r19947 - gnucash-docs/trunk/guide/C - Bug#635360 Explain backup files from a 2.4 point of view.

Cristian Marchi cmarchi at code.gnucash.org
Thu Dec 16 14:45:13 EST 2010 

Author: cmarchi
Date: 2010-12-16 14:45:13 -0500 (Thu, 16 Dec 2010)
New Revision: 19947
Trac: http://svn.gnucash.org/trac/changeset/19947

Modified:
   gnucash-docs/trunk/guide/C/ch_basics.xml
Log:
Bug#635360 Explain backup files from a 2.4 point of view.

Modified: gnucash-docs/trunk/guide/C/ch_basics.xml
===================================================================
--- gnucash-docs/trunk/guide/C/ch_basics.xml	2010-12-16 13:27:05 UTC (rev 19946)
+++ gnucash-docs/trunk/guide/C/ch_basics.xml	2010-12-16 19:45:13 UTC (rev 19947)
@@ -904,56 +904,56 @@
     <title>Backing Up and Recovering Data</title>
 
     <para><application>&app;</application> creates several types of files to help ensure that your data
-    is not lost. You may see files with the following file extensions: <filename>.xac</filename> or <filename>.gnucash</filename>,
+    is not lost. If you look in the folder where your saved <filename>.gnucash</filename> file resides, you may see other
+    files generated by <application>&app;</application> with the following extensions: <filename>.gnucash</filename>,
     <filename>.log</filename>, <filename>.LCK</filename>, <filename>.LNK</filename> in the same directory 
     as your primary data file. What each of these files does is presented below.</para>
     
     <note>
     <para>The following sections are relevant only if you are saving your financial data in the xml format</para>
     </note>
-    
+ 
     <programlisting>
       $ ls 
-      gcashdata
-      gcashdata.20060414185747.xac
-      gcashdata.20060414223248.log
-      gcashdata.20060415114340.xac
-      gcashdata.20060415154508.log
-      gcashdata.20060415173322.xac
-      gcashdata.20060415194251.log
-      gcashdata.7f0982.12093.LNK
-      gcashdata.LCK
+      myfile.gnucash
+      myfile.gnucash.20100414185747.gnucash
+      myfile.gnucash.20100414223248.log
+      myfile.gnucash.20100415114340.gnucash
+      myfile.gnucash.20100415154508.log
+      myfile.gnucash.20100415173322.gnucash
+      myfile.gnucash.20100415194251.log
+      myfile.gnucash.7f0982.12093.LNK
+      myfile.gnucash.LCK
     </programlisting>
 
     <sect2 id="basics-backupxac2">
-      <title>Backup file (.xac or .gnucash)</title>
+      <title>Backup file (.gnucash)</title>
 
       <para>Each time you save your data file, a backup copy will also be
-      saved with the extension xac or gnucash. This backup file is a complete copy of
+      saved with the extension <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename>. This backup file is a complete copy of
       your previous data file, and the filename format refers to the data
       file, year, month, day and time of the backup. For example, the filename
-      <filename>gcashdata.20060414185747.xac</filename> indicates this is a
-      backup copy of the file <filename>gcashdata</filename> saved in the year 
-      2006, April 14, at 6:57:47 p.m.</para>
+      <filename>myfile.gnucash.20100414185747.gnucash</filename> indicates this is a
+      backup copy of the file <filename>myfile</filename> saved in the year 
+      2010, April 14, at 6:57:47 p.m.</para>
 
-      <para>To restore an old backup file, simply open the <filename>.xac</filename> or <filename>.gnucash</filename> file with the
+      <para>To restore an old backup file, simply open the <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> file with the
       date to which you wish to return. Be sure to save this file under a
-      different name; do not use a <filename>.xac</filename> extension for a regular data file
-      name.</para>
+      different name.</para>
       
       <note>
-       <para><application>&app;</application> 2.4 onwards creates backup files with the extension
-         <filename>.gnucash</filename> instead of the old extension <filename>.xac</filename>. 
-         So if you upgrade from the 2.2 series to the 2.4 series, you may end up with both <filename>.xac</filename> 
-         and <filename>.gnucash</filename> backup files in your directory.</para>
+       <para><application>&app;</application> versions 2.3.15 and older creates backup files with the extension
+         <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> instead of the old extension <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.xac</filename>. 
+         So if you upgrade from the 2.2 series to the 2.4 series, you may end up with both <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.xac</filename> 
+         and <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> backup files in your directory.</para>
       </note>
     </sect2>
 
     <sect2 id="basics-backuplog2">
       <title>Log file (.log)</title>
 
-      <para>Each time you open a file in <application>&app;</application>, a <filename>.log</filename> is created and saved
-      with the same name format as the <filename>.xac</filename> backup files. As you make changes
+      <para>Each time you open a file in <application>&app;</application>, a <filename>.log</filename> file is created and saved
+      with the same name format as the <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> backup files. As you make changes
       to the open data file, the log file saves only those changes. Log files
       are not a full backup of your data file - they simply record changes you
       have made to the data file in the current <application>&app;</application> session.</para>
@@ -1015,17 +1015,24 @@
       <title>File Management</title>
 
       <para>So which files should you keep around? Keep your main data file,
-      of course - data files have the extension <filename>.gnucash</filename>. It&rsquo;s a
-      good idea to keep some of the more recent <filename>.xac</filename> files, but you can safely
-      delete the <filename>.log</filename> files since they are not complete copies of your data.
-      You should also delete any <filename>.LCK</filename> and <filename>.LNK</filename> files that you see after
+      of course. It&rsquo;s a
+      good idea to keep some of the more recent <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> backup files, but you can safely
+      delete the <filename>.log</filename> files since they are not complete copies of your data.</para>
+
+      <note>
+        <para>If you upgraded from a <application>&app;</application> version prior to 2.4, you may also have backup files
+        in the old <filename>.xac</filename> format. For these files you can apply the same principle described above for
+        <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename> backup files.</para>
+      </note>
+
+      <para>You should also delete any <filename>.LCK</filename> and <filename>.LNK</filename> files that you see after
       closing <application>&app;</application>. If you decide to back up your data file to another
-      disk manually, you only need to back up the main data file - not the <filename>.xac</filename>
-      files.</para>
+      disk manually, it's enough to back up the main data file - not the <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename>
+      backup files.</para>
 
       <note>
-        <para><application>&app;</application> will automatically delete any <filename>.xac</filename> and <filename>.log</filename> 
-        files that are older than 30 days. You can change this behavior in the <application>&app;</application>
+        <para>By default <application>&app;</application> will automatically delete any <filename>.log</filename> and <filename>.YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.gnucash</filename>
+        backup files that are older than 30 days. You can change this behavior in the <application>&app;</application>
         preferences in the <guilabel>General</guilabel> tab under <menuchoice><guimenu>Edit</guimenu>
         <guimenuitem>Preferences</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.</para>
       </note>

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