10 replies to this topic

[Canuk]

I have a number of people in my database for which I have no death date or burial date, but they were born over 100 years ago. Some others I have only a burial date. When I had RM3, I discovered when I exported a GEDCOM and said 'hide living', the programme presumed that these people were living and hid them. I set a rule that told RM3 to mark as not living anybody who:

has a death fact and/or
has a burial fact and/or
is over 110 years old.

That way I don't have somebody who was born in 1763 marked as living, even though he must be dead, but I just don't know where or when.

This rule did not seem to carry over into RM4, and I've forgotten how I set it. Please could somebody tell me how to set such a rule in RM4?

Thanks

[kbens0n]

(Always do a backup of the database before such an operation)

For RM4 I ~think~ it would be:

Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>
<Mark People>-->Select people by data fields-->

-->Death -- exists -- is True
OR Burial -- exists -- is True
OR Birth -- date -- is before -- 1900

Then after it reports the quantity of individuals that it marked:
Press <OK>

[Canuk]

(Always do a backup of the database before such an operation)

For RM4 I ~think~ it would be:

Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>
<Mark People>-->Select people by data fields-->

-->Death -- exists -- is True
OR Burial -- exists -- is True
OR Birth -- date -- is before -- 1900

Then after it reports the quantity of individuals that it marked:
Press <OK>

Sorry, this didn't work. After Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>, the dialogue box closes and you are back to the database without having the option of making the rule. Also, I guessed for the 'selected group of people' that I should select 'everyone in database'. This resulted in everybody being set as living.

Glad I backed up!

Thanks for trying. I'm open to other solutions.

[Romer]

After Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>, the dialogue box closes and you are back to the database without having the option of making the rule.

At this point, you'll see in the left pane that each member of the group of people matching the criteria has a checkmark next to his/hername. Click OK, and the living flag should then be unchecked for all members of the group.

[Ryan]

Sorry, this didn't work. After Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>, the dialogue box closes and you are back to the database without having the option of making the rule. Also, I guessed for the 'selected group of people' that I should select 'everyone in database'. This resulted in everybody being set as living.

Glad I backed up!

Thanks for trying. I'm open to other solutions.

It worked for me, instead of selecting 'everyone in database' choose 'select from list'. Then go to 'unmark people' and choose everyone, then click on 'mark people' and choose 'select people by data fields' then follow "kbensOn" notes:

"-->Death -- exists -- is True
OR Burial -- exists -- is True
OR Birth -- date -- is before -- 1900

Then after it reports the quantity of individuals that it marked:
Press <OK>"

Hope this clears it up for you, and doesnt confuse you more...but it did work for me!

[Canuk]

It worked for me, instead of selecting 'everyone in database' choose 'select from list'. Then go to 'unmark people' and choose everyone, then click on 'mark people' and choose 'select people by data fields' then follow "kbensOn" notes:

"-->Death -- exists -- is True
OR Burial -- exists -- is True
OR Birth -- date -- is before -- 1900

Then after it reports the quantity of individuals that it marked:
Press <OK>"

Hope this clears it up for you, and doesnt confuse you more...but it did work for me!

Are you using RM3? This worked like a charm in RM3. As a matter of fact, I seemed to recall the steps as I was checking them out. The choices are different in RM4.

Still trying, thanks.

At this point, you'll see in the left pane that each member of the group of people matching the criteria has a checkmark next to his/hername. Click OK, and the living flag should then be unchecked for all members of the group.

Wish I could say it was so, but all the boxes are unchecked, even for the people that I know for certain are alive or dead.

[Ryan]

Are you using RM3? This worked like a charm in RM3. As a matter of fact, I seemed to recall the steps as I was checking them out. The choices are different in RM4.

Still trying, thanks.
Wish I could say it was so, but all the boxes are unchecked, even for the people that I know for certain are alive or dead.

No, I am using RM4...

[kbens0n]

Sorry, this didn't work. After Tools-->Set Living-->Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people--><OK>, the dialogue box closes and you are back to the database without having the option of making the rule.

The way RM4 progresses, for me, is that a small dialogue window opens (labeled at the top as merely ROOTSMAGIC) and contains the:
=Set "Living" to <False> for a selected group of people=
and the <OK> button mentioned above.
Pressing the <OK> button closes that small dialog window and opens a larger dialog window (labeled at the top as SELECT PEOPLE). This is where one continues on to the selection process by clicking <Mark people> button which drops down a menu and offers this choice:

Select people by data fields

Chosing <Select people by data fields> opens a third dialog window (again labeled at the top merely ROOTSMAGIC) which is larger than the first and smaller than the second previous dialog windows. The rules are then entered into this third dialog window exactly as above in my earlier reply and a final <OK> button does the marking.

Also, I guessed for the 'selected group of people' that I should select 'everyone in database'. This resulted in everybody being set as living.

Bad guess

[Alfred]

--- Edited, now that I am awake ---
This will get rid of those old people who have no dates at all.
-- of course, this assumes that you have some dated data for all the people in the latest century
and that you know something about the death of these people.

Set living to false for a selected group of people
In the Select people window:
-- Mark people -- Everyone in the database
-- Unmark People -- Clear people by data fields
Any fact -- date - is after -- 1910
-- Mark People
Death -- exists -- is true
OR -- Burial -- exists -- is true
OR -- Cremation -- exists -- is true
OR -- Will -- exists -- is true

[Don Newcomb]

I did something similar but used "Any date before XXXX" Many of my records have marriage or christening dates but not birth dates. I have also kept my "Flags" personal fact type and always try to put a "L" or "D" in there. Belt and suspenders.

[Canuk]

Got it. Thanks very much. It was not knowing about the selecting data fields that was confusing me. How can you tell I'm a researcher trained on books and not computers!

Thanks again.