Disappearing Data in 5.0.9

[Adrian Mathie]

I have previously experienced data that disappeared when I entered it in table view in previous versions.

I’ve now experienced another form of data loss.

Here’s how I can reproduce it on my system
I have created a form for storing notes. There are two fields, one a text field for storing the name of the Note subject and the other, a Note field, for storing the actual notes themselves.

I have created a very simple user layout. If I enter data in the notes field within my own layout, highlight it and choose to change its colour, the data disappears.

This is obviously pretty concerning and frustrating as having entered a page of notes, it has just completely disappeared. Has anyone else seen this happen?

I’m using 5.0.9 on Mac OSX 10.11.6

Thanks

[Adrian Mathie]

Further to my post above, I’m experiencing such weird behaviour with colour formatting switching on and off almost randomly.

Just a thought; am I meant to be entering data and editing in my own layout note field? If I’m using the default layout, I have to click on the little note icon next to the field label and this brings up a separate window in which I can edit and format. When I close this window, I’m asked to “save” the changes.

When I was entering and editing in the same field in my own layout, there is no option to open a separate window and it seems possible to edit and format, until suddenly something goes wild.

So, is Tap Forms designed to allow data entry in note fields in custom layouts? and if so, am I doing something wrong?

[Brendan]

Hi Adrian,

Yes, you can edit data in a Note field in the custom layout.

I’m just testing the issue with entering data in the Note field and setting the colour.

Do you only lose the data on a new record or does it happen on existing records when you change the colour of existing note field text?

Are you selecting ALL the text or just some of the text to change its colour?

At which point does the text disappear? As soon as you click on the new colour? Or when you leave the record and go back to it?

I’m just trying to reproduce the problem now.

[Adrian Mathie]

It has happened on existing records; I haven’t tried new records.
It has occurred when I’ve selected a portion of text and disappeared immediately I’ve clicked on a Color.
I’ve also experienced text, previously colored red, spontaneously reverting back to black. I’ve also experienced a large chunk of text disappearing, corresponding to all the changes I made since opening the given record.

[Brendan]

I think I’ve fixed this bug now. I’ll upload a new build later today that you can download from the Mac version 5 free trial link on my home page.

[Adrian Mathie]

Brendan,

Re: Disappearing Data

1.

Unable to find & install updated version:

the versions I’ve downloaded from the link you suggested above have all been 5.0.9 Build 1567 which seems to be the version I already have. Perhaps I need to give you a little more time to get the bug fixed?

2. I am concerned that such an obvious and serious bug hadn’t already been picked up and does raise some concern over quality control. I love the app and particularly the new version so please make it stable and reliable, the two things we need in a database. I personally, would be very happy to pay more for something reliable.

[Brendan]

Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to upload the fixed version. If you email me I can send you a link to download an updated version just for you until I’m ready to upload it to the general public.

[Adrian Mathie]

Brendan,

I’ve just downloaded the version you sent me a link to 5.0.9.Build 1569.

From a brief test, the data no longer seems to disappear but the colour formatting seems to flip back to the original, after having changed it. I’ve sent you a screen recording Quicktime Movie so you can see it happening in real time.

[Adrian Mathie]

Brendan,

Unfortunately, despite downloading the latest version 5.0.9 Build 1571, I’ve just had another significant and apparently spontaneous data loss.

I’m unable to say exactly what I was doing to precipitate the data loss but I edited some text in a notes field in a custom layout. When I went back to the record, all the data in the field had disappeared.

Previously I had a similar problem with disappearing data when I edited a record in table view.

Other details
TapForms 5.0.9.Build 1571 on iMac running OS 10.12.1
Although I have Nearby sync set up, no other device was switched on during the period the data went missing.

Has anyone else experienced unexpected data loss or am I just very unlucky?

[Brendan]

Another one of my customers had said something similar to this had happened. I haven’t been able to reproduce this problem though. Can you email me your template and I can play around with it? If you can find a repeatable scenario where this happens that will help me to figure out the problem.

[Adrian Mathie]

Hi Brendan,

I actually deleted all my custom layout because I couldn’t afford the risk/time of loosing more data and having to scrabble around in backups to restore it.

One of the custom layouts, related to a form I lost data from was simply composed of two fields as follows:

Field Name……………………Field Type
“Title”………………………Text field
“Note”……………………….Notes field

I’ve never had a problem loosing data when sticking to the default layout but with the simple layout above, I’ve had two problems;

1. COLOUR FORMATTING: when the colour formatting would suddenly revert back to original after being changed (as I showed you on the video I sent), and the colour formatting of a short section of text being applied to all the text in the field. I think this was cured by one of your updates.

2. DISAPPEARING TEXT: this originally applied to loosing all data in a field if I clicked into that field when in multi-column list view. I think you have dealt with this already although I haven’t tested this to any great extent since the update that was supposed to fix this. I’m not sure precisely how this most recent text loss occurred and I haven’t had time to try/test to reproduce it, but all I’m aware of doing is using the notes field in the custom layout to enter and edit data.

It is possible that this was some sort of error on my part. When editing a notes field in default layout, one has to click on the note icon next to the field title and this field then opens in a new window. After making changes and then closing the window, you are prompted to “save” your changes. When I was editing the note field in the custom layout, all I did was click in the field, make changes and click out of the field.

Sorry not to be able to give you a reproducible scenario.

[Brendan]

I had this disappearing note data on a custom layout happen to me just yesterday for the first time. But I couldn’t reproduce it either. I will do more work on trying to track down the true cause of it.

[Brendan]

Actually one thing I did which I don’t normally do is I turned off the Text Inspector toolbar. Did you ever do that when working on your custom layout? I’m wondering if something due to that is triggering this problem.

[Laurent]

Hi Brendan,

On my side this problems also happens on the single column view. Not sure about the text inspector tool bar on or off.

I lost key data recently due to this bug, but I was fortunate to be able to recover through back up.

My workflow relies a lot on your software and I am very annoyed about its reliability. Not sure what to do.

Thanks a lot for feed-back,
Regards,

[Brendan]

I am trying to track down this bug.

I have found a bug where if you enter data into a Note field but you don’t save the record (by exiting the field) and then you close the window or quit the app, the Note field won’t get saved. I’ve just fixed that bug and I’m still trying to track down the bug where even if you do save the Note field data it somehow can get cleared from the field sometimes. There seems to be no directly observable pattern as to when this happens. I have only been able to make it happen once so far.

[Laurent]

Where is the save box for a note field in a custom layout ?

I see the save box in the template layout and I always save the note field data in there but for the custom?

Thanks

[Brendan]

There’s no save button for a Note field on a custom layout. It gets saved when focus leaves the field.

[Eric Wikman]

I am having data disappear also… but it seems to be when I sort a field header after doing some entry. Happens a lot for me and quite frustrating. Usually it’s one field that I just entered .. or entered last night.
Eric

[Brendan]

Hi Eric,

Is this on version 5.0.9 (the title of this post). If so, I would recommend upgrading to the latest version.

[Eric Wikman]

No I’m on 5.2.11
I only posted here because I searched for data disappearing.
Any ideas why?
Thanks

[Brendan]

Hi Eric,

If you could email me a backup of your document with the steps to reproduce then I can give it a deeper look and fix the problem if I can reproduce it.

Please email to support@tapforms.com

Thanks!

Brendan

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