Family Historian User Group

As I understand it, Family Historian does not currently synch or work with FamilySearch at all. And yet when I was digging through the Data Reference Assistant (customising my property box), I noticed that under the 'Miscellaneous' folder there is an option for 'FamilySearch Id'. What would be the purpose of this? Is it for manually storing the FamilySearch Id of a person? Is there any utility in filling out this field for everyone in my tree who also has a FamilySearch Family Tree profile? How can this be used in the program, if at all?

FH is based around the Gedcom standard, and as this was originated by the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons), who also own Familysearch, it is no surprise this item is there. I think you’ll find lots of other LDS related items in there somewhere e.g.’Initiatory’ or 'Mission', part of LDS’ religious procedures. I’m making an educated guess here.

I believe that FamilySearchId field (_FSID) is new in FH v7.
It is NOT in the GEDCOM specification, which is confirmed by the leading underscore on the _FSID tag showing it is a custom tag.
As the description box at the bottom says:
"FamilySearch Id for Individual record matched to FamilySearch Family Tree"
%INDI._FSID%

FH provides no other information in its Help pages. I think it is a purely manually cross-reference aid.

Have you tried entering data in it, Mike? It isn't possible...

Wild guess - importing from (or to?) those apps that do interface / sync with FS Family Tree?

No, I had not tried entering a FamilySearch Id manually.
So it behaves similar to the Automated Record Id that also prevents manual updates.

However, they both allow a Plugin to create or amend their values.

Perhaps we need to ask CP about its intended purpose as there is nothing in the Help pages?

Re: Adrian's suggestion ~ Is it a field tag (_FSID) that anyone has encountered in another product?

1 _FSFTID - Rootsmagic, Legacy, Heredis
1 FSID - FTM2019
previously discussed @ LDS AFN (17861)

If it's supported by RM and Legacy, it should come across in a direct import. Do we know if that's the case?

Mark1834 wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2021 12:44

If it's supported by RM and Legacy, it should come across in a direct import. Do we know if that's the case?

No to direct import
only via gedcom

I don't see how it can be via GEDCOM if the tags posted earlier are accurate.
What will get imported will be the RM/Legacy/Heredis _FSFTID tag and not the FH _FSID tag, because FH does not usually alter imported tags.

tatewise wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2021 14:50

What will get imported will be the RM/Legacy/MyHeritage _FSFTID tag and not the FH _FSID tag, because FH does not usually alter imported tags.

Correct , it doesn't alter the tag, but it does import it from exported files from RM/Legacy/FTM2019/Heredis.

So, just to be absolutely clear, no known product import to Family Historian creates the _FSID tag.
Therefore, there is still no explanation for the new _FSID tag existence.

I can confirm by direct experiment that the field exported by RM as _FSFTID is stored internally in the FamilySearchTable with the name fsID. The same table stores the RM RecordID (equivalent to the FH Record ID) in a field called rmID, and rows exist only for those records matched to FamilySearch. It seems certain then that this corresponds to the FamilySearch ID value. As far as I can tell, it is not accessible from the normal program interface, as users would have no reason to change or enter data directly.

My interpretation is that FH are doing the groundwork to prepare for a future sync with FamilySearch (FH 7.1 ?). Whether it was simply an accidental omission not to include this field in a direct RM input, or deliberate to avoid showing their hand too early is anybody's guess (and any forum users who know probably aren't telling anyway ).

Whatever the explanation, it would be a very short and simple plugin to fetch across the FamilySearch IDs from RM that the import left behind, and store them in the new FamilySearch ID field. You'd then have a flying start to carrying on with FamilySearch where you left off in RM once the facility is fully enabled.

If it is needed, I'm happy to compile and post the plugin over the weekend.

FYI: I manually entered FamilySearch IDs in FH6, and can still edit them in FH7.

BEJ, that is something very different.
The new FH v7 field is %INDI._FSID% and is NOT a fact.
Yours is %INDI._ATTR-FAMILYSEARCH_ID% which is a custom attribute that I guess you created years ago.

OK, thanks. Just checking.

Mark1834 wrote: ↑

08 Oct 2021 18:21

Whatever the explanation, it would be a very short and simple plugin to fetch across the FamilySearch IDs from RM that the import left behind, and store them in the new FamilySearch ID field. You'd then have a flying start to carrying on with FamilySearch where you left off in RM once the facility is fully enabled.

If it is needed, I'm happy to compile and post the plugin over the weekend.

That would actually be quite nice.
I do quite a lot with FamilySearch. Nevertheless, FH supported me more than RM.....

Can't speak for how the "direct RM import" brings things across, but the GEDCOM import from RM contained the _FSFTID fact type, which was identified as UDF.

I used the Change Any Fact Tag plugin to change them from UDF to a custom fact I created, now I have the FS ID show up on the fact tab.

Leslie, that’s exactly the scenario Mike described earlier. You have converted the UDF field to a custom fact called FamilySearchID, but it is not the actual FH FamilySearchID. You can display it, but any future FH update won’t be able to do anything with it. To convert the UDF to the true FamilySearchID, you need a separate plugin (albeit a very simple one).

The next version of the Change Any Fact Tag plugin will support FamilySearch Id (INDI._FSID) and Unique Id (INDI._UID).
I'm sorry they were not included earlier but I didn't notice those FH v7 updates until recently.

Then Leslie and BEJ could convert their custom attribute facts to genuine FamilySearch Id _FSID.
With an imported RM project the _FSFTID UDF could be converted directly to FamilySearch Id _FSID.
Other users could create Custom Id holding the FS Id and then convert them to FamilySearch Id _FSID.
Whether that falls within the scope of what CP intended for that field is anyone's guess.

Whether that falls within the scope of what CP intended for that field is anyone's guess.

Yep. I recall noticing that "future magic" field before I did my final import from RM, it made me happy to see! Also having seen CP's comment about having Internet Data Matches with more providers, I was hopeful it meant that they were laying the groundwork for matches to FS. Hope yet remains!

I don't even want anything all that sophisticated. I would be over the moon happy with a special type of fact that lets the user define URL pre- and post- fixing so that we enter the unique part, and then the description field becomes the entire clickable URL.

That would let us go beyond JUST linking to FMP, MH, FS, Ancestry and be able to link to pages on our own websites, wikitree, findagrave, wikipedia, etc.

Leslie, I have started a new Facts with active URL (19889) thread to discuss your Fact URL request.

A simple plugin is attached that reads a RootsMagic database, extracts FamilySearch ID values, and copies them to Individuals in the current FH project with matching UniqueID. Its main application is to correct the omission of this field from the direct import introduced in FH 7.0.8. The easiest way to display these values in FH is to add a field to the Records Window (right-click on the headings and select Configure Columns...).

Remember that FH doesn't currently do anything with the FamilySearch ID, but it may be useful to be prepared if FamilySearch linking is introduced in a future version (hopefully it will enable you to maintain your old RM FamilySearch links in FH).

If you previously imported via GEDCOM and have not deleted Undefined Fields, an alternative method is to use the Change Any Fact Tag plugin as described above, but this does not work for direct imports.

Hi all,

Having returned to genealogy and FH7 after a few months' hiatus, I notice that the FamilySearch Id attribute is now not editable and appears greyed out?
Is anyone able to explain this? I liked the ability to add the FamilySearch Family Tree ID to my relatives' profiles...

Sarah

Sarah - that was essentially what was discussed above. FH7 has a new FamilySearchID field, but it does not import the RM field of the same name, and while you can add the field manually, it cannot be populated.

I asked CP specifically how that field is intended to work in discussion of the various RM import defects that were fixed in the prototypes that came between FH 7.0.12 and FH 7.0.15, but they declined to answer.

I think the best workaround for the moment is to create your own custom FamilySearchID attribute (give it a slightly different name to avoid confusion). You can then convert these to "real" FamilySearchID values using the Change Any Fact Tag plugin. It's tedious, but there is no other way to add that data from the user interface.