Copyright: Copyright ® 1995  Gary Robert Phoenix


Contents
 WIPaf V0.9 (beta) Help

Welcome to the second beta version (V0.9) of WIPaf, your "Windows Into PAF".  WIPaf is an aid for users of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) who would like to use it through a windows interface.  Until PAF comes out on Windows, I hope you´ll find WIPaf a useful tool.

WIPaf is CharityWare - please read About WIPaf to find out more about this.

Using WIPaf:

Main Window

Pedigree Windows

Individual Search

With Version 0.9, WIPaf displays and prints multiple pedigree charts, prints family group sheets, shows any individual´s information in detail, and allows searching for any individual in the database.  There are also some performance improvements over V0.8.  Check out the V0.9 update list to see all of the changes, additions, and ways to improve your use of WIPaf.

For future versions I intend to further improve performance, add various reports and lists, add the ability to EDIT data by version 2.0, and eventually include DELETE and ADD capabilities.  I´d also like to add interfaces to WORD and EXCEL and/or other programs.  It´s in all these areas that I´d like your input as to what would be beneficial to you!

WIPaf Copyright © 1995 by Gary Robert Phoenix

Personal Ancestral File®  Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1989 by Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 About WIpaf

My purpose for writing WIPaf was three-fold: [1] to provide a Windows interface to PAF data - something for which many people having been pleading;  [2] to give me experience at programming in Windows (and Visual Basic);  [3] to potentially provide assistance for my missionary son(s) - I say son(s) because when I started this I had two sons on church missions in Belgium and South Korea, however my Belgian missionary returned home in October, 1994.  I do have another son who intends to go on his mission in about four years and other young men and women I know who can always use assistance.

And, in regard to item [3] above, let me announce that WIPaf is CharityWare.  So far I haven´t heard of anyone else ever having done CharityWare - if not, I guess I´m inventing it here...  It´s not shareware because  there´s no requested fee, and if you don´t wish to contribute anything you don´t have to feel guilty like you might with shareware.  I'd like to think that you've contributed to something, somwhere.

If you could contribute, we'd be very grateful.  You may do so for any amount and it´ll be applied to missionary work throughout the world (and specifically at this time, South Korea).  I´ll return a receipt for tax purposes for anything sent.  Please make out contributions to Arrowhead Ward - WIPaf and send to:

Gary Robert Phoenix

    	21662 N. 61st Avenue

    	Glendale, AZ  85308-6312

You can also contact me via the following:

    	Compuserve: 72724,3356

    	Internet: phoenix@sparky.iac.honeywell.com

    	-or-  72724.3356@CompuServe.COM

Since this is BETA software, there are undoubtedly bugs in here - hopefully no big´uns though.  Please let me know of all you find and any improvements you´d like to see - I´ll gladly add them to the wish list.

As far as performance, this was developed on a 386SX-33Mhz machine with 4 Meg of Ram.  It seemed to perform acceptably and should scream on a 486/Pentium (no one yet has reported poor performance, and many have said it performs well).  I tried it on my son´s 386SX-20Mhz with 2 Meg RAM and performance was pretty sad.  I´d like to know what configuration you have and what the performance was.  Also, this was developed under Windows 3.1, so if you´re still running Windows 3.0, chances are it won´t work.  My primary PAF database currently consists of 1791 names, 2385 individuals, and 862 marriages.


Version 0.9 Update
 WIPaf Version 0.9 (beta) Updates

Version 0.9 (Beta) Modifications

o  Added ability to specify project directory on RUN line; e.g., "C:\WIPAF\WIPAF  C:\PAF\DATA".     This allows you to create a separate icon/Program Item for each of your PAF projects by defining the Command Line in the Program Item´s properties.

o  Created a much-more-detailed Help file.

o  Added the number of notes to the Splash and About windows.  Also added the version number to the splash screen.

o  Now when the WIPaf main window is minimized, all of the child windows will be too.

o  Added pick-list capability to the File menu.  This keeps track of the projects you´ve accessed - if you´ve opened a project, it´s added to the list and you can open it again simply by selecting it from the menu.  A maximum of 8 projects are kept on the list.

o  Added the following to the Configure menu:

o  Capitalize Last Names - V0.8 always capitalized last names.  This feature gives you the option of capitalizing them or leaving them as entered into PAF on all displayed windows.  For now, it also takes effect on printed reports.

o  Pedigree on Startup - When you open a PAF project, a pedigree chart can be automatically displayed, starting with the primary person (was selected when the project was last used - displayed on the WIPaf main window).

o  Buffer All Data in Memory / Buffer Names Only in Memory / File Only (no buffering) - V0.8 of WIPaf would read all of the project data in and buffer it in memory.  This made updates as fast as possible.  But it couldn´t handle large PAF project files.  Now you can select File Only for large projects; it should work for projects whose largest file contains less than 32767 records (and maybe up to PAF´s limit of 65535 - I need someone to verify it).  Buffer Names Only is a toggle switch, applicable only when accessing data directly from the files.  WIPaf will then buffer only the names in memory - it should be able to handle very large project files.  The Names file is used much more than the others and buffering it should help performance.

o  Pedigree charts have been ´multiplied´ - you can now have multiple pedigree charts displayed concurrently.  Clicking on the Pedigree button now creates a new pedigree window each time.  Pedigree charts can be managed through the new Pedigree menu.

o  Added the new Pedigree menu on the WIPaf main window with the following options:

o  New Window - Create a new pedigree chart window.  The number one person on the new chart is the primary person, displayed on the WIPaf main window.

o  Cascade - Cascade the displayed pedigree windows.  Minimized windows will stay minimized.

o  Tile Horizontal - Tile the displayed pedigree windows horizontally - that´s actually only valid for 1 to 3 windows.  After that, the windows will be tiled in a block method (try it and see).  Minimized windows will stay minimized.

o  Tile Vertical - Tile the displayed pedigree windows vertically - only valid for 1 to 3 windows.  After that, the windows will be tiled in a block method.  Minimized windows will of course stay minimized.

o  # Lastname, First Middle - Each pedigree window will be listed here in the order it´s created.  The ´active´ window will be checked.

o  Revised pedigree chart windows:

o  The number of generations displayed is now handled by pushbuttons for 2 to 7 generations.

o  If there is not enough vertical space for an individual´s name (e.g., on 7 generation charts where it gets pretty tight for those last generations), the font will automatically shrink to fit the space (to a minimum of 4 points).

o  There is now a format button (the F button), by which you can select fonts and colors for the pedigree windows (sorry, only one common format for all of ´em - you change one, you change them all).

o  The single button for children and spouses has been replaced by one button for children and one for spouse(s).  If there are no children or multiple spouses for the primary individual, the appropriate button(s) will be disabled  The list appears now as a pop-up menu next to the button that´s pushed.

-  The children list will have a checkmark next to any child who has descendants in the PAF project.

-  The spouse list will have a checkmark next to the current spouse shown on the chart.

o  Few users of V0.8 found this ´undocumented feature´, but you could move between individuals on the pedigree chart using the Shift-Cursor keys.  In addition to this feature, now the Tab/Shift-Tab keystrokes will also move you from one individual to the next.  As you move between them, the current individual is highlighted and the full name is displayed in the upper-left text box.  Pressing the Enter key will redraw the pedigree with that person as the number one individual, and make them the primary individual on the WIPaf main window.  The Shift-Cursor keys and the Tab/Shift-Tab keys do react somewhat differently, so try them out to see how they work.

o  Pedigree Chart reports now have a cascade ability; i.e., the folks in the oldest generation on the first pedigree chart will each be the first individual on a separate pedigree chart.  You can continue cascading for as many levels as you wish (a level is one page of ´n´ generations - it defaults to 4 generations per level/page), but I recommend you don´t get too crazy... <grin>  Each report can take up a lot of disk space as they are queued to be printed - one user ran out of disk space doing this - so be careful!  The file is deleted after it's printed by Windows, but a lot of reports queued up can do this - have I made my point?  Make sure you have a few megabytes of memory on the drive where temporary files are created (usually C:).

o  Both the Pedigree Chart and Family Group reports are squeezed a little tighter onto the page to allow more space for top and bottom margins.  Also, the Preparer will not be printed if there is nothing entered in the datafile - the print window choices will have the preparer checkbox grayed-out.  Use PAF to enter the preparer data if you wish to include it.

o  The Pedigree Chart windows and reports will now substitute christening data for birth data if there is no birth date and there is a christening date, and burial data for death data if there is no death date and there is a burial date.

o  The Family Group report now also includes the burial date and place for children.  The LDS form that it's based on did not have these fields.

o  Changed the following on the Individual Search window:

o  Changed the Okay button to be Apply.  It makes more sense that you´re applying the current selection to be the primary individual and leaving the window up for more work, as opposed to saying it´s okay to accept the selection and close the window.

o  Changed the Cancel button to be Close.  You´ll be closing the window, but it won´t really go away (it'll be hiding).

o  Set all Detail data to normal font (non-bold), except where the field is ´click-able´; i.e., the Mother and Father fields.  Other selectable/click-able fields are the Spouse (both summary field and detail list), the Children list, and the Sibling list.

o  The Notes window can now be left up while moving through individuals.  It will update notes information to match the current individual.

o  Added the ID field to the Detail display.

o  Fixed the alphabetic search to cleanly move from one letter´s combo box to the next when going before the first or after the last.


Main Window
 WIPaf Main Window

Much of the control of WIPaf is through the Main Window via the menu and buttons.  The Primary Individual is displayed here along with the individual´s selected marriage (there may be multiple marriages for them of course).

Buttons:

 Pedigree - Create a new Pedigree Window.

 Individual Search - List and search for individuals and display all their information.

 Print - Print any of the available reports for the Primary Individual.

Menu:

File:

 Open - Open a PAF database.

 Exit - Exit WIPaf.

 Previous Projects - Previously opened projects that may be selected again

Print:

 Pedigree Chart - Print a pedigree chart for the Primary Individual.

 Family Group Sheet - Print a Family Group Sheet for the Primary Individual and the selected marriage

 Print Setup - Setup the printer and/or select one different from the default.

Configure:

 Build Individual List - Load the search lists on the Individual Search Window with all the individuals in the PAF project.

 Capitalize Last Names - Guess?  (here´s a hint: capitalize last names on all windows and reports).

 Pedigree on Startup - When a PAF database is opened, open a Pedigree window automatically.

 Show RINs - Display an individuals' RIN in all windows.

 Show Status Bar - Show or hide the Main Window status bar.

 Buffer All Data in Memory - Load all individual´s data into memory - fastest access when loaded, but limited to smaller PAF databases.

 Buffer Names Only in Memory - Load only the names into memory - this improves the performance and should work for most PAF databases.

 File Only (no buffering) - Don´t load anything into memory - always access data fresh from the PAF database.

Pedigree:

 New Pedigree - Create a new Pedigree window.

 Cascade - Cascade open Pedigree windows.

 Tile Horizontal - Tile open Pedigree windows horizontally.

 Tile Vertical - or, tile them vertically.

 Specific Pedigrees - List of open Pedigree windows - select which one you want from this list.


  Pedigree Windows

Controls on the Pedigree Window

 These buttons set the number of generations displayed.  You can use the ALT-number key combinations to set it also.  If the chart gets messed up, pressing the current key will refresh the window.

 Call up the report selection window.

 Set the format of text and lines on the Pedigree Chart.

 List any children of the Primary Individual and the current spouse, and optionally select one to be the new Primary Individual.

 If there is more than one spouse for the Primary Individual, list them.  You can select one of them to be the Primary Individual´s current spouse.

Ways to Get Around

You can select any of the individuals on the chart using the following methods.  The selected individual will be highlighted; the highlighted person can become the Primary Individual by double-clicking on them or by pressing the Enter key when selected.

TAB / Shift-TAB - Move from one individual to another on the Pedigree Chart.

Shift-Arrow-Keys - Move to the next individual on the Pedigree Chart in the direction of the pressed arrow key.


 Individual Search Window

Controls on the Individual Search Window

Click on the area of the Individual Search window you want to know more about:

Selecting Another Individual

You may select another individual to display by using any of the following methods:

 Double-Click on any of these Fields (or TAB to the field and press ENTER):

 The spouse field.

 The father field.

 The mother field.

 The spouse list.

 The children list.

 The siblings list.

 Enter the individual´s Record Identification Number in the RIN field,
 -or-
Move the RIN slider bar to the individual´s Record Identification Number.

 Enter the individual´s Marriage Record Identification Number in the MRIN field.
 -or-
Move the MRIN slider bar to the individual´s Marriage Record Identification Number.

 If the ´Build Individual List´ item is checked on the main WIPaf window´s Configure menu, the alphabetic buttons (A-Z & Other) will be enabled along with the name search list underneath them.  These may be used to select an individual by LASTNAME, FIRSTNAME.

 Also, if the Find button is enabled for the same reason as above, it may be clicked to bring up a search box where you may search for any text within all individual´s names.


Alpha Buttons:  When the Individual List has been loaded, these buttons provide a quick means of jumping to a point in the list.  They are disabled if the list has not been loaded.


Other Button:  When the Individual List has been loaded, this button provides a quick means of jumping to the portion of the list which contain names that do not start with a letter.  It is disabled if the list has not been loaded.


Name Entry:  When the Individual List has been loaded, an individual´s name (last name first) may be entered here, and the list will automatically jump to the closest match.  It is disabled if the list has not been loaded.


RIN Slider:  You may quickly go to a specific individual in the database by sliding this bar to their Record Identification Number.


RIN Entry:  You may quickly go to a specific individual in the database by entering their Record Identification Number here.


MRIN Slider:  You may quickly go to a specific marriage in the database by sliding this bar to their Marriage Record Identification Number.


MRIN Entry:  You may quickly go to a specific marriage in the database by entering their Marriage Record Identification Number here.


RIN - The Record Identification Number of the currently selected individual.


Individual - The name of the currently selected individual.


Birth Information - The birth date and place of the currently selected individual..


MRIN - The Marriage Record Identification Number for the currently selected individual and their selected spouse (there may be more than one recorded).


Marriage Information - The marriage date and place for the currently selected individual and their selected spouse (there may be more than one recorded).


Spouse´s RIN - The Record Identification Number for the currently selected spouse.


Spouse - The name of the currently selected spouse.  When the spouse name is double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when the spouse name is selected, the spouse will become the currently selected individual.


Spouse´s Birth Information - The birth place and date of the currently selected spouse..


Apply Button: Pressing this button causes this individual to become the Primary Individual - they will be displayed on the WIPaf main window, and if there are any Pedigree windows open, this individual also becomes the Primary Individual on the active Pedigree window (marked with a checkmark in the Pedigree menu on the WIPaf main window).


Close Button: Close the Individual Search window.


Find Button: When the Individual List has been loaded, pressing this button will bring up a search box wherein you may search for individuals in the list by entering part or all of their name.  This button is disabled if the list has not been loaded.


Notes Button: Pressing this button will display the Notes window, where any notes that have been entered for the currently selected individual will be displayed.  This button will display Notes in italics if there are no notes for the individual.


Print Button: Pressing this button will display a Print window where you may select a report to print using the currently selected individual as the Primary Individual for the report.


Summary/Detail Button: Pressing the Detail button will cause the window to expand and display details about the currently selected individual and their family.  Pressing the Summary button will cause the detail portion to be hidden (thus improving search and lookup performance).


Detail - In this area is displayed all of the detailed information for the currently selected individual.


Father - The name of the currently selected individual´s father.  When the father´s name is double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when the father´s name is selected (as in this example), the father will become the currently selected individual.


Mother - The name of the currently selected individual´s mother.  When the mother´s name is double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when the mother´s name is selected, the mother will become the currently selected individual.


Spouse List Enable: When this box is checked, the spouse list will be updated.  When it´s disabled nothing will be displayed in the list, but performance may be improved.


Children List Enable: When this box is checked, the children list will be updated.  When it´s disabled nothing will be displayed in the list, but performance may be improved.


Sibling List Enable: When this box is checked, the sibling list will be updated.  When it´s disabled nothing will be displayed in the list, but performance may be improved.


Spouse List - The spouse list contains the names of all of the currently selected individual´s spouses in the PAF database.  When there are multiple spouses, selecting any one of them will automatically update the Children List to match.  When any of them are double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when a spouse´s name is selected, that spouse will become the currently selected individual.  Note that the currently selected spouse is normally highlighted (as in this example).


Children List - The children list contains the names of all of the children of the currently selected individual and spouse.  When any of them are double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when a child´s name is selected, that child will become the currently selected individual.


Sibling List - The sibling list contains the names of the currently selected individual brothers and sisters by the same parents.  When any of them are double-clicked, or the ENTER key is pressed when a siblings´s name is selected, that sibling will become the currently selected individual.