Problem: Some of my family sur-names, such as Van Buren and Fitz Randolph, are more than one word. Don’t bother entering diacritical marks in Family Tree Maker - the program strips them from most (though not all) characters. In RootsMagic, just hold down the Control key and press T to open the character map. On Personal Ancestral File’s individual or marriage screen, go to Options >Symbol on the notes screen, Edit> Symbol. Some genealogy programs make it easier to enter foreign characters. (Mac users, try the Character Palette or Keyboard Viewer.) You may need to choose a different font to find the special character you need. Use your mouse to select a character in the table, then click the Select button. Go to Start >All Programs >Accessories> System Tools> Character Map. Solution: You can use the Character Map to enter special characters in most Windows programs. How do I enter these special characters in my genealogy software? Problem: I’ve traced my ancestry back to Europe, where some of my ancestors spelled their names with accent marks and letters not used in English. Personal Ancestral File’s reports don’t incorporate alternate names, either, but RootsMagic’s family group records and narrative reports do. Family Tree Maker suggests entering a nickname in the AKA field, but those alternate names don’t always appear in reports (including family group sheets).
Solution: Most genealogy programs have a separate field for AKA (also known as), nickname or both. Can I enter all these variations in my software? A few of my immigrant ancestors changed their names, and some relatives went by middle names or nicknames. Problem: The spellings of my ancestors’ names vary in different documents. Name nuisances: spelling out name variations
#LEGACY FAMILY TREE FORUM SOFTWARE#
So don’t chisel away at those dilemmas yourself: Drill down through these 23 solutions, and ratchet up your software prowess.
#LEGACY FAMILY TREE FORUM HOW TO#
As a longtime genealogy software user - and a regular reviewer for Family Tree Magazine - I’ve learned how to overcome common conundrums in various programs (see page 52 for popular choices). Genealogists get tripped up by all sorts of program particulars, from inputting foreign names to managing conflicting data. Family Tree Templates and Relationship ChartsĮven if your situation’s not that dire, I bet you’re no stranger to family tree software frustration.Best UK, Irish and Commonwealth Genealogy Websites.Best African American Genealogy Websites.Surnames: Family Search Tips and Surname Origins.Preserving Old Photos of Your Family History.