How To: Keeping Your Bible+ Notes Past A Reset
In a recent support call, I was helping out a person who was using Bible+ get the program working nice and stable. Once we ironed out many of the questions of making sure that the latest PalmOS updates were had, as well as other 3rd party programs, we looked to get Bible+ back and running. For this person, what we needed to do was make Bible+ as fresh and clean as possible. This of course meant that we needed to delete it and install it from scratch.
However, if you delete the Bible+ program, you will also delete any notes, bookmarks, and other configuration options that you may have set up. And if you are like myself, there are some things that you take time to do and do right that you don’t want to do again. So think of this guide as (1) a way to save those notes, and (2) a way to keep mindful of some backup issues that pertain to Bible+ and many other PalmOS programs.
First off, if you are not familiar with Bible+, it is a Bible Reader for PalmOS devices (Symbian also can use Bible+ bibles thru a port of the applicatoin; Windows Mobile devices are not at all supported). Because it’s a free Bible reader, limitations in using it extend to not having the ability to read copyrighted bibles (unless you receive permission directly from the publisher to make electronic versions). One of its really neat features is that you can take notes while reading. The note feature (by default) is keyed to the rightmost hardbutton (you can change this within Options > Set Controls).
So basically, you are reading along, and then you find that you want to write a note. So you clck the button for notes (or if you have a Treo hit the 'M' key) and then start writng notes. Simple right, and then when you are done writing for that session (maybe right before the sermon or bible study is ended), you click the Export button, and then the notes that you just wrote are automatically exported to the MemoPad. This will then sync with your computer when you next do a sync, giving you a backup and copy of your notes on your computer. Kool right?
But what if you have a problem with your device and you need save your notes, well, the really kool thing about PalmOS devices is a part of the experience called a HotSync. Basically, this does two things, syncronizes your information between you PDA and computer (so they have the same info), but it also backs up on your computer (most) of what is on your PDA. In the case of Bible+, there are a few files backed up that might be of good importance to many of you (PBLPBookmarks.pdb, PBLPConfig.pdb, PBLPHistory.pdb, PBLPKeyboardmap.pdb, and PBLPSnapshot.pdb). Don't worry too much about the names except to note that the the Bible+ notes are in that list. In other words, to make sure that you always have a backup of your notes from Bible+, export and then sync.
As a note to the second point of this how-to, most every file on your PDA is backed up in a folder (Palm/(your username)/Backup) and if you ever find that you need to do a hard reset, but want to get things back to normal, or delete an offending program, you can install from that folder, or delete from that folder the file and then it will either appear or not. Just remember, not everything is backed up. For your Bible+ notes, save them to Memos and they will be there just in case.
However, if you delete the Bible+ program, you will also delete any notes, bookmarks, and other configuration options that you may have set up. And if you are like myself, there are some things that you take time to do and do right that you don’t want to do again. So think of this guide as (1) a way to save those notes, and (2) a way to keep mindful of some backup issues that pertain to Bible+ and many other PalmOS programs.
First off, if you are not familiar with Bible+, it is a Bible Reader for PalmOS devices (Symbian also can use Bible+ bibles thru a port of the applicatoin; Windows Mobile devices are not at all supported). Because it’s a free Bible reader, limitations in using it extend to not having the ability to read copyrighted bibles (unless you receive permission directly from the publisher to make electronic versions). One of its really neat features is that you can take notes while reading. The note feature (by default) is keyed to the rightmost hardbutton (you can change this within Options > Set Controls).
So basically, you are reading along, and then you find that you want to write a note. So you clck the button for notes (or if you have a Treo hit the 'M' key) and then start writng notes. Simple right, and then when you are done writing for that session (maybe right before the sermon or bible study is ended), you click the Export button, and then the notes that you just wrote are automatically exported to the MemoPad. This will then sync with your computer when you next do a sync, giving you a backup and copy of your notes on your computer. Kool right?
But what if you have a problem with your device and you need save your notes, well, the really kool thing about PalmOS devices is a part of the experience called a HotSync. Basically, this does two things, syncronizes your information between you PDA and computer (so they have the same info), but it also backs up on your computer (most) of what is on your PDA. In the case of Bible+, there are a few files backed up that might be of good importance to many of you (PBLPBookmarks.pdb, PBLPConfig.pdb, PBLPHistory.pdb, PBLPKeyboardmap.pdb, and PBLPSnapshot.pdb). Don't worry too much about the names except to note that the the Bible+ notes are in that list. In other words, to make sure that you always have a backup of your notes from Bible+, export and then sync.
As a note to the second point of this how-to, most every file on your PDA is backed up in a folder (Palm/(your username)/Backup) and if you ever find that you need to do a hard reset, but want to get things back to normal, or delete an offending program, you can install from that folder, or delete from that folder the file and then it will either appear or not. Just remember, not everything is backed up. For your Bible+ notes, save them to Memos and they will be there just in case.
posted by Antoine @ 2/19/2006 04:56:00 PM
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