Editing Backup Help File

This is the Help "file" for the Python Application whose main page is: [[Python Backup Program]]
 

Help file for backup application.


= Application Features = 

*Highly configurable.
*Only copies new and updated files.
*Produces detailed and summary logs so you can know just what it did.
*Once set up runs an update with a couple of clicks.
*Recurse down a directory structure ( how far is configurable ).
*Can select files with "file filters"  For example only *.png and *.gif files.
*GUI shows activity.
*Can pause and resume.
*Can set to throttle the backup so it does not degrade computer performance.
*Directory structure, file names, file format preserved in backup.
*Backup files may be inspected without need for a restore.
*Can be set to simulate mode where you can see ( via the log files ) what would have been copied.

= Download and Install = 

There is really no install program.  Currently the application is intended for those who have at least a little familiarity with Python coding and can just insert the downloaded code into their development environment and run it.  Code not yet available. 

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Code at '''[https://github.com/russ-hensel/smart_plug/tree/master russ-hensel/Smart_plug Application ]''' For most of you it will not run due to dependency problems.  You will need to add them.  Pretty much read the error messages and install the missing code.  I use Anaconda Spyder so my preferred tool is conda ( conda install pyHS100 ).  If conda does not work or you do not use it use pip.  pyHS100, a library for smart plugs is pretty likely to be missing ( pip install pyHS100) .  Depending on your installation there may be more.

Much of the application is configurable through the parameter.py file, but the default should give you an application that runs, including a default database.  You probably will not be able to talk to your smartplugs, because the parameters do need to be told what and where ( tcpip address ) they are.

So to tell the application about your plugs.  You should know the address of each plug.  If not you might want to use an application like advanced ip scanner ( google it ).  The smartplug gives up very little information on my scans, but run the scan with the plug plugged in and out, and the address that appears ( or disappears ) it the address of your device.

The section of parameters.py that locates the device looks like this:

        self.device_list       =  [
                { "name": "device_1",  "tcpip": "192.168.0.209", "more": None, "gui_label": None, "gui_combo": None  },
                { "name": "device_2",  "tcpip": "192.168.0.209", "more": None, "gui_label": None, "gui_combo": None  },
                { "name": "device_3",  "tcpip": "192.168.0.209", "more": None, "gui_label": None, "gui_combo": None  },
                                  ]
it is a list of dictionaries.  The entry above is for 3 devices ( but I only have one, so the tcpip address is repeated ) For now only worry about the tcpip address and the name for the device; put in as many devices as you wish to control.

With the edited parameter file saved, restart the application.  You should be able to "talk" to your devices.  Not working?  Double check or email me. 

In the future I may try to add some autodetect features.  There is a routine to discover the plugs in the pyHS100 library, but it does not work for me.

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= How To:... = 
== Goal ==
This is how I use the program, you could use it differently:

Put a short Python script in a directory.  When this is double clicked start the GUI for the backup program set up to backup the directory to another directory either on the current disk or another disk.


== General ==
*Setup for backup of a directory.  See section below.

*Edit the parameter file:  Use your development environment for Python or a text editor to edit parameters.py.  See also: The section below, [[Configuration Files For Python]].  Normally I have a button on the GUI for this, but this function does not seem so useful for this application 

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*View the log:  Use the application button ( after configuring for your editor ) or any text editor on the file smart_plug.py_log. This is the default file name, it can be changed in parameters.py.
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*Install: see section above.

*Debug:  see section below.

*Quick Restart of the application:  Not in this app, just shutdown and restart.

*Use your preferred text editor. In the parameter file, see below.

*Using the GUI see: [[Backup GUI]]

== Setup for Backup ==
There are several different way to use the program, varying in part on how much you setup in parameters.py and how you structure your backups.  I generally set it up with a small program in the directory that I wish to backup, then to run the backup I go to that directory ( with a file manager ) and double click the file.  This is what I will describe here.  There are a lot of small variations you can make to how you run it and locate the files, you can probably figure many of these out yourself.

=== Manually Configure the Backup ===

*Copy the file _sample_backup.py from your download of the program and drop it in the source directory.  Lets say the name of this is   ....../my_important_files.
*Set up a backup location somewhere on your computer or network.   It should be named  ......./my_important_files.  You need to set up this directory manually because the backup program checks this name to make sure you do not backup to the wrong location by mistake.  Of course once this is setup it is done for good for that directory and backup configuration.
*The application comes with some sample files to be backed up and a backup location for them.
*For the rest of the setup read the file _sample_backup.py ( or your copy of it ) and then run it.
*Look at the display in the GUI for the setting the program is using, and if Ok then run the backup. See: [[Backup GUI]] for more info on the GUI
*After it has run take a look at the log files ( you can do this from the GUI once you configure parameters.py for your text editor of choice.
*_sample_backup.py will run pretty much the same no matter where it is located on you disk, except you may find the python log file left in the directory with _sample_backup.py

=== Minimally Configure the Backup ===

*Edit parameters.py to default:
**default_name = {default name for the backup}      
**log_detail_fn = {file name for the detailed log}
**log_summary_fn = {file name for the summary log}  
*Now look at the file _sample_backup_2.py for more documentation, pretty much all you have to set is the source and destination.
*Program runs like _sample_backup.py, see above.

=== No Configruation of Backup ===
In this mode the the location of the backup.py file determines the source directory and parameters.py computes a destination.  In my setup many files come from my D: drive and go to a network location rooted at I:\Data.  So I use a method in the backup.py file to compute the destination......

Code in _sample_backup_3.py and the shipped parameters.py as  parameters.set_source_here() look at these files.

=  How to Use the Parameter File = 
See: '''[[Configuration Files For Python]]'''
You need a text editor sutiable for .py files to manage the parameter file ( parameters.py )
This includes most text editors.  I particularity like:

*notepad++
*geany

You can also use the editor that comes in many python development environments, the simplest of
which may be Idle.  But there are many many others.  If you are reading this you probably have
some experience.

Once you configure an editor in parameters.py you can edit from the <Edit Parms> in the GUI ( see below )

When editing there are couple of gotchas to watch out for.
* Python cares about capitalization, use the capitalization indicated in the default files and the example code.
* Python also cares a lot about how lines are indented.  Do not change the indentation from the sample files, and always indent using spaces ( not tabs. most text editors will use spaces automatically for .py files, even if you use the tab key )

Editing of the parameters.py file


**See above in Download and Install
*Enable your favorite editor to work with the application.
**self.ex_editor          =  r"D:\apps\Notepad++\notepad++.exe"   # use r" or the backslashes will not work, or you can use forward slashes instead they may be wrong but they work.
*Lots of other settings:
**Read the comments in parameters.py and change as desired.  If a setting does not work let me know.
*If you mess up.
**Re download and get back to the original parameter file.

= The GUI =

see: [[Backup GUI Images]]

= Debugging = 

There are several application outputs that may be useful for debugging.

* Watch the GUI
* Check the Python console.
* Look at the python log file ( use the GUI button <Edit Log> ( specify your editor in parameters.py first ) or use your editor on the default name of the log file ...\backup\backup.py_log.

Most issues will probably be missing libraries, parameters.py issues, or just bugs in my code (email me ).

If you are dropping you backup scripts around your disks and double clicking them you may need to tweak your path so python.exe or pythonw.exe is on your path.

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= Links =

*[[Python Backup Program]] main page for this project 

*Click on category page for this project ( '''Python Backup''' ) below.
*Click on '''What links here''' on the left of this page 



[[category:Python Backup]] [[category:Python]] [[category:Python Projects]]