Import and Export

Overview of Import and Export

• Export sends your KnitMinder data to a server on the Internet.
• Exports are protected by a password that you choose.
• Exports live on the server for a minimum of 90 days.
• Importing from the server adds data to your database; it doesn't replace anything.
• KnitMinder Lite supports Export only.

Your KnitMinder Data

KnitMinder stores two types of files on the flash memory of your iPhone or iPod
touch: a database file that contains all of the data that you enter or select in
the application, and a directory of photos that are associated with your yarns,
patterns, and logbook entries. Each time you sync your device with your computer,
iTunes updates a backup file on your computer's hard drive containing these files.
If you backup your computer regularly, you should have a history of all of your
KnitMinder data and should be able to restore it in the event of a problem or when
you move to a new device.

The backups made in iTunes are great, but there are a number of situations where
a backup doesn't really help. The most common of these situations is when you
want to move data from KnitMinder Lite into the full version of KnitMinder. Another
common case would be when you get a new device but want to start from scratch
instead of restoring from an iTunes backup. For these cases, we have created the
import and export feature. Import and Export let you upload a copy of your KnitMinder
data to a secure, highly-available storage server on the Internet and download that
data to any device running KnitMinder.

Your iPhone or iPod touch must be connected to the Internet in order to perform
a export or import. The Import/Export screen will tell you if you have a connection
and whether it is over WiFi or the mobile data network (iPhone only). WiFi is highly
recommended, especially if you have a number of photos stored in the app.

How Exporting Works

Exporting is the process of uploading your KnitMinder data files to the storage server.
When you start the export process, you will be asked to enter your email address and
select a password. These two pieces of information are used to uniquely identify your
exports. Your email address will only be used to contact you in the unlikely event of
a problem with your export and will never be shared with anyone. Once you enter valid
email address and password, the "Start Export" button will turn green and you can touch
it to begin the export process. A progress screen will appear, showing you how the
export is going. This screen will disappear automatically when the export is complete.

Each export is tagged with the date and time that you performed the export. Exported
files are stored on the server for a minimum of 90 days, after which they may be deleted.
It is important to note that exporting your data is not really the same thing as backing
it up. It is still critical to sync with iTunes and back up your computer if you do not
want to lose your KnitMinder data.

If an export is interrupted by quitting KnitMinder or an incoming phone call, the server
will only contain partial data. In this case, you will not be able to import the partial
data and it will be removed when it expires after 90 days.

How Importing Works

Importing is not supported in KnitMinder Lite.

Importing is the reverse of exporting. During an import, KnitMinder fetches the most
recent export from the server and downloads it to a temporary directory on your device.
Once the exported database and photos are completely downloaded, they are added to your
KnitMinder data. Any existing KnitMinder data are not modified. This is another important
point: if you export and import from the same device, it is possible that you could get
duplicate yarns, needles, patterns, and projects following an import. We designd the
import process this way because we feel that it is always better to get duplicates than
to inadvertantly remove important data.

If an import is interrupted by quitting KnitMinder or an incoming phone call, it is possible
that only part of the imported data will be saved to your KnitMinder database. In this
case, simply import again and delete the items that were duplicated.

Getting your data from KnitMinder Lite into KnitMinder

1. Launch KnitMinder Lite on your iPhone or iPod touch.
2. Touch the "More..." button at the bottom right of the screen.
3. Select "Import and Export" from the list.
4. Select "Export To Server".
5. Enter your email address in the area marked "email". Select a password for the exported data and enter that into the area marked "password". Your password must be at least four characters long.
6. Press the "Start Export" button. Your KnitMinder Lite data will start uploading to the secure storage server.
7. When the export has finished, quit KnitMinder Lite and launch KnitMinder.
8. Touch the "More..." button at the bottom right of the screen.
9. Select "Import and Export" from the list.
10. Select "Import From Server".
11. Enter the email address and password that you used for the export and press the "Start Import" button.
12. Your data will be downloaded from the secure storage server and added to KnitMinder.
13. In the current version of the app, there are occasional issues with displaying newly-imported data immediately after the import is finished, so it is best to quit and re-launch KnitMinder after the import is completed.