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Archiver > TMG > 2000-04 > 0957032130


From: Budd Rice <>
Subject: [TMG-L:] Re: TMG-L:Beginner's problems; Phantom spouses
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:15:30 -0700


I understand your point, however I suspect that I am not the first one
to encounter the problem and believe that it has to be a common
problem to beginners. I leave room for being wrong.

The first time one encounters a branch, e.g. you list a married child's
name
and now want to enter husband and husband's parents, is when the problem

occurs as I understand it. I have lots of sloutions that I have not tried
yet.

For example if one list say the husband's father and inputs all the data
and
then using the husband's father's screen enters the wife (and mother). At
that
point since the mother wasn't listed to the child's (the husband that
started the
mess), TMG, rightfully maybe, assumes that wife being listed is a second
wife and not related (other than being a step mother) to the child. That
is the
way I believe all the phantom's wives I have occurred. I haven't fouund
any
except where I have branched and started climbing the new tree. One
doesn't
experience the problem going down the tree only up it. The solution is
simple;
enter both parents to the child's screen.

If the problem is as I state it, then it would seem that it would be a
common problem
for all beginners. I would believe than a that a notation in the manual
under
"spouses, phantom" or some such rot would give a beginner a heads up.
Better yet
in the lesson plan on entering people instead of entering a child, enter
a parent of a husband
or wife and provide a notation of the problem to be expected.

Budd
.
On Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:44:11 EDT writes:
> You have hit on a real problem for absolutely raw beginners. There
> are no
> click for click instructions. Try this and see if you get a phantom
> spouse,
> which at least in my experience are usually data input problems. Go
> to your
> practice data base. If you don't have one, create one. I presume you
> can do
> this as you already have established one data file. Let's try
> this-Select
> "file" ; "open" then select your practice data file. Youy will bring
> up a
> Person View Screen probably with a person on it if you have any data
> in the
> file. No Matter; Click on "add"; Go down the list to "unrelated" and
> click.
> You will get a screen that allows you to select the sex of the
> person. Click
> on "male". On the "add a person" screen fill in "given" with John
> and
> "surname" with Doe. Don't bother with other boxes. Click "OK" and
> get the
> Person view screen back with John Doe listed as the "subject". Click
> "add"
> again, and go down screen to "wife". Click on "wife" and you will
> get another
> Add a person screen. Type in Mary for "given" and Smith for
> "Surname" Dont
> bother with other data. Click "OK". A screen asks if you want a
> married name
> for Mary. Click "no" for now. You will get a person view screen with
> Mary
> Smith as the subject and with John Doe showing as a marriage line.
> Click on
> the John Doe line to bring up person screen with John Doe as the
> subject. You
> should see Mary Smith on a marriage line. You should see no phantom
> spouses.
> You can see why they don't write manuals like this-Dale
>
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