Comparing and updating

RootsMagic
,
1

I have an existing RM file with a useful set of books set up. If I want to update the existing database, using the compare function with a gedcom from an updated version of the database, is it possible to update all the differences in a single operation?

2

Your description is unclear. The. RM Compare Files function allows updates to people, one at a time. But you opened with “books” and that sounds like Sources. RM does have an Import Lists function which allows you to import Sources from one database to another. They will appear in the target database as unused sources available to be cited.

1 Like
3

TRhanks for responding, Tom.

I still keep my master database on BK7 - and have imported the file via GEDCom into RM, when I wanted to produce the very useful ‘books’ in RM.

If I subsequently import a later version of the BK file, it seems I only have the option to produce a new RM file, but that new RM file does not have the ‘books’ set up in the earlier RM file.

There are too many changes still being made in BK, for me to reproduce them all one by one in RM. And my previous attempts to merge the files produced too many duplications and oddities, which would also have t be sorted out one by one.

Hence my question whether the ‘compare’ function could do all the updates at one go, to an existing RM file

4

Short answer is No you can’t copy a book to another database.

RM Help:
When you create a book template, it is stored in the current database since the chapters you add are specific to people in the current database.
For example, a pedigree chart for John Doe, or a narrative book for Mary Smith would not work properly in another database.

1 Like
5

Here’s an idea for you to test.

  1. RM has an option, only when importing a GEDCOM from RM, to preserve record numbers. It knows it can offer that option by what it reads in the header of the GED file. I have, years ago, replaced the header of a non-RM GED file with that copied from a RM GED file and succeeded in preserving the record numbers as they were in that other software.
  2. I suspect the parameters stored for a RM book rely on record numbers.
  3. Export your BK database to GED.
  4. Export any little database from RM with special RM features unchecked,
  5. With a text editor, copy the header from the RM GED file and paste it over the header of the BK GED file and save it.
  6. With RM, create a new database by importing the modified BK GED and you should see and choose the option to preserve record numbers.
  7. Review what you got in RM: was anything lost or messed up compared to what you expected based on previous imports? If not, carry on to…
  8. Build a trial book with all of the report types you rely on. Back up this baby.
  9. RM11 supports bulk deletes so delete everybody, unused Places, anything else that it allows, Phantoms. You now have, hopefully, a database with nobody in it but maybe still with the book parameters.
  10. With BK, maybe modify a copy of your database with changes you would readily see in the RM book. Export to GED and transform its GED to a quasi-RM GED as before.
  11. Import the quasi-RM GED into the quasi-empty RM shell database with the option to preserve record numbers.

Does the book work as you hope it will with the newly imported data? If so, rinse and repeat each time you need to update your book with revised data from BK. If not, then we’re SoL with that idea. I can’t test it myself because I’m holidaying without my computer.

6

Many thanks, Tom.

I think that would probably do it - but seems almost as much work as just ‘re-publishing’ each of the books individually when and if I need them, using the updated RM file.

But it was helpful to see how it could be done – so thank you for your help.

Peggy

7

Thanks, Jerry. Yes – I’ve been discovering that, but hoped there might be an easy workaround.

Peggy