RadarBox New Version - Database Sync Feature

[AirNav Development]

As you may know we are finishing the development of a new version of the RadarBox Windows Software.
We are including a new feature which will enable a fast and easy sync of all the software databases with AirNav Systems server databases (which are updated on a daily basis by a team of database updaters).

We are sharing the way we are crerating the sync feature to get your feedback/opinions/suggestions/approval:
1- New and daily updated database is download from server;
2- User choose which tables to update;
3- Each record on the lcoal tables contain an AUTOUPDATE field: if Y then this record is ovevrwritten with data coming from the server, if AUTOUPDATE=N then the local data for that record willl be kept;

Our question: do you now use the CHTYPE field on the local tables to "tell" the software that the record was updated manually? How can we distinguish manually changed records from automatically changed records at this time (teh AUTOUPDATE field will only be a feature of the new software version).

Let us know you feedback.

[neroon79]

regarding to 1-:

I hope that doesn't mean, that the whole database is automatically downloaded each day. That wpould generate too much traffic. If it means that there is an dailiy updated version that can be manually downloaded from the server, T would consider it a great idea.

about 2- and 3- : sounds good for me.

No good idea for the mentioned problem about the compatibily with old database structur in case of auto-updated and manually updated route records -if it is what your question was about.

[AirNav Development]

In simple words how can we know if a record was manually updated by a user?

(the database will only be updated when the user requests it - it is not an automatic feature for now).

[vena]

I think it would be better to update the database manually and autoupdate select by the user. I think it's a good idea to user choice, it needs to easily edit records and aircraft. Sometimes an error occurs.
I look forward to the new version, greetings from the Czech Rep. Vena

[Kenny]

Hi,

Just knew the meaning of CHTYPE field.  I think I'm ok if we can select which table to auto sync and then use CHTYPE to tell do not update which entry.

regards

[tarbat]

I guess the question is, to anyone who manually updates records in their local NAVDATA database:

When you update a record (aircraft, route, etc.) do you enter anything specific in the record to indicate that you have manually updated it?

[hugh]

When i update my route info i put the date in when i do it 2 and 3 for me

Hugh

[RNAGG]

I am very happy and hoping the new version!

With respect to update the database, my suggestion would be to arrange having a field lines that do not want it to be updated. For example, today in NAVDATA /  Aircraft is a field "CO" where we mark with an X the information we want to keep manually. The rows where this field was blank, would be updated automatically. Or if this field does not help, create a field in all tables with this criterion.
I hope I helped.

[tarbat]

The v4.04 database will already have a field called AUTOUPDATE, populated with a "Y" by default.  If set to "N", the record will NOT be auto-updated.

I think AirNav are trying to establish if people currently use any database fields to indicate a record that has been manually updated.  Then, when installing v4.04, they can look at this field to decide whether to put a "Y" or "N" in the AUTOUPDATE field.

So, maybe they should look at the CO (comment?) field to identify manually updated records?

[RNAGG]

In my opinion if there is already a field to indicate whether or not to update the data in each record level, then no need to use the "CO". My suggestion would be if he had not a specific field for this.
If you can put the screen with the fields of the new database would be easier to understand how this auto update function.

[Bell 407]

If version 4.04 comes with an AUTOUPDATE field then why should the default be "Y". Surely it should be "N" to keep the control with the user?

Seems to me to be shades of the default "Upload to network" check box which is ticked by default in the current version whenever the programme is started.

Possibly the view by AirNav should be at an individual user level. Give full control of what options a user wants and let them decide how to use the data made available to them via the network or other sources.

[mikek]

I would much rather the default was 'Y'. I don't do much (or lately, any) manual updating and so having to go through every record in the database and change it to 'N' would be a rather big job!

I would only be happy with a default 'N' if there was a way to universally change it to a 'Y' easily...

I guess it's going to be hard to please everyone!

[AirNav Support]

Bell 407,

I think you will find the majority of customers won't be updating there database manually hence having the default setting of Yes to auto update make sense. This majority of customers rarely use the Database to enter details so it would silly to inconvenience them over the customers who enter details manually who will be able to set the flag to N when they enter new aircraft.

Though possibly when upgrading to 4.04 an option to be asked whether you want the database to be set as a blanket Y or No to auto update.

[tarbat]

If version 4.04 comes with an AUTOUPDATE field then why should the default be "Y". Surely it should be "N" to keep the control with the user?

Don't worry, you'll still be able to tell Radarbox to NOT autoupdate in Preferences:

                 

Although from my beta testing experience, with the high quality of updates provided by the database update team, most users will probably want to accept the updates from the database update team.  During beta testing, I completely emptied the aircraft table, and since then the 1000+ aircraft details added to my local database have been of high quality, with no need to manually edit any of them.

I think most users will:
1. Turn on autoupdate in Preferences
2. Leave nearly all aircraft records with AUTOUPDATE = "Y"
3. Have a very few aircraft where they make a manual update for some local reason.  They will mark these with a "N" to prevent them being autoupdated from the database update team.

You can judge the quality of data from my log of yesterday's flights while beta testing.
See http://www.tarbat.gofreeserve.com/data.htm

[RNAGG]

It really would be much better if we had not that be manually updating the data.
But here in Brazil and I believe should occur in other countries, many aircraft remain long with the code ModeS country of origin. For example, several aircraft maintains the code ModeS U.S. and has a record-Brazilian PR-??? '. In previous automatic updates whenever I lose all the data that took a long time to get upgrade. Therefore, if each record-level option to mark whether or not to auto update would be helpful.