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IMPORTANT: RootsMagic 4 direct PAF import defective. Data loss.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I uncovered a serious defect in RootsMagic,
and it is best everyone knows about this ASAP, to limit the damage.
If you or anyone you know switched from PAF to RootsMagic 4, you need to know this.
The RootsMagic 4 direct PAF import is defective. The direct PAF import loses data.
I did a full write-up: RootsMagic PAF import
That article contains details, workaround, possible user actions and suggested RootsMagic action.
I have informed Bruce by personal email.
This is not a reason to stop using RootsMagic 4.
It is a reason to avoid the direct PAF import.
Importing PAF databases is still possible; use a PAF GEDCOM.
I recommend importing PAF data via an UTF-8 encoded PAF GEDCOM.
I expect RootsMagic to issue some statement and a patch soon.
and it is best everyone knows about this ASAP, to limit the damage.
If you or anyone you know switched from PAF to RootsMagic 4, you need to know this.
The RootsMagic 4 direct PAF import is defective. The direct PAF import loses data.
I did a full write-up: RootsMagic PAF import
That article contains details, workaround, possible user actions and suggested RootsMagic action.
I have informed Bruce by personal email.
This is not a reason to stop using RootsMagic 4.
It is a reason to avoid the direct PAF import.
Importing PAF databases is still possible; use a PAF GEDCOM.
I recommend importing PAF data via an UTF-8 encoded PAF GEDCOM.
I expect RootsMagic to issue some statement and a patch soon.
Views: 132
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dae Powell on
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A good alert, milady. You've helped countless others in the past and continue in this effort. Kudos!
Happy Dae·
ShoeString Genealogy -
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Buzbee on
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The item(s) that don't import are a couple of user defined family fact types. This will be fixed in the next update.
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Permalink Reply by Tamura Jones on
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Bruce,
Merely discovered that several standard facts, such as divorces and separations are not imported.
Did not bother to check user-defined facts.
Thank you for admitting the additional extent of this defect, and most importantly, reassuring that it will be fixed soon.
Wish all vendors were that quick address defects.
- Tamura -
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Separation *is* a user defined family fact in PAF 5.
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I understood your previous comment as made by a busy programmer who took a moment to report he had identified the scope of the defect,
and thus as a hurried reference to the PAF file format, and all PAF DB "user-defined" events,
which, if I recall correctly, includes both standard PAF events and actual custom events.
So, I understand why you'd call separation a user-defined event, but I do not agree with that categorisation.
The PAF GEDCOM for a separation event sure looks different from a divorce event,
but PAF does not use GEDCOM "user-defined" tags for this event.
The PAF GEDCOM uses standard GEDCOM tags for a so-called "generic event".
In PAF itself, separation is not a user-defined "custom event" as PAF calls it.
It is part of the standard PAF package.
I therefore consider separation to be a standard PAF event. -
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When you are on that screen, notice that PAF will let you delete the separation fact type. It won't let you delete the divorce or other built-in ones.
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Bruce, I think we must agree to disagree on this point of definition?
You seem to consider the internal implementation method defining, regardless of whether it is standard or not.
I consider the fact that it is a vendor-defined part of the standard package defining, regardless of implementation method. -
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Good news now: RootsMagic 4.0.5.0 fixes the defect.
The release notes were apparently written in haste; it says that RootsMagic now imports "user-defined divorce events", which is a contradiction in terms. Divorce is a standard GEDCOM event. The RootsMagic PAF import now imports divorces, vendor-defined events such as separation and user-defined events.
I've confirmed this by doing a PAF import and a consistency check; error involving inconsistent divorce dates show up now.
RootsMagic has not (yet?) released any tool to help those who imported their PAF database using an earlier version of RootsMagic 4. -
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