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OpenMarch

Repairing Your Database

If you’re seeing errors like “Error updating {something}” in OpenMarch, or you see an error message in the console like:

Error updating pages Error: Group before and after do not match. Expected {number} but got {number - 1}.
The expected group is greater, meaning that the function didn't perform any database actions on tables that are tracked by undo/redo history triggers

This indicates your database file may have become corrupted or out of sync. OpenMarch includes a database repair tool that can fix these issues.

When to use database repair

Use the repair tool if you encounter:

  • Error messages like “Error updating pages”, “Error updating beats”, or similar errors when trying to modify your drill
  • Console errors about group mismatches between before and after states in undo/redo history
  • General database corruption or unexpected behavior that prevents you from editing your file

How to repair your database

  1. Open Settings - Click on the File menu in the top bar, then select Settings

  2. Navigate to the repair section - In the settings panel, find the “Repair DOTS file” button

  3. Start the repair - Click the “Repair DOTS file” button. A confirmation dialog will appear explaining that:

    • A new database file will be created with ”- FIXED” appended to the filename
    • All your data will be copied to the new file with the latest schema
    • Undo/redo history will not be copied

  4. Confirm the repair - Click “Repair” in the confirmation dialog. The repair process may take a moment depending on the size of your file

  5. Open the repaired file - Once the repair completes, OpenMarch will automatically reload and open the repaired file (the one with ”- FIXED” in the name). Your original file remains unchanged as a backup

What gets copied

The repair process copies all your drill data:

  • ✅ Marchers and sections
  • ✅ Pages and beats
  • ✅ All coordinate data
  • ✅ Field properties
  • ✅ Workspace settings
  • ❌ Undo/redo history (this is reset)

Your original file is safe

The repair tool creates a new file with ”- FIXED” added to the filename. Your original .dots file is never modified, so you can always go back to it if needed.

For example, if your file is named my-show.dots, the repaired file will be named my-show - FIXED.dots.

Still having issues?

If the repair tool doesn’t resolve your issue, or if you encounter errors during the repair process:

Please include details about what error messages you’re seeing and what you were trying to do when the error occurred.