Changes in BSD SpecLink^®/PerSpective^® Updating

When users open an existing project for the first time after installing the latest release of BSD SpecLink, they will see a new dialog box. Instead of the familiar three choices that included the option not to update, the new "Updating Options" dialog has been simplified and now offers two possibilities.

In response to the query "Do you want to update your project now?" users may choose either "Yes" or "No". Selecting "Yes" activates a sub-option of whether to preserve and mark paragraphs that have been deleted from the master. If users select "No" (the default option), no changes are actually made to the project, but sections and paragraphs that would be affected by the update are color-coded to highlight them for later consideration.

The data we have collected on SpecLink usage over the past few months suggests that many subscribers are electing not to update their projects. This suggests to us that users may be confused about the effects of updating in SpecLink.

In systems like AIA's Masterspec® that are based on word processing, updating generally means replacing one file with another. If the earlier file has been edited, updating in a word processing system means that all your edits will be lost. That doesn't happen with SpecLink. BSD's unique updating scheme changes only selected paragraphs in the master database and does not affect the user's project file, which is stored separately and "merges" with the master text only for viewing and printing. In SpecLink, when you open a project after updating it, all your added and edited text remains intact. Only individual paragraphs in the underlying master data have been changed to incorporate the updates, such as new edition dates of reference standards and the names of recently acquired product manufacturers. If you wish to review the updates before incorporating them into your project, choose "No" from the Updating options dialog. You should review and update your project as soon as possible—especially if it's an office master project. Consistently choosing not to update your office master project(s) will result in out-of-date project specs and potential professional liability exposure.

For more detail on the updating function in BSD SpecLink, please review the revised Chapter 11 of the BSD SpecLink User Manual, which is included on the quarterly CD-ROM and can also be downloaded from BSD's website.