Data Entry Hints

GUIDELINES
for
PAF FR (Family Records)
by Robert Aaberg

Beginning FR Hints

1. Use #1 "ADD" and enter yourself. Then NEVER use #1 again. From now on use #4 Pedigree and you can add any of the following: By doing it this way you will always have only one tree and not several which means those people are lost or in limbo.

2. Never fully capitalize names except temple names. Surnames will be capitalized when printed.

3. Places allow for FOUR locations and each one is for a specific* purpose:

[CPAFUG note: *If you are LDS and working on submitting your names to the Temple, this format is REQUIRED. If you are not LDS, this format is strongly recommended as a standard.]

4. If you remember the names and locations you just entered, when you start the next individual and the info is the same, you can recall it by use of F8. This can also be done with Ctrl-D (ditto). Either work; it's your preference. If you are female, next add your father and use F8. Next add his other children; then add his dad, then his other children so far the last name has all been the same (use F8). Then you can go back and add all spouses, or as you add a spouse you again could add all like last names.

5. If you don't use the F8 as above, you can use the F9 to bring locations down to other fields from the fields above on the same person. Such as birth locations down to death and/or burial, or christening.

6. Dates are always entered: day, month (2 digits or 3 letters), year (3 or 4 digits). Dates prior to 100 will not take. You can enter abt 1878, 1877/1879, bef 1879, or aft 1877.

More Advanced FR Hints

7. All names and locations are stored in a separate name file. As you enter them they are assigned a number starting with 2. If you are just starting and want to enter several surnames first,type in the first surname, hit F2, then type the next one and F2 again. Do this until your list is done. I am not sure I necessarily recommend doing this, but it's available. After you have entered several individuals, go to 6. Print Forms and reports. Then to 4. Sorted lists. Then 7. Name code. Each name or location is numbered. These numbers can be used in place of typing out the complete name. To do this, enter the number and then hold "Ctrl" and press "N". while you are on an input page, you can find out what the number of a name or location is by going to that field and using Ctrl-N.

8. Another item from that same menu that is very helpful after you are will on your way to entering individuals is 4. Possible Record Problems. What it comes up with may not really be a problem, but it does help catch some errors. You may have a birth date of 1822 and a death date of 1985. It will ask you to check it and you may find the death should have been 1885. It could also say born 6 months before parents' marriage, and that could be right.

Special Keys

This repeats some of the above but in the way PAF 2.31, S.L.C. says it. CTRL-B, SHIFT-LEFT ARROW Back Word, moves the cursor one word to left.

CTRL-C, CTRL-BREAK Cancel, stops sorts, stops printing.

CTRL-N Name code, will convert name to code or vice versa.

CTRL-P, SHIFT-LEFT ARROW Shift Tab, moves cursor to previous field.

CTRL-S Stops scrolling data. Any key to restart.

F1 Save and Exit.

F2, CTRL-Q Quit without saving.

CTRL-W, CTRL-RIGHT ARROW WordTab, moves cursor one word to the right.

CTRL-Y, CTRL-BACKSPACE Delete line or field.

F3 Switch data bases while in Pedigree Search, or return to FR from the backup screen

F7 Delete word, words in data entry or notes.

F8, CTRL-D Ditto, dittos the same field from previous person entered during this session. In notes, dittos all notes from previous person entered or edited.

F9 Ditto Down, works only in the christening, death, burial and temple ordinance date and place fields. Dittos info from the last fields above containing data. In notes, dittos all notes from the previous person entered or edited. NOTE: When using F8 and F9 in place fields, dittos all four fields if the cursor is in the level one field. Dittos last three fields if the cursor is in the level two field, etc.

F10 Deletes from cursor to end of line or field.

HOME In pedigree search, takes you to RIN1; in alphabetic lists, takes you to the first entry. During data entry and in notes, moves to the beginning of a field or line.

END In pedigree search, takes you to highest active RIN; in alphabetic lists, takes you to las entry in list. During data entry and in notes, moves the cursor to the last character on a line.

0 (zero) Exit. Can be used in place of "X" on all screens.

SHIFT-PRINTSCREEN Will print any screen. [Editor's note: If you are running PAF under Windows, the PrintScreen key sends the screen content to the Clipboard instead of the printer. Also, on some machines, the Shift-PrintScreen key may lock up your machine. PrintScreen alone (no Shift), works on mine.]

© Robert Aaberg, 1996; used by permission.

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