted to create a database 
> from the importing of the GEDCOM file, so "Open an existing database" 
> did not work". "Create a new XML database", where I had to enter all the 
> data, was not wanted I wanted. So, I clicked on a file name, that 
> resulted in an error message  to the effect that "<filename> is not a 
> directory", and the dialogue box crashed, leaving the application open, 
> so that I could access the File menu. If I just selected the "Cancel" on 
> the dialogue box, it closed the application. So, having access to the 
> File menu, I then imported the GEDCOM file, and modified it. I then, at 
> the end of the set of modifications, wen to the File menu, and selected 
> the Exit option. The dialogue box "Unsaved changes have been made to the 
> database" appeared, with the options "Save changes" and "Discard 
> changes". I selected "Save changes", and the application closed without 
> error, apparently with no problems, and with the changes saved. However, 
> it did not save any database.
> 
> I do not know in what language the application is written, but, for 
> example, if it is written in C, using error trapping on fopen , thence 
> write and fclose, could require that, since the application itself does 
> not automatically create a file without the user creating the file, the 
> user specify a file name to be generated (eg, a dialogue box, with "No 
> database file for saving the data, exists - please input path and 
> filename to which information is to be saved"), thus requiring the 
> creation of a database file, before the application is closed, and, 
> also, therefore, to prevent the loss of data.
> 
> Also, I note that the "Export to GEDCOM" facility did not remember the 
> path and filename to the GEDCOM file either last imported or last 
> exported via the application, in the absence of the created database 
> file, but, with the created database file open, the "Export to GEDCOM" 
> returns to the path and filename of the last GEDCOM file exported by the 
> application.
> 
> Thus, I believe that there is a problem with the creation of the 
> database file, and the error trapping relating to the opening and 
> closing of a database file for the application.
> 
> Also, an option perhaps worth considering, is an option (in the 
> settings), for the user to choose between using the XML file formt 
> database for storing data, and simply using a GEDCOM file for accessing 
> and storing data.
> 
> However, I believe the issue of the file opening and closing, and the 
> error trapping of that and the writing of the data and the closing of 
> the application (whether the data is successfully written aty the 
> closing of the application), are more important.
> 
> -- 
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> ..............
> 
> "So once you do know what the question actually is,
>  you'll know what the answer means."
> - Deep Thought,
>   Chapter 28 of 
>   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
>   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
>   written by Douglas Adams, 
>   published by Pan Books, 1992 
> ....................................................
> 
> 
> 
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