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Archiver > TMG > 2004-09 > 1094131936


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Entering / Selecting Places
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 09:32:16 -0400
References: <6.0.2.0.0.20040902054606.02602640@pop.sprynet.com><NDBBJJMPJKPBEPNBFPGAGEIENAAA.John@JohnCardinal.com>
In-Reply-To: <NDBBJJMPJKPBEPNBFPGAGEIENAAA.John@JohnCardinal.com>


John Cardinal wrote:
>TMG does have a Master Place List stored as a separate file. The _p table
>in your project folder is precisely that. That table is the top of a
>structure that groups the place field data into distinct master place list
>entries. However, when you use the F2 function, you are not shown
>one-for-one entries from the MPL. I believe what you see is a list of the
>unique combinations of fields that occur in the MPL entries where the
>fields are limited to the remaining place fields on the data entry screen.
>
>So, for example, if the cursor is in the L3 field (regardless of the label
>for it), the F2 list will show the unique combinations of the L3-L10
>fields. If you select one of those entries, that sets the value of the
>L3-L10 fields on the tag entry screen. If you save the tag, TMG will
>analyze the place data to determine whether a new, unique master place
>entry is needed. If there is an exact match of the field data, then an
>existing MPL entry is linked to the tag. Otherwise, a new MPL entry is
>created and linked to the tag.
>
>I know the MPL data structures quite well and I stand behind the statement
>that TMG has a true MPL. I am less certain about all the data entry
>behaviors and how the MPL is used during the F2 processing, but a couple
>tests this morning seem to support what I thought was the behavior and I
>described above.

I agree with John that when a place is selected from the Master Place (MPL)
for use in a Tag a new MPL entry is made. So when a place is added to a
Tag using the any of the hot keys ([F2}, [F3] or Control+[F3]) and then
edited, a new place record is added to the MPL -- unless there is already
an existing record that is exactly the same.

The same thing applies if you re-open a Tag and make changes to a place
field. If the resulting place exists in the MPL, the only change is that
the Tag now points to that place record rather than the place record to
which it formerly pointed.

One the other hand, if you open the MPL for editing and make a change to a
place record then _ALL_ Tags pointing to that place record will be changed.

Some examples:
1. Open a new Tag, place the cursor in the City field, press [F2], find
the record that shows 'Mt. Sterling, -Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA'
(for brevity I do not show other fields), and select that record to be
used. The City, County, State and Country field are then populated and the
Tag then points (internally within the project/data set) to that record in
the MPL.
If you now edit the City such that it now has the entry of
'Camargo' or press [F3] twice (assuming the Repeat table has an second
entry of 'Camargo') then 'Camargo' will be placed in the City field. At
this point, two things will happen:
a. The Tag place pointer will now point to the place
record within the MPL that corresponds to 'Camargo, -Montgomery County,
Kentucky, -USA' if such a record exists, or
b. A new place record will be created in the MPL to
correspond to: 'Camargo, -Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA' and the Tag
will now point to that new place record.

2. If you re-open a previously created Tag that had 'Mt. Sterling,
-Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA' as the Tag place entry starting in the
City field and edit the City field like the above, then the same thing will
occur.

3. If you create a new Tag and key in from the City field the entry of
'Camargo, -Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA', then again one of two things
will happen:
a. If such a place record exists in the MPL, the Tag will be made
to point to that existing place record, or
b. If such a place record does not exist in the MPL then a new
place record will be created in the MPL and the Tag will be made to point
to that new place record.

Now if you open the MPL for edition, find and highlight the place record
having the data that corresponds to: 'Camargo, -Montgomery County,
Kentucky, -USA' and change the City to 'Jeffersonville' than _ALL_ Tags
that pointed to the 'Camargo, -Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA' place
record will continue to point to that place record in the MPL. However,
that place record will now contain: 'Jeffersonville, -Montgomery County,
Kentucky, -USA' which will now be shown in those Tags instead of: 'Camargo,
-Montgomery County, Kentucky, -USA'.

Hope this helps -

Lee Hoffman/KY
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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