Reporting advice

RootsMagic
1

Hello Everyone,
I’m looking for some reporting advice. Using RM 9 on Windows 11.
I would like something that is halfway between a descendant list and a descendant narrative report. The machine written sentences are tedious and I struggle to get them accurately formatted. I was wondering if anybody has some suggestions. I’d like to see B/M/D/B and perhaps the ability to write my own summary paragraph for people for whom I have more extensive research. Or perhaps the ability to include certain selected fact types.
Does anyone have any pointers?
Thanks in advance,
Jane

2

I think if you did the following, you might get about what you want.

  • Run a descendant narrative report.
  • Turn off all facts for narrative reports except for B/M/D/B. You do this in the Fact Type List, not in the options for a report.
  • Enter your summary paragraph for a person in the general person note for the person. It prints after all other facts for the person.
  • Use point form sentence templates. You wouldn’t need to change the sentences for all fact types. You would only need to change the sentences for B/M/D/B.

For each couple, you would still get each person’s individual facts in one timeline and the couple facts such as Marriage in a different timeline.

There are basically two formats for RM’s descendant narrative reports. One format is the register or modified register format. These formats list a couple and their children, and then the children who have spouses or children appear again in the next generation. Register and modified register differ only in some minor numbering differences.

The other format is the Outline format. In this format, there is not a list of children for each couple and each person appears in the report only one time. There are three possible numberings, but the format is essentially the same for all the numberings. The numberings are Outline (like you learned in high school), Henry, and D’Aboville. I think you would need need to look at these formats to see which one of them would best meet your needs.

I use point form sentences. I also use lots of different fact types - not just the B/M/D/B facts - and I use a lot of notes. So if you want an example of point form sentences, I’ll give you a link. But if you look at the sample, just look at the point form sentences and pretend the only facts that are there are the B/M/D/B facts.

Sample Point https://www.dropbox.com/s/gsz1fzukx5ckjq4/sample_rm_report.rtf?dl=0Form Sentence Report

3 Likes
3

You’ll be well-served to do thejerrybryansuggestions upon a copy your database, so that there’s no need to restore anything changed/experimented with.

1 Like
4

Thank you both! There are some very good ideas in the sample you posted, Jerry. I appreciate your time to share your ideas.
Jane