Re: A strange "deletion" situation...?

#1

Kenneth wrote:

Quote:

When I re-entered my own ID number, last name, and first
name in the parent table, all of the linked data appeared
properly in our primary form.

Using the form, how might it have been possible to delete
the name information without first deleting all the
information in the child tables?

If I am understanding this correctly, there is no simple act
that could have accidentally caused the problem, but I
certainly want to be sure that it does not happen again.

It would be difficult to discern what did happen. There are no auditing
capabilities in Paradox.

Does your form include code to remove child-records? If so, then the
absence of "only a master record" implies that your form wasn't used. If
not, then yes, it is certainly possible for only the master to be deleted
without affecting the children.

It might be useful to run queries to see if there are any /other/ "missing
masters."

I do not consider it profitable to /assume/ that malicious intent is
indicated here. It's actually fairly unlikely.

----
ChimneySweep(R): Fast(!) table repair at a click of the mouse!
http://www.sundialservices.com

#2

Kenneth

Do you have RI defined between the tables? If not, a simple delete will
delete the record in the active table only, leaving the record in the detail
tables intact.

--
Bertil Isberg - CTECH
Paradox buglist:
online: http://hem.bredband.net/bertilisberg/

"Kenneth" <usenet (AT) soleSPAMLESSassociates (DOT) com> skrev i meddelandet
news:n176m29leoubrg45hfpo09chfa5uvq9tj9 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...

Quote:

Howdy,

We run P9 under Win 2000 and also XP. Our LAN has six boxes.

A few minutes ago, my assistant came in to my office and
asked "Did you intentionally remove yourself from our
database...?"

Of course, I had not, and so, I checked using forms, and by
viewing tables, and indeed my own record was gone from the
parent table.

Here is the aspect that I find particularly strange:

We link our tables on an ID key.

We store names, addresses, phone numbers etc. all linked on
that key. So, there are lots of properly linked child tables
in our setup.

No one (other than I) can access the tables.

When I re-entered my own ID number, last name, and first
name in the parent table, all of the linked data appeared
properly in our primary form.

Using the form, how might it have been possible to delete
the name information without first deleting all the
information in the child tables?

If I am understanding this correctly, there is no simple act
that could have accidentally caused the problem, but I
certainly want to be sure that it does not happen again.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this...

Sincere thanks,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

#3

Your form should be handling RI but apparently it isn't. Check out Liz's
Roll your own RI papers on thedbcommunity.com for how to fix this.

Denn Santoro
President
Resource Development Associates
http://www.RDAWorldWide.Com
Offices in the United States and Germany
Providing solutions to health care, business, governments and
non-profits since 1982

#4

Kenneth,

If you're going to implement RI, be sure to do one of 2 things, if not both:

1. Disallow deletions if the record has children.

2. Disallow deletions without confirmation of intent (and potentially of
rights).

....while it was easy to just add back a master record for you, what if the
RI had been in place and the user had deleted all records related to you
- or a client, or a job, or whatever? A lot harder to get that back...

Kenneth <usenet (AT) soleSPAMLESSassociates (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

Hi Denn,

I do not have the form handling the RI but will check that
article you suggest and take care of it.

Sincere thanks,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."

#5

Sorry, Kenneth. But lost sleep now is better than lost data later...

BTW: My RI articles go over some of the delete issues, I think.

Liz

Kenneth wrote:

Quote:

Liz..., Liz..., Liz...,

Prior to reading that, I had some hope of getting some sleep
tonight <g>.

Thanks, and all the best,