* Using Custom ID Type

[BEJ]

I use Custom IDs with individual, source, and place records. My understanding of Custom IDs, from reading FHUG entries and FamilyHistorian help files, is as follows.
- Custom IDs are alphanumeric fields.
- I can have an an unlimited number of Custom IDs for all but place records.
- All Custom IDs can have a subsidiary "Type" field.
All good so far?

What I don't understand is why or how to use the Type.
- What does Type accomplish?
- Is Type field an alphanumeric-only field?
- Can a Custom ID and its subsidiary Type be associated with each other in records windows or reports? For example, is the following scenario possible?

Custom ID = "Photo", Type = "0005"; which would be displayed as "Photo0005".

EDIT - a single Custom ID may or may not have a Type associated.

[KFN]

Being new to FH I’m not sure what exactly a “Custom ID” relates to in a GEDCOM but I assume that they become a REFN tag. Sorry to refer to the term GEDCOM here!

I use REFN tags in several ways, and this is where the TYPE comes in handy.

1. In my database, All individuals, families, sources, and images are given a unique accession number. This number, like a library’s catalog number, identifies each entry in the database, and relates back to my file cabinet paper holdings.

2. Several books I have contain genealogies that include portions of my family, they have their own numbering system, for example a SOSA or Aboville number.

Each of the above numbering systems are captured in the REFN “Custom ID” with a TYPE indication where the number came from. For example: TYPE = “accession”, “Howard Family Genealogy”, etc.

[BEJ]

Thanks. That helps me frame the concept a bit better, and gives me an idea to try. Curious how others are using Custom ID Type, including in reports.

[Gowermick]

I rely on Custom ID’s to identify how indivuals are related. To my direct ancestors, I assign their custom ID as J + their Ahnentafel number relative to my root ( grandsons Joshua and Jacob)
Then I use each father’s ID, to create each childs ID by adding a suffix to their father’s ID.

So one of their greatgrandfathers who is J0008, has children J0008a, J0008b etc. They in turn have children J0008aa, J0008ab, J0008ba etc etc.

This has the added benefit that if I find a DNA match with J00256ac, I know our Most Recent Common Ancestor must be J00256 ( I just drop all the suffixes)

[BEJ]

@Gowermick — Thanks. So you don’t use Type?

[Jean001]

Over the years of my using FH i have have used the Individual Record and Family Record Custom IDs in various ways but as I learned more about creating Queries to extract information the need for the 'complicated' IDs that I used to have was no more.

Currently:

Individual Record Custom ID: I like to 'track' the merging of Individual Records so, in most cases, the FH Record ID is listed here. A merged record will show, for instance, 357 +856, signifying the merge of Record 856 into 357. Some records show three or more merged records. (Merging indicates a complicated path to gather the evidence of identity, some have taken years to resolve.)

Family Record Custom ID: This is more detailed and evolved from my paper-based record system (a worksheet for each family group, ordered by surname, and accession number within the surname). It consists of surname (with asterisks to denote variations in spelling), the accession number, the FH ID, followed by the surnames of the 'spouses' of the family. The latter records (without worksheets) take the accession number 999.
Cook* 003@#009, Cooke & Johnson
Cook* 006@#023, Cook & Richardson
Ta*lor 999@#047, Tailor & Moore

The @, # and comma were added to aid in the Search and Replace when creating and fine-tuning the Custom ID, as well as the extraction of parts of it in Queries and Reports.

I have never needed to create a Custom ID for other Records.

For Media Records I use 'Keyword' to record the media type, e.g. Photograph, Document etc. For photographs that are part of a group (e.g. those that I have scanned but belong to another family member) ownership and ID number are recorded in the image filename/FH Media Title. This was another practice that I set up before using FH.

I have never used the TYPE field.

[Gowermick]

@Gowermick — Thanks. So you don’t use Type?

No, I go by the KISS principle, Keep It Simple Stupid

[BEJ]

@Jean001 — Good to glimpse someone else’s system. Thnaks for posting.