Many of the illustrations and sermons in the Access 97 database have incomplete referencing - topics, Bible verses, and so on. You can now bring your database up to speed with update files. Instead of downloading a new mega-database and losing all the "Date Used" notes you have added, you download a much smaller file and have the newest data written into your blank fields.
Those with older databases need to upgrade the structure of their database first. Two tables need to be looked at - Holwick's Illustrations and Sermons. Download the help file (click here), go to the Contents page, and go to the line after the heading "Updates and adding new stuff" - "Bringing previous database versions up to speed (updating ID fields)". Click on that entry and scroll down to the paragraphs on how to update the fieldname properties.
To make everything up-to-date, download the latest blank-database (find it on the database page here), decompress it and open it, press F11 and click on Tables. Right-click in a white area (not on a filename) and choose "Import". Browse to find your older database and click on the Holwick's Illustrations and Sermons tables you have just upgraded so they will be imported to the new blank version. You may want to rename the blank-version in Windows Explorer to something like "Mega-database_(month-year).mdb".Now download an update file; the most current listing will probably be at the sitemap page. Unzip the file but don't open it. Go back to the main database (the new blank-version you put your old data tables in) and click the Update button on the introduction page. Browse till you find the update or supplement file, click on it, and the program does the rest. Make sure you are not "updating" a new database with older material! If you check off the "Don't Update" box for any records in your database they will not be overwritten.
Rather than add many small update files I have found it easier to update the Illustration-only mega-database on regular occasions. It now includes a tblCommand table so your existing database (version 5.1 and up) can take its illustrations and add the new ones to your database automatically. It will also update your existing ones.
Summary:
Don't expect all the blank fields in your database to be filled with new stuff - this is an on-going project! Later versions will include the full text of changed sermons and illustrations.
Pastor David Holwick
Updated April 12, 2004