Family Historian User Group

Working with the 'Work with Record Identifiers' window and trying to 'Generate new record ids by renumbering records, starting from 1'; my paternal grandfather should have been ID: 4 and his wife ID: 5 maternal grandfather ID: 6 and his wife ID: 7, etc.

But I get this instead: paternal grandfather ID: 941 wife ID: 942, maternal grandfather ID: 4 wife ID: 5, etc.

Why does it not renumber with the standard number system?

Paternal family v
Great Grandfather: 8
Grandfather: 4
Great Grandmother: 9
Father: 2
Great Grandfather: 10
Grandmother: 5
Great Grandmother: 11
Paternal family ^
Self: 1
Maternal family v
Great Grandfather: 12
Grandfather: 6
Great Grandmother: 13
Mother: 3
Great Grandfather: 14
Grandmother: 7
Great Grandmother: 15
Maternal family ^

This should explain what I am after; I hope.

How can I correct the problem?

Thanks,
Jack Murray


ID:6332

You have incorrectly assumed that Record Id are Ahnentafel Numbers.

There is a Function =AhnentafelNumber(['Root'],%INDI%,1) that gives these numbers.

Record Id cannot use Ahnentafel Numbers, because they only apply to relations, and change depending on who is the Root Person.
Record Id must cater for unrelated Individuals in your database.

As Mike says those are AhnentafelNumbers and vary depending on the root person. If you really want to use them you can, but I suspect it would be counter productive to do so, especially are Ahnentafel Numbers only support Ancestors.

Being new to FH v5.0.5 where do I find the Function =AhnentafelNumber(['Root'],%INDI%,1) or how to use it?

Do I need to write a plugin and if so how do I do it?

Thanks,
Jack

You can use functions in text schemes and in some reports.

Why are you trying to renumber, what are you trying to achieve? Do you have some external system you are trying to match? Have you considered simply using a custom ID if you have a pre-existing scheme.

I want the ID numbers in a proper Genealogical Pedigree order.

What do you want to do with all the non ancestors?

If you are only wanting to force number a small group, use the copy to custom ID option and then edit the IDs as you want them making sure there are no duplicates and then copy them back to the main IDs.

Use FH menubar Help > Family Historian Help > Using Family Historian > Advanced Topics > Understanding Functions > Functions (all) > AhnentafelNumber.

As an example, to add Ahnentafel Numbers to an Individual Records Window Column:
Open the Individual Records Window and use Lists > Configure Record Windows Columns.
Scroll to bottom of left-hand Item list, select and click central > button.
In Add Column window set Heading to Ahnentafel and Expression to =AhnentafelNumber(FileRoot(),%INDI%,1), then click the Add button.
In right-hand pane Column entry select Ahnentafel at bottom and use up/down arrows to position column, then click OK.

Thank you it worked great and I have learned more about the program.
It has been many years since I have programmed anything, so your help to this Senior Citizen of 75 years is appreciated.

No problem, I am a Senior Citizen of 65 years.

Now that I have the column 'Ahnentafel' IDs how do I copy them back to the standard Record ID number column?

Jack
It's not clear why you are so keen to try to use Ahnentafel Numbers as Record IDs.  As explained above, they are only available for the current File Root (e.g. your good self) and for the direct ancestors of the current File Root.

If your tree also contains other relatives of any of the above, e.g. children, your various cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., they cannot have Ahnentafel Numbers but must have  Record IDs.

There is an existing standard Text Scheme 'Name, Dates, Ahnentafel Numbers' which can be used to show precisely those data on a standard Ancestors diagram, without having to fiddle with Record IDs.

I'd like to use the Ahnentafel Numbers for all the direct relatives to show as Record IDs on the Focus pages. Right now Self, father, mother are correct but their parents are incorrect my father's parents have 941 and 941 and my mother's have 4 and 5, etc.

I got the following information from: info family-historian All marked as > came from them.

>If you want to use custom numbering you can do this by >copying the reference to the custom one, editing the >custom one as required, either manually or using a plugin >script and then copying them back to the standard >reference number.

>If you simply want to use the numbers on reports you can >see the Ahnentafel Numbers on the Ancestors outline >report and the Ancestors by Generations report.


I want to use custom Ahnentafel Numbers numbering system for the Record IDs; how do I copy them back to the standard reference number?

>Use the Work With Record Identifiers tool to copy them out >change them ensuring there are no duplicates and then copy >them back using the same tool.

Here are two possible suggestions.

1 ~ Edit Names
In the Property Box of each direct Ancestor, edit the Name field, by following the /Surname/ with their Ahnentafel Number.
e.g.
Maternal /Grandfather/ 6
Maternal /GtGrndFather/ 12

You could enclose the Ahnentafel Number in curly brackets {12} or use A=12 if you wish.
This job only has to be done manually once per Ancestor, and the Ahnentafel Record Windows Column discussed above will help ensure they are correct.

This Ahnentafel Number will automatically appear, not only in the Focus Window, but also in Reports and Diagrams and Photo Captions where Record Id are not shown by default, and sometimes is not an option.
This technique is also immune to any changes to the current File Root individual.

2 ~ Change Record Id
You could work with the Custom Id or Automated Record Id field if you don't use them already.
From now on I will assume you use Custom Id.

It is probably easiest to work in the Individual Records Window.
Ensure the Record Id and Custom Id and Ahnentafel Columns are shown adjacent to each other.
Hold the Alt key and click on the Ahnentafel Column header to list in reverse order.

Right-click on the Record Name of each Ancestor in turn, and choose Add Miscellaneous > Add Custom Id.
Set the Custom Id to the Ahnentafel Number manually.
Click on the [-] next the the Record Name to collapse the details.
You can compare the Ahnentafel Record Windows Column with the Custom Id Column to ensure they are correct.

Now use Tools > Work with Record Identifiers, select Generate new record ids by copying Custom Id values and click Perform Task.
A warning message will say many Custom Id have no value, but as long as there are NO duplicates, click OK.
Each Record Id will either be assigned the Custom Id (Ahnentafel Number), or be arbitrarily renumbered to ensure there are no duplicates.

Thanks for the help to all.

Jack