Is there a way to combine Fact Types?
Some caution! I used this feature to change a fact type. For some people, it was what I intended but for others, it did not result in what I wanted. Unfortunately, there is no easy recovery from this change except to create a backup before you use this feature.
I have facts for “Immigrated,” “Immigration,” and “Immigration.” One of the immigration facts has a sentence template while the other two do not. I have looked for a way to combine the three without success. If I try to delete one of them, I get the message, “This fact type is being used by one or more individuals in the database and removing it will delete the fact from all individuals.” How can I either combine these fact types or discover who is using each?
One of the “Immigration” facts is a default fact type that cannot be deleted. On the People page click on the 3 dot menu and select Fact Type. Highlight one of the immigration facts and click Edit. The one that has the Name and Abbreviation grayed out is the default fact. It’s best to rename the one that can be edited so you can tell them apart.
At the top of the Fact Type List there is a Print button, where you can highlight the fact and see who is using it.
When I encounter the situation you are describing, I run the Fact List (Publish-Fact List) for each of the unwanted fact types which then displays persons who have the “unwanted” fact types like “Immigrated”. Then for each person listed on the Fact List report, I access the person’s facts and change the fact type to the preferred fact type “immigration”. You can change a person’s fact type by clicking on fact type and then scroll to the one your want to replace the current fact type. Yes, it takes a few stokes but typically the changes are easier than expected. There may be another method, but this is the one I use.
If you are on RM 9 or RM 10, this is easy to do and all can be changed at once-- If you are using RM 8 or an earlier version, you will have to change the fact for each person one at a time.
Before starting–MAKE SURE YOU BACK-UP YOUR FILE!!!
In RM 9 and RM 10, as Renee said, rename the 2nd immigration – just add a 2 to the name
BUT BEFORE you change any of this-- ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO USE IMMIGRATION ?
There is Immigration and EMIGRATION --difference being in the sentences
Immigration says Early Lee immigrated on April 27, 1945 to New York, New York at Ellis Island…
Emigration says Early Lee emigrated on April 21 1945 from France at Paris…
So you MIGHT want Immigration changed to Immigration BUT Immigrated changed to Emigration depending on what info you have entered…
easiest way to check this is just copy the sentence from Immigration into Immigration 2 and copy the sentence from Emigration into Immigrated-- check all the boxes–hit okay-- then print a Fact report for each fact and go in and see what you had under each person to decide which one you want- to change it to…
As some of these were probably imported from other programs , You need check to see if there was any info under description-- you NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU CHECK DESCRIPTION in the fact so that which ever you chose whatever you had under description if anything will appear…
Make a list in note pad etc as to the fact they now have and whether you want Immigration or Emigration–if they are all need to go to Immigration, follow steps below— if Immigration goes to Immigration and Immigrated goes to Emigration-- use the steps below and just pick the right facts-- if some under Immigration 2 need to go to EMIGRATED and some in Immigrated need to go to IMMIGRATION, you need to do those people manual 1 by 1 as @OleSeminole said…
Then BACK-UP your file AGAIN
When you are ready to change your facts in bulk, In RM 9 and RM 10, go to the fact list and check description under both Immigration and Emigration-- then on the left side of the screen, click on TOOLS
Click on CHANGE FACT TYPE FOR EVERYONE under Fact Tools
Put the renamed Immigration 2 in 1st box and Immigration in 2nd box
Hit Run Selected Tool
Then repeat the process putting Immigrated in the 1st box and Immigration or EMIGRATION in the 2nd…
all people including anyone you shared it with will now change and the notes will still be there as well as the description info…
You can easily delete the other two now ( and if something didn’t by chance get changed, it will give you the error message that it is still used by someone)…
BTW-- once you hit Run Selected Tool-- it doesn’t say it has been done or anything-- BUT it does change them-- just go to someone you know was changed and check…