Highlighted Person Lost When Changing View

RootsMagic
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1

I’m reporting again a problem that I first reported in the earliest days of RM8. The first report may be found at Example of Confounding Behavior When Changing Views The problem is not always repeatable. In that example, I found a way to make the problem repeatable in RM8 immediately after importing from RM7 into RM8.

I still run into this problem nearly every day, and it drives me crazy every time it happens. I obviously don’t report it every time it happens. But it happened today, and it happened today in a way that was more frustrating than usual. As a result, I made a new video, this time for RM9. This time, there was no connection at all with importing a new RM9 database from RM7. This RM9 database was imported from RM7 in June of 2023 and it hasn’t been imported again. The length of the video is 4:25 and it may be found at RM9 Example of Confounding Behavior When Changing Views

My best guess is that RM9 is trying to remember what was in Family View the last time I was there. And when I switch to that view, it tries to restore it to what it was before. Instead, what I really want is to follow an individual person from view to view to view as I change views. What was in the view before should make no difference whatsoever. That’s the way RM7 did it, and with one exception to be described below, that’s the only thing that makes any sense to me.

The one possible exception is that RM7 had the ability to open the same database in two different sub-windows at the same time. The two sub-windows were independent enough of each other that you could be working on the Smith family in one of the sub-windows and on the Jones family in the other sub-window. I didn’t use that feature very much, but when I did use it, it could be very handy to be able to work temporarily somewhere else in the database and then to be back where I was before.

It’s almost like RM9 is trying to accomplish the same sort of thing by having the Family View open in the Smith family while the Pedigree View is open in the Jones family or something like that. I can only guess what it is trying accomplish because it makes so little sense to me. And RM9 can’t do the same thing RM7 did where the same database was open twice in two different sub-windows. If you open a second main RM9 window, it has to be open in a different database.

So I ask for the umpteenth time, please, please, please make it possible to follow a given person around between views, just like I could do in RM7. It seems to me that the total behavior should just be changed because the way it works now is so dysfunctional. But if there is some reason to keep the current behavior available, please make the alternate behavior of following a given person around between views available as an option.

2

Here is An Additional Video On The Same Problem which is even more confounding than the first. This time the length is 3:51,

3

Watching the videos and I cannot recreate your issue. I think there is a problem with your database. Test a drag n drop copy of the file and see if the issue continues.

4

The same thing happened to me in RM9 as in Jerry’s video. I didn’t report it because I didn’t want to waste time trying to explain every detail of what I clicked. I don’t normally use RM9 but the one time I wanted to use it to try out a feature, it kept showing me the wrong person. I gave up trying to figure out why it was doing that and went back to the good ole RM7.

5

Absolutely cannot make it happen doing the same “process” you depict and I’ve never come across the symptom. First guess is something related to the types of individuals you’re working with having no Surname maybe? If you can demonstrate it happening with fully-named folks, perhaps Bruce can take a look at a demonstrable test database from you.

6

In the second video, I notice that in people list view, there is a group filter applied.
I’ll bet you can’t reproduce the behavior if the filter is set to Show Everyone

7

The group filter was in effect for both videos. Removing the group filter had no effect.

I can break out of the problem by switching to a totally different person while I am in Pedigree View or in Descendant View. Having done that, switching to Family View shows the correct person.

It’s not surprising that others cannot replicate the problem. I usually cannot replicate it reliably, either. It’s just that on this particular day the problem remained extremely persistent so I decided to make the video at a time when the problem was very visible.

In response to Renee’s suggestion, the problem now persists after a drag and drop.

8

After further testing, it appears to me that the following will replicate the problem on a reliable basis.

  • Find a person who is a singleton - i.e., who has no parents, spouses, or siblings - and highlight them in Family View. For example, Advanced Search can find such a person very easily.
  • Go to People List View and highlight any person who is not the same person whom you just highlighted as a singleton in Family View. Make sure the person in People List View is really selected and not just highlighted by verifying that they appear in the upper part of the left side panel.
  • Go to Family View. The previous singleton person will be shown in Family View and will be highlighted as you can confirm by looking at the upper part of the left side panel. It’s possible to get that person unstuck from owning Family View, but doing so can be a little tricky.

I obviously cannot prove that this is 100% repeatable, but it has been completely repeatable for me in all the tests I have run in the last few minutes.

9

Jerry- thanks for checking. I guess I owe you a cup of coffee (That’s my bet limit)

I suggested that because I also see odd behavior when switching view but, I think, when there is a group filter active. I’ll need to figure out how to make my own screen capture videos. You do such a great job.

10

I can replicate it in RM9 in the directions provided by Jerry.

11

I see that repro case definitely happening. Kinda makes sense that singletons and “Family” view might be fodder for this issue programmatically. Maybe a schema change making all singletons one big family, LOL. Nice pinpoint job!

12

Confirming I can recreate this issue and have reported it to development. To get them unstuck click on someone in the sidebar Index instead of the People List.

13

I use Snagit. It’s not free, but the cost is reasonable. I also pay for Snagit hosting services so that users can just link to my videos. I probably need to figure out how to host them at YouTube which is free. I’m sure it’s very easy to do, but I have just never looked into it.

14

It’s east to recreate. The issue only happens when you’re looking at a sub-group and not everyone.