Importing from Safe Place

Mark Sealey

I really, really want to switch to [i]1Password[/i]!



Currently have my 800+ passwords in [url="http://www.mere-mortal-software.com/safeplace/"][i]Safe Place[/i][/url], which will allow TSV export, which I can in turn massage - in a spreadsheet, of course.



Trouble is, [i]Safe Place[/i] has categories, 'Credit cards', 'Email accounts', 'Bank accounts', 'Software registration' etc.



The only choice I can see to import a well-formed TSV file into [i]1Password[/i] is into its [b]login[/b].



Is there another way?



Am I doing something wrong?



Anyone else care to share their experiences on importing into [i]1Password[/i] from [i]Safe Place[/i], please?



TIA!

Mark Sealey

I'm trying to do the same from [url="http://www.mere-mortal-software.com/safeplace/"][i]SafePlace[/i][/url], which can export to TSV etc. It has multiple categories… 'Credit cards', 'Email accounts', 'Bank Accounts' etc.



But my attempts so far have all failed because [i]1Password[/i] puts everything into Logins.



Anyone any ideas, please?



TIA!

brenty

I'll preface this by saying that I have zero experience with Safe Place.



Since 1Password doesn't seem to have native support for importing Safe Place data, it'll probably be a bit messy in any case. I almost think your best option would be to export plain text -- Comma Separated Values or Delimited Text.



One way or another, we will get this to work for you. It'll be worth it in the end! <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

Mark Sealey

brenty,



Thanks for coming to my rescue. I was beginning to give up hope <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />.



I can absolutely export to TSV (or CSV after a quick edit in [i]BBEdit[/i], if needs be).



But there the fun ends… [i]SafePlace[/i] has multiple templates.



And while they're all the same in principle, the whole point of [i]SafePlace[/i] - like [i]1Password[/i] - is to distinguish between, say, 'Bank Accounts' (whose fields I have set to 'Account Name', 'PIN', 'Account number' etc) and 'Credit cards' (where I have such fields as 'Issuing Bank', 'Credit Card name', 'Name on Credit card', 'PIN' again and so on).



When I've run trial imports into [i]1Password[/i], I can easily map these fields onto those in [i]1Password[/i] too.



[b]But everything goes into Logins![/b]



Am I doing something wrong there?



How - IOW - do I import [i]SafePlace[/i]'s exported 'Bank Accounts' into [i]1Password[/i]'s Wallets and its 'Email accounts' into [i]1Password[/i]'s Identities etc?!



How do I/can I specify where imports go?



Thanks so much!



I truly believe it'll be worth it?



[quote name='brenty' timestamp='1297309207' post='20340']…I almost think your best option would be to export plain text -- Comma Separated Values or Delimited Text.…[/quote]

khad

Welcome to the forums, Mark! I'm sorry that you're having trouble importing.



At this time, 1Password does only import items as Logins or Secure Notes — or [url="http://blog.agile.ws/596479043/"]Software Licenses[/url]. This is due to wildly varying data formats which other applications can export. Since the mapping is not one-to-one (going from 1Password to 1Password or from Safe Place to Safe Place), we have decided not to attempt to do this for you at this risk of mangling your data. We have some work to do on the importer(s), but it is one of the hardest areas of the application to improve with perhaps the smallest "return of investment." <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_worried.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':S' />



By way of example, this is the first I have ever heard of Safe Place, so any improvement we spend hours and hours working on may only benefit a handful of our users. We try to focus on features that the most number of users can benefit from because — contrary to what you may be feeling as you attempt this import — we really do love our customers and want to make them happy! It's the same principle behind getting all of your kids Christmas presents every year rather than getting only [i]one[/i] of them a really [i]big[/i] gift. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



It is hard to make a case for directing the many, many hours of developer resources it would take to improve this even a little bit away from some of the other major features and improvements for which work is already underway. Your data will be imported, but since all applications format data in different ways — some completely custom, i.e., [i]unique for each individual user[/i] — more of it may be included in Secure Notes than you would like.



Many users — including some of our own staff — have transitioned from another application to 1Password by running both simultaneously for a while until everything was transferred over. It distributes the burden over time, thus making the amount of [i]daily[/i] effort approach zero, and it has the added bonus of allowing you to easily exclude items which you no longer need or use.



I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you, but please let me know if you have any further questions. I would love to help in any way that I can!

Mark Sealey

Khad,



Thanks so much for your friendly and supportive reply.



I appreciate your justifying not spending an undue amount of time on import routines for obscure products <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />.



You're dead right.



Every feeling I get from this company, product, board and community is indeed of wanting the best for your customers.



I take everything in that spirit; thanks.



[b]I suppose I was just hoping that there'd be an easier way to import, not (necessarily) [i]SafePlace[/i] data as such - but CSV/TSV, since that's universal and surely easier to control.[/b]



If you are ruling that out for the present, I think I'll look at the feasibility of using the inbuilt importers for web logins and software licences (thanks for asmythe's tip!) and - Yes - copy and paste the remaining few hundred by hand!!!!



Really… it seems as though [i]1Password[/i] is that good.



Thanks again…



[quote name='khad' timestamp='1297394846' post='20397']…I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you, but please let me know if you have any further questions. I would love to help in any way that I can!

[/quote]

khad

Mark,



Thank you for understanding and sharing such kind words about 1Password. We love making software that our users love. It actually kept me up a bit last night wondering how your import went (or was about to go). I live in Los Angeles and contemplated offering to come over and help you with it. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



Please do let us know if there is ever anything else we can do to help. I have shared your post with the rest of the team, and we all know the pain of transitioning from one application to another. It's not easy, but we think it is worth it if the application is that much better. We hope you continue to agree that 1Password is.



Cheers!

Mark Sealey

Khad,



How extraordinarily kind!



What I plan to do is test import the Logins first (400 of my 800).



[b]Do they need an actual URL to be recognized as logins?[/b]



Then try and format the Software Licenses (about 300) according to [url="http://blog.agile.ws/596479043/"]this format[/url].



[b]Can I make a backup of what I've achieved first - in case the second stage fails?[/b]



Then paste the remaining 100 in manually; say 20 a day - a week <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />.



Once again, thanks; please do not lose any sleep. Here's another (potentially) happy customer/convert!



Have a great w/e <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />.



[quote name='khad' timestamp='1297464383' post='20446']…Please do let us know if there is ever anything else we can do to help. I have shared your post with the rest of the team, and we all know the pain of transitioning from one application to another. It's not easy, but we think it is worth it if the application is that much better. We hope you continue to agree that 1Password is.…[/quote]

brenty

[quote name='Mark Sealey' timestamp='1297487667' post='20479']

[b]Can I make a backup of what I've achieved first - in case the second stage fails?[/b]



Then paste the remaining 100 in manually; say 20 a day - a week <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />.

[/quote]



Absolutely use the export tool to back up your progress! The only thing more painful than having to go through a transition like this is having to do it [i]again[/i]. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />



It certainly is a daunting task, but thinking of it as 20 a day for less than a week certainly makes it seem more manageable. <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />



Another thing to consider (especially if you're planning to do part of it manually) is that 1Password may support additional data fields in some cases that Safe Place did not. I know when I made the switch full time from LastPass I used it as an opportunity to prune and massage my data, in stead of painstakingly duplicating it. In a few cases this saved me some effort.



In any case, I hope it goes well, and I'll see you around! <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

Mark Sealey

Thank, brenty.



That's exactly how I'm thinking of it <img src='http://forum.agile.ws/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/skype_smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':-)' />



Your help appreciated.



[quote name='brenty' timestamp='1297501748' post='20484']…an opportunity to prune and massage my data, in stead of painstakingly duplicating it.…[/quote]

khad

[quote]Do they need an actual URL to be recognized as logins?[/quote]

Yes. That is the "foundation" of a Login.



[quote]Can I make a backup of what I've achieved first - in case the second stage fails?[/quote]

Absolutely. As brenty mentioned, you can export (File > Export) in whole or in part to a 1Password Interchange File and/or backup your data file wholesale (File > Backup Data File). By default the backups are performed automatically once a day (only when the data has changed), and the 10 most recent backups are saved (Preferences > Backups).



Cheers!