To recover the information in a damaged Agenda file, you use the file recovery utility called DB2STF. This program exports the information from the damaged file to a structured file (STF), preserving as much information as possible. After using DB2STF, you create a new Agenda file, import the information from the STF file, and then recreate the structure of the original file.

If a file becomes damaged, Agenda 2.0 displays the DMGD! Indicator in the upper right corner of the screen and the Damaged File dialog box opens.

The Damaged File dialog box gives you two choices. You can:

• Save the damaged file to a new file
• Quit Agenda without saving the file

If you save to a new file, the new file is damaged, but it does contain the changes you made since you last saved the file. If you quit without saving the file, the original file may not be damaged, but you will lose the work that you just did.

If you save the damaged information to a new file, Agenda gives the new file the same name as the original, but adds an @ sign to the name (MYIFO.AG becomes MYINFO@.AG).

After you save the damaged information to a new file, Agenda displays the Select File dialog box. Choose a different file to retrieve or press ESC to quit Agenda and return to the DOS prompt.


What DB2STF Recovers

DB2STF recovers the following parts of an Agenda file:

• Categories and their properties (including conditions and actions)
• Explicit assignments
• Items
• Macros
• Notes
• Print settings
• Attachments to external note, macro and named print set files

DB2STF does not recover:

• Conditional assignments
• Filters
• Global settings
• Views

DB2STF includes an option to convert conditional assignments to explicit assignments¹ when creating the structured files. However, you must reconstruct any other lost parts after running DB2STF.


Using DB2SFT

DB2STF has three choices:

• Create a structured file with the same name as the original
• Create a structured file with a name different from the original (option)
• Create a structured file that changes conditional assignments to explicit assignments (option)

To run DB2STF:

At the DOS prompt, enter:

db2stf filename [/o=newfile] [/c]

• filename is the name of the damaged file, without the AG extension
• brackets ([ ]) enclose the optional parameters
• /o tells DB2STF the output file name for the structured file
• newfile is the new name for the structured file, without the STF extension
• /c tells DB2STF to change conditional assignments to explicit assignments

For example:

db2stf myinfo@ /o=mytemp /c

In this example DB2STF saves the information in MYINFO@.AG to a structured files called MYTEMP.STF and changes conditional assignments to explicit assignments.

If the damaged file has a password, DB2STF asks you to enter it.

DB2SFT displays a series of dots on the screen as it processes the damaged file. When it finishes the STF file will be created.


Reconstructing the Damaged File

After running DB2STF, you must reconstruct the file. To reconstruct the recovered file, you must create a new Agenda file and then import the information from the structured file into it.

• To create a new Agenda file, at the DOS prompt type agenda ( or a)and press ENTER.
• At the File Retrieve dialog box, simply type in the new file's name and press ENTER.
• Agenda will display the New File dialog box. Complete description and password as needed and press ENTER.

Agenda creates the new file and displays the Initial View. After you import the structured files into the new Agenda file, this view contains the recovered information. To reduce the amount of time Agenda takes to import the information, turn off conditions and actions in this new file by the following:

1. Press F10 (MENU) and select File Properties. Agenda displays the File Properties dialog box.
2. Highlight Auto-assign settings and press SPACE BAR. Agenda displays the Auto-assign Global Settings dialog box.
3. Highlight Text matching and choose Off. Repeat Step 3 for the Assignment conditions and Assignment actions settings.
4. Press ENTER twice to return to the view.

When you finish restructuring the new Agenda file, you can use this same procedure to turn conditions and actions back on.

To import the information from the structured file to the new Agenda file:

1. Press F10 (MENU) and select File Transfer Import. Agenda displays the Import Structured File dialog box.
2. Highlight Import from file and type the name of the structured file you created using DB2STF. You don't need to type the STF extension. If you're not sure of the file's name, press F3 (CHOICES) and select it from the list of structured files in the current directory.
3. Highlight Assign to category and type MAIN.
4. Press ENTER twice.

Agenda imports the structured file into the new Agenda file. The new file contains the items and categories from the original file as well as additional categories and items with information that DB2STF could not place in their original locations.

Each of the additional categories that DB2STF creates is a child of another new category called DB2STF. To see this family of categories in the category manager, press F9 (CAT MGR).

Creating a View for Recoverable Items

To use the recoverable items in reconstructing your file, it's a good idea to add a view that includes all of the categories created by DB2STF.

To add a view of recoverable items:

1. In the Initial View, press F10 (MENU) and select View Add.
2. Highlight View name and type the name of a new view, such as Recoverable Items, then press ENTER.
3. Highlight Sections and press F3 (CHOICES). Agenda displays the category hierarchy.
4. Highlight the DB2STF category and press F5 (CHLDRN) to select the children of DB2STF as section heads in the new view. Then press ENTER twice.

Agenda displays the new view with the items from the child categories of the DB2STF category. The view may contain one or more of the following sections:

• Discarded items
• Lost Text
• Macros
• Questionable
• Conditions and Actions

These sections contain information that DB2STF recovered but couldn't associate with an item or category. Use the procedures described in the following to put information in proper locations in the new file.

As you work through these procedures, be sure to periodically save the file (ALT-W).

Handling Discarded Items

The Discarded Items section contains items recovered from the Trash of the original file. If you want to keep any discarded items, assign them to the appropriate categories.

To assign items recovered from the Trash to their appropriate categories:

• Press ALT-M. If you don't want an item, discard it. When you finish, discard the category Discarded Items.

To discard items and categories:

• Highlight the item or category and press ALT-F4 (DISCARD).
  

Reconstructing Lost Text

The Lost Text section in the new view is usually listed last. It contains the items "Lost text number 1," " Lost text number2," …, etc. The notes for those items contain text that was damaged in the original file and is no longer connected with any item, note, or category in the new Agenda file. To reconstruct this lost text, cut it from the note and paste it where you want it.

To reconstruct lost text:

1. Highlight the first item in the Lost Text section and press F5 (NOTE). Agenda displays the lost text as a note. In some cases the note contains a file name or other text that you don't need. In that case, press F5 (RETURN) to return to the view, then press ALT-F4 (DISCARD) to discard the item.
2. Press F7 (MARK) and highlight the text to cut.
3. Press F4 (CUT) to cut the text, and press F5 (RETURN) to return to the view.
4. From this point you can do one of the following:
   • To add the text as an item, highlight an existing item and press INS
   • To add the text as a note attached to another item or category, highlight the appropriate item or category and press F5 (NOTE)
   • To add the text as a category, press F9 (CAT MGR), highlight the category under which you want to insert the text as a category and press INS.
5. Press F2 (PASTE) to paste the text in its new location. If you pasted the text as a category, press ENTER to complete the insertion.
6. Follow Steps 1-5 for each item in the Lost Text section. Discard each item as you finish it.
7. When you finish reconstructing lost text, discard the Lost Text category.
   

Reconstructing Macros

The Macros section contains the items "Macro number 1," "Macro number 2," …, etc. The notes for those items contain the contents of the macros from your original file. To reconstruct a macro, you need to cut the macro contents from the note and paste it into a new macro.

To reconstruct a macro:

1. Highlight a macro item, such as "Macro number 1," and press F5 (NOTE). The macro name is enclosed in braces ({ }) on the first line of the note.
2. Move the cursor t the second line of the macro, press F7 (MARK) and highlight all macro contents.
3. Press F4 (CUT) to cut the macro contents from the note.
4. Press F5 (RETURN) to return to the view.
5. Press ALT-F3 (MACRO) to display the macro manager.
6. Type a name for the macro you just cut and press ENTER.
7. Press F2 (EDIT). Agenda displays the macro edit screen for that macro. The macro name is enclosed in braces ({ }) on the first lie of the note.
8. Press END, then ENTER to move the cursor to the second line of the new macro, then press F2 (PASTE). Agenda pastes the contents of the original macro into the new macro.
9. Press F5 (RETURN) to save the new macro.
10. Press ESC to return to the view.
11. Repeat Steps 1-10 for each item in the Macros section.

Discard each item as you finish with it. When you finish, discard the Macros category.

The macros from the original file are now restored in the new Agenda file.

Reconstructing Questionable Items and Notes

The Questionable section contains items that have kept their assignments, but have text or notes that are incomplete or otherwise damaged.

Reconstruct the text or notes of the items you want to keep. Discard the others. When you finish, discard the Questionable category.

Restoring Conditional Assignments

If you chose not to change conditional assignments to explicit assignments when you use DB2STF, you need to restore conditional assignments in the new file.

As part of reconstructing the file, you turned off conditions and actions. You now need to follow the same procedure and turn them back on before you apply conditional assignments. Follow the procedure in "Reconstructing the Damaged File" to turn conditions and actions back on.

To restore conditional assignments:

• In a view, press ALT-X.

Agenda applies all conditions in the file to all items in the file, thereby restoring the conditional assignments.

Reconstructing Views and Settings

DB2STF does not include the following parts from your original file:

• Filters
• Global settings
• Views

You must reconstruct these parts yourself.

¹ An explicit assignment is an assignment you enter. A conditional assignment is an assignment that Agenda makes automatically.

Updated 27 April 1998

Michael Stocker
mdstockr@neo.lrun.com
PO Box 256, Canal Fulton, Ohio 44614-0256, USA