Class: PAF INSIGHT
©Copyright 2007 by Donald R. Snow
Sections of the Class Notes
Return to Don's Class Listings page or to the home page of Utah Valley PAF Users
Group . This page was last updated 2007-11-11.
WELCOME AND WHAT THIS CLASS IS ALL ABOUT
- Instructors are Elder and Sister Donald R. and
Diane M. Snow of the England London Mission, Hyde Park Family History Centre
(snowd@math.byu.edu, dms34@juno.com)
- These notes with active Internet links are
posted on the Utah Valley
PAF Users Group website http://uvpafug.org under Class Outlines, Don's
Listings. Many other class notes and outlines for family history are
there also.
- This class is to show you how to use the program PAF
Insight by John Vilburn of Ohana Software.
OVERVIEW OF PAF INSIGHT AND
HOW TO GET STARTED
- PAF Insight works with PAF databases to help with editing
places, comparing and updating two databases, merging
duplicates, changing RIN's, finding and trimming isolated
"islands", and searching the IIGI for already completed temple
ordinances.
- Commercial program (downloadable version $25, CD version $35)
from
Ohana Software,
https://www.ohanasoftware.com/ and http://pafinsight.com/
-- free for FHC's (contact Ohana
Software for a license) -- current version is dated 2007-09-01 and works with the
LDS Church's http://www.familysearch.org web site
- New version called Family Insight is being written to
sync PAF (allow uploads and downloads) with the LDS Church's new
FamilySearch which is already online in several temple districts and will be
throughout the Church by the end of 2008.
-
Besides these
notes there are good help screens and step-by-step instructions in PAF Insight
and other lessons on the Ohana Software website.
-
Can open PAF Insight in two ways
-
(1) Directly from within PAF
when a database is opened in PAF -- go to Tools/PAF Insight -- and
-
(2) By opening PAF Insight, then clicking on File/Open
and navigating to where your database is located -- this way
sometimes avoids problems when saving the database later
-
When first opened on a database PAF
Insight recommends that you clean up your database by
-
(1) Determine how many separate pedigree "islands" of data you have in
your database, i.e. blocks of data connected to each other, but not to
the main pedigree, and edit RIN's (see below)
-
(2) Merge duplicate entries, and
-
(3) Edit all the places
REPAIR, COMPACT, AND SAVE THE DATABASE
- PAF Insight automatically repairs some file structure errors
that PAF cannot (computer-science type errors, not logical errors)
- File structure errors creep into PAF databases due to
some types of merges, deletions, and moving data.
- PAF itself can correct some file structure errors by
File/Check-Repair/Check-Repair, but be careful since there is a bug in PAF
5.2.
- In PAF follow these directions (see more detailed instructions
in the notes Cleaning Up Your Database
on http://uvpafug.org
- Run File/Check-Repair/Check to get a list of any
errors. If none of the errors involve an individual's Notes you are
safe to run File/Check-Repair/Check-Repair to fix them. If any errors
do involve an individual's Notes, DON'T run PAF's final Check-Repair option
since it may disconnect the Notes from some of the individuals. PAF
Insight's Repair option does not have this problem.
- Some file
structure errors require you to re-enter data by hand; when this
occurs either PAF or PAF Insight will show you what you need to do.
- Compact Option in PAF Insight
- Deleted records in PAF leave those Record Index
Numbers (RIN's) vacant and the first new name entered is assigned to the
last RIN deleted
- PAF Insight will remove all the
"holes" (deleted record numbers) and thereby make the file size
smaller, BUT this changes RIN's for ALL individuals after the first empty RIN.
-
Saving your database when finished editing
- While working on the database, any changes you make are
held in the computer's memory and not saved until you
actually click Save
- Then, clicking Save saves it, but it overwrites your
original file since it has the same name.
- Clicking Save As and giving it a new name doesn't
overwrite the original file -- this helps in case you make a mistake or want to see how it was
- Helpful to change the file name by adding the date to the file name as e.g.
Snow-2007-11-11, or Snow-2007-11-11a, if there is more than one version with the same date.
- Reason
for writing file name and date in this format with all
numbers and as year-month-date, is so that all files alphabetize in
order with the latest one last -- later after you are sure there
are no problems you can delete some of the earlier generations
of files
- Reason for keeping several generations of old files
is so that when your database gets fouled up (and it will sooner or later),
you have previous versions to go back to and
you haven't lost everything as you would have if you had overwritten the old
version every time
- PAF Insight also has an "Archives" feature where it stores older versions of your file for
a given length of time
EDIT RIN'S AND PEDIGREES OPTION
- Changing RIN's allows you to make yourself RIN 1, your spouse RIN 2, your
children or parents RIN's 3, 4, etc.
- Screen shows you everyone in your database with
their RIN's
- To change RIN for an individual, highlight the person and click the Change RIN button,
select whatever RIN you want -- you see new RIN for the person
- Can change as many as you want -- old RIN's column
shows you the way they were originally
- Nothing is saved to your
hard drive until you click Save or Save As, so you can quit anytime or restore any
RIN's until you click Save or Save As
- List shows Main Pedigree, Pedigree 1, Pedigree 2,
etc
- Names in each pedigree are connected by family relationships
- Main Pedigree is usually the largest
- Pedigrees 1, 2, etc., are "islands" in your database where the
individuals are connected to each other, but not to the main pedigree
- Showing that Pedigree shows that island of data and its structure -- can work with just
those or "Trim" them out
- Can change the Pedigree number you are working on by changing
the box in upper left corner to All Records, Main Pedigree, Pedigree 1, etc.
- Be sure to save the database with your changes, if you want them.
- To close the database, but stay in the program, click File/Close
-- clicking File/Exit takes you out of the program
EDIT PLACE OPTION
- One of the most powerful editing feature of PAF
Insight and makes cleaning up your PAF database much easier
-
Shows list of all the places used in your PAF database with
the number of times each occurs, e.g. a 7 in the right column
indicates that place is used 7 times in your database
- List is sorted alphabetically from largest to smallest
jurisdiction, i.e. by country, then state or county, then by
city or parish -- this sorting is not obvious since they are
left-justified and the countries and states don't line up under
each other
- To edit all records with that location at the
same time, double click on it and edit it -- that corrects it in every record where
it occurs throughout the entire database
-
Can also drag and drop misspelled locations onto correct ones to change
all the misspelled ones -- the total number of times that location is
used then increases according to how many records were changed
- Highlighting any location shows the records that use
that location in the panel to the upper right, and clicking on a name in
that panel shows that person's record in the panel in the lower
right -- you can edit that person's record there, but editing there doesn't change the place in other occurrences
- This place editing option is extremely helpful to get places
uniform in your database, but doesn't show whether those are correct locations at all, i.e. is there really such
a parish in that city in that county in that state in that country? -- that requires other ways to check it
MERGE OPTION
- Merge Option analyzes your database and shows a list of possible
duplicates --
picks up many that PAF doesn't since it also checks family
relationships
- Also in PAF you may not have the options set well to pick up
different types of matches for possible merges (see the Options
button in PAF's Merge screen)
- List
of Possible Duplicates in PAF Insight shows ranking by an
algorithm of "percentage" match -- this is indicative with higher
percentages being more probable matches
- Default sort of possible matches is by percentage with best
possible matches at top -- to sort on any column click in the heading of that
column -- second click there reverses the sort on that column
- Pink highlighted data are matches, but with differences in the two
records -- when merging it will keep the record (and RIN) on the left
- Switch sides if you want to keep the other RIN
- Check the boxes for items on right that you want to
have replace the data you have on the left
- On
the Notes tab you see an Edit button on the left individual so you can
edit the notes and type in anything you don't want to lose, e.g.
variant birth dates or places, or different temple ordinance data --
can enter note with VARIANT: so you can search for these later to
research further
- Also in Notes tab the default is to merge both sets
of notes which may duplicate them in your final record -- or can select to
keep only left notes or right notes
- If you want to save the source citations from the right, click on
the small pencil icons at the ends of the data lines and check to Add citation
when merging
- When ready, click the Merge button -- after the merge
you see the merged record
- Remember that your database is not
saved until you click Save -- good idea to save your file periodically, so if you goof you can
recover without having to redo too much
- All
the standard features of Windows work in PAF Insight, e.g.
can highlight several names at a time by holding down the CTRL key
while clicking on the others; or for an entire block of names,
highlight the first and go down to the last you want, hold down the
shift key, and click Enter -- then clicking Merge or Not a Match, etc.,
does them all at once
- Small pedigrees to the right show how the
possible duplicate individuals fit into their pedigrees -- sometimes helpful
to see what you will be linking by merging
- Options you can select here are
- "Not a Match" -- writes a note that says these two are not a match, so they are never shown as a match again --
depending on how you set the preferences, this note is either put into the
notes of the individuals or else written to a separate file that PAF Insight
checks when doing a future merge check on this file
- "Switch" -- changes sides so you can keep the other RIN
and whatever data you want, unless parts are checked;
- "Research" -- enters a note that you need to check
this further, since these two might be a match
- Save the file by File/Save As and give it a new name, e.g. Snow-2007-11-11
COMPARE AND SYNC OPTION
- Allows comparing two PAF databases to see the
differences and bring in or update only the parts you want -- avoids
having to make a GEDCOM and import it, since you see the comparison and only
select the records you want
- First
database opened is the "Primary" database (the one you want to update)
and is on left -- second database opened is the "Secondary" database
(the one you want to get the data from to update the Primary one) and
is on right
- Options are to show All Differences, Changed or New
Records, or where the Right Side is More Recent (has a later modification
date)
- Screen is like the Merge Option with pink
highlighting to indicate differences -- you put checks by what you want to keep
from the record on the right -- green items are new items and will be added as
a new person (e.g. spouse or possible parents, unless you tell it otherwise)
- When ready click Update to bring the selected info
from the Secondary database into the Primary database -- remember that nothing is overwritten in your file
until the file is saved -- save the file periodically with a new name, so
you don't lose much work when you decide you didn't like some update
- Click Add to add names from the Secondary database which don't have matches in the Primary database already
- Can use Windows option of highlighting several names
at once -- then Update or Add does them all at once
- When done click File/Save or File/Save As to save the results --
the Primary database is only overwritten when you save the results with
the same name
SEARCH IGI OPTION
- This is one of the most powerful features of PAF
Insight -- it will do searches in the IGI for individuals in your database and try various combinations
of places to look
- Anyone can use PAF Insight to search the IGI
for genealogical data
- Only registered LDS members can see the temple
ordinances -- you need your LDS FamilySearch user name and password to get
to the LDS temple ordinances
- PAF Insight usually does a more complete IGI search
than people do by hand, so PAF Insight usually finds many matches that individuals
don't find
- Try PAF Insight next time someone in a FHC says there is
an ordinance in the old DOS FamilySearch that isn't in the IIGI.
- User Name and Password box that opens is for your LDS
FamilySearch user name and password (that you obtained with your LDS
membership number and confirmation date) -- PAF Insight logs you onto
FamilySearch.org
- For home use, once you have entered your LDS log in
information, PAF Insight remembers it and does it automatically for you
- For FHC use patrons must enter their LDS log in
information each time they use it, since the FHC version doesn't retain
their LDS registration info
- Set the option to see the names you want to check, e.g. All
Records, Incomplete Dates or Places, Needs
Ordinances, Incomplete Sealing to Spouse Info, etc.
- Cleared or Submitted option allows checking and updating your
file for just those with cleared or submitted in individual or sealing
ordinances
- Search Regions -- it searches the regions indicated by the
locations in your database and you have no control over these
- Because of this when it doesn't find someone, you
should probably search "by hand" for them, since they may be in the wrong
region, e.g. some early proxy temple work for British individuals is in
the North America region since they were done in early Utah temples and were
put in North America
- Also try World Misc since records with
incomplete or unrecognizable places are in there
- The IGI Staff is cleaning up these "strays", but
some are still in there.
- Year
Range -- default is to search for Exact year since 95% of records found
are with the exact year -- if it doesn't find it in the exact year,
then try expanding the year range to + or - 2 years, etc.-- PAF Insight
keeps track of the years it has already searched and doesn't repeat
those.
- Highlight an individual and click Search
-
Search Details column shows you the things it
is trying, e.g. names in reverse order, or married to same person, etc.
- It shows you the "Hits" and "Matches", with
"Matches" the final results selected from among the possible "Hits"
- When finished searching it says Done and only shows the matches
(unless you have turned on the option of showing all the hits, which is not recommended)
- Matches are shown in "% Match" order so best
chances of a real match are at top -- differences are highlighted in pink,
as in the Merge Option
- Can look through the matches and select any data
you want for genealogical data, ordinances, add spouse, etc. -- unlike
in other programs
- In some areas of world, e.g. England and New
England, when you get more than one match, it may help to look in Sources
for a match that says "Extracted record", i.e. indexed, and not just
"Submitted by an LDS member" -- reason is these were indexed into the IIGI
from microfilms of original records and data is frequently more accurate
than "Submitted by LDS Member" records; can also check for "Membership Record of a
Deceased LDS Church Member" since that was what was on the individual's
LDS membership record when he or she was alive
- Put checks by the data you want to save and click
Update (just like in the Merge option).
- Can select baptism from one record, endowment from another,
and sealing to parents from a third, if you want -- the earliest
ordinance date is the only effective one, but if
it has been done at all you wouldn't want to redo it
- The small pedigrees on the right show how the person or
the IIGI match fits in -- but remember that the IIGI usually only links
at most two generations, i.e. child to parents
- One major advantage of PAF Insight IIGI searches is
that it brings possible matches to your computer for you to decide without you
having to look at them one at a time online
- Not
necessary to have it search for more than one or two individuals at a
time since
it will
take you some time to work through the results it found and decide what
you want
to save -- can start it searching for the next individual while you are
working through the results it found for the previous one
CONCLUSION
- PAF Insight is a powerful utility for PAF in several ways, especially for editing places and searching the
IIGI
ASSIGNMENT
- Open your PAF database in PAF Insight and run the
Edit Rin's/Pedigrees on it and see how many "islands" of data you have.
- Run the Merge Option on your database and see if
there are duplicate individuals in it.
Did you think you had that many islands?
- If you have another old database, run your master
database as the primary one and the old one as the secondary one and check
to see whether there is any data that you need to update into your primary
database so you can delete the old one.
- Do an IIGI search on some name in your database using PAF
Insight.
Return to Don's Class Listings page or to the home page of Utah Valley PAF Users
Group
.