ETHelper error:

[JRRNeiklot]

Lately, while importing stuff into Etools with Davin's excellent program, I get the following error: DB error Table has no primary key. Does anyone know what the problem is and how to go about alleviating it?

Thanks.

 

[EricNoah]

Hmmm....

I don't know. I assume it must have happened at some point after you did some importing?

Have you done any monkeying with the DB by hand?

Here's what I would do if you can pull it off -- if ET Helper will let you do it, I would export all of your custom stuff into a file, copy out your .mon and .rac and .chr files and anything else custom you might have done, and then either restore the DB from a backup (I backup religiously with Davin's handy tool) or do a re-install. Then use ET Helper to re-import your custom stuff and put your mon, rac and chr files back.

 

[Davin]

Lately, while importing stuff into Etools with Davin's excellent program, I get the following error: DB error Table has no primary key.

That error message is coming from my software. That message is most likely to happen if you're importing an XML file that you built by hand, and it didn't include a <primaryKey> reference for the table to work on, and the table in question wasn't one that I normally export, and the table is not one that I've pre-defined pseudo-primary keys for because I'm expecting them. If all of those things happen at once, or if I messed up something in the program to make it *think* all those things happened at once, then you'd expect to get that message.

Why don't you email me a copy of your XML file and I'll see if I can figure out what's causing it?

 

[EricNoah]

What happens if someone messes with the database by hand, changing something you normally can't change in the eTools customizer, and then exports that item? Could this be what's going on? I know I've been reading about people trying to mix editing through the customizer with editing through the DB recently...

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Davin,

I haven't messed with the database by hand. I don't even have Access - well, unless you count Access '97. I'm a file leech!

I have downloaded every single mod I can find from Fluid's boards, ENWorld, and the new MSN group, as well, so I'm not sure which particular files are causing the error. I'll go back through and make a note of the files. Also, I'm pretty sure the problem lies with the xml files, not EThelper, as the error message is intermittent.

 

[Davin]

What happens if someone messes with the database by hand, changing something you normally can't change in the eTools customizer, and then exports that item? Could this be what's going on?

Nope - because that message can only come from the import process itself (not after the fact). If you change something that ETH isn't exporting, then it simply doesn't write it to the output file at all. If someone else then imports it, they'll be missing records in their copy of the database, but you won't get that particular message (it'll probably just ignore anything that needs it).

The few people that have been making those changes and asked me about it, I've told them the procedure for adding the extra keys by hand and what dangers to warn people about (few of which I've seen). Hopefully those kinds of things will get to be GUID-keyed one day and many of these problems will disappear.

 

[Davin]

I haven't messed with the database by hand.

Well, either the creator of that file didn't include enough information in it, or maybe I missed some reference somewhere that needed to be kept (which would need to be fixed). But I'll need the file in question (you can test for that by re-importing all your files and see what complains) before I can tell where the problem is and what needs to be done about it. Let me know if you figure out which one did it for you.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Davin,

I tracked down a couple of these files, shoot me your email addy and I'll send them your way. They are a couple of XML's compiled by Therigwin - Sword and fist fighter feats and magic items.

 

[EricNoah]

Davin's contact info is here:

http://www.dallas.net/~davin/

 

[Chaz]

Its getting more and more apparent that we need to have some central info area to keep work in progress info handy. As more and more people release files (especially incomplete or faulty ones) it will get harder to figure out who's file you got where and which version etc. etc. Some coordination would ease some possible future problems I think. At least it might make finding and repairing a faulty file easier. And make it easier to put out the word when a file is fixed / updated.
Or maybe I'm wrong hehe
Was just a thought.