Files not included in the snapshot

[gabrielcrowe]

I actually trust snapshots less and less too. I find myself backing up the site folder instead. It's funny how I simply accept these issues and adjust my workflow around them.

Why dont we just zip up the whole folder and redeploy it? is there a technical reason why we cant just keep everything in the folder?

re: extra file uploads,
The add-extra-file thing needs to be more useful. I cant recount the time i'v had to re-build parts of a site by downloding stuff again and re-programming it, due to my forgetting to seperately back up the stuff that should ahve been included in a snapshot.

Add my vote, and the votes of all my fingers and toes.

[jont]

Gabe - you can't vote 15 times!!

[gabrielcrowe]

wtf?

even if i dont count my thumbs, thats 8 fingers and 10 toes, 18, and my normal vote, thats 19.

unless i vote with my winky, and that's just not cricket.

[Duncan Rounding]

Aah, but you had one hand in your pocket when Jonty counted.

[jont]

A man carrying a weapon that big on in-line skates can not have a full compliment of digits.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

I've been discussing this with the development team and have raised a bug for those files that are not included in the snapshot, however, here are some pointers that may help with a couple of the issues:

PHP includes are also not recognised and included in the snapshot

You can add your own site wide PHP functions to be used in Actinic. If required, the file needs to be named ‘siteincludes.php’ and stored in the Site folder. This file, if present, will be included in the site snapshot. However, this file is not parsed to see if it includes other files (I've added this to the wish-list).

There needs to be a site level setting where entire folders can be added to the back-up

There is a SiteBackup.ini file in the installation folder which could be used to add additional folders or individual files. Note that upgrades will overwrite this file so keep a copy and re-apply changes after upgrading. The files and folders specified must be relative to the site folder.

This file is not site specific so each file or folder referenced needs to be reachable from each site.

[RuralWeb]

Tracy - why did snapshots suddenly change as we never had any problems with them prior to v9?

[RuralWeb]

Also these failing snapshots now make it vital that client software is give the capabiity to alow additional files to be added as that option is not available current. Already on a long standing wish list

[TraceyHand]

just to add, CVs with file content were omitted in V8 also as this is when I mentioned it to CD at beta testing..because my imported (from V8 to 903 beta) snapshot had omitted to export these files

[leehack]

I'm baffled too on how you think this area has been improved in V9, in fact it has been hindered quite badly. In this case, it is clear to me that actinic went ahead and did what they thought was right, not what we had asked for in a very large thread on the subject.

My suggestion is for V8 methods to be put back in place, then read what we asked for and then implement those ideas, that way things should work and we will have what we want - win, win for all.

3 years and counting on an unsuccessful design snapshot facility, this was a 'selling point' of V8. I find it hard to believe that anyone cares about our time, when we have waited over 1,000 days so far and still suffering on a daily basis.

[grantglendinnin]

IMO I think a 'partial' snapshot which just backs up the necessities and a 'full' backup which effectively zips up the Site1 folder (or whatever site you're working on, obviously). Pretty obvious what a backup should do, currently Actinic doesn't backup as it should, sad times.

[Duncan Rounding]

...There is a SiteBackup.ini file in the installation folder which could be used to add additional folders or individual files. Note that upgrades will overwrite this file so keep a copy and re-apply changes after upgrading. The files and folders specified must be relative to the site folder.

This file is not site specific so each file or folder referenced needs to be reachable from each site.

Tracey,

So for example we could add a folder for each site to contain subfolders perhaps of files that we want included.

Two questions then:
1. Will the snapshot fail if the folder or file is not found?
2. Will it also include subfolders?

[leehack]

The ability to add folders and therefore everything within them was something asked for 18 months ago, i'm quite astonished it wasn't included in the latest overhaul. True we can highlight all files in that folder and add them, but that does not include future additions to the folder and is plain messy.

We want a snapshot to include all files used on the site along with the contents of any folders or files which we specify. We also want the design snapshot to work fully and the long standing issues with selectors to be finally cleared up - that is all that is needed to bring a smile to most people's faces.

[Duncan Rounding]

You could also do away with the Additional Files List too.

[RuralWeb]

You could also do away with the Additional Files List too

True - it needs to be simple to cope with non tech users