Have used biblioscape since 4.0; converted from 6.65 to 7.0 last year
when it first came out. In retrospect, I wish I had had more warning
about the potential problems of conversion. As I was only using the
Reference module at the time, I can only speak of the problems there.
In version 6, I had been using many to many cataloging, i.e., a
reference was copied to each of several appropriate folder. I am
working on a computer based "book" on plant structure, with Chapters,
Sections, and Subsections. Each reference, therefore,(about at the
time 5000)was cross-referenced in several folders including ones for
author, and source. Converting to 7.0 without doing away with this
spiderweb of cross-references was ungood. What 7.0 allows is entry
into only one reference folder and all cross-referencing is done with
the category function (Professional Model also has a category module
that has more functionality, but I don't understand most of it). Part
of the process of conversion involves leaving the reference in only
one of its multiple folders, and converting all the other folders into
categories. What I ended up with was a mess that took several months
to sort out. After many attempts to clear up the categories, I finally
resorted to deleting them all and starting over. So, I would
certainly recommend simplifying your database before converting to
version 7.

What Paul Chen recommends is to use only broadly defined reference
folders for locating the reference, and do the fine-tuning with
categories. If I were to start over now, I would probably put
references into only 7-8 folders, i.e., one for each chapter.

I, in fact, do not spend a lot of time categorizing references, but
rather use the search function which can be used within each module or
to include all modules. I find that this serves well if you have a
good database to work with and saves a lot of time trying to create
appropriate categories and linking references to them.

Impression of upgrade. It is well worth the upgrade, and probably
worth the upgrade to Professional (certainly to Standard), if you are
doing serious work. I have found over the years that each upgrade,
each patch, makes the program more usable and more stable. I used,
even last year with 6.65, to have the thing crash or lock up several
times a day. Now it rarely locks up, unless I do something really
stupid. It still does not fail safe in all instances, but it is such a
complex piece of software that I am surprised that it works at all. I
haven't tried the composition module yet, but am only now beginning to
come to terms with the Notes module.

Cheers,

Dr. Arthur R. Berg



--- In biblioscape@yahoogroups.com, "kodempsey" <kodempsey@...> wrote:
>
> Am I correct in thinking that there have been no posts here about
> Biblioscape 7? I seem to be on the cusp of taking the plunge, but
> I'd be so grateful if anyone can give me the benefit of their
> experience in switching from 6.x to 7.x. Anything to be especially
> careful about? Any problems that I should especially anticipate? Any
> precautions I can take?
>
> And in general, I'd be very glad just to have people's impressions of
> the upgrade. Have you found it significantly more useful than 6.x?
>
> I have high, if guarded, hopes for the Composition module. It
> potentially really could transform the way I do my work, in a good
> way. Anyone have any comments on it?
>