Brian Naming of files is shown in our Scan page documentation at: http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/scan-source2.html Which is visible to anyone who needs to download scans. When I set up a batch of new Syndicates (yours included) about 6 to 9 months ago I provided some temporary documentation because I realised there was a gap in suitable instructions on the FreeBMD site. My temporary instructions were then transferred to the official FreeBMD site, viz. http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/Synsetup.html If you believe there are deficiencies in these instruction, please let me know (via the DISCUSS list) I will leave Dave or Graham answer your final point, but from my simplistic understanding, collation of the files allows for a check to be made of any missing pages when we come to officially close a quarters worth of transcriptions. Allan Raymond [email protected] http://www.btinternet.com/~allan_raymond/Monarchies_of_Europe.htm FreeBMD - putting birth marriages and deaths on the Internet http://FreeBMD.rootsweb.com/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brian Smart" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: 28 October 2001 15:54 Subject: RE: +PAGE In answer to my comment: "For my own reasons I did not use the numbering system as in the September quarter, thus the March quarter has unique numbers for each file." Graham said: "My feeling about using your own numbering system is that we lose the opportunity of matching page to page when we come to match the double entry keying of that quarter so I would prefer that we all were consistent." It seems to me that nobody has thought through this issue and things have been left to the Coordinators. This is particularly the case when it comes to naming files. If definitive rules were specified, we would not be in the position where we are trying to formulate them after the work has been done. One of the obvious problems, from my point of view, is that as a coordinator I do not know the way the overall system works. While this may not concern all coordinators, I feel that if I don't know the system I can't be expected to make rational decisions. As a final comment, given that indexes are used to speed the process of answering peoples search queries what difference does it make which order the files are collated? Brian Smart > -----Original Message----- > From: Graham Hart [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: 28 October 2001 14:57 > To: Brian Smart > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: +PAGE > > > Hi Brian, > > Brian Smart wrote: > > > > Having moved the following to a different list, could I > please have an > > answer! > > You may have noticed its been somewhat busy today ! ... and > answers need > to be thought out .. I may not be the best person to answer a > particular > query ..... etcetcetc > > > > > > The explanation I was given regarding the need for > +PAGE,???? on the end of > > a file was as follows. > > The data compiler looks for the +PAGE entry to know which > is the next file > > in the sequence. I had no problems with that, and it seems perfectly > > logical. > > > > How is the following explained? > > > > In the 1845 births there are three strands of numbers all > starting from 1. > > Thus unless action is taken to avoid it, there will be > three files with the > > same +PAGE number at the end of the file. Although at > present +PAGE has not > > been added, two files that show this are 45B3A002 and 45B3J002. > > > > If the data compiler can overcome this, is +PAGE really needed? > > Yes, without the +PAGE we have no idea where a page starts > and ends and > can't easily identify missing pages. > > The +PAGE gives us checkpoints for the matching process. > > Where there are multiple strands of page numbers, I would have thought > that the alphabetical sequence would make it clear which was which .. > when the matching starts, the code should be able to warn > that the page > sequence dropped from z back to n or whatever. This can then be > investigated and checked. > > > For my own reasons I did not use the numbering system as in > the September > > quarter, thus the March quarter has unique numbers for each file. > > My feeling about using yor own numbering system is that we lose the > opportunity of matching page to page weh we come to match the double > entry keying of that quarter so I would prefer that we all were > consistent. However, I am not thinking clearly at the moment > (headache) > and have a nagging doubt on this ... Dave is probably better > positioned > to answer it when he returns to the fray. > > Cheers > > Graham > > > > > Regards > > > > Brian Smart > > > > ============================== > > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > ============================== Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history learning and how-to articles on the Internet. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library