| Last semester the PAF genealogy computer program was our focus.
This semester, I want to show you some features that are faster
to perform in Legacy. Legacy is another free program you can download
and practice using. You may also transfer any data in PAF directly
to Legacy. Be sure to keep a backup copy of whatever program you
use as you are learning to build good databases. Then, if you don't
like the results, you can restore the file to its original settings.
One item that is good to check is possible problems in your files.
As new genealogists, we may have made problems with our locality
fields because we may have accepted files from other people, or
have made mistakes as we first started to enter in our files. If
our locality fields are not standardized, your database work will
suffer.
LEGACY METHODS
One way to check your locality fields in Legacy is to view your
Master List. Go to View which is one of the options across the top
of the screen. Then scroll down to Master Lists, then click on the
master list that refers to "Location."
Legacy records all the entries entered for each locality. Some locality
places, such as Massachusetts, are difficult to spell. Check your
own master list and see how many different spellings or levels you
have listed. Do you have some place names that need to be standardized?
One reason for doing this is so you can do searches and find the
proper information in the future. Another reason is to provide evidence
to others of your desire to be proper in your research methods.
Let us assume you have a list of five different spellings of Massachusetts,
as well as different levels of information (should be smallest town,
county, state, and sometimes country, such as:
, , MA
, , Mass.
MA
Massachusets
Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Massachusetts, USA
HIGHLIGHT SELECTED WORDS
If you hold down your control key and click those erroneously spelled
words (meaning they are not at the level you want or they are misspelled,
you can combine them together, such as MA, Mass., (, , MA), and
Massachusets, they would each be highlighted (indicating they are
being tagged.
CLICK ON APPROPRIATE BUTTON
Now look at the bottom of the page and see the words "Combine
the highlighted location with another one in the list."
Click on that button, and those words you have highlighted will
be marked. After clicking on that sentence, the words change to
"Highlight the Destination, then click this Button."
So go back and click on the correctly spelled word "Massachusetts,
USA." All the other entries are now combined in that updated
locality word. You can do this same project on all other items in
Master Lists.
PAF METHODS
You can check the same thing using the PAF program. Click on the
"Individual" tab beside the Pedigree and Family Group
Tab. Scroll down the list of localities and see if they are all
same. If not, correct those who are misspelled, etc.
There are many ways to solve problems in your databases. Please
share other ways you have learned to correct the problem of inconsistency
in your own research.
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