Yes, I know you can do that, but only the name, and do it a lot, there is one of the hints that says to enter the b d m in the side panel. I know that you can enter the parameters after the report has already started compiling. Has a programmer, I think that is a good way to screw up the system, it is in essence stopping the compiling when its in progress only to start it again, couldn't this be a way of messing up the pointers in the database? Mary Ellis On 2/21/2015 6:37 PM, H R Worthington wrote: > Mary, > > You can type into the birth, death, and marriage fields in the People > Workspace, Tree View. > > Don't know what RCIEPS means, haven't seen that one, > > As to the Report, You do NOT have to wait for it to complete. You can > change what ever you want BEFORE the report completes. > > Russ > ___________________________ > > Mailto:rworthington@att.net > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* Mary W. Ellis via <ftm-tech@rootsweb.com> > *To:* Judy in Ocala <treewright@gmail.com>; ftm-tech@rootsweb.com > *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2015 6:16 PM > *Subject:* Re: [FTM-TECH] FTM 16 v. 2014: The Great Debate > > This screen looks good, but the bottom part can't be typed in except for > the first entry of the name. After that you have to use the panel on the > right side, so it seems kind of silly to hid it. By the way, I don't > have LDS turned on, what does that RCIEPS in the parents block mean. I > see it is on each child also. > > Mary Ellis > > Oh just to mention it... I was a programmer before I retired and if we > had written a report that you had to run BEFORE you told it the > parameters you wanted, they would have run us off the property. It is > so strange to me that it is this way. It would make so much more sense > to pick what subset of people or the whole file a report is being run > for, what facts you want show, etc. -- If you don't know your family history, you are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree. ~ Michael Crichton ~ Mary W. Ellis http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mwellis/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncacgs/

I should have reread before I sent this... way to many typo's LOL > Yes, I know you can do that, but only the name,_and_ (I) do it a lot, there > is_one__ of the_ (A)_hints_ (Hint) that says to enter the b d m in the side panel. > I know that you can enter the parameters after the report has already > started compiling. Has(As) a programmer, I think that is a good way to screw > up the system, it is in essence stopping the compiling when its in > progress only to start it again, couldn't this be a way of messing up > the pointers in the database? > > Mary Ellis > > > On 2/21/2015 6:37 PM, H R Worthington wrote: >> Mary, >> >> You can type into the birth, death, and marriage fields in the People >> Workspace, Tree View. >> >> Don't know what RCIEPS means, haven't seen that one, >> >> As to the Report, You do NOT have to wait for it to complete. You can >> change what ever you want BEFORE the report completes. >> >> Russ >> ___________________________ >> >> Mailto:rworthington@att.net >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> *From:* Mary W. Ellis via <ftm-tech@rootsweb.com> >> *To:* Judy in Ocala <treewright@gmail.com>; ftm-tech@rootsweb.com >> *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2015 6:16 PM >> *Subject:* Re: [FTM-TECH] FTM 16 v. 2014: The Great Debate >> >> This screen looks good, but the bottom part can't be typed in except for >> the first entry of the name. After that you have to use the panel on the >> right side, so it seems kind of silly to hid it. By the way, I don't >> have LDS turned on, what does that RCIEPS in the parents block mean. I >> see it is on each child also. >> >> Mary Ellis >> >> Oh just to mention it... I was a programmer before I retired and if we >> had written a report that you had to run BEFORE you told it the >> parameters you wanted, they would have run us off the property. It is >> so strange to me that it is this way. It would make so much more sense >> to pick what subset of people or the whole file a report is being run >> for, what facts you want show, etc. -- If you don't know your family history, you are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree. ~ Michael Crichton ~ Mary W. Ellis http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mwellis/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncacgs/

I think much of the problems revolve around the fact that many do not want to learn a new way of doing something. When I first saw and used FTM 2008, I loved it because it provided me a way of getting around and entering data in multiple ways. I was so tired of having to use the page back and page forward multiple times to navigate between the various pages. It was simply a waste of time. The new rewrite lets me jump immediately between different work areas without the pain of having to use the Page back or page forward. Also, I very seldom enter a new person from the Tree/Family work area especially if I'm entering multiple facts. I find it much easier to enter the individual's information in the Person work area. I can enter a new fact, enter the source information, enter the correct place name and then move on to the next fact. Am I satisfied with FTM 2014 --- NO! As some one pointed out the Custom Report needs a major enhancement so that it is not individual centric as it is now. I also want tear away windows so that I can have the source work area in a separate window or I can have a report in a separate window. This would allow me to view the information and at the same time enter or edit the information in another window without having to page between them. Regarding your comment about entering the parameters before generating the report, that has been around since FTM 4.5 as far as I can remember. So that is not a change from FTM 16. I think the development team is attempting to produce the report as quickly as possible and have made a calculated risk that the user will want essentially the same report format as was used previously so they begin generating the report. As has been noted, the user can make any changes and the report incorporates those changes into the report. Since the data base is being read only and all of the report information is being created in temporary memory areas, there should not be any danger to any of the pointers or addresses in the data base. In a business scenario where multiple programs may be running on a single or connected computers, I agree that the program would not begin generating the report before it had all of the parameters because it is wasted CPU cycles which would normally be assigned to another program. However, in this instance we are dealing with a single stand alone computer which is probably spending most of its CPU cycles waiting for the next key stroke from the user. So there is really nothing lost by not taking the calculated risk. I don't mean to sound discouraging or disparaging as I'm sure the development team would be interested in any feedback we might be able to provide to make FTM a better product. BJ On 2/21/2015 6:05 PM, Mary W. Ellis via wrote: > Yes, I know you can do that, but only the name, and do it a lot, there > is one of the hints that says to enter the b d m in the side panel. > I know that you can enter the parameters after the report has already > started compiling. Has a programmer, I think that is a good way to screw > up the system, it is in essence stopping the compiling when its in > progress only to start it again, couldn't this be a way of messing up > the pointers in the database?

I have to disagree with you on the first sentence, BJ, which takes me in a whole different direction. For me, the problem was that I already had data in the previous version and the reports didn't work. I couldn't get data back out again to share. The claim was that there were experienced people on the plan for the new FTM. I'll take their word for it, but were they experienced with the new database and the new programming language? I don't know. My view: I'll put up with awkward data entry for a time - after all, I do it once for each individual plus a correction or addition here and there. I want a database that is stable and contains all the elements I'll need, organized for efficiency - that's "under the covers" of course so the users normally shouldn't care. I want at least the basic old reports I had before - in good working condition. What we got with v.2008 was a product built for the 'sizzle' desired by marketing without the 'substance' required by the users. Lots of flashy change on the data entry side, but database difficulties and reporting failures. They're still recovering, at least on the report side, and they've had quite a time with the database fixes. Updates seem to happen with the Ancestry interface - but they want to sell that, so money speaks. I don't care a whole lot as I get very little new information from that source though it has provided a backup alternative. Your 'tear-away' windows sound nice, but I don't really care until the output side is functioning as it should. Yes, BJ, I'm getting to be a cranky old woman - I can't develop an attitude because I already have one. <G> We used to tease a grandson that he was part raccoon because he went toward the "shiny stuff" a flea market. Data entry windows/forms are in that category for me - the cover on the box. What's IN the box is more important - and can I get it out? Joanne On 2/21/2015 11:33 PM, BJ via wrote: > I think much of the problems revolve around the fact that many do not > want to learn a new way of doing something. When I first saw and used > FTM 2008, I loved it because it provided me a way of getting around and > entering data in multiple ways. I was so tired of having to use the > page back and page forward multiple times to navigate between the > various pages. It was simply a waste of time. The new rewrite lets me > jump immediately between different work areas without the pain of having > to use the Page back or page forward. Also, I very seldom enter a new > person from the Tree/Family work area especially if I'm entering > multiple facts. I find it much easier to enter the individual's > information in the Person work area. I can enter a new fact, enter the > source information, enter the correct place name and then move on to the > next fact. > > Am I satisfied with FTM 2014 --- NO! As some one pointed out the Custom > Report needs a major enhancement so that it is not individual centric as > it is now. I also want tear away windows so that I can have the source > work area in a separate window or I can have a report in a separate > window. This would allow me to view the information and at the same > time enter or edit the information in another window without having to > page between them. > > Regarding your comment about entering the parameters before generating > the report, that has been around since FTM 4.5 as far as I can > remember. So that is not a change from FTM 16. I think the development > team is attempting to produce the report as quickly as possible and have > made a calculated risk that the user will want essentially the same > report format as was used previously so they begin generating the > report. As has been noted, the user can make any changes and the report > incorporates those changes into the report. Since the data base is > being read only and all of the report information is being created in > temporary memory areas, there should not be any danger to any of the > pointers or addresses in the data base. In a business scenario where > multiple programs may be running on a single or connected computers, I > agree that the program would not begin generating the report before it > had all of the parameters because it is wasted CPU cycles which would > normally be assigned to another program. However, in this instance we > are dealing with a single stand alone computer which is probably > spending most of its CPU cycles waiting for the next key stroke from the > user. So there is really nothing lost by not taking the calculated risk. > > I don't mean to sound discouraging or disparaging as I'm sure the > development team would be interested in any feedback we might be able to > provide to make FTM a better product. > > BJ > > On 2/21/2015 6:05 PM, Mary W. Ellis via wrote: >> Yes, I know you can do that, but only the name, and do it a lot, there >> is one of the hints that says to enter the b d m in the side panel. >> I know that you can enter the parameters after the report has already >> started compiling. Has a programmer, I think that is a good way to screw >> up the system, it is in essence stopping the compiling when its in >> progress only to start it again, couldn't this be a way of messing up >> the pointers in the database? > ********************************** > List information page > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/FTM-TECH.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to FTM-TECH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >