Losing Data

Dave_Willett · 07-30-2020 03:03 AM

Hi Guys.

I seem to be losing data and don’t know where to look to find the error.
A user creates a record and saves it. Periodically if that record is edited or ref child records added I lose some of the main information which was previously saved.

How do I find this? Would someone more technical like to jump on the app and assist?

Cheers

Steve

You’re probably using the _RowNumber column as you key column, which is a very bad idea. If so, choose a different key column. Be aware, though, that changing the key column will break any references you have.

See also:

Dave_Willett

Hi Steve

The only table I have using rownumber as the key is a look up table, no one has access to it and only used in another table to pull information ‘From’. Any addition to that table is restricted to myself, the table affected has no relation to this table.

I’m wondering if its something the user is doing but I can’t trace it.

Jonathan_S

Maybe your references are not being tied properly? Look at those.
Check if the data is in the table itself, more than likely your referances.

Steve

Okay. Next possibility: you have a non-virtual column that has an App formula expression. The App formula expression of a non-virtual column is reevaluated whenever the row is otherwise updated, such as when edited in a form or modified by an action. Th same is also true for any column that has an Initial Value expression and for which Reset on edit? is not OFF.

Dave_Willett

I have no Reset on Edit field applied in the table ‘Customers’, they are all unselected.

The virtual columns are as follows:

Nothing relates to the ‘Quotemenu’ table which is the only one with the key to rownumber.

Strange

Aleksi

Any chance that two users are updating the same record at the same. If yes, then the last update wins and old data is overwritten.

Dave_Willett

Thats a possibility. Would there be a filter you would recommend in the Edit Action to restrict editing to whoever is currently on that row?

Cheers

Dave_Willett

You were right Aleksi. I recreated the problem by having two devices with different logins, edited the same record without syncing one of them, when I synced the data was gone.
Proof each user should only see his own data or edit the system actions (Edit, Delete, Add) with:

[Salesperson]=USEREMAIL()

In the behaviour property.

Unless there’s another way?

Austin

If multiple users can access and edit the same record you’re gonna run into that as a problem. The only real solutions are changing the data structure to fit a 1 user at a time method or limiting who can edit the records down to a number that would eliminate most opportunities for overwriting.
My recommendation is the later as you can probably implement it with the current structure. Something like what you mentioned [Salesperson]=USEREMAIL() would be a great starting point. You can either change the editable property of the columns themselves or even limit the edit/delete/add buttons.

Aleksi

Unfortunately there is no bullet proof mechanism to avoid it if everyone have access to modify the record.

Dave_Willett

Thanks guys, I’ll just keep an eye on it and see if there’s a pattern

Much appreciated