Report formatting

[Jims 0]

I have used TMG for several years as a data repository. Now I am trying to finalize the printed output and I have been running into several issues with formatting. ( I have looked at the forums and Terry Reigel's site to find a solution) I have come up with the following procedure:

 

I have changed many of my tags to use [RP:Principal] to get the first instance in a report to spellout the entire name but the subsequent sentences for a person to use the pronoun he or she. So far this seems to work.

 

Second I tried adding [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] to the local sentence structure to get a new paragraph heading. This works but since any modification to a sentence will prevent any global updates to that sentence I thought this was a potentially cumbersome idea. I then created a tag called newparagraph with only the [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] in it. I can then add this tag anywhere ( as a tag and place it based on a date) I want and get the new paragraph without compromising the global update capability. However I would like to be able to make this tag disappear on the person screen when not working on formatting.

 

My question is: is this a good idea or am I going to get myself into trouble later on?

[Terry Reigel 0]

I have changed many of my tags to use [RP:Principal] to get the first instance in a report to spellout the entire name but the subsequent sentences for a person to use the pronoun he or she. So far this seems to work.

 

The only potential problem here is when the preceeding sentence talks about someone else - sometimes the "He" / "She" will appear to refer to that person rather than the subject.

 

Second I tried adding [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] to the local sentence structure to get a new paragraph heading. This works but since any modification to a sentence will prevent any global updates to that sentence I thought this was a potentially cumbersome idea.

 

I understand the concern, but I find adding paragraph breaks is essential to getting decent output. Further, I find I have to customize a lot of sentences locally to get various sections to read well.

 

I then created a tag called newparagraph with only the [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] in it. I can then add this tag anywhere ( as a tag and place it based on a date) I want and get the new paragraph without compromising the global update capability. However I would like to be able to make this tag disappear on the person screen when not working on formatting.

 

 

Look carefully at the result of this. Your "new paragraph" tag will create a period and space at the beginning of the next paragraph. You can get rid of the period by adding the [:NP:] code, but you still get the space.

 

My solution is to:

 

1. Create "new paragraph" versions of common Tag Types, with the same Sentence as the regular one except with the [:CR:][:TAB:] code in front. You can easily change Tag Type as needed, and if you make the Tag Type label the same except for "NP" at the end, you can see where they are from the Details screen.

 

2. Create "new paragraph" roles in some Tag Types, similar to the above. This doesn't work if you have lots of custom roles in the tag.

 

3. Where the above don't work, at the codes to the Local Sentence.

[Jims 0]

<br />

I have changed many of my tags to use [RP:Principal] to get the first instance in a report to spellout the entire name but the subsequent sentences for a person to use the pronoun he or she. So far this seems to work.

<br /><br />The only potential problem here is when the preceeding sentence talks about someone else - sometimes the "He" / "She" will appear to refer to that person rather than the subject.<br /><br />

Second I tried adding [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] to the local sentence structure to get a new paragraph heading. This works but since any modification to a sentence will prevent any global updates to that sentence I thought this was a potentially cumbersome idea.

<br /><br />I understand the concern, but I find adding paragraph breaks is essential to getting decent output. Further, I find I have to customize a lot of sentences locally to get various sections to read well.<br /><br />

I then created a tag called newparagraph with only the [:CR:][:CR:][:TAB:] in it. I can then add this tag anywhere ( as a tag and place it based on a date) I want and get the new paragraph without compromising the global update capability. However I would like to be able to make this tag disappear on the person screen when not working on formatting.

<br /><br /><br />Look carefully at the result of this. Your "new paragraph" tag will create a period and space at the beginning of the next paragraph. You can get rid of the period by adding the [:NP:] code, but you still get the space. <img src="style_emoticons/default/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /><br /><br />My solution is to:<br /><br />1. Create "new paragraph" versions of common Tag Types, with the same Sentence as the regular one except with the [:CR:][:TAB:] code in front. You can easily change Tag Type as needed, and if you make the Tag Type label the same except for "NP" at the end, you can see where they are from the Details screen.<br /><br />2. Create "new paragraph" roles in some Tag Types, similar to the above. This doesn't work if you have lots of custom roles in the tag.<br /><br />3. Where the above don't work, at the codes to the Local Sentence.<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Terry,

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried all you have said and your solution is much cleaner than mine. I did find that TMG apparently does some formatting and it is not consistent across reports. (I have made so many changes I may not be 100% accurate here) but on a Journal report when outputting to word there is a carriage return put after the birth record printing but not in the Ahnentafel report. This results in an extra carriage return after the birth record on the Journal report and it is ok on the Ahnentafel report. Other tags don't appear to get any automatic carriage returns.

 

Now that I can avoid the changes at the local sentence level is there a way to reset all the sentence changes or at least identify which ones were changed, or will it be a search effort to find any changes?

I suspect I know the answer and I will need to reenter all those tags that have modified sentences.

[Terry Reigel 0]

Terry,

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

You're welcome.

 

I've tried all you have said and your solution is much cleaner than mine. I did find that TMG apparently does some formatting and it is not consistent across reports. (I have made so many changes I may not be 100% accurate here) but on a Journal report when outputting to word there is a carriage return put after the birth record printing but not in the Ahnentafel report.

 

What's happening here is that the Journal, by default, places the birth, marriage, death, and burial tags in the first paragraph, and everything else in a new paragraph. There is an option to turn this off. But if you use it, and also use the other narrative reports, there is a problem with the first tag after the birth tag - it should not have a carriage return for Journals, but you may want it there for the other types of narratives. I know of no good solution for this.

 

Now that I can avoid the changes at the local sentence level is there a way to reset all the sentence changes or at least identify which ones were changed, or will it be a search effort to find any changes?

 

 

You can find them with a list of Events of Events report, using a filter like:

 

Any Witness... Sentence (local) Is not empty

 

You may be able to fix them with the Search and Replace function of the TMG Utility - by making the sentence empty. I've not tried that, so don't know whether it will work.

[Jims 0]

Terry,

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

You're welcome.

 

I've tried all you have said and your solution is much cleaner than mine. I did find that TMG apparently does some formatting and it is not consistent across reports. (I have made so many changes I may not be 100% accurate here) but on a Journal report when outputting to word there is a carriage return put after the birth record printing but not in the Ahnentafel report.

 

What's happening here is that the Journal, by default, places the birth, marriage, death, and burial tags in the first paragraph, and everything else in a new paragraph. There is an option to turn this off. But if you use it, and also use the other narrative reports, there is a problem with the first tag after the birth tag - it should not have a carriage return for Journals, but you may want it there for the other types of narratives. I know of no good solution for this.

 

Now that I can avoid the changes at the local sentence level is there a way to reset all the sentence changes or at least identify which ones were changed, or will it be a search effort to find any changes?

 

 

You can find them with a list of Events of Events report, using a filter like:

 

Any Witness... Sentence (local) Is not empty

 

You may be able to fix them with the Search and Replace function of the TMG Utility - by making the sentence empty. I've not tried that, so don't know whether it will work.

 

 

 

Terry,

 

I followed your procedure and it worked well. I was also trying to reset my modified tags to unmodified so that the global change would work. I discovered a workaround.

 

If I have a birth tag that was modified, then the global change will not apply to it. I was creating a new birth tag with carriage returns anyway so i tried switching.

 

If I take a birth tag and edit that tag and switch the type to newbirthtag and save it and then re-edit it and then switch back to a birthtag then after that, all the global changes seem to apply. (reset any modified indicators)

 

Not a perfect solution but it seems to work and will save me many hours of re-entering all the data.

 

Again thanks. This forum is one of the few that is very helpfull with very knowlegeable users and with quick responses too.

[Terry Reigel 0]

You're welcome.

 

Changing Tag Types does change all the Sentences to their default values. That is useful when you are doing what you are here. But be careful when other changes have been made in sentences, as they will also be lost, which you not want. Especially, watch for changes to the sentences for Witnesses - it's easy to miss those.

 

That's one of the risks with using "new paragraph" tag types - changing to or from a new paragraph can undo unrelated edits you have made to sentences. Not problem, of course, if you don't make sentence changes.