>> so you are saying to use the database file which was backed up before the problems started and then import that info into a clone?
Yes, use the data from the backup file in an empty clone.
>> or are you saying im screwed?
Don’t think so, but you need to follow a procedure/strategy to avoid problems in the future.
Otherwise you probably have to rebuild from scratch to be sure there isn’t corruption in the file.
FWIW, this is one of mine procedures...
When you need to protect the database's structure as well as its contents, you need to consider adopting a strategy that stores each of the pieces separately. This means saving the structure of your database as a master clone, and exporting its contents to a storage file of a type appropriate for the data the file contains.
The Basics
1. Save a master clone of your FM database. A clone is the database's structure minus its records, and a master clone is simply a clone that is used only as a source for other clones. By NEVER opening the master clone directly, you greatly reduce the possibility that the file structure will become corrupt. When you need to use the clone, you duplicate it and use the copy. Any time you make changes to your file's structure (create or delete fields, change your layouts, change scripts) you will need to save a new master clone. Place your new master clone in a safe place to prevent it from accidentally being opened.
2. Export all of your data from the database to a storage file. If your database consists entirely of textual data, a Merge formatted text file is a good choice for this purpose, as it creates an extra record at the beginning of the dataset that identifies each field, (very helpful if you ever need to put the separate pieces of the file back together again). If the database contains calculation fields and/or container fields, then you should export the data as a FM file. FM will create a new, blank database structure, and move your data into it.
The resulting file may be considered 'brand new.' Save your storage file in a safe place so you can go back to it when you need to.
One advantage of using a text file format like Merge is that the resulting file can be opened in a word processor or spreadsheet application, if necessary, and edited or printed. Also, because a file in this format also saves the names of the fields and their export order at the top of the document, FM can open it, by itself, as an actual database (albeit without the layouts you developed). When saved in a Merge formatted text file, data that once took up megabytes of hard drive space will now be much smaller, often small enough to fit on a floppy disk.
Creating a master clone
1. With the database open, go to the File menu and select the Save a Copy As... command. Select Clone (no records) from the menu to save a clone of your database file.
2. At this point, you have a clone with no records, but you may also have a file structure that is possibly damaged due to corruption carried over from the original file. This clone needs to be recovered. Do not open the clone. Go directly into the FM File menu and select the Recover command. Select the clone in the dialog box and begin the recovery process.
Exporting to your storage file
1. Find the set of records that you wish to export.
2. From the File menu, select Import/Export:Export Records. Choose the file type for your export. Select an appropriate destination (backup volume, removable media, etc.). Give the export file a descriptive name, e.g., 'BlaBla Jul05 to Aug05.txt'
3. Select the fields for export, and their order.
4. Export your found set.
• When exporting data, remember that FM will only export the 'found set.' If you need to export ALL of your records, be sure to first choose Find All from the Select menu. If you only want to export a specific group of records, do a Find for them first, then export.
• If you want to export only records that have been recently modified, do a Find for the date range in a Date Modified field, and then export.
• If you have no uniform criteria for the set of records you want to find, create a text field and call it Check. As you scroll through your records, place an 'X' in the Check field, then do a Find in this field for this value. You now have your found set and you can export it. (If you want to export the majority of your records, do the reverse. Check the ones you don't want to export, do a Find and Omit for 'X', and you will then have the group you do want to export.)
• In the Specify Field Order for Export dialog box, be sure that each field you want to export is clicked and moved over to the export order. If there is a field whose data you do not want to export, do not click on the field to move it over.
• Leave the Don't Format Output radio button selected before you press OK. You will want your clone to do the field formatting of your data.
• Consider creating a FM script, to run automatically when the file is closed, that will perform these backup procedures.
Restoration Procedures
1. The clone is now your working model. Use a copy of it only when you need to have a new structure available to re-import data. Never actually use your Master Clone to import your records; always keep it as your backup clone. If you need to use it, duplicate the file. Move the duplicate to a working folder and use it to import your merge file.
2. Once the clone is opened, go to File menu and select Import Records. Import the records and you will have a new, clean database, smaller in size.
3. If you decide to change any layouts, save another clone to update your Master Clone. Again, save your data to a storage file to maintain a backup of the data. If you find your data is too large to continue saving as a single document, you may want to do a Find for records that have been modified recently and export that found set to a stand alone format of an appropriate file type.
HTH
