Family Historian User Group

I am reorging my Source "generic types".

- One tool is the
> Tools > Work with data > Generic Source Types.
But this is a rather blunt tool and does not seem to delete the "generic types" from Sources, only change all.

- I can change the Type with "search and replace" based on Source Records with "all other text fields", but this also finds source records with the search criteria in other Source fields.
- Also "search and replace" will not create new "generic types"

- Plugin Replace Selected Source Citations just seems to do 1 Source at a time and does not include "generic type" or be able to create a new "generic type".

I'm sure in the past mention was made of adding/changing/deleting "generic types" for selected Sources, but I cannot find it.

Has anyone any ideas?

An important thing to recognise is that Tools > Work with Data lists are simply a compilation of all the values in your database.
e.g.
Addresses... provides a list all values in your fact Address fields.
Occupations... provides a list all values in your Occupation facts.
Generic Source Types... provides a list all values in your Source record Generic Type fields.

If you edit those fields then the Tools > Work with Data listed values change to reflect that edit.
You can also Edit or Merge any of those values via the Tools > Work with Data dialogue but not delete them.

But for more complex changes use the Search and Replace plugin.

Its Search Scope at the top can be set to Source Records (SOUR) and Select Records to be changed.
On the Extra Filters tab ensure that only Type fields for Source records is ticked.
Then the Major Options tab Source and Replace boxes define the change.
That lets you delete values or create new values.

All changes are listed in a Result Set for review.
The Tools > Work with Data > Generic Source Types... list will be automatically updated.
If anything is unsatisfactory then use Edit > Undo Plugin Updates to reverse the changes before closing FH.

Thanks for the info Mike, why do I always forget the selected records and extra filters in your excellent Search and replace!

So that either changes or removes the type.

So that just leaves creating new ones and as you say in
Mass Update of Source Data Fields (15213)
"the problem is not exactly that the field is empty, but that the field does not even exist"

For the few I need I can do it manually, but I should imagine scenarios where in a tidying up exercise, bulk creations of Type for selected sources might be useful.

After more looking/remembering! the quick way to delete ALL Generic Source Types is to use plugin Clean Unwanted Fields with just %SOUR._TYPE%
As ever heading the Warning

An even quicker way is to create a Source type Query with a Generic Type column and in the Result Set select all the cells in that column and hit the Delete key.

Thanks in advance for help

Is there a way to add a generic source type eg 'Newspaper Report' as I don't want to edit/change my 'Newspaper Article' generic source type?

I have tried right clicking on the type in the Generic Type column but the 'add generic type' is greyed out

Sue R

Sue,

I don't have Version 6 any more, but I think I added a source by clicking on Add in the main menu and then selecting Source (or something like that).

Bill

Sue, FH V6 and V7 are the same.

Generic Source Types are not held in some separate list anywhere.
The list of values is simply compiled from all the existing Source records.

So, create a new Source record and key in 'Newspaper Report' into the Type: field of its Property Box.
From then on that option will appear in the drop-down list of available Generic Source Types.

BTW: The same concept applies to all the Tools > Work With Data lists.

Thank you

I didn't realise I didn't have to choose an option from the Generic Type drop down menu when creating a new source.

Regards

Sue R

I know this thread is old but it touches upon exactly the area where I'm having issues at the moment.
I understand that, to add a Generic Source Type to an individual source record, I just have to insert this into the source record and it will then be available for selection when adding any future records.
I'm now using Ancestral Sources to enter virtually all of my sources these days so this problem does not arise. But historically I used a variety of approaches whereby many hundreds of source records simply have no Generic Source Type at all. Happily because of my personal naming conventions for sources, I can identify precisely which records do not have this Generic Source Type.
I recognise then that the issue is not how to add a text value for Generic Source Type to an existing field but rather that the field for Generic Source type does not exist at all in those sources.
So my question is how to do a bulk insert of these missing fields and their values - neither "Work With data..." nor "the "Search and Replace" plugin seem to be able to do this - but I would be very happy to be proved wrong or indeed to hear an alternative approach.

Richard, your analysis is perfectly correct and the only solution is a custom plugin which just happens to exist in the posting at Add Source Type to Source plugin (21492).

Mike,

Once again you deliver the goods - this time even before asking! Since the Plugin does not yet appear in the FHUG Downloads directory, I'm treating this as an alpha version where you welcome feedback.

I've posted the comments to the other thread Add Source Type to Source plugin (21492) for the benefit of others seeking a solution to this issue.

Plugins will never appear in the FHUG Knowledge Base Downloads because it is a policy decision to avoid any competition with the FH Plugin Store. Even plugins attached to postings will only exist temporarily and older ones such as this one are either being deleted or published in the Plugin Store.

Thank you for the feedback which I will consider.

Usually, the plugin offers a Select Records dialogue to let you choose the Source records.
The exceptions are if you have the Records Window - Sources tab open or the Result Set from a previous run open with Source records preselected.
So close the Sources tab or the Result Set before running the plugin.

Mike,

Actually, looking back at my open browser windows it seems I had been looking in the FH PlugIn Store - but got confused about where I had been looking when posting!

The behaviour of the plugin seems understandable yet seems inconsistent with the Search & Replace plugin which always brings up the Select Records window when selected from the Search & Replace window itself. Of course the dialogue is different here, since it does not start with the Select Records window.

If the Select Records window cannot be brought up in the circumstances you outline, then perhaps a warning message could be flagged up asking users to close the offending Sources tab or Result set. I would have thought that these were the most likely two windows to have open after running the plugin!

Anyway, using your guidance I'm now able to run the plugin repeatedly and assign a Generic Source Type to each and every one of my sources - thanks again for providing such a useful facility.

Sett the plugin attached to Add Source Type to Source plugin (21492).