Import PDF problems

[mchapman]

I have a strange problem when importing PDFs to BE.

I drag the PDF into the list window.

The import window shows up, I rename the file and select attach to new reference and lookup.

BE attaches it to a new reference but does not autocomplete—even when a DOI is present. I can locate the reference if I manually add the DOI but it does not autocomplete.

However, and this is the main problem, while I can still open and close other windows the list window freezes. I can select other references but I can no longer scroll (the scroll bar turns white rather than blue). I cannot close the list window. Nor can I quit BE.

If I force quit BE and then try to autocomplete I get a form with the PDF and spaces to fill in the details. But it too cannot be closed and BE will not quit.

Am I missing something?

PowerBook G4 1.33 Ghz, OSX 10.4.11
BE 10.3.4

[Jon]

Hi,

Have you tried Repairing the database? If you have, and you still have a problem, you should contact us directly for tech support.

Jon
Sonny Software

[mchapman]

Repaired the database but have the same problems.

I will contact tech support.

Thanks,

Mark

[Waystone]

Same problem here. Did you get any good tips from tech support?

[mchapman]

I learned a couple of things:
1. I am not using autocomplete the way it is supposed to be used. I intended to read the manual to find out how it is supposed to work but have not yet had time.
2. The reason the screen appears to freeze is because the sheet opens behind the main window rather than in front of the main window. If you hit escape the sheet will close allowing you to work with the main window as per normal. I suspect this is a bug.

Mark

[Jon]

The issue #2 is a bug, but it's Apple's. It happens with some versions of Tiger, but not in Leopard. What *will* work in all versions of Tiger (AFAIK) is to open the reference window and use Autocomplete with it open (not the list view window).

Jon
Sonny Software

[Waystone]

Hmm.

All the issues seem to stem from trying to drag-and-drop files onto Bookends to create a new reference.

Here's how it goes. Skimming the 'net, I find an article I'm interested and save it locally as a PDF. I open Bookends, and drag-and-drop the file onto the Bookends window. An 'Attach to Empty Dialog Box' opens, and I select (1) move to attachment folder, (2) rename, and (3) attach to new reference and autocomplete.

Some possible scenarios ensue.

Sometimes, bug #2 occurs. (I'll play with this one and learn to avoid it today - thanks for the information!)

When bug #2 does not occur, though, the autocomplete window will open works just fine - but when I import the found citation the associated PDF is neither moved nor renamed. I then go through the process of manually renaming it, moving it to the attachments folder, dragging and dropping the renamed file onto the new reference, and finally deleting the defunct link to the old, not-renamed file.

I've gone through the users manual, but can't seem to find any way I might be mis-using the feature to cause this; I'd be grateful for any suggestions from the user community before I take it to tech support, just to be sure

-N.

(Update - no, what I'm experiencing doesn't seem to be bug #2... hitting esc does nothing for me, both issues seem connected to moving the attachment to the attachments folder. Methinks I shall switch to tech support.

[palazzo]

On a related note, the autocomplete function doesn't seem to recognize my proxy server.

I use a proxy to get IP authentication for JSTOR. It works under Safari. It works on Bookeds' Web Search tool. But with Autocomplete it says I am not IP-authenticated. I suppose this is a bug, or am I missing something?

Using Bookends 10.4 on Tiger

[Jon]

It's probably not a bug. The browser can use any WebKit-compatible access mechanism. Direct searching requires ip authentication. This means, for example, that you access JSTOR using a VPN client.

Jon
Sonny Software

[palazzo]

Hello again,

I am successfully using the import & autocomplete from an on-campus location, therefore IP-authenticated. However, there is this odd behavior going on: the first time I click "search", I get an alert box saying it requires IP authentication; if I click a second time it returns a result without complaining. I am using the JSTOR search only.

[Jon]

Hi,

I think you'll have to ask your IT people about that. Bookends is just a client on your network. I can tell you that the error you see is what Bookends reports when JSTOR won't complete the search because of lack of ip authentication. It's also possible another problem is occurring, and JSTOR is sending the same error code to Bookends (there is no list of errors JSTOR reports, so Bookends has to intuit what is meant). I'm guessing this is the case. But of course I can't know what JSTOR is complaining about with the first search.

Jon
Sonny Software

[usv]

Hi Jon,

I'm trying to use BE the same way Waystone is using it: dragging a new pdf into BE to autocomplete for a new reference. (similar to how Papers imports pdfs in your folders)
However, I got stuck at the first step: there was no 'Attach to Empty Dialog Box' opened when I dropped by new pdf. Instead, BE finds any previously selected reference in List view and tries to attach this new pdf onto it.
Am I missing something here? I've tried it also with a new database with only one reference and it had the same behavior.
I'm using BE 10.4.3.

Thanks for your help.

usv

[Jon]

Hi,

First, please download 10.4.4 (although 10.4.3 should work). Please contact me directly with a screen snap of the attach dialog you are seeing (support@sonnysoftware.com).

Jon
Sonny Software

[Jon]

Hi, for those following, there was no problem. Bookends found a doi in the pdf and the reference was available on PubMed, so there was the option to download the reference metadata and attach the pdf to the new reference. This is the ideal situation. If there had been no valid doi, the option to attach to an empty reference and autocomplete would have been provided.

Jon
Sonny Software