* Branch Merging

[StephensKS]

I can't figure out "how to" of branch merging. I've read and reread the documentation and understand the concept but need some step-by-step instructions.

Specific questions:

How big a branch can be merged? Is it just immediate family or can you go back many generations.

How do you get to the branch merge dialog. I can get to the merge dialog but can't figure out how to branch merge from there.

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG.

The process is described in the FHUG Knowledge Base > Merge/Compare Records and Branches article but the details are in the FH Help page Basic Record Merging and Branch Merging starting at the paragraph:
"Initially, Branch Merging is exactly like Basic Record Merging for an Individual or Family record."
That explains how to work through all the duplicated records in the duplicated branches.

You can start the merge for any pair of records anywhere in your Project tree and work through as many generations as you like, but it can get quite tedious if there are a lot of records to match.

The process is intended to cope with where you have inadvertently created two family relationships which are in fact the same family and you want to merge the duplicated record details without losing any data.
It helps to understand the FH Individual record data structures and how they are linked via Family records.

Is that what you mean by branch merging?

[StephensKS]

Thank you for your reply but I've read that article several times and am still missing something basic. It states "In Branch Merging, the dialog will display one tab for each type of record being merged." But I can't find how to open the dialog as branch merging. There's all kinds of information on what do to once you get the dialog open for branch merging but not how to get there in the first place. Help:(

[tatewise]

There is no separate Branch Merge dialogue.
What makes it a branch merge is Matching the Parent family or Spouse family links in both records.
The help says when you do that you will be asked whether you want to match the linked records but that option is not presented in FH.

Can anyone else help answer this question?

[StephensKS]

I think I'm getting closer.

I went to View>Other Record Lists> Family. From there I selected the first family then <cntl> and the duplicate family. Then Edit>Merge/Compare Records. It then proceeded to merge the husband and wife. It did not merge descendants or ancestors. Did I do something wrong or is this all it does?

Thanks for all your help

[tatewise]

You can also reach Family records directly via the Records Window instead of View>Other Record Lists> Family.
However, in Tools > Preferences > Records Window > Record Type Display Options the Always show option must be set for each type of record.

What you have found is the merge process for Family records (on the Families tab) which also offers to match the Individual records of the family members (Husband, Wife, and Children) which get added to the Individuals tab.

You can continue working up or down the family tree via the Spouse, Husband, Wife, Parents, Father, Mother, and Child links for as many generations as you like, but it might get progressively confusing.
When those are chosen you get a prompt asking if you want to proceed with the match with Yes/No options.
According to the Help, that should happen for those family links when merging two Individual records, but is not.

[StephensKS]

So is Branch Merging the same a family merging? If not, how do you get the Merge/Compare window to open for a branch merge?

[tatewise]

As I said ~ There is no separate Branch Merge dialogue.

So, yes, currently to merge family branches you must use Family record Merge.
That is because it is only Family records that define the relationship links between generations.

[StephensKS]

I understand that there is only one Dialog box, but it has different capabilities depending on how you open it. So for example if you open it from the "Families" list you get two tabs, Individuals and Families. Open it from the "individual" list and you just get the Individuals tab.

What I'm failing to understand is if a Branch Merge is just another name for a Family Merge or if there is a difference. I originally had the impression that you could open the Merge/Compare dialog once and from there merge one generation after another. Now I'm thinking that I was mistaken and that a Branch Merge is the same as a Family Merge.

Is there any difference between a Branch Merge and a Family Merge?

[tatewise]

No, there is no difference, which is what the Help says. It is simply the down to the way you use it.

Family Merge does not involve merging Parents/Spouse links.

Branch Merge does involve merging Parents/Spouse links repeatedly for each generation branch.

[StephensKS]

Okay it sounds like you are getting frustrated with me. I'm so sorry to appear dense on this subject.

I now understand that branch merging as I understood it is not a capability. You can't merge more than two generations (parents and children) in a single process. To "Branch Merge" - after merging the first family you can exit the dialog box, find the family of the next generation in the family list along with it's duplicate (assuming there is one) then open the merge dialog again and merge it. When you do this it's called branch merging. (Frankly I think it would have been less confusing if they didn't call out branch merging as a capability since there is really nothing to it.)

[tatewise]

Sorry, I did not intend to give that impression. I do find the FH help instructions a bit frustrating.

You can merge multiple generations. That is what differentiates a Family record Merge from a Branch Merge.

Having chosen Family records to initiate the Merge dialogue, there are Individuals listed on the Individuals tab.
Expand them and select the Parents family links then click Match.
You are prompted to confirm the match. If you say Yes then more records are added to both tabs.
Repeat that for the Spouse family links on the Individuals tab.
Now there will be three pairs of records on both the Individuals tab and the Families tab.

You can repeat the above process for each new pair of records ad infinitum... That is Branch Merge.

[StephensKS]

Okay I think I've got it! I didn't understand how to use the "match" button. I can see how you can work through multiple generations. Thanks!