Best way to compare what's inside DTPO - and what should be?

[Cassady]

Hello all,

Random question… [and apologies for the cryptic topic name ]

When I first started using DTPO, I imported, as opposed to Indexed my academic files.
Whereas I have had my moments, I don’t really regret it - since I like knowing I have a “clean” folder, of all my PDFs.

Thing is - I recently took the plunge with Bookends 12, and decided to move all of them into the BE12 Attachment folder. Doing this has allowed me to ‘search’ through my pdfs, since the majority of my references are still ‘blank’, due to them not having a DOI that BE can use to autocomplete.

In the process of doing the above, I have noticed that some of those pdf’s, spread as they were over several folders, were ‘missed’ when I did the initial import into DTPO. In other words, they’re somewhere on my MBP [now in the BE Attachment Folder], but are NOT inside DTPO.

I obviously want them inside my DTPO academic db.

Question about whether the following makes sense, or would there be an easier way?

I simply index the BE12 Attachment folder - creating a new ‘group’ inside my academics db.
Presumably - if the pdf is already inside DTPO, then that file - in that new group - will be reflected as a duplicate. All those PDF’s that are not yet inside, will (obviously) not be reflected as a duplicate?

I would then import the (hopefully) few that are not inside, and then simply trash the indexed folder?

Does that sound feasible?

[korm]

@Cassady

Presumably - if the pdf is already inside DTPO, then that file - in that new group - will be reflected as a duplicate. All those PDF’s that are not yet inside, will (obviously) not be reflected as a duplicate?

Usually true – sometimes not. DEVONthink can occasionally have false positives and false negatives with duplicate identification, and it’s hard to predict when. (If you could predict when, then the problem wouldn’t happen of course.)

I think the worst case is that you would have some false negatives (files are actually duplicates but DEVONthink doesn’t register that) and thus have an “excess” copy of the document in your database – but it’s known to BE so you’re safe.

I would then import the (hopefully) few that are not inside, and then simply trash the indexed folder?

After you’ve made a couple of safety backups onto external drives … right?