Shareware 1 2 the Maxx/sw_1.zip/sw_1/GENEFILE/BK50D2.ZIP/CHANGES.DOC

Text File | 1991-09-11 | 26KB | 420 lines

 This document tells about the changes in Brother's Keeper version 5.0.  Users
 of version 4.5 will know how to use the features in 5.0 after reading this.
 If you have never used Brother's Keeper before, then you will also have to
 read the documentation for version 4.5.

 As of this writing (September 10, 1991) some programs which are available in
 version 4.5 have not been converted for use with version 5.0.  However, all of
 the main parts of BK are functioning, and the remaining programs should be
 available in a few weeks.  All version 4.5 programs have been converted EXCEPT
 for the following:

        BKBOX4   -   four family descendant box charts
        BKAA     -   ancestor wall charts, multipage ancestor, large ahnentafel
        COPYPART -   split a database
        BKMERGE  -   merge two databases


 The CONVERT5 program will convert your version 4.5 data to 5.0.  You may
 create the version 5.0 data files in the same directory as the version 4 data
 and it will not mess up the version 4 data.  Also, the new programs have new
 names, so they can be in the same directory as the 4.5 programs if you wish.
 The CONVERT5 program does not copy or move the $$TEXTFILES and it does not
 change the path for the $$TEXTFILES, so keep that in mind if you put the
 programs and data into a new directory.  For example: if you have the line
 $$C:\BK\SMITH.TXT in a message line, the program will still expect to find
 the file in the \BK directory.

 To start the conversion program, type CONVERT5 and that will load Btrieve and
 then start the conversion program.  If you have over 2,000 names in your
 files, it will take a while to convert.  The conversion is one of the slowest
 parts of the program, however, once the data is converted the new program
 will run as fast or faster than version 4.5.

 To start version 5.0 of BK, type BK5 and that will start Btrieve and then BK.

 NOTICE:  If you do not have a hard disk to hold the data files, then I would
          recommend that you do not use version 5.0 (use 4.5C instead).

 Here is a summary of the changes in version 5.0.

 1.  A person may be given two sets of parents.  Just add the person as a child
     using the normal Add routine.  When you add the person to the second set
     parents, the program will ask you if you really want to do that.
 2.  Designate type of parents (default is birth - others are adopted, step,
     foster, other).  You may do this for one set of parents or both.
 3.  Source lines (3 full lines for each date/location) may be entered to show
     where you found information about an event (date/location).  The experts
     say "document your sources".
 4.  The Ref: field may be used to find people.  (Instead of code number)
 5.  Mailing address information and phone number may be entered. (press F4)
 6.  The size of the files is limited only by your disk size.  If you have
     enough disk space, you may enter 999,999 individuals. The previous limit
     was 15,000 (or 18,000 if you stretched it.)
 7.  Unique locations are saved on disk only once (to save disk space).
 8.  The built in editor can edit 120 lines instead of only 24.  Also, it now
     includes word wrap when typing.


 9.  The file structure is all new.  If you have over 1,000 names in the file,
     the program will start faster than version 4.5.
 10. New fields: "Marr. ceremony Y/N"   "Divorced/Annulled/Separated"  "End year"
 11. The "check" field data is moved to the "page" field of sources.
 12. A quality of data field is shown after the page field in sources.  This
     information is used by programs such as Roots III to track the reliability
     of the data shown.  If the date referenced is a guess, make it quality 0.
 13. There is limited mouse support.  For menu and data entry and editor.
 14. Individual add.  Add a single person (not as child or spouse of someone).
     Use the individual add routine if you don't want to link to anyone.
 15. Every word in the program can be changed by using the BK5WORDS program.
     When the Brother's Keeper program starts, it reads a file containing the
     desired words.  The same Brother's Keeper program will run in a foreign
     language (already translated into French, German, Polish, Danish, and
     Norwegian.) The BK5MAIN program reads LANGUAGE.BK5, the Ancestor routine
     reads LANGUAGE.BKA, the Group routine reads LANGUAGE.BKG, and the Tree
     routine reads LANGUAGE.BKT.  BK5WORDS creates all LANGUAGE files.  You
     do not need to use BK5WORDS unless you want to change some words in the
     program or on the printouts.
 16. On the modify screen, if a person has message lines, there will be an M
     on the top line and if a person has an address, there will be an A.  Also
     if the person has source data, a dash will be before the date field name.
 17. If the program is not able to determine the person's last name correctly,
     you may put [ before the last name and ] after the last name.
 18. I STRONGLY recommend that you keep the DATA files on a HARD disk.
     Otherwise this program will run VERY slowly.  I repeat, do NOT put the
     DATA files on a floppy diskette.
 19. When adding a location, if you think the location was used before, then
     type a few letters and press F8 to display matching locations to pick.
 20. If the BKOPTION file is found on the disk, the program will find the
     Path for the data files, and proceed to the main menu.  If you want the
     program to say "press enter to start" then start the program with the
     line BK5 /H and that will cause it to hold on the first screen.
 21. In modify, while on the bottom line type / to delete a person.  This will
     physically erase the person, and terminate all links to parents, spouses,
     and children.  That person's code number will then not be used again,
     although the disk space will be used by another number.
 22. A new options screen 3 is available.  You may specify the characters to
     use to surround an unusual last name.  The [] characters are normally
     used, but you may want to use something else such as {} or <>.  You may
     enter the number of lines used by mailing labels, and which address lines
     you want to print on each label.  You may set up use of the BKAUDIT file.
     You may set up to show the date of last update for each person on the
     Modify screen.  You may enter the character to use at the beginning of
     message lines that you NEVER want to print.  You may enter the ASCII value
     for the character for the vertical bar on ancestor charts and when
     printing the compressed group sheets.  The character is normally ASCII 124
     which is |, but some countries don't have that character available.  And
     you may enter the codes for superscript for your printer.  Those codes
     are used when printing source footnotes on group sheets.  The superscript
     codes may also be set up by using the BKUTIL5 to "pick a printer".  You
     may set an option for how you want name searches to take place.  If you
     put 0 (for no) on the "search for exact name with enter" line, then when
     you type a name and press enter, it will show you all names with the same
     first five letters in the first name and the same first five letters in
     the last name. (This is basicly the way version 4.5 operated.)  If you set


     that option to 1 (for yes), then if you type a name and there is at least
     one exact match, then only exact matches will be shown.  If you want to
     see non-exact matches you may still do so by typing the name and pressing
     the F8 key instead of the enter key.
 23. BKAUDIT is a file which contains information about changes that you have
     made with Modify.  It will contain the date of change, the person's code
     number, and the old and new value of changes to the name, any of the five
     dates for a person, the ref field and the occupation field.  It will not
     currently record the location changes or marriage information changes.
 24. If you elect to show the date of last change for a person, please note
     that the way it is currently set, if you move the cursor to any field of
     a person in Modify, that will change the update date, even if you leave
     the information the same.  However, if you view data with Modify, without
     moving the cursor off the bottom line, the date will not be changed.
 25. If you start a message line with the # character, the message line will
     not print on any reports.  This is useful when you don't want to publish
     very personal information, but still want to record it in the computer.
     Even when you say to print All message lines, the # lines still will not
     print.
 26. In custom reports, if you ask to print the name of the spouse or the
     marriage information, the first spouse and first marriage information will
     normally print.  However, if you also pick field 98, then the last (most
     recent) spouse and marriage will print.  If you pick field 99, then all
     of a person's spouses and marriages will print.  If a person had multiple
     marriages, each will print on a seperate line in the appropriate column.
 27. In BKUTIL5 you can print all locations, delete unused locations, and
     change locations globally.  If you print all locations, you will most
     likely find that you have entered several locations in different ways.
     For example, you may find "Grand Rapids, Mich." and "Grand Rapids, Kent
     County, Michigan" and "Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Mich." all listed.  This
     is wasting disk space, so you may change all of them to be the same.
     To do so, pick change location names, and then enter the ones to be
     changed in the top box, and the one to change them all to in the second
     box and everyone who uses any of those locations will be changed.
 28. In the utility program, you may print all sources, delete unused sources,
     and change sources.  This is similar to locations described above.  For
     example, if you have entered a source for several different people, and
     then you discover that you mispelled a word, you should use this routine
     to change the source and it will correct it for everyone.  If you instead
     use the Modify routine in BK, it will only change it for one person and
     it will not change the description of the source for other people.
 29. For Group sheets, you may print footnotes for the source notes that you
     entered.  If you say yes for footnotes, you may then say yes or no for
     the children's footnotes.  The children may have footnotes only if you
     specify All data for children or if you specify Compressed data for
     children.  On the line that says "Print source/reference footnotes?" you
     may also enter the number 4 if you want the check field data to print as
     it did in version 4.0 to 4.5.  If you pick "4", then it will not print
     footnotes, it will just show the first part of the page field.  This
     feature is to accomodate the users of 4.0 to 4.5 who may want to continue
     printing the group sheets in the same way as version 4.
 30. Also for Group sheets you may pick type C for compressed children data
     and that will print a group sheet with lots of information packed onto
     one page.  Several people have asked for a group sheet that shows all
     information for up to 10 children on one sheet of paper.  The Compressed
     choice will do this.


 31. Also in Group sheets you may print an index of names and pages.  If you
     ask for page numbers, then at the end of the report it will ask if you
     also want to print an index.
 32. Also in Group sheets, you may choose to omit blank date/location lines.
     If you answer yes for this option, then any fields with blank information
     will be skipped for the husband and wife (and the children if you have
     sellected all information for children.)  The birth and death lines will
     still print even if the data fields are blank.
 33. When the total number of people is shown at the bottom of the menu screen,
     it is the actual number, which may be less than the highest code number
     in use.  When you delete people, the deleted code number is not reused.
     Perhaps there will be a way to reuse deleted code numbers in the future.
     Even though the code number is not reused, the disk space is reused by
     the next person you add.
 34. The ancestor chart (when displayed on screen) allows easy movement to the
     person's Father, Mother, Spouse, Older sibling, Younger sibling, children.
 35. In addition to ALT-A thru ALT-Z, you can use ALT-1 thru ALT-0 and ALT-- and
     ALT-= (basically the top row of white keys).  Alt fields are 78 characters.



 The CONVERT5 program will convert all version 4.5 data files to version 5.0.
 Run CONVERT5 one time to convert your data.  If you have more than one set
 of version 4.5 data files, you can run CONVERT5 twice and choose to ADD the
 second set to the first.  The CONVERT5 program creates new files for use
 with version 5.0, and will not change your version 4.5 data files, but just
 to be on the safe side, make BACKUP copies of all your 4.5 data files before
 you convert the data.

 Although I thought that the same number of names would take up less disk space
 in version 5.0 than it did in 4.5, it will probably take up about 10-15 percent
 more space for the same data.  Each name in 5.0 can store more information
 than in version 4.5, therefore the record length is larger.  The data files
 are partially compressed, but the indexes (which are part of the file) are not
 compressed.  Each name record is indexed four ways: 1. by code number 2. by
 exact name 3. by partial first and last name  4. by Ref field.

 The data files are quite complicated and are managed by Btrieve.  Whereas I
 was able to edit the data files in version 4.5 to fix errors, I will not be
 able to edit the data files in 5.0.  Therefore it is very important to have
 backups of your data files.  If anything goes wrong with the data files, you
 could loose everything in them, and you will have to go back to your backup
 set.  Btrieve does contain some nice features which should save you from
 disaster if the power goes off when writing to the file.  However, if the
 files are damaged because of a disk going bad or developing bad sectors, you
 will probably have to use your backup set of data files.  If your files are
 too large to backup with the backup routine available from the menu, be sure
 to BACKUP the data files with another program.  The files that are important
 to backup are all the files that end with the .DT5 extention.  You could use
 the DOS BACKUP program, or another program such as PC-TOOLS or FASTBACK, or if
 you have the ARC or PKZIP program, you could compress the files and then copy
 them.  You will find that PKZIP or ARC will compress the files to about 1/4th
 the original size and that should help you fit them onto diskettes.

 If your data files are damaged, save all your current backup diskettes, and
 use new blank floppy diskettes to make new backups.  There are a couple


 programs available that are designed to fix damaged Btrieve files, but nothing
 is better than having a couple sets of current backup disks.

 This version 5.0 of Brother's Keeper uses a program called Btrieve to manage
 the data files.  Btrieve handles all the indexes of names and numbers in the
 database.  Version 5.0 of BK does not have to "read the alpha file" each time
 it starts since the indexes are part of the data files.  Btrieve is a memory
 resident program which loads just before the BK program starts, and which is
 removed from memory when the BK program stops.  When you type BK5 to start
 Brother's Keeper, it first loads Btrieve, and then starts BK5MAIN which is
 the main part of BK.  The routines on the menu which are labeled "external
 reports" are separate programs which are run when selected.  When the external
 report is finished, you may choose to run the same report again, or to return
 to the BK5MAIN program, or to stop.  If you ran BK 4.5 with over 1,000 names,
 you should find that starting BK will be faster in version 5.0 since the
 program does not have to read the ALPHA file each time.

 In Occupation field, press CTRL-A to set the parent type.  Each time it is
 pressed, it changes through 9 possibilities.  (Adopted, Step, Foster, etc)
 If you do this on the modify screen, it will show the type of parent after
 both the father and the mother.  (In Add it just shows on the bottom line).

 Each person may have two sets of parents.  For example, birth parents and
 adopted parents.  (Or step parents or foster parents.)  When adding a child,
 just type the name and F8 to search, and it will let you add the child to the
 second family.  Then it will jump to the occupation field and you may set the
 parent type by pressing CTRL-A.  Each press of CTRL-A will display the next
 type of parent for father/mother.  (On the modify screen, it will show the
 type of parent after each parent's name.  You may press CTRL-A in the
 occupation field on modify also.)

 Each date/location line can have Source information entered.  Press F6 to
 enter Source information (up to 3 lines.)  When duplicating a previously
 entered source, type a couple words and press F8.  After the three lines of
 source information, there is a Page field.  If the source is a book, enter the
 page numbers in that field.  Enter the word Page also.  If the source is
 microfilm, then enter the reel number in the page field.  Enter the word reel
 and then the number.  (If you used the check fields in version 4 of BK, then
 the data from those fields may be in this Page field.  Depending on what you
 used the check fields for, you may need to move that data.)  Each unique set
 of 3 source lines is saved only once on the disk in order to save disk space.
 Therefore, use the F8 key to recall the previously saved source so that it
 will exactly match.  Use the page field to enter information that is unique
 for this date.

 Press F4 when in a date or location field to bring up a screen for entering a
 person's mailing address and phone number.  Press Ctrl-L to print a label.
 You can control which label lines will print, and the size of the label by
 adjusting the numbers on option screen 3.  For example, you may want to have
 a line in the address field that does not print on the label, such as the
 phone number.

 When in a name field, (while in Add or Modify) press F6 to enter an alternate
 name for a person.  I suggest you enter the birth name in the normal name
 field and the current name in the alternate name field.  This is for people
 who have changed their name or have been adopted and use a new last name.


 When entering a name, the program will normally be able to automatically
 figure out what the last name is for the person.  It will catch common two
 part last names, and will ignore Jr or Sr after a name.  Occasionally, the
 program will not be able to determine the correct last name.  In that case,
 put [] around the last name.  Example: "John [Steed] of Kent" will be indexed
 under the last name of Steed instead of Kent.  The [] will not print on
 reports, but will show on the Add and Modify screens.  Routines which need the
 last name (such as the alphabetical report and the birthday report) will look
 for the [] brackets and use that name for the last name.  For most names, you
 will not need to use the brackets.  If you don't want to use the characters [
 and ] then change the characters on option screen 3.

 If you enter a reference number or code in the Ref: field, you will be able to
 find people by entering that number or code.  This is useful if you want to
 use your own numbering system and what to be able to find people using that
 number.  To find someone by ref number, when you are asked for a name to find,
 type either a / or a \ followed by whatever is in the ref field (exact match
 only).  Example:  If you have JS1234 in the reference field, then type /JS1234
 to find that person.  Note: do not type the / in the ref field - only type it
 when searching for a person.  So there are three ways to find someone  1. Type
 their name  2. Type their code number.  3. Type a / and then their reference
 field.  If two or more people have the same Ref: info, each will be shown by
 pressing TAB.

 When typing a location, if it is the same as a location already entered
 previously, type the first part of the location name and then press F8 to
 search for matching entries.  They will be displayed and you may use the up
 and down arrows to point to the location you want and then press enter.  This
 will guarantee that the locations are typed exactly the same and that will
 save disk space.  (Each unique location is only saved once on the disk even if
 several hundred people use that location.)  If you have mostly unique location
 names, the location file will be large, but if you have lots of duplicates,
 the location file should be smaller than it was in version 4.5

 In version 4.5, if you typed *UNKNOWN for a husband or wife name, it would not
 print that name on reports, but it did take up 1 record.  In version 5.0, you
 may type *UNKNOWN for a husband or wife name, and it will not create a record
 at all for that person.  The "marriage" will contain only one partner.  If you
 later discover the name for the unknown partner, you can change the unknown
 person into a real person in this way:  Go to Modify and call up the known
 person.  Then press F6 to jump to the add routine.  Then after selecting the
 correct person, use the up arrow key to change the name from *UNKNOWN to the
 actual name.  The existing marriage will then connect those two people and any
 children linked to previously known partner will still be correctly linked.

 There is a menu item for adding an individual.  Sometimes, the normal Add
 routine (which adds a family all at one time) may not be what you want.  In
 that case, pick I to add an individual.  This individual will not be linked to
 anyone else.  If you later want to link that person to a spouse, parent, or
 child, then use the normal Add routine and call up that person in the desired
 location by either searching by name or by typing in the person's code number.

 There are still a few programs that are not available yet.  Those are BKBOX4
 (the four family box charts), BKAA, COPYPART, and BKMERGE.  I hope to have
 those finished in a few weeks.  I will be notifying all registered users about
 version 5.0 in a few weeks.  I have just started a BBS, so if you have a


 modem, you can call for those programs, and for any fixes to the other
 programs.  From experience I believe there will be several changes to the
 programs in the next few weeks as I get feedback about this new version.  The
 BBS (computer bulletin board service) number is [phone] and it uses an
 HST dual standard modem, so it can handle 1200, 2400, 9600, and 19200 baud
 modems.  The programs are large, so find a fast modem and call when the phone
 rates are cheap.  The board is available for downloads to first time callers.

 If by chance you are not a registered user of Brother's Keeper, here is
 registration form (note that the new 5.0 manual will probably not be printed
 until around November 1, 1991).


   To: John Steed                              Date _______________________
       6907 Childsdale Rd
       Rockford, MI  49341   U.S.A.

         I have an early version 5.0 of Brother's Keeper.  (9/11/91)
    __
   |__|  I would like to become a Registered user.  Enclosed is a check for
         $45 (U.S. check or Canadian check in U.S. funds) or MasterCard or VISA
         number and expiration date.  Please send me the printed manual
         (available November 1991) and the current version of the programs
         including: BKGEDCOM to import and export data to or from PAF or
         ROOTS III;  BKREPORT to print a book with an index;  BKAA to print
         large ancestor charts;  COPYPART to split a database into sub-sets;
         BKMERGE to merge two BK databases into one;  BKBOX to print descendant
         box tree charts;  BKBOX4 to print four family descendant box tree
         charts;  ($40 includes all programs.) (Note: some programs will not
         be available until November 1991).
    __
   |__|  Please send information on genealogy computer bulletin boards.
    __
   |__|  I have data in Brother's Keeper version ________  Please send the
         CONVERT5 program also.
    __
   |__|  I have data in  ___Genealogy on Display   ___FHS   ___Linkages and
         would like a program to transfer the data to Brother's Keeper.
    __
   |__|  Send the program in __French  __German  __Danish  __Polish __Norwegian
         __send the translation program so that I may translate to ____________

         I am using the program on the following type of equipment.

         Computer brand _________________________ Do you have a modem? _____

         Amount of RAM memory     384     512      640     _________

         Hard disk?          Yes        No

         Diskette size preference      3 1/2      5 1/4

         Monitor             mono       color -  CGA     EGA     VGA

         Printer      __________________________

   Name / Address     ______________________________________________

                      ______________________________________________

                      ______________________________________________

                      Country ______________________________________

   Comments and suggestions:  _________________________________________________

   ____________________________________________________________________________
   use back side also
   (Thank you very much for responding.  John)