Reports Memo Variables and [L] variations

[Joe Cummings 0]

1. Using the sentence variables in memos.

Variables in memos are resolved in: ahnentafel; ahnentafel direct; individual narrative; journal reports.

Not resolved in the family group sheet and individual detail reports.

I would prefer to use the sentence variables in a memo. Wonder how the "unresolved reports" are handled. Is the assumption these two reports are not of interest to most people?

2, Wondering if there is an "easy" way to handle selections of the [L] fields for individual tags. For example, for a residence tag might want L1-L5 and for education tags include just L1, L3 and L5. In the latter education tag, would still like to fill in L2 and L4 just in case I may use it later.

[Terry Reigel 0]

Joe,

 

Family Group Sheets and Individual Detail reports do not use Sentences. They are by nature not designed to be narrative reports, which is what Sentences provide. So since there is no Sentence processing, Sentence Variables in Memos are not processed either.

 

In your second question are you talking about output in narrative reports or the non-narrative ones?

[Michael Hannah 0]

Hi Joe,

 

As Terry mentioned, variables are only resolved in narrative reports where sentences are used. The two reports you mention intentionally print out the actual text entered in fields such as the memo. That is by design so you can see what you have actually entered in such fields without having to go to the person and open the tag.

 

In Narrative reports you can locally modify the sentence template to only use the place parts you wish. So instead of a sentence with the unqualified location variable:

[P] was born

 

you could modify that sentence template perhaps to:

 

[P] was born

 

Which would give as output something like:

 

Person was born in 1945 in Addressee in City in State.

To get rid of the automatic extra "in" prepositions, use the option of leading spaces in the conditional variables:

 

[P] was born in

 

Person was born in 1945 in Addressee, City, State.

 

Note both the leading space and the trailing comma within the conditional markers.

 

If you do not include either the unqualified variable [L] in the sentence template, or those specific part variables, then you could enter data in [L2] and/or [L4] but it would not output in the sentence.

 

Again this would only affect sentences in narrative reports. Is this what you were asking?

 

Hope this gives you ideas,

[Joe Cummings 0]

Thanks to both of you for your advice and clarifications. I think we can dismiss the second question on "L" but still a bit lost on the report item.

I ran a simplistic test as follows using only an "Employment" tag:

Employment tag

Sentence:

< [D], > [P] began employment < at [L]>. <[M]>

 

Memo:

He also worked at [L1] on the date of [DD] for years after.

 

Where :

P = test Person

Date = 2016

L1=sampson industries

L3=longmont

L5=colorado

 

Report output. Memo =endnote and Tags=all.

FGS

Employment 2016 sampson industries, iongmont, colorado; He also worked at [L1} on the date of [DD} for years after.

 

JOURNAL

2016, test Person (2655) began employment at sampson industries, longmont, colorado. He also worked at sampson industries on the date of 2016 for many years after.

 

Looks like the FGS does not process the sentence as you noted but does add fill in the values for the variables in the sentence.

Anyway, the question still remains. Terry, I use your census tag formats and thanks for that work. You use variables in the memo information. When you produce a FGS report do you simply mark those tags as "not use" in the output options? Another example is the employment tag above. How can I use such a tag to produce just the memo for FGS and just the sentence for the Journal?

[Michael Hannah 0]

FGS

Employment 2016 sampson industries, iongmont, colorado; He also worked at [L1} on the date of [DD} for years after.

The sentence template is not being used, and variables are not being "filled in" on this report. You get the tag type Name, the Date text as entered, the entire Location text as entered, and the exact text of the Memo as entered. The output is the text you entered.

 

JOURNAL

[P] began employment .

2016, test Person (2655) began employment at sampson industries, longmont, colorado. He also worked at sampson industries on the date of 2016 for many years after.

 

This is also as expected since the sentence template is being used. First your sentence template says to output all parts (unqualified variable: ) of the entire Location. Then the sentence template says to output the entire Memo (). That memo contains a variable for one of the Location parts ([L1]). So the value for that variable is filled in and the memo is output, exactly as the template specifies.

 

It is perfectly fine to use variables within the text of the memo. Their values will be filled in. But if you also use those variables in the sentence template itself, you will get duplication. I suspect that Terry's sentence templates do not include the variables which he uses within the memo text.

 

As for the FGS, you do not use variables or sentence templates to control its output. You use the Report Definition Options. For example, the Places tab in the Report Options allows you to select which place fields will output. But that selection will be used for all tags. You cannot control the output of a specific tag.

 

As for the Journal, the sentence templates mostly control the output, but the Report Options can also have an effect. For example, the Places tab in the Report Options allows you to select which place fields will output. But that selection will determine what will output when filling in the unqualified [L] variable for all tags. If a specific location part variable is specified in the template or memo of a given tag, that is what you will get for that tag.

 

Hope this helps explain,

[Terry Reigel 0]

Thanks to both of you for your advice and clarifications.

You're welcome, Joe.

 

Terry, I use your census tag formats and thanks for that work. You use variables in the memo information. When you produce a FGS report do you simply mark those tags as "not use" in the output options?

I've never produced a FGS. I really like narratives, and FGSs don't do that.

 

Another example is the employment tag above. How can I use such a tag to produce just the memo for FGS and just the sentence for the Journal?

You can't. You need to decide which type of output you prefer and build your Tags accordingly. If you want to include these tags in the FGS you need to keep the Memos clear of variables. In my view it's not worth the trouble, but you may prefer a different path.

[Joe Cummings 0]

Thanks again for your inputs. I think I understand it now. For some reason, I did not realize the FGS and Individual detail reports do not use the sentence only the memo.

My summary:

(1) “FGS” and “Individual detail” reports do NOT use sentences in the tag. The memo is used only however any variables in the memo are not resolved. If the memo is called out in the sentence, it is ignored.

(2) “Journal” and other narrative reports process both the sentence and the memo included in the sentence. All variables are resolved in both.

(3) In either type of report, memos not included in the sentence can be selected to not print or print embedded or endnotes. Also tags can be individually selected to be processed in either report type.

[Terry Reigel 0]

Joe,

I think you have it right with one minor exception in your point #1. With the FGS you can indeed opt to have Memos not called in the Sentence, omitted, embedded, or placed in footnotes or endnotes using the controls on the Memos tab of Options.

 

But you can also have Memos that are called in Sentences embedded with the check box for "Embed Sentence [M]emo" on the Miscellaneous tab. I've never understood why those two options are not on the same tab.