Hi,

I've been using a simple and flexible method of document
storage and retrieval for a while now. I have a table that
contains fields for a document filename, date added, table
name & record primary key attached to, and comments. I also
create a sub-directory under my data directory. When someone
wants to add a supporting document (any type... word, jpeg,
wav, access, excel, etc) to a record, I create a new record
in my documents table & copy the file to my documents
subfolder. The user can view and edit the documents by
clicking a button that does a ShellExecute(Handle, 'Open',
PChar(FileName), etc). They can attach the same document to
multiple tables by just attaching a file that already exists
in the documents subfolder.

My problem is that I am moving everything over to
CS/Internet remote access and this model just doesn't work
well anymore. I've considered createing a dedicated table
for documents and then streaming the file and creating a
local copy to edit, but then any changes will not be saved
back to the server. The user would have the illusion that
they are saving changes but they would only be to a
temporary file. I've also considered creating a process and
waiting for it to end, but this will lock up my application
while it waits for the spawned application to complete.

Anyone out there have a good way to handle this kind of
stuff in CS/internet connections?

Thanks,

Sean

Hi,
I had a similar issue. I just used ftp , this enabled me to keep my original
table for document name etc, I just mapped ( within the app to a directory
on the server ) It went something like this
NB. I always compressed the file when saving before sending to the server

1: does the local work file exists Yes then delete it
2: ftp get the file you want renaming it to the work file name and
uncompressing it
3: Work on it
4: Save and the put it back on the server

"Sean McCall" <NoSpam@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:4E8DDC0F-C6BF-4A16-B207-4F4010633981@news.elevatesoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've been using a simple and flexible method of document
> storage and retrieval for a while now. I have a table that
> contains fields for a document filename, date added, table
> name & record primary key attached to, and comments. I also
> create a sub-directory under my data directory. When someone
> wants to add a supporting document (any type... word, jpeg,
> wav, access, excel, etc) to a record, I create a new record
> in my documents table & copy the file to my documents
> subfolder. The user can view and edit the documents by
> clicking a button that does a ShellExecute(Handle, 'Open',
> PChar(FileName), etc). They can attach the same document to
> multiple tables by just attaching a file that already exists
> in the documents subfolder.
>
> My problem is that I am moving everything over to
> CS/Internet remote access and this model just doesn't work
> well anymore. I've considered createing a dedicated table
> for documents and then streaming the file and creating a
> local copy to edit, but then any changes will not be saved
> back to the server. The user would have the illusion that
> they are saving changes but they would only be to a
> temporary file. I've also considered creating a process and
> waiting for it to end, but this will lock up my application
> while it waits for the spawned application to complete.
>
> Anyone out there have a good way to handle this kind of
> stuff in CS/internet connections?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sean

Hi,

Good idea to compress the file. How do you know when the
user is done working on the document so it can safely be
saved back to the server? Do you know a way to detect that
the helper application which is editing the  document has
closed?

Thanks,

Sean

P.S. Sorry... sent the response to email first time by mistake.

Edhrx wrote:
> Hi,
> I had a similar issue. I just used ftp , this enabled me to keep my original
> table for document name etc, I just mapped ( within the app to a directory
> on the server ) It went something like this
> NB. I always compressed the file when saving before sending to the server
>
> 1: does the local work file exists Yes then delete it
> 2: ftp get the file you want renaming it to the work file name and
> uncompressing it
> 3: Work on it
> 4: Save and the put it back on the server
>
> "Sean McCall" <NoSpam@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:4E8DDC0F-C6BF-4A16-B207-4F4010633981@news.elevatesoft.com...
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I've been using a simple and flexible method of document
>>storage and retrieval for a while now. I have a table that
>>contains fields for a document filename, date added, table
>>name & record primary key attached to, and comments. I also
>>create a sub-directory under my data directory. When someone
>>wants to add a supporting document (any type... word, jpeg,
>>wav, access, excel, etc) to a record, I create a new record
>>in my documents table & copy the file to my documents
>>subfolder. The user can view and edit the documents by
>>clicking a button that does a ShellExecute(Handle, 'Open',
>>PChar(FileName), etc). They can attach the same document to
>>multiple tables by just attaching a file that already exists
>>in the documents subfolder.
>>
>>My problem is that I am moving everything over to
>>CS/Internet remote access and this model just doesn't work
>>well anymore. I've considered createing a dedicated table
>>for documents and then streaming the file and creating a
>>local copy to edit, but then any changes will not be saved
>>back to the server. The user would have the illusion that
>>they are saving changes but they would only be to a
>>temporary file. I've also considered creating a process and
>>waiting for it to end, but this will lock up my application
>>while it waits for the spawned application to complete.
>>
>>Anyone out there have a good way to handle this kind of
>>stuff in CS/internet connections?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Sean
>
>
>

Sean,

you may monitor the changes in directory - FindFirstChangeNotification for
Windows 95/98/ME and ReadDirectoryChanges for Windows NT/2000/XP/2003

As alternative, you may try to get the exclusive access for file from timer
and if you got the full access, then external applicationm closed and file
is released.
--
With best regards, Mike Shkolnik
E-mail: mshkolnik@scalabium.com
WEB: http://www.scalabium.com

"Sean McCall" <NoSpam@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:9C549346-6F53-4DF0-B10A-A77E7C4009E1@news.elevatesoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> Good idea to compress the file. How do you know when the
> user is done working on the document so it can safely be
> saved back to the server? Do you know a way to detect that
> the helper application which is editing the  document has
> closed?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sean
>
> P.S. Sorry... sent the response to email first time by mistake.
>
> Edhrx wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I had a similar issue. I just used ftp , this enabled me to keep my
original
> > table for document name etc, I just mapped ( within the app to a
directory
> > on the server ) It went something like this
> > NB. I always compressed the file when saving before sending to the
server
> >
> > 1: does the local work file exists Yes then delete it
> > 2: ftp get the file you want renaming it to the work file name and
> > uncompressing it
> > 3: Work on it
> > 4: Save and the put it back on the server
> >
> > "Sean McCall" <NoSpam@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> > news:4E8DDC0F-C6BF-4A16-B207-4F4010633981@news.elevatesoft.com...
> >
> >>Hi,
> >>
> >>I've been using a simple and flexible method of document
> >>storage and retrieval for a while now. I have a table that
> >>contains fields for a document filename, date added, table
> >>name & record primary key attached to, and comments. I also
> >>create a sub-directory under my data directory. When someone
> >>wants to add a supporting document (any type... word, jpeg,
> >>wav, access, excel, etc) to a record, I create a new record
> >>in my documents table & copy the file to my documents
> >>subfolder. The user can view and edit the documents by
> >>clicking a button that does a ShellExecute(Handle, 'Open',
> >>PChar(FileName), etc). They can attach the same document to
> >>multiple tables by just attaching a file that already exists
> >>in the documents subfolder.
> >>
> >>My problem is that I am moving everything over to
> >>CS/Internet remote access and this model just doesn't work
> >>well anymore. I've considered createing a dedicated table
> >>for documents and then streaming the file and creating a
> >>local copy to edit, but then any changes will not be saved
> >>back to the server. The user would have the illusion that
> >>they are saving changes but they would only be to a
> >>temporary file. I've also considered creating a process and
> >>waiting for it to end, but this will lock up my application
> >>while it waits for the spawned application to complete.
> >>
> >>Anyone out there have a good way to handle this kind of
> >>stuff in CS/internet connections?
> >>
> >>Thanks,
> >>
> >>Sean
> >
> >
> >