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Still on import erorrs.RANT

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Still on import erorrs.RANT
I've pretty much given up trying to use the import feature, I even spent beaucoup time hacking the import script to make it do what I need it to...considering some of "Standard" Fields in Users are no longer standard in my db. And with the additional new fields in the Users, Links & Categories I can't even simply dump to a | delimited text file and import each tables data seperately. Maybe I'm expecting too much from the import/upgrading facillities available, but at the same time shouldn't that be an important step of making a new version?

Maybe I'm just a dunce OR maybe I just don't want to have to work that hard to upgrade...I'm talking so far close to 8 hours of fruitless efforts (first rebuilding according to what import.cgi can handle rebuilding my tables from scratch, when that didn't work...modifying import.cgi to work with what I've got). Wouldn't it be easier to say add in the newer fields, alter field name changes and delete the deprecated fields for each table upon an existing database? Rather than having LinkSQL owners rebuild their databases from scratch just to import their data (all this work before the already daunting task of adding in their modifcations)?

I know this means re-working the import process, but at the moment it does seem that this needs to be done. At least with LinkSQL1.x it provided means to import from a delimited file, taking into account that the database it was importing into had more fields than was being imported, this process doesn't seem to and if it does it doesn't mention it.

Well sorry about the RANT, it could be because I've gotten no response, but it could also be that the import/upgrade is just too tedious. It seems as though migration isn't necessarily desired by the developers, when the process is this time consuming and imprerfect! I realize also that it is only in the Alpha stages, but I hate being stumped which is what I am right now, Mad! It's more due to the fact that I just can't get it done quickly and easily which is what I would look for...maybe I'll just stick with the original...

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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Yeah, I feel exactly the same way. I did what alex recommended in another import forum thread, but it hasn't worked...

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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
I feel this way because it seems like import.cgi is trying to be two things at once. Both as an install LinkSQL NG and as an import. But for an import, because there already exists data and a table structure, it should really be split into two separate entities 1) Install NG and 2) Upgrade NG.

import.cgi builds changes onto a full install, which isn't really an import at all. Are there plans to separate the two?


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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Hi!

I understand your frustration. Jason is writing the import and spends more time coding then on the forum, so the updates won't be as quick. Needless to say the import in it's current version still needs some tweaks to account for all the different possibilities that it can be upgrading from.

What you are testing isn't a final version, it still has some more bugs to be fixed.

Cheers,

Alex

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Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Don't get me wrong...as a fresh install from scratch. I can definately see some exciting new possibilities with NG. And I haven't even scratched the surface yet and had no noticeable problems...

And I'm sorry to Jason, I know it's difficult to code in order to catch what people may have done to their db's. I very briefly thought about trying out an upgrade script as a plugin...it doesn't look to difficult at first when you go through Editor.pm & Creator.pm and see the ease of use of table manipulation but then the possibilities of where indexes might be, what references, is the field an ENUM with only one optionCrazy, etc, etc, etc...and I quickly dropped that idea. In favor of figuring out what the new tools were...


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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Well does the import.cgi script work period? I mean, is there an specific situation in which it would work? I feel I've tried every possible type of import possible and it won't work....

So, I feel you could of saved us all a lot of time if you just said that it didn't work... yet.

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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
I started it so I may as well answer it:

I believe it does work to an extent just not the way Some Of Us would like it to, as it seems quite a few people have managed to load data into their NG test copies. Mine was a very different database from the original LinkSQL. I would figure that because they are testing mostly on tables that are normal to Links they wouldn't know except through our feedback about the difficulties arising from the actual use of NG that it didn't work very well on heavily modified table structures. That's part of the Alpha stage process and I suppose there are enough good coders that have been successfull and are providing valuable input to the programming efforts of NG that, although it would have been nice to give it a real test drive. I would prefer that GT works on getting these problems fixed so's an official functional version will be out sooner. I've put in my two cents on import.cgi and I'm sure something will be done.

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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Yes, if you did a default install of Links SQL 1.x, and then did an install of the alpha, it would import ok. It does import custom columns to and adds them in. There are situations where it will fail, and we are fixing those as we find them. I think the problem in phoule's case was there was no long a Users table in Links SQL 1.x, something the import expected.

Cheers,

Alex

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Gossamer Threads Inc.
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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
Yep you got it! At first I thought the prefix thing was meant for me w3t_


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Re: Still on import erorrs.RANT In reply to
So you mean install lsql1 and then install the ng version over that and it will work?

Thanks.