🚀 go-pugleaf

JD wrote:

> The user could always change the file attributes and then modify
> the data.

Of course. But what does that matter ? I thought you were speaking
of your programs. Your programs will only change the live db. You make
a backup: of course in a different directory! And set the whole backup
to read-only. Your clients can only browse then. Then you are done.

If the user intentionally chnges the fileattributes. Then the user
is responsable for damage. Not your program.

> If I disallow modifications in code, the user can only
> corrupt the data file ... 

Heh ? I can not follow that scenario.

 > in which case he/she had better have
> followed propper backup proceedures.

I suppose that you supplie the backup program for your application.
You could even let your program start the backup program once
a day.

> I believe that a certain amount of responsibility for any
> programs' success rests with the administrator. I just don't
> have a clear idea of where that line is. For example, checking
> that the specified port is clear for use.

The administrator will do that. What you can say however is:
only use ports above 1024.

> Certainly one should be performing error checking but the
> administrator should also know what they're doing.

I have know idea what was in your mind here.

> The same
> is true with providing access to data. It's up to him/her to
> protect the data and it's up to you to not enable the user to
> have invalid access to the data.

In your other post you said that you backup in the same directory.
That looks like bad design for me.

> I thought this would be a common issue where users needed to
> look at historical data. Because of that, I have a 'SnapShot'
> that archives the db at where ever it is at that momment, an
> automatic archive when the accounting period is closed and I
> have a rollback / forward function that applies changes to any
> specified db (archived, SnapShot or live) and rolls it (back
> or forth) to a specific date and time.
> 
> Is it just me?

That is great. Especially if you can rollback to specific dates
and times. But then you would need a backup for every specific date
and time or a transaction logfile which you could play back.

If you have all these nice things then I just can't believe
that you don't make archives outside the db directory and just
set them to read-only.

Hans.