* Idea: Text from Source Update

AS allows faster and more convenient creation of source records for Family Historian.
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ChrisRead
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Idea: Text from Source Update

Post by ChrisRead » 08 Feb 2021 11:59

Hi Nick,

This idea has come about due to our recent work on templates combined with my own 3+ week effort adding & converting external Word transcriptions to Rich Text in Text from Source. I know it wasn't essential to do, but it does mean things can be made 'neater' and more readable than some of the old plain text ones.

Some cases were done by simply typing it in FH, whereas others (particularly census), I used AS to generate the auto-text then copy/pasted to the relevant Source Record "Text from Source". I didn't want to actually re-do the events themselves. However of course, using AS in these cases meant it was necessary to re-enter all the relevant information, which made the process rather long-winded and slow.

This particular idea would selfishly benefit me obviously, but it would also provide a path for those who used pre-V7 and would like to switch to Rich Text but are daunted by the effort involved. It would also be beneficial when wanting to make use of a new template to replace an old transcription.

Essentially, it would require the ability to load up an existing source entry, exactly like is already available for the Add Images capability. Then you would be able to use the Auto button as normal to pick a template, before saving or abandoning the change. The old Text from Source could optionally be saved in the Source Record as a note in case additional edits had been made that were wanted to be kept. If the normal post auto-text user modification was also available, then a user could make those changes before saving just like normal.

Being able to pick a source record, pick an auto-text template then save without any data reentry would make the process quite quick and easy for people wanting to do a conversion, or to simply update with a new template they would like to use.

Ok, shoot me down. :D
Chris Read
Family Historian and Ancestral Sources user.

Researching the READ family and the myriad other relations that turned up.

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NickWalker
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Re: Idea: Text from Source Update

Post by NickWalker » 08 Feb 2021 12:08

As I think I've mentioned elsewhere, my next 'major project' for AS (when I've finished fixing things and making tweaks for demanding users ;)) is to work on a mode to reformat existing census entries (initially) from plain text to rich text. I may then move on to look at other source types. Another extension to this would be to allow for the source templates to be applied to turn existing generic sources into templated sources.
Nick Walker
Ancestral Sources Developer

https://fhug.org.uk/kb/kb-article/ancestral-sources/

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ChrisRead
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Re: Idea: Text from Source Update

Post by ChrisRead » 08 Feb 2021 12:26

Surely you can't mean me being demanding :lol:, I just found a few bugs that needed fixing :) which led to a few hints of extras that then magically appeared; a darn sight sooner than I ever expected.

Sounds like you're already on the case with something like I suggested. Any time frame (I don't know how many tweaks and bug fixes are lurking). Give me a shout if you need a tester again.

Now I'd better work on those new templates all the last few days of your hard work were for.
Chris Read
Family Historian and Ancestral Sources user.

Researching the READ family and the myriad other relations that turned up.

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