RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Norfolk Nan on Sunday 02 November 25 17:14 GMT (UK)
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Let me say straight off, I don't understand the tech side of FH, don't know the terminology or how to write queries. I have a question and hope it makes sense. Here goes...
I often attach individuals to a tree then decide to unlink them, not delete, just in case. I suspect there must be a lot of unlinked individuals cluttering up my body-count so a) are these 'orphans' and b) how do I identify them before deleting them? I want to do some tidying up.
Thank you.
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I think you will need to say what software you are using before someone can answer the question. They probably all have different ways to identify orphans.
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Family Historian v7
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There are two ways in FH the first is possibly the easiest if you have the program set up to do it.
In the Report View right click on the tabbed headings if you have "Relationship to Root" showing click on view ascending and it will list all relationships to the root person with unlinked individuals showing first and the relationship field blank.
The other method which is quicker is to use a query - there is one already built in - on the main toolbar
1) click on query
2) click on relatives and relationships
3) click on Search for orphans
FH will then create a list of all unlinked individuals and you can click on each entry to see what information you have stored to see if you want to delete them
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Great, thank you. That's a help ;D
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#1 rule, don't add anyone to your tree until you have met the recommendations of the Genealogy Proof Standard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_Proof_Standard
Then check again.
Zaph
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I understand your point, and in a perfect world that would be the only rule to live by BUT sometimes life doesn't play fair. That proof of standard is open to interpretation because it relies on you following every possible lead and exhausting options, not actually coming up with the evidence. It's a balance of probabilities question. Sometimes you think you've got it all sorted then up pops another fragment that throws doubt into the mix. Fun, isn't it. ! ;D
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I do not use FH but the software I do use in amongst the tools there is the option to list the Trees.
Each unlinked person or persons shows us as a Tree alongside the Main Tree.
Maybe FH has something scimilar.
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I'll have to look into that, Biggles.
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In FH if you use the records window to list all of the individuals held in the database if you have the column "relationship to Root" set up, click on this to show the relationships of everyone to the root person. the top ones should show blank if there is no direct relationship (if they don't show right click and select sort ascending).
You can then select any individual and then click on the diagram options either on Both Ancestor and Descendant or All relatives to give you a tree of the links associated with that individual.
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Thank you, I'll give that a go. ;D
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Sorry I should have added that if you run the query mentioned before about finding orphans you can run the same procedure on them with the Diagram Options.
The difference between the two approaches is that the "Relationship to Root" method brings up "Orphans" and individuals not directly related to the Root Person while Orphans Query brings up only those orphan links.
I have a number of people in my database not related to me but who are related to others in the database and who are there as proof that I have the correct individual so are ones I want to keep, you may find some of those in your own files.
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Thank you. I did run the orphans list and have been wondering how best to tackle a long list. You make a good point - I'm wondering if I should leave things alone 'just in case' as I have been known to think I've gone the wrong way and then discover I was right the first time ;D