Family Historian User Group

I have lots of research notes that I have included in a new DVD/Website, but am having a problem with the resulting layout.

A typical research note is J00070 William Moore: Where was he in 1901

This research note in displayed in the DVD as follows:
Is there any way to stop the text being duplicated in both the Title and the body Text.

Mike, it would really help us if you explained how you are creating those Research Notes in HTML format.

I guess you are adding them in Publish > Websites & Family Tree CD/DVDs... at Step 4: Add Items for Table of Contents and choosing the Record Detail - Research Notes report.

That has a Report > Options > Format tab setting for Heading ~ Record which uses {default} for the heading to match the text.
You can Edit... that setting to for example [E=RecordId()] so that it only shows the record id.
That must be saved as a custom report type and chosen in the Step 4 mentioned above.

I wonder if the Research Notes report might be more suitable than the Record Detail - Research Notes report.

Helen, I suggest you try it, as I did. It similarly duplicates the Header and Text but has no Report > Options to alter anything.

It only duplicates content to the same extent that the Individual Summary report does, i.e. a Title for each entry that matches the Individual Name, similar to a Title for each entry that matches the Research Note title. And it's a better looking report IMO, which is why I suggested it.

It may be that Mick's Research Notes are all one liners, without any labelled text, in which case using the Record Detail - Research Notes report and hiding the Section Header completely could be an alternative approach, although it doesn't get rid of that pesky "Text:" prefix.

For one liners, another option would be to use the Research Notes report and make the Section Label invisible (by turning it white, and closing up the gaps under and above it). I'd also configure it NOT to Start Records on a New Page. That way, there's no pesky "Text:", but it would take a bit of experimentation to get good looking vertical separation of the one-liners.

Thanks Mike,

[E=Recordid()] did the trick Title now simply shows Exx with the text below.

BTW, All my research notes begin with a title ending with a colon. Is their way I can extract this text to show as the title in a similar manner to above?

So taking your earlier example you want J00070 William Moore to appear as the Header Title in the reports.

IMO the best solution would be to use the Research Notes Title label feature.
i.e. Your example would become
Title: J00070 William Moore
Where was he in 1901

Then only the text following the Title: label is shown in the Heading Title.
That works for both the Record Detail - Research Notes report and also the Miscellaneous > Research Notes report.

Inserting the label Title: and putting everything after the colon on the next line can be done with the Search and Replace plugin.
Are you interested in the details?

Alternatively, you can change the Format tab Heading template to [E=RecordId()] =Section(%_RNOT.TEXT%,1,": ")

tatewise wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2022 12:56

Alternatively, you can change the Format tab Heading template to [E=RecordId()] =Section(%_RNOT.TEXT%,1,": ")

Simple when you know how - Thanks again Mike

NB Too much trouble going down the plugin route, this method works fine for both existing and future Research notes.

Just bear in mind that only works for the 'Record Detail - Research Notes' report.

It doesn't work for the 'Research Notes' report nor the Records Window Research Notes tab or the Property Box Notes tab.
They will all still show the entire Text.

The Search and Replace plugin process is a very simple one-off bulk conversion. Just a few clicks and it is done

If you fancy the Research Notes report format, try installing this and running it by generating the Custom report called Research Notes (Variant).

I can add in the Record ID to the header if you want it.

Edited to ADD: The plugin is now in the Plugin Store

Works well for the Mike L special cases.
But if any Research Notes have the 'standard' labelled format then they all get the Header of Title so would it be better to cater for that Title: label case too?

Mike, that would just duplicate the Research Notes report (I'm assuming that users will adopt one approach or the other, not mix and match them) but it can be done.

I may -- if I can get it working, and Mike L wants it -- modify to include the Record ID number, and to exclude the 'Title text' from the report body. Maybe even ake them two options.

I mostly just wanted an excuse to play around with a simple report plugin, and saw this as an opportunity.

Perhaps the Description could make it clear that is should not be used with standard labelled Research Notes.

Out of interest, I tried using all three types of report to build a website/CD/DVD and also as chapters of a Book.

The website/CD/DVD builds are very similar for all three but there is no webpage heading for any of them, which is normal for such Table of Contents entries.

The Publish > Books & Booklets... results were less than ideal...

The standard Research Notes report and Research Notes (Variant) report allow their Settings to define a Chapter Heading which appears in the Contents but not as a heading on the first page of the Research Notes. Subsequent pages do have the Chapter Heading in the page header. This appears to be a failing of many Reports when used in Books. However, changing the report Settings to be a Heading Level 1 on the Same Page as a preceding Free Text page with a Chapter Title works, but all the records follow each other rather than starting each one on a new page.

The standard Record Detail ~ Research Notes report puts each Research Note in a separate Chapter and no easy way of combining them all into one Chapter. Each one can have its Settings changed to be a Heading Level 1 on the Same Page as a Free Text page with a Chapter Title but that becomes tedious with lots of records. As above, the records follow each other rather than starting each one on a new page.

Mike, I wonder how likely it is that anyone would want to put their Research Notes into a book. But then, I'd never dream of including them in a website either, and Mike L wants to do it, so what do I know?

I'll do some tweaks over the next few days, as the spirit moves me.

Gowermick wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2022 10:11

Mike L, I'm assuming as you haven't commented on the custom report plugin I posted that you're not interesting in pursuing it as you've already got a solution.

ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2023 17:27

Gowermick wrote: ↑

29 Dec 2022 10:11

Mike L, I'm assuming as you haven't commented on the custom report plugin I posted that you're not interesting in pursuing it as you've already got a solution.

You are correct. I have a solution I’m happy with

Gowermick wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2023 18:58

You are correct. I have a solution I’m happy with

Excellent. I'll take that option out of the custom report (makes life a bit simpler).