* Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Questions regarding use of any Version of Family Historian. Please ensure you have set your Version of Family Historian in your Profile. If your question fits in one of these subject-specific sub-forums, please ask it there.
Post Reply
avatar
sheepdip11
Platinum
Posts: 30
Joined: 07 May 2012 12:57
Family Historian: V7
Location: Hampshire UK
Contact:

Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by sheepdip11 »

I am creating a new FH project of a non-related family but who are local to the existing project family. So most PLACES and ADDRESSES are the same.
I can't find a FAQ or enquiry on this. How do I copy all my existing FH project PLACES and ADDRESSES to this new Project.
Peter
avatar
Gowermick
Megastar
Posts: 1702
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 07:22
Family Historian: V7
Location: Swansea

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by Gowermick »

One way would be to copy an existing project to a new project, then simply delete every individual. That would still leave all your places, addresses and sources intact.
Mike Loney

Website http://www.loney.tribalpages.com
http://www.mickloney.tribalpages.com
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

You cannot copy Address fields because they mostly only exist in Facts.
You would have to copy a lot of Individual records with a representative set of Facts that held the required Addresses.
Those Individual records would have to remain in the Project unrelated to the new Individuals.
Unfortunately, Gowermick's suggestion regarding Addresses does NOT work, because as soon as all the Individuals and their Facts are deleted then all the Addresses will go too.

You can export all the Place records by using the File > Import/Export > Export > GEDCOM File command.
Don't select any Individual records, and tick all the Exclude options except Place records and [[private]] notes and Unconnected records. For Media Records select Exclude.
When you click OK ignore the warning about no Individuals being selected.

Then create the new Project from that GEDCOM or File > Merge it into your new Project.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Gowermick
Megastar
Posts: 1702
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 07:22
Family Historian: V7
Location: Swansea

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by Gowermick »

Mike,
I'd have to disagree. Deleting Individuals does NOT delete associated places. If that was the case, then every place would would have a minimum of 1 link! Looking at my own project, I have hundred of places with 0 links! As a result of deleting various people over time.

I just tried my suggestion with a dummy project, and deleting all individuals left the places intact, all with 0 links.
Mike Loney

Website http://www.loney.tribalpages.com
http://www.mickloney.tribalpages.com
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

I agree about Places, but I did NOT say Places I said Addresses. I here an ooops coming.

If you actually read my posting, it very clearly explains different outcomes for Place fields as opposed to Address fields. They are VERY different. Place fields are linked to Place records, or indeed Place records can exist without a link. That is why it is imperative to untick the Unconnected records option, otherwise unlinked Place records will get excluded. Address fields are NOT linked to anything, but exist in isolation in Facts and Repositories. If the containing record is deleted then the Address fields go too.

I cannot believe you do not understand the difference between Place and Address.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Gowermick
Megastar
Posts: 1702
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 07:22
Family Historian: V7
Location: Swansea

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by Gowermick »

Mike,
Whilst I did say Places and not Addresses, I think the original poster really meant Places rather than both. The chances of being able to re-use existing addresses would be highly unlikely.
Mike Loney

Website http://www.loney.tribalpages.com
http://www.mickloney.tribalpages.com
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

I don't think the poster can be any clearer than saying PLACES and ADDRESSES in capitals three times!

I also clearly differentiate between Places and Addresses because they behave differently regardless of what you think the poster might want. It was in fact yourself that said it would "leave all your places, addresses and sources intact" which is what I corrected as Addresses would NOT be retained. To make the point absolutely clear: Addresses would NOT be retained intact, but Place records and Source records, and for that matter Media records, Repository records, and others would be retained that the poster did not ask for.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Gowermick
Megastar
Posts: 1702
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 07:22
Family Historian: V7
Location: Swansea

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by Gowermick »

Sorry Mike. Obviously I didn’t re-read my original answer. My bad.

In saying that, I still stand by my opinion that it would be a waste of time copying addresses, it is highly unlikely they could be re-used.
Mike Loney

Website http://www.loney.tribalpages.com
http://www.mickloney.tribalpages.com
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

I am glad that at last we are in agreement.
Whether copying Addresses is worthwhile or not is a moot point since they cannot be copied anyway.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
BillH
Megastar
Posts: 2245
Joined: 31 May 2010 03:40
Family Historian: V7
Location: Washington State, USA

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by BillH »

Just to play devils advocate for a moment, I would disagree that it is highly unlikely that addresses would be re-used. I have many addresses which are re-used many times. I have one that is used 118 times! So even though they can't be copied to a new project today, I can definitely see the potential use for that ability. One more reason it would be nice if addresses were kept in their own record and linked to as places are.
avatar
Gowermick
Megastar
Posts: 1702
Joined: 13 Oct 2015 07:22
Family Historian: V7
Location: Swansea

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by Gowermick »

BillH,
I too have many addresses that are well used, BUT only amongst relatives. I really doubt any of them would be re-used by a non-relative as implied by the original poster.

However, it is worth remembering that some users combine Address AND Place together. In that case, they wouldn’t have an Address list, just Places, and as we already know, Places are copyable. As much as I hate the idea of combining them, this is one advantage that I didn’t foresee. :D
Mike Loney

Website http://www.loney.tribalpages.com
http://www.mickloney.tribalpages.com
avatar
sheepdip11
Platinum
Posts: 30
Joined: 07 May 2012 12:57
Family Historian: V7
Location: Hampshire UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by sheepdip11 »

Phew!
Thank you all.

I think I'll just "export all the PLACE records" to the new project as Mike suggested.

(BTW - I often copy & paste Place facts to Address for the 19th century rural residents)

Peter
avatar
SimPar
Gold
Posts: 25
Joined: 07 Mar 2015 16:20
Family Historian: V7

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by SimPar »

Just a thought. There might be some milage in adding a dummy unrelated individual or individuals to a project to which multiple addresses, places and even sources can be attached. These individuals could then be copied into other projects. Care would need to be taken not to include said individuals in reports etc.

I haven't fully checked this one out yet, so would welcome any thoughts on why it might not work. I won't take it personally! I have used it to move 50 odd places across.

Simon
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

Simon, as explained earlier, you don't need to go to those lengths just to copy Place names across.
You simply copy the Place records.
You can similarly copy all Source records and/or Repository records, or any other type of record.

It is because Address fields are NOT records that they pose a challenge.

Yes, a dummy unrelated Individual record with a Fact for every Address you wanted to copy would work, but the effort to remember to add a Fact for every new Address would be considerable.
However, a Plugin could be written that automatically created such an Individual record with a Fact for each unique Address found by scouring all the existing Facts in the Project.
As you say, care would be needed in the new Project to retain that dummy Individual but exclude them from Reports, etc.

A similar strategy could be employed to seed a new Project with Occupations, or Source Types, or any other data values listed in Tools > Work with Data.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28341
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by tatewise »

I have realised there is a drawback of using the dummy unrelated Individual record strategy.
In the new Project it will have the same Record Id as in the original Project and that will probably be very large.
That will set the starting Record Id for the new Individual records.
The Record Id could initially be reset to 1 but that dummy unrelated Individual record will always have the lowest Record Id.

An alternative strategy is for the Plugin to create dummy Repository records, one for each Address.
They could have a unique Name starting with say a tilde (~) or the word 'Address' followed by the Address itself.
The only field defined within each such Repository would be the Address field.
Such Repositories can easily be disregarded, and their Record Id is largely irrelevant.
In many respects they are similar to having an Address record for each Address as was suggested earlier.
After copying to a new Project all Repository records would be included, and if necessary the non-Address ones could be deleted, but even they are likely to be reusable in the new Project.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
SimPar
Gold
Posts: 25
Joined: 07 Mar 2015 16:20
Family Historian: V7

Re: Copying PLACES and ADDRESSES to new project

Post by SimPar »

Hi Mike,

Thanks for giving this some thought and spotting the flaws in my theory. But it does seem there is some mileage to be had from lateral thinking! Cheers

Simon
Post Reply