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Topic: What database or program should I use ? (Read 3963 times)
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pursebearer
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 6
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I've used Microsoft Works databases since the 1980s with great success. I have separate files for births, marriages, deaths and censuses etc. It's simple to use, easy to manipulate data and design reports. The only issue is the inability to create links between files. But I'm now looking for something similar that will run under Linux as well as Windows. The Works word processor files I created 20 years ago are no longer readable by the latest Works, I'm afraid that eventually, the same will apply to the database files. OpenOffice.org has a nice database that runs on either platform but it's much harder to operate than with Works. I note that both Custodian and Rootsmagic are Windows only. Is there any equivalent for an open platform?
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McSparran,McSparren,McSparrin,McSparron;all dates, worldwide
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vickifperry
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 31
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I've found this discussion very helpful, and I didn't know that there was specific software available.
I've been doing a one-name study on my own surname in Ireland (not registered with GOONS as I don't want to include the UK). I have a separate spreadsheet for each source (births, deaths, census, deeds etc), with a column for each detail (name, date, reference number) etc. I've collected thousands of instances of the name now and I'm starting to link the families together. I have a column in each table which gives details of which particlar family the person in question comes from and once I've fitted them in I put details in this column, and enter them into my genealogy software. I'm also doing an index of other people mentioned in the documents, rather than the primary person who the document is about (e.g. witnesses, godparents, other parties to deeds) and index of placenames, which will hopefully flag up any connections between the different families.
What I want to know is....does this make sense? Can anyone foresee any problems with this approach and is it worth getting the software instead (and if it is, would it be easy to transfer all my data over?)
Thanks,
Vicki
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Perry families of Ireland ( www.vendyback.com) Vendyback family of Medbourne, Leicestershire Van de Becks of Thorney, Cambridgeshire Quartermain of Oxfordshire Tobin, Caffrey, Coffey, Broughal of Ireland |
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Berlin-Bob
Global Moderator
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5686
by: My Daughter. Chatting to find her Roots !
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What I want to know is....does this make sense? Can anyone foresee any problems with this approach and is it worth getting the software instead (and if it is, would it be easy to transfer all my data over?)
Hi Vicki,
in the worst case, you will probably find that you need extra columns/fields which didn't occur to you when you were setting things up.
There is another topic on this board about using excel (with links to other topics, etc  ).
Topic: Best System?
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,15396.0.html
If you read that, and follow all the links there, you will find various suggestions for which columns should /could be in an excel table.
And an advantage of excel is that it is easy to add columns later, if new aspects occur to you.
(some of the links are to topics on the FH Programs, Organisation, Presentation .
Could be worth checking out some of the ideas and the experiences with different FH programs there)
I prefer to keep everything in one file, with one line for each event, others prefer one line with every event for that person, others prefer a seperate file for each event - your research, your choice
One event per line means that I can record the addresses at each census (for instance)
In the other topics, Chris (one file per event) also explains how he merges the files to make one master file. Using the excel filters, it is then possible to look for connections (or coincidences ?), using place, age, or whatever criterion you choose.
And as I said in the other topic, excel has a lot of export possibilities, so you should be able to export the data in a format that other programs can also use.
Bob
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Searching for Coleman, Moore, Kallnung in London; Margulies, Remenyi in E. Europe; Ancestors of Hessie Stevenson-Coleman-Baxter (Ireland, 1861) and, of course, any other ancestors for my web-site. All Census Data included in this post is Crown Copyright (see: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) |
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vickifperry
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 31
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Thanks Bob, that's really helpful.
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Perry families of Ireland ( www.vendyback.com) Vendyback family of Medbourne, Leicestershire Van de Becks of Thorney, Cambridgeshire Quartermain of Oxfordshire Tobin, Caffrey, Coffey, Broughal of Ireland |
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