All versions of ChurchInfo since 1.2.7 are designed to upgrade the database automatically. Here are the steps to complete the upgrade process:
- Back up your database using phpMyAdmin. Select your ChurchInfo database from the list to the left, then select the export tab across the top to the right. The default export options should be fine and it should give you a copy of your entire database in a “.sql” file.
- Make a copy of your old file Include/Config.php. This file contains the database configuration settings near the beginning of the file.
- If you have been uploading images make a copy of your Images directory with the sub-directories Person, Person/thumbnails, Family, and Family/thumbnails.
- Extract the ChurchInfo distribution from the .tar.gz file of the .zip file.
- Copy the new files over your previous installation, making sure they wind up in the same place. FileZilla is good about doing this recursive upload copy if you need to use FTP.
- Transfer the database settings from your saved copy of Include/Config.php to the new installation.
- Log in as usual. The first thing it will do is upgrade the database, then the new version will be operational.
If you prefer, you can rename your installation directory to set it aside and then install the ChurchInfo distribution into the original installation directory. If you install this way you will need to copy any image files from the renamed installation directory to the same spot in the new installation.