Frustration

[Robert]

I am very frustrated using your software.

Here's what I mean...I choose NOT to put an aircraft ID in my database. Everytime I try to do something it complains with a splash screen. The ID is not necessarily integral, at least in my case. Very frustrating !!!

Will this change???


AArrrghh!!

 

[Neal Culiner]

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'splash' screen. The splash screen is the startup screen to Logbook Pro, are you seeing this?

The required fields for a flight log entry are:
Date, Type, Ident (N-Number), Route, and Duration (or Sim)

If you are seeing something other than a message/error dialog, then I suggest uninstalling, reboot, reinstall 1.9.3.

Neal Culiner
NC Software, Inc.
support@nc-software.com

 

[Robert]

OK, my apologies --- I must admit that I didn't do a very good job explaining what was going on partially because of my frustration. So here is an attempt at a better explanation.

I imported a comma-delimited file. The import did not contain values in two of the import columns, Aircraft ID and Route. These two fields for my purposes are irrelevant. After the import I realize that for a two-week period in the data I needed to fill in some Turbine time. So I selected the field and typed in the decimal time that matched the duration and hit 'Enter'. The software complained by telling me that there was an error 'Required Data Missing'. That and subsequent attempts to enter data only caused this error box/screen/what ever you want to call it, to come up. Thereby making it impossible for me to enter any data.

I have over 65 pages of data in my spreadsheet for which I do not use these two fields. It is very unacceptable to me to have to go and and enter thousands of lines in my XL database just to make it possible for me to use the program i.e. work with the data . Hence I am very very frustrated. I find your software program overall and excellent program. And would like very much to be able to use it, but these absolute constraints frustrate me.

I can't understand why the program has Required Fields. It should be capable of leaving a field blank, except for the field that is used as the record key that is the unique identifier for the record is always needed. The Aircraft ID and Route are not calculated fields. Even if they were, if a field is blank you simply calculate a 0.

Please tell me there is a way to use your program WITHOUT BEING FORCED to fill in these fields.

 

[Neal Culiner]

Thanks for the explanation, it makes it easier for me to help you with good info!

Last things first, yes, those fields will be required to enter flights in v1.x. I will look into this, with the version 2 beta team, as for what columns should be required. What I will most likely do is allow YOU to define your required columns so I don't hard code something that's not necessary and contributes to loss of years of your life from frustration! /forums/emoticons/smile.gif

Now, to get your existing data in, noooo problem! Excel is one of my all time favorite software applications ever used. You can take your column that is required to have information (route and Ident) and put in a bogus value, such as 'none' or 'blank' etc. and that will work. Now you ask, how do I enter that in all the rows that have nothing in them! Excel has a neat 'autofill' system. Enter the value in the first row, then put your mouse cursor over the bottom right hand corner of the cell. You'll see the mouse pointer change to a + sign. Click and drag down to the end of the point you want that value autofilled.

As always, save a backup/copy of your DATA prior to screwing it up! /forums/emoticons/smile.gif

Hope this Helps (HTH)

Neal Culiner
NC Software, Inc.
support@nc-software.com

 

[Robert]

Thanks for your prompt response.

I think your idea about allowing a user to specify required fields is excellent. If you would like me to beta test your fix I would be very happy to do that. Just let me know.

Do you know if there are any plans to make it possible for a user inside the program to do a global or selected set of fields replacement or insertion of data. By that I mean I may want to modify an aircraft type from 'AS355F' to 'AS 355 F'. This would obviously fall within a limited number of fields and being able to identify this field and make a global change would be beneficial.

 

[Neal Culiner]

Do you know if there are any plans to make it possible for a user inside the program to do a global or selected set of fields replacement or insertion of data. By that I mean I may want to modify an aircraft type from 'AS355F' to 'AS 355 F'. This would obviously fall within a limited number of fields and being able to identify this field and make a global change would be beneficial.

Version 1.x is pretty much a done deal. However, with changing a Aircraft Type there is 'magic under the hood' already in place. Change the TYPE in the Options...Aircraft and ALL of your log entries with that Type will be updated automatically. For any other global search and replace, your best bet is 1) do it in Excel prior to import, or 2) export to excel, massage your data, import it back in.

HTH

Neal Culiner
NC Software, Inc.
support@nc-software.com

 

[sntrypilot]

I've been reading this thread about imports from Excel to Logbook Pro and had a question. I haven't yet played with Logbook Pro (just downloaded the trial version today) but I intend to. I have 10 years of Air Force flying logged in an MS Access program I wrote--but your program seems much better! My main concern to switch to your program is data integrity.

With MS Access, I have the ability to export my data into Excel then import from Excel to Logbook Pro, but there is a problem with this approach with my data: the maximum number of characters allowed in an Excel cell I think is 255, but I have a memo field defined in my MS Access logbook which allows something like 32,000 characters. When I export from Access into Excel, it truncates any characters beyond 255 from this memo field. Is there a way to directly import from Access to Logbook Pro to avoid losing this memo-field data?

Thanks.
David Shafer

 

[Neal Culiner]

Logbook Pro also uses the 255 character restrictions. You'll have to go back and concise up your comments unfortunately. I am looking into removing this limit in version 2.

Neal Culiner
NC Software, Inc.
support@nc-software.com