* Migrating notes in GEDCOM

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KiwiDigger
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Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

In my old program (Generations 8) I have Miscellaneous Notes, & two optional notes - MILI (military) & IMMIG (immigration). I created a GEDCOM (>20,000 people) & imported it into FH6. The Miscellaneous Notes are now under the Notes tab, but the others do not seem to have been imported.
The GEDCOM file does contain the missing MILI & IMMIG text. Each is headed by a letter & a number surrounded by @s - eg @N48@.
Can anyone suggest what to do?

Thanks

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Hi Graham.
Those MILI & IMMIG notes look like they have migrated as what FH calls shared or linked Note records.
They have been imported that way because Generations 8 exported them that way in the GEDCOM file and FH just imports what it is given. The N48 means Note record id 48.

They can be linked into any other record in the same position as any local Note text, but some of those are more difficult to reveal than others.

In the FH Records Window open the Notes tab and they should be listed there.
How many Links are listed for each Note?
If only 1 each, then there is a Plugin that will move the Note text to a more visible local Note.

Tell us what you find and we can provide further advice.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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KiwiDigger
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

In the FH Records Window, under the Notes tab, there is only one note (miscellaneous) even though there are IMMIG and/or MILI notes in the GEDCOM.
It would be really appreciated if you could give me the link to this plugin.

Thank you very much for responding.

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Have you seen how_to:import_generations|> Import from Generations Family Tree which I presume relates to your Generations 8?

That mentions the Clean Up Notes Plugin but there may be much more than that to be corrected first.

Could you post snippets of your GEDCOM file to illustrate a sample of those MILI & IMMIG notes?

If you can identify some unique note text then in FH use Edit > Find then it should locate where used.
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

Yes, I had read the Knowledge Base, & run Generations Pre-Load Source Clean. I tested it on a small test GEDCOM but no difference.
However, I did a FH search based on snippets of MILI & IMMI notes in the GEDCOM &, lo & behold, the text is in FH, but only in the Main tab. Unfortunately, this removes all the other tabs (except All), & it seems obvious that it is not working correctly.

This is an example of the GEDCOM Military Notes of one person:

1 MILI @N686@

0 @N686@ NOTE
1 CONC Saw active service in RNZNavy during Korean War.
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

0 @N686@ NOTE is the head of the Note record.
If there are lots of those then they MUST all be listed in the Records Window (NOT the Property Box) on the Notes tab.

1 MILI @N686@ is a record level UDF because MILI is NOT a valid GEDCOM tag.
It will be shown in the Property Box on the All tab with a star bullet.
It seems you have not acted upon the Knowledge Base import advice regarding UDF or you would have found these.

I suspect there are also 1 IMMI @N686@ lines, and although IMMI is a valid IMMIgration event tag, @N686@ is invalid.

What does the Window > Log Files reports have to say about those invalid lines?

FH does its best, but cannot cope with totally invalid GEDCOM lines like that!
All it can do is import them unchanged, which is better than most products that simply discard them.

One solution would be to use the Change Any Fact Tag Plugin to convert those invalid tags into NOTE record tags so they would appear in the Property Box on the Notes tab, and if only 1 Link per Note the Clean Up Notes Plugin would move them to the record level local Note field shown on the Main tab.
But that would lose the MILI and IMMI association.
Tell me what you would like to achieve.
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

The exception report highlights the fact that there are three tags causing problems:

CAUS [cause of death]
MILI [military]
IMMI [immigration]

This is an example:

Record Type=Individual. Gedcom Id=I464. Record Number=464.
l.6018 - INFO ONLY: Loaded uncategorised data (non-GEDCOM): "1 MILI @N163@"

I've read through the Knowledge Base, & loaded various plugins. As Generations' GEDCOM seems to be at fault would it be possible for me to manually correct the errors in the GEDCOM text file? I would like all three tags to be Notes in FH.
I realise this would take much time. Could you please advise me what fields to change.

Thank you very much

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Graham, I advised how to perform that change using Plugins, in the last paragraph of my reply yesterday.
Do you understand where those Notes will appear after the change?
I strongly advise against manually editing the GEDCOM file as that spells disaster.

Did you find the offending UDF on the All tab of the Property Box, or by running the UDF List Plugin?

The CAUS problem is likely to be very different from the others discussed, so may need a different solution.
Please post a GEDCOM snippet and the Log details for the CAUS problem.

I suggest you follow the steps below for the MILI, IMMI, IMMIG @N123@ style UDF tags.
If the results are unsatisfactory then you can revert to a current Snapshot of your GEDCOM.

Run the Change Any Fact Tag Plugin and select the following settings:
Source Tag Set: <UDF Tags>
Source Tag Name: MILI UDF Tag
Target Tag Set: <Defined Tags>
Target Tag Name: Note Record
Click MILI UDF Tag to Note Record button and click Change all the Rest button.

Source Tag Name: IMMIG UDF Tag
Target Tag Name: Note Record
Click IMMIG UDF Tag to Note Record button and click Change all the Rest button.

Repeat the above process for _IMMI UDF Tag or whatever else needs changing that use @N123@ links.

Click CLOSE Plugin and KEEP Edits button.

Review where those Note Records now appear on the Notes tab of Property Box.

In the Records Window on the Notes tab do those records all have only 1 link in the Links column?
Would you prefer those Notes to appear in the local Note box on the Main tab of the Property Box?
If the answer is Yes to both questions then run the Clean Up Notes Plugin.
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

I found the offending UDFs in the All tab of the Property Box (with stars).

This is from the GEDCOM from someone with CAUS:

0 @I8@ INDI
1 NAME William Martin /BROOKS/
1 SEX M
1 BIRT
2 DATE 11 MAY 1892
2 PLAC Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
2 SOUR @S1@
1 DEAT
2 DATE 8 MAY 1971
2 PLAC Cornwall Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
1 BURI
2 DATE 11 MAY 1971
2 PLAC Waikumete Cemetery Soldiers' Section, Auckland, New Zealand
1 OCCU Cabinetmaker, chauffeur, labourer, war pensioner
1 CAUS Parkinsons disease, WWI wounds

This is from the Exception Report:

Record Type=Individual. Gedcom Id=I8. Record Number=8.
l.97 - INFO ONLY: Loaded uncategorised data (non-GEDCOM): "1 CAUS Parkinsons disease, WWI wounds"
l.99 - INFO ONLY: Loaded uncategorised data (non-GEDCOM): "1 MILI @N50@"

I ran the Change any Fact Tag plugin as you described, & it worked well for the Military items - they appear correctly under the notes tab, and all notes have only one link. Very happy with that.
But when I came to process the IMMIG UDF tag there was no option for this under the Source Tag Name.

So I'm down to two issues, IMMIG & CAUS. I really appreciate your time & help.

Cheers

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

If the UDF are all listed on the All tab as level one items, they MUST be available in the Change Any Fact Tag Plugin when Source Tag Set is set to <UDF Tags>.
i.e.
They must exist in the GEDCOM as 1 MILI ... , 1 IMMIG ... , 1 CAUS ... , etc.
If they have a different leading digit such as 2 IMMIG ... then a different solution is needed.

So please post a snippet of every UDF so I can advise.
Just saying something is not working does not help either of us much.

The best technique for CAUS is to use Change Any Fact Tag as before for <UDF Tag> and CAUS UDF Tag but set Target Tag Set/Name as Standard and Death.

That won't put the Cause text in the correct place but I have a custom Plugin that will fix that later.
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

I've used Change Any Fact Tag to change CAUS as suggested.

Using a person who both immigrated & had a military record this is where the information appears:

Facts tab: the word "Immigrated" appears with no date.
Notes tab: miscellaneous notes, & military notes (these seem correct)
All tab: the word "Immigration" appears, & after clicking the + the words "note @N48@" appears. Also, the word "Death" appears, after clicking the + the words "Source Note CAUS UDF Tag=Phthisis" appears.

This is the GEDCOM snippet from the same person as above- the leading digit in each case is 1.

0 @I16604@ INDI
1 NAME Robert /BOULD/
1 SEX M
1 BIRT
2 DATE 29 DEC 1807
2 PLAC Bagnall, Staffordshire
2 SOUR @S4@
1 CHR
2 DATE 19 JUN 1808
2 PLAC Bagnall, Staffordshire
2 SOUR @S4@
1 DEAT
2 DATE 9 NOV 1875
2 PLAC Johnsonville, New Zealand
2 SOUR @S3@
1 BURI
2 DATE 12 NOV 1875
2 PLAC St John's cemetery, Johnsonville, New Zealand
1 OCCU Cordwainer, Boot & Shoe Maker, Sheep Farmer
2 SOUR @S10@
1 CAUS Phthisis
1 NOTE @N81@
1 MILI @N82@
1 IMMI @N84@
1 FAMC @F1053@
1 FAMS @F974@
1 CHAN
2 DATE 11 APR 2020

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Ah! The IMMIgration effect is a result of Generations misusing the standard GEDCOM IMMI tag, and FH doing its best to make sense of it as an Immigration event. (Your ealier comment suggested it appeared in All tab as a UDF.)
So you now have a choice, and both will require me to write a small conversion Plugin:
  1. Keep the Immigration event and attach the Note text locally to the event.
  2. Delete the Immigration event and create a record level Note similar to MILI.
Regarding the Death event derived from CAUS then run the attached Move Death Source Note to Cause Plugin.
Last edited by tatewise on 01 Feb 2024 15:30, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Attachment deleted - contact Mike Tate if needed
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

Could I please have the second option, so Immigration appears in Notes similar to Military, thank you.

I ran the Move Death Source Note to Cause Plugin & a scanned example under the All tab is attached, just so you can see the results. The + beside Death needs to be clicked to see the Cause.

Cheers

Graham
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After running Move Death Source Note to Cause Plugin
After running Move Death Source Note to Cause Plugin
Death.jpg (69.05 KiB) Viewed 7543 times
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Yes, so if you view that Death event in the Facts tab the Cause of death is shown below.

You may need to fill in Date and Place of Death.
But I see there was already a Death event with all those details but is just missing the Cause.
So really the Cause should have been merged into that existing Death event.
Is that what you would like to happen?

To adjust those Immigration events to shared Note records, run the attached Move Immigration Note to Main Shared Note Plugin.
Last edited by tatewise on 01 Feb 2024 15:30, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Attachment deleted - contact Mike Tate if needed
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

The Miscellaneous, Immigration, & Military notes are now showing perfectly, thanks for the plugin.

Yes, if the Death Cause could be merged with the Death event that would be great.

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

Here goes, try the attached Move Death Cause to existing Death event Plugin.
Last edited by tatewise on 01 Feb 2024 15:31, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Attachment deleted - contact Mike Tate if needed
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by KiwiDigger »

It worked! Thank you very much for all your help & patience.

Cheers

Graham
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Re: Migrating notes in GEDCOM

Post by tatewise »

I'll go and have a lie down now :D
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