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Genealogical Computing
1/1/2002 - Archive
| January/February/March |
Vol. 21.3 |
Publishing With Genealogical Software
Family historians are notorious book lovers. In the
mornings, they stand in front of the library waiting for it to open. In the
evenings, they are so buried in their books that they need to be reminded that
the library is closing.
Although genealogists love books, including family
histories, many have never seriously considered putting a book of their own
together. “I could never organize it into a book. It would be too much work to
figure out all those numbers for the people. And the footnotes or endnotes?
Forget it! I could never keep it all straight,” they say.
Genealogical software is often regarded as a help tool that
organizes research results into nice charts. But genealogical software can also
help organize the family data into a book, complete with sources and an index.
These powerful programs can assign
numbers based on a recognized numbering system, mark names for index
entries, and insert graphics.
The programs that allow the book to be saved as a file and
then read by word processing software open up new worlds for would-be authors.
Authors can combine the organization powers of the genealogical program with
the flexibility of the word processor to create a truly unique book.
What Do the Numbers Mean?
The programs that are detailed in this article give
different options for numbering systems. Ancestor reports generally use the
Ahnentafel system, which is the same numbering system used on ancestor charts.
The first person is given the number one. His or her father’s number would be
two, and the mother is three. To find any person’s father, take the person’s
number and double it. To find a person’s mother, take the person’s number,
double it, and add one.
There are more numbering options with descendant reports.
Register style is based on the numbering system used by the New England
Historical and Genealogical Register. It assigns a number to each individual
who is discussed later in the book.
The NGSQ system is the numbering system used in the National
Genealogical Society Quarterly. Sometimes referred to as Modified Register, the
NGSQ system assigns a number to each descendant. Both the Register and NGSQ
systems also use notations for generation numbers and birth order.
Indented descendant reports use different numbering systems
than narrative reports. The Henry system assigns unique numbers based on birth
order and generation level. The progenitor is number one. His first child would
have number 11 (one one); his second child would be number 12 (one two). The
d’Aboville system uses numbers identical to Henry, except that a period is
inserted between each number (1.1, rather than 11).
For more information about numbering systems and how they
work, consult Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems, Complex Families, and
International Kin by Joan Ferris Curran, Madilyn Coen Crane, and John H. Wray
(National Genealogical Society, 2000) and “Organizing and Presenting Family
Information,” chapter 8 of Producing a Quality Family History by Patricia Law
Hatcher (Ancestry, 1996).
Let’s take a look at four popular programs and examine what
options they present to users. In no particular order, these programs are The
Master Genealogist, Family Tree Maker, Legacy, and Family Origins.
The Master Genealogist, Gold Edition, version 4.0d
The Master Genealogist has long been acclaimed for its
powerful report options. Because the possibilities are so numerous, this
article will focus only on the default ancestor and descendant reports. After
becoming familiar with the default settings, users can create new report formats
to meet their needs.
Users create descendant reports through the menu Report>
Descendants, then by choosing either Indented Narrative or Journal [Narrative].
Indented Narrative reveals Descendancy Narrative and an option to design
another report. Journal [Narrative] yields options for “genealogy reports” in
custom, Register, or Modified Register formats. From the Journal [Narrative]
menu, users can also select Register-style reports in Microsoft Word or HTML.
After selecting the desired report, the user is taken to the
report definition screen (See figure 1). Tabs at the top of the screen outline
different options. The General tab has settings for the output—screen/print
preview, printer, and file. The file output options range everywhere from ASCII
to HTML and from Ami Professional to XyWrite.
Although users can choose between Register and Modified
Register styled reports from the Journal [Narrative] menu, the formatting style
can be changed on the Report Definition screen. This should be done with care
as the settings remain in place for the next report. If a user chooses a
Modified Register report but changes the style to Register under the Type tab,
future Modified Register reports may come out in Register format.
The Report Definition screen allows users to select a
numbering system for Indented Narrative reports. Under the Options 1 tab, users
can choose from Henry, Modified Henry, and d’Aboville numbering systems or from
Chicago Manual of Style or MLA Handbook outline numbers. Users can also opt for
no outline numbering.
Publication Tools is a button found at the bottom of the
Report Definition screen. It controls options for extra features available for
that report, such as memos, sources, index, bibliography, and table of
contents. Next to the button is a list of the extras available for that report
to the chosen destination. If the destination is the screen or directly to the
printer, some features such as exhibits (images), table of contents, index, and
bibliography may not be available. These features are available when the report
is sent to a file.
Users have many options on the Publication Tools screen (See
figure 2). If a feature is not available for the chosen destination, a message
appears on that tab to remind the user.
The Master Genealogist Gold Edition can generate very
detailed indexes. Users can choose from a surname or given name index. Both
indexes can be enhanced by specifying the lifespan of the individual, either by
years or specific dates. This is very useful when the family has seven
different John Ramseys. By delineating each person by his or her lifespan,
readers of the book can use the index more effectively. A drawback to the
indexes is that married women appear only under their maiden names but not
under any of their married names.
A very useful yet often overlooked feature is the location
index. A place index is particularly practical if the family was mobile. For
example, readers can use this feature to quickly find the branches of the
Ramsey family that left Perry County, Ohio, for Clinton County, Indiana. Place
indexes can be arranged by country, state, and county, and can be sorted by the
largest element first.
The indexes may not be immediately visible in the word
processing program. Depending on the program, the user may have to generate the
index or change the view of the document.
Narrative ancestor reports are generated through the
Report>Ancestors> Journal [Narrative]>Genealogy Report [Reverse
Register] menu. This report has the same options as the descendant Journal
[Narrative] reports.
Family Tree Maker 8.0
The latest version of Family Tree Maker is version 9.0.
Unfortunately, I was not able to obtain a copy before this article went to
press. Based on press releases, there do not appear to be any major changes in
the publishing features of this popular program.
The first step in publishing a book with Family Tree Maker
is to have the subject of the book as the individual on the screen. Users can
create books by selecting the Books menu at the top of the screen or by
clicking on the Publishing Center icon on the toolbar, then selecting Create a
Family Book. Both methods will give prompts for the book title and author’s
name. Previously created books can be accessed through Books>Open Book, then
selecting the desired title.
Family Tree Maker allows numerous options in publishing a
book. The only item that cannot be deleted is the title page. Users can choose
any of the available items shown in the left-hand column to include in the book
(See figure 3). Once an item is highlighted, clicking on the Add button moves
the item to the Outline For: column on the right-hand side. If the available
items do not refer to the desired subject, click on the Index of Individuals
icon and select the desired subject.
Items do not need to be selected in the order the user
wishes them to appear. After highlighting an item in the Outline For: column,
click on the Move up and Move down buttons to rearrange the items in the book.
The only item that cannot be moved is the title page, which must be first.
Narrative reports are found under the item “Genealogy
Report.” Users can select Register, NGS Quarterly, or Ahnentafel formats.
The format of the items included in the book can be altered
in two different ways. Highlighting an item in the right-hand column and then
clicking the Properties button will allow the user to toggle the settings for
having the item start a new chapter, starting the item on an odd-numbered page,
and including the header and/or footer in that item.
Authors can further alter the included items by clicking the
Edit button or by double-clicking the item name. When editing a Register
report, NGS Quarterly report, or Ahnentafel report, users are taken to a
different screen (See figure 4). The options can be accessed through the menu
options at the top and the buttons along the right. The top button on the
right-hand side controls the format—Register, NGS Quarterly, or Ahnentafel. The
second button, as well as “Contents># of Generations to Show” allows users
to set the number of generations to include. Font type, size, and style are
controlled with the third button or with Format>Font Type, Style & Size.
Users can also control the output of notes, More About
facts, and sources in two different methods. People who prefer to use buttons
can access these options from the fourth button on the right, while those who
like menus can use Contents>Options. Family Tree Maker gives users the
option of printing sources as endnotes or embedded in the text; it does not
allow for footnotes.
The indexes are every-name, with options to print in one,
two, or three columns. There are no options for including place names. Married
women are indexed only under their maiden names.
Entire books can be sent directly to a printer or to a print
(.prn) file. For users wishing to export to a Rich Text Format (.rtf) file, the
report will have to be generated as a report, rather than as a book item. From
the screen of the individual who is to be the subject of the report, click on
the Genealogy Reports button. The formatting of this report is done in the same
way as when the report was included in a book, using the menu options at the
top and the buttons along the side. An .rtf or ASCII file can be created
through File>Export Genealogy Report.
Legacy 3.0, Standard Edition
Legacy 3.0 Standard Edition is the same version of the
popular program that in the past people had to purchase but is now available as
a free download. Based on information at the company’s Web site, the Deluxe
Edition adds the ability to generate .PDF files, readable with Adobe Acrobat
Reader.
The available books in Legacy are Ahnentafel [Ancestor],
Modified Register [Descendant] and Descendant Narrative. Legacy does not
support Register-style reports. The books can be accessed through the Reports
menu or through the Reports button and then by clicking on the Books/Other tab.
Descendant Narrative is a book that arranges the descendants
in an indented format. Numbering systems include Henry and generation level
numbers. Users can also opt to use no numbering system.
All of the content and formatting options are accessed from
one screen (See figure 5). Users can omit the index and the title page simply
by unchecking the check box on the respective button. Books can be saved as a
text file, in HTML, or in rich text format. The preview button allows users to
view the book. While in the preview mode, the book can be sent directly to the
printer but cannot be saved as a file. This is easily remedied by closing the
preview window and returning to the previous screen.
The easiest way to select the subject of the book is to have
the person appear in the family view when starting the book. However, the book
option screen allows users to change the subject by clicking on Change, then
selecting the desired individual from the name list.
Clicking on the Report Options button takes users to a
window with several tabs for content and formatting options (See figure 6). The
book can include any combination of notes. Sources are given as endnotes. Users
can format the font, headers, footers, page numbers, and the inclusion of
pictures from the various tabs on the Report Options window.
Legacy has several useful index functions, which are
accessed through the Index Options button on the main report window. One of the
most useful functions is the ability to include birth and death years with each
individual’s index entry. The Deluxe Edition allows users to generate a
location index.
When the book is sent to a file, Legacy gives a prompt at
the end of the report that directs the user to generate the index with the word
processor. The Index Options window gives users the option of formatting the
index in one, two, or three columns. Of course when the report is sent to a
file, the index can be formatted with the word processor. Married women appear
only under their maiden name, with no index entry under their married name(s).
There are default titles for each type of book. Users can
easily alter them by clicking on the Title Page button. Authors can modify the
default title, add a subtitle, and select the font and style for each. The
title page can include a picture, with or without a caption. Genealogists who
are researching non-English names may find the ability to add the special
characters of á, é, í, ó, ú and ñ by clicking on the desired character on the
Title Page Options window to be a helpful function.
Once changes are made to the book settings, the user can
save those settings by clicking the Save button at the bottom of the report
window. These settings can be used again by clicking the Load button, then
selecting the desired report settings. The report can be returned to default
settings by clicking the ® button.
Family Origins, 9.0
Family Origins 9.0 combines adjustable books with ease of
use. Books can be sent directly to a printer or saved as a file in Rich Text
Format or in ASCII. According to the Family Origins Web site, the new version
10.0 allows charts to be saved in .pdf format; however, at press time the
author was not able to test version 10.0 to see if this included books as well
as charts.
Before starting the book, the subject needs to be
highlighted on either the Tree View or Family View window. Users access books
through the Reports>Books menu. The settings for ancestor books and
descendant books are controlled through a single window (See figure 7). The
only narrative descendant report style is Modified Register. Indented style
descendant reports can use Henry numbers, d’Aboville numbers or outline
numbers, which does not give each person a number but instead labels the
position of each generation.
A unique option for ancestor books is the ability to include
or exclude the children of the direct ancestors. The Ancestors Only option
lists only the direct ancestors, while the Ancestors and Children option will
include the direct ancestors and the children of the direct ancestors. However,
the Ancestors and Children option does not include the children of the subject.
Sources, if the user chooses to include them, are included
as endnotes. Notes and pictures can be included. The font type, style, and size
can be altered across the entire book (generation headings being an exception).
Up to 200 generations can be included in a book. Although there is no method
for saving book settings, the settings stay in place from one use to the next.
Users can change the title of the book. Although a separate
title page is not created, the title can appear in the header or footer of each
page. Clicking on the Page layout button takes the user to a new window, where
the margins, headers, and footers can be modified (See figure 8). Any text can
be entered into the headers and footers. To insert the title, date, and page
numbers, Family Origins uses the following codes:
Title &[Auto]
Date &[Date]
Page &[Page]
If the book is to be bound, it is helpful to be able to set
the margin near the binding a bit larger. This requires the margins for even
and odd pages to be different. Family Origins accommodates this requirement
through the Margins tab on the Page Layout screen, simply by clicking the
checkbox next to Reverse Left and Right Margins on Even Pages.
Conclusion
Genealogical software can do more than print charts and
forms. They can format books, complete with standardized numbers, indexes, and
source citations. When these books are saved as files, authors can use their
word processing program to refine the book and make each page come alive. The
genealogical software can make the task of creating a book a less overwhelming
prospect. Using the powerful tools in these programs can help genealogists add
to the volume of one of their favorite things—books.
Amy Johnson Crow, CG, is a professional genealogist who
specializes in Ohio research. She is an author, lecturer, and trustee of APG
and the Ohio Genealogical Society, and chair of First Families of Ohio. Amy is
a member of APG, NGS, GSG, and numerous state and county societies. She can be
reached by e-mail at amy@amyjohnsoncrow.com.
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