TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2001-04 > 0986136935


From: Terry Reigel <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] TMG for Dummies?
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 10:55:35 -0400
References: <003601c0ba52$da64d620$eba993cb@HansBraaksma> <5.0.2.1.2.20010401013024.00a14510@pop-server>


Welcome aboard, Jo.

jo harper wrote:

> So now I've just installed TMG 4.0d(?) I think, on the theory that even
> from my limited experience, this will have the greatest flexibility and
> completeness.

I think you are exactly right!

> I've been reading selections from this list for a week or
> so, too, and now that I'm ready to start, I find myself more than a little
> intimidated by all the options and the "computer-ese" that I'll need to
> learn to make TMG work for me.
>
> So I wonder, is there a TMG for Dummies list? A list for rank, crank
> beginners?

This question comes up from time to time, and the answer seems to be, this is
it. Of course, as you've seen this list is also occupied by users all over the
spectrum, so you will see lots of stuff here doesn't make any sense to you
right now. I think the best suggestion is generous use of the delete key. If
you find you later care about one of those subjects, either go to the archives,
or ask here and someone will be happy to cover it again.

> I have a vague notion what a sys.ini file is, but haven't a
> clue where to find it and would be scared spitless to touch it if I
> could. As I read on some of the messages and see the kinds of variables
> I'll have to learn about ... well, if you can think back to your own TMG
> childhood, perhaps you'll get a sense of my hesitancy.

I think the best advice is, you don't have to do any of that, at least at
first. I expect, since you were looking for a program with "the greatest
flexibility and completeness" you will want to use some of those features over
time. But you can learn about them one-by-one as you find them useful, and
people here will be glad to help with all the detail you need.

> For instance, I've brought some of my data from several of the other
> programs I've tried into TMG, and was wanting to "merge" them, so to have
> one complete set of each family line. But then I saw something that seemed
> to say merging wouldn't check for duplicates. So that makes me think I'd
> only do more harm. But now I've got all these databases, and hate to think
> of dealing with them all all over again by hand, as it were.

TMG takes a very careful tack with your data, and therefore does not delete
anything without your OK. That means, when you merge two individuals, there
will be, for example, two name tags, one from each person that you merged.
There may be different source notes in the two, or there may be different
spellings. So, unlike other programs that I've used, TMG does not just throw
away one of them, but waits for you to tell it to. If you are sure there is
nothing useful in one of the tags, you can tell TMG not to include it in the
merge. More commonly, people include both tags, then transfer any useful
information to the tag they want to keep, and delete the other. The same
applies to each tag you have for the merged person.

So, you don't have to do it all over by hand, but you do have to decide what to
keep and tell TMG what you decide. If you would like more detail on how to do
this, please ask.

Also, read over Lee Hoffman's TMG tips website - http://www.tmgtips.com - he's
got some good tips for starting out. Also check out the other sites whose links
Lee has posted. But remember, you don't have to understand everything that's on
any of those sites. Read the articles of interest, and ignore the others until
(if ever) they matter to you.

Terry Reigel

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