Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Templates would be easier if...

They could be imported and exported to an excel file so that they could be backed up. This would also allow them to be spell checked all at one rather than through the tedious proces of one at a time!

I recently had the misfortune of losing all of my templates.

I went back to a backup copy of the database, copied each and every template out to a spreadsheet and then copied each one one at a time back to the current database. ARGH. Would have been SO much easier if they could just have been imported straight from excel!

Now when I create new templates I do them in my spreadsheet so that I always have a backup copy.

I am sure there is some way to do this in a faster fashion - I just don't know what it would it be - anyone with any experience in this?

I'm also looking for a better way to backup and export my templates as well.

Aren't the templates we create part of one of the critical 6 database files we back-up every night??? So if one needs to restore all you have to do is cut/copy and paste those full back-up files to your new empty AC file in programs, when asked if you want to replace the ones that already exist by the same name you simply say, "yes"....Presto fully restored AC assuming you've done good anal daily back-ups??? I did this once very early on in our AC experience about a year ago, something was bothering all our computers and so I just figured I'd play it safe, and wipe and re-load 'em all...Start with a good clean slate. Seemed to restore everything we had up until that point....

Thanks for the reply..do you happen to remember what that filename is called?

btw, do you use ac's offsite backup service or do it yourself?

They're called MDB files, that's their extension. Schedule, Billing, Imported Items, Amazing Charts, Codes, Amazing Meds, and I like the manilla folder called Imported Items too. Never was really told what the difference between the two was.
I personally have two little Firelite harddrives that I copy the entire AC folder to every night. As I've said before, one stays on site in a fireproof little safe box and the other comes home with me and Nancy, with my laptop every night. Unless the entire greater Liverpool area gets wiped out, I've still got my charts. I'm still toying with the idea of buying into Jon's offsite back up. The basic concept has it's merits. But I've heard there are "room" constraints. Not that this little solo office would hit them anytime soon, but ask some good questions. Personally, I think both my way combined with AC's off-site would be ideal. but for now I use my two little harddrives, both for my AC and my QuickBooks. Obviously when we pick a PM module that will get the same type of treatment. Hope that helps....

But I don't want to restore all of the database all of the time - for instance - someone deleted my templates - they were shared (lesson number 1 - don't share your templates), then did a number of charts, so the database had changed. I wanted my templates back, but I didnt want to undo the charts they had done by restoring the database to the previous days copy. So I had to cut... and paste... each... and... every... single... ugh... template... piece... by piece... argh... very very tedious and time consuming.

Templates need to be in their own little mdb file... or something

An interesting request to seperate them out from the other datafiles. I'm guessing that the templates live in the Amazing Charts datafile itself, but I'm no nuts and bolts database writer, just a gaining experience (thru AC) daily driver might we say. Not sure it's possible or practical, but it is certainly worth an email to Jon to wisper it in his ear.
BTW, has anybody downloaded beta 3.65 yet and opened the AC folder to look inside. There is a new data folder I think. It's pretty empty for the moment all though I gather it has a reason and as we use it, it will start to grow in size. It is called "Amazing Charts.LDB" and obviously "Amazing Charts.MDB" is still there too. Two questions for extra credit, what is the difference between MDB's and LDB's??? Since both the "Imported Items.MBD" and the "Imported Items, Manilla Folder both seem to collect stuff, what is the difference between the two? I gather any little back-up utility one would create would need to grab a copy of both. I think that MDB has data based stuff like the MidMark Ritter tests and perhaps the documents created in AC, while the Manilla Folder is for things like optical scans, the pictures and illustrations. There are folders inside that one that coincide with your chart numbers and in tile/thumbnail you can see the pictures.
Lastly, I just noticed a "Sync Log" type folder too that uses the same icon as the "last note saved" Perhaps it will track and record the comings and going of the laptops and the data as they come on and off the server, main system, or help tech support figure out where your stuff is and what happened to it in an emergency? Kind of cool...

Found this: What Is An LDB File ?

Whenever you open an Access database, a file with the same name as the database and an extension of LDB will be opened automatically. For example if you open Northwind.mdb in the samples directory of your Access/Office installation, a file called Northwind.ldb will be generated. This new file keeps track of users and the objects that require some form of locking in the database. When all users have exited gracefully from the database, the LDB file is closed down and deleted.

Another words, you shouldn't be seeing this file if AC exited gracefully without errors.