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Wishlist - control of children sentence

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The child/children sentence is probably the only sentence structure (that I know of) in TMG that is not accessible, or changable, from within TMG, making it the single most repetitive construct in a TMG narrative report.

 

There are two external methods of changing the sentence, 1) using the TMG Language feature, and 2) modifying the output in a word processor. Neither provides a flexible solution to this issue. The first method only changes the sentence from one fixed form to another, which doesn't change the repetitive form of the sentence.

 

The word processor option allows the user to control the the final output, but doesn't offer the flexibility of tag sentence structures to capture the desired output within TMG so extensive editing is not required in the word processor, a prime benefit touted for the flexibility of global and local control over the sentence structure in TMG. Modifying it in the word processor means that it is not stored within TGM and therefore has to be re-edited every time the report is generated taking quite a bit of time and effort each time.

 

I suggest that the "children" sentence structure be brought into TMG proper so the flexibility of the sentence can be set up by the user, just as any other sentence. However, just as the other "tags" have default structures, the "children" sentence should as well, and the ones currently provided should remain so the new feature doesn't "break" what people had before, i.e. the two sentences, one for those families with children and and one for those without any.

 

Several enhancements for this new feature would be:

a) to provide a variable that calculates the number of children (Note: The Chicago Manual of Style shows to use words rather than numbers);

B) to provide a variable that would include the place of birth of the children, if they were all born in the same identical place. (Baptism or christening should be substituted if there is no birth data for any of the children.) there was no birth data) A bonus option would be to the option to use an abbreviated state or province name, rather than the full state/province name;

c) to use variables for principals, i.e. [P1] & [P2], or [P] and [PO], as well as [PF], [PG] with the option to select names from the name box as in other tags;

d) the option to include "son/sons" or "daughter/daughters" if the children were all of the same sex.

e) the ability to have separate child lists of adopted children, if desired

 

This would allows us users to create sentences such as:

 

"John Smith and Jane Doe had at least twelve children as follows:"

 

"John Smith and Jane Doe had no issue."

 

"Jane Doe and John Smith had ten children (ordered per John's will) as follows:"

 

"The children of John Smith and Jane Doe were:"

 

"John Smith and Jane Doe had fourteen children (all born in Erin Township, Gore District) as follows:"

 

"The twelve children born to John Smith and Jane Doe were:"

 

"John and Jane apparently had the following children:"

 

"John and Jane Smith had seven children, all born in New Haven:"

 

"Jane had a questionable child in Vermont:"

 

"John and Jane had a daughter:"

 

"John and Jane Smith had four sons, all born in Chicago:"

 

"John Smith and Jane Doe had three adopted children:"

 

"The children of John Smith with Jane Doe were:" followed by their child list then by "The children of John Smith with Mary White were:" and their child list

 

"Children of John and Jane (Doe) Smith, order uncertain, were:"

 

"Only child of John Smith, born Salem, Mass., was:"

 

"The children of John and Jane (Doe) (McIlwain) Smith, all baptised in Montreal, Quebec, were:"

 

Thank you for considering this request.

 

Bill Bienia,

Billsburgh, Ontario, Canada

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Bill, what an intelligent suggestion this is!!! I must add my voice to your request and commend you for time and thought you've put into it. I'm going to keep a copy of your sentence variations with the assumption that sooner or later we'll be able to use them<g>

 

Thanks so much for picking up on this!

 

B)

Joan

 

The child/children sentence is probably the only sentence structure (that I know of) in TMG that is not accessible, or changable, from within TMG, making it the single most repetitive construct in a TMG narrative report.

<snip>

Thank you for considering this request.

 

Bill Bienia,

Billsburgh, Ontario, Canada

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I agree that the suggestion has some merit and could lead to better reports.

 

I like it.

 

(hmmmm, 3 posting from 3 Canadians)

 

Alvin

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Add a Californian to the list then. I like it, and I think it's very well thought out, as far as it goes. I'm sure that the programmers would have other questions, but honestly, this is long overdue, and I think there are many of us more than willing to supply answers to those questions. :)

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Here's a vote from Texas. I like this idea as well, and can see using the variations in several circumstances. The ablility to show adopted and step children would accomodate those "family history" reports that are sometimes necessary, while keeping actual lines of descent clear and unambigous.

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Bravo! This is the "Suggestion of the Year!" in my book! (Send this user a free copy of version 7! :D )

 

I have never been completely satisfied with my reports due to issue described here. This well thought-out idea would remedy that!

 

»»» Bob: Please take this suggestion to heart and implement it for version 7 !

 

Best regards, Earl

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