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Financial Affidavit

Issue:  Data Base and Network Installation Explained

 May 24, 2005

Reminder: The Marketing Department insists that you be reminded that there is a small one time fee for the right to use this program from multiple computers or from multiple network stations.

Background information needed to fully understand program installation
This program can be used by multiple users on a network. However, the design of the program requires that network users install the program TO each network workstation.  Please do not install the program to the network drive!

Once installed to a workstation, a user will be able to designate a network location for saving the program's client data information.  If a network location is so designated, that user can save client data to the designated network location.  Presumably, the designated location will be somewhere other than the location of the program itself.  Thus, the designated location will be “seen” by the program as being a “network” location.  If no network location is designated, the client data will be saved in a data base that is stored in the same folder on the local drive as the folder in which the program itself is stored - usually, c:\program files\affidavit if you install the program as suggested.

Each user on the network can similarly designate a network location for saving client data files.  Each user should set their own copy of the program to "point" to the same network location for saving client data.  When the program has been installed to the local drive of each user, and each user has designated the same network location as the place where client date is to be saved, all users will be able to see, open and edit the same set of client data files.

The file for saving client data on a network will come originally from (be a copy of) the client data file on the local drive of the first user to designate the network location.  The program will never overwrite an existing file data that is used to save client data. If a data file already exists at the designated network location, that file will not be changed by the action of a second user pointing to the same network location.


Data Base
The program's client data files are all saved in a single "data base" file.  The file is named "affdata2005.mdb".  By default, when the program is installed, the data base file will be created and located on the local disk in the folder to which the program is installed.  Thus, if the program is installed to c:\program files\affidavit then the data base will be located at c:\program files\affidavit\affdata2005.mdb


Network Data Base
When a network data base location is first designated, the local data base will be copied to the designated network location.  The original “local” data base will remain behind -- it will still be present in the folder where the program itself is located.  From the screen with the list of cases, a user will be able to "toggle" back and forth between the Local and the Network data base.  Whichever data base is open will be the one from which the user can open a previously saved case and the one to which a user can save a new case or save changes to an existing case.

If a user changes the location of the network data base, the program will create a new data base in the new location.  The new data base created will be a copy of the local data base that then resides on that user's local drive.  Thereafter, that user's program will automatically look to the new location for saving and retrieving client information. If all users on the network do not make the same change, they will not be looking at the same set of files.

Changing the previously established location of the network data base file creates a new network data base file.  That file is based on (a copy of) the changing user's local data base file.  In order to be able to continue accessing client data stored in the data base in the prior network location, it is necessary to "go outside" of the program in order to move the prior network data base to the newly designated network data base location.


Saving client data to the data base
As noted above, this program uses a single data base for saving all information about all clients.  Your client case facts are automatically saved to that data base each time you leave a particular data entry screen.  (You leave a data entry screen when you click Prior Category or Next Category of when you press the Page Up or Page Down key.)

Likewise, client facts are automatically saved when you click the Close button or when you use the File menu and select Save and Close.   Because data is automatically saved, you will not find (and you do not need) the traditional Save or "Save as ..." options.


Creating alternative financial affidavits for the same client
If you want to create several alternative case files for a single client, you need make that decision before you start to enter data.  To do so, select an existing case from the Open Case screen.  Then open it using the Open file as copy button.  (Changing the Client file name in the second text box on the first data entry screen does not create a new case.  It only changes the name of the case that is open.)


Moving client data from one place to another
The program has several options to extract information from the data base for a particular client and to copy that information to another data base or to a floppy or other portable disk.  These options enable you to move case facts from one computer to another or to save the case facts to either a network or a local data base file.

1. Transfer file from network data base to data base on local drive
   If there is a “Network” data base, files can be transferred back and forth between the network data base and the local data base by using the gray buttons on the lower left corner of the “List of Files” screen.  (These gray buttons will not appear unless a network data base location has been designated.)
   
   Why bother you ask?  The ability to transfer back and forth is meant to accommodate those who use a laptop computer connected to the office network when at the office, but who then take the laptop with them when they leave for court or home.  Before leaving the office, the laptop user wanting continued access to a client data file must copy the desired client file from the Network data base to the Local data base on the laptop.  This is done using the gray buttons described.

2. Transfer file from data base to floppy disk or to other portable media.