Family Historian User Group

I was looking forward to seeing the new word processing functionality introduced with v7. However, it now transpires that it doesn't work with Narrative Reports where you make use of Fact notes to add sections into sentences within the sentence template, ie. {note} or %FACT.NOTE2%. Unfortunately many of my standard facts and all of my custom facts make use of these.

I gather from https://www.fhug.org.uk/forum/viewtopic ... 83#p104527 they only work when using the Inc. Event/Attr Notes option which for me won't work. I have over 65k people in my four grandparent projects (and I appreciate this is frowned upon but I prefer to complete the lines in separate projects), using the Inc. Event/Attr Notes would mean having to rework most if not all Fact Notes for the vast majority of individuals. However, it wouldn't work anyway because of my customised Birth and Baptism facts which are:

{individual}<, {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Parents:")},> was born {date} {place}. < {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Note:")}>

{individual}<, {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Parents:")},> was <{=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Type:")}> baptised <{=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Time:")}> {date} at {_place}<. {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Note:")}>.

The "Parents" code is used with people who have married into the family and for whom I do not want to create additional people so that the "incl Parents" option on the Narrative Reports displays their parents' names. Similarly "Type" is used for private baptisms, "Time" if they are baptised as an adult and sometimes I have the "Note" added early in the sentence when somebody is baptised with a sibling or other relative. I prefer not to use the Event Witness functionality introduced with v6 even if it would work but that's another story. However, this would not work with Inc. Event/Attr Notes because of the automatic listing of the individual at the beginning of the narrative section and then an immediate full stop before any notes would appear.

If I'm remembering correctly from reading through the v7 posts last night there is currently an issue with the paragraph code in the sentence template not displaying in Narrative Reports and this is being looked at by Calico Pie. I was wondering whether there is a way of using the equivalent code for Bold in the sentence template, albeit I'm not sure exactly what the opening/closing codes would be? If this was possible I could just rework my sentence templates to make use of bold where I wanted it in the reports.

I'm interested in formatting as bold place names and the names of other parties in some sentence templates, such as Probate Executors ("Executor") and the Groom and Bride ("Couple") in Marriage Witness custom Events as per below:

{individual} witnessed the marriage of {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Couple:")} {date} at {_place} <along with {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Witness:")}> <along with {role=MarriageWitness}> <{=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Note:")}>

{=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Type:")} of {his/her} Estate <totalling {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Amount:")}> was granted <to {=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Executor:")}> {date} <at the {_place}.> <{role(single)=beneficiary} was a beneficiary.> <{role(plural)=beneficiary} were beneficiaries.> <{=GetLabelledText(%FACT.NOTE2%,"Note:")}.>

I'd also like to bold places and dates, but the latter I think would be impossible because I don't think there is the equivalent of {_place} for {date}, but I'd be happy if I could bold the place names.

Does anyone have any idea whether this may be possible please? My main use of Family Historian other than for data entry is the Narrative Reports, hence the heavy customisation I have for many Facts sentence templates. If this isn't possible, I'm no worse off than with v6 and I do like the new source floating window (which works for me using a 15" laptop screen because I can close it when not in use) and also the improvements to the Report Window. Having only upgraded last night I've not had much time to look at anything else that has changed.

I'm not really answering any of your questions Nick (sorry! ) but I'd been begging for the ability to have 'rich text' in source text for the last 15 years and so from my viewpoint it's great to be able to now have my census tables (created with Ancestral Sources of course! ) formatted nicely. I can see that having the formatting for sentences, etc. would be great too, but that's not something I've ever thought about. So I wonder (with no inside knowledge) if this was Calico Pie's thoughts too - get the word-processing features into source text and notes and then in future updates extend it.

As suggested in Text formatting in V7 (18283) you will have to ask Calico Pie via http://www.calico-pie.com/osticket/open.php.

There is nothing we at the FHUG can do, but it does seem that CP have overlooked the extensive use of labelled Note text as advised in the FHUG KB Narrative Report Fact Sentence Templates under Custom Fact Fields for many years.

tatewise wrote: ↑

12 Dec 2020 12:48

As suggested in Text formatting in V7 (18283) you will have to ask Calico Pie via http://www.calico-pie.com/osticket/open.php.

I will raise it with Calico Pie, but as you also suggested in that particular post to open a new thread about it in case there was a workaround, that is obviously what I've done.

NickWalker wrote: ↑

12 Dec 2020 12:43

I can see that having the formatting for sentences, etc. would be great too, but that's not something I've ever thought about. So I wonder (with no inside knowledge) if this was Calico Pie's thoughts too - get the word-processing features into source text and notes and then in future updates extend it.

I doubt I'm the only person that makes heavy use of custom sentence templates in this way for Narrative Reports. I'll see what response I get from them to the new ticket but fingers crossed they release an update that allows a solution.

Nicola

I was talking about a new thread for your "stripped out all my report options" problem that is nothing to do with Notes.

I'm not suggesting that they're not extensively used. But Calico Pie couldn't just keep adding features and delaying and delaying v7 forever and ever. As I said, they needed to start somewhere and I'm sure they'll keep adding features in updates as they always have. If you raise it with them and enough other people do then I'm sure it will help to move it higher up their 'to do' list. They've done the really difficult job of getting richtext into notes so things like adding this into sentences should be a relatively easier task.

Hi Nick, I appreciate that but their website does say "The new word processing features are supported in reports and books, and generated web pages, websites, and family tree CD/DVDs." and while I accept they're not going to go into detail on the What's new page of their website, the functionality in reports only works in certain situations in Narrative Reports which obviously isn't made clear. I have raised a ticket but whether anyone else will remains to be seen.

Very quick reply from Calico Pie:

OK thank you for raising that. You aren't the only one who has asked for this. We will look into it and consider seeing if we can add it as part of a minor upgrade.

Fingers crossed ....