I have a question/observation on using the save local score log option. I was able to install an SD card and format it as portable storage. I was able to edit a test match and make a path for score logs to a new directory on the SD card. After that, when adding scores - I can see the score log file, as well as files from when I use the backup option on the main screen.
It appears that backups are stored to the directory of my choosing on the sd card. My observation is that when I go to restore a backup, it only points to the internal storage instead of the sd card where files are being stored. Also, I am not able to navigate to the sd card from the select file screen in Practiscore. The restore a backup always seems to point at /data/user/0/com.niftybytes.practiscore… Is this the expected behavior? I can choose to restore some older match backups, but not the ones that are on the sd card.
Strictly speaking, the current functionality allows me to pull the sd card and put it in another device and read the score log. I don’t seem to have the option to restore backups from the sd card. While I don’t expect to have to do that normally (as it will by synced to a master and backed up), I was a little worried that I might have something configured improperly. For instance, if the device gets overheated or restarted - we have always had good luck with everything being saved properly. I am trying not to disturb that reliability by doing the sd cards.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
I am using a Fire HD 8 running Fire OS 7.3.2.6, and Practiscore 1.7.23.
@Warren_Harper in a few last years Android significantly restricted how apps can access files on device. What you see is a system file chooser dialog, which apps have little control on.
When you insert an SD card to a Fire tablet it usually asks how you want to use it. You need to select a “portable storage” option (i.e. removable storage). After that you should see a hamburger icon at the top left corner of the system file chooser screen where you can switch between system storage and removable SD card.
It will also tell you if it is not possible to access a selected folder, and in that case you will need to create your own. I recommend to make it under existing Documents or Download folder. Then Android will ask you to give permissions to PractiScore app to access your new folder and after selecting it you will see a “Path” for the local score log starting with something like “content://…”.
Also note. The local scorelog is saved every time you approve a new or edited score. You can find all the data under “ScoreLog” folder inside folder you selected. Each match will have its own match-specific subfolder. You can sort view by “Modified (newest first)” to easier find the last saved data.
In addition to that the app also creates some “Backups”. Those are done when match gets somewhat some significant changes, e.g. stages are added/edited, sync performed, etc. You can also use “Backup” button at the main app screen. The backup files are basically the same as regular PractiScore match export files *.psc. You can find them in a match-specific subfolder under the folder you selected for your local scorelog. To restore from those backups you can use the regular “Match List / Import” action in the app.
@euxx I get all that you said and was doing almost all of those things. The only thing that I can’t do is restore a backup from the SD card. When I select import, it opens the system file chooser to ‘/storage/emulated/0/PractiScore’, and there is no way to navigate to the SD card where the files were stored. Simliar, if I use restore backup, it opens the system file chooser to ‘/data/user/0/com.niftybytes…’, and there is no way to navigate to the SD card where the files were stored.
If I use the files app from the Fire home screen, I can navigate to the SD card and see the files in the appropriate directory on the SD card. I suppose that I could manually copy them from the SD card to internal storage to a location where I can access them, but that does not seem like the intent. Maybe the Fire system file chooser dialog is too restrictive as you said.
On my Fire 8 (though it is the latest 2022 model) I have the same “hamburger” menu at the top left of the import file screen and can switch between internal and removable storage there.
I also saw some additional options in the top-right 3-dot menu on that screen on some other Android devices.
The “Restore Backup” option on the “Import/Export” screen is still using the default location for backup folders. It is more useful for older devices that still allow file access. On new devices you should use the “Import” option and navigate to backup files as I described in previous response. It should work the same from the “Import/Export” and from the “Match List” screens.
And once again, unlike the local scorelog file for a match, those backups will NOT have all the latest scores approved on device.
I think that I must not have something correct. I can navigate to the files as you suggested in your first response - with the Files app from the Fire tablet home screen. But in the Practiscore app, when I push restore backup, I get a different file viewer that looks like this. There is no option to navigate to the SD card, an no hamburger menu at the top left. The matches and files that I do see are from older matches when only using internal storage. In the Files app, there is the hamburger menu and it is easy to select SD vs device storage.
Using the “Import Match” button does work the same as from the “Match List” screen. Both of those options use a file viewer like I posted the screen shot and do not have an option to navigate to the SD card. When I use import match, it points to /storage/emulated/0/PractiScore, even though the save local score log path is to a location on the SD card.
So, you are on one of the “older devices” running Fire OS 7.3.2.6, which is an older version of Android…
You still should be able navigate to removable card, e.g. by going up “…/” or use “/” and then select “/storage” folder. The removable SD card is usually under “/sdcard1” up there.
That is the correct Fire OS, device is about 1 year old. I have a new one that I could try, but we have several that we just upgraded to that are about 1 year old, so we will have to keep using those.
As for going up in the directory structure, I can’t get above ‘/storage/emulated/0’. It says Error - can’t read dir emulated. The / selection at the top does the same.
It was worth a try - but probably going to stick with local log with no SD card. For our large match we have BT printers that worked excellent last year, along with syncing to a master often. Thanks for looking into this.
Just an update. For our matches, I ended up going with enabling local log with an SD card after all! I verified that all scores are saved as expected in the directory that we created. Now our matches have redundancy: scores on stage tablets, scores on master tablet, scores on auxiliary tablet, printed stage receipts, and scores on local score log via SD card. It all worked well. We do not have range internet access that is reliable enough for additional options.
We had one case in our level 2 match (almost 200 shooters) where we had to check printed receipts. We use the envelope method where the competitor gets a copy and the second copy goes to stats in an envelope. The electronic scores in the tablets matched as well. The issue was that a competitor had a score edit that happened after their score had been approved. It turned out to be an RO entry issue when scoring the next squad, but score entry times allowed us to restore the previously saved score for the competitor. Everything worked out great - kudos to the competitor noticing the difference, and kudos to Practiscore for having all the information saved that we needed to restore the proper score to the competitor.
Going forward we will continue to use local score log to the SD card.
