Data Compare saved definitions

[scooman]

In BC2 you could save a data format definition for a particular file so you didn't have to re-specify keys and unimportant columns each time. Is this possible in BC3?

Also BC3 seems to automatically sort data in the data view which is time consuming for large files - can this be switched off?

Cheers
Scooman

[Erik]

In BC2 you could save a data format definition for a particular file so you didn't have to re-specify keys and unimportant columns each time. Is this possible in BC3?

Once you have the comparison setup the way you want, save select "Session -> Save Session As..." to create a session that you can reopen later.

Also BC3 seems to automatically sort data in the data view which is time consuming for large files - can this be switched off?

Select "Session -> Session Settings...", switch to the "Columns" page and set "Unsorted alignment". If you want to make this the default behavior, switch from "User for this view only" to "Update session defaults".

[scooman]

Thanks for this Erik - but I'm not sure this gives me quite what I need. Perhaps if I give some more background you can think of a way that BC3 can satisfy my requirements (I want the SFTP support in BC3 Pro) but otherwise, I guess I can use new standard licenses to run BC2?

I'm trying to implement a tool to do data comparisons for a large testing enviroment (about 100 testers) looking for database dump differences across a schema of about 300 tables. The current prototype compares files and creates an archive of differences (actual and expected) along with a data compare spec for BC2 (bcdv) derived from the schema for each different table. These are then SFTP's to a PC for comparison in BC2 - the user simply loads a standard session and data differences are available for viewing...

I guess the key features are: the user loads a standard session and sees file comparisons where differences are known to exist (a small subset of 300 data files). Then viewing an individual file pair automatically loads the appropriate data compare definition bases on the schema...

Any help gratefully received - otherwise I guess we go with the BC2 solution...

Cheers

[Erik]

Another feature of BC3 that might be of use to you is saving child sessions and child session defaults. From your Folder Compare session, open a pair of files in the Data Compare. Change the "Session Settings" how you like. In the edit at the bottom left, choose "Use for these files within parent session" to save the settings for this specific pair of files, or choose "Use for all files within parent session" to save the settings for all files (except those you've explicitly saved settings for) opened in the Data Compare from this Folder Compare session.

[scooman]

Thanks again Erik - this is so close...

1) What are the BC3 rules for loading the session information? - I want to be able to generate the session info for the 300 odd data files...
2) Updated column name information is not stored in the session - is this planned (it would be nice!)

Cheers

[Erik]

1) Child sessions use the first of these settings found:
- Explicit ("Use for these files within parent session")
- Child defaults ("Use for all files within parent session")
- Session defaults ("Update session defaults")

2) In the next release (build 463), "Fill Names Using Comparison/Left File/Right File", and "Reset Names" will be added to the right click menu on "Columns" page of "Session Settings".

[scooman]

Sorry - I didn't phrase the question correctly:

Thanks to the features above I think I can generate a BSSession.xml file from my schema and known unimportant fields which will be able to load a comparisson for any of the 300 data files I'm interested in. The question is how can I use a generated session xml file - do I have to drop it into the BC3 home directory of is there any other way of including it?

Thanks again.

[Erik]

The default location for "BCSessions.xml" is your Application Data folder. You can also put it in your BC3 program folder.

You can also make it a shared sessions file which will show the sessions in a special session folder and prevent you from editing them. Select Tools -> Options..., switch to the "General" page and enter the location in "Shared sessions file".

[scooman]

Excellent.

Many thanks