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Archiver > TMG > 2008-09 > 1220324512


From: "David Ball" <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Cleaning
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 20:01:52 -0700
References: <48BCA672.5000002@pacbell.net>
In-Reply-To: <48BCA672.5000002@pacbell.net>


Changing things in a lump can often do as much damage and good (the "baby
and the bathwater" thing <g>). I am cleaning a database of 48,000 and it is
often a drudge, but just as often I find insightful clues staring at me when
I am doing the boring work of fixing just such problems.

It may be possible to do some of the clean-up with TMG Utility, but that
said, I prefer reports that you can run to locate some or all of your
problem tags. Try something like:

Check for Birth or Death Tags with No Date or Place

.Run a List of Events Report using the filter conditions with
parentheses around the first two:

( Tag Type Group isBirthOR
Tag Type Group isDeath)AND
Dateis EmptyAND
Placeis EmptyEND

."Options", "Output Columns" include:

Sort OrderColumn TypeHeadingWidth
2Prin1 IDP1_ID6
1Prin1 Last, GivenP1_Last_Given30

.Each instance needs to be reviewed for whether the tag is fully
blank and can be deleted or whether there is memo text that might better
belong in a different type of tag (e.g., Note).

The marriages are easy, if there is no second person attached. But, often a
missing spouse comes from a GEDCOM that didn't attach spousal spouses, but
still included the marriage tag.

.Run a List of Events Report using the filter below. The list will
need to output both sides of the marriage, since the missing spouse could be
either Prin1 or Prin2.

.Filter conditions include:

Tag Type.Label= EqualsMarriageAND
( Principal 1.ID#= Equals0OR
Principal 2.ID#= Equals0)END

."Options", "Output Columns" include:

Sort OrderColumn TypeHeadingWidth
Prin1 IDP1_ID6
1Prin1 Last, GivenP1_Last_Given30
2Prin2 IDP2_ID6
Prin2 Last, GivenP2_Last_Given30

Save the respective output reports to a name and place that will keep you
from overwriting them. I find I can fix 50 or so tags an hour (because I
lose time looking at the other stuff on each screen).

Dave Ball


> -----Original Message-----
> From: [mailto:] On Behalf
> Of C McKay
> Sent: September 1, 2008 7:36 PM
> To: TMG
> Subject: [TMG] Cleaning
>
> Hi all!
>
> When I converted from FTM four years ago, things came over quite well.
> But, there was one annoyance. Everyone ended up with an extra blank
> birth and death tag, plus THREE blank marriage tags. I delete them as I
> go, but with a 21,000K database, I'm still finding them. Is there a way
> to get rid of the rest of them in one fell swoop?

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