* Repeat Previous Data Entry

[hampds]

I am new to FH6 coming from The Master Genealogist. Their TAG Entry field is comparable to the Property Box however; TMG would allow the use of the F3 function key to repeat the last entry in that box being entered. This greatly expedited data entry. Is there a function in FH6 that would accomplish the same thing?

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG.
I have moved this topic to the General Usage Forum for general discussion.
The purpose of the New Wish List Request Forum is explained in Please Read Before Posting Wishes (6176) and intended as a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted.

Regarding your question, FH supports most of the usual Windows keyboard shortcuts. So Ctrl-C will copy anything selected and Ctrl-V will paste it wherever you like as long as it is valid.

Also, in some panes, there are specific Copy and Paste buttons.

What sort of information are you finding it useful to repeatedly enter, as several fields offer an auto-completion feature or drop-down lists of previously entered values.

BTW: As a newcomer you may find how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers has much introductory advice.

[Jane]

As Mike mentions you can copy a Fact, which I think is the same as a Tag in TMG using the copy and paste buttons on the Fact tab.

[jimlad68]

Yes, that is something I miss from TMG.

I have found this works quite well: Use a clipboard manager (I use ARSCLIP which is portable http://www.joejoesoft.com/vcms/97/, but there are many more see http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-fr ... tility.htm, with this you can keep your regular save directory and just paste it when needed.

Ditto seems to be a favourite and is also available as a portable app via http://www.liberkey.com/en/catalog-flat-list-view.html

With Arsclip you can have different sets of presets for different programs with hot keys. A bit of setting up, but once done saves a lot of time.

[tatewise]

I've dug into TMG to extract its explanation of <F3>:

Field Contents
When entering information, pressing <F3> will insert into the current field the last entry used in that field; pressing <F3> again will insert the entry prior to that one, and so forth. The last fifteen entries in each field are available.
Example 1: Pressing <F3> once
The last Place entry you made was:
Round Hill Cemetery
Marion
Smyth County
VA
Pressing <F3> from a new Place Detail field will insert Round Hill Cemetery into that field. Pressing it from the City field will insert Marion into that field, and so forth.
Example 2: Pressing <F3> twice
The last date entry you made was: Apr 1863
The date entry before that was: 5 Jan 1865
Pressing <F3> from a new Date field will insert Apr 1863 into that field.
Pressing <F3> again will insert 5 Jan 1865 and Apr1863 will be overwritten.
Unique Values
Pressing <F2> from many data entry fields will produce a listing of all previous entries in that field. Highlight any item on the list and press <Enter> or double-click on the item to insert all elements of that entry into the appropriate field(s).

FH does NOT have a general feature like that, and Jim's suggestions don't seem to be field associative.

Having said that, the FH Place and Address fields auto-complete using most recently/often used previous entries.

How likely is it that other fields would want recently entered values?

[Genie15]

I agree with hampds.
I, as a The Master Genealogist (TMG) user about to be a Family Historian user (FH), also wish to have an option similar to F3 on TMG.
Copy and paste is time consuming for every line of text.
Copy and paste of a source or citation is not quite the same, as on occasions some data may be different.
But for instance the input date is likely to be the same for several inputs that I would do on that day, whereas others may be slightly different except 'where within the source' which again would likely be the same.
But putting the cursor into a box on say a citation and pressing a key once or more times is in my opinion much easier to use and less toing and froing.
I look forward to this option being added.
Genie15

[tatewise]

All software products offer various ways to achieve the same objectives.

I suspect that once you become familiar with the features of FH the <F3> key will become less significant.

I have given the FH auto-complete example for Place and Address fields.

For repeated Citations of the same Source use either the yellow Sources pane Copy Citation & Paste Citation buttons, or even better the Automatic Source Citations feature.

Also for most new data entry ancestralsources:index|> Ancestral Sources eliminates much of the tediously repetitive data entry of new Facts and Citations derived from one new Source. For example when entering a Census Return you do not enter a Date at all, just choose Country and Year and AS fills in the correct Date on every Census Event, plus there is an option to fill in Today's Date in each Citation Entry Date (although that is not a recommended option).

[brianlummis]

As a recent migrant from TMG I was at first worried about the absence of the F3 function that I had become used to. However it has become less of a worry as I am using Nick Walker's wonderful Ancestral Sources that eliminates the need for a repeat key. Once you get used to the auto-fill for Places and Addresses then the number of times the F3 key would be needed is minimal. When using any new software there is always a learning curve before it feels like second nature.