TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2000-04 > 0954651482


From: Donna Martin <>
Subject: Re: TMG-L: merging databases
Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2000 22:58:02 -0600
References: <4.1.20000331231916.0094a9f0@pop.mis.net>


Ok, Lee. I followed your beautiful instructions, discovered that [second
location] groupnum was 28. So I exported and used text editor to search for
second location, and it's not there. I tried all the files, thinking maybe that
was the problem. But there just isn't one. Now What?
Actually, I've customized more than one of these, so I think this will just keep
recurring. Can I somehow copy the format for the sources in the first database to
the second? Then merge them? It would be a lot easier and I have to edit all the
sources in the second smaller database anyway. I though about a gedcom but I
would lose a lot in the translation. Any more suggestions?

Donna

Lee Hoffman/KY wrote:

> Donna Martin wrote:
> >I am still trying to merge two datasets into a new third dataset, but
> >suspect I may be a bit dense. 8-) Now I get this message: "Source
> >element group conflict on: [second location]. Both data sets have a
> >source element by this name but they are assigned to different groups.
> >Merge not possible."
> >
> >I think this means that I've customized one of my source templates for
> >one of the source types in one of the databases. My question is: Is
> >there a simple way to figure out which one without comparing them
> >laboriously, line by line?
>
> What this means is that a Custom Source Element was added to one dataset
> and was assigned to a Source Group and the same Custom Source Element was
> also added to the other dataset but assigned to a different Source Group.
> Specifically, the Second Location Source Element in one dataset has been
> changed from the Second Location Source Group to a different Source Group.
>
> The Second Location Source Group is a standard one in TMG and normally
> contains the following four Source Elements:
> Author E-mail
> Recipient Address
> Second Location
> URL
>
> You can check this out easily by doing the following steps:
> 1. Enter a dataset and do a backup.
> 2. Be sure to have a backup.
> 3. Select Tools=>Advanced Utilities=>Browse a DBF file from the top menu.
> 4. Answer Yes to the warning.
> 5. In the Open window, find the location of the dataset and choose the
> file that has a filename that corresponds to xxxxxxxU.DBF, and click on the
> Use button. (The filename will be the name of your dataset - the first
> seven characters plus underlines to make seven characters plus the letter U
> and the file extension of DBF. So if your dataset is named MARTIN, the
> desired file will be MARTIN_U.DBF).
> 6. Scroll down the list to find [SECOND LOCATION], it should be record
> number 72.
> 7. If the Groupnum is set to 14, then that dataset is okay. If not, this
> dataset has been changed.
> 8. Select File=>Exit from the top menu to return to the main program. If
> the Groupnum was correct on this dataset, perform these steps on the other
> dataset to make sure.
>
> When you find the dataset that has been changed, you can then start looking
> through the Source Definitions to find the Source(s) that use this Source
> Element. As for an easy way to do this, it depends on the number of
> Sources that you have. If you only have a couple of dozen or less, then
> the Source by Source review is probably the easiest. If you have more
> than a couple of dozen, then you might want to try this (requires a lot of
> space on your hard drive):
> 1. Open the dataset that has the problem.
> 2. Select File=>Export=>ASCII(*.TXT) from the top menu to open the Copy
> Data Set window with the current dataset in the upper field.
> 3. In the Destination Data Set field, I recommend that you click on the
> Create Directory button and create/use a special (temporary)
> directory/folder and name the dataset the same as your current dataset. So
> the last part of both top and bottom field will be the same -- just
> different directories.
> 4. Click on the OK button
> 5. Acknowledge the notice that the dataset has been copied.
> 6. Select Tools=>Text Editor from the menu to display the Open window.
> 7. Browse to find the copied dataset in the directory you placed it. Look
> for the file that has a name something like MARTIN_M.TXT. Select that
> file to open it.
> 8. Browse through the file to find the desired Source Element ([SECOND
> LOCATION]). Use the Edit=>Find menu selection to help.
> 9. When you find it, note the Title and Abbreviation fro that Source (will
> be just above the entry).
> 10. Continue looking in case the Source Element is found in other Sources.
> 11. When you have found all the entries, close the Text Editor (
> File=>Cancel Changes).
> 12. You may not delete all the files of the copied dataset (and the
> temporary directory).
>
> Now go into your Master Source List and make the corrections to the noted
> Source(s) that you found above.
>
> Hope this helps -
>
> ----------
> Lee Hoffman/KY
> E-mail:
> TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
> My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
> --------------
> A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)
>
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