Merge Rather Than Delete: Difference between revisions

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'''It's usually best to enter [[Merge Releases Edit|Merge Releases edits]] to deal with [[Duplicate Release|duplicate releases]] instead of entering [[Remove Release Edit|Remove Release edits]]'''.
'''It's usually best to merge duplicate entities (releases, release groups, recordings, etc.) instead of deleting them'''.


Deleting releases has two kinds of bad effects on the database:
Deleting entities has two kinds of bad effects on the database:
* The [[MusicBrainz Identifier|MusicBrainz Identifiers]] that have been referenced anywhere (tagged files, links to [[MusicBrainz]] from other sites) will become invalid when the item is deleted. When merging it, however, the old [[MusicBrainz Identifier|MusicBrainz Identifiers]] will forward to the new item.
* The [[MusicBrainz Identifier|MusicBrainz identifiers]] that have been referenced anywhere (tagged files, links to [[MusicBrainz]] from other sites) will become invalid when the entity is deleted. When merging it, however, the old [[MusicBrainz Identifier|identifiers]] will forward to the entity it is merged into.
* Even if there's no useful data ([[Disc ID|DiscIDs]], [[PUID|PUIDs]], [[Release Event|Release Events]]) attached to the release, it's possible that someone may enter a [[Add PUIDs Edit|AddPUIDsEdit]], [[Add Disc ID Edit|AddDiscIDEdit]] or [[Edit Release Events Edit|EditReleaseEventsEdit]] before your [[Remove Release Edit|RemoveReleaseEdit]] is approved. If so, the recently added data will be lost.
* Even if there's no useful data attached to the entity when you enter the edit, it's possible that someone may enter it before your removal is approved. If so, the recently added data will be lost.


[[Category:Editing]]
This MergeRatherThanDelete guideline also applies to artists, but since a [[Remove Artist Edit|RemoveArtistEdit]] is not possible for an artist with any releases, relationships, tracks or [[Non-Album Tracks|NonAlbumTracks]] it is more of a system-enforced rule than a guideline. An analogous guideline is to [[Merge Misspelled Artists|MergeMisspelledArtists]].

[[Category:Editing]] [[Category:Style]]

Revision as of 17:39, 29 September 2011

It's usually best to merge duplicate entities (releases, release groups, recordings, etc.) instead of deleting them.

Deleting entities has two kinds of bad effects on the database:

  • The MusicBrainz identifiers that have been referenced anywhere (tagged files, links to MusicBrainz from other sites) will become invalid when the entity is deleted. When merging it, however, the old identifiers will forward to the entity it is merged into.
  • Even if there's no useful data attached to the entity when you enter the edit, it's possible that someone may enter it before your removal is approved. If so, the recently added data will be lost.