Family Historian User Group

Following a recent discussion about Task lists and To Do's in FH4, under another thread, I've had a go at creating a viable solution. The main problem to overcome is that some tasks are very generic and others need a detailed description. You also have to be able to sort and filter tasks by a variety of factors (eg priority) to focus your research effort.

So I've used a custom 'task' attribute (for the detail where you need it) and various flags & lists (for more generic tasks and for sort/list/focus criteria) I've then laid it all out in a custom tab on the individual property box (see below)



If I can explain my 'design':

Priority: speaks for itself
Problem: Means something is wrong with the data (such as wrong parents or duplicates in file after importing)
Provisional: Sometimes you have to assume that a person is your ancestor, but you can't be certain until you do more research
Add BMD/Census/Background: again speaks for itself
Expand Tree: Means add parents, siblings or children
Specific Tasks: This is just a flag to denote that there are specific tasks and you can use a specific task list.
Specific Tasks: Using the custom attribute. I've shown three instances but there could be more or less.
Closed: A flag to indicate that I've exhausted all research options and I can't get any further - stops me repeating dead end research.

I stress that this is what (I think) will work for me but everyone can choose the flags and lists that suit them. The main message is that it is possible and combining flags & lists with a custom attribute may be the best way to do it. Just don't forget to exclude the custom task attribute from the reports you produce.

ID:3737

I need to learn how to do this, I could really do with something like this.

Very interesting - I have been using a generic 'To Do' flag and annotating the Note field. I need to determine how you have done this (i.e. actually read some of the manual). It also reminds me of a Wish List Request I thought of when beta testing FH4...

That's very good - almost exactly what I am looking for. The trouble is I havn't got the foggiest idea how you did it. I wouldn't even know where to start. Tinkering with the program is beyond me. I'll just keep on using my paper To Do list and FH for recording the tree. That's all I need the program for after all.

The tabs are contained in files in the FH application folder so it should be possible to share them in a similar way to queries. I will have a play when I get time.

Like this a lot, but could you explain the steps required to produce it? And how do you colour the Property Box fill - I can only see options for Link and Sources Pane background.
Thanks

OK Folks, here’s my attempt at a simple “how to do it” description. When it is set down like this it looks complicated, but it isn’t really. Because you are working with new flags, new attributes and a new tab on the individual property box you can’t do much real damage and everything can be undone. So just have a go, one step at a time.

Step 1 – Set up a Flag for each tick box that you want on the tab

With the individual property box open, go to the main window taskbar
Click on “edit” / “record flags” / “new” and type in the name you want for the flag
Click “OK”
Repeat until you have all the new flags that you want, including the flag for “Specific Tasks”.

Step 2 - Set up a custom attribute called “Task”

On the individual property box go to the “facts” tab / “add fact” / “more”
Click on “new” and type in “Task” against the Fact name
Fact type can be either “event” or “attribute” but I chose “attribute”
Click “create”
Click “OK”
Close the attribute list (noting that your new “Task” attribute is now listed)

Step3 – Set up a custom tab called “To do” or “Research” or “Whatever is right for you”

On the individual property box click on the menu icon (top right) and then “customise”
In the Customise Property box click on “New tab” and type in the name of your tab
Click “OK”

Step 4 – Add flags / tick boxes to your new tab (using the priority flags as examples)

You are still in the Customise property box
Make sure the record type says “individual” and the tab shown is your new “To Do”
De-select the “show most commonly used items only” check box
Select and use the arrows to move it to the selected items pane
This brings up a “new custom item” box
Give the Custom item a name that means something to you and is relevant to the tick boxes
Click on part 1 and Type “Priority 1” in the label box
Click on “select” against the data reference box and it will take you to the familiar tree data structure
Click on “flags” / “Priority 1” / “OK”
Click on part 2 and Type “Priority 2” in the label box
Click on “select” against the data reference box and it will take you to the familiar tree data structure
Click on “flags” / “Priority 2” / “OK”
Repeat for all flags that you want on the tab
NB: using parts 1 and 2 puts two tick boxes on a line. Just use part 1 if you want a single box per line
Include the single tick box for “Specific Tasks”

Step 5 – Add the Specific Task boxes (Task 1, Task 2, Task 3)

You are still in the Customise property box
Make sure the record type says “individual” and the tab shown is your new “To Do”
De-select the “show most commonly used items only” check box
Select and use the arrows to move it to the selected items pane
This brings up a “new custom item” box
Give the Custom item a name that means something to you and is relevant to the tick boxes
Click on part 1 and type “Task 1” in the label box
Click on “select” against the data reference box and it will take you to the familiar tree data structure
Click on attributes / Click on “Task”
Leave the instance number in the data reference box as (1), Click on “OK”

Repeat the process but this time type Task 2 in the name and Task 2 in the label box
Modify the instance number in the data reference box from (1) to (2) / Click on “OK”

Repeat the process but this time type Task 3 in the name and Task 3 in the label box
Modify the instance number in the data reference box from (1) to (3) / Click on “OK”

Step 6 – Extras – the most important of these is the link to the named lists

You can put separators in to the tab layout by following step 5. Just select Separator instead of and then move them up or down to where you want them.

You can add other attributes such as “Name” to the tab layout by following step 5. Just select Name instead of and then move it up or down to suit. However my own view is that you should stick to attributes that are consistent with the tab name and set up other custom tabs if you need to.

The “task” attribute details will be printed out on any reports unless you specifically exclude it on the reports menu. Go to reports, select the report you want, go to options and you can exclude individual attributes in the right hand pane.

Anything that you have included as a flag can be transferred on to a named list via the “tools” / “work with named lists and flags” menu. Once you have a named list called (say) “priority 1” you can easily go from one priority individual to the next or with a named list called “specific task” from one individual with a specific task to the next.

Drawbacks

There are some limitations of course. For example the priority is attached to the individual person, rather than the task, and specific tasks will always look a bit odd on the chronological fact list. However you can add a relevant date to the task to make sure that tasks come at the end of the list and you do have the facility, via the fact notes, to add additional descriptive information to the task. In the absence of a proper task & research management feature in FH4 I don’t think that’s too bad.

Thanks for this, I have managed a simple 'census' tab which just has my various census flags on it and it works wonderfully (and I haven't added the extra attribute, though only have simple check boxes.

I wonder, before I get too far, how do I save the scheme out to import to my laptop?

As I said you need to copy the file across from the Application folder for FH to share the layouts.

Sorry Jane, I didn't spot your post tucked away in the middle[oops]

Do you know what the specific file names are Jane. I've had a look in the program files and can't recognise any of the *.fhdata files in the property box folder. Do we have to copy the whole folder across?

Similarly I am not sure where the custom attribute is held unless it is in the standard fact types file. I assume custom flags are in the flags.fha file.

Am I looking in the wrong place?

On Vista on my system the folder is
C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianProperty Box

PB-INDI.fhdata

Looks to contain the Individual Property Box.

Glad someone else asked, on my XP machine it seems to be in c:DocumentsAll UsersApplication DataCalico Pie&c.

I assumed it was the file names as that had the correct date and time.

This is not as simple as doing and export / import routine I would suggest!

I have two instances of FH4 on two computers. One is the full (paid for) version working with my main files and the other is the 30 day demo version that I am currently using as a test system. So I have been able to test out the transfer of the modified PB-INDI.fhdata file, the corresponding flags.fha file and the custom attribute file (custom.fhf).

Lo and behold it works.

I am very willing to share the customisation I've done and was going to put the whole lot on to the Download pages of FHUG. However I then realised that the PB-INDI file doesn't just add the new tab. It replaces the whole of YOUR individual property box. Same problem with the flags file but the custom attributes file is separate and doesn't affect the standard attributes. So I think how we share these custom property box features needs to be thought through very carefully before doing it. Any views?

Hi Redrock

I am following your instructions and got as far as step 4, I have moved Custom Attribute into the Selected items box but I can't see the New Custom Item box - what have I done wrong ?

Irene B

That one caught me out at first too and I couldn't see where I was going wrong.

You need to make sure that you are trying to move the item '(for advanced users)..' right at the top of the list - not the item 'Custom attribute' further down the list.

As soon as you try to move it across, it automatically opens up the 'New Custom Item Box'

Brilliant ! Thanks

I've followed some of Redrock's steps to create a To Do List tab with 2 tasks 1 and 2, but how do I crete a text box for each which is more than one line?
I tried ticking the 'variable' option but that gave me 2 boxes the full height of the Property Box; I need something in between!

Any suggestions?

If your question is about how to put the task 1 box and Task 2 boxes on separate lines go back to step 5 of my 'how to' guide - where it says:

Click on part 1 and type “Task 1” in the label box
Click on “select” against the data reference box and it will take you to the familiar tree data structure
Click on attributes / Click on “Task”
Leave the instance number in the data reference box as (1), LEAVE THE PART 2 TICKBOX BLANK and then Click on “OK”

Repeat the process but this time type Task 2 in the name and Task 2 in the label box . Modify the instance number in the data reference box from (1) to (2), LEAVE THE PART 2 TICKBOX BLANK and then Click on “OK”

This will give you two full width boxes on separate lines. Each one is then big enough for a simple task description.

If your question is 'How can I expand the task description box?' the answer is you don't need to. One advantage of using a custom 'task' attribute is that it has all the standard sub attributes for date, place and notes automatically attached to it. You can easily enter notes by going to the 'facts' tab, clicking on the task you've already set up and the notes pane is at the bottom of the page.

If you would rather see the notes box on the same custom 'to do' tab, it should be possible to use the customisation features to do this. I haven't done it yet, but I'll have a go and let you know if it works.  

Hello sihicks: I've managed to find out what's possible, so here goes:

As I said in my last post you can use the task notes, attached to the custom attribute, via the 'facts' tab

OR

As I suspected, you can show the task notes on the custom 'To Do' tab by following the same customisation procedure I've described already. All you have to do is select the Data sub reference for 'note' instead of the higher level Data reference for 'To Do' when you are in the 'edit custom item' box. This would then give you a 'task header' and 'task notes' on the tab.

As standard this gives you one line. The alternative, as you've found out,is to tick the variable height box and it will automatically size the boxe(s) according to the space available on the tab. You can't specify the number of lines as such.If you've got a lot of space left, the box will be big. If there isn't much space left, the box will be small. It always fills the available space and it expands the box size as you alter the dimensions of the property box 'on the fly'. As they say 'it is VARIABLE' but it is the system that does the varying.

The only way to make sure that the variable boxes are modestly sized is to put a few flags and data boxes further up the tab or cut down the size of the property box. This should give you task box sizes more in line with your expectations.

The number you put in the vertical weight box is used by the system to apportion out the available space between more than one variable box on the tab. Say you have three variable boxes and you give them numbers 1,1 and 2. The system will then allocate the available space in the ratio 1,1,2

I hope this makes sense but if it doesn't I'll try to explain it a bit better.

Great, thanks; got that sorted now and it's useful having the option of the alternative view you mentioned.
BTW, your screenshot earlier in the thread of William the Conqueror caused me to post the query under 'Cosmetic' as I noticed the coloured fill to the Individual title box-how was that done?

Sorry to disappoint you. The colour of the tab fill on the screen shot was just the standard colour allocated by FH4. If it looks different it is just because of inaccuracies of colour matching in the copy / paste process via windows / paint / internet explorer. As far as I know it can't be changed. The green border and heading to the window is just the standard XP colour scheme.

I have to say that although one of the best features of FH4 is its general customisation flexibility the colour options are a little disappointing.