If a record is being edited, it is customary to prevent someone else editing it at the same time. This is called 'Record Locking'.

In neatComponents, record locking takes place automatically, and generally completely invisibly. The only time that it become apparent is when there is a conflict: when a user tries to edit a record which is already open for editing a warning message is shown. This explains that the record is locked, and gives the email address of the user who has it open for editing.

Table Maintenance

Clear Locks

If the user who is seeing this message has user management control over the user with the record open for editing, they can also break the lock and edit regardless.  In that scenario, the person who saves the record first will have their changes overwritten by the second save. (And indeed, it was to prevent such a loss that the record was locked in the first place).

On occasion it is possible for a lock to be left on even after a user has stopped editing a record. This is unusual, and normally only happens as a result of an Internet connectivity outage between the neatComponents server and the user. If the same user goes back to edit the record, they will be allowed, and the lock will then be cleared as usual when they save.

If however another user tries to edit the record they will be told the record is locked, as the system believes it is still in use. The original user can be asked to edit and save the record, or someone with greater pemissions can be asked to break all the locks on the Table.

neatComponents record locking is per-record. This is in contrast to some database systems which will lock all records in the vicinity of the record being edited - more for their convenience than the user's.

Delete

The Delete option will delete all records in the Table. This operation is not reversable.

The Delete feature is most commonly used when preparing an application or a website to be a Template from which other apps or sites will be created. It allows you to retain all the configuration while dropping the site/app specific data.