* Plugins/macros

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.
Post Reply
avatar
mlfreyder
Diamond
Posts: 57
Joined: 29 Mar 2018 00:13
Family Historian: V7
Location: USA

Plugins/macros

Post by mlfreyder »

I've searched for a macro or plugin that would allow me to pick from a list of names when entering new people and don't see a way to get this done. I'm entering data from original French microfilms and if I have to type Francois Joseph or Francois Antoine one more time!

I found some useful plugins but none to cover this subject. Not savey enough to write one myself... yet.

Suggestions? I looked at keyboard macros for my "smart" keyboard but I think it is not so smart...

Mike Freyder
Windows 10 64 bit
User avatar
Tony Jones
Diamond
Posts: 65
Joined: 14 Oct 2016 09:27
Family Historian: V7
Location: Berkshire, England
Contact:

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by Tony Jones »

Can't you make a series of short codes, eg |Fr| for Francois then use the search and replace plugin? It's not perfect and macros would be great for lots of repetitive data entry problems (eg clicking multiple menu keys).
Using an iMac Ventura Intel via Parallels v19 / Win 10 64-bit
User avatar
mjashby
Megastar
Posts: 719
Joined: 23 Oct 2004 10:45
Family Historian: V7
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by mjashby »

Mike,

What you probably need is a Windows Clipboard Extender. There are many offerings e.g. Ditto, CopyQ, Clip Diary, PhraseExpress etc and many are 'freeware'. See https://alternativeto.net/software/copyq/ for some options.

Family Historian, in common with most software, doesn't have an extended clipboard feature built and, in my opinion, the best tools are those specifically designed for the job as they work across applications.
User avatar
davidm_uk
Megastar
Posts: 740
Joined: 20 Mar 2004 12:33
Family Historian: V7
Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by davidm_uk »

Have you tried AutoHotkey https://autohotkey.com/
I use it in many applications and not yet found any where it hasn't worked, and I've just checked that it does work for entering a name in FH.

Edit. and it's free.
David Miller - researching Miller, Hare, Walker, Bright (mostly Herts, Beds, Dorset and London)
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by tatewise »

Welcome to the FHUG Mike.

Recent versions of Microsoft Office support multiple clipboard values.
So as long as say Word is open, you can copy any of its clipboard values into the Windows clipboard, and paste that value anywhere you like such as FH.

For this particular case, why not simply type those names into any word-processor or text-editor, and copy & paste from there into FH.

As a newcomer I advise you study how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers and follow its links to other [kb]|[/kb] pages. It won't help with this specific problem, but may make other features clearer.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
mlfreyder
Diamond
Posts: 57
Joined: 29 Mar 2018 00:13
Family Historian: V7
Location: USA

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by mlfreyder »

Thanks Folks for all the replies and suggestions. I downloaded CopyQ and will try that. I have a Microsoft Media Pro keyboard that came with software that allowed me to setup macros to certain keys but when I got a Windows 10 computer the software was no longer compatible!!! It stiil runs but something is missing. The instructions say to click the "key setup" tab that no longer exist!

CopyQ here we come!

Thanks
Mike
avatar
E Wilcock
Megastar
Posts: 1181
Joined: 11 Oct 2014 07:59
Family Historian: V7
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by E Wilcock »

I have used Clipmate clip board extender for years. But not with fh. Thanks for the idea!

I use Notepad all the time for my fh data entry - especially for long complicated German or Polish places (and addresses). Because copying from the internet and then pasting is less risky than trying to type it myself.
avatar
mlfreyder
Diamond
Posts: 57
Joined: 29 Mar 2018 00:13
Family Historian: V7
Location: USA

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by mlfreyder »

Before FH I used FTM and it was easy to find and replace as Tony Jones suggested. FA for Francois Antoine etc. But with 90000 people FH takes forever to do a find and replace. Not sure why, I filtered out everything except names and it still just sits and the green bar never moves.

I moved to FH because FTM 14 has a bug that does its own find and replace on the locations. I started entering data from a new village and 1000 names into the process I looked in another village that was supposed to have 10000 people in it and there were only 3!!!! FTM had replaced the village Valff with Niedernai because I did a lookup under the location feature "places" which was supposed to show a map of locations. Similar to FH but it listed all the names and events in a column next to the map. I fixed the error my reverting to a backup copy and only had to reenter 200 people. I backed up a lot with so much data at stake. Still do in FH.

Ancestry help always lays the blame for errors on my file being corrupted, Duh... who does the corrupting??? Not me.

Back to the issue. I downloaded CopyQ but have not been able to make it run. May have to reboot but I'll play with it... Currently using Word Perfect (never MSWord) to copy and paste the names as tatewise suggested. I have studied several times the FAQ pages and it has made it easier. I even got down most of the Query task!

Thanks again
Mike
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by tatewise »

I am surprised FH takes so long to perform an Edit > Find and Replace.
With a 20,000 Individual database mine zips through in just a handful of seconds.
The Search and Replace Plugin is similarly quick.
I wonder what could be slowing things down.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
mlfreyder
Diamond
Posts: 57
Joined: 29 Mar 2018 00:13
Family Historian: V7
Location: USA

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by mlfreyder »

So I did a test to see how long it would take. Search and replace plugin wasn't slow, it just didn't find my MM to turn it into Maria Magdalena, that's a separate issue. Assuming the top box is what to search for and the bottom box is what to replace it with.

Edit Find and Replace looking for the same MM took 5 min 25 sec to complete the green bar and never stopped. I cancelled the process at 6 min. Far too long for me to wait.

With all the combinations of names the Hot key is useful but not the best in this application, multiple hotkeys for one person will start to test an old mans memory! Copy and paste from a WP seems quickest.

And, these are all my opinions not meant to be suggestions for others, and certainly only after a short "play time".

A pick list would be great, but that might confuse everyone else!

Mike

What I am dealing with in name list

François Joseph
François Antoine
Françoise
Anna Barbara
Anna Elisabeth
Anna Maria
Joannes Michael
Joannes George
Joannes Jacob
Joannes Simon
Joannes Martin
Joannes Theobald
Maria Catherina
Maria Françoise
Maria Barbara
Maria Magdalena
Maria Margaretha
Maria Anna
Catherina Barbara
Catherina Elisabeth
User avatar
tatewise
Megastar
Posts: 28333
Joined: 25 May 2010 11:00
Family Historian: V7
Location: Torbay, Devon, UK
Contact:

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by tatewise »

This worked for me using Search and Replace Plugin:
SearchAndReplaceMM.png
SearchAndReplaceMM.png (30.9 KiB) Viewed 8022 times
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
avatar
mlfreyder
Diamond
Posts: 57
Joined: 29 Mar 2018 00:13
Family Historian: V7
Location: USA

Re: Plugins/macros

Post by mlfreyder »

I'm missing something... this time it ran thru and found two instances, the one I knew of and one other!

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Mike
Post Reply