* Formatting of ‘Text From Source’ in Narrative Reports (and website)

[D-W]

Sometimes it is necessary to show the text from sources in a tabular form. Examples are census returns, the 1939 Register, and birth, marriage & death certificates. When entering tabular type data in Family Historian I use tabs to get the data to line up in columns. I have attached a screen clip of a typical census return entry (Source in FH.jpg). However, when I generate a Narrative Report the program appears to convert tabs into spaces and I end up with misaligned columns. It also insets ‘Text From Source’ at the start of the first line. A screen clip (Source in Narrative Report.jpg) is attached.

A similar problem arises when I use Family Historian’s Create a Website.

However, when I look at the TATE & SCOTT Family Tree at http://www.tatewise.co.uk/ancestry/ind9.html ‘Text From Source’ for tabular type sources such as the 1939 Register and Marriage Certificates are displayed in tabular form. I have attached a screen clip (Tate Website.jpg) which shows how I would like my tabular type sources to appear in Narrative Reports and the website I am trying to create.

How do I get my ‘Text From Sources’ in Narrative Reports and website to appear in tabular form?

[tatewise]

Yes, getting tabulated data aligned is a challenge in FH and needs better support.
See Wish List Ref 20 Word-processing facilities for note and source text (italics, bold, tables, etc) and Vote for it.

See how_to:tabulate_multiline_text_in_records_and_reports|> Tabulate Multiline Text in Records and Reports that offers solutions to the problems you raised.

You cannot avoid the Text From Source: heading but by starting every Text From Source field with a blank line it sidesteps the problem. That can be included in the Auto-Text Templates in Ancestral Sources.
The Search and Replace Plugin should be able to add those leading newlines retrospectively to your existing Source data.

For websites use the Improve Website or CD DVD HTML Plugin.
On its Hyperlinks / Text tab there is a Tab separator option that converts various forms of tabs into HTML aligned tables.
See plugins:help:improve_html:hyperlinks|> Improve Website or CD DVD HTML ~ Hyperlinks / Text Tab.

[D-W]

Many thanks for your reply. As usual it is full of useful information (you have replied to my queries before). I have looked at all the links which you provided and there is a lot to think about. I will certainly be working my way them in the coming weeks and may need to come back to you.
Jack W.

[D-W]

I knew I would need some extra help!

As suggested I voted for Wish List Ref 20 and was able to resolved the problem I was having with tabulating multiline text using the suggested link to the Knowledge Base.

However, I was not able to insert a blank line into the existing Text From Source fields. I installed Search and Replace and had no problems with simple searches and replacements but was unable to inert a blank line (carriage return) at the start of the Source Text field.

In the Basic Filters section I ticked ‘Text from Source fields’.
In the Search Criteria I selected ‘LUA Pattern Mode’ and entered %a in the Search box. Using the ‘Search ONLY’ mode produced all the Source Text fields which had text in them. However, I was unable to enter anything in the Replace box which inserted a blank line at the start of the text. I did read through all the Usage Examples and Understanding LUA Patterns and made a couple of attempts but only ended up replacing the text with a string of carriage returns!

Any help would be appreciated.

[tatewise]

I suspected you might need help with that Search and Replace operation but did not want to over complicate my initial reply with the details. You are almost there, and just need advice for the Search: and Replace: fields as follows:
^([^¶
].*)
and
¶
%1
respectively, where ¶ represents a newline and can actually be shown by selecting Show White Space.

That 'magic' is explained as follows:
^ anchors pattern to start of text
[^¶
] matches anything EXCEPT newline (to prevent existing newlines from being repeated)
.* matches any text
( ) around those patterns 'captures' their text
then
¶ inserts a newline
%1 inserts the 1st 'captured' text

[mezentia]

I recall attending a WDYTYA exhibition in Birmingham some years ago now and speaking with Jane about the lack of text formatting in fH. It was suggested that it could well be coming in a new version soon. I really think it's about time this issue was sorted. It's crazy that I need to spend hours re-working reports in Word to get a decent looking report suitable to send to other people. If there's one item on the wish list that ought to make it to a new version of fh, it's this one - in my humble opinion, of course

[tatewise]

I agree, but excuse my bluntness, you only gave the Wish List entry a Vote of 4 out of 5 !

Unfortunately, Jane is just a user like us, and cannot predict what Calico Pie will add to FH next.

[mezentia]

I note that my vote for this was cast in 2007. I probably voted 4 out of five in the same way as Strictly Come Dancing judges don't always award a high mark to the first pair of dancers in case a subsequent couple dances better so I was probably keeping "something in reserve" in case something better came along later. In hindsight, I'd now give it five.

This request is, nevertheless, now some 12 years old and there seems to be no progress towards it's implementation. One could therefore justifiably ask if development of FH has ground to a complete and utter standstill? And a very cynical view of the inclusion of a facility for users to write their own "plug-ins" could be that it will be left up to users to provide any new or updated functionality. It would be interesting to know if any wish list requests actually have made it into FH over the past dozen years.

Having tried and found much wanting in other products before moving many years ago now to FH, I am, and always have been, a vocal advocate of FH whenever asked for my opinion of Family History software (and sometimes when not asked, too ); I have no intention of moving to a new platform to document my research because

• I'm too old
  I've still too much research to do

However, the silence emananting from Calico Pie as to when, or if, an updated version of FH is forthcoming is quite deafening. I appreciate that Jane is, like all of us, just a user, but I had hoped that as she was on Calico Pie's stand that long ago day she might have had some insider knowledge. Alas, not the case.

I am simply a family historian. I would very much appreciate facilities in the software I use every day to document the lives of my family that enable me to recount the stories of my family in a way that is logical, attractively presented and easy to read. I need simple facilities for text and paragraph formatting and tools for picture placement without the necessity of resorting to arcane methods and without having to duplicate my efforts using combinations of packages. Not too much to ask, surely?

[tatewise]

Here! Here! Regarding Wish List Ref 20 Word-processing facilities for note and source text (italics, bold, tables, etc)

To answer your question about Wish List items implemented in the last 12 years, then go to the Wish List and tick Show Completed and click <<Go>>. All entries in the ADDED VERSION column for 3.0 or later have been implemented in the last 12 years or so, but I admit things have gone quiet in recent years. Maybe there will be an announcement at RootsTech 2019 in London later this month.