* Copy/Paste in the Property Box

[RogerF]

The Property Box has buttons for Copy Fact and Paste Fact. These operations are entirely internal to FH: a copied fact has no value outside of the program. And yet, the operations appear to use the Windows clipboard. The problem here is, that an entirely separate Copy/Paste outside of FH, automatically destroys a copied fact within FH. This seems perverse; surely FH should manage to copy and paste facts using some internal mechanism, leaving the Windows clipboard alone?

[tatewise]

Have you tried pasting the Copied Fact from clipboard into say Notepad or MS Word?
It is perfectly meaningful indented text, so does have value outside FH.

I suspect FH actually uses both an internal FH clipboard and the Windows clipboard.
The FH clipboard holds an internal Tag structure of the Fact (or Citation if you use its Copy button).
The Windows clipboard holds a plain text version of the Fact (or Citation) which I think does not provide enough structure for a Fact.

Anyway, why would you use the clipboard outside FH between copy & pasting a Fact?

[Gowermick]

I partially agree with you Mike, but there ARE inconsistencies in FH! You can copy a source, AND copy a fact and use them independently. I.e after you have copied the fact, then copied the source, you can past the fact to other members of the household, then after entering occupations, one can paste the source. However if you do it the other way round, it doesn't seem to work as well. ALSO, FH has a tendency to forget the 'fact' you have copied. If you copy the fact, and navigate around too much, FH seems to lose it, and you get a warning that you can't paste! I still haven't worked what circumstances cause this behaviour.

In answer to your last comments Mike, as to why you would want to use the clipboard outside of FH, I sometimes wish to copy interesting facts found on a website and paste it into Notepad during an FH session. If however, I forget to paste first, and use copy function within FH, it destroys the text I wished to save, and I have to copy it again.

IMHO, the copy/paste within FH should ideally be independant of windows, and the inconsistencies ironed out.

[tatewise]

I certainly agree with you about the inconsistencies, some of which I have reported to Calico Pie.
Have you reported yours, because if not, how will they get fixed?

Windows itself, and most programs, use the one clipboard for copy & paste of anything.
If you forget to paste what you have just copied then where lies the fault?!
There are plenty of multi-clipboard utilities to solve the problem.

[victor]

I use snap my screen to copy an area from the web site. I then paste this in FH using the copy and paste in the Project folder.
It is simple and straightforward.

I have mentioned this in another thread.

Alternatively I can paste the copy into my photo software, enhance it. Copy it again and paste it into FH where I want it to.

I always use the copy inside FH to copy details to another family member and once that is done change things to suit that member e.g. a census page change the age of the person

Victor

[Gowermick]

Victor,
I've never tried it in this situation, but doesn't windows 'Screen Capture' Alt-Prtscn (which I generally use to capure a screen) also use the clipboard? I wonder if this too destroys FH copy (I'll give it a try tomorrow).

Mike,
I do appreciate it is my own fault that I lose what I copy by overwriting with a new copy. The point I am making though , is that FH obviosly has its own built in clipboard ( hence ability to make two copies ), so why not go the wole hog and make them both completely independant of Windows clipboard.
I can't remember if I have reported this to Calico, but I did report the fact that when copying a source, the 'fact' paste icon is highlighted as well as the 'source' paste icon.

[victor]

Yes windows screen capture does as you say but it captures the whole screen and you have to edit it to what you want in FH

Snap My Screen capture just part of the area on your screen which you can either prompt copy or save in a folder. I ormally prompt copy then go to FH and copy and paste it ther

Do give it a go. I was hesitant to start with. It is a free download. I am delighted with it

Victor

[tatewise]

I have commented in Victor's other thread that Windows has its own screen capture, but I rarely use Alt-Prtscn, preferring the free built-in fhugdownloads:contents:utility_windows_snipping_tool|> Utility ~ Windows Snipping Tool.

BTW: Alt-Prtscn captures a Window and not the whole screen like Prtscn does.

Perhaps FH needs a Tools > Preferences option to inhibit use of the Windows clipboard for those buttons, especially since it is only useful in the Copy from FH and Paste to elsewhere direction. It would have no impact on the plain text Copy Ctrl-C & Paste Ctrl-V in either direction for text fields such as Note, or similarly for images to Media.

[Gowermick]

Just to confirm, Alt-PrtScr does not use regular clipboard, and didn't interfere with FH copy/paste.

Victor,
I have used snipping tools in the past, but with a new PC, don't wish to clutter it to much, by adding unnecessary programs, especially ones that are already built-in to Windows. Capturing the whole screen PrtScr or a Window Alt-PrtScr works well enough for me.

Mike,
Further to my previous comment, it seems the order in which one copies is crucial. if one copies the Fact first, then copies a source, when you attempt to paste the fact, you get the following warning:

Cannot Paste. Only events or Attributes for Individuals (blue dot) ...

However, I copy the source, then copy the fact, both can be pasted independently, with no warning!

I then tried the following experiments:
1. I copied a source within FH, then I copied text outside of FH, and they both got remembered independently.

2. I copied text outside of FH then copied a source, and the source replaced the saved text!

3. Copy a fact in FH, and clipboard icon is lit up, and I can paste the fact numerous times. However if I then copy some text outside FH, the FH clipboard icon goes out immediately, and the fact is no longer available to paste.

All in all, a messy state of affairs, which I intend to raise with Calico asap.

[tatewise]

I concur with all your observations, and agree that FH Copy & Paste is a messy state of affairs.

Let me know the Calico Pie response with their [#log number].

[Gowermick]

Mike,
I don't know if there is an official way to report bugs, I just e-mailed them via the e-mail link on their home page. Let me know if this isn't correct.
Mike

[tatewise]

I guess you mean the info@family-historian.co.uk link at the very bottom of the Home page.

If you click the Contact Us button, a bit further up to the right, it explains the best method for different enquiries.

Since it is a bug report follow the Support option and the + Contact Support link at the bottom.

Alternatively, in FH use Help > Technical Support and it takes you straight there.

[Gowermick]

Mike,
Sadly, when I did click the contact us button, nothing happened, so I just resorted to a link that did work.
Thanks for the advice.
Silly question, but could this be put in a 'sticky' post at top of forum? I did search FAQ's, but nothing came up!

[tatewise]

I have added it to how_to:about#problem_reporting|> About Family Historian under Problem Reporting.

If you mean the ? FAQ at the top right of these pages then they refer to these Forum web page features.
Remember Calico Pie is a completely separate organisation to the FHUG.

[Gowermick]

Mike,
Bug report is #342499
Full reply is as follows:

To: Mike Loney

Thank you for reporting that. This behaviour is originally by design, but we accept that it isn't very intuitive and we plan to change it to make it clearer.

Martin

Family Historian Support
Calico Pie
-----------------

If you wish to respond, please do NOT send back a new email. Instead, reply to this email and be sure to write your response above the line at the top of this mail or our "clever" automated system will remove your reply.

Family Historian Support
http://www.family-historian.co.uk

Your reference number is #342499

[E Wilcock]

This is an interesting thread.

For years and years I have used ClipMate software which retains anything one copies or cuts - so that one doesnt overwrite and lose things on the Windows clip board.
Clip mate holds the Events I copy from FH both with data and without.

EventMisc
Date: 9 June 1949
Place: Plymouth UK
Source: [S16] UK Inward Shipping Lists
Note: a passenger on Reine del Pacifica from Chile arriving

But one cant retrieve them and paste them in as the FH paste button on the Property box is greyed out. Even if I bring up the fact in clipmate, and make it current for Windows, FH fails to recognise it. It has to be the last item copied using the FH copy button, or FH fails to recognise it.

I do from time to time find the paste button is greyed out when I move on to a new person but think, like you, that it happens due to my pasting something in.

Mike you ask why one should want to paste a fact, copy text and then want to paste in the same fact to another person. I do it all the time. If you are dealing with long place names which include foreign characters - Polish and Russian, it is easier to copy and paste them - if one is using a digital source. Then one moves to the next name on the list and wants the same Event fields, but cant paste the Event in.