(Database) VERIFY / COMPACT / FIX DATABASE

From the main menu, you can click on the DATABASE menu, then click on the "Verify / Compact / Fix Database" menu item to bring up this window. You are transfered here by other various database functions as well.

The Photo Jockey database is typically used to store informational fields that are entered by the user , typically from the Database Entry window. It's also used to store fingerprint data stored by the Search for duplicate images by appearance functions.

If you suspect the database has been corrupted, then it's a good idea to compact it. Compacting the database will remove any corrupted entries and keep all good entries. It also CAN remove any entries that refer to files that no longer exist on your system. These are called Orphans. That way if you had a huge folder of images (2000), and you deleted these images because you no longer wanted them. Then the compaction process CAN remove those 2000 entries from the database, or allow you to re-link them to valid filenames. That way the database stays as small as possible.

It also removes records that are marked for deletion. These are records that have their "Deleted Status" option checked.

HINT: When doing massive Searching for duplicate images by appearance, there will be a lot of entries added to the database for their fingerprint information. Although, you may not have any user data fields entered for these records, their auto-generated fingerprint data is still valuable. These fingerprint data are used to dramatically speed up the searching for duplicate images by appearance. So, unless you are in great need of regaining some disk space, or wanting to speed up your database searching a little, do not delete entries from the database. If you accidentally delete entries that contained fingerprint data, but no user entered data, then don't worry about it. It will be re-created the next time you search for duplicate images by appearance.

VERIFY:
This will verify the database to make sure that all entries are valid and that the database index files are proper.And that no records are corrupted. Corruption can occur with bad RAM or faulty hard drive or a virus.

COMPACT:

This will remove bad/corrupted entries. It also allows you to re-link Orphans. Orphans are database records that refer to files that no longer exist. You can specify what the new filenames should be for the Orphan's data records. It also removes MOST records marked for deletion. By most, we mean that there are several types of records in the database. Each record can have any or all of the following flags set.

Flag record for FingerPrints: The Search for duplicate images by appearance function does this so that subsequent searches go faster. These records are not critical to keep. If you delete them, no big deal, it just means the next search for duplicates will not go faster.

Flag record for Virgin Data: Each image/movie in the folder that doesn't currently have a record in the database get an empty record added when you use the Database Entry window. These records are basically blank. They are created so that you can browse through the records for that particular folder and enter user information for records that you want to. These virgin records are not critical to keep since they are blank records anyway.

Flag record for User Data: These records contain information that YOU, the user, actually typed into the record. These records are important to keep, since it contains data that you were interested in keeping.

Flag record as mixed: These are records that contain more than one of the above flags set. For example: You could have a record that contains fingerprints AND user data.

NOTE: If you are unsure as to which Compact function to use, then use the (Keep Deletions) function.

COMPACT (Keep deletions):
In addition to removing corrupted entries and the ability to resolve Orphans, it will keep all records marked for deletion that contain User Data. This is so that if you decide later on to UN-delete those records, the useful information that you had entered will still be there.

COMPACT (Remove deletions):
In addition to removing corrupted entries and the ability to resolve Orphans, it will remove ALL records marked for deletion, even those that contained User Data. Use this when you are sure that all the records you have marked for deletion are truely records that you no longer care about.

HINT:
You can STOP the verify process or the compaction process before they complete.




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