Family Historian User Group

I did search but suprisingly cannot find this being wished for.

When working in Records Window, which I love, I find it difficult to trace across the data columns on my large monitor and know this could be easily improved by highlighting the selected row.

This is a feature on the software I am trying to migrate from.

If the Lock left most column on Records Window (Individual Records) (17299) were implemented, would you still need this highlight selected row feature?

I would,
I appreciate locking the left column and then allowing horizontal scrolling solves some of the problem (and is useful in its own right), but
If you have another window open on top (e.g. property window), you sometimes want to scan across that window and pick up the same record on both sides.

Need also applies to the Query window.

Playing devils advocate, why not move the Property Box or use the Records Window scroll bars so all the required data is shown to one side, or even above or below, the Property Box.
You could even align the top edge of the Property Box window just below the Records Window row of interest and so focus on it.
The same applies to the Query Result Set window.

tatewise wrote: ↑

15 Dec 2019 14:52

If the Lock left most column on Records Window (Individual Records) (17299) were implemented, would you still need this highlight selected row feature?

Yes it would be beneficial, this is how it works in Rootsmagic which I am trying to migrate from.

When I started in genealogy screen sizes were ~12" but now my main screen is 32" and it a long way for my eye to travel without possibly skipping into the next row.

tatewise wrote: ↑

15 Dec 2019 16:29

Playing devils advocate, why not move the Property Box or use the Records Window scroll bars so all the required data is shown to one side, or even above or below, the Property Box.
You could even align the top edge of the Property Box window just below the Records Window row of interest and so focus on it.
The same applies to the Query Result Set window.

I'm new to Family Historian so not sure of their development sincerity but the above are what I would respectfully call work arounds and not solutions.

Just to say that I agree that the Records Window could be improved to assist with following a record line on a large screen. Most tabulated output in other software (& web pages) does tend to have at least a contrasting colour or shade on alternate lines which helps but being able to click a name which highlights the line would make things so much easier. It would also help not just with Individuals but also sources and media and any of the other tabulated lists available in the Records Window. Would it be wishful thinking that it is already a part of FH7?

Can't possibly guess what will be in FH V7.

There is something close to that highlighting feature already in Query/Plugin Result Set windows.
It is possible to select any adjacent cells, which puts a bold black line around those cells.
So to highlight a row, select a cell in 1st column, then hold down the Shft key while clicking the End key.
Alternatively, hold down the left mouse button and drag around whatever you want to highlight.


Would a similar feature in the Records Window satisfy this highlight request?

BTW: A cuurent Records Window workaround involves using the Query Result Set window.
First use Lists > Configure Record Window Columns and the Save to Query button.
Then run that saved Query to get a Result Set identical to the Records Window and use the highlight feature above.

I would prefer something that works out of the box rather than have to introduce a workaround. One thing that has crossed my mind is that the Records Window is not a straightforward table but is one that is expandable to show additional lines for each entry, so the alternative line shading may be a bit more difficult to implement.However highlighting a single line should not involve too much additional coding. I would have thought that the "Lock Left most column" might be more difficult to introduce because it is an expandable table. Having said that, I am not a programmer although I do dabble in HTML and CSS.

Getting something to work out of the box via the Wish List may take some time (perhaps years), so I was simply offering the workaround as a solution that is already in the box for the time being.

A lot of focus has been given to selecting and highlighting a single row entry in the Records Window.
But it is perfectly possible to select any combination of rows using Shft and Ctrl key options.
So should such multiple selections have all their rows highlighted in the same way?
( That is why I mentioned the Result Set multiple cell highlighting technique for comparison. )

I am not too concerned about how complex programming the features might be, but ensuring that we have captured a comprehensive requirement. (Otherwise, we could end up with something ambiguous like GEDCOM. )

I think that you have described the problem admirably - Calico Pie tends to move very slowly to implement any change. I am rather spoilt in the software that I use for constructing websites - there the owner listens to users requirements and regularly implements changes quickly, more often than not on the same day with a hot fix!!

It could be said that the present wish list item "Ref 290 Lock the Column(s) in Records Window" may be too specific as I think that the intention is to be able to be able to read more easily items in the Records Window. One solution is to be able to freeze the first column but another could be highlighting the row when selected. I seem to recall that items on the Wish list were supposed to identify a need rather than offer solutions.

That Wish List Ref 290 was posted by Jane nearly 13 years ago, when perhaps the criteria were different.
Anyway, it would be awkward to change it now, as that might invalidate the Votes.

I'm not sure I agree that locking the first Column and highlighting Rows are alternative solutions to the same problem.
If you want to scan down some far right off-screen Columns versus Record names then highlighting Rows does not help.

However, I think we are close to agreeing a Wish List item for row highlighting in all list style windows, such as the Records Window and the Query Result Set window.

Just my two cents...

I would really love to have something to make it easier to scroll right and left and not lose track of the row I am interested in. Highlighting of the entire row would be a very useful thing to have. I have often wished for this.

Locking of the first column might be helpful, but it is not something I've every really needed.

Bill

I have some further considerations before creating a Wish List entry.

Brian mentioned that the Records Window allows the left-hand record to be expanded by clicking its [+] icon.
That does slightly complicate the highlighting of a row, but it also offers a workaround for the time being.
Any expanded row with blank lines provides a form of 'highlighting' that differentiates it from other unexpanded rows.

On Monday the OP Demetrius mentioned migrating from RootsMagic that has row highlighting.
But as far as I can tell, RootsMagic does not offer the kind of customisation provided by FH.
Demetrius has focussed on customising the Records Window with extra Columns and that makes the displayed data very wide on a 32" monitor, so row highlighting becomes a problem.

But maybe there is a better way of presenting all that data per record in FH, without needing row highlighting.
In FH you can customise the Property Box of any Record and add a custom data tab.
See the top right cog Menu and the Customize Data Entry option and subsequent dialogues with Help.
A custom data tab can probably show all the data that Demetrius has customised into the Records Window, and as it is all together in a two dimensional window dedicated to the record there is no need for any highlighting.
Furthermore, a Property Box with all that data can be displayed with most FH windows (Focus, Records, Diagram, Report, Query, Map, etc.) whereas Records Window columns can only be displayed in the Records Window.

The point being that FH does not provide row highlighting in the Records Window because it was not expected that so many columns would be needed when the data can be displayed in the Property Box instead.
The only exception I can think of is where you might need column data to sort records by those data values.

Yet another option is to use a Query window perhaps with a simple filter and run with all the columns you need. The left right arrows work to move through the cells and double clicking on any cell containing a field will open the field in the property box.

If you are doing data comparisons I generally find a result window a much better place and unlike the Records Window, you can have as many open as you want if you turn off the default to reuse the window.

tatewise wrote: ↑

17 Dec 2019 12:53

On Monday the OP Demetrius mentioned migrating from RootsMagic that has row highlighting.
But as far as I can tell, RootsMagic does not offer the kind of customisation provided by FH.
Demetrius has focussed on customising the Records Window with extra Columns and that makes the displayed data very wide on a 32" monitor, so row highlighting becomes a problem.

I feel I should clarify some things and my thinking.

Firstly I have no experience of the FH development ethos, I do have some of Rootsmagic and it seems that recent years have shown a slowing down of fulfilling wish items.

I find the records view in FH superior to the current Rootsmagic People View as family facts can be added, I find it deficient in the fact that row highlighting and first column locking are not available as options.

I see no logic or reason why a programmer would facilitate a wide scrollable display and yet remove the important focus person data from view, the first column.

If anyone cares to download the free Rootsmagic Essentials they will see all fact data and components can be added to People View, including custom facts, dates, places, place details (addresses) and description fields this would be 308 columns in my case. Rootsmagic automatically lock the first column and maintain blue background highlighting of the selected row allowing me to work with and sort data views wider than my window whilst maintaining focus on the individual in question.

I come from a development background and when I first posted thsi I believed I was missing an option, Rootsmagic is due an upgrade very soon and it appears from this thread this is not seen as a valid need by FH, if Rootsmagic allow family facts like marriage in the next version I think my migration may well be terminated.

Unfortunately, the RootsMagic Essentials does not support the People View at all, but I do understand what you mean.
The Family View demonstrates it perfectly in the Children list.
In FH the emphasis is more on the Property Box which can be highly customised and used in more scenarios than the Records Window. Please give Property Box customisation a try.

However, I have added the Wish List entry Ref 567 Highlight selected Row(s) in Records Window, but since we are only the FH User Group it is not possible to predict when or if that feature will get implemented by the developer Calico Pie.

(I hope I've not misunderstood the original wish.)
To make it easier to track across columns in the records window, I simply expand the record (click on the + sign at the left): the record I'm tracking is then separated from the next one by the expanded details.

My solution is to display the Records Window fullscreen, scroll vertically until the record required is visible in the first row at the top, then scroll horizontally. Quick easy effective.