GPS Manager User Manual -- Data

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## Data

The contents of the GPSMan data-base are shown in lists, one per each item type. Item names, which are unique, are presented in alphabetical order.

List menus contain the actions allowed on the list: creating a new item, clearing the list, reading/writing items, and counting the number of items in the list. The menu for the groups list is a little different and is described below.

Loading operations read all the data in a GPSMan file irrespective of from what menu the operation was launched.

To open an item for editing (only possible when no other item of the same kind is being edited) or viewing its data, use double-click on the item name with the mouse left-button. Double-clicking also works with the same meaning on other lists of item names, as well as on graphical representations of items in the map window.

An edit/show window for an item will be re-opened in case there is a read operation redefining it.

To display/clear an item on/from the map click on the item name (in the corresponding list) with the mouse right-button, or use the `Clear` menu-button on the map window.

A read operation redefining items that are currently on the map will cause the map to be updated in order to keep it consistent with the new definitions.

Pressing a key on a list will scroll it to make visible the first element whose initial character is the same or higher in ASCII order than the key character. Note that this is case sensitive (i.e., `a` is not `A`). This also works on lists presented for choosing items. Lists can be scrolled by moving the wheel of a wheelmouse.

Hidden information is kept (in the data-base and in files) associated to a data item that has been read in (from a file, or from the receiver) when that information cannot be displayed and edited using GPSMan. This is done mainly with data fields that are not of general use, and provides a means of restoring the data item back to any receiver that works with the same communication protocols, without loosing information. When such a data item is modified its hidden information is either deleted, or kept, or acted upon as the user sees fit, according to an option. Keeping the hidden information may cause incoherent items to be created and therefore should be used with care.

Saving the program state when exiting is controlled by an option that may inhibit this feature, do the saving if the user confirms it, or do it without asking. When saving the state, files in the user data directory are created that contain the current data-base, the map state and information on which edit/show windows are currently being used. No information is kept on

1. the state of the communication with the receiver
2. the changes in pending edit operations or items partially defined
3. the state of computation, elevation, and real-time log windows.

The saved state is automatically loaded when GPSMan is launched and detects a saved state file in the user directory. There is an option to control whether to delete saved state files after the state being restored; it can be set in the same way as the save state option. In any case GPSMan automatically overwrites saved state files when saving a new state, and it is therefore a good idea to save important data to a file before quitting the program.

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