* Media Record links to Header Records

[cwhermann]

I could not find anything in the KB nor did I see any thread were this was discussed so started a new subject.

I am a FH newbie and still trying to learn my way around the software. I was linking and un-linking a media record to various Facts/Sources/Citations/Individual Records etc to gain a better feel for different windows and tabs as well as what queries and/or plugins provided the "best" picture of where they were attached and how the images appear in various reports.
I ran the Where Used Record Links 2.0 plugin and discovered the Media Record was linked to the Header Record. See image below. I find I can get at the Header Record via View > Special Records > Header Record, but I do not see an option to link to using the +Add Simple Link icon in any of the various Media Records view windows. I do not know how I "accomplished" this and have not been able to repeat it. I have also run the plugin for a number of other media and do not see this Header link shown in any other result sets so I do not think it happened on the direct import.
??????

[ColeValleyGirl]

If you have a Prepared Citation, it is stored in the Header Record. I'm away from my PC so can't check, but I suspect that may be the explanation.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I've just run a test, and it is indeed reporting a media link to the Header Record if there is a Media record attached to the Prepared Citation. (The Data reference for the Prepared Citation is HEAD._PCIT which I can now see in your screenshot (too small to read on my phone!).

Interestingly the plugin displays this on its way to producing the results set:

Screenshot 2022-04-29 083123.png (4 KiB) Viewed 1502 times

Mike T -- what is that message supposed to tell us?

[tatewise]

Helen, the plugin checks the =LinksTo(...) function count versus the links the plugin has found.
That =LinksTo(...) count is the same as the number shown in the Links/Citations column of the Records Window.

About a year ago I reported a problem with the =LinksTo(...) function in ticket #999527:

In FH V6 this =LinksTo() function did not include links from the HEAD record to Submitter and Submission records.
That has been fixed in FH V7.0 but now links from the HEAD._PCIT prepared citation to Source records are not included.

The reply was:

That is by design.

I pointed out that could lead to a Source record being deleted as it appears to have 0 Citations but nothing has changed.

However, the correction in the plugin to cater for that anomaly assumes that Media and Note records linked to a prepared citation are similarly not included in the =LinksTo(...) count, but that assumption is wrong and needs fixing. Sorry!
The error message is primarily intended for me to monitor during testing but I overlooked the above scenarios.

[tatewise]

The attached Where Used Record Links plugin Version 2.0.2 Date 29 Apr 2022 fixes the count issues.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Thanks, Mike -- that works.

[cwhermann]

I downloaded your update and ran the plugin. The =LinksTo() pop up did not occur and I do not see the link to the Header record on any of the Media records I selected, including the Media record shown in the image I posted.
Should I see this or is this just something FH is keeping track of in the background? I don't understand what the Header record is (or if I even need to ) - just wanted to make sure I was not missing something when I brought media into the project.
Not sure if it is important - but I have my media stored outside the project file and I purposely did not create links when I imported my RM8 database so I could "practice" fixing a broken link and attaching media to various records.
Thanks

[tatewise]

Curtis, a link to the Header record Prepared Source Citation (HEAD._PCIT.SOUR.OBJE) is clearly shown in your screenshot posted on Friday. However, if since then you have prepared a different Source Citation then only a Media record linked to that new Prepared Source Citation will be listed as linked to the Header. To be listed, the Media record must be linked specifically to the Citation as opposed to the Source record.

The Header record is the crucial first record in every GEDCOM file and holds some important details, but usually you don't need to worry about it. FH has chosen to link the current Prepared Source Citation to the Header record as that is the only record that is guaranteed to exist, but that is a non-standard extension to the GEDCOM specification.

You can review the Header record in the Records Window just like any other record.
If you have not already done so, use Tools > Preferences > Records Window and set all the Record Type Display Options to Always Show so every record type has a tab in the Records Window.
Then you can open the Header tab in the Records Window and see its details and the linked Prepared Source Citation.

For this discussion, it does not matter where your Media files are stored.

[cwhermann]

Thanks Mike,
Looks like the main value of the Header record to me (other than whatever CP is doing with it behind the scenes) is that by having it show up as a linked record, it provides a quick visual "flag" to identify media attached to citation when it was not intended to be.

[tatewise]

Curtis, I'm not sure you have fully grasped the role of the Header record and the Prepared Source Citation.
You mention 'a quick visual "flag" to identify media attached to citation' but in this context that only applies to the one current Prepared Source Citation linked to the Header.
For that one case, it would be easier to use the yellow Source toolbar icon and View Prepared Citation... or the main menu View > Prepared Citation... command and check the Prepared Citation Media tab.

[cwhermann]

You are correct, I thought the Prepared Source Citation referred to any Source Citation I had prepared. Your response led me to investigate Prepared Source Citation in the FH help and KB. Now I understand there is only one Prepared Source Citation in existence at any time and that the only reason the link to the Header record showed up in the results when I ran the Where Used Record Links was because I happen to select a media record that was linked to the citation I just worked on.