Following is the description of the MXP import/export format. This format uses a combination of spaces and keywords rather than tabs as recipe section and field delimiters. If you are planning on exchanging recipes via the Internet, this is the format you should use. All MasterCook users, regardless of the version they use, will be able to import recipes in this format.

NOTE: The MXP format IS position/column dependent in MasterCook II and MasterCook Mac. That is, field position is very specific and they MUST adhere to the format EXACTLY as it is shown below.

The Recipe Translator in MasterCook 3.0, does NOT require that fields begin in specific columns. The removal of this position dependency introduces great flexibility and eliminates many possible import errors.

(Instructional comments appear within brackets, "[ ]", below a line and are NOT part of the format. All lines are REQUIRED unless the comments indicate otherwise.)

                      *  Exported from  MasterCook  *
BLANK Line
  [Optional and there may be more than one blank line]
                        Recipe Title
BLANK Line
[Optional]
Recipe By     : name
  [Keywords "Recipe By:" are required]
Serving Size  : number    Preparation Time :hours:minutes
  [Keywords "Serving Size" and "Preparation Time" are required;
   this line is optional]
Categories    : category1            category2
                category3
  [Keyword "Categories:" is required;there may be 10 categories]
   these lines are optional
BLANK LINE
  [Optional]
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  amt     unit          ingredient -- preparation method
 [You may repeat this line up to 100 times;there must be NO blank lines
  between ingredients.]
BLANK Line
 [Must be blank and cannot contain spaces or non-display characters]
Directions. Free form text. Blank lines may exist in this section.
BLANK Line
 [Optional]
                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
  [Opt: End-of-Directions or end-of-recipe
   if you do not use "Notes" and "Serving Ideas"]
Per serving: Nutritional information
  [This will be generated when you export time and will NOT be imported]
Serving Ideas : text
  [Optional]
NOTES : text
  [Optional]

NOTE: The MXP format delimiter to separate ingredient and preparation method is:

         "space 2 dashes space" :   1 cup carrots -- chopped

Following is the description of the Mac import/export format. This format uses a combination of keywords and tabs as recipe section and field delimiters. It is not recommended that you exchange recipes in the Mac format via the Internet, because many Internet Service Providers and email programs strip all tabs from text files.

(Instructional comments appear within brackets, "[ ]", below a line and are NOT part of the format. All lines are REQUIRED unless the comments indicate otherwise.)

{ Exported from MasterCook Mac }

Recipe Title
BLANK Line
Recipe By: <TAB> name
  [Keywords "Recipe By:" are required]
Serving Size: <TAB> number
  [This line is optional; if used, Keywords "Serving Size:" are reqd.]
Preparation Time: <TAB> hours:minutes
  [This line is optional;if used, Keywords "Preparation Time:" are reqd.]
Categories: <TAB> category1 <TAB> category2 <TAB> category3
  [This line is optional; if used Keyword "Categories:" is required;
   there may be 10 categories]
BLANK Line
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method
amt <TAB> unit <TAB> ingredient <TAB> preparation method
 [You may repeat this line up to 100 times;
   there must be NO blank lines between ingredients.]
BLANK Line
Directions. Free form text. Blank lines MAY exist in this section.
<TAB> ----- <TAB>
 [End-of-Directions; optional if you do not use "Notes" and "Serving
  Ideas"]
Notes: <TAB> Text
  [This line is optional]
Serving Ideas: <TAB> Text
  [This line is optional]
###
 [Designates end of recipe and is optional]

NOTE: The Mac format delimiter to separate ingredient and preparation method is:

         <TAB> :   1 cup carrots<TAB>chopped

Following is the description of the Generic import format. It is by far the easiest format to use if you are preparing unformatted text files for import.

This format uses only blank lines as recipe section delimiters. Consequently, the order of blank lines and text lines is rigid. However, because no keywords are used in this format, the position of text on any line is extremely flexible. Additionally, there are three possible delimiters that can be used in the ingredient section.

(Instructional comments appear within brackets, "[ ]", below a line and are NOT part of the format. All lines are REQUIRED unless the comments indicate otherwise.)

1st line: @@@@@
[that's 5 "at" signs]
2nd line: TITLE of the recipe
3rd line: BLANK Line
4th line: NOTES -- ONE line of text
5th line: BLANK Line
6th line: amount unit ingredient preparation method
[You may repeat this line up to 100 times;there must be NO blank lines between ingredients.]
BLANK Line
Directions. Free form text. Blank lines may exist in this section.
@@@@@
[Optional. Will end this recipe and attempt to import the next recipe.]

NOTE: The generic format uses any of the following delimiters to separate ingredient and preparation method is:

         comma:   1 cup carrots, chopped
    semi-colon:   1 cup carrots; chopped
        <TAB> :   1 cup carrots<TAB>chopped

You received formatted recipes from the Internet and you want to import them into MasterCook?

First, give it a try! In most cases the MasterCook importer will successfully import recipes, even if they contain the wrong end-of-line delimiters. But if the recipes cannot be imported or they do not imported "cleanly", you may be trying to import recipes that are a combination of format and text type that MasterCook does not import.

Check the following chart for the version of MasterCook you are running and locate the exact RECIPE FORMAT and TEXT TYPE you are trying to import. (See "HOW TO IDENTIFY RECIPE FORMAT" and "HOW TO IDENTIFY TEXT TYPE" below.)

If the box says "NO", then you will need to edit the recipes so they are in an acceptable combination of both format and text type.

: It will generally be easier to change the text type than the recipe format. (See "HOW TO CORRECT TEXT TYPE" below.) Of course, if a recipe format is not supported by your version of MasterCook, then you must change the recipe format to one that is acceptable.

If the box says "YES", then the format and text type are NOT the problem. Even if the recipes contain EOL delimiters that are invalid for your system, MasterCook will be able to read the recipes and it will convert the EOL delimiters as it imports. See "PART FOUR: WHAT WENT WRONG?" for other possible problems and solutions.

: If the text type is incorrect, the recipes were most likely downloaded and a text file was downloaded as raw data (binary) file type so text translation did not occur. Instead of changing the text type yourself, you may wish to download the recipes again, this time specifying "text" as the file type. Your downloading program will, in most cases, do the text translation for you.

MC EXPORT FORMAT & END-OF-LINE DELIMITERS	MASTERCOOK 3.0 (Windows & Mac)	MASTERCOOK II (Windows)	MASTERCOOK MAC (Mac)
MXP Format DOS EOL	Yes	Yes	Yes
MXP Format Mac EOL	Yes	No	Yes
MXP Format Unix EOL	No**	No	No
Mac Format DOS EOL	Yes*	No	Yes
Mac Format Mac EOL	Yes*	Yes	Yes
Mac Format Unix EOL	No**	No	No
Generic Format DOS EOL	Yes	No	No
Generic Format Mac EOL	Yes	No	No
Generic Format Unix EOL	No**	No	No

* The recipe is imported, however, the preparation method is placed in the ingredient field rather than the "preparation method field". (The <TAB> is not being recognized.) This is a "bug" and will be corrected in a future release of the Recipe Translator.

** It will appear to import correctly, however, only the title is imported. All else is blank.

IN SUMMARY:

-- MasterCook 3.0 can import ALL formats with either DOS or Mac EOL delimiters.

-- Unix delimiters (line feeds only) can NOT be successfully imported by any version of MasterCook, regardless of format. See "HOW TO CORRECT TEXT TYPE" below.

-- MasterCook II can import MXP formats ONLY with DOS EOL delimiters and Mac formats ONLY with Mac EOL delimiters

-- MasterCook Mac can import MXP formats with either DOS or Mac EOL delimiters. MasterCook Mac can also import Mac formats with either DOS or Mac delimiters.

View the recipes in the text file with any editor or word processing program.

-- MXP formatted recipes will begin with:

                      *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

-- Mac formatted recipes will begin with: { Exported from MasterCook Mac }

-- Generic formatted recipes will begin with:

@@@@@

DOS:  Carriage Return, Line Feed
Mac:  Carriage Return
Unix: Line Feed

HINTS on how to determine the text type:

How did you receive the recipes?

-- via EMAIL: The text type will match YOUR system type regardless of the system it came from. The email program translates the text type when a message is received. For example, if you use a DOS system, all of your email will be converted to contain DOS EOL delimiters.

-- via ATTACHED DOCUMENTS or DOWNLOADED: View the recipes with a text editor (such as Simple Text or Notepad):

If the recipes look correct, then the text type matches YOUR system type. For example, if you are a Macintosh user, then the recipes will contain Mac EOL delimiters.

If the lines appear to be run-on and/or contain non-text characters such as "black rectangles" or "blank squares", then they contain EOL delimiters that your system does not recognize. For example, you are a DOS user and the file came from either a Macintosh or Unix system.

: Some editors (such as BBedit on a Macintosh system and Editmaster on DOS) will show you what type text a file contains. An editor with this capability is an invaluable tool if you do a lot of text file exchange outside of email.

: Files on the Internet are often stored on Unix systems. Because of this, there is a likely chance that recipes you download will contain Unix EOL delimiters. If you specify "text" as the file type when you download, your downloading program should do the translation for you.

Once you have determined that a file's text type is preventing recipes from importing, you will need to convert the EOL delimiters. Following are several methods that you may use to correct the text type. 1) Download the file again, specifying "text" as the file type. 2) Use an editor or word processing program to automatically convert the text type.

: Some editors (such as BBedit on a Macintosh system and Editmaster on DOS) will show you what type text a file contains. If you have such an editor, it will also convert the file to contain the correct EOL delimiters for you.

: Many word processing programs will translate the text type for display when you open the file.(MicroSoft Word, WordPad, Word Perfect, and ClarisWorks are some examples.) After opening the text file, do a "save as" and specify a file type of "Text". The "pure text" format will be preserved and the file will be stored with the correct EOL delimiters.

An alternative to saving the file as text, is to do a "select all" and "copy" the file. Then simply do a paste into a text file. This will effectively convert the text type for you.

To verify that the file was converted, open it with NotePad or Simple Text and make sure the text looks OK. If not, then you will need to convert the text manually.

3) Manually change the end-of-line delimiters on each logical line.

WINDOWS USERS:
Required EOL Delimiters:
Carriage Return AND Line Feed
Symptoms of wrong EOL delimiters:

-- Lines all run together across the page with one black rectangle appearing after each logical line. This text contains either carriage returns only (Mac EOL delimiters) OR line feeds only (Unix EOL delimiters) at the end of each line. A carriage return AND line feed need to be at the end of each logical line. (Note that a black rectangle with no text before it indicates a blank line that must be inserted.)

Procedure to Correct the Text Type:

: Some editors (such as Editmaster) will automatically convert the EOL delimiter for you. If you have such an editor, simply select the text type and save the file.

: Many word processing programs will translate the text type for display when you open the file.(MicroSoft Word, WordPad,and Word Perfect are some examples.) After opening the text file, do a "save" and it will be stored with the converted end-of-line delimiters. (To verify that the file was converted, open it with NotePad and make sure the text looks OK.) If not, then you will need to manually convert the text.

To manually correct the text type: -- Select the foreign character (black rectangle) at the end of each logical line. -- Delete the character using the delete key. If two or more rectangles appear together, delete each of them. -- Press the "Return" key. Make sure you press "Return" once for each rectangle you delete. This will add the correct carriage return and line feed. -- Repeat this process for every foreign (non-text) character you see. -- Save the file. Import it into MasterCook.

-- Format appears OK, except there is a "blank square" preceding each line. This text contains both a carriage return AND line feed (DOS EOL delimiters). The line feed needs to be deleted at the beginning of each line.

-- Lines all run together across the page with one "blank square" appearing after each logical line. (A "blank square" with no text before it indicates a blank line that must be inserted.) This text contains line feeds only at the end of each line (Unix EOL delimiters). The line feed needs to be deleted and a carriage return inserted at the end of each logical line.

Procedure to Edit the recipes:

: Some editors (such as BBedit) will automatically convert the EOL delimiter for you. If you have such an editor, simply select the text type and save the file.

: Many word processing programs will translate the text type for display when you open the file. (MicroSoft Word and Word Perfect are some examples.) After opening the text file, do a "save" and it will be stored with the converted end-of-line delimiters. (To verify that the file was converted, open it with Simple Text and make sure the text looks OK.) If not, then you will need to manually convert the text.

For files containing both carriage returns and line feeds (DOS EOLs) -- Select the non-text ("blank square") at the beginning of each line. -- Delete the character using the delete key. -- Repeat this process until the first position of every line has been deleted.

For files containing line feeds only (Unix EOLs): -- Select the non-text ("blank square") character at the end of each logical line. -- Delete the character using the delete key. If two or more squares appear together, delete each of them. -- Press the "Return" key. Make sure you press "Return" once for each square you deleted. This will add the correct carriage return. -- Repeat this process for every "blank square" you see. -- Save the file. Import it into MasterCook.

(MASTERCOOK 3.0 ONLY)

When the Recipe Translator detects a possible import error, the recipe in question is placed on the "Import Results" window.

Import errors are handled identically in MC 3.0 for Windows and MC 3.0 for Macintosh. That is, the same errors will result in recipes being placed in the Import Results window on both systems.

However, Windows users WILL NOT receive a warning message that a possible problem was detected and that a recipe was placed in the Import Results window. (Exception: a warning message WILL be issued when a duplicate recipe name is encountered, renamed, and placed in the window.)

Macintosh users WILL receive a warning message when the Recipe Translator encounters suspected problems. These recipes will be then be placed in the "Import Results" window with an accompanying icon indicating the nature of the error.

Following is a description of the reason a recipe may be placed in the Import Results window, and it's probable condition:

NOTE: The associated icon description applies ONLY to Macintosh users.

1. "NOTE" Error: CAUSE: Fields in the original recipe were truncated because the ingredient or preparation method was too long. Or other limits, such as number of categories, were exceeded. CONDITION: The recipe is most likely OK. This typically is only to inform you that some changes were made to the recipe. If a field was truncated, it was wrapped to the next line. There could be some loss of data, in which case you will need to refer back to the source text to correct the recipe. ICON: Explanation (Person saying something icon) EXAMPLES: Too many categories (limit is 10) Too many ingredients (limit is 100) Preparation Method field is too long (limit is 20 characters)

2. "CAUTION" or "ALERT" Error: CAUSE: Invalid data was found in one or more of the fields. If the error was recoverable and the translator continued, the caution will be used. Note that if the error occurred in an ingredient, the error line will have a "bullet" in the preparation method field. (This will appear as a blank rectangle on Windows systems and a black dot on Macintosh systems.) CONDITION: Recipe may be OK but it is advisable to look it over. The problem is usually in the ingredients and is very often resolved by the translator. On occasion there may loss of data, so you will need to refer back to the source file to correct the recipe. ICON: Caution (Red triangle with exclamation point icon) EXAMPLES: Invalid amount and unit combination, such as 1 (16 oz) lb butter (This is invalid because it doesn't both of the units are pre-defined measurements. Whereas "1 (16 oz) can tomatoes" IS valid because the size of a container is being defined.)

3. "STOP" or "FATAL" Error: CAUSE: The Recipe Translator could not find or recognize the next part of the recipe. In this case, the remainder of the recipe is not imported. CONDITION: The recipe is NOT fit for human consumption. Go back to the original text file & look for obvious errors such as missing required blank lines. ICON: Stop (Stop sign with hand icon) EXAMPLES: The correct "Amount Unit Ingredient Preparation Method" delimiter is missing. Text file contains Unix EOL delimiters.

4. DUPLICATE RECIPE NAME Error: CAUSE: The Recipe Translator encountered a recipe in the target cookbook with the same name as one it is importing. The importer will rename the new recipe by appending a numeric suffix to the name. CONDITION: The recipe is fine. It is placed in the Import Results window only to alert you that a duplicate recipe name had been encountered and that the recipe was renamed. ICON: Blue striped "recipe cards" with a red title.

From the Main Menu select Utilities. Choose Export Recipe from the Utilities menu. In the "Export Recipe" window, type a name for the file that you will be exporting. Select the type of file to export: Create a new file Append the end of the last file Replace an existing file.

Select the recipes you will be exporting: Individual recipe Marked recipes Range of recipes specified

Type the number of the recipe(s) you wish to export (Example: (1-15)). Select an export formats: Normal Format BB Format MM Format Export the ingredients in: Single Columns Dual Columns Select Go, or Exit.