Not sure if the latest OS X update that did me in or not. Since the update Tap Forms opens with request for Encryption Key which it does not except anymore. What I have done is uploaded the app a number of times, restored to a back ups a few times. Updated my keychain files a number of times. I’ve even place all reference into the trash and down load the app and still it won’t let me unlock.
I’ve moved back to Bentos and updated to Filemaker which seems to be more stable. Any suggestions?
Hi 1Levite,
Thanks for this; it does get me over the hump. I’d still like to see the search across rules, as Bento had, which was a cleaner way for me to do this, but I was able to use a workaround with this. Thank you!
Linda
Frank,
There has been a strange issue arise occasionally (I’ve seen about 3 or 4 cases of this) where the join table I use for managing many-to-many links grows uncontrollably. I can fix it if the database is sent to me. Somehow there are a bunch of rows with incomplete data that get inserted into that join table. Well, a bunch is really like millions. The worst case I’ve seen is an extra 19,000,000 rows got inserted into that file. I was able to reduce the size from over 4 gigabytes to down to only a few hundred megabytes after deleting all that extraneous data.
As for my database overhaul, I’m very active working on it (in between bug fixes to the current version to deal with these El Capitan issues). I probably mentioned this one before, but one test I did was to import a Bento file which had 117,000 records in it. The current version took 1.5 hours to import that much data. The new version took 2 minutes. The amount of disk space used was way less as well.
I’m still working on just the Mac version at the moment. I want everything there to be perfect in regards to the app still working and of course syncing between different Macs. I’ve finally managed to get syncing working, but there are issues with refreshing data that I’m working through.
Once I get that all perfect, then I’ll begin the migration of the iOS versions. I also still have to figure out what cloud solution to provide. I’ve just been working on WiFi sync at the moment because it doesn’t require a cloud service. iCloud and Dropbox can’t be used with the synchronization built-in to Couchbase because there must be a CouchDB based back-end to communicate with. I’ve actually been contemplating a dual service approach. All file attachments and photos could possibly be stored on iCloud or Dropbox, and all database data would be stored with some other online CouchDB based service. IBM has a solution called Cloudant which looks very interesting and is a possible candidate.
What’s really cool though is syncing between my two MacBook Pros is nearly instant. That is, I enter a value on one Mac and a moment later that value shows up on the other Mac. Or pick a photo on one Mac and by the time my head turns to look at why other Mac, the photo is over there already. That’s on WiFi sync of course, so no cloud to cause any delays. But it’s very cool.
So anyway, there’s a status update on what I’m currently working on.
Thanks,
Brendan
I’m a new Tap Forms user, coming from Bento, and I’m in the process of importing all my Bento work over. I have several smart collections that make use of the “any” filtering option, which would be like doing an OR search between fields in Tap Forms. I’m using this with check boxes and list selections.
I’d really like to be able to use OR in Tap Forms. Otherwise I will need to have several saved searches that represent one smart collection from Bento. Please consider adding this feature. This is the biggest gap I’ve encountered on my porting effort from Bento, so far.
If there is another way to do this, please let me know.
Hi, Brendan, I’m checking in to see what progress you’ve made in the past couple of months in speeding up Tap Forms to what one would expect in this digital world.
By the way, I upgraded one of my computers last night to El Capitan. On that computer, Tap Forms will not load at all. Out of curiosity, I decided to open Bento, to see if it would load in the new operating system. Not only did it load, it loaded extremely fast, as it always did. I only switched away from Bento because FileMaker said it was no longer going to be supporting it. But, even two operating systems later, it’s still outperforming Tap Forms — by far.
I sure hope you’re making serious progress on your updates, as I’m now seriously considering reverting back to a dinosaur that outperforms your current program.
Hi TIA,
The Bento importer in Tap Forms reads Bento Template files. So if you don’t have Bento for Mac and only for iPad, then your only option is to use the “Email Library” function in Bento for iPad to send yourself your CSV files. You can then import those directly into Tap Forms. However, you won’t get any of the media or choice fields/pick lists that way.The only way to get all that data is to sync with Bento for Mac, then export from Bento your template file, then import the resulting .bentoTemplate file into Tap Forms for Mac. Then you can sync with Tap Forms HD for iPad and have all that information. If you’re ok with just the raw data contained in the CSV files, then you can import those directly into Tap Forms HD for iPad.
When you email yourself a CSV file, just tap-and-hold on it and then choose the option to open the file up inside Tap Forms HD. Tap Forms will launch and present to you the Import Records view. From there you can choose your Import Settings (e.g. which column delimiter you’re using, the File Encoding, etc.) and then tap on the Import button to begin the import process.
Thanks,
Brendan
I’ve used FMP on the Mac since v2 & am familiar with its import, export & file formats, & lots more besides.
Bento was strictly for my iPad for the mobility. I now have a dozen databases cataloguing different categories of household effects. Data is emailed to the Mac as CSVs for backup. I really don’t need to have any of this on my desktop, phone, or be syncing back & forth.
At present I’m on iOS 7.1.2 but need to upgrade – been putting it off because Bento will stop working at some point. I now have a lot of data to conserve.
I’ve removed all commas & have text, number & choice fields in all but 2 databases which also have a media field for pix.
Do I install Tapforms on the iPad & import the Bento files directly into it, or must I take them over to the Mac & then back to the iPad, please?
TIA
Hi Brendan,
It doesn’t work.
I restore IMCC
With Itunes, I put the TF ….zip on the Tapforms Apps of the IPAD
I restore IPAD withe this file, the good database OK
I try with the same operation with IHONE (4S 8,3) but restore don’t work. I delete Tapforms and forget Iphone for the moment.
So, I turn on ICLOUD sync with the IMAC and IPAD, a few seconds later OLD PHOTOS appears :-(
I lost a lot of time with this problem.
My experience with database apps is horrible : I began with ISORT, a french database apps, very good apps, but about one year after I began with it, the creator disappear without information !
So I take Bento, you know the surprise when they stop development.
I begin with Tapforms one year ago, and I lose again my time with problems.
Who said to me Apple is a easy to use system, if I find him, I hope he run faster than me !
Hi Joanna,
Yes, you should let Bento export the linked libraries too. Then all you need to do is import the main Bento template file. It will include all the linked forms and all their records. Tap Forms will link up all of your records for you. It will also place all of the linked forms into its own separate category.
Thanks!
Brendan
FYI for anyone else coming across this thread, the issue was that the Bento template was missing the Date Created value for a bunch of the records, so Tap Forms used the current date instead of being empty too.
Hi, I hope this question isn’t covered somewhere else, but, I have several forms linked to each other in Bento. When I export any form (“library”) as a Bento template it asks me if I want to also export the linked forms as well. Should I do that? and if I do, do I need to, or should I, export those forms again? Is my question clear?
In other words, what’s the best way to import a bunch of Bento forms linked to one another?
Thank you!
Hi Joanna,
Well, the date modified values will all come in with today’s date, but the Date Created should be the original date.
Can you send me the Bento Template file you’re trying to import and I’ll investigate it for you?
Thanks,
Brendan
I imported my forms from Bento but in 2 of them a large number of the created dates are wrong–they are showing today’s date. (None of them were created today, and almost all of them did have a date, that is, the date field was not blank). I tried twice with the same result. What can I do? I think I followed the directions properly.
What can I do?
Bento isn’t working well–freezes if I try to do an advanced search– and TapForms doesn’t have the data right yet….and I’ve got work to do!
Thank you!
Hello
I have a IMAC, an IPAD and an Iphone,
A few months ago, I’d imported my Bento database with IMAC.
The sync was OK, and I found my database on my Ipad,
Then I replaced all my Photos with the IPAD (around 1400 photos), taking a new photo with better definition.
Next month, I try to change with dropbox. I sync Imac with dropbox,
When I sync my IPAD, the oldest photos reappeared on my IPAD.
I saved my database (the good with new photos).
Each time I try to enable sync on my IMAC (iCloud or Dropbox), I found the old photos.
If I restore the database, the new photos are there,
How can I do to sync the good base, with new photos ?
Well, you don’t tell him to sort that way instead of alphabetically : it only uses the pick list order for sorting.
Which would be OK with Tap Forms, as unlike in Bento, you have a button to sort items upward and downard inside the pick list (if you want to do so).
