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Faulty duplicate detection

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Faulty duplicate detection
Author: Cochran    Posted: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 17:58:31 -0500
I am away from the office. I will return Monday Sept. 8

Faulty duplicate detection
Author: Don Ulin    Posted: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 17:54:18 -0400
For some reason, ProCite marks huge numbers of records as duplicates when they do not match my duplicate criteria. For the purposes of collaboration in building this database, I have assigned a unique "call number" to every record, which is the only basis on which I want duplicates identified. In the configure duplicates box, I have selected only one field: Call Number. But when I click the "Duplicates" tab at the bottom, it still turns up duplicates. When I search the database using a string of characters from one of the supposedly duplicate call numbers, I come up with only individual records. Thus I am pretty certain that there are no real duplicates based on my simple criterion. This is important to me because I intend to use the duplicate detection as a tool for collaboration. Two people can work on copies of the database at the same time (as long as they don't work on the same records). Then I would copy all the records from one copy into the other and delete the duplicates, leaving only the records that had been updated by one or the other of the researchers. Thanks very much, Don Ulin

Re: Faulty duplicate detection
Author: Fred Lerner    Posted: Sat, 6 Sep 2003 08:57:07 EDT
I've had the same problem, which I'm told stems from the fact that duplicate detection in the call number field does not work when call numbers other then Dewey or LC are used. Be that as it may, I've found a work-around: On your workforms include an otherwise unused field (I use field 29). After making a backup copy of your database, mark all your records and then use the "Global Move Field" command to move the contents of field 44 to field 29. Configure duplicate detection to look for duplicated content of field 29. Make the necessary changes in your records, and then use the "Global Move Field" command to move the contents of field 29 back to field 44. It's not as cumbersome as it sounds -- and it does the job. Fred Lerner

Re: Faulty duplicate detection
Author: Don Ulin    Posted: Sun, 7 Sep 2003 16:38:52 -0400
Fred, Yes, that is a bit of a nuisance, but compared to my relief at having a solution at all, it's nothing. I do wonder why ProCite should be so obtuse in dealing with a Call Number field. I'd like to just use #29 permanently, but there's some versatility you get with the #44 that you don't get with #29. Thanks you very much, Don -----Original Message----- From: Fred Lerner /> Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 8:57 AM To: /> Subject: Re: Faulty duplicate detection I've had the same problem, which I'm told stems from the fact that duplicate detection in the call number field does not work when call numbers other then Dewey or LC are used. Be that as it may, I've found a work-around: On your workforms include an otherwise unused field (I use field 29). After making a backup copy of your database, mark all your records and then use the "Global Move Field" command to move the contents of field 44 to field 29. Configure duplicate detection to look for duplicated content of field 29. Make the necessary changes in your records, and then use the "Global Move Field" command to move the contents of field 29 back to field 44. It's not as cumbersome as it sounds -- and it does the job. Fred Lerner

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