Sunday, September 27, 2009

No More Two Step Deletions

In ZonePro 32 there are a number of screens where you have to be the only user of the database in order to proceed. The SQL database used by ZonePro SQL don't have that limitation. This is perhaps most noticeable in the deletion process. In ZP 32, deleting is a two-step process. Clicking on a Delete button only marks a record for deletion. To permanently remove it you have to go to Maintenance and use the Finalize Deletions option, for which you have to be the only current user. In ZP SQL it is quite different. When you click on the Delete button and say OK, the record is deleted right then and there. This has the benefit of being more intuitive than the two-step approach, but it takes away that safety net. I think ZP SQL compensates for that in two ways. One, in ZP SQL you always have security in place so you can easily limit who even has the ability to hit a Delete button. Two, I added and option where any deletes are logged to a special file. The deletes are logged with a command that can potential replicated the deleted record. In Maintenance there is a Deletion Log screen where you can review any deletions made. The next logical step would be to have a way to reinsert errantly deleted records but I haven't gotten quite that far yet.

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