NEWSLETTER

To Update, Or Not To Update — That Is The Question...

We often hear from users that updating SpecLink projects makes them uneasy. Not updating is a perfectly viable option, but since one of the strengths of SpecLink is its continuous updating that is easy to apply, not updating means that you miss out on the most current information. Maintaining control of your text doesn’t mean you have to give up SpecLink’s updating. That would be true if SpecLink-E were word processing-based, but it isn’t -- updating and control are completely compatible when you use SpecLink-E.

There is no need to fear SpecLink updates. Updates will never overwrite customized text under any circumstances. In addition, updates will never change text, delete text, or add text -- unless you, the user, specifically choose to have that happen. You can also choose whether to update a particular project or not, and whenever you open an un-updated project, the magenta titles in the folder tree remind you of sections that have not been updated yet. Other colors in the Document Panel indicate the update status of particular paragraphs.

• MAGENTA titles in the folder tree mean the section has not been updated and includes paragraphs that are obsolete.
• RUST in the "S", or status, column means the paragraph is obsolete, with a pending update that has not yet been accepted.
• RUST WITH AN X IN THE STATUS BOX means the paragraph is new in the master but has not yet been accepted for the project.
• OLIVE GREEN in the "#", or Sequence, column means the paragraph has been removed from the master but has been converted to a user paragraph because it was in use before the section was updated. See below. (This is a new feature for the Fall update.) Paragraphs marked in this way should always be reviewed carefully for needed edits or possible removal.

Accepting Updates: When you accept updates, three things happen:

• Revisions to existing paragraphs take the place of the former text, UNLESS you’ve modified the text of that paragraph. In that case, your text modifications are retained – not overwritten by the update.
• New master paragraphs are inserted, in appropriate locations.
• Deleted master paragraphs are marked with OLIVE GREEN, to remind you that you might need to remove them. Why? Often, an update requires replacement of an existing paragraph, or group of paragraphs, with new text. Instead of modifying the existing paragraphs, the old ones are marked for deletion and the new ones inserted. Usually the new ones are inserted above the old ones, so you notice them, but sometimes the applicable new text needs to be in a different location in the section. For all these reasons, the deleted master text is retained and marked, so that you can review it in the context of the whole section and decide how to update the section yourself -- when a deleted paragraph is replaced by a new paragraph, you probably don’t want both of them in your project.

Cancelling the Updates: When you open an existing project after the new master has been installed, you can choose not to update, by clicking the Cancel button on the update reminder dialog box. If you do that, this is what happens:

• Every active section that has pending updates is marked with MAGENTA on the title in the folder tree. Any time you see magenta in the tree, it is a reminder that the section has not yet been updated. Once you review a section and accept or reject all the paragraph updates, the magenta will disappear, even if you rejected some paragraph updates.
• Paragraphs that have pending updates are marked with RUST. This includes pending modifications to the text and paragraphs that will be deleted if you accept the update. The update can be viewed by right-clicking and choosing Compare to Update. The “before” or “as-is” version is in the top box; the “after” version is in the lower box.
• Paragraphs that are new are marked with RUST AND AN X IN THE STATUS BOX. Because you did not apply the updates, the new paragraphs are inserted where they are intended to go but are not activated in your project (i.e. they are X’d out). You can see this when Comparing to Update by the fact that there is no “before” version of the paragraph.

Reviewing the Updates in Detail: For an ordinary project, it is probably unnecessary to review the updates in detail. However, an office master project that is used to start new projects probably should be carefully updated. Cancel the updates, then review each section individually, paragraph by paragraph and accept or reject the updates. To quickly find the updates, look for the colors described above and choose Compare to Update to see what has changed.

Are You Unknowingly Thwarting The Update Function?

• If you copy SpecLink master sections to make minor modifications or to make multiple sections for different scope or applications, you’re “disconnecting” the copied sections from the SpecLink master. No updates will ever be available for those sections. Different scope or applications can be handled using optional text within the original SpecLink section or by adding an “Optional Checklist” with your preferences.
• The same is true if you import your own sections instead of editing the corresponding SpecLink master sections. It’s undoubtedly easier to get started by importing sections you are familiar with, but if you do this, you’ll just be using SpecLink as a glorified word processor.