Family Historian User Group

Well not so much a problem but a niggle! Whenever I use this excellent Custom Query I find it necessary to alter the column widths. The niggle is that each change is followed by an annoying little box which tells me it cannot be saved which I have to click on OK to cancel. It drives me up the wall! can anyone change the Query to omit this as it doesn't seem to be necessary or appear on any other Query.
Many thanks
Dagwood

ID:6732

I suspect the annoying message is caused by your use of Dropbox, or SkyDrive, or some similar auto-synch/backup utility, which is temporarily locking the Custom Query File in C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily Historian.
I have the same problem with almost any Query change but have not investigated it deeply.

After adjusting your Result Set Columns they should be preserved in the Custom Query and stay the same width the next time it is used.

tatewise said:
I suspect the annoying message is caused by your use of Dropbox, or SkyDrive, or some similar auto-synch/backup utility, which is temporarily locking the Custom Query File in C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily Historian.
I have the same problem with almost any Query change but have not investigated it deeply.

After adjusting your Result Set Columns they should be preserved in the Custom Query and stay the same width the next time it is used.

I am using DropBox but cannot see why it is only this query that I have the problem with. I've checked again and the column widths are definitely not preserved when opening the query again.
Thanks for your reply Mike but I'm still puzzled by what is happening.
Dagwood

Have you checked that the Read Only Attribute has not got set on the Query File, if you save it as a new copy does that have the same problem?

Hi Jane , the Read Only box is unticked. Unless I misunderstood your point about saving as a new file the problem is as I open the query and , mainly when using a netbook but on my PC also, adjust the column width. It's not so much the repeated need to adjust them but having to cancel this message each time a column is altered. Hence I don't even get to the issue of saving as a new file before I'm pulling the last remaining strands of hair out.[cry]
Can I assume from your and Mike's replies that this is not happening to anyone else? There has to be something in the structure of the Query that dictates the message is displayed, but then I don't have a clue as to how these things are written.[confused]
Dagwood
Correction: I've just gone back to it on the PC and the message does not appear. It must be a netbook issue but I don't know why?

I have just experimented with the file right-click Properties > Attributes: Read-only setting, and Jane is absolutely correct.

The fact that it is only this Query that has the problem AND the changes are NOT saved, all points to the Read-only attribute.

It is a common side effect of downloading files via various browsers that the Read-only attribute can get set.
When FH installs such files it should check and clear the Read-only bit, but I cannot remember which V5 upgrade allegedly fixed this problem.

I've checked both PC and netbook and the Read Only box is unticked in both.
However your the answers you and Jane gave have led me to a solution. I had never saved the Query after running it so on both mc/s I altered the column widths and saved as Kinsfolk To Do- adj cols. I then closed it and reopened it and on both mc/s the columns were retained at the width I required.
Success!!
Many thanks to both of you
Dagwood[smile]

The mechanism is that whenever you change any Custom Query (or any other Customised file), then FH immediately automatically saves the change back to the original file in C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily Historian....
If FH cannot write to the file, then it pops-up that annoying Unable to save changes to ... warning message.
It is nothing to do with the structure of the Query.

The fact that you can Save and subsequently change a copy of that Query (and change other Queries) suggests that there is some kind of Modify/Write restriction on the Kinsfolk Census To Do Table.fhq file.
Just to double check, try ticking the Properties > Read-only box and click Apply, and then clear the box and click OK.
Also, its Properties > Security tab should allow Everyone to have Modify & Write access as shown below:

Are you synchronising the Calico pie application data folder between both machines?

Yes, Dagwood said he is using Dropbox.
On inspection, the Kinsfolk Census To Do Table.fhq file is my largest Query file at 13 KB, whereas most Query files and other Customised files are only a few KB.
Maybe Dropbox takes longer to synchronise such larger files, and the lock it applies causes the Modify/Write problem.

If this is true, then the same problem will occur if Dagwood tries to change his copied Kinsfolk To Do- adj cols Query.
Perhaps Dagwood could confirm this.

tatewise said:
If this is true, then the same problem will occur if Dagwood tries to change his copied Kinsfolk To Do- adj cols Query.
Perhaps Dagwood could confirm this.

As soon as I get home and back on my netbook I'll let you know. Thanks to John and yourself for your suggestions.
Dagwood
Ps Is it necessarily the case that Dropbox will synchronise the Calico Pie application as John suggests? I notice apart from changes to Gedcom which are synchronised there are differences between FH on the netbook and on the PC eg Queries downloaded to one aren't on the other.

I'm pretty sure that Dropbox can only synchronize files and folders that are within the Dropbox folder.

To synchronise the C:ProgramDataCalico Pie folder between PC it must be relocated into the Dropbox folder as described in Utility ~ Link Shell Extension, but this is only recommended for advanced PC users.

I now suspect Dagwood has not done this, so it cannot be Dropbox that is causing the annoying messages.
It must be something to do with file privileges on that particular Custom Query file.

P.S.
An alternative way of synchronising the C:ProgramDataCalico Pie folder between PC is to use the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin.

• Run the Plugin on the source PC and Backup into your Dropbox folder.
• Run the Plugin on the target PC and Restore from the Dropbox folder Backup copy.

Depending on whether you Restore just the Program Data or also Registry Data determines what customisations and preferences will be migrated.
See the Plugin Help & Advice for details.

tatewise said:
If this is true, then the same problem will occur if Dagwood tries to change his copied Kinsfolk To Do- adj cols Query.
Perhaps Dagwood could confirm this.

Back on the netbook and I'm able to change the column widths on the amended version without the message popping up now. Strange! Oh well, it seems as if I don't have the problem I started with but it would be nice to know why.
Peter is, I'm sure, correct about DropBox. The files and folders I have in the DropBox folder synchronise perfectly every time I use either the PC or netbook. The big difference is that on the netbook both programs and files are on the C drive whereas on the PC I have programs on C which is an SSD and files on D which is an HDD. I don't understand the technicalities of all this but I can see that the Calico Pie folder would never be synchronised.
I'll see if what Mike suggests is within my scope and have a go at it though something tells me if it is working reasonably well at the moment not to fiddle with it.[wink]
Your inputs much appreciated, I just wish I had a fraction of your technical know-how.
Dagwood

I use Microsoft synctoy and a USB pen drive to synchronise the Application data folder, and dropbox for the rest

Dagwood ~ What happens if you try to change the original Custom Query? Does it still produce the warning message? If so, please check the Properties as advised above.

John ~ Have you tried my Plugin technique? It should be more convenient than using SyncToy and a pen-drive.

Thnaks Mike, but i am also synchronising other folders for spreadsheets etc, I don't synchronise everything, and the paths are different on each computer, so synctoy does a great job for what I want.

That's very interesting. I've just started using Synctoy to back up both PC and netbook to an Ext HDD so will look at using that for the applications between PC and netbook. Many thanks for the suggestion,
Dagwood

Edit: Just got pipped by last two posts I'll answer your one seperately Mike.

tatewise said:
Dagwood ~ What happens if you try to change the original Custom Query? Does it still produce the warning message? If so, please check the Properties as advised above.

Ok, perhaps the problem starts way back. To start, when you and Jane referred to the read only box being ticked I was looking at the one under the General tab when running the Query. Looking at your example and seeing the .fhq suffix I have searched for the Kinsfolk ....fhq file and cannot find one in the Family Historian/Queries folder in Programs. Also my FH folder is not under Calico Pie it sits seperately. It would appear that I don't have a Kinsfolk...fhq file but that cannot be possible can it? I have run searches on My Computer for both Kinsfolk and .fhq but nothing comes up apart from all the other .fhq files.
Now I'm really puzzled! Where else would they be? Perhaps I should delete these queries from my list and download again?
Dagwood [confused]

Every Custom Query .fhq file is in the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Queries\Custom folder (if you are on Window 7/Vista).

But see Family Historian Program Data Folder for full details, the special case of Windows XP, and how to reveal a hidden ProgramData folder.

That was it Mike!Thanks for the guidance on Hidden files etc. I'm using XP on the netbook and whilst the path was not quite as shown the info given enabled me to display hidden files and folders and change the Read Only box.
I've been back to the Query and can now change the column widths without the message coming up and they are retained when I reopen the Query.
Many thanks to you and all who helped
Dagwood [smile]

I am glad that is sorted out.
To help others with a Windows XP Netbook, what exactly was the Program Data path for the ...\Calico Pie\Family Historian\... folders?

We can then update the Knowledge Base for the benefit of all.

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Queries\Custom

I'm on xp & it is as per knowledge base.

I'm grateful to ejp for confirming the path is correct as shown in the Knowledge Base. As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm not sure my netbooks Program structure is as it should be. I will however go back to the netbook and try and sort that out.
Can I raise one other issue with the Kinsfolk Census To Do Query which may or may not be fixable? When I work with it I like to work in a birth date order working thro' those who are obviously earlier in the family tree than others more recent. I noticed that this is made difficult as clicking on the Birth Date column sorts the data into a numerical/alpha sequence eg all dates whether with days or years starting with 1 are listed so all 1 April xxxx are followed by 1 August xxxx etc then 1700's are followed by 1800's etc. Next you get 2 April xxxx etc etc.
Is it possible for the dates to be sorted by year only then the month and day after that?
Thanks
Dagwood

Yes, if you check the Columns tab, there is a Y+M+D Heading, with Sort = Descending, and Hidden = Yes.
This entry calculates a Birthday Number = Year * 10000 + Month * 100 + Day.
So it sorts exactly as you require, but currently in Date Descending order, with latest Dates at the top and earliest at the bottom.

On the Columns tab, select this Y+M+D entry and edit at the bottom to Sort: Ascending, and untick Hidden.
Click the Update button on the right, and then display the Result Set.
This will display the results sorted as you requested.

Click on the Y+M+D Column Heading to sort Ascending and use Alt + click to sort Descending.