Export format

[Thesis_Writer]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I want to migrate Bookends from one Mac to another. Already copied my databases, worked great. However, I have created individual formats from within the Biblio section and I absolutely don't know how to migrate them. I have learned that right-clicking on the format give me the opportunity to show the format in finder, however, when I move that to my new Mac to the Custom Formats folder it does not appear within Bookends.

What is the best way to migrate my Bookends instance with all files and format to a new Mac?

Thanks a lot in advance,
Joerg

[Jon]

Personally, I use Migration Assistant.

However, what you're doing is fine. But remember that when you move a format/filter to another computer, you have to use Format/Filter Manager to enable the format/filter for that computer. That information (the enabled state) is stored in Bookends preferences, not in the format/filter file itself.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Thesis_Writer]

Thanks a lot for your quick reply Jon! Could you please give me a few more hints how to import my existing formats? When I open Formats Manager I can not see my invdividual format, no matter what I do.

Already tried to double click on the exported file on the new machine, but that just opens Bookends without adding the format.

Your further help would be really appreciated!

[Jon]

You probably did a Unix file transfer (as opposed to doing this in the Finder or with Migration Assistant) and the files lost their metadata. In that case, add .fmt to the format name and the Finder (and Bookends) will recognize it as such.

Jon
Sonny Softwaer

[Thesis_Writer]

Did that Jon, now the format is visible in the Format Manager (even with ".fmt" ending). However, when I click on that format I get the following message prompting me to contact support

An error has occurred: database engine error File "/Users/Joerg/Library/Application Support/Bookends/Custom Formats/SMI.fmt" is not Valentina2 database.

[Jon]

Sounds like it's not a format file, then, it's something else. You can send it to me and I'll take a look, but that's what I think I'll find. We should pursue this off-forum.

Jon
Sonny Software