I see where the difference in instructions comes in. I read and reread the Wiki before I actually saw this. It all comes down to whether or not you use your laptop on your network or not. I am assuming that those taking a laptop offsite are using it for other purposes in the office and not as a workstation. But, I guess they are rather pricey, and it may be a waste to not use it. If you were using it on the network, then it would be accessing the server's databases and not its own folder. So, at first, I could see a need to copy and paste the server folder to the laptop before leaving. But, this would assume that the laptop had no AC folder, but it does. So, I do not agree with the instructions. Here is what would actually happen.
Let's say you have a client/server setup; it doesn't matter if it's peer-to-peer, but just for the sake of this discussion. And, further, let's say this network has the server and four clients, one of which is the laptop. So, you have:
Server (main database)
Laptop (with its folder and databases)
Client 2
Client 3
Client 4
This would mean that the laptop is client 1. The numbers are irrelevant and the number of workstations is irrelevant.
But, for this example, all of the clients have a path to the database on the server. All of them have their own AC folder most likely under C:\Program Files\Amazing Charts if they accepted the default installation. All of their databases would be the same as when they installed with all entered data going to the server.
The process would not require and copying and pasting. This would be the sequence when one had to leave for outside rounds:
1. The server's AC would run sync and browse to the laptop. It would then sync over the network to the laptop ALWAYS leaving all boxes checked as you may want to schedule someone from outside of the office and you would want to know what the schedule looked like. To me it just makes sense to sync the entire database, although you would not be syncing billing or the codes databases from what I gathered during my trials. That would be an issue if that is true.
2. Now that both databases are synced and are the same, you take you laptop to your remote sites. You can use either computer now, i.e. users could still use clients in office while the laptop saved data remotely. I probably shouldn't say remotely, that's confusing. I mean out of the office.
3. Bring back laptop, connect to network and change the path of the laptop to the server. This can be done with the Utilities tool, which by now should have a shortcut on the desktop. I prefer to open the AC application, then right click on the window that comes up near the top under the name. Choose to disconnect, then restart and connect to server. Sync. I suppose you could sync either before or after you connected.
One week later, you decide to go out again, so you sync, disconnect, take the laptop out, bring it back, reconnect and sync.
It should be said that when you take the laptop out, there is no need to manually disconnect the application as it will look for the server database and bring up the dialog window to browse to its own folder.
I think it would be a good idea to edit the instructions that are on the Wiki. What do you think. I would hate to make sweeping changes to it, but if this is the correct way, then it probably should be done. I will sleep on it and work on it some more when I am rested. What do you think Paul?
