Family Historian User Group

Hi. I was trying to replace two spaces by one space in some of my entries. In the example which follows please note I have not entered the # characters, I have just used a # below to show where I have entered the space character.

I can search for ##Durham and I get a list of fields containing that in the results as you would expect. However when I use Find and Replace with Find ##Durham and Replace #Durham, FH v7 hangs and has to be closed down and reloaded. I am sure I have done this kind of thing successfully in v6. Is it me, or should I report a bug to Calico pie? If so, how do I do that please?
Thanks
Ian

If as I suspect Durham is part of a Place field name then that is a recipe for disaster and may upset your Place records.

Please use the Search and Replace plugin instead or if there are only a few then edit the Place records directly in the Records Window on the Places tab or via Tools > Work with Data > Places.

You can also report the problem to CP via their http://www.calico-pie.com/osticket/open.php support ticket system.

Thanks very much Mike, I will report it. I am now curious as to why there needs to be a search and replace plugin - does it have more powerful search parameters? It wasn't Durham actually I just used that as an example.

If you were not changing Place names then I'm not sure why FH V7 would hang like that.

Certainly, the Plugin has far superior search & replace parameters with record and field filters plus the option of using pattern matching similar to 'regular expressions'. It can replace date fields and enum fields that Find and Replace does not support.

Thanks for the additional info. I was trying to remember the phrase regular expressions! I have reported it.

Ian

Just out of curiosity - I often clean up that type of editorial typo (double, leading or trailing spaces, trailing carriage returns, spaces before punctuation etc.) directly in the GEDCOM file using Notepad++. It's quick, easy, and reaches everywhere, including linked filenames. I check each change before accepting it, so note any potential issues such as duplicated places or broken file links.

You would obviously only do it that way if you could Interpret the GEDCOM file to check the results of each change, but what "disaster" awaits me by not using the plugin?

If you are 'expert' in using an advanced text editor such as Notepad++ and familiar with GEDCOM structures then the risk of disasters is minimal, especially if you have a backup and remembering that FH has automatically taken a Snapshot.

If you have to make many decisions about which records and fields need to be changed, or are changing unfamiliar entries such as the numbers associated with Citation Assessment Enums, or you want to ensure changes to Media record file links and the actual file names are synchronised, or you are less familiar with GEDCOM structures, then the Plugin is much safer.
Give it a try and see what you think, but its pattern matching is not identical to 'regular expressions' only similar.

Fair enough - using Notepad++ is a better fit for me, as I very much prefer trying to understand exactly what is happening so I’m better equipped to make my own customisations in the future (same philosophy as my simple batch file settings backup or custom RM export), but the plugins are there for those that prefer the ready made solutions, or for the occasional more specialist option that simple tools would struggle with.