[be] [task #9940] Make backups easy in BE

[Kim Blewett]

URL:
  <http://savannah.nongnu.org/task/?9940>

                 Summary: Make backups easy in BE
                 Project: Bibledit
            Submitted by: kim_blewett
            Submitted on: Tue 01 Dec 2009 06:15:20 AM GMT
         Should Start On: Tue 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 AM GMT
   Should be Finished on: Tue 01 Dec 2009 12:00:00 AM GMT
                Priority: 5 - Normal
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any

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Details:

I'm thinking through how to automate as much as possible 
 1) making backups in BE and 
 2) sending work to an advisor who may not be in the same location.

The collaboration feature of BE is great for some situations, if a user can
connect to the internet or a local server. But some Balsa users won't be able
to use collaboration, and all users need a good way to make backups on site as
well.

I like all the options you've built into BE for backups and export formats.
It's good to save work in more than one format sometimes. However, both the
Backup and the Export menu items require a lot of choices; I think if these
could be pre-specified for Balsa users it'd be safer and easier for them.

I would like to see a "backup" button on BE's toolbar, that would automate
most of the steps of the Backup and/or Export menu items. This could be user-
or advisor-configurable: perhaps a dialog where the default options are
specified once and then the button performs the backup, supplying a filename
with date.

I would like for this to include the option of a zipped USFM export, because
it needs to be easy for Balsa users to provide SF Scripture for their
advisors/consultants to import into Paratext.

Something like this, though I'm sure it can be improved: 
   (o signifies a radio button, [] a checkbox)
----------------------------------------------------
Backup Button Configuration

Backup format:
    o USFM text, zipped
    o full backup [BE style]
    o differential backup of changes since last backup

Location for backup:
    o Folder: ___________
    o USB stick
          o Prompt for stick insertion if no stick is found
          o Always prompt for location

Projects to include in this backup:
    [project name]  
          Default filename for backup: 
             [projectname]-YYYYMMDD-[username]-[comment]
                    Set default filename to:_________________
                    [] Allow user to change this filename 
                o Always backup all books in project
                o Prompt for books to include in this backup

    [project name]  
          Default filename for backup:              
             [projectname]-YYYYMMDD-[username]-[comment]
                    Set default filename to:_________________
                    [] Allow user to change this filename 
                o Always backup all books in project
                o Prompt for books to include in this backup

   Add another project to the automatic backup [button]
-----------------------------------------------------
Then the Balsa user can click the button each day to make a consistent daily
backup file. I guess it would need to give a warning if space is low
(especially on an XO with small SSD), or else use an algorithm such as bdec's
to delete some of the older backup files so the space lasts longer.

Another useful button might be: Email Project to [Steve]. WeSay has this
button. The advisor configures it with his name and email address, and WeSay
creates an email in T-bird or Outlook (Windows) with a zipped file attachment,
and the address placed in the To: line. The user can add a message and send. I
think this should send the zipped USFM format project, unless others would
like to have a choice of backup formats.

BE Preferences could include both of these button-setup items, and they could
be turned off if not wanted.

Have you looked at Christoph Schudel's bdec and EasyBackup? It looks very
good, an automatic way to back up to USB sticks. Files and folders to back up
are preset so a backup is triggered when a USB stick is inserted into the
computer. bdec can be incorporated into programs, or EasyBackup can be used to
backup data from several programs at the same time. The problem with using
EasyBackup for BE is, which files should be backed up daily?




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