Attaching to an Existing Database
Note: not available in all versions.
As noted earlier, the database is stored in one of several industry-standard formats. Internally, the database table contains at least 5 fields. This is because every database contains a key field, a field for the associated photograph file name, a field for the Changed flag and a template number field. Databases also must contain 1 user field, arriving at the numbers just mentioned.
You can connect to a pre-existing foreign database assuming that the database is of a type supported by the program. It must fulfill the following requirements:
1. It must contain a numeric field as a record key and this should preferably be unique, although this is not mandatory.
2. It should contain an alphanumeric field which must be capable of storing at least 12 characters for the photo file name.
3. It should contain a numeric field for the badge template number.
4. It should contain an alphanumeric field for the badge changed flag.
5. It must contain at least one other numeric, date, time, timestamp or alphanumeric field to be used by this program. You can allow the Badging Program to use from 1 to 10 (an unlimited number if the Dossier option is active) of these fields. If the foreign database contains more fields than this, the data in them will not be changed by the Badging Program.
If the foreign database cannot comply with items 2, 3 and 4, then a separate table can be used for these fields. The program will create this table automatically and its name will be the same as the main table name plus a prefix of BB_. The database environment must be set up to allow table creation when this approach is used.
The process for attaching to a foreign database is very similar to that used for creating a new one. The steps are as follows:
Setting Up the Database Fields
Defining the Templates and Photo Compression Method