The “Join Addresses” function in OPAS is used to help eliminate duplicate entries in the Address Book, particularly Artists and Venues.

The Join Addresses function consists of three files, contained in a self-extracting archive and located at the link below. Click or Right-click the link to download the self-extracting file to your computer desktop or another convenient location.

JoinAddresses.exe

When you double-click the downloaded JoinAddresses.exe file, a window will open that will ask the destination of the three files.  

Use the Browse button to locate the OPAS\PROGRAM folder on your server and click the large Unzip button at the top right of the window. (note that these files go to the "Program" folder and not the Report_Art folder as do reports)

OPAS must be restarted on individual computers in order to see the new data function but you do NOT need to restart the server.

Download these instructions in PDF Format

If an entity in OPAS is attached to an activity, OPAS will not let you delete that entity. So, if you inadvertently have two instances of the same artist, ensemble or venue, you can’t delete one of them until you first manage the performance history of that artist. This function automates that process.

The example is an Artist named Franklin Smith.  Mr. Smith exists in the database as a Piano Soloist, with a performance history as a piano soloist:

A separate record in OPAS also has Franklin Smith, but as a conductor with a separate performance history as a conductor. For the sake of example, in addition to the distinct performance histories, the two Franklin Smiths also have different address and contact information:

To eliminate one of the Franklin Smith entries, you must first eliminate the performance history of that entry. To do this, use the Join Addresses function to move the performance history from the one entity to the other.

This example will move the Franklin Smith “Conductor” performance information to the Franklin Smith “Soloist” record so that the Franklin Smith “Conductor” can be deleted.

Start from the Main screen for the Conductor record.  It is important that you start with the record that is to be emptied or deleted.

From the Main screen, click the Function icon and choose the “Join Addresses” function. Click the Start Function button.

OPAS will open to the standard “Green Screen” mode in the Artists area and prompt you to Select the Target. This will be the artist record to which you wish to move the performance history.

Use any search criteria to find the “master” record or the artist that will be the final record (the one to be left behind) and go to the Main screen for that record. In this example, that record is Franklin Smith the Soloist.  Note that the title bar still says “Select Target”

Then click the green OK button in the lower left corner

OPAS will display the following window to confirm the data that will be moved:

This is the old address, the one to be ultimately deleted

This is the new or master address, the one to be ultimately used

Click the Yes button to execute the data move.

Now the Franklin Smith "Soloist" record contains all performance history records and the Franklin Smith "Conductor" record has none.

It is important to note what the Join Address function does not do. It does not

• Delete the old Address Book or Artist record (in the example above, there are still two Franklin Smiths in the database)

• Merge, copy or move address, instrument or contact numbers

• Merge, copy or move agent information, additional data information, personal information or anything on the Documents screen

This is intentional and due to the fact that OPAS does not know which record contains the proper information, to avoid duplicate information (such as phone numbers) and to give you the option of deciding which piece(s) of information about each record will be retained and which will be discarded (which is especially helpful in cases where there are more than two records to be joined).