backups sync to later versions and lose old data

[Tosh Brice]

While adding data to my Albums database, I noticed that one Musician suddenly had only the last two Albums I had entered, though I knew he had appeared in several albums I had entered earlier. (I’ve no idea how this happened, and it is probably my fault, but that’s not what this post is about.)
When I unzipped an older backup, and renamed it before opening it to avoid confusion, it synced with the current version before I could note down the missing links.
I guess the workaround is to unplug from the internet before openning, but maybe backups should not be identified as the same database for sync purposes? especially if renamed?!

[Tosh Brice]

Unplugging from the internet before opening the backup does work, but is not ideal

[Mike Schwartz]

I think that the renaming trick doesn’t work because Tap Forms will identify the database document by a unique ID that is hidden from the user, such as “db-e83c5f983f764b57bb14494c210f2c20”.

I’m sure that Brendan will weigh in if there’s a more user-friendly way to restore a backup as a second document prior to overzealous synchronization, short of disabling sync or disconnecting from the Internet.

— Mike

[Brendan]

Hey guys,

All the backup does is zips up the .tapforms document. The Restore command unzips it. Nothing fancy.

So it’s an exact duplicate of the document you backed up. Restoring it restores it to the exact state it was in before.

Yes, if the sync service kicks in, the same deletion will occur to the restored document.

So ya, you would need to first disable sync, then restore. But you would also have to click the Delete from iCloud button (or login to your Cloudant dashboard and delete the corresponding database from there).

I suppose I should add a “Restore to New Document…” function which would unzip the file, then rename the internal database file and document ID. Similar to what I do when you use the Duplicate Document function.

Renaming the backup file has no bearing on anything. Even renaming the document doesn’t either because of the internal “db-….” Document ID.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Richard Kingston]

Hi Brendan

Just found this thread while searching for the resolution to my problem. Can I upvote the idea of a “Restore to New Document” function. Someone made some unwanted modifications to our Tapforms database and it was a few days before I noticed. If I revert to a backup now we lose all the changes made in the meantime. I just want a simple way to pull up an old version of the database, find the uncorrupted records, and repair our current database manually.

[Brendan]

You could use the Duplicate Document function to duplicate the restored document. I think that would give you the same effect as a Restore to New Document function. By using the Duplicate Document function, that document will not sync with the original document.

[Tosh Brice]

Wouldn’t the newly restored backup be likely to sync with the newer, possibly corrupted, file before you could duplicate it?
Surely the most likely reasons to restore a backup are to solve a problem with the current version or to compare the backup with the current version and in either case the purpose of restoring the backup will be frustrated if it automatically syncs.
With respect, a Restore to New Document option would be much simpler to use – the user would not have to go through the baffling process of working out why the backup morphed into the current version and how to stop it; and I see no disadvantage.

[Brendan]

No because you don’t open up the file in order to duplicate it. And with the file staying closed, it won’t do any syncing.

I’ll have to think some more about the Restore to New Document feature.

Perhaps what I should do is when you restore a document, I automatically delete the database in the cloud before the restore to prevent the syncing process from updating the restored document.

[Richard Kingston]

For situations in which you have several users accessing the database in the cloud I think that solution may not work robustly. If another user opens Tapforms and syncs their copy of the database, the restored document may be overwritten ?

[Brendan]

Yes, if you’re syncing with multiple devices/users you would have to restore to each of those devices as well as delete the document from the cloud. Otherwise someone’s newer version of the file will sync with the older, restored version.

[Author]

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