PAF 5 's last-changed field

[singhals]

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)

[Andrew W Applegarth]

singhals <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that
field gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only
if I CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear
that if I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus
gracefully destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)

I have noticed it too. It's actually a result of 'efficient' coding and
database record usage.

When you open a individual's window, it loads the database record. If
you click on 'Ok' to close it, it writes the data back to the database. If
you've changed anything, it saves the changes. If you haven't, it just
saves the same data back. You wouldn't think that it would take that much
overhead to check the data before saving it, but it would be extra code and
it's something the developer probably didn't 1) think about or 2) deem
important.

If you click 'Cancel', it checks to make sure you aren't losing data,
but it doesn't consider the modified date to be losable data...


- Andrew W Applegarth
(database administrator, among other IT duties)

[Andrew W Applegarth]

Andrew W Applegarth <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

singhals <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that
field gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only
if I CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear
that if I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus
gracefully destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)



I have noticed it too. It's actually a result of 'efficient'
coding and database record usage.

When you open a individual's window, it loads the database record.
If you click on 'Ok' to close it, it writes the data back to the
database. If you've changed anything, it saves the changes. If you
haven't, it just saves the same data back. You wouldn't think that it
would take that much overhead to check the data before saving it, but
it would be extra code and it's something the developer probably
didn't 1) think about or 2) deem important.

If you click 'Cancel', it checks to make sure you aren't losing
data, but it doesn't consider the modified date to be losable data...


- Andrew W Applegarth
(database administrator, among other IT duties)

In reading my post, I realize I wasn't as clear as I intended...

The save record function called when you click on Ok is part of the
database API, and not part of the PAF code. It's possible they wrote
their own code, but I would doubt it. In order to check for changes
before saving the record, they would have had to write additional code
instead of just calling the builtin Save Record function...

- Andrew W Applegarth

[mickg]

singhals wrote:

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)




Are you referring to:

Log changes
An option on the Preferences screen that allows you to track any
addition, modification, or deletion you make to the individual and
marriage records in a .paf file. You can see this file or empty it.

or the last changed on the Edit individual screen?
This changes when you save a change, any change to the individuals
information.

I just verified that if I view then close even using the save button, it
doesn't update unless I made changes.

MickG

[Dave]

I Use PAF 5.2 and the LAST CHANGED field does not update if you open a
record to view the information and make no changes to any field by closing
the EDIT INDIVIDUAL window by either SAVE or CANCEL The only time it's
updated is if you actually change a field's information and select SAVE.
Changing a field's information and CANCEL does not update the LAST CHANGED
date.

Going from 4 to 5 obviously changed the field as you pointed out. I went
from 2.? to 5 which did it and one time I had to eport everything out to
GEDCOM and import it back into a blank database to solve a recuring error
reset all dates to that date. I checked the above senario this AM to confirm
its actions.

Dave

"singhals" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)

[singhals]

Andrew W Applegarth wrote:

Andrew W Applegarth <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:


singhals <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:


Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that
field gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only
if I CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear
that if I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus
gracefully destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)



I have noticed it too. It's actually a result of 'efficient'
coding and database record usage.

When you open a individual's window, it loads the database record.
If you click on 'Ok' to close it, it writes the data back to the
database. If you've changed anything, it saves the changes. If you
haven't, it just saves the same data back. You wouldn't think that it
would take that much overhead to check the data before saving it, but
it would be extra code and it's something the developer probably
didn't 1) think about or 2) deem important.

If you click 'Cancel', it checks to make sure you aren't losing
data, but it doesn't consider the modified date to be losable data...


- Andrew W Applegarth
(database administrator, among other IT duties)



In reading my post, I realize I wasn't as clear as I intended...

The save record function called when you click on Ok is part of the
database API, and not part of the PAF code. It's possible they wrote
their own code, but I would doubt it. In order to check for changes
before saving the record, they would have had to write additional code
instead of just calling the builtin Save Record function...

- Andrew W Applegarth

Whatever is causing it, it's blasted inconvenient to discover it's not
doing what one was told it was after one arranged a research project
around what one was told. (So t'speak?)

Cheryl

[singhals]

mickg wrote:

singhals wrote:

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or
Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)




Are you referring to:
Log changes
An option on the Preferences screen that allows you to track any
addition, modification, or deletion you make to the individual and
marriage records in a .paf file. You can see this file or empty it.

or the last changed on the Edit individual screen?
This changes when you save a change, any change to the individuals
information.

I just verified that if I view then close even using the save button, it
doesn't update unless I made changes.

MickG

In the small pedigree view, I double-click mamma, then click on the cute
little notebook icon to see what's in there. I click Cancel/Cancel and
the last change-date turns to the sysdate.

Every time.

Cheryl

[singhals]

Well, if it's not doing it for you and it's not doing it for Mick, there
has to be (a) a setting somewhere I've got wrong or (b) the newer
version handles it differently and you two have the new one.

Bottom line then is that my copy is doing it incorrectly and I was
rightly told that I could use that date to track which records I had
changed.

Drat'n'dern.

I begin to understand why some of my best friends use WP to keep their
data. (g)

Cheryl

Dave wrote:

I Use PAF 5.2 and the LAST CHANGED field does not update if you open a
record to view the information and make no changes to any field by closing
the EDIT INDIVIDUAL window by either SAVE or CANCEL The only time it's
updated is if you actually change a field's information and select SAVE.
Changing a field's information and CANCEL does not update the LAST CHANGED
date.

Going from 4 to 5 obviously changed the field as you pointed out. I went
from 2.? to 5 which did it and one time I had to eport everything out to
GEDCOM and import it back into a blank database to solve a recuring error
reset all dates to that date. I checked the above senario this AM to confirm
its actions.

Dave

"singhals" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or

Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)

[Helen Castle]

Does using the X to close the window stop it from updating?

That's a trick we have at work for looking at stuff and not wanting to
change the record's viewing date.

If we dont want any of the item's history log changed we use the X - if we
want it changed we use the close or cancel

Might help till you work out why

Helen Castle
Narangba Qld
"singhals" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Well, if it's not doing it for you and it's not doing it for Mick, there
has to be (a) a setting somewhere I've got wrong or (b) the newer version
handles it differently and you two have the new one.

Bottom line then is that my copy is doing it incorrectly and I was rightly
told that I could use that date to track which records I had changed.

Drat'n'dern.

I begin to understand why some of my best friends use WP to keep their
data. (g)

Cheryl

Dave wrote:

I Use PAF 5.2 and the LAST CHANGED field does not update if you open a
record to view the information and make no changes to any field by
closing
the EDIT INDIVIDUAL window by either SAVE or CANCEL The only time it's
updated is if you actually change a field's information and select SAVE.
Changing a field's information and CANCEL does not update the LAST
CHANGED
date.

Going from 4 to 5 obviously changed the field as you pointed out. I went
from 2.? to 5 which did it and one time I had to eport everything out to
GEDCOM and import it back into a blank database to solve a recuring error
reset all dates to that date. I checked the above senario this AM to
confirm
its actions.

Dave

"singhals" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

Does anyone know for *certain* when the last-updated date in that field
gets changed? I've been sort of figuring it would change only if I
CHANGED something in the individual's data. It begins to appear that if
I only look at the data, the system updates that date (thus gracefully
destroying the paper-trail I was leaving.)

I didn't see anything in the help file under UPdate, Last-change, or

Change.

Cheryl
(who just noticed that the default date in that field is the date I
changed from PAF4 to PAF5.)