Repair Log File "Duplicated Person" message

[WilliamTaber]

I recently had a power failure while my Family file was open. After power recovery, I used the Repair facility of Reunion 8, which reported problems and generated a log file. The log file suggests I look in the Manual for "log message", which I did. However, the manual has no explanation of the "Duplicated Person" messages which appear in my log file. So, what do these messages mean? Why are they not in the Manual?

Here is the contents of the Log File:
Upgrade/Repair Log File

*** For an explanation of items in this log, click the "Manual" button and search for "log message."
Duplicated Person 4138 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 4139 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 4140 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 5619 Research, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 6597 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.

[Gregg]

The person was not duplicated, the Misc Notes for the listed people were found to be duplicated or linked in your family file and the duplication has been "unbroken."

[Eirik Strøm]

So, what do these messages mean?
.......
Duplicated Person 4138 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 4139 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 4140 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 5619 Research, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.
Duplicated Person 6597 Misc. Notes, from Person 4134 Misc. Notes.

After experiencing a Reunion crash and an ensuing error report one may feel better if a possible explanation is provided. Therefore:

When Reunion runs the repair function after a crash the result is a report covering all errors found in the family file, including errors present in the file before crashing. The errors reported in this case indicate that they were not a consequence of the crash. So what has happened?

If I were to guess, I think that at one stage a GEDCOM file including the persons mentioned in the Reunion error log file was imported into the family file. The contents of the GEDCOM file most probably originated on the internet, the most likely candidate being www.familysearch.org. Databases on the internet reporting by GEDCOM files have two problems:
• The source of the GEDCOM information must be documented in detail, but
• the GEDCOM file must be as compact as possible.
Therefore the 50 persons in such a file may be marked something like: "Source: Vital Records Index". But this is done by writing one single note text at the end of the GEDCOM file, so that each person in the file may link to this single note text.

When importing such a file Reunion keeps the file's original format: 50 persons sharing the same "Misc. Note". This may cause confusion when editing these persons, and the editor may experience incomprehensible situations. Reunion's repair function recognizes these duplicate links and is able to correct the problem. In this special instance the "Misc. Notes" belonging to person 4134 were shared by 5 additional persons. The repair function copied these notes so that all 6 persons now possess separate note texts that may be edited separately without affecting note fields belonging to others.

The moral is: After a GEDCOM import into a family file it may be advisable to run the repair utility to ensure that potential problems are taken care of as soon as possible.

- Eirik Strøm