Updating from iData Mobile

To iData Mobile Plus

For Syncing with iData Pro

This page is intended to explain why users of iData Mobile should switch to iData Mobile Plus, and how they should go about doing it.

Why Switch to iData Mobile Plus?

The biggest reason to switch is that iData Mobile will not run under iOS 11 and later.

Another reason is that iData Mobile has been discontinued. This means that there will not be any further bug fixes, updates, or upgrades to the original iData Mobile.

What's Involved in the Switch

iData 3 datafiles had an .id3 filename extension. Datafiles in the original iData 3 format are capable of displaying multi-styled text (varying fonts, font sizes, styles, colors, etc.) and embedded images in the Freeform Text Area. This is the same format as is used by iData Pro 4.

iData Mobile was written before the iOS operating system for the iPhone and iPad was capable of displaying multi-styled text or embedded images.

Because of this, a simplified datafile format , with the .idm filename extension, was developed that permitted the sharing of datafiles between iData Mobile and iData 3. In this format, the Freeform Text (Notes) Area could display text in only a single style, without embedded images.

Now iOS can display .id3 datafiles, so a new (free) iOS-based app, iData Mobile Plus, was developed to take advantage of this. This means that there is no longer any need to maintain datafiles in two different formats.

NOTE: iData 3 users will have to upgrade to iData Pro 4 in order to synchronize datafiles to iData Mobile Plus.

Making the Switch

1. Open an .idm datafile in iData Pro 4.

2. Synchronize to other versions on mobile devices if necessary, to make sure that this is the most current version.

3. Review the datafile settings, as the .id3 version will be set to the default settings. (Select Datafile Settings... under the File menu.)

4. Select Save As iData Pro Datafile under the File menu and save the .id3 version to your datafiles folder.

5. Update the datafile settings, if necessary.

6. The Sync ID will also be deleted, so use Save As New Sync File… under the File menu to synchronize the new version to iData Mobile Plus on your iPhone and/or iPad.

Be sure to look through the online User Guide for iData Mobile Plus to see other changes between iData Mobile and iData Mobile Plus.
 

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