Pat, On the import sub-window there is a tick option to re-use deleted RIN's or not - simply make sure that it is not ticked and your added gedcom data will go at the end. Regards, Stewart -----Original Message----- From: Patricia J Weisshaus [mailto:patjw28@earthlink.net] Sent: 25 June 2005 00:20 To: PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [PAF-5] RIN's As I remember there is a way to prevent the unused RINs from being used. This was particularly useful when importing a GEDCOM because before you did it, you found out what your last Rin was and then you imported the GedCom and after you did it, you could tell what were the new RINs by checking the list again and finding them out. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the place to prevent them from being used. Can someone help me? Pat At 10:29 PM 6/23/2005, Dick Cazier wrote: >Eugene, >The discussion on RINs has been interesting and useful, but I'm not sure >it answered you question. If you want to find out which RINs are unused, >go to your Find Individual list (the binocular icon on your task bar) and >then change the Sort from alphabetical to RIN. That will list everyone in >RIN order from # 1 to however many you have. You can then scroll down >through the list and see which RINs have no name attached to them. The >most common reasons for having blank RINs is you have either deleted some >individuals or have merged them with someone else. The RIN of those >people remain in the system. > >As far as reusing the unused RINs, PAF automatically does it for >you. When you enter a new individual, if you have the unused RINs, the >new person is automatically assigned the largest RIN # that is unused. If >you actually have over 3,000 unused RINs, it's going to take quite a while >to use them up. > >As others have said, RINs as well as MRINs, really have no meaning, other >than an arbitrary # assigned by the program to give it the capability to >link individuals. If you just want to get rid of the unused #s, use the >export-import of gedcoms that was suggested. But I don't really see any >value of doing it, based on what the #s represent. > >One person suggested he used them to clear up goofs he made in linking >children to the wrong parents (a sibling as a child of another sibling, >rather than a child of their parents. If you catch it, jot down the RIN >of the person with the wrong linkage and correct as suggested. I also use >it to merge people that I find need to be merged. I jot down the RIN of >both names and use the individual Match and Merge function rather than the >mass search Match and Merge. This also often turns up other needed >merges, such as duplication of wives and parents, which will show up on >the merge screens. It also then gives a clue about possible duplication >of children, which should be checked from the family screen and merged >again by jotting down the matching RIN #s and merging them. > >I used to use RIN to identify people that I know are the same, but go by >different names, like children from one marriage who are adopted by a 2nd >spouse or by grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. I put a reference in the >Notes of each that # 999999 is the same person as # 000 and then explain >why the are the same. But I did it with the full knowledge that if I sent >a gedcom including those people to someone the Notes reference is useless >and confusing. I'm now trying to find and correct those entries by >merging them and showing both surnames, then explaining the situation in >the Notes. >Dick Cazier >Lakewood, Colorado >USA >----- Original Message ----- From: "H. Eugene McInturff" ><hemack@lynxconnect.com> >To: <PAF-5-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 9:43 AM >Subject: [PAF-5] RIN's > > >>There is a discrepancy of over 3000 count between the numerical sort of >>my data base and the number of individuals when I export a GEDCOM. Would >>someone enlighten advise me how to find and use these unused RIN's? >>Thanks........Eugene >> >> >>==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== >>RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: >>Connecting the World One GEDCOM at a Time >>http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ >> > > > >==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== >AVG Anti-Virus Users >Disable the 'Certify outgoing messages' option via the E-mail Scanner tab. ==== PAF-5-USERS Mailing List ==== RootsWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/