Why sources being listed more than once

Post by **tatewise** » 14 Mar 2013 01:16

I have had another go at this Plugin.
This version checks the settings in your '\Reports\Standard\Descendants By Generation.fhr' Report Options.
Change this path in the Plugin if you are using a Custom Report file.
It should also run somewhat faster.

Code: Select all

   Code removed by Edit - MBT

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 15 Mar 2013 22:24

Mike,

I finally got a chance to test this. This version of the plugin runs much faster. It ran in about 45 seconds on my database.

I finally got a chance to test this. I still get double blank lines on some of my citation notes. Others just get a single blank line. I haven't been able to determine a pattern on when they are double. For example, on one person there are four citations with notes. Two get a single blank line and two get double blank lines. All four citation have no Entry Date, Assessment, Where within Source, and Text from Source.

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 15 Mar 2013 23:46

Bill, could you post samples of some of the anomalies.

You are using the Standard Report for Descendants By Generation?

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 16 Mar 2013 00:29

Mike,

No, I'm actually using a custom report. I did make the change to the path in the plugin to point to my custom report.

The only changes are to use 4 generations rather than 3 and a couple changes to the info to include. Here is what that tab looks like on my custom report.

Is this what you are looking for as far as examples?

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 16 Mar 2013 00:52

Those Citation Note fields look OK with double blank lines, assuming the associated Source Record has no Text From Source and no Note.
These last two fields also affect the number of blank lines needed in the Citation Note, so you cannot compare one Citation Note against another without taking those Source Record fields into account.

What matters is what they look like in the Report, not in the Sources pane.

What I was hoping to see was anomalous blank lines in the Report, where some Notes have one blank line and others two blank lines separating them from the Citation.

After altering any of the Citation or Source Record fields, it is also important to Save, Close & re-Open FH to ensure any blank fields are correctly purged.
Otherwise, the empty but still existing fields can fool the Plugin.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 16 Mar 2013 01:00

Mike,

Hmmm... I think maybe this is getting too complicated for me. I was hoping to get all my citation notes set up so they would look good on any report that I might produce. Then, for future notes I could add the extra blank line and any report would look good. It seems maybe I was confused as to what was going to happen. I don't think I would want to have some source panes showing single blank lines and others showing double blank lines. I would get too confused and wouldn't know how many blank lines to insert in a new citation.

Sorry, but rather than have you spend any more time on this, maybe I will just live with FH the way it is and hope someday FH will have more options for customizing reports. I really thank you for all the hard work you put into this for me.

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 16 Mar 2013 01:35

I am afraid the single/double blank line scenario is due to the dependency on so many factors: Citation fields, Source fields, and Report options.

But now the Plugin is so fast, why not let it do the job of setting the blank lines, since it takes all those factors into account.
As you have seen, it is easy to accommodate different Reports, so if necessary a Plugin prompt to choose the Report could easily be added.

If you do not like the variable number of blank lines in the Citation Notes then there is the following option.
Assume we start with no blank lines at all.
Run the Plugin to set the blank lines (45 secs).
Create the Report.
Use Edit > Undo Plugin Updates to return to original no blank line state, or don't Save when you Close FH.

The Plugin could even have an option to remove all blank lines, just in case you forget to perform that last step.

Post by **tatewise** » 16 Mar 2013 02:02

I have just added a crude Report selection dialogue, and it appears to work OK for several different Reports, with several different settings, using my test cases.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 16 Mar 2013 02:59

Mike,

You are too kind... and very persuasive. Actually, that does sound like a good idea.

The report selection dialog and the option to delete blank lines (only the ones at the front) of a note would be great because I know I'll forget to do the 'undo plugin updates' at some point.

I do think this would work well.

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 16 Mar 2013 10:51

But is the Plugin getting the leading blank lines correct for Reports?

The default state may best be with one blank line in every Citation Note.
Then the adjustment for Reports only needs to change those few that need two blank lines, and therefore will run faster.

Try the Plugin download from SkyDrive [link removed by edit - MBT].

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 16 Mar 2013 20:33

Mike,

I really like this new version. The report selection and progress bar are great. Edit > Undo Plugin Updates worked like a charm.

It looks like everything is working fine. All the citations in the report are ending up with a single blank line regardless of whether or not there are one or two blank lines in the note field of the source pane in the property box.

The results did point out something though. When I started doing my genealogy, I used 'generic' citations. For example 'Death Record'. These have no details for a specific person. So, I would put the details for the specific person in the citation note.

Later I started using 'specific' citations. For example 'Henshaw, Boyd Jack - death record'. For these I put the details for the person in the note in the source itself, not in the citation.

I hate to even ask after all the work you have put into this, but would it be hard to enhance the plugin to put a blank line before these source notes as well?

By the way, it works now in under 30 seconds, so I don't think we have to modify it to make it quicker. Also, I kind of like not having blank line at the beginning of my notes.

Thanks!

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 16 Mar 2013 22:59

The reason I chose to default to one blank line in Notes is that the Plugin adjustment for Reports only needs to change those few Notes that need two blank lines, and therefore runs faster.

I have changed the default 'Cancel' mode to no blank lines, and added a blank line to Source Notes as requested.
As a result the Plugin may run a bit slower.

Try the download from SkyDrive All Note Blanks.fh_lua.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 19 Mar 2013 03:28

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the new version. This version seems to run about the same amount of time. It seems to work fine on the citation notes.

However, I am seeing some problems with the source notes. Some of my source notes are not getting modified so that there is no blank line showing in the source window and subsequently no blank line showing on the report either. Other source notes are working just fine.

Here is an example of one that isn't working:

And here is one that is working:

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 19 Mar 2013 13:56

Is it that each Source Note with no blank line, also has no Citation Note?

If so, then try the V1.1 download from SkyDrive All Note Blanks.fh_lua.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 19 Mar 2013 20:26

Mike,

That was exactly the situation. I tried the new version and the reports look great.

Thank you so much for all your work on this. I hope someday Simon will add some report customization options for blank lines.

Thanks!

Bill

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