On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:31:45 -0400, singhals <[email protected]> wrote: /snip/ I use Family Historian 4 having tried every one of the programmes mentioned. I came to this decision for a number of reasons. (a) it has some very good charts qhich met my needs perfectly. (b) it's native file format is GEDCOM so it imports into any other programme almost seamlessly (although I have only regularly do this into FTM because some of the family use this software) (c) you can adapt the fields to suit your own use if you need anything non regular (d) There is a very active User Group, frequented by the authors and several add on writers where custom charts, diagrams, searches and reports are uploaded and free. (www.fhug.org.uk) (e) it has a graphical query page which does what looks like SQL on the database and generates data subsets. This is very powerful and just about the main reason I bought the software. (f) There is an add on called Ancetral Sources which makes entering censuses (the UK, Canada Ireland & USA ones at present), and has just been upgraded to also enter baptisms. The author has stated plans to include all BMD events. (g) Output can be sent to the in built pdf writer so sending diagrams to others is a doddle. (h) Unfortunately, the web site generator uses HTML which is good for CD's but a bit clunky if you have many thousands of people and families. But as the file format is Gedcom it can be read by phpgedview which makes a relational database which is both small, quick and works well. For the record, I found FTM very easy to use but you have to do things the Ancestry way. It is great if you want to interface with Ancestry but only did what it says on the box. No real customisation available. Legacy works but was clunky nh my opinion. Again I prefered the queries in FH4. The others lacked the output in terms of customisable diagrams that FH does and always felt the need to transfer datat from prog to prog to get the features I needed. As already stated, data transfer is rarely faultless so the less you do it the better. Hope that helps.

"Baldy Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected] > On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:31:45 -0400, singhals <[email protected]> > wrote: > > /snip/ > > > I use Family Historian 4 having tried every one of the programmes > mentioned. > > I came to this decision for a number of reasons. > > (a) it has some very good charts qhich met my needs perfectly. > > (b) it's native file format is GEDCOM so it imports into any other > programme almost seamlessly (although I have only regularly do this > into FTM because some of the family use this software) > > (c) you can adapt the fields to suit your own use if you need anything > non regular > > (d) There is a very active User Group, frequented by the authors and > several add on writers where custom charts, diagrams, searches and > reports are uploaded and free. (www.fhug.org.uk) > > (e) it has a graphical query page which does what looks like SQL on > the database and generates data subsets. This is very powerful and > just about the main reason I bought the software. > > (f) There is an add on called Ancetral Sources which makes entering > censuses (the UK, Canada Ireland & USA ones at present), and has just > been upgraded to also enter baptisms. The author has stated plans to > include all BMD events. > > (g) Output can be sent to the in built pdf writer so sending diagrams > to others is a doddle. > > (h) Unfortunately, the web site generator uses HTML which is good for > CD's but a bit clunky if you have many thousands of people and > families. But as the file format is Gedcom it can be read by > phpgedview which makes a relational database which is both small, > quick and works well. > > For the record, I found FTM very easy to use but you have to do things > the Ancestry way. It is great if you want to interface with Ancestry > but only did what it says on the box. No real customisation available. > > Legacy works but was clunky nh my opinion. Again I prefered the > queries in FH4. > > The others lacked the output in terms of customisable diagrams that FH > does and always felt the need to transfer datat from prog to prog to > get the features I needed. As already stated, data transfer is rarely > faultless so the less you do it the better. > > Hope that helps. Thankyou yes it does <grin>. Looks like I need to look at FH4 as well. Dave --- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to [email protected] ---