* TMG direct important - Repository questions

[precision.club]

Hello,

I'm really hoping to be dead before I need to leave TMG, but just in case, I'm experimenting with FH7 and its direct TMG import. I found TMG2GEDCOM preferable to the FH6 direct import, but the FH7 direct import is impressive. I would like to identify changes in my TMG that streamline direct import into FH7 and don't cause me any TMG headaches.

Many of my source templates use (in TMG lingo): [REPOSITORY], [REPOSITORY ADDRESS], and [REPOSITORY MEMO] in the source template. As noted in these help pages, TMG uses the repository field "Name-Other" for [REPOSITORY], but FH7 uses TMG's repository abbreviation for that field - and writes the "Name-Other" field to the FH repository note. This messes up my expected repository name and the repository memo contents. If TMG allowed [REPOSITORY ABBREVIATION] as a source element, I could rewrite my TMG source templates with that element and leave the "Name-Other" blank, but TMG doesn't recognize that. If there is a way to tell FH7 to omit the "Name-Other" entirely when importing, I could probably work with that.

If there is no way to tell FH7 to ignore TMG's "Name-Other" field, will I cause problems if I edit FH7's GEDCOM file after importing? How have other TMG=>FH7 handled this?

Regards,
Susan Johnston

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG Susan.

Many users here have migrated from TMG using the Direct Import feature and may be able to offer advice.

Have you seen the advice in https://www.family-historian.co.uk/support/tmg-import which talks about how Source Templates are imported?
That explains that TMG template fields [REPOSITORY], [REPOSITORY ADDRESS], and [REPOSITORY MEMO] should import to FH as template fields {REPOSITORY}, {REPOSITORY ADDRESS}, and {REPOSITORY MEMO}.
However, your description suggests otherwise.

It would help to see screenshots of the TMG fields and the equivalent imported FH fields that you can attach to your reply.
See FHUG Knowledge Base advice Forum Usage Tips under Attachments and Taking Screenshots.

If the direct import cannot be improved, then rather than edit the GEDCOM it should be possible to write an FH Plugin to correct the way the fields are held in FH.

[precision.club]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your reply. I couldn't attach more than three screenshots to this message, so I'm dividing six screenshots into sets of two: the TMG screen and the FH equivalent. This first shows the TMG repository definition screen and the Family HIstorian equivalent. In all shots, compare the output of the [REPOSITORY] and [REPOSITORY MEMO] fields in TMG and Family Historian. You will see that FH uses the Repository Abbreviation as the [REPOSITORY] field and writes the "Name-Other" field to the beginning of the [REPOSITORY MEMO].

[precision.club]

Second group of screenshots comparing the source definition screens.

[precision.club]

Third group of screenshots comparing the Full Footnote output for TMG and Family Historian.

I'm not ready to tackle writing a plug-in, but that's next on my list after I finish asking a few more questions.

Thank you!

Susan Johnston

[tatewise]

Thank you for those screenshots that illustrate the problem perfectly.

The difficulty facing FH is its compliance with GEDCOM which only specifies one Name field in a Repository record.
So FH has chosen to import the two TMG fields as best it can.

I can also see very clearly how that impacts the Footnote.

What is less clear is the solution you would prefer.
That is partly governed by how many Repository records and Source Templates are affected.
If only a few Repository records use the 'Name - Other' field then a manual solution is possible.

The crucial first decision is whether one Repository Name is enough in FH or whether you need to keep both.

[precision.club]

That explains the problem. I currently have about 500 repositories, which means a manual solution is possible. If and when the time comes that I decide I must leave TMG, there will be more, but by that time, I hope to have learned how to write FH plugins.

I do want to keep both names. The "Name-Other" field in TMG is the repository name I want to appear in citations, and the fH Name field (TMG's Repository Abbreviation) contains all the information I use to uniquely identify that repository in the list of repositories. In looking more closely at the FH repository screen, what will work for me is to write TMG's "Name-Other" field to the FH repository's Name field and TMG's Repository Abbreviation field to the FH repository's Custom ID field. Then, I just add the Custom ID field to the FH repository list and sort on that column to find a repository.

I will continue to experiment and post additional questions when I can't come up with a solution on my own.

Regards,
Susan Johnston

[tatewise]

Yes, that seems to be a neat solution and avoids changing the Source Template definitions.

If you need any help with writing the plugin then please ask when you are ready.