Thanks again! I'll leave myself at a stand-still, then. I was thinking of cleaning up the file via merges of identical copies, but not if there's the slightest chance of corrupting things further. I'll leave this one for the experts :)
Ed On Sun, 2005-09-11 at 19:04, Wm Voss wrote: > This appears to be the case. I have done some tests with the sample > file, straight export and import, that has produced some very odd -- and > corrupting -- results. > > Wm Voss > > Ed Barnard wrote: > > >Jeremy, > > > >The main point might be getting missed here. > > > >1. There was no export. Ever. Only import and intellishare/intellipass > >merge. > > > >2. The same database did NOT trigger the spurious-differences problem > >before converting to the new format. > > > >My procedure since March has been to close my legacy file, upload a copy > >to our server via ftp, then continue on working with my legacy file. > >Meanwhile, my partner (also with deluxe, always same build date, we stay > >in sync) downloads that server copy via ftp, does editing, and puts her > >copy back up. I then download that copy via ftp, and with my legacy file > >open, do file->import->legacy file... checking the boxes to import > >everything, no autosource assigned. > > > >This procedure has worked fine (subject to other limitations of > >intellishare merging) until upgrading to the new database format. We now > >have the spurious-matches problem in latest V5 build, and V6. > > > >The current theory is that Legacy is altering the text as it is > >imported. > > > >Thanks to everyone for the help! > > > > Ed > > > >On Sun, 2005-09-11 at 18:42, Jeremy Main wrote: > > > > > >>Well..... Here's my recommendation: > >> > >>On import, do not change any tabs to spaces or anything else. > >>On export, do not change any tabs to spaces or multiple spaces to tabs. > >>On display/edit of any note field, do not make any data changes > >>(specifically do not > >>convert spaces to tabs or vice versa). > >> > >>This is based on the theory that the user "did it their way" for what ever > >>reason or > >>display situation they have and Legacy should not make any changes. > >> > >>When merging it might be possible to clean any note field up a little bit > >>before comparison. > >>However, one must ask if such a programming effort would be worth it (and > >>easily > >>understandable for the user). One could consider rules such as the > >>following: > >>-- compare any note field on a line by line basis. > >>-- any line made up entirely of spaces and/or tabs would be reduced to zero > >>spaces. > >> (that is, an empty line made up of just a new line character and no data) > >>-- all trailing spaces after the last printable character would be removed > >>-- all leading blank lines (ie: empty lines) would be removed > >>-- all trailing blank lines (ie: empty lines) would be removed > >>-- multiple internal adjacent blank lines would be reduced to one > >>(optional?) > >> (This one depends on whether one author intended to specifically set off > >> the data > >> by more than one leading blank line. These could be (optionally) > >> removed for > >> comparison purposes.) > >>-- multiple adjacent blanks within a line could also be reduced to a single > >>one. > >> (taking into account tabs as if they were spaces) > >> (This last two are based on the assumtion that differences in line > >> spacing and > >> in column/word spacing are NOT significant for merging considerations. > >> If this > >> assumption is not valid for a particular merge situation, then they > >> could otionally > >> be turned off.) > >>-- Then, after the above was done, compare on a line by line basis. > >> > >> When difference were found, we could now highlight the differing lines, > >> say > >>with a background color, pink? (At least the first one.) So a visual scan > >>would > >>know where to look for a difference. > >> > >> Any difference found would be with visible character data (and not the > >>invisible data of blanks, tabs, line feeds, and new line characters.) > >> > >> This is, of course, a quick summary and does not take into account > >> different > >>GEDCOM character sets or other special issues such as alternate language > >>character differences. > >> > >> Keep in mind that the Legacy Merge operation always puts the lower RIN > >>number on the left and the higher RIN number on the right and so, by > >>default, > >>merges higher RIN numbers to lower RIN numbers. I think it's good practice > >>to give the import file a very high starting RIN number so that it always > >>appears on the right hand side of the merge compare window. This allows me > >>to always consider the left hand window the "master" copy of the data into > >>which I am merging the new data. > >> > >> Doing just about any of the above would put some contraints on the > >> current > >>RTF control that is used to manage note/text fields in Legacy. But, I > >>think it would > >>be worth it! > >> > >>Well....that's my two cents worth. > >>...../Jeremy > >> > >>--- > >>Glenn Todd wrote: > >>You may be onto something here. Computers are notoriously dumb when it > >>comes to things like this - to them a character is a character is a > >>character. Some exception handling code may be necessary either in the > >>import or comparison code - probably the latter. Basically it's not a > >>good idea to use tabs for formatting, since there's no consistency in the > >>way that they are handled by the display code, but that's no help if a > >>program "helpfully" converts spaces to tabs to save space in an export. > >> > >>Glen > >> > >>-----Original Message----- > >>From: Jeremy Main <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>Sent: Sep 11, 2005 6:21 PM > >>To: [email protected] > >>Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Intellishare fails on 6.0 and V5-latest. > >> > >>More information: > >> > >>---original---------- ----i imported -------- > >> 1: Notes - 1: Notes > >> 2: "Hexwasxthrownx - 2: "Hexwasxthrownx > >> 3: - 3: > >> 4: DescendantxRegi - 4: DescendantxRegi > >> 5: - 5: > >> 6: 1.tBenjaminxRob - 6: 1.tBenjaminxRob > >> 7: xtx - 7: xtx > >> 8: t - 8: xxx > >> 9: - 9: > >> 10: ChildrenxofxBen - 10: ChildrenxofxBen > >> > >> > >>Row 8 is an example of the problem. A singleton tab on row 8 in converted > >>to > >>three space in the imported copy. This occurs 12 times in the import. In > >>all cases > >>the singleton tab was followed by a blank line (a new line character with > >>no data), but > >>I don't know if this is significant. (Note: I used "x" to represent > >>spaces and "t" to > >>represent tabs for the comparison.) > >> > >>To me, this looks like the import is NOT KEEPING the original data (the > >>tabs). And > >>I think this is in error and should be fixed. > >> > >>I also think this may be closely related to the "spurious" 'abandon > >>changes' message > >>when editing the notes field. That is, if the process of opening the text > >>note for editing > >>is making this kind of invisible change, then when closing the window, > >>Legacy thinks a > >>change has been made. > >> > >>.../Jeremy > >> > >>-----Original Message----- > >>From: Ed Barnard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>Sent: Sep 11, 2005 6:01 PM > >>To: [email protected] > >>Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Intellishare fails on 6.0 and V5-latest. > >> > >>Jeremy, > >> > >>That makes all kinds of sense. Thank you! > >> > >>In theory, then, I should be able to "clean up" my database by > >>re-importing an identical copy, telling it to preserve the imported > >>version. Once I get a clean pass, I should be back in business (albeit > >>tab-free). > >> > >> Ed > >> > >>On Sun, 2005-09-11 at 16:32, Jeremy Main wrote: > >> > >> > >>>Hi Ed: > >>> I believe the problem you are seeing is happening as part of the import > >>> and is not an Intellishare/IntelliMerge issue, per se. > >>> > >>> I've been looking at RIN # 1793 (Benjamin Robertson III) in your > >>> original database. I imported a copy into itself and got the 89 > >>> individuals it says it was 'not able to merge' > >>> > >>> What I've found so far is that the General Notes of both the original > >>> and the copy contains 112 lines. However, the original has 5,321 > >>> characters and the copy has 5,345. So, there IS a difference after > >>> import which IntellPass Merge is detecting. > >>> > >>> However, the difference is that the original has 132 tabs versus 120 in > >>> the copy/import (12 fewer in the copy). And the original has 847 spaces > >>> versus 883 in the copy/import (36 more in the copy). For a net > >>> difference of 24 characters. (5,345 - 5,321 = 24 ). > >>> > >>> So....... > >>>1) The import is changing SOME of the Tab characters to spaces, and > >>>2) IntelliPass Merge is considering these tab/space differences > >>>significant. > >>> > >>>I don't think you have a corrupt file. Only that the import is making > >>>some unexpected changes. I'll look a littler further and tell you exactly > >>>which lines are the ones being changed. Wm's utilitiy, UltraEdit, is > >>>probably not considering these differences to be significant. A visual > >>>scan can see no difference. > >>> > >>>.../Jeremy > >>> > >>>-----Original Message----- > >>>From: Ed Barnard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>Sent: Sep 11, 2005 5:06 PM > >>>To: [email protected] > >>>Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Intellishare fails on 6.0 and V5-latest. > >>> > >>>Ron, Henry, Wm, > >>> > >>>Thanks for the suggestions! > >>> > >>>I've been investigating myself, as well. It now appears to me that I > >>>have a corrupted database, as someone suggested. The corruption dates > >>>back to prior to the conversion to the new format, but didn't manifest > >>>itself until after the conversion. > >>> > >>>Here's what I've tried. (Hopefully Sherry will see this!) > >>> > >>>I went back to a July backup, ~4000 names, same problem. That is, I > >>>restored from backup, converted to new format, closed, made a copy, > >>>merged the two copies, got spurious differences in the notes. > >>> > >>>Same with a May backup of ~450 names. > >>> > >>>Early May backup of ~150 names didn't fail; nor did a March backup of > >>>~120 names. > >>> > >>>I took the latest master db from my genealogy partner (we always do ftp > >>>transfers, which should have integrity checking) and followed Ron's > >>>suggestion: > >>> > >>>I opened the file, did check/repair, did control-b backup, closed, > >>>restored from that backup, saved, made a copy, imported the copy, got > >>>spurious differences on the merge - but only about 20 differences this > >>>time. > >>> > >>>Meanwhile, I have a completely different database (different family) > >>>which I've not touched since May 9th 2005. I merged two copies, it did > >>>merge without any differences. So, yes, the problem may well be specific > >>>to the one database. > >>> > >>>Sherry, when Millenia's able to take a look, please let me know, and > >>>we'll give you the current database for repair. > >>> > >>>Thanks for the help everyone with the suggestions, and in verifying the > >>>problem! > >>> > >>>Best Regards, > >>> > >>> Ed Barnard, maybe a legacy deluxe user again soon > >>> > >>> > >>>On Sun, 2005-09-11 at 15:26, Wm Voss wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>>I imported your Original into your Clone and ran IntellShare/Merge and > >>>>got 89 records that could not be auto merged, just as you did. I copied > >>>>the pairs of notes out of a dozen records and did a file compare in > >>>>UltraEdit; none showed any difference at all. I also did compares on the > >>>>full family files and on exported gedcoms; no difference found in either. > >>>> > >>>>Beats me what's going on, but I'd sure not trust it until someone > >>>>figures out the problem. > >>>> > >>>>Wm Voss > >>>> > >>>> > >>>Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >>>http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >>> > >>>To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >>>http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > >>> > >>>To unsubscribe please visit: > >>>http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > >>> > >>>Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >>>http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >>> > >>>To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >>>http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > >>> > >>>To unsubscribe please visit: > >>>http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > >>> > >>> > >>Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >>http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >> > >>To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >>http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > >> > >>To unsubscribe please visit: > >>http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > >> > >>Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >>http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >> > >>To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >>http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > >> > >>To unsubscribe please visit: > >>http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > >> > >>Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >>http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >> > >>To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >>http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > >> > >>To unsubscribe please visit: > >>http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > >> > >> > > > >Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > >http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > > > >To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > >http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > > > >To unsubscribe please visit: > >http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > > > > > Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > > To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ > > To unsubscribe please visit: > http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp Legacy User Group Etiquette guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/legacyusergroup%40mail.millenniacorp.com/ To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/LegacyLists.asp
