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Please see the readme file for basic information on JWLMerge. Below is a description of the various functions.
Proceed as follows to merge multiple backup files into one:
- Drag and drop 2 or more backup files into the JWLMerge window.
- By default, all of the data from all backup files is merged, but you may optionally uncheck Notes, Bookmark, Underlining and Tags for individual backup files.
- Click the MERGE button.
- Specify the name and location of a new backup file containing the merged product.
- The process usually takes a few seconds to complete, after which you can import the newly-created backup file to your device(s).
Note that JWLMerge carefully merges data from multiple files. Where it finds duplicate information it only retains a single copy. Where the same information appears in 2 or more backups (e.g. notes) it uses the latest version.
Click the DETAILS button to display additional detailed information about the contents of a backup file. You can keep several Detail windows open at the same time. The Detail window provides a raw view of the database that is at the heart of a JWL backup file. Select a Data Type from the left-hand column to display the corresponding table's data in the right-hand column. The views are read-only - you can't modify this data. Click the column headers to sort the data.
Click the vertical ellipsis button to display a popup menu with commands that operate directly on the current backup file. It is important to remember that some of these commands can be quite destructive and they alter the content of the selected .jwlibrary file on disk.
Removes all of the favourites from a backup. As soon as the function completes, the original backup file is updated.
Displays a dialog to allow you to remove notes by selected Tags. As soon as the function completes, the original backup file is updated. There is an option to also remove associated underlining and the tags themselves.
Displays a dialog to allow you to remove underlining (and optionally associated notes) by chosen colours. As soon as the function completes, the original backup file is updated.
Displays a dialog to allow you to selectively remove underlining by Publication and Colour (and to optionally remove associated notes). As soon as the function completes, the original backup file is updated.
This function replaces all of your notes with "Lorem-Ipsum" text - the original notes are completely lost. This is generally only used when you want to pass a backup file to someone else (e.g. for some technical help) but you know that the notes contain sensitive data. As soon as the function completes, the original backup file is updated in place.
Exports all of your Bible notes to an Excel spreadsheet or a text file. Note that the text file format is identical to that used by the Import Bible Notes function described below. This means that it is possible to export your existing Bible Notes (in text format), modify them in a text editor and then reimport them.
JWLMerge allows you to import Bible notes into a backup file. This is an advanced function and requires you to prepare your notes in a particular way before importing. The function is useful if you maintain a collection of research notes using other software as these can be made available in JW Library. To import a text file containing your notes, go to the DETAILS page of a backup file and click the Import Bible Notes button (bottom left of the window).
JWLMerge needs to be able to determine which Bible is used and which verse each note corresponds to. The required format of the imported notes file is described below:
- The file should be in text format with a "txt" extension.
- The first line of the file should specify the Bible version, e.g. [BibleKeySymbol=nwtsty]
- The second line of the file should specify the language, e.g. [MepsLanguageId=0]
The values to use for items 2 and 3 above can be discovered by opening the Details page of one of your existing backup files and examining the KeySymbol and MepsLanguage columns in the Location grid.
Your notes follow. Each note should start with a verse specification in the following form:
[BOOK:CHAP:VS:WORD1:WORD2:COL]
- BOOK = the 1-based Bible book index, e.g. 1 = Genesis, 66 = Revelation.
- CHAP = the chapter.
- VS = the verse.
- WORD1 = the 0-based index of the first token in the verse to which the note applies.
- WORD2 = the 0-based index of the last token in the verse to which the note applies.
- COL = the colour index to use.
An abbreviated form of the verse specification can also be used as follows:
[BOOK:CHAP:VS]
This means the note applies to the whole verse.
The remaining content is the body of your note. You can use multiple lines. If the first line of a multi-line note is less than or equal to 50 characters in length then it is used as the note's title.
By way of example, the contents of a very simple import file are shown below. Both of the notes are on Genesis 3:15; the first refers to the verse as a whole and the second to a single word in the verse:
[BibleKeySymbol=nwtsty]
[MepsLanguageId=0]
[1:3:15]
First Prophecy
A prophecy. A covenant. The brevity and symbolic language of the
statement left many questions unanswered!
[1:3:15:4:4:0]
Enmity
There was also enmity on the part of the woman toward the Serpent.
Satan had called into question the integrity of every one of God's
intelligent creatures, including all the angels ... they could not
do otherwise than feel a loathing toward him.
The repository contains another sample notes file based on the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary of 1871 which is in the public domain. Please see under the "SampleBibleNotes" folder.
You cannot apply any formatting to the notes - this is not supported in JW Library.
The import routine checks for a matching note by comparing the verse specification (as described above) and the title. Thus you may have multiple notes on a single verse with each differentiated by its title. If a match is found it is updated (if the content has changed). If a match is not found a new note is inserted. Existing notes that do not have a matching entry in the import file are retained.
As an alternative to the GUI application, JWLMergeCLI.exe is a command-line version. Run in at a command prompt to display a description of usage.