I haven't followed all of this discussion so if this has been
suggested by someone else-- excuse me.
It would be far more reliable to host the database off the web for
online access but work in the necessary tables at the site on a
laptop. A connection is unnecessary and a stated -- unreliable.
Download the data from the web server in the morning of the event and
upload the completed data in the evening.
Working with several tables on two or more laptops would allow
registration to enter new names and information into an "Entrant"
table that contained all entrants ever to participate while timing &
scoring entered data into a "Scores" table which contains all events
with a date and drivers license number(?) to join times to the
entrant for that event. A simple relationship would join the two or
more tables when they were once again uploaded to the server.
Repeat entrants could request & pay (a nominal amount) for a
permanent Solo ID containing their name, ID#, class, and car number.
Entering their ID# and collecting their fee for the day's event would
end their registration process. As suggested, online payment of fees
could end any need to stop at registration for holders of the Solo ID
beyond receiving some proof-of-payment sticker to affix to the car.
Tech could also affix a sticker (having seen the payment receipt
sticker on the car) for the event showing compliance there.
Only new entrant or changed entrant information (class change for
that day) would be required to be entered at the event. ID#, class,
and car number would be enough information even for new entrants to
be tracked for T&S purposes. All additional information on the
entrant could be entered later.
It's not quite this simple in practice but it can be done without too
much effort. Anyway, that's what comes to mind quickly. I may have
missed something. :-)
--Dan
At 3:12 PM -0500 3/30/00, John Kelly wrote:
>-------------------- Begin Original Message --------------------
>
>Message text written by Carl Merritt
>
>"If the whole system were to be driven off the web server, then there would
>need to be a paper emergency backup plan in place in case the server or net
>connection goes down."
>
>
>-------------------- End Original Message --------------------
>
>Aye, there's the rub!
>
>--John Kelly
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