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Archiver > TMG > 2000-10 > 0970408859


From: Lee Hoffman/KY <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Newbie Questions
Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2000 10:00:59 -0400
References: <B0000424712@millenni-iom342.millennium20.com><4.2.0.58.20000929081215.009a1d40@pop-server.socal.rr.com>
In-Reply-To: <4.2.0.58.20000930204329.009aa590@pop-server.socal.rr.com>


Capn Zip wrote:
>>As for the external text files in the Memo field, enter the exclamation
>>point and file name/location information in the Memo field. For example,
>>if the file is located in the MyDocuments directory/folder of the C: drive
>>with a file name of "External File.doc", then the entry in the Memo field
>>should be:
>>"!C:\mydocu~1\extern~1.doc" (no quotes).
>>
>>Keep in mind that TMG V4.x and earlier cannot understand long file names.
>>Thus all filenames and paths should follow the Win3.x file naming
>>conventions of only eight characters in the name/path with no spaces.
>
>This advice did help, as I was using longer file names than TMG could
>recognize. That was why I wasn't getting a "Select" button -- the file
>name was too long. However, now that I can use an external word processor,
>I found two things. First, as you suggested, MS Word always adds
>formatting even when saving to text only. I switched to Notepad, which
>works fine.

Yes, Notepad will do fine as with any text editor (as opposed to word
processor). But I think you are missing the handiness of the TMG Text Editor
(at least within the program). Notepad will work fine outside of TMG, of
course.

>But let me tell you about the second discovery/problem. I discovered that
>the memo text is only one file for all persons in the TMG file. If I type
>in the life story of Individual #1 into the memo field, I find that the
>same text about that individual appears when I pull up the memo field in
>(let's say) the data for Individual #43. So, the external word processor
>is handy for me, I believe, as I can set up a separate text file for each
>individual in the TMG database and describe each life history.
>
>Lee, I'm new to TMG, so if there is a better way of being able to type
>notes about the story and research of each individual, I'd be grateful if
>you could help me find that solution. Right now using Notepad with many
>different files is certainly not an elegant answer.

I am not sure what you are trying to do. It sounds like you are trying to
write your text all in one file outside TMG and then just include it in with
the TMG dataset. While you can do this, it isn't a very efficient use of TMG
and its capability and makes me wonder why you are even using TMG.

I recommend that you enter the various data into TMG in individual tags for
each person. Then generate the narrative reports to produce draft versions
which may then be edited to produce the desired results. You might visit my
personal website (URL below) and look at:
the individual narrative report for Judge E. C. O'Rear. This was produced by
TMG without any editing on my part after the report was generated and shows
what can be done by the program. It is some work, but is worth it.

Hope this helps -


----------
Lee Hoffman/KY
E-mail:
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
--------------
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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