Two Environments

[scott.adams]

This might be a stupid question, but I have two environments, a test server and a production server, each with a different host name. Is there a way to do all of the setup of the form(s) in the test system and then when I want to move the form to the production environment, I can take the MYSql data and move it to the production DB? I'm working with 80 forms and to do the setup work twice for each one is really time consuming. I am noticing that in my setup I'm creating a separate view for each form and since the smart fill does not work for me in step 5 I have to create the checkboxes and radio buttons manually. My fear is that I will miss a checkbox or something along the way and the form in the production system won't work as it does in the test system.

[Ben]

Absolutely. Having to configure things in two different environments would be a total nuisance - time consuming and error prone, as you noted.

The way I do it is to just export the entire database from one environment to the next, and update the config.php file to allow for switching between the different environment variables (DB settings, paths and URLs). Give my response in this post a read:
http://forums.formtools.org/showthread.php?tid=441

But really, there's no perfect way to do it just yet. But I'd strongly recommend working in a single envionment when you can and just exporting the DB.

- Ben

[scott.adams]

Absolutely. Having to configure things in two different environments would be a total nuisance - time consuming and error prone, as you noted.

The way I do it is to just export the entire database from one environment to the next, and update the config.php file to allow for switching between the different environment variables (DB settings, paths and URLs). Give my response in this post a read:
http://forums.formtools.org/showthread.php?tid=441

But really, there's no perfect way to do it just yet. But I'd strongly recommend working in a single envionment when you can and just exporting the DB.

- Ben

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Since I don't have a way as of yet to run under one copy of MySQL I will try the MySQL dump (backup) of the test db and then a restore to the production db. The restore will completely erase the data in the production db correct? So I'll get all of my 80 forms configured and all of my clients setup in the test db and then dump it one time to the production db. After that it will be maintaining two separate databases until I can work with just one. Should I perform a fresh install of the application on the production server before the restore so that all of the tables are empty or just let the restore update the production database? I currently have not data in the production database, except for a few test clients, so losing the data is no big deal.
Any suggestions or thoughts as to this plan? I believe that after the restore all I'll have to do is go into the production system and change each form's "verify" URL so that it points to the correct server. That should be the only change needed correct?
Thanks again for your help. This application is just what the doctor order for our site. It is better than anything that I have seen out there as far as functionality and configuration ability.

[Ben]

The restore will completely erase the data in the production db correct?

Yup!

And EIGHTY forms? Wow, that's a lot!

You may be interested to know I'll be releasing a small module this weekend that lets you back up (or copy) an existing form & any of its settings (like Views, email templates & any submissions already made). Now that Form Tools has grown up, I know there's a great deal of configuration involved in setting up each form, so this is designed to help you set up multiple, similar forms a whole lot faster. Not sure if it would help in your case, but I thought it might be worth mentioning...

All the best -

Ben