Database control

Each set of data can be labelled with a crew list, boat type and venue. These may be entered manually for each session, or they can be selected from a database.

The advantage of using a database is that it will enable searches - for example, "find all sessions with Fred Smith". Searches are not implemented in this version of PowerLine, but are due to be implemented in future versions.

Each PC running the PowerLine software has its own database to provide crew, boats and venues. This means that the PC doesn't need to be connected to any other computers, such as a fileserver, in order to work. Each PC can be designated either as a "master" or a "slave" with regards to its own database.

  • if it's a "master" then the database can be changed.
  • if it's a "slave" then the database cannot be changed.

It's very important that within an organisation, only one of the PCs is designated as a "master" and all the others should be "slaves". Any changes to the database on the master can be periodically transferred to the slaves by means of an export/import facility.

If an organisation mistakenly has more than one PC as a master, then it becomes possible for several users to create database entries for the same rower. When it comes to searching, the software will differentiate between the different instances of Fred Smith.

So, decide which PC is going to be the master, and develop a strategy for periodically exporting / importing databases.

  • To determine the master/slave status of a PC, go to Tools→Options→Lists.
  • Set PC as database master

If a PC is a "slave", it is still possible to enter names of rowers that aren't in the database. These will be displayed in italics, and can be updated later when the user has access to a database with that rower in.