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1993-07-05
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Name Editor
for
Personal Ancestral File (tm)
by
Frank E. Hutchison
Personal Ancestral File and PAF are registered trademarks of the
Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints.
╔══════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Name Editor ║
║ for ║
║ Personal Ancestral File ║
║ (NE4PAF) ║
║ by ║
║ Frank E. Hutchison ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════╝
In the course of acquiring over ten thousand ancestors and
relatives, I discovered that not everyone followed the obvious
rules of always identifying Switzerland as Switzerland or using
the U.S. postal codes for states. Instead I discovered that
there were at least ten (10) ways of spelling the state of
Connecticut and twelve (12) ways of identifying Switzerland, not
to mention all the ways of mangling England. Identifying these
"mistakes" and correcting them one by one was tedious and
time consuming. There is also the "problem" with names typed in
with all uppercase letters, although I wanted the state codes to
be all uppercase. I also wanted the first letter following the
Mc and Mac, a space, a question mark or a comma to be uppercase.
Name Editor for Personal Ancestral File (NE4PAF) will make these
changes wholesale.
Name Editor for Personal Ancestral File (PAF) is a program
that will allow you to edit the name file (NAME2.DAT) of Personal
Ancestral File (tm), version 2.2. It will automatically:
Place all names in lowercase letters, except for
The first letter of the name, which will be capitalized if
the user desires
Capitalize the first letter to follow Mc, Mac, a space, or
the characters: (, ), [, ], /, the question mark, the comma,
the period, the minus sign, the quote (") or the apostrophe
('), but
it will not capitalize the possessive "s".
All names which are not used in INDIV2.DAT and MARR2.DAT
will be removed from NAME2.DAT.
In addition:
when individual names are changed, all related changes to
the individual (INDIV2.DAT) or marriage (MARR2.DAT) files will
be performed, as necessary.
You can also delete all references to a name. This is
useful when someone has put USA in a database and you want the
USA removed.
You can specific exactly how you want any name capitalized
by use of a "dictionary" of names. (This is useful for those
names that would or would not be capitalized following the
above rules.)
There are many ways of data becoming corrupted. NE4PAF has
many safeguards. However, BEFORE STARTING NE4PAF, BE SURE YOU
HAVE MADE A BACK-UP OF YOUR PAF DATA. NE4PAF will save the old
copies of the INDIV2.DAT, MARR2.DAT, and NAME2.DAT files as
INDIV2.OLD, MARR2.OLD, and NAME2.OLD. However, the only way to be
sure you never lose any data is to keep current back-ups. You
should be doing this as a regular course of action anyway. In
addition, run the PAF Family Records Check (FRCHK) program after
using NE4PAF to insure that all records are okay. There is a
reminder at the conclusion of NE4PAF of this information.
To use NE4PAF, you must know where the PAF database is
located (C:\PAF\DATA, B:, etc.). NE4PAF can be told the location
in one of two ways: On the command line or it will ask if no
location is specified on the command line.
To start NE4PAF, type at the prompt either
C:\>NE4PAFxx
or
C:\>NE4PAFxx [location]
where the xx indicates the version number and [location]
indicates the location of the PAF data files, which is optional.
The first screen to appear is a warning screen that asks if
you have made a back-up or are using a copy. Pushing the <F1>
will continue the program. Any other key will abort the program.
Next, The title screen will appear. If the [location] was
not specified on the command line, then NE4PAF asks
Where is the PAF database located?
1. A:
2. B:
3. C:\PAF\DATA
4. Other
5. Return to System
Menu selection is made by selecting the menu number or using the
up and down arrow keys and hitting the <Enter> key.
The first three choices will encompass probably 90% of the
locations of PAF databases. If yours is not one of the first
three choices, then select option 4. Just below the above menu
will be displayed:
Location of PAF database:
You can type in the path to the database. If it is wrong, an error
message will be displayed and you will be able to try again.
Option 5 will quit the program.
NE4PAF allows you to determine if you always want the first
letter of each name capitialized or to allow the first letter to
remain whatever case it was. NE4PAF will ask:
Should the first letter of each name be capitalized?
1. Yes, always
2. No, leave the case as is
3. This choice not used
4. Change the directory
0. Return to System
If you want the first letter of all names capitalized, choose
option 1. If not, choose option 2. Option 3 is not used at
present. Option 4 will return you to the previous menu to choose
the directory to use, and option 5 will quit the program.
NE4PAF will next display the notices:
Gathering Information
Search each individual and count the names
Search the marriages and count the names
Alphabetizing the names
Progress bars will show how far along you are when gathering
information or counting names.
USE OF THE NAME DICTIONARY
--------------------------
NE4PAF will now look in the directory you specified for a file
named NE4PAF.DCT. NE4PAF.DCT MUST be an ASCII file, also called a
DOS text or a non-document file. This file may contain names that
you want capitalized in a special way. For example, I have the two
following names in my personal PAF database:
CAPT NOAA (Ret.) (Captain National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Retired)
CDR, USN (Commander, U. S. Navy)
NE4PAF would have them as
Capt Noaa (Ret.)
Cdr, Usn
The first set is the "correct" set, according to the usage of the
organizations represented. Without the NE4PAF.DCT file, I have to
change the above names every time I use NE4PAF. Create the NE4PAF.DCT file by using any text editor or the
non-document mode if you use a word processor. Place one name on
each line exactly as you want it in NAME2.DAT. For the above
example, the file could look like
CAPT NOAA (Ret.)
CDR, USN
Ann(e)
Of course, the names should be up against the left side margin.
(No spaces in front of the name unless you want them there!) And
the spelling must be the SAME as the name is currently in
NAME2.DAT. You must create a separate NE4PAF.DCT for each PAF
database you have, or you need to copy the dictionary to each
directory. Names in NE4PAF.DCT but not in NAME2.DAT have no
effect.
VIEWING NAMES
-------------
Directly following the alphabetizing of the names, the first
eighty (80) names in alphabetical order will be displayed along
with the number of times each name was found in the individual
and marriage files. To see the next "page" of names, hit the
<Page Down> key and the next eighty (80) names in alphabetical
order will appear. Hitting <Page Up> will take you to the
previous "page" of names. Hitting the <Home> key will return you
to the beginning of the alphabetical list while <End> will take
you to the end.
EDITING A NAME
--------------
To edit a name, use the arrow keys to highlight the desired
name and hit the <Enter> key. This will cause a window to appear
on top of the screen which shows the present spelling of the
name, the count found for that name and a space for the new
spelling to be entered. If the new spelling is unique, then it
will replace the old spelling in the NAME2.DAT file and be used
every place where the old spelling was used. If the new spelling
matches an existing name, then the old spelling will remain in
the NAME2.DAT file, the count will become negative, but the
matching name will replace the old spelling in the individual and
marriage files.
If you decide you don't want to edit a name once you have hit
the <Enter> key, just hit the <Enter> key again before you enter
any other character. You will be returned to the list of names.
DELETING A NAME
---------------
You have the additional capability to delete all references to
a specific name. The command for doing this is the combination
<Ctrl>-<F10> (Hold down the <Ctrl> key and, WHILE STILL HOLDING THE
<Ctrl> KEY DOWN, press the <F10> key). The window will appear with
the name, the words "Deleting name" in blinking letters, and a
count of then number of times the name appears in the database.
There is no verification step (i.e., "Do you REALLY want to delete
this name?") because the key combination requires a conscious
effort to make. The key combination was chosen for this very
reason. No one should be able to do <Ctrl>-<F10> "accidently."
For those with very fast computers, the screen may blink and return
to the list of names without you being able to see the "Deleting
name" message.
EXAMPLES
--------
To illustrate what happens, consider the following NAME2.DAT
file of three (3) names:
California 45
Switz. 34
Switzerland 78
To convert the complete state name to the postal codes, highlight
California and hit the <Enter> key. The window appears and shows
California as the old name, its count (45), and space for the new
spelling. You enter CA and hit the <Enter> key to signify that
you are done entering the new spelling. Since CA is not in the
file, CA will replace California:
CA 45
Switz. 34
Switzerland 78
USA 5
Next, to change the abbreviation for Switzerland, highlight
Switz., hit <Enter>, and type in Switzerland for the new
spelling. Switzerland is also in the NAME2.DAT file, therefore,
it's a matched name. NE4PAF will display
Switz. -34 (Note the minus sign!)
indicating that Switz. has been selected for replacement or
elimination.
Finally, we select USA and press <Ctrl>-<F10>. NE4PAF
displays
USA -5 (Note the minus sign!)
All the changes are stored in a file called CHANGES.LST in the
same directory as the NAME2.DAT file. All the changes will be made
later.
FINISH EDITING
--------------
When you are finished editing the names hit <Esc> to
continue with the program.CHANGING YOUR MIND (THE "OOPS" LIST)
------------------------------------
NE4PAF allows you to change your mind about the changes you
have selected which involve changes other than simple changes. A
simple change is when the spelling or capitalization of a name is
changed but there is no substitution of one name on the list for
another name on the list. The "oops" list, each change, in the
order it was made, will be displayed with a total of 20 changes
displayed at a time. Editing of these changes is the same as for
editing names, except that you can ONLY cancel a change, not modify
it. Using the example above, NE4PAF will now display
Switz. will be replaced by Switzerland
USA will be deleted
Let's assume that you deleting USA was a mistake. You select "USA
will be deleted", press <Delete>, "USA will be deleted" is replaced
with "This change deleted" and the deletion will not take place.
While viewing the "oops" list, you will have the option to
cancel everything by pressing <Ctrl>-<F10>. This will cancel ALL
the work that has been done and return everything to its original
condition, then exit the program.
When you are finished with the editing of the changes, press
<Esc> to continue.
CREATING NEW FILES
------------------
NE4PAF will now go though the individual (INDIV2.DAT) and
marriage (MARR2.DAT) files and build new copies of these files as
INDIV2.NEW and MARR2.NEW by replacing Switz. with Switzerland, as
well as all the other replacements and eliminations you selected.
(This is where the changes recorded in CHANGES.LST are used.)
The Phantom EMPTY
-----------------
In the latest version of PAF 2.2 (August 1991), you can
search, using the Focus Reports, for fields which are empty by
entering EMPTY in the field desired. However, if a cursor has
passed through a date field, PAF puts a flag there. The presence
of this flag prevents the Focus Report from finding the date field
empty even though the date field appears empty to you. Therefore,
NE4PAF examines each date field. If there is an entry, that entry
will be transferred to the new record. However, in those date
fields which are suppose to be empty, NE4PAF will check for a flag
which tells whether or not a cursor has passed through the field.
If this flag is present, NE4PAF will replace the apparently blank
entry with a true blank entry.CREATING THE NEW NAME2.DAT FILE
-------------------------------
Following the re-alphabetization of the names, NE4PAF will
establish the tree of names and create the NAME2.NEW file. NE4PAF
will check if NAME2.OLD, INDIV2.OLD and MARR2.OLD exist, delete
them if they do, rename NAME2.DAT, INDIV2.DAT and MARR2.DAT to the
.OLD ending, rename NAME2.NEW, INDIV2.NEW and MARR2.NEW to the .DAT
ending, remove any temporary files, print the reminder, and end.
Some thoughts on using NE4PAF:
This is just a few thoughts that you should think about BEFORE
you change the spelling of a name and some facts about the use of
NE4PAF:
1. There are some names which are used for both states,
counties, and even persons. Virginia is a good example.
I have ancestors which were named Virginia. Do I want to
replace all Virginias with the postal abbreviation? At
present, there is no way that NE4PAF will distinguish
between a Virginia in a person's name and a Virginia in
a place name. Utah can be a state or a county in the
same state. So think very carefully before you change a
state name to its abbreviation.
2. NE4PAF rebuilds the tree within the NAME2.DAT file. As
a result, there will usually be a new tree which has
fewer levels as measured by FRCHK. This will cause PAF
to be a little more efficient when searching for names.
The reason for the difference is that PAF adds names to
the tree as they are added to the database. It is
possible that using this method, the tree could have a
many levels as there are names.VERSIONS
--------
Version A (NE4PAF1A and NE4PAF2A): The original released version
(14 Dec 1992).
Version B (NE4PAF1B and NE4PAF2B): Corrects a bug in version A,
released 30 Dec 1992.
Version 3.0 (NE4PAF3A and NE4PAF3B): Improves the speed of oper-
ation for editing large databases. Also, the
capitalization rules have been improved. Changed
version numbering system. Released 21 Jan 1993.
Version 4.0 (NE4PAF4A and NE4PAF4B): Added more rules for capital-
ization. Added capability to delete references to
a specific name. Cleaned up the video display
routines. Released 6 Feb 1993.
Version 4.1 (NE4PAF4A and NE4PAF4B): Eliminated a minor bug when a
name has a trailing space in the NAME2.DAT file.
Released 6 Mar 1993.
Version 5.0 (NE4PAF5A and NE4PAF5B): Improves the speed of
operation. Works with monochrome monitors (earlier
versions didn't). Mouse capability in the menus
was removed. Performs the actions on INDIV2.DAT
and MARR2.DAT after all the changes have been
identified. Released 17 April 1993.
Version 5.1 (NE4PAF5A and NE4PAF5B): Corrects errors in handling
name changes that go to the beginning or end of the
alphabetized list. Also error in name order
corrected.
Version 6.0: All names which are not used are removed from
NAME2.DAT.
You can specific exactly how you want any name
capitalized by use of a "dictionary" of names.
There is no longer a "A" and "B" version. One
size fits all.
Allows the user to review the proposed changes
(the oops list) before proceeding.
Allows the user to stop the program at the oops
listing.
Saves the old NAME2.DAT, INDIV2.DAT, and MARR2.DAT
files with the extant .OLD.
Posts a reminder at the end of the program to run
FRCHK and that the old files were saved as .OLD.
Improved error checking and speed.
Released 1 July 1993REGISTRATION
------------
If you use Name Editor for Personal Ancestral File (NE4PAF)
you are asked to register with me. The cost is ten dollars
($10.00). This will (1) increase my high regard for you, (2)
encourage me to improve the program, (3) allow me to inform you
of improvements, (4) allow me to notify you in the event that a
serious problem with NE4PAF is discovered, and (5) convince my
wife that I'm not just playing with the computer.
Personal Ancestral File and PAF are registered trademarks of the
Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints.
All rights to NE4PAF and its accompanying files are reserved.
NE4PAF may be distributed and used only in accordance with the
provisions contained herein. Comments, problem reports,
suggestions for improvements and registration are welcomed and
may be sent to:
Address: Frank E. Hutchison
Qtrs D, Mason Row
Yorktown, VA 23690
Phone: (804)887-0290 between 6:00 and 9:00 pm Eastern
I also monitor the GENSOFT echo on the Fidonet for messages to
Frank Hutchison. (Please note the spelling.)
╔══════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Name Editor ║
║ for ║
║ Personal Ancestral File ║
║ (NE4PAF) ║
║ by ║
║ Frank E. Hutchison ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════╝
REGISTRATION FORM
Surname: _____________________ Given1: _____________________
Given2: ______________________ Given3: _____________________
Address1: __________________________________________
Address2: __________________________________________
City: _____________________________________________
State: __________ Zip Code: ________________
Phone: (_____) ________--_______________
How did you find out about NE4PAF?
Comments/Suggestions/Problem Report:
Mail to: Frank E. Hutchison
Qtrs D, Mason Row
Yorktown, VA 23690