Hi, Looking for comments on how users are keeping track of TMG's standard and user defined custom Source Elements and in how the elements are used in Source Types. I found Terry Reigel's info at http://tmg.reigelridge.com/elements.htm and Lee Hoffman's at http://www.tmgtips.com/srcelem6.htm. Michael Hannah has a list of source elements that looks like standard elements and user defined at https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCELEMS_TABLE.HTML#Top. Interesting related messages here https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/tmg.rootsweb.com/thread/19029/ I'm not following Brian Gross' example spreadsheet setup, most likely due to plain text message formatting... jumbles the example. I revised my Census source type - 1850 to 1940 which is based on Terry's Census example and added the "Informant" source element. In doing that, I had to sort of start from scratch making a list of each source element used in the Sentences, noting the record group each came from so as not to use two source elements from the same group. Doing this made me realize it would be nice to track the source elements in a word or spreadsheet doc that are used in each Source Type... in a better way than I do now. As an aside, after adding the Informant source element to the Census source type, I noticed that I reached the maximum number of fields displayed on the source definition General tab (14 fields plus title field). Terry's Census examples place website info in the Comments field on the Supplemental tab. Some time ago when I followed Terry's example, I made source element fields for defining the website and related info for where the Census was viewed, with the idea the info would appear in a standard way, however, that does as noted make for 14 source element fields on the General tab, the maximum allowed. So, it looks like tracking TMG source elements and their use in source types may be accomplished in a couple ways... (1) Tables of source elements as in Terry's, Lee's, and Michael's example linked pages above (2) Word or spreadsheet doc that includes the user's source types, noting source element and the corresponding source element record group. Thanks, Tom

At 1/27/2019 12:45, Thomas Momeyer wrote >Looking for comments on how users are keeping track of TMG's standard and >user defined custom Source Elements and in how the elements are used in >Source Types. If, by "keeping track of ... Source Elements", you mean ensuring that a Source Element (Standard or Custom) from the same Source Element Group is not used twice in the same Source Template then I suggest creating a table listing each Source Element Group and its Source Elements (Standardd Custom). Then, as you create/edit a Source Template and use a Source Element, check off each Source Element Group as you use a Source Element from that Source Element Group. The table shown on my web-site at at http://www.tmgtips.com/srcelem6.htm is a good example of such a layout. I believe this needs updating as some new Standard Source Elements may have been added. since v7x. When it is up-to-date, just add any Custom Cource Elements that you have created. My table could be displayed in a spreadsheet or in a work processor, such as what Brian Gross' message attempts to show. Terry's has the table sorted by Source Element rather than Source Element Group which allows quickly finding a Source Element and the Source Element in which it is used. But, it may not easily identify where the same Source Element Group might be used. Actually, it would be good to have multiple tables as they are all useful at times. Lee >I found Terry Reigel's info at http://tmg.reigelridge.com/elements.htm and >Lee Hoffman's at http://www.tmgtips.com/srcelem6.htm. Michael Hannah has a >list of source elements that looks like standard elements and user defined >at https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCELEMS_TABLE.HTML#Top. > >Interesting related messages here >https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/tmg.rootsweb.com/thread/19029/ >I'm not following Brian Gross' example spreadsheet setup, most likely due to >plain text message formatting... jumbles the example. > >I revised my Census source type - 1850 to 1940 which is based on Terry's >Census example and added the "Informant" source element. In doing that, I >had to sort of start from scratch making a list of each source element used >in the Sentences, noting the record group each came from so as not to use >two source elements from the same group. Doing this made me realize it >would be nice to track the source elements in a word or spreadsheet doc that >are used in each Source Type... in a better way than I do now. > >As an aside, after adding the Informant source element to the Census source >type, I noticed that I reached the maximum number of fields displayed on the >source definition General tab (14 fields plus title field). Terry's Census >examples place website info in the Comments field on the Supplemental tab. >Some time ago when I followed Terry's example, I made source element fields >for defining the website and related info for where the Census was viewed, >with the idea the info would appear in a standard way, however, that does as >noted make for 14 source element fields on the General tab, the maximum >allowed. > >So, it looks like tracking TMG source elements and their use in source types >may be accomplished in a couple ways... >(1) Tables of source elements as in Terry's, Lee's, and Michael's example >linked pages above >(2) Word or spreadsheet doc that includes the user's source types, noting >source element and the corresponding source element record group.

Tom Momeyer wrote: > Looking for comments on how users are keeping track of > TMG's standard and user defined custom Source Elements > and in how the elements are used in Source Types... > Michael Hannah has a list of source elements that looks like > standard elements and user defined at > https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCELEMS_TABLE.HTML#Top. Yes, Tom, my on-line book is where I keep track of all my customizations and the related standard/default values. The Source Elements table you mention has a prefixed asterisk if the element is custom, but includes all the standard elements in each element group. > Doing this made me realize it would be nice to track the source elements... As the number of your customizations increases, the need to be more rigorous in tracking them and their descriptions increases. (Unless your memory is much better than mine. <grin>) > I reached the maximum number of fields displayed on the source > definition General tab (14 fields plus title field). Yes, this is an issue. I even defined a custom generic Source Type named Miscellaneous which uses the maximum number of possible fields. https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCTMPLS.HTML#Misc > So, it looks like tracking TMG source elements and their use > in source types may be accomplished in a couple ways... I find that I need *both* of the ways you mention. > (1) Tables of source elements as in Terry's, Lee's, > and Michael's example linked pages above The table is only a quick reference tool, but I find I also need the memory aid of explanations of the elements and their groups. The table's column headings are hyperlinks to a more complete explanation of each Source Element Group in the separate Source Elements chapter: https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCELEMS.HTML I have not done as complete a job as I probably should of cross hyperlinking from an element's description to all the many source types which use it. I currently only mention the source type(s) which motivated me to create any custom element names in that element group. > (2) Word or spreadsheet doc that includes the user's source types, > noting source element and the corresponding source element record group. The chapter of all my source templates lists at the bottom of each description of a Source Type the abbreviation codes of all source groups used by elements in its templates. That way if I create a new source type starting with an existing source type I know which source element groups are already in use. https://www.mjh-nm.net/SRCTMPLS.HTML The end of any Source Type's description also identifies any custom element names and their groups used in its templates. This reminds me these custom elements are especially meaningful to this Source Type. While I have hyperlinks from each Source Type description to the Source Element Groups for custom Source Elements it uses, I should probably add links to the descriptions for all the Source Element Groups used in that Source Type. [Note to self: the group abbreviation codes could be hyperlinks to those element groups. If/when I add those links, I could add backlinks to that Source Type from each element group description.] The older I get the more I need help with my memory, and web hyperlinks are a great help to me in finding what I need. For this reason as the amount of your customizations increase I recommend using web pages with hyperlinks, like my book, for recording all your customizations, rationale for creating them, and decisions of use. That way you can document something once, and link to it from any other description which refers to that topic. You don't have to post them on-line like I do, you can just keep them as local documents for your own use. Hope this gives you ideas, Michael