Post updated on 26th Nov 2023 to reflect release of 4th beta test version v7.8.6
There are a number of changes for this version of AS so I'd appreciate some of you testing before I release it properly.
New Features in v7.8.3 (Beta Test)
Added a new auto-text keyword {STEMPLATE[]} that can be used to insert the value of a source template field (specified by index) into autotext. There are a variety of sub-keywords that can be used with this, depending on the source template field type.
The dialog that appears when AS detects that the file has been updated externally and needs to be reloaded, now has an option to close AS. This allows AS to be closed without being forced to reload the file first. This was prompted by a request from Mezentia on the FHUG AS forum.
If a repository was selected on the Source Template screen and then the Cancel button was clicked on the Source Template screen, it retained the chosen repository. This was reported by Alan Medows and the Cancel button will now also cancel the chosen the repository.
If a new repository was entered and then the repository screen was reloaded it was not possible to edit the details of the new repository because the OK button was not enabled. This is now fixed.
On the Source Template screen it was possible to enter invalid dates and also the dates were not always saved in GEDCOM format. This is now fixed.
Fixed a formatting problem that could occur when 'Display Text' was added to a web url when editing rich-text source text.
Fixed issues with drop-down controls in the census grid and also with place entries where a mistake with capitalisation of text could be difficult to correct due to being retained in the list. Chris Read reported this problem.
AS would bring up an error if some symbol characters were entered into the rich-text box. This should now be fixed.
The contents of Find ID text box will now be cleared when an entry is reset or a new entry is started.
New Features in v7.8.4 (Beta Test)
Fixed an issue in v7.8.3 where the Find ID box got cleared if the search didn't match any individuals. Thanks to Richard Hyland for reporting this.
John Morrison reported a problem introduced in v7.8.3 where moving into an empty census grid cell could lead to it being autocompleted. This is now fixed.
The autotext preview on the Autotext Template screen wasn't working correctly with plain text sources but is now.
Added new GN_INIT autotext keyword and sub-tags to allow the display of individuals with more than one given name to just use initials for middle names. This was requested as a new feature by Colin McDonald.
Added a new option (off by default) so that if a repository is chosen when using generic sources and the source type is changed, the selected repository is retained.
A modification was made related to the change in v7.8.3 that deals with place names enterered. If the place name is entered and auto-completes to an existing place but not in the matching case, it will be modified to the existing case when the text box loses focus. e.g. if a place was entered as preston, Lancashire it would be modified to Preston Lancashire (assuming this place already exists in the file).
I reversed the decision to clear the contents of the the Find ID text box as some users like to have the ID of the previous person retained.The text box highlights when the cursor enters it using the tab key or Ctrl+F and therefore typing a number will replace the contents.
New Features in v7.8.5 (Beta Test)
The changes to drop-down lists in the census grid caused issues for users who enter data in lower case and have been accustomed to this being automatically matched with a capitalised version in the drop-down list. This should now be fixed but will still allow the case to be changed if required, which was the reason for the change introduced in v7.8.3. Thanks to Brian Lummis for reporting this.
New Features in v7.8.6 (Beta Test)
In v7.5, released last year, a new option was added to the Copy Image File dialogue for it to remember your response so that it doesn't show again for the current project. Sue Herrington reported that this wasn't working correctly if the option to copy the image to the root of the Media folder was used, rather than the default option to choose a sub-folder. Apologies for any problems this may have caused but it should now work correctly.
The 64 bit version is available to test here: Ancestral Sources v7.8.6 64 Bit
The 32 bit version is available to test here: Ancestral Sources v7.8.6 32 Bit You may get warnings about the download not being commonly downloaded and you may need to confirm you definitely want to install it. Based on previous experience this should eventually stop happening once this new version of AS gets more downloads.
Please report in this thread any issues you spot or email me (nick at ancestralsources dot com).
Did a quick test on the case I originally reported the issue on, and it seems to behave as expected now. Will be on the lookout for other test opportunities when I'm working on the tree.
Chris Read Family Historian and Ancestral Sources user.
Researching the READ family and the myriad other relations that turned up.
NickWalker wrote: ↑04 Nov 2023 13:40
There are a number of changes for this version of AS so I'd appreciate some of you testing before I release it properly.
New Features in v7.8.3 (Beta Test)
Added a new auto-text keyword {STEMPLATE[]} that can be used to insert the value of a source template field (specified by index) into autotext. There are a variety of sub-keywords that can be used with this, depending on the source template field type.
<SNIP>
When you have time, would you be able to elaborate more on this with an example? I'm trying to wrap my head around how I might implement this.
Please and thanks
---
Teresa Basińska Eckford
Librarian & family historian http://writingmypast.wordpress.com Researching: Spong, Ferdinando, Taylor, Lawley, Sinkins, Montgomery; Basiński, Hilferding, Ratowski, Paszkiewicz
NickWalker wrote: ↑04 Nov 2023 13:40
There are a number of changes for this version of AS so I'd appreciate some of you testing before I release it properly.
New Features in v7.8.3 (Beta Test)
Added a new auto-text keyword {STEMPLATE[]} that can be used to insert the value of a source template field (specified by index) into autotext. There are a variety of sub-keywords that can be used with this, depending on the source template field type.
<SNIP>
When you have time, would you be able to elaborate more on this with an example? I'm trying to wrap my head around how I might implement this.
Please and thanks
In the help page that describes the keywords it says:
{STEMPLATE[*]}: This can be used to display the value of a Source Template field, for those who use Family Historian templated sources rather than generic sources. The value in the brackets specifies the index of the field to be displayed. For example {STEMPLATE[3]} would display the value of the 3rd field. There are a large number of sub-tags available, depending on the type of source template field and their usage matches the descriptions above.
Date fields can use the {DATE} sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[2].MONTH.FULL}
Place and Address fields can use the SHORT/MEDIUM/FULL sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[10].MEDIUM}
Name fields can use the name-related KeyPerson sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[3].SN_GN.CAPS}
A lot of the source template fields are likely to be automatically completed based on other data you enter on the main screen. However, there are almost certainly template fields that you manually fill in. For example for a baptism you might enter the Register Type, which in this case is the first field in the template (index 1).
image.png (14.25 KiB) Viewed 1814 times
You could now include that within an autotext template if you wish, e.g:
image.png (43.7 KiB) Viewed 1814 times
and AS would generate source text with that information included:
Using the Census entry screen - begin typing in the Place field in lower case and AS fetches the potential place names as I type however the Initial capital letter is lost, with the start of the place name now showing in lower case, with the remaining county, country etc. all showing with a capital letter.
All my places in FH have initial capitals for town, county, country etc. so it is being lost somewhere.
Also tried on Birth, Baptism, Marriage etc. with the same result.
A workaround is to ensure the shift key is pressed for the first letter of the Place field then that is retained but it would be better if it worked as in v7.8.2
Thanks for reporting - I will investigate this later. I can see why I wouldn't have spotted this because I'd always hold down shift to capitalise the first letter without thinking about it. This is why it's so valuable to have people helping me to test!
The Find ID: field in the top RH corner is being cleared after each save. (It was retained in v7.8.2).
I found it useful when the last used ID was retained. If working on a family with close ID numbers it would only need a quick edit to find the next person in my list.
NickWalker wrote: ↑04 Nov 2023 13:40
There are a number of changes for this version of AS so I'd appreciate some of you testing before I release it properly.
New Features in v7.8.3 (Beta Test)
Added a new auto-text keyword {STEMPLATE[]} that can be used to insert the value of a source template field (specified by index) into autotext. There are a variety of sub-keywords that can be used with this, depending on the source template field type.
<SNIP>
When you have time, would you be able to elaborate more on this with an example? I'm trying to wrap my head around how I might implement this.
Please and thanks
In the help page that describes the keywords it says:
{STEMPLATE[*]}: This can be used to display the value of a Source Template field, for those who use Family Historian templated sources rather than generic sources. The value in the brackets specifies the index of the field to be displayed. For example {STEMPLATE[3]} would display the value of the 3rd field. There are a large number of sub-tags available, depending on the type of source template field and their usage matches the descriptions above.
Date fields can use the {DATE} sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[2].MONTH.FULL}
Place and Address fields can use the SHORT/MEDIUM/FULL sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[10].MEDIUM}
Name fields can use the name-related KeyPerson sub-tags described above. For example: {STEMPLATE[3].SN_GN.CAPS}
A lot of the source template fields are likely to be automatically completed based on other data you enter on the main screen. However, there are almost certainly template fields that you manually fill in. For example for a baptism you might enter the Register Type, which in this case is the first field in the template (index 1).
image.png
You could now include that within an autotext template if you wish, e.g:
image.png
and AS would generate source text with that information included:
image.png
I hope that helps
Nick
---
Teresa Basińska Eckford
Librarian & family historian http://writingmypast.wordpress.com Researching: Spong, Ferdinando, Taylor, Lawley, Sinkins, Montgomery; Basiński, Hilferding, Ratowski, Paszkiewicz
The new OK/Close AS button works but choosing OK adds the current Project to the File/Recent Projects list until said list is full of the same entry, making it relatively useless. No biggie as you can use the Open FH Project instead but does make it useless
martinpbudd wrote: ↑09 Nov 2023 13:58
The new OK/Close AS button works but choosing OK adds the current Project to the File/Recent Projects list until said list is full of the same entry, making it relatively useless. No biggie as you can use the Open FH Project instead but does make it useless
Not sure I follow. I only have one project I work on, and have it set as default, so when I re-open AS via this process, I don't see any difference. IE AS opens my default FH project.
Nothing has changed on my File>Recent Projects list, there is one entry. Nothing has been added or duplicated
Neil Grantham
Researching Grantham, Skuce, Barrow and Birchall
Previously when entering a census occupation (Or any item utilising a drop down list) I could press <enter> to move down to the next entry which would remain blank unless I entered something, so it was quite easy to use <enter> to go down several blank entries. With 7.8.3 when you press <enter> to move down a line it prefills the space with whatever is the top item on the drop down list. Most annoying
I just came across this too, while doing a couple of USA 1850 census recordings. Behaviour is as you have described. Seems to affect Occupation and Birthplace columns as a minimum.
Chris Read Family Historian and Ancestral Sources user.
Researching the READ family and the myriad other relations that turned up.
martinpbudd wrote: ↑09 Nov 2023 13:58
The new OK/Close AS button works but choosing OK adds the current Project to the File/Recent Projects list until said list is full of the same entry, making it relatively useless. No biggie as you can use the Open FH Project instead but does make it useless
Not sure I follow. I only have one project I work on, and have it set as default, so when I re-open AS via this process, I don't see any difference. IE AS opens my default FH project.
Nothing has changed on my File>Recent Projects list, there is one entry. Nothing has been added or duplicated
I have 10 projects I work on occasionally with one major one. This is set as default and opens with AS. My Recent projects menu item has four entries all the same. I assume that AS generates these at closure but is not checking if the entry is already present.
martinpbudd wrote: ↑10 Nov 2023 11:36
I have 10 projects I work on occasionally with one major one. This is set as default and opens with AS. My Recent projects menu item has four entries all the same. I assume that AS generates these at closure but is not checking if the entry is already present.
Would you be so kind as to go to tools and 'Backup A.S. Options' and then save them and email me the settings file so I can take a look at what's happening? My email address is nick AT ancestralsources DOT com (replace the AT and DOT with the appropriate symbols).
Previously when entering a census occupation (Or any item utilising a drop down list) I could press <enter> to move down to the next entry which would remain blank unless I entered something, so it was quite easy to use <enter> to go down several blank entries. With 7.8.3 when you press <enter> to move down a line it prefills the space with whatever is the top item on the drop down list. Most annoying
When scrolling through entry forms I was always instructed to use the 'Tab' key and not the 'Enter' key, as that is what the 'Tab' key is supposed to do.
I haven't tried this new version of AS and software programming is a black hole that I have shunned to date. So, Nick may give me a rollicking for suggesting its use as a "step by step" method of progressing through a form.
Thank you Nick for a great bit of software, but I don't use any of the new "flashy" stuff and still record all my data using the "Generic Data only" option. I try to keep it KISS, if I don't I just get in a right fankle!
johnmorrisoniom wrote: ↑09 Nov 2023 15:02
I do not use templated sources.
Previously when entering a census occupation (Or any item utilising a drop down list) I could press <enter> to move down to the next entry which would remain blank unless I entered something, so it was quite easy to use <enter> to go down several blank entries. With 7.8.3 when you press <enter> to move down a line it prefills the space with whatever is the top item on the drop down list. Most annoying
Regards
John Morrison
Thanks for reporting this John - it will be fixed in the next test version.
themoudie wrote: ↑11 Nov 2023 23:51
When scrolling through entry forms I was always instructed to use the 'Tab' key and not the 'Enter' key, as that is what the 'Tab' key is supposed to do.
Yes I tend to use the Tab key as well or the mouse to move around the grid but using Enter is built in behaviour for grids (i.e. not something that I've added as a feature) and is useful if you want to enter data down a column rather than across a row.
Using the Census entry screen - begin typing in the Place field in lower case and AS fetches the potential place names as I type however the Initial capital letter is lost, with the start of the place name now showing in lower case, with the remaining county, country etc. all showing with a capital letter.
All my places in FH have initial capitals for town, county, country etc. so it is being lost somewhere.
Also tried on Birth, Baptism, Marriage etc. with the same result.
A workaround is to ensure the shift key is pressed for the first letter of the Place field then that is retained but it would be better if it worked as in v7.8.2
This is a result of this change:
Fixed issues with drop-down controls in the census grid and also with place entries where a mistake with capitalisation of text could be difficult to correct due to being retained in the list. Chris Read reported this problem.
In the next beta version I've made a change to match the way that Family Historian deals with the situation you're describing. If you enter the place name with a lower case letter and it matches an existing place name with a capital then when the text box loses focus (the cursor leaves the text box) the place name will be modified to match the original.
martinpbudd wrote: ↑10 Nov 2023 11:36
I have 10 projects I work on occasionally with one major one. This is set as default and opens with AS. My Recent projects menu item has four entries all the same. I assume that AS generates these at closure but is not checking if the entry is already present.
Would you be so kind as to go to tools and 'Backup A.S. Options' and then save them and email me the settings file...
Just to follow up on this. Martin and I made contact via email and as I'd expected, AS is working correctly - the 4 seemingly identical project references in the 'recent projects' list were all in different file locations.
Thanks for all the feedback so far. This version aims to resolve the reported issues and also adds a couple of other requested features posted on this forum.
New Features in v7.8.4 (Beta Test)
Fixed an issue in v7.8.3 where the Find ID box got cleared if the search didn't match any individuals. Thanks to Richard Hyland for reporting this.
John Morrison reported a problem introduced in v7.8.3 where moving into an empty census grid cell could lead to it being autocompleted. This is now fixed.
The autotext preview on the Autotext Template screen wasn't working correctly with plain text sources but is now.
Added new GN_INIT autotext keyword and sub-tags to allow the display of individuals with more than one given name to just use initials for middle names. This was requested as a new feature by Colin McDonald.
Added a new option (off by default) so that if a repository is chosen when using generic sources and the source type is changed, the selected repository is retained.
A modification was made related to the change in v7.8.3 that deals with place names enterered. If the place name is entered and auto-completes to an existing place but not in the matching case, it will be modified to the existing case when the text box loses focus. e.g. if a place was entered as preston, Lancashire it would be modified to Preston Lancashire (assuming this place already exists in the file).
I reversed the decision to clear the contents of the the Find ID text box as some users like to have the ID of the previous person retained.The text box highlights when the cursor enters it and therefore typing a number will replace the contents: effectively this is the same result as entering text into a cleared text box.
The 64 bit version is available to test here: Ancestral Sources v7.8.4 64 Bit
The 32 bit version is available to test here: Ancestral Sources v7.8.4 32 Bit You may get warnings about the download not being commonly downloaded and you may need to confirm you definitely want to install it. Based on previous experience this should eventually stop happening once this new version of AS gets more downloads.
Please report in this thread any issues you spot or email me (nick at ancestralsources dot com).
The initial capital letter issue in the Place field is now working properly.
The previous ID is retained in the Find ID box, although it doesn't quite work as you describe. It doesn't highlight when the cursor enters the box but does highlight when double clicked. Still fine by me as long as the previous ID is still there to be edited.
laz_gen wrote: ↑15 Nov 2023 07:30
The previous ID is retained in the Find ID box, although it doesn't quite work as you describe. It doesn't highlight when the cursor enters the box but does highlight when double clicked. Still fine by me as long as the previous ID is still there to be edited.
Ah OK thanks - I think it should highlight if you tab to it or if use Ctrl+F to go to it (can't check right now as I'm at work) but I can imagine it won't highlight if you click with a mouse. The user who requested it to be cleared uses Ora which captures keyboard entries so I had that in mind when I wrote it.
I didn't download 7.8.3 so not sure if this is something new in 7.8.4 or if it existed in the previous version.
There was previously reported a problem with places when the first letter was typed in lower case. There is a similar problem when using a lower case letter in other columns when entering census data. Currently entering 1921 census date and was in the habit of using lower case for speed to populate those entries where there was a dropdown to select a predetermined value. For example if I enter "m" in the Sex column it does not change to a capital "M", or in the Education column "w" doesn't automatically bring up "Whole Time". The same thing applies to values that have been previously entered; e.g. if two people have the same occupation you cannot use lower case letters to repeat the occupation.
I'm not sure if this matters, but I don't necessarily want the auto capitalization in all fields. I like to enter it in AS as it was actually entered onto the census form by the enumerator. At least here in the U.S. , especially in censuses taken in the1800's, enumerators sometimes used all lower case letters. Maybe if the auto capitalization is added for other columns it could be made optional?
