Rebuilding Bookends Database

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rosiekay
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Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by rosiekay »

Hello,
I have been writing a document in Mellel for a couple of months now and referencing to a Bookends document as I go along. Yesterday Bookends told me I should rebuild the database but Mellel doesn't seem to communicate with the rebuilt database and will only refer to the original one.
Please could somebody help I don't want to have to re-reference my entire document!
Thanks
Rosie
nicka
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by nicka »

This shouldn't be a problem. Are you citing by information, or by unique ID? Either way, the new database should work fine, since the information in the references and the unique IDs should be preserved during rebuilding. (I have had to rebuild my main database several times and never had problems scanning documents in progress or old documents.)

So the problem might lie elsewhere. Have you made sure that the new database is the only one open in Bookends? How does failure look? Do you get an error message? What does it say?
gerben
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by gerben »

If you say that Mellel only refers to the old Bookends database that suggests you did not delete the old db and replace it with the new one?
I have often rebuild a Bookends db and if the rebuilt version is ok I delete the old db and name the rebuilt one like the old one. Never fails.

Gerben
nicka
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by nicka »

Not intending to question that Gerben's method works -- but I must say that I have almost never bothered renaming the new database and never delete the old one. (My current working database, as a result, is called "Main database 03092007 rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt rebuilt". The number is the date of the last time I renamed it manually. I have obviously had to do eight rebuilds since then.) I just make sure, after rebuilding, that the only database open is the new one, then scan from within Mellel.
DanZac
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by DanZac »

why would you need to keep old databases if you've rebuilt them? You rebuild because they are unstable, why keep them?

Plus, Bookends can be set to keep a backup of your database, so again no need to keep old ones.

As you can tell, I follow the Gerben method too :D
nicka
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by nicka »

Well, we're veering off topic here, onto the subject of my personality... 'Just in case' is my answer – the same reason I keep all kinds of old junk around. It's not entirely rational, I suspect, but if it isn't broken...

In the context of the OP's question, I was just trying to suggest that there was no need to delete or rename anything to get Mellel and Bookends working after a rebuild. I have nothing against the practice, just as I admire people with clear desks and tidy houses...
gerben
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Re: Rebuilding Bookends Database

Post by gerben »

Not sure if following the Gerben method is always such a good idea... :wink:
rosiekay wrote:Hello,
Yesterday Bookends told me I should rebuild the database but Mellel doesn't seem to communicate with the rebuilt database and will only refer to the original one.
My point was actually that if Mellel still refers to the original db this is perhaps because both the old one and the rebuilt one are in the same folder? Or both are open? Thus causing Mellel to refer to the original one?

Gerben
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