* Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Questions regarding use of any Version of Family Historian. Please ensure you have set your Version of Family Historian in your Profile. If your question fits in one of these subject-specific sub-forums, please ask it there.
avatar
JerryNotts
Gold
Posts: 10
Joined: 06 Nov 2014 18:47
Family Historian: V6.2

Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by JerryNotts »

I can only find a way to link to media files stored within Family Historian itself using the tab 'Media'.
Is there a way to link to a location outside of FH?

My need relates to the searching process for any individual where I discover new information and want to be able to get back to that discovery in the future.
Where I am looking at images it is quite acceptable to copy and paste into the media section, but what if a want to point to a body of text, which might extend over several pages of a website and I only want to refer to it not use it?

Is there a method?
Jerry
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

Yes, there is Jerry.
See how_to:v4:adding_multimedia|> Adding Photographs and Other Multimedia.
Under Adding Other Media it explains how to add Internet hyper-links.

BUT BEWARE, the Internet has a habit of rearranging its websites and pages, so a working hyperlink today is not guaranteed to exist tomorrow, or next month, or next year.

By all means record the website URL in the Source record, and in fact a linked Repository record has fields dedicated to contact URL, etc.

I would advise capturing the web pages in one of several ways.
  • The simplest is to use how_to:copy_paste_and_drag_drop|> Copy & Paste and Drag & Drop to put a transcript into the Source record Text From Source field.
  • Alternatively, with the web page displayed, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S to invoke Save Page As and save the file & folder structure in your FH Media folder. You can then add the .html file as a Multimedia record and link it to the Source record.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
JerryNotts
Gold
Posts: 10
Joined: 06 Nov 2014 18:47
Family Historian: V6.2

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by JerryNotts »

Hello Mike,
Now I am totally lost. Thanks for the demo. video which at least has enabled me to have the'Media Link' Option available. However I do not see how I can put the URL for the data I want to link-to into the record. I am afraid that I really need step-by-step instructions, which point me into the location of the various buttons to press. Drag and Drop is faily trivial, and a process I have been using for at least the last 25 years. Its the adding a link bit that has me stumped. In some cases I already have the URL captured in OneNote, Excel and/or Personal Brain. I am fairly comfortable with copy and pasting these urls. I want to get as much into FH as I can.
The video only shows linking images already held in the FHs media collection.

I do not want to hold all the text records within FH. They are for my personal reference only. I am less concerned about the future viability of the links. I have some software that I used when working in the chemical industry which runs every shut down or overnight This automatically verifes all the links I have in various bits of data and updates them. It then offers the updates for confirmation before changing the URLs permanently. Once I can understand how I can get the URLs into FH I can add it to the process as well.
Jerry
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

Hi Jerry, it sounds like you did not scroll down below the videos to the section entitled Adding Other Media that among other things explains how to add Internet hyper-links.

Unfortunately, it is not a simple button pressing operation, because you need to create a Windows Shortcut file that refers to the URL. Then you add that Shortcut file much like any other Media file. Hopefully, your software can then check the URL in those Shortcuts.

BTW: A Media file does not have to exist within the FH Media folder before adding it, because FH offers to copy it into the Media folder.

(The Copy & Paste I mentioned was not to copy the URL but to copy the text from the web pages, to avoid needing the URL.)

Your posting includes some intriguing contradictions. You say "I want to get as much into FH as I can." but later "I do not want to hold all the text records within FH."
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
JerryNotts
Gold
Posts: 10
Joined: 06 Nov 2014 18:47
Family Historian: V6.2

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by JerryNotts »

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

Sorry if I apparently contradictd myself. I see what you mean. I think I meant that I do not want to go out of FH to find the link elsewhere.

Some of the documents which I would like to link to are more than 60 A4 pages long, I do not know what the capacity of FH is; I have no inbuilt objection to holding everything in FH if that is possible. Looking at the disc that holds some of the working papers which form part of my contribution to the specific write-ups I can see individual Word documents exceeding 12 MB, by the time I add more notes to these I can imagine the total may come to ~20MB. If FH would be comfortable with holding that then I don't have a problem.
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

OK, let's review the options, and their pros & cons.
  1. URL Shortcut
    This uses a tiny Windows Shortcut file that points to the Internet URL, and added as a Media file linked to a Media record in FH.
    To create Shortcut file in Windows/File Explorer, use right-click New > Shortcut, enter the URL, click Next, enter its Name, and click Finish.
    In FH use the normal technique to add a Media item and select the Shortcut file created above.
    To prevent the URL becoming 'stale' it must be monitored regularly. (Jerry has a software tool for that job.)
    The impact on FH is negligible, but the web pages are NOT displayed in Reports, and only displayed in Media windows by clicking the triangular Open in Editor/Player button.
  2. Save Web Page
    This makes a copy of the web pages on your PC, and uses them as FH Media files.
    Most web browsers support Ctr+S to invoke File > Save Page As to capture the web page in PC files & folders.
    The key file is the .html file with same name as web page, which when opened displays the saved web page.
    In FH use the normal technique to add a Media item and select the .html key file created above.
    The captured web page is frozen, so will not be updated or affected if the online web page changes or vanishes.
    The impact on FH is no more than photo/image Media files, but the web pages are NOT displayed in Reports, and only displayed in Media windows by clicking the triangular Open in Editor/Player button.
  3. Copy Transcript
    This copies the salient text (and images) onto your PC within FH itself.
    Use Copy & Paste or Drag & Drop to copy text from web pages into the Text From Source field of the FH Source record. Optionally, any web page images can be copied into Media images in the same way as photos.
    The captured text and images are frozen in time as 2. above, so immune to web site changes.
    Large amounts of text inserted in Text From Source fields will affect the size of the FH GEDCOM file, and the size of Reports if that text is included. However, the text is immediately visible in the Source Property Box, and the images immediately visible on the Media tab. The run time impact on FH is difficult to quantify, and will depend on how much text, in how many Source records, and the performance of your PC.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Maybe I can join to this discussion and give to it a Finnish genealogist coloring ;) I'm quite angry now because I bought FH yesterday. I didn't try it before I started using krhm. I have now some 10 hours tried to add something my way and I'm deeply disappointed. I see as a biggest problem exactly this adding of material from web. My opinion is that in the future you can achieve most of the genealogical information from web. It is there in scanned pictures, sometimes needing membership, but it is available. At least in my country it is so, and it is important that genealogy tools support this. I was thinking that FH automatically makes it easy. But seems that they still live time of paper and pen. Or leave nice features to macro writers. And what comes to, are web addresses permanent. I think those National archives and other museums, they are very. Or is gedcom the reason ? Are the web links missing from that standard ?
Is it really so that only way to add one button access from FH to for example original birth record (not allowed to copy to your computer), you must create extra files somewhere (soon thousands of them) and point to them difficult way ? If it is so i lost my money and say at the door hello and goodbye. Maybe I find another program which is done for modern people. I'm curious - don't you have in Britain in archives pages you can point directly. Example: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=5545494 /Jari
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

Welcome to the FHUG Jari, and I am sorry you are disappointed with FH.

GEDCOM is not to blame, because web URL are just plain text.
It is the genealogy software that makes them active hyperlinks.

Genealogy programs usually store Media such as photograph and document images as separate PC files.
These files are linked to the main database of historical records via Media records.
So regardless of whether the Media are PC files or web URL there will always be thousands of them.

In the UK we do NOT usually have online Birth/Marriage/Death Certificates.
They must be ordered as paper copies and scanned into the PC as image files.
However, we do have many other records online such as B/M/D Indexes and Census Records.
Although some web sites may keep their web URL constant, most rearrange them from time to time.

Considering your Example web page, which of the entries 104 to 113 is the important one?
I would either download/copy the image, or use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the important entry.
(I had no problem copying whole image, or downloading whole web page, or snipping one entry.)
Also the FH Frame Detail tool could be used to identify the important entry within the page.

Web URL pose problems with printed Reports and Diagrams.
If just the web URL is printed, then the reader has to transcribe it into a browser to see the image.
Alternatively, perhaps the web page should be automatically downloaded and printed, but what if it is not available, or cannot be copied?
If downloaded images are saved on the PC, then that problem does not happen.

I wish you well in finding a genealogy program that does what you want.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Thanks Mike for your deep answer. I understand now that I was maybe ahead of time with my requirements. I tried few programs today and it seems to be that generally FH has nice gui compared to others. Heredis was better in this handling of sources thing. There you could easily add web links as own data with additional parameters. BUT no viewing without copying the address to browser. Finland is small country compared to England for example so we can get all important documents for genealogy soon available. It makes the research very quick and easy. And when you have those resources, of course you want the links in your data base so that you quickly find whatever you want look again. But yes it's thousands of pictures to copy if you take them to your own pc. And some of that material is allowed only to read, not copy. So it would be problem if transferring gedcom to public.
Yeah I guess web links and mail addresses are pure text but when looking for example Gramps Gramplets info pages, they are using own enhancements to gedcom and there exists web address and mail address among other things.
I learned this links saving method in wikitree, where I built few days my tree. But I left it like many others when one user came and changed many of my persons to erroneous and corrupted. Here is one example from there http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lindstedt-11
I see that this feature would benefit only users from countries, where the data is available in web. So maybe lua lua ;) /Jari
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

If it would be of any use to you, then I believe an FH Plugin written in Lua could automate the process of creating a URL Shortcut file, linked to a Media record, linked to a selected Source record. It would have characteristics as described in my posting on Fri Sep 11 for option 1. URL Shortcut and perhaps use the Source record Title as the Media record Title and the Shortcut filename.

The process would be: select a Source record, run the Plugin, copy URL into Plugin box, and click Plugin button.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
AdrianBruce
Megastar
Posts: 2090
Joined: 09 Aug 2003 21:02
Family Historian: V7
Location: South Cheshire
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by AdrianBruce »

Nordman wrote:... are web addresses permanent. I think those National archives and other museums, they are very. ....
You're lucky if the web-addresses that you need are permanent. Some organisations are far-sighted enough to provide permanent URLs - I think FamilySearch are moving towards that idea. But I doubt there are many in the scope of my research. Maybe non-commercial suppliers are more likely to make stuff permanent - though I know that the National Records of Scotland totally changed supplier after a few years, so their URLs changed totally.
Adrian
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

Nordman wrote: some of that material is allowed only to read, not copy. So it would be problem if transferring gedcom to public.
I wondered how those web pages technically prevented copying??
Or was it just in their copyright terms & conditions and relied on personal compliance??
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

"I wondered how those web pages technically prevented copying??
Or was it just in their copyright terms & conditions and relied on personal compliance??"

Both. In the wikitree example that I posted, there were links to SSHY materials.
* marked were behind userid and changing password. Others free to see.
And if SSHY member and you can see those pictures, copying is easy but
there comes the moral, Finnish laws, copyright etc.
SSHY is a private club, which collects genealogy material by taking photos
from originals. It gets some money from keeping this 100-125 years from death
material behind userid. Older documents are free to see. Younger than 100
they cannot keep.
Finnish national archive expects like unis that you mention the source
if you publish links.

EU made genealogy more difficult hobby in Finland. Laws were rewritten and
new officials grounded. The publishing allowance was lifted from 100 to 125
(years from death). Headstones are different. They are somehow public
information immediately.
I have not seen Adobe etc in sources I have used. /Jari
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Thanks Mike of the Lua tip. I made manually few shortcuts to see how it looks.
They were funny looking because they didn't go to the sources department.
I'm still in the mood looking around which program I would benefit most.
The web publishing would benefit the relatives but also own data base
at home is necessary as not even I trust totally the internet.
I was really surprised that this web linking system is so hard to find.
So far I keep my fingers out of Lua even it would benefit my mmo hobby.
If I find a good solution I might tell it here. /Jari
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

I would be happy to write the Lua Plugin for you, because I think it would be useful for many other users.

As with all Media, they must be attached to the Media tab of a Source, Individual, Family, or Place record.

There are several web publishing options with FH.
  1. The most popular and free option is to use the Export Gedcom File Plugin, and upload the exported GEDCOM to Ancestry, or FindMyPast, or ZoomPast, so that relatives can view the family tree, although Media photos/images are not automatically included (yet).
  2. Use Publish > Make a Family Tree CD/DVD and send DVD to relatives.
  3. Use Publish > Create a Website and upload to your own web space.
  4. Use Export Gedcom File Plugin and upload to The Next Generation web site.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Valkrider »

tatewise wrote: 4. Use Export Gedcom File Plugin and upload to The Next Generation web site.
Adding a 5th one
Use Export Gedcom File Plugin and upload to Genealone web site.

I prefer Genealone to TNG and in some respects is more fully featured and easier to use.
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

"I would be happy to write the Lua Plugin for you, because I think it would be useful for many other users."

That would be great. I'm also sure that there are many who could use it.

I have been thinking also this TNG. It's benefit could be that you could build the pages in all peace at home
and publish it later when quite in condition. Genealone is maybe for people who don't care to be admins
and install php/MySQL/html/etc. I didn't find any sources fields in Genealone examples. Maybe they can be
added. TNG has some kind list of sources. /Jari
User avatar
Valkrider
Megastar
Posts: 1563
Joined: 04 Jun 2012 19:03
Family Historian: V7
Location: Lincolnshire
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Valkrider »

Jari

Genealone does have sources and correctly takes them from Family Historian. They are in the admin menu where you can edit them. If you want to add them as a page then that would require creating a custom menu item. See below
Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 08.56.37.png
Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 08.56.37.png (80.25 KiB) Viewed 126819 times
Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 09.02.38.png
Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 09.02.38.png (167.42 KiB) Viewed 126819 times
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

I have created a prototype Plugin called Add Media URL Shortcut.
There may be features that need adjusting, so I suggest you only run it on a dummy test Project or the Family Historian Sample Project.

I advise you take a File > Backup/Restore > Small Backup before testing this Plugin.

Click on the ATTACHMENT below to install the Plugin into FH.
In FH use Tools > Plugins and select Add Media URL Shortcut.
If necessary, click More>> and tick Add to Tools Menu.
Thereafter, run the Plugin using Tools > Add Media URL Shortcut.

The Plugin procedure is as follows:
  • In a browser, open the web page desired for the URL Shortcut.
  • In FH, select the Source or other record that needs that URL Shortcut.
  • Run the Add Media URL Shortcut Plugin and check the record name at the top.
  • Copy the web page URL from the browser to the empty Plugin box.
  • If everything is satisfactory then click OK, otherwise Cancel.
  • The Plugin creates a shortcut file in the Project .../Media/URL/ folder with a filename based on the URL, and links that file to a Media record with its Title equal to the URL, Format = url, and Keywords = URL.
  • Open the selected record Property Box and on its Media tab click the triangular Open in Editor/Player button to open the URL web page.
Remember that to cancel the Plugin changes use Edit > Undo Plugin Updates before closing FH.
(or restore the original backup.)

You may also wish to delete unwanted <project>.fh_data/Media/URL/ shortcut files.

I know the Plugin user dialogue probably needs improving, but that can be changed once the basic functions are satisfactory.

[EDIT: The Plugin Add Media URL Shortcut V1.0 has now been added to the FH Plugin Store, and the ATTACHMENT deleted.]
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Thanks a lot Mike. This makes adding of links easier. It even adds to sources, though new user can have difficulties to find all places in FH. FH is maybe first program in my life that I must learn to use through youtube videos. There are so many hidden features. /Jari
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

As a newcomer work through the topics in how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers and follow all the links, and the rest of the FHUG Knowledge Base. FH has more supporting documentation and built in Help than most genealogy programs I have used. I suspect FH 'hides' some features to avoid frightening novice users, but with a little investigation experts will find them.

Are there any improvements that could be made to the Plugin?

Does it need its own Help & Advice page?

Would you like it to support Drag & Drop for the URL?

Are the naming conventions for the Media record and the URL Shortcut file OK?
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

"Are there any improvements that could be made to the Plugin?"

No from my opinion. Simple is beautiful. If the random user only
finds this feature. If there are problems, they are in the complexity
of the FH itself.
I think this kind feature could be in FH itself like also the support
for hotlinks in text (on wish list). What is the correct place for
saving these links then - media or person data text. It depends
on gedcom and data base etc. politics. Not my headache.

Anyway this plugin is good for me. Thanks a lot ! /Jari
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Colin, about Genealone. Good to know, thanks ! /Jari
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by tatewise »

Although you say it is perfect, I have updated the Plugin with various checks for misuse, such as adding the same URL again, and better button names, including 'Help and Advice' for new users.

[EDIT: The Plugin Add Media URL Shortcut V1.0 has now been added to the FH Plugin Store.]
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
Nordman
Silver
Posts: 9
Joined: 28 Sep 2015 00:41
Family Historian: V6

Re: Linking to sites and files outside of Family Historian

Post by Nordman »

Sugar and cream is ok to me. /Jari
Post Reply