Import into existing dives

This has been requested for quite a long time now, mainly by iPhone and Window Mobile users: the ability to enter the basic information directly after the dive in the mobile application, sync this data to the desktop and download or import the dive profile and other data from the dive computer to complete the logbook data. Up to now this was some pain, because you had to copy and paste the profile data into the existing dives. To make this really work well I had to add a way to import dives not only to the end of the logbook, but also to update existing dives.

What sounds very easy at first glance was in reality some challenge if I want to do it right. I had to make sure that the import wizard GUI communicates well what will happen during the import to avoid confusion. I had to make sure that I don’t overwrite existing data (data which was already entered in the mobile application).  And last but not least I had to find an elegant way to implement this with reasonable effort for the many importers and downloaders which are included in Diving Log. Curiously it took more than half a year to find the right way and the best solution for this task, but programming and testing this feature took only 2 days. But sometimes it is worth to wait a little bit longer for the right idea.

There is now an additional step in the import wizard, nothing spectacular, but I think it communicates well the results you can expect:

Import into existing dives

This feature is now available for the existing .NET based importers, which are: BFT Tiger, HS Explorer, Liquivision X1, DAN DL7, Shearwater, APD Inspiration, UDCF, UDDF, NiTek Logic and MacDive. Next week I’ll release an update for the downloaders Uwatec Smart, Aladin, Memomouse (new beta), Suunto, OSTC and Sensus Ultra which includes also this feature. I try to convert the most important other importers (Mares IRIS/DRAK, Oceanlog, Suunto DM,…) as soon as possible also to .NET so that most Diving Log users can make use of it.

Download this zip file and extract it into the Diving Log program folder: Importer.zip

I know this one took a while, thank you for your patience!

Tags: , ,

3 Responses to “Import into existing dives”

  1. Jason says:

    NICE! I’ve been doing the copy/paste thing but am excited to try this out.
    Thanks!

  2. […] Diving Log Blog Insights in the development « Import into existing dives […]

  3. […] bunch of new converted .NET importers in order to beta test them. They all contain the new “import into existing dives” feature and are the ones that will be included in Diving Log 5.0. The converted importers […]