* Data validation and error checking

[alanthwaite]

I am considering transferring my Pedigree data to Family Historian and have tried the demo version 2.3 of the latter.
I've used 'illegal' dates - child born before mother and after mother's death, but have found no data validation or error checking procedure in the program.

For an individual, if death date is before birth date, validation appears to work.
I tried Mother death 21 July 1761 and child birth 3 Jan 1901 - and it is accepted and
entering her marriage date as 25 Dec 2005 this entry is permitted.
What about dates from census or other records, are these checked against already entered data?

Has anyone else found built-in validation procedures? - I just wonder if they are missing from the demo version or missing altogether.

Thanks for any replies.

Alan
Apologies if this appears twice - trying to find my way about the site!

ID:1428

[Jane]

I think the vaildation is limited, there is a wish list item for this I think.

[alanthwaite]

Dates: More Comments
[Demo version of Family Historian]

Enter a date of an event later than ‘today’ (i.e. the computer’s current date) in the ‘Properties’ box– and, using the ‘tab’ key or moving from the box using a mouse, the date is accepted – e.g. enter Died: 21 Aug 2010 – date accepted. Bizarre!
If the entry is entered or altered in the main FH window it will accept, for instance, Died December 2006 and up to Mar 2007 but from Apr 2007 queries the entry as spurious. Why doesn’t it raise doubt from Apr 2006?
Another example: Jean Clare /Anderson/, born: 3 Jan 1901, married: enter 4 Jan 1901 (or 5 Feb 1901 – or 5 Feb 1902, 1910, 1917) – result – ‘Entered date is earlier than individual’s birth. Is this intended?’ Wrong message – right effect.
Program allows entry without ‘error’ message for 1918, when age 17. The report, for a date of 1917, however, tells me that the marriage was ‘5 Feb 1917 (age -1 (!))’
However, under ‘Event’ [Properties box] it picks up that an ‘Age’ entered different by ±1 from the programme-calculated age and comes up with an exclamation [!] – good.
I am, as a potential buyer, not impressed with these inconsistencies or the failure to capture impossible future dates. I would have thought, of all the things to get right, dates are just about the most fundamental, so error-checking of them should be at the top of the priorities list.
It also makes we wonder about other inconsistencies there may be elsewhere in the program that I have not yet come across. A pity, because the program looks pretty good, comprehensive and fairly intuitive otherwise.

[TimTreeby]

Have not tried Demo version, but do not get the messages you say you get for thae dates you put in, with the full working version.
Check that the date for the birth you have as 1901 not 1918 as that will give the error messages you say.
Yes does allow future dates but do not think that is a problem all though have not checked on other genealogy programs.

[SimonOrde]

Alan - Family Historian does not validate to check whether dates are in the future.  I have just checked 4 of the best known other genealogy programs and none of them do either.  There is no limit to the number of things that one could check for.  As far as I am aware, no-one has ever asked for this before, so I don't think most people find this a significant issue in practice.

As far as the other issues you raise.  Family Historian does a number of checks, but it doesn't check everything.  No doubt we will add to the checks it does over time.

You say

>> Another example: Jean Clare /Anderson/, born: 3 Jan 1901, married:  enter 4 Jan 1901 (or 5 Feb 1901 – or 5 Feb 1902, 1910, 1917) – result – ‘Entered date is earlier than individual’s birth. Is this intended?’   Wrong message – right effect.  <<

In the Tutorial files, Jean Clear Anderson was born in June 1917.  It was her husband Cameron Peabody who was born on 3 Jan 1901.  I think you are confusing the spouse's birth date with the Individual's birth date.  This also makes sense of the message you received.  The dates all were before Jean Clare Anderson's D.O.B. (1917) as the messages stated.

[alanthwaite]

Simon,
you're right. My apologies for the confusion.
I was treating the properties box entries as all to do with Jean Clare Anderson (even though I've read almost all of the manual) - lack of familiarity while testing.

You're also right about future dates - though I would have thought that trapping an error date beyond 'today' would be a worthwhile safeguard. but Pedigree v. 2.6N doesn't fo it either.

Apologies again.

While waiting for my car to be serviced today I spent somet ime looking at the FH Help (F1) files and found them generally very clear and comprehensive.

I am likely to buy FH V.3

regards,
Alan