* Plugins planned/in progress

For users to report plugin bugs and request plugin enhancements; and for authors to test new/new versions of plugins, and to discuss plugin development (in the Programming Technicalities sub-forum). If you want advice on choosing or using a plugin, please ask in General Usage or an appropriate sub-forum.
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ColeValleyGirl
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Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

As we have more plugin authors these days, I though it would be useful to have a topic where authors could record the plugins they have planned or in progress, to avoid duplication of effort.

Please post here if you're a plugin author (or budding plugin author) with work underway or planned.
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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

I'll kick things off. I'm working on (or have planned):

DEAS:
  • Birth from any source (generic or templated)
  • Baptism from any source
  • Marriage from any source
  • Death from any source
  • Burial/cremation from any source
  • Birth/death/marriage from civil registration indices
I have working prototypes of all the above, but am taking the time to get a common architecture in place so that changes/extensions will be easy to make.
  • Census from any source
Again, I have a working prototype but want to get an architecture in place that I can extend to passenger lists, electoral rolls, city directories and telephone books (if possible)

I also have the following plugins to update to V7:
  • Research Planner -- migrate existing tasks to Research Notes if wanted
  • Add Source from Template -- with original author's permission -- include adding media and previewing (for V6 and V7). I have a working version for V6 but need to modify to be V7 compatible
And a new V6/7 plugin that will build on MultiFact (which I won't update for V7]:
  • MultiNote -- will allow a Note (or Research Note) based on selected Autotext to be attached to multiple INDI/FAM records; or allow multiple Notes (or Research Notes) to be attached to a single INDI/FAM record.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by tatewise »

Good Idea.

FYI: When Plugin: Add Source From Template (14258) was discussed in 2016 there was interest in a variant that used global templates available to all Projects (rather like Source Templates).
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

From me, a generic source splitter that converts a selected lumped generic source to individual split sources. To work in all FH versions supporting plugins, and aimed particularly at new users migrating from FTM or similar apps that make extensive use of lumped sources.

Target end May 2021 for first prototype version.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

tatewise wrote: 09 May 2021 13:46 FYI: When Plugin: Add Source From Template (14258) was discussed in 2016 there was interest in a variant that used global templates available to all Projects (rather like Source Templates).
Already done, Mike, but thanks for the reminder.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by tatewise »

I have plans or prototypes for:
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

The plugin to import and convert RM templated sources is getting a few downloads, so I will implement the saving of Source Template definitions as a separate self-contained plugin that would be relevant for any code-generated templates, rather than revise this plugin again.

The code would be highly re-useable, so the functions could be copied to any other plugin in the future with minimal, if any, change. Target end May.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by tatewise »

I was contemplating an update to the Install Library Modules plugin to hide those modules when the plugin is run in FH v7.

However, in Re: Heads up for plugin authors in V7, Helen says another user has written a plugin to do likewise, but overlooked posting its existence here.

ETA (by ColeValleyGirl): The plugin Delete Old FH6 Plugin Module files is now available in the plugin store.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

For the record (although most authors will be aware already), a plugin to tabulate source template definitions for display in the Query Window and/or export as CSV for external interrogation. Early June.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by tatewise »

I am tentatively looking at a plugin to identify Place outliers as discussed in Finding incorrectly placed locations in map (19500).
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by fhtess65 »

I would love to see all of these, especially one to download online media from the big genealogy sites. Given the issues both RM and FTM still have with the api from Ancestry, I can understand the issues you're experiencing.

The GRO Index Source Citation would be fantastic as well!

I'm in awe of all of you who can write plug-ins. Far too technical for me, but I do appreciate those who take the time to write and share them.

Teresa :D

tatewise wrote: 09 May 2021 14:03 I have plans or prototypes for:
---
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by fhtess65 »

Mark1834 wrote: 26 May 2021 19:30 For the record (although most authors will be aware already), a plugin to tabulate source template definitions for display in the Query Window and/or export as CSV for external interrogation. Early June.
Sorry, Mark, I don't quite get what this plug-in would do, though it sounds intriguing. Would you explain a little further, please?

Thanks,

Teresa :D
---
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

fhtess65 wrote: 10 Jun 2021 15:03 The GRO Index Source Citation would be fantastic as well!
There's already a DEA to Record Civil Registration Data (UK) including age field (for deaths) and mother's maiden name for Births which it's my intention to expand to cover more than the UK and apply to any source that can be identified by name or type as an index. Mike, I presume you're intending to do a standard plugin?
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

fhtess65 wrote: 10 Jun 2021 15:04
Mark1834 wrote: 26 May 2021 19:30 For the record (although most authors will be aware already), a plugin to tabulate source template definitions for display in the Query Window and/or export as CSV for external interrogation. Early June.
Sorry, Mark, I don't quite get what this plug-in would do, though it sounds intriguing. Would you explain a little further, please?
I'm not Mark but I'm the one who incited him to write the plugin, to help other plugins developers who are working with sources and need to check the field structures of a bunch of sources (rather than inspect each one laboriously).
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by fhtess65 »

Hi Jane,

Thanks for the explanation. Beyond me, but I'm glad it will help plug-in developers.

Teresa :D
ColeValleyGirl wrote: 10 Jun 2021 15:21
fhtess65 wrote: 10 Jun 2021 15:04
Mark1834 wrote: 26 May 2021 19:30 For the record (although most authors will be aware already), a plugin to tabulate source template definitions for display in the Query Window and/or export as CSV for external interrogation. Early June.
Sorry, Mark, I don't quite get what this plug-in would do, though it sounds intriguing. Would you explain a little further, please?
I'm not Mark but I'm the one who incited him to write the plugin, to help other plugins developers who are working with sources and need to check the field structures of a bunch of sources (rather than inspect each one laboriously).
---
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Researching: Spong, Ferdinando, Taylor, Lawley, Sinkins, Montgomery; Basiński, Hilferding, Ratowski, Paszkiewicz
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

No problem, Jennifer :lol:
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

The original background was more general than just a tool for the tiny handful of users who will write plugins that manipulate source templates.

It gives users an overview of which fields are available in which templates. For example, if you are customising your own template (which anybody can do fairly easily from the main FH menus just by point and click), it makes sense to know what similar fields in other templates are called, rather than have a plethora of different names for things that are actually very similar.

The easiest way to understand what it does is to try it out. See List of Source Template items? Or an impossibility? for the background and a download. It works with all template definitions, the provided Essentials and Advanced collections, any you have designed yourself, and those imported from RootsMagic. It's one of the few plugins that neither reads nor writes to your project data, and only reads the definition files saved in FH settings (not the Source Templates loaded into your project). It is therefore completely safe to run with any project open, and my usual warning about running a forum plugin initially on a copy of your project does not apply here. Plugin output can be viewed and manipulated within FH, or exported to your spreadsheet or database of choice for more detailed analysis.
Last edited by Mark1834 on 10 Jun 2021 17:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by BakerJL75 »

Thanks for pointing out Tabulate Source Templates Definitions. There are so many great plugins in the forum that aren't in the store. Is there a list anywhere?
Thanks,
Jackie
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

Unfortunately not. It is deliberate policy not to operate a second parallel plugin repository, in order to avoid any confusion with the CP-hosted plugin store.

Most of the best forum plugins are referred to in the KB, so that is probably the best place to browse. Many forum plugins will also be submitted to the store once they are debugged if they prove useful.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by BakerJL75 »

Makes sense. I'll check there.
Thanks,
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by fhtess65 »

Thanks for the extra info. That would be helpful if I can ever find the time to really study and then create my own templates. I haven't yet tried the plugin for RM templates...will have to do so at some point.

So much genealogy, so little time!

Teresa
Mark1834 wrote: 10 Jun 2021 16:59 The original background was more general than just a tool for the tiny handful of users who will write plugins that manipulate source templates.

It gives users an overview of which fields are available in which templates. For example, if you are customising your own template (which anybody can do fairly easily from the main FH menus just by point and click), it makes sense to know what similar fields in other templates are called, rather than have a plethora of different names for things that are actually very similar.

The easiest way to understand what it does is to try it out. See List of Source Template items? Or an impossibility? for the background and a download. It works with all template definitions, the provided Essentials and Advanced collections, any you have designed yourself, and those imported from RootsMagic. It's one of the few plugins that neither reads nor writes to your project data, and only reads the definition files saved in FH settings (not the Source Templates loaded into your project). It is therefore completely safe to run with any project open, and my usual warning about running a forum plugin initially on a copy of your project does not apply here. Plugin output can be viewed and manipulated within FH, or exported to your spreadsheet or database of choice for more detailed analysis.
---
Teresa Basińska Eckford
Librarian & family historian
http://writingmypast.wordpress.com
Researching: Spong, Ferdinando, Taylor, Lawley, Sinkins, Montgomery; Basiński, Hilferding, Ratowski, Paszkiewicz
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by dbnut »

ColeValleyGirl wrote: 09 May 2021 13:33 I'll kick things off. I'm working on (or have planned):
  • Birth from any source (generic or templated)
  • Baptism from any source
  • Marriage from any source
  • Death from any source
  • Burial/cremation from any source
Helen, that would be stunning. What a lot of work we (you) have to circumvent the appalling GEDCOM structure that does not recognise a citation as an entity in its own right.
Paul White
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by ColeValleyGirl »

Another plugin recently published: Copy Existing Reference Numbers in Gedcom File. Designed to run on a gedcom file before import to preserve existing reference numbers (in case FH renumbers them).
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by Mark1834 »

It’s worth noting that the ODBC SQLite driver in FH 7.0.8 looks much easier to use than the old Lua SQL of FH6, so in combination with support for UniqueID should give great improvements to the rather clunky RM-Ancestry hint synchronisation process. I’ve already been able to export data to RM and read it back to compare details in the two apps. The next stage will be to see how far we can go in updating RM data directly from FH.

I’ll start a new thread when there is something concrete to report, but it probably won’t be for a couple of weeks at least.
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Re: Plugins planned/in progress

Post by BakerJL75 »

Slightly off topic, but I know how to use SQL Lite for basic stuff. Does this mean I can go tinker with a backup copy of my database? Do I just open the proj file with it? If it's not that simple, no worries. I just enjoy poking around.

Jackie
Thanks,
Jackie
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