Bug? Rebuild of database lost Entourage 11.2.1 links to Word11.2 documents

[Norman R. Nager, Ph.D.]

After a rebuild of the Entourage 11.2.1 database, I discovered that links
from several Entourage Notes to Word 11.2 documents were gone.

Does a rebuild of the database automatically wipe out ALL links among
components of Entourage, Word and Excel?

If so, is there any way this could be prevented by Microsoft developers in
the future?

Respectfully, Norm

 

[Barry Wainwright [MVP]]

After a rebuild of the Entourage 11.2.1 database, I discovered that links
from several Entourage Notes to Word 11.2 documents were gone.

Does a rebuild of the database automatically wipe out ALL links among
components of Entourage, Word and Excel?

Yes, I'm afraid it does.

If so, is there any way this could be prevented by Microsoft developers in
the future?

I don't know - I can't see why external file links couldn't be maintained,
but I can see it would be difficult for links between items in the database
as they all get new IDs in the rebuild process, so a link to an item that
has not yet been re-indexed during the rebuild process could not know what
id it was going to get.

 

[Norman R. Nager, Ph.D.]

If consumers are not able to count on the permanence of links beyond a
database rebuild, the value of linking in Office 2004 is significantly
diminished.

Respectfully, Norm

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

After a rebuild of the Entourage 11.2.1 database, I discovered that links
from several Entourage Notes to Word 11.2 documents were gone.

Does a rebuild of the database automatically wipe out ALL links among
components of Entourage, Word and Excel?

All links in the _Entourage database_ are removed, yes, whether to other
Entourage items, Word or excel files, or any other files whatsoever.

If so, is there any way this could be prevented by Microsoft developers in
the future?

"Prevented"? You mean "enabled", I guess. When the database is rebuilt,
every item gets a new ID. The item being linked to will usually not yet be
assigned a new ID, or if it has, the old linkage is already lost. The
developers would have to save the "network" of link connections, and a map
of old/new correspondences, in memory until the new database is rebuilt. I
imagine they could do that someday, but it probably would be a lot of work.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

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