* Tidying Up "Places" in the Database

[REMyhill]

Does anyone know whether it's possible to merge places in the list? For instance, if you have typed in Cranbrook in some records and Cranbrook, Kent in others and Cranbrook, Kent, ENG somewhere else, these will show as 3 separate places in the list. Ideally I would like to merge the 3 places so that a default format for Cranbrook is created and used for all instances.

If that's not possible I would have to manually correct all records that don't use my default choice and then delete the redundant items once they were showing zero links against them. In that case is it possible to run a report or filter that would take you to the individuals that are linked to those places?

[jimlad68]

not sure if this is the only way:
Use Tools > Work with Data > Places
select multiple places (hold Ctrl etc for multi selection)
Merge
choose the one you want all to merge to

[REMyhill]

Thanks Jim,

That worked a treat. Hopefully as I find my way around FH6 I won't have to keep asking silly questions!

Regards,
Dick

[tatewise]

Dick, as a newcomer have you worked through all the topics in how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers?

There is a lot to FH and it is worth spending some time learning its features.
Too many times users have said if only they had spent longer understanding what FH can do, they would have done things differently.

[REMyhill]

Hello Mike,

Yes, I have viewed a lot of that information and many of the YouTube tutorials. Although there is a massive amount of information to absorb (there always will be with such a powerful database), I think I have made good progress. It's just that sometimes it isn't easy to find reference to a specific topic, such as my query about using more than one thumbnail picture for an individual (which, it transpired that you can't).
Jim's tip for merging data worked well for "places" but I have now come across another issue that I cannot find in the manual. In the record list of "notes" as you might expect there is usually only one link to each note. However, when you see them in list form it is apparent that some of them shouldn't be notes at all. They should be sources or source citations. To rectify this I need to find the individual to whom each note relates but have not found out how to do this or indeed whether you can.
I'm still learning and very appreciative of all the assistance I've received. I just have one regret - that I didn't switch to FH years ago!!

[tatewise]

For any record, to find the records that link to it, use View > Record Links. For certain types of link there are Plugins that provide greater details, such as which Fact is the origin of the link.

For Note Records that are only linked to one Record, there is the Clean Up Notes Plugin, which moves the Note text to a local Note and deletes the Note Record. That is mentioned in the how_to:import_from_family_tree_maker|> Import from Family Tree Maker (FTM) advice.

[REMyhill]

Since my last post I have discovered the way to find associated records. In case any of the other newbies were wondering, you click on the respective "note" or any other item in the records list for that matter and then click on "view">"record links" and a new window will open showing all records that are linked to the item you highlighted.