MC Software Question

[Beth]

I know I was able to copy an entire cookbook or batch or recipes over to MasterCook before, but it's been a while, and I can't figure out what or how I did it. Can anyone help me (i'm trying to restore a backup copy that is on a diskette)? Was that only because it came off the MC website? Surely there must be some way without copying each individual recipe.

By the way, I did look for this answer at the SierraHome website and could not find it. I've found quicker answers here, and they are usually more meaningful. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 09-11-2000).]

[lindrusso]

Beth,

Okay, let me see if I get this straight. Are you trying to copy material that is on your backup disk into your Mastercook (or, in otherwords onto your hard drive?).

If so, you should be able to do what you want by clicking on FILE, and then clicking on IMPORT. On the top left window of the IMPORT window there will be the list of drives and you can just click on the 3 1/2 floppy drive which should then list what you have on the disk. Select the cookbook or file you want to copy and then the recipes will be listed in the window below. It looks like you can select a destination for your collection - either an existing cookbook or a new one. Then you can click on "SELECT ALL" and all of the recipes from this collection will be copied into Mastercook, into the cookbook that you choose.

If I read this wrong and this is NOT what you need to do, post again and I'll try again. I've never actually loaded recipes into Mastercook from a disk, but I went through most of the steps above with my backup disk and this should do it.

Hope this helps!

[Pat]

Ginny177, don't give up! This is a wonderful program and once you get the hang of it, you can import easily. I think these instructions will help you to copy and import recipes from this site or any other. It is also a helpful program to e-mail recipes to friends and family.

Instructions for using Import Assistant in MasterCook:

1. Highlight recipe by dragging mouse over recipe while holding down left mouse button. While it is still highlighted, click the right mouse button and choose copy.
2. Click the minus key in the top bar to put web site in the task bar. Open MasterCook; open cookbook you want to put the recipe into; right click on the Mail icon on the right edge of the screen; select Import Assistant; place the cursor inside the large blank area and click with left button; right click and choose Paste.
3. Align everything at the left; put 2 enters (1 blank line) between the title and the ingredients and 2 enters (1 blank line) between the ingredients and the directions.
4. Highlight the entire recipe by right clicking on the recipe and choose Select All. Press Auto-Fill, then done. The entire recipe will be moved to the cookbook. NOTE: If you want to move the directions one at a time, you will have to highlight each one individually; then at the bottom choose directions and Move to Recipe before highlighting the rest of the recipe. This is not necessary, but neater.

NOTE: Before doing the above, go to the Edit Menu in MasterCook and select Preferences. Choose Cookbook/Recipe tab and at the bottom under Assumed format for import choose Generic from the pull down menu if it is not already chosen.

Hope this helps!

[Beth]

Lindrusso, I tried following your instructions, thinking there must have been something there that I didn't try yesterday, but it isn't working. When I click on the floppy drive, the entire cookbook shows up as a single file. When I try to import, it says no MasterCook files found and tells me to use import assistant, which requires me to deal with one recipe at a time. The weird part is that if I click on the cookbook in my computer/floppy drive, it opens MasterCook and all the recipes are there as Master Cook files.

[Ohioan]

Beth, it sounds as though what you're trying to do is simply use a new cookbook, rather than import single recipes. Am I right? If so, all you have to do is open Mastercook, go to the "Cookbooks" section, and then to the "File" menu. Click "Open" and choose the new cookbook -- you may have to browse to find it. MC will open the cookbook and register it in the Cookbooks list. (I believe it will also ask you what collection you want to put it into and copy it there, but I don't remember.)

Once you've told MC where the new cookbook is by using the Open function, you can just copy any or all of the recipes into an already existing cookbook by using the master list. While you're in the cookbook you want to copy the recipes from, make sure you're in the recipe list, and then click on "Master List" at the bottom. Navigate through the list of cookbooks in the master list until you find the one you want to copy into, click on it to select it, and click on the "plus" to open its recipe list. Now highlight any or all of the recipes in the original cookbook's recipe list, and drag them into the recipe list in the master list.

I hope this helps. If not, we'll try again!
Phoebe

[Beth]

Phoebe, yes, I am trying to get the entire cookbook back into the program. I tried your imstructions, but when I tried to open the recipe list, I got 2 items, one said "All", and the other said "Uncategorized". I couldn't get either to do anything. I'll try again after I've dealth with dinner and kids bedtime....There has to be a way.

Meanwhile, thanks again to all. I gave up in Mastercook and CL program years ago, but was inspired to try again after all the talk about them here. I'm not sure I'd still be trying if it weren't for the support here. Sierra should offer CL BB readers a special deal!!!

[Ohioan]

Oops, I'm afraid I may have used confusing language in my original instructions. When I talked about the recipe list in the open cookbook (not the Master List, but the list you get to when you first open a cookbook), I should have referred to it as the Recipe Browser. (And by the way, you can get to the Recipe Browser from anywhere else with the keyboard shortcut <alt-b> ).

Now, when you're in the Recipe Browser of the cookbook that you want to copy FROM, click on Master List at the bottom of the screen. When it pops up, you'll have a window with two lists side-by-side. Navigate through the left-hand list to find the cookbook you want to copy TO, and double-click on it. This will open up a list of all the categories you have in that cookbook. Go back to the Recipe Browser, select all the recipes you want to copy, and drag them into the right hand side of the Master List window.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Any recipes you transfer this way will carry all their categories with them -- including no categories at all, if they haven't been assigned categories, which will put them in the "Uncategorized" category. So before you try copying the recipes, you may want to go through them individually in editing mode and adjust the categories to the way you want them. Then copy.

On the other hand, you may just want to keep the new cookbook as a separate entity and gradually copy to your main cookbook only those recipes that you've tried and liked. Remember, you can always switch cookbooks by using the "cookbook" tab or selection box at the bottom of the screen, and you can run searches on any one or more selected cookbooks.

I hope this is a teeny bit clearer than my last attempt. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

Phoebe

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 09-14-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 09-14-2000).]

[Pat]

Ginny177, I am so glad it worked for you. I use this program and have found it to be very useful. One of the things I like about it is being able to have multiple cookbooks and moving recipes from my Try Later cookbook to my favorites cookbook or delete them as I try them.

I hope you continue to use the program and like it.

[Beth]

I thought I had it! I opened both the hard drive (with CL program) and floppy (with cookbook to be copied) in "my computer" and did a click and drag copy. All looked good, but the cookbooks don't show up when I opened CL. They are in the program folder, but can't see them. Sierra is telling me they are corrupted and I should be able to save some of the recipes by individually copying them through import assistant. I can't believe they are there but I can't use them. Any other ideas?

[Ohioan]

Beth, did you try refreshing the cookbook list by pressing F5 or using the "Tools" menu? Sometimes MasterCook won't acknowledge a new cookbook until you make it find the cookbook itself. Just make sure the new one is in one of the folders where your other cookbooks are located, because MC will look only in those folders. (You should have a folder called something like "My Collection" or "Deluxe Collection" or something else with the word "collection" in it.) Then go to the cookbook list and press F5. Or did you try that already?

If the cookbook that you've copied to your hard drive is corrupted, have you tried deleting it and copying it again? Sometimes a few bits get frizzled in the copying process and a new copy will do the trick. But if the file on your floppy is corrupted, can you redownload it from the MC website that you mentioned?

Gee, I bet I sound as though I actually know what I'm talking about... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Phoebe

[Beth]

I didn't try refreshing. I came online to try to download fix for a bad file that cam up on my boot up. Had to check in, but until I get that taken care of, I'm going to leave the MC/CL program alone. Will let you know if that works. I'm not up to doing all those recipes one by one, so I'm not ready to give up. Thanks for the help.

[Beth]

Originally posted by Ohioan:
Beth, did you try refreshing the cookbook list by pressing F5 or using the "Tools" menu? Sometimes MasterCook won't acknowledge a new cookbook until you make it find the cookbook itself.....Gee, I bet I sound as though I actually know what I'm talking about... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Phoebe

Actually, you do! And, you did! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Once again this bulletin board and all it's wonderful contributors have come through. One keystroke was all I needed, but I was stumped, and Sierra was telling me my cookbooks were corrupted and I might be able to save some of it....Just didn't sound right. Thank you so much. Pat yourself on the back and consider yourself hugged! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 09-18-2000).]

[Ohioan]

Yippeee!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif And thanks for the hug, Beth. I send one back to you!

Cheers, Phoebe

[Kathy]

It worked...It really worked! Now I can't stop myself! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Thanks for all your posts..you help more people than you know!

[Beth]

It worked so well for sneezles that all she had to do was post the note. Talk about results!

Sneezles, glad you got it working.