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From: <>
Subject: Re: Excel Program / Genealogy Software
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 20:41:18 EDT

Hello, fellow genealogists,

Excel is great for doing database manipulation, ie: creating worksheets for
use on research trips, et. al. It is an expensive bit of software, though,
and not really necessary if one were only to use it for the manipulation of a
GEDCOM based genealogy database.

Ancestral Quest is a software program that will do the same as Excel, without
exporting or importing. The boolean logic data sorting capability that is
incorporated directly into Ancestral Quest software is incredible. If the
user is working in a particular geographic area and is looking at an index of
records, the user will want to pull out of their database a list of all the
individuals who might have been listed in this index.

Ancestral Quest will search a database and creates a list in minutes, within
the scope of the program, so that notes for the individual can be typed
directly into the database. Ancestral Quest will even search every word of a
notes text file to filter out those males for whom a source record has
already been noted.

For example: If the user is looking at Vinton Co., Ohio groom index to
marriages 1850-1875. The user can ask Ancestral Quest to compile this list:

All males born between 1800 and 1854 where any place (birth, marriage, death)
contains "vinton co" or "jackson co" or "meigs co" or "athens co" or "pike
co" or "ross co" and whose notes do NOT have any reference to a marriage
source.

There is no limit (that I have found) to the complexity of the boolean logic
queries that can be handled by Ancestral Quest. And, working with this
program, there is no danger of database corruption from continually importing
and exporting data out of the main database file.

The AQ reports are sufficient, though not graphically entertaining, and the
program includes the usual genealogy report formats. The program creates web
pages such as these I've posted at this web site: <A
HREF="http://www.progenealogists.com/barnhouse/desc01.htm">http://www.progenea
logists.com/barnhouse/desc01.htm</A>. Media, such as sound files, movie
clips, and photos can be added to each individual in the database.

I like Ancestral Quest and prefer it over the Family Tree Maker, Ultimate
Family Tree and other major software packages that I have. <A
HREF="http://www.ancquest.com/">http://www.ancquest.com/</A>;. Even though
this email sounds like a commercial, I'm really not a paid representative -
just a computer software nut and genealogist. Have fun with your research!

Natalie Cottrill
Cottrill & Hefti, Professional Genealogists, Salt Lake City, Utah
<A HREF="http://www.progenealogists.com">http://www.progenealogists.com</A&g

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