V11.02 Compact database fails?

[Florian]

Since updating from 11.01 to 11.02 the compact database option when exiting no longer seems to work.

When ticking this box and then choosing ANY of the options (database backup, no backup, snapshot etc) I get the usual box telling me that 'Actinic will now close, and the database will be compacted'

I click OK and another box immediately appears telling me that 'The database you are trying to compact is in use by another program. Close the program down and then restart Actinic and select Compact the database again'

No other program is using the database obviously, it seems Actinic is trying to compact before it let's go of the database itself.

Am I the only one?

Cheers
Florian

[guccij]

Is it related to this: http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=52442

[Florian]

It certainly is - thanks for the heads-up.

I only looked in the v11 forum for any related previous postings - won't be so lazy next time!

Amazing though how something like this can slip through final QC....

[Tony Moore]

Amazing though how something like this can slip through final QC....

Was just thinking that myself.

[leehack]

It's an easy one to miss in reality if all test systems are not set to auto compact the database. With the database compact options working fine without that selected, it's understandable that it is missed. Let's not be too hard on them though, it's easy to workaround and of late they have been very good on releases, these things happen from time to time.

What i do find staggering personally is that the option to compact the database is a choice on closing, how that is not part of the standard close down process is simply beyond me. It solves so many problems, if nothing else i'd have expected it to be done to reduce calls through to support.

[Steve G Griggs]

One for the wish list Lee?

[leehack]

There must be a reason is all i can think (asked for this to happen for a couple of years now), but for the life of me i cannot think of anything, multi-user issue is my only possible area where this could cause a problem, but i can't see how myself.

Why would you not introduce something to reduce calls to support, with your support lines under pressure, must be something technical I imagine, lacks common sense if not.

[brucet]

Compacting the database takes time and slows down the exit, particularly on larger sites. So we don't enforce it, but it is recommended.

We're a bit cross about missing the compaction issue, although it's not the worst that could have been missed. I actually saw it myself once, but my MS Office had also been reporting files locked, by a non-existent other user... So I thought it was part of the same problem. Assumption is the mother of many mistakes

All our software is tested continuously while it's being built, and has around 6 man-weeks of testing between completion and release. But it's a very complex product. We test every function, and many different combinations of functions. But unfortunately we can't check every possible combination.

[Tony Moore]

As already mentioned theres a work around so not a game stopper by any means.

[Florian]

No worries Bruce, as you say it's not a mission critical part of the software - especially as the database can be compacted from within Actinic.

I took off the socket at one end of an extension lead the other day as I needed to feed it through a very small gap between furniture but had completely forgotten to unplug the other end from the wall - I was very quickly served with a rather dramatic reminder to pay more attention to what I was doing!

Compared to that lapse of attention to detail your QC error suddenly seems rather trivial!

[leehack]

On 99% of the sites I have ever worked on it takes literally a couple of seconds to compact, the largest take about 20 seconds maximum IME. If they are compacted regularly, its even quicker. So time saving is a mute point at best. It takes longer to open the software than it does to compact it. Crazy crazy logic.

[chris ashdown]

Lee I dont know what computer you use but if you try and compact mine you will have quite a long wait

With 6-7 people on the sites at any one time; and most normally on one main site most of the time.

Also you cannot compact if other users are also on the site, but if they are not on, then the regular changing from one site to 6 of the others and waiting for compact to finish, would have the customers complaing on the end of the phone

During the day we get about 50/50 with phone order's to internet orders. Never have really understood why they find a internet site and then ring them up to place a order, but hay thats life but telcom girls work out quite expensive

[Tony Moore]

Never understood it myself but we discount online orders and in most cases guys then go back online to place the order. It also helps with 3d secure guaranteeing payment so no fear of chargebacks. Sorry for OT reply.

During the day we get about 50/50 with phone order's to internet orders. Never have really understood why they find a internet site and then ring them up to place a order, but hay thats life but telcom girls work out quite expensive

[Paul Bulpit]

Also you cannot compact if other users are also on the site, but if they are not on, then the regular changing from one site to 6 of the others and waiting for compact to finish, ...

We're multi-user and Chris is correct - not only having to make sure users are logged out, then perform the compaction, then everybody log in again..... but also, we hardly ever shut down Actinic and access it from home and even other countries quite often.

A little function that logs everyone out, compacts the DB and then re-opens all the users at 2am every morning would be really useful! Better still, why does the DB get so bloated in the first place?

[fergusw]

why does the DB get so bloated in the first place?

Thanks to Microsoft Access for that issue.

For the majority compacting each time Actinic is closed would be ideal. The trade-off of a few seconds longer for really large single-user sites against the preventions of many common issues is a big one.

Really, it should only be overridden when Multi-user is in effect, whereupon the more traditional "Housekeeping | Compact" option should be used (and recommended) in my opinion.