An HFSQL database comprises four types of file:

• File .FIC : for example, CONTACT.FIC. .FIC files contain the structured data of the file
• .NDX : these contain the data indexes (the ‘table of contents’)
• File .MMO (if present): contain unstructured data – text, binary data, images, etc. – with no size limit. For example, the ‘client name’ field can store a maximum of 25 characters in the .fic file, but the ‘remarks’ field can store an unlimited number of characters in the .mmo file. Some files do not have an .mmo file, as they consist solely of structured fields.
• File .FTX (optional): contains full-text indexes. This acts as a sort of table of contents, enabling efficient indexing not only of structured fields but also of unstructured fields. The full-text index is only enabled for files where it is genuinely useful.

The HFSQL database management system (DBMS) is very robust: maintenance is limited to checking the indexes. In fact, as with any database system, it can happen (due to network issues, brief outages, Wi-Fi instability, etc.) that the index files become out of sync and no longer correspond to the data files.

Gestan checks the indexes every month, but it may be necessary to carry out this operation on an ad hoc basis, using the programme described below.

==== Using the ‘ ====’ screen

Access : Tools → Admin → Maintenance → HFSQL File Index.

Three options are available:

• Check : simply checks the file index
• Re-index : performs re-indexing
• Count : counts the records contained in the files.

You can process a single file, or the entire database, using the drop-down menu Files

Release Transaction allows you to release any transactions that may have been interrupted. A transaction is a set of operations that are logically ‘indivisible’, for example, invoices and invoice lines, which must be recorded together. This tick box allows you to restore the files to a state where new transactions can be carried out.

Launching a reindexing operation first creates a backup of the relevant file or database in the BACKUPS directory (Backup_REINDEX_SSAAMMJJ_HHMMSSCC.zip). If necessary, you can disable this backup using the no backup.

On start-up, Gestan accesses certain files, notably the user file, the actions file and the scheduled actions file. If any of these files has an index issue, Gestan will be unable to start.

You must then open the re-indexing screen from the outils_de_l_ecran_de_connexion login window at Gestan.

If this solution does not work, you must then use the shortcut ‘Re-index Gestan files’, located in the Gestan programme directory (normally C:\Program Files\GESTAN). This shortcut opens the re-indexing screen directly, using the last database you were connected to.

ℹ️ Other “Tools” articles