setup Tap Forms on external drive? (how to)

[jeff wolfram]

Hello all, I’m brand new to Tap Forms and I would like to set it up where it is located on an external drive. I’ve search through the forum and apologize if I missed it but am hoping to find instructions on how to do this. Not looking to save a backup on an external hoping to have the entire database run from an external, example would be setting up iTunes so everything points to that drive not the internal ones.

I’ve recently done a clean install so the slate is clean and I’m not trying to import any info from a previous Tap Forms Database. Using Apple’s OS 12.4. If anyone could point me towards the instructions that would be very appreciated.

Thanks
Jeff

[tonyt]

Found this on he web if it’s any help. Just a simple Google…

You can store and run applications in the non-standard /Application location on OS X, which means you can keep things on your external drive and run them from there.

You just have to be aware of the limitations of doing it this way:

The applications and data on the drive won’t be available when it’s not connected.

Seems obvious but this can come up in surprising ways so I think it’s worth saying here. Let’s say, for example, that you have a text editor installed on your external drive and it’s the default application for text files. When you double click on a text file when the drive is not connected you’ll get an error about the application not being found. You’ll need to right click and select an alternate application in that case.
The bandwidth, especially the sustained rates, for accessing the data and applications on this drive is limited to the connection method.

For Thunderbolt it’s pretty darn good but still not as good as a drive in the machine. For USB it’s hit and miss. It depends a lot on the USB chipset used in the drive and what else is sharing the USB buss. Most applications will load resident in to memory when you launch them so for applications on an external USB drive you’ll have some start up latency and that’s it. But if you have to access a lot data or if the application loads itself in pieces as you access different features, you might find the I/O wait tedious. Expect beachballs here and there for sure.
Most applications can be safely relocated to the external drive by dragging them from /Applications to the new location on the remote storage. Applications are bundled in a nicely self-contained way. Note though that relocation the applications .app bundle from /Applications to the remote drive only moves the bundle. The configuration and ancillary data the application uses, generally found in /Library or ~/Library will remain on your primary drive. That data is harder to move. It’s also usually smaller than the application bundle.

[jeff wolfram]

thank you for the response and I apologize about the confusion. I’m not trying to have the Application on an external drive. I’m trying to setup Tapforms so all the ancillary data/folders are saved (IOWs live) on an external drive not in the Boot drive’s /Library.

I hope this helps again any advice or instructions how to do this?

[Brendan]

Hi Jeff,

You can just put any .tapforms document on an external drive if you like. Just know that they won’t show up on the main Database Documents window then. In a future version of Tap Forms I’m adding the ability to choose a default folder for where the Database Documents window looks for .tapforms document files. But for now just put them wherever you like. They’ll still show up in the Recents menu no matter where they are. They just won’t show up on that initial window. You can also just double-click on a .tapforms document to launch Tap Forms and open that document.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Zippidty Doodah]

Hello Brandon,

I am referencing a thread from a year ago regarding the ability to choose our own default folder for where the Database documents looks for .tapforms document files.

Any update on when this might be included? Or has this future feature been dropped off the list?

Apologize if I have missed the information somewhere.

 

TIA

[Brendan]

Hey Zippidy,

I’ve already finished the feature. But it’s not in Tap Forms 5. It’ll be in my next big version of Tap Forms. Not quite ready to release yet, but still a work in progress.

Thanks,

Brendan

 

[Zippidty Doodah]

Thanks!

Have $ in hand to purchase this when released

My internal HDD is small, 250gb

As I continually add Tap Forms documents filled with documents and photos, I see my internal hdd filling up.

May have to try the manually move to external drive for now until you release.

Thanks again for a sensational program. Bento left me in the dust with no alternative, until Tap Forms.

[Brendan]

I’m glad you’re eagerly awaiting the new version. I’m getting closer to being done.

Thanks for your patience.

Brendan

[JScottA]

Hello, Jeff and everyone else here. I posted the question in the custom GPT for help with Tap Forms and this is what it gave me. I’d love to hear feedback on errors. This was a one-shot query (

How do I set up my Tap Forms databases to reside on an external drive?):

To set up your Tap Forms databases to reside on an external drive, follow these steps:

1. **Move Your Database File:**
– Locate your Tap Forms database file on your computer. By default, Tap Forms saves its database files in the Documents folder.
– Move the database file to your external drive. You can do this by dragging the file to the desired location on the external drive.

2. **Open the Database from the External Drive:**
– Open Tap Forms.
– Use the File menu and select Open….
– Navigate to the external drive and select the database file you moved there.

3. **Set Default Backup Location to External Drive:**
– Open Tap Forms and go to Preferences.
– Click on the General tab.
– In the Backups Folder section, click Choose… and select a folder on your external drive. This ensures that your backups will also be saved to the external drive.

By following these steps, you will effectively use your external drive to store and operate your Tap Forms databases.

For more detailed instructions, you can refer to the user manual on pages 100-102 and 154-155 .

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