PDA + TMG - better research

[lnewton 0]

I have for a while thought Great as our Family Tree Programs are there may be potential for an intergrated approach using both a PDA and Home computer with Geanealogy software.

 

What Do I mean ?

 

Well we enter are ancestors and print reports and trees. at home.

 

We go off and do Research come back armed with sheets of data we found , sort them and spend hours entering them into our tree program IE TMG.

 

But What IF, what If we downloaded from say TMG our reports and relevent data for the research we are off to do onto our PDA using Activesync. Then enter into pre-set Templates the information we find on our research trip.

Then when we get back we can down load this information over active sync back onto our Main computer, select the individual records to either enter directly into TMG saving all that retyping or into an holding project for people/records we can't tie in yet for future use.

 

Also when looking for rlevent information in the field you have all your relivent information with you to allow quick checks verifying your hunches and suspisions.

 

My point is that the PDA and TMG would complement each other and allow information to directly be entered into TMG and/or Record database of research for future refernce when firm links are established. using 2 programs that interlink together for smoothe effortless data gaterhering and transfer.

[JohnR 0]

I have for a while thought Great as our Family Tree Programs are there may be potential for an intergrated approach using both a PDA and Home computer with Geanealogy software.

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Don't we already have this with Pocket Genealogist and TMG. I must admit that I haven't yet added data to Pocket Genealogist and then synced back, I just use it to dumbfound my relatives.

[GenerationGoneBy 0]

John

Pocket Genealogist doesn't run on a Palm, and Gedstar Pro is one way and you can't edit data within it. I don't know if you can with Pocket Genealogist or not.

[Regau 0]

I have for a while thought Great as our Family Tree Programs are there may be potential for an intergrated approach using both a PDA and Home computer with Geanealogy software.

 

What Do I mean ?

 

Well we enter are ancestors and print reports and trees. at home.

 

We go off and do Research come back armed with sheets of data we found , sort them and spend hours entering them into our tree program IE TMG.

 

But What IF, what If we downloaded from say TMG our reports and relevent data for the research we are off to do onto our PDA using Activesync. Then enter into pre-set Templates the information we find on our research trip.

Then when we get back we can down load this information over active sync back onto our Main computer, select the individual records to either enter directly into TMG saving all that retyping or into an holding project for people/records we can't tie in yet for future use.

 

Also when looking for rlevent information in the field you have all your relivent information with you to alow quick checks verifying your hunches and suspisions.

 

My point is that the PDA and TMG would complement each other and allow information to directly be entered into TMG and/or Record database of research for future refernce when firm links are established. using 2 programs that interlink together for smoothe effortless data gaterhering and transfer.

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I have Pocket Genealogist on my Ipaq PDA. Whislt you cannot sync back to the master TMG tags, there is "Field Notes" for an individual that you can type into it while at the library for instance. I insert the name of the library and the research info I gather. When you activesync back to the computer a Report is generated with the information you entered with details against the person in TMG. I use the report as evidence. Pocket Genealogist will have two way sync in the future according to the developers.

 

Further info can be gained at http://www.northernhillssoftware.com/ the developers of PG.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Reg

[JohnR 0]

I have Pocket Genealogist on my Ipaq PDA.  Whislt you cannot sync back to the master TMG tags, there is "Field Notes" for an individual that you can type into it while at the library for instance.  I insert the name of the library and the research info I gather. When you activesync back to the computer a Report is generated with the information you entered with details against the person in TMG.  I use the report as evidence.  Pocket Genealogist will have two way sync in the future according to the developers.

 

Further info can be gained at http://www.northernhillssoftware.com/ the developers of PG.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Reg

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Thank you for that summary - now could you give me a quick lesson on how to do it, for I must have spent 3 hours yesterday trying to work out why I had bought Pocket Genealogist instead of just using my laptop in libraries

[GenerationGoneBy 0]

John,

I have a PDA, and Gedstar. I will still take my laptop whenever I can. I will only use the PDA when I can not use my laptop. I figure why enter data twice? But it was nice at Christmas to answer questions without having to get out the laptop.

[Regau 0]

Thank you for that summary - now could you give me a quick lesson on how to do it, for I must have spent 3 hours yesterday trying to work out why I had bought Pocket Genealogist instead of just using my laptop in libraries 

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I use my PDA instead of Laptop. My Laptop is my usual computer and it does take time to unhook all the gear attached to it. So, I take my PDA and it's keyboard. It is small, doesn't take up room at library etc. There are advantages and disadvantages. It is very good for showing data to people when you don't have access to your laptop.

 

I generally print out a 'List of Tasks' for the Library. Do my research, have the person on my PDA screen, goto 'Field Notes' tab and start typing away. When I get home I do an Activesync and get the Report. Input into TMG and use the report as my evidence. I must admit that you are inserting information twice. BUT my laptop is my main computer.

 

Reg

[lnewton 0]

I use my PDA instead of Laptop.  My Laptop is my usual computer and it does take time to unhook all the gear attached to it.  So, I take my PDA and it's keyboard.  It is small, doesn't take up room at library etc.  There are advantages and disadvantages.  It is very good for showing data to people when you don't have access to your laptop.

 

I generally print out a 'List of Tasks' for the Library.  Do my research, have the person on my PDA screen, goto 'Field Notes' tab and start typing away.  When I get home I do an Activesync and get the Report.  Input into TMG and use the report as my evidence.  I must admit that you are inserting information twice.  BUT my laptop is my main computer.

 

Reg

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I Usually Take my Laptop but suspect a portable keyboard and PDA would be easier and definately pose less problems when shooting off for lunch.

 

I do think my original point has been lost alittle. or maybe its being shown.

 

You don't want lots of floating people in your tree program .

You don't want to record data twice.

You don't want to revisit registers lots of times (I don't have enough holiday from work for that).

You do want to check interesting enteries with your current information.

You do want to Travel lite.

 

The use of the PDA away from your computer is two fold.

1. to check or refer to your existing information . (Pcket Geanealogist does this)

2.a To enter Records As we find them with source refernces.

2.b To be able to simply transfer that infromation to TMG seamlessly with having to retype or mess about with it.

 

in the second part of this equation there are going to be records that turn out to be unconnected. I don't want them in my tree . I may want the record for future reference though.

 

My PDA needs to run 2 programs that can interface.

one to show my current tree. and its Tags. so I can refer to any of my current records relating to any of my ancestors. Also refer to my TODO list.

The second a Database which allows records tobe made and kept as I go along but which can also transfer a record directly as a tag to my TMG file by selecting the relivent person or adding the relivent person to someone already in my TMG File.

 

Maybe (not sure though) it should allow you to connect related data together so when imported into TMG it creates a Family group or drops all the data relating to one person in in one hit i.e. parents having 6 children christened could be connected so all the children are entered together in one hit by saying the information/records all relates to the father &/or mother.

 

Both these need to sync back to my main computer when I return from my trip. and talk to TMG .

 

For those not sure what I'm getting at TMG is a database where connections are based on the Familys and People.

The second Database I would like is a database based on Records about People.

The 2 would be complemetary and allow Data tobe Copied between the 2 because the fileds making the database's would be compatible allowing free datatransfere via a wizard.

[Michael Hannah 0]

...

My PDA needs to run 2 programs that can interface.

one to show my current tree. and its Tags. so I can refer to any of my current records relating to any of my ancestors. Also refer to my TODO list.

The second a Database which allows records tobe made and kept as I go along but which can also transfer a record directly as a tag to my TMG file by selecting the relivent person or adding the relivent person to someone already in my TMG File...

The second Database I would like is a database based on Records about People.

The 2 would be complemetary and allow Data tobe Copied between the 2 because the fileds making the database's would be compatible allowing free datatransfere via a wizard.

Wow! That would be quite a pair of programs. I use a Palm OS T3, so my first program is GedStar Pro, which I like, although TMG needs to update their GenBridge utility so that it can make use of some of the new Version 6 features. As for the second, I have SmartList ToGo. I have not tried it, but believe you could run some kind of TMG List of People report or Export of a Focus Group to produce a field separated file which could be imported into SLTG. That would allow easy records that were modifiable, but importing back into TMG would be a trick. If you figure this out. let us know.

[sray64 0]

lnewton,

 

Your description of how you want to use your PDA sounds very much like what I was looking for when I got my PDA. I looked at a lot of programs and found some that did something close to what you are wanting. However, in researching the various programs they all seemed to have a similar flaw. When you activesync your PDA version with information that you have changed it would overwrite what was on my computer with the information from the PDA. There was no way to change data back.

 

If it turns out the data was wrong in someway, you may have changed good data to bad data. That is why I chose not to go the route you are describing. Although it would have been very helpful at times. I instead wrote notes in notepad and saved the file. Then I could print out the data I gathered and compare the new data with the old. This way I could add what needed to be added and compare my citations and sources. It was troublesome at times but I knew I wouldn't accidently change something I shouldn't change.

 

I should point out that that was 3 years ago and before I started using TMG. I am not currently up to date on whether or not the PDA programs will allow you to cite sources and compare data before changes are made to your database. I would suggest that any data being input from a PDA be imported into a holding project and then exported to your main project only after comparing them. Something like a merge function. This would allow you to use the multiply projects abilities of TMG.

 

I like the idea of using my PDA when researching and not having to re-enter everything when I get back home. TMG's ability to have multiple tags might help with the overwrite problems. It would be interesting to see if the bugs could be worked out.