Overview

The ability to exchange data between different installations of the application adds a very useful dimension to the powerful toolset offered by Formulate2. It allows you to share formulation tasks with other Formulate2 users by emailing or otherwise distributing diet formulation data to installations of Formulate2 on other computers. The individual receiving the exported data can work with it and return it to the sender. The sender can then update his formulation data with the work performed by other individuals.

Data sets also permit the migration of formulation data to other computers with installations of Formulate2 by using the Update functions of the Data Sets form to merge the data in the Export Data Set with the formulation data of the receiving machine.

What is a Data Set?

In the course of formulating diets, as you create ration records, producer feed libraries and memorized load sheet parameters etc., you are creating a set of related data. Though the data may be stored in different files and tables it is related because it is all part of your current work environment. The work environment also includes the report definitions you work with, the queries you've stored, the nutrient list as you've defined it and any other item that you've created or customized to suit your tastes. All of this constitutes your working data set.

Creating an Export Data Set allows you to combine selected diets from different producers into a single data set that can be distributed, edited and returned. The returned data can then be used to update your original data set with revisions made by others.

Formulate2 maintains and manages three different data sets. The data set located in the application folder is your working data set - the one with which you work from day to day. The data set in the Data Cache folder is created immediately prior to a Restore from Back Up operation. This arrangement allows you to recover the data overwritten by the restore operation when appropriate to do so. The final data set is the Export Data Set created when you click on the Create button of the Data Sets form. This data set is written to the Data Sets folder.

Using The Data Sets Form - Sharing the Workload

The Data Sets form is accessed from the Dbx menu of the Ration Record form.

The form itself has two tabs - the Create Data Set tab and the Merge Data Set tab.

The Create Data Set and Merge Data Set Tabs

This tab of the form contains items used to create the Export Data Set. The list box shown in the upper left hand area of this screen image lists all Ration Libraries. Double clicking on the name of a Ration Library will display the contents of the library in the grid just beneath the list box.

Double clicking on a diet will place it on the list of selected diets.

Simply double click on the diets you wish to include in the Export Data Set until you've built the list of diets you wish to export then click the Create button. Pop Up menus available on both list grids allow additional flexibility when building your list.

When the data set has been created a message will appear indicating it will be retrieved from the Data Sets folder and placed in the application folder after the current data set has been saved to the Data Cache folder.

Clicking on the OK button will cache your current data and place the Export Data Set in the program folder as your new working data set. Once this operation is complete, the message shown below will be displayed.

When you click on the Close button the Data Sets form will switch to the Merge Data Set tab.

This tab will display the diets included in the Export Data Set you've just created. Since you are creating a data set to be exported to another installation of Formulate2, click on the Cancel button. This action will return you to the Ration record form.

Notice that the open Ration library shown in the lower right hand corner of the image above is now the ExportDataSet library. Using the Search button and the Next and Previous buttons to browse through the open ration library you will find the diets you selected for inclusion in the Export Data Set.

You can now use the Back Up Data option in the Maintenance menu to create a back up of the Export Data Set to be distributed to other Formulate2 users. The user receiving the data can use the Restore from Back Up option to place the Export Data Set in the program folder as the new working data set. The data in the Export Data Set does not have to be merged with the cached data in order to work with it. All revisions can and should be made working directly with the Export Data Set. When the revisions are completed, the Back Up Data option can be used to create a new back up of the Export Data Set to return to the sender. Once the back up set is made, the individual that revised the diets can then use the Restore from Cache option to restore his cached data as the current working data set.

When the Export Data Set is returned to you, use the Restore from back up option in the Maintenance Files menu to place the data set in the program folder.

When the Restore operation is complete, use the Data Sets option in the Dbx Menu of the ration record form to return to the Data Sets form.

Because the open Ration library is the ExportDataSet, the Data Sets form will automatically display the Merge Data Set tab of the form. All of the ration records in the Export Data Set will be displayed on the form.

You may click on the Auto Update button to automatically update your cached formulation data or you may select which records to update by clicking on the Confirm Update button.

Once you've update your cached data set you can restore it to the program folder using the Restore from Cache option in the Maintenance Files menu.

Once the Restore from Cache operation is complete, your original data set - updated with the information from the returned Export Data Set - will be in the program folder ready for use as your working data set.

The Data Sets Form - Exchanging Data

The illustration above assumes that you are creating an Export Data Set for the purpose of enabling another individual to assist you with formulation work that will permanently reside only on your computer. In this scenario, the individual receiving the data set will not use any of the options on the Merge Data Set tab since the only purpose is to perform work to be returned to you. The data in the Export Data Set does not have to be merged in order to work with it. If the purpose is to return revised diets to the sender, all revisions can and should be made working directly with the Export Data Set.

However, on occasion you may want to transfer a producers ration records to another individual on a permanent basis. This can be easily accomplished with the Export Data Set. If the purpose is to permanently transfer data to another computer, the individual receiving the Export Data Set can use the options on the Merge Data Sets tab of the Data Sets form to merge the information received with the current working data set of the receiving computer.

How Data is Merged

There are a few important requirements that must be met and conditions that must be remembered in order to successfully merge data from an Export Data Set. Read the bulleted items below carefully before merging any data. This information applies to merge operations performed on ANY computer including the one originating the data set.

• The Nutrient lists of both the exporting installation of Formulate2 and the installation of Formulate2 merging the data must be identical. If the lists are not identical the program will not merge the records.
• If you create an Export Data Set, transmit it to another individual for revisions then change your nutrient list before receiving and merging the returned data, Formulate2 will not allow you to merge the returned data with your cached working data set.
• Ration records to be merged that originate from a ration library with the same name as a ration library existing in the working data set of the receiving computer will be written to the same named library.
• If a ration record to be merged uses the same record number and originates from a ration library with the same name as an existing ration record, the merged record will overwrite the existing record with the same record number in the same named library.
• Ration records to be merged that do not have a corresponding record in the same named library will be added as new records.
• Ration libraries that do not have a correspondingly named library on the receiving computer will be created with the same name on the receiving computer and will be added to the Ration Library Index.
• Feed libraries linked to ration records to be merged that have names corresponding to existing feed libraries on the receiving computer will overwrite the existing feed library.
• Feed libraries that do not have a correspondingly named library on the receiving computer will be created with the same name on the receiving computer and will be added to the Feed Library Index.

How Data is Transmitted

Transmitting data to a remote computer is a simple matter. While the Export Data Set is present in the application folder as the current working data set, use the Back Up Data option in the Maintenance form Files menu to create a back up of the data. The Back Up function allows you to select "back up to" drive. Which drive you select will depend upon how you intend to transmit the data. You may back up the Export Data Set to a "Flash" or "Jump" USB drive if you will be physically transporting the data. If you will be transmitting the data electronically you can use any drive you wish as long as the drive is accessible from your Email program.

The simplest way to transmit formulation data electronically is to create a ZIP archive file of the Formulate2 back up folder which contains the Export Data Set and attach it to an email addressed to the intended receiver. The formulation tables and other files compress nicely producing a surprisingly small ZIP file. Selecting the back up folder as the item to archive insures that the entire data set will be archived.

The image below shows the New Archive Wizard from ZIP Magic 9.0 with the Formulate2 Back Up Folder selected for archiving.

As shown in the image above, the back up folder is created in the root folder of the drive you select for the back up operation and is named Formulate2 Back Up Folder. This folder contains the complete Export Data Set.

The party receiving the ZIP file simply expands the archive to the desired drive then uses the Restore from Back Up option in the Maintenance Files menu to place the Export Data Set in the application folder as the current working data set.

Online Tutorials

• Working with Data Sets - How to create and use an export data set. (this tutorial may be downloaded and saved for futrue use - has voice-over narration - requires active internet access 3.8 MB exe)

Items of Note

When a Restore from Back Up operation is performed the data set currently in the application folder is copied to the Data Cache folder. The sole exception to this action is the Export Data Set. When the Export Data Set is the current working data set residing in the application folder it is not cached when a Restore from Back Up operation is performed. This prevents you from inadvertently overwriting your cached working data with the Export Data Set if it is necessary to restore the export data more than once.