#19 Saved databases cannot be read on Windows

[Anonymous]

I am using PyQt Memaid 0.2.2 for Windows. I enter a
bunch of info, save the database and close. Then, upon
reopening, the most recent database is automatically
loaded, but it has no entries. Using File/Open to open
the most recent message gives an error "File doesn't
appear to be in the correct format."

This happens every time with databases that have more
than one entry. A database with a single entry has no
problem. I am attaching an offending database with two
entries.

[Nobody/Anonymous]

sample corrupted database

[Peter Bienstman]

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I cannot reproduce this on my machine.

However, can you try again with a prerelease of the next
memaid version, which you can find at
http://allserv.ugent.be/~pbienst/pub/ ?

Make sure to uninstall all previous versions.

If it still doesn't work, can you send me the exported XML file of
your database?

[Nobody/Anonymous]

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I tried your 2.3 install, with the same results. I have
checked my path and found a python23.dll in my system32
directory; I renamed that but the issue has not gone away.
BTW this is on Win2K, fully patched.

Were you able to open the sample db I attached?

Here is an XML file...BUT....it cannot be created from a
saved file, as the saved file cannot be opened! So it is a
new file, with two items added, saved (but not closed) and
then exported to XML.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<memaid core_version="8" time_of_start="1107516600">
<category scheduled="True" drill_badly_known="True">
<name><![CDATA[<default>]]></name>
</category>
<item id="1186182509" tm_t_rpt="1" stm_t_rpt="1" l_ivl="0"
rl_l_ivl="0" ivl="1" rp="0" gr="0">
<cat><![CDATA[<default>]]></cat>
<Q><![CDATA[a]]></Q>
<A><![CDATA[a]]></A>
</item>
<item id="4052057939" tm_t_rpt="1" stm_t_rpt="1" l_ivl="0"
rl_l_ivl="0" ivl="1" rp="0" gr="0">
<cat><![CDATA[<default>]]></cat>
<Q><![CDATA[b]]></Q>
<A><![CDATA[b]]></A>
</item>
</memaid>

[Peter Bienstman]

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This is going to get extremely difficult to debug, as I can't
reproduce it here.

You don't happen to have access to a Windows XP machine, to
see if it works there?

I cannot open your database on my machine, which seems to
indicate that your database got corrupted somehow during
saving.

[Peter Bienstman]

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Can you load the attached database?

[Peter Bienstman]

sample correct database

[Nobody/Anonymous]

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I tried test3.mem and was unable to open it, same type of
error. Perhaps that indicates a possible error in the file
loading process as well as the file saving process?

I can't help feeling that the other python23.dll might still
be an issue. I will reboot and try again.

[Peter Bienstman]

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Make sure to try test3.mem on the prerelease version, it won't
work on the old one.

[Nobody/Anonymous]

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I just tried 2.2 on an XP box, same result; I pulled down
2.3 and tried your test3.mem, same result. Has it been
tested on a "virgin" windows box?

Any tips on the db file layout so I can try debugging? I
really want memaid to work for me; it is a very useful tool.

Thanks for the response so far.

[Peter Bienstman]

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The db format is just the standard Python pickle format.

I've uploaded a new test version to
http://allserv.ugent.be/~pbienst/pub/ , but this time I've
switched to a text file pickle format instead of a binary pickle
format.

Could you let me know if this works? It should also print out
more info when stuff goes wrong.

Be sure to remove all previous versions, as well as the old
databases in C:\Document and Settings\myusername\.memaid

I want this to work just as much as you do ;-) Otherwise the
Windows version is pretty useless.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[Nobody/Anonymous]

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That worked!

Not sure what would go wrong with binary pickle vs. text
pickle...but text pickle fixed it.

Thanks.

[Peter Bienstman]

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Great! I'll be preparing a new release soon.