Family Historian User Group

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ID:4182

The reason FH is using relative paths is actually to enhance the user use, it means you can copy the project folder to another computer with out problems.

Most other programs I have used handle relative paths correctly.

My thought would be it's just the linked file field option which needs fixing?

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Just to be a bit accademic for a moment, there is no absolute path. If it starts with a drive letter, that's relative to your machine... If it starts with a network machine name, that's relative to your local network, and so on. If you move a project from one machine to another, or even to somewhere else on the same machine, no attempt at an absolute path will always work. IMHO the only useful way to store external paths in any system is relative to the project itself.

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If you want to use a network drive, just don't put the media in the project folder it will then store the whole path, you can still use a project folder, just don't use it for the media.

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What bug? I've just copied 'MediaIMG_3194.JPG' from the 'Linked File' field in the multimedia property box for the sample project.  I then pasted the same 'MediaIMG_3194.JPG' into the 'Search for files or folders named:' box for my Windows XP Search window, and it found the file OK.  Perhaps 'the Windows file finding dialog box' is something different that I don't use?

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The only problem I have with the 'Select File' dialog is that when you opt for a new file it inserts an absolute address, rather than a relative address.  This can obviously be fixed with the 'Work with External File Links' dialog, but it would be better for FH to be consistent.  I think the same problem occurs when using the Records window to create links to media.

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Sarah, I think the problem with FH's find file dialog not working is because it doesn't keep track of it's own current directory. So when you try and find your Media/xxx.jpg file Windows has a problem because FH has not set the directory to start from. Therefore Windows uses the last directory used which is not necessarily the same as that last used by FH.

Even if is a current directory problem, I agree with you that FH must (not should) be consistent in it's internal data structures. How it's displayed to the user is up to the program to manipulate and present. Genealogy researchers are not GEDCOM programmers and they should never need to be. I don't care about how the data is stored so long as I can get my data out again.

Considering your latest wish list requests I think we are on the same wavelength with regards how FH should work - especially consistency!!!!! [smile]

Agreed on all counts [smile]