Upgrading to Bygones .9d

This page describes how to upgrade to the Bygones .9d databases.

Table of Contents
A. New Features
B. Basic Concepts
C. Steps to Upgrade
D. 9d Databases for Downloading
E. Notes on Using the .9d Databases.

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A. NEW FEATURES

Some of the main new features in Bygones .9d, which will hopefully make it worthwhile to upgrade to it, are:

  1. The database program Bygones uses has been upgraded to FileMaker Pro Runtime 5.5 (from FileMaker Pro Runtime 4.0). Among other things, this provides a tool bar for common commands, and fixes a printing problem with long research extracts when one line of text could be split between two pages.
  2. New FormLtrs Database: There is a new "FormLtrs" database, which you can use to enter the basic text of common letters you use, such as letters to request death, marriage, or birth certificates. When you write a letter from the Corresp[ondence] database, the basic text of these letters can then easily be "looked up" (copied) by the Corresp DB, and then the copied text can be edited and completed into a specific letter.
  3. New Users Database: The new "Users" database is a very simple database that holds the names and addresses of Bygones Users, which are displayed on the Research Extracts and Research Logs of the Research Database. (The name of the researcher who performed a search is now recorded with each research extract/record in the Research database, so that research notes from several researchers can be easily combined into one Research database if desired. However, the Research database doesn't re-record the address of each researcher with each research extract--rather it displays their address as recorded in the Users database.)
  4. Research Database Changes: The Research database's popup list for the "Search Result Summary" field has a "(Pending Search)" entry added to it. This should be used for when you enter information on searches you plan to do in the future. You can then easily "find" those pending searches when you are ready to do them, or when you want to print out "ToDo Extracts" to take with you to fill out when you go to do the searches. The "ToDo Extracts" are new research extract layouts that print out the text of partially completed extracts for pending searches, along with lines for each field, that make it easy to write your search results on a printed "ToDo Extract" until you can get to your computer to enter the search results in Bygones. The Research database also has some new "HTML Table Research Log" layouts and buttons, which can be used to create Research Logs in an HTML table, that can be opened up or edited with most word processors, attached to an email to send to another researcher who doesn't use Bygones, etc. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the name of the researcher who did the search is now stored differently than in the .9c databases. The name of the researcher is now stored with each individual extract/record, so that research notes from several different researchers can be combined in one Research database if desired, while still being able to tell who did which searches.
  5. Index Database Changes: A few fields have been added so that data from different researchers can be combined while keeping track of who the data came from. There are also some buttons to create HTML Tables of data from the Index database, so that the data may easily be posted on the internet, imported into a word processor, or attached to an email to another researcher who doesn't use Bygones.
  6. Pictures Database Changes: A new layout to create "thumbprint" type summaries has been added; and some fields have been added to allow people to "index" the pictures. There is a new "PictIndx" database that the Pictures database uses when it creates an Index to your pictures. However, users should not enter data directly in the "PictIndx" database--rather they should enter picture index entries in the Pictures database.
  7. ToDoList Database Changes: A new "priority" field has been added for users who would like to prioritize their ToDo Lists.
  8. Sources Database Changes: Sample entries for the 1790-1920 US Censuses are included in the .9d Sources database. Entering a "Short Source Name" for a source is now optional. This is to allow users to keep the popup list of "Short Source Names" that appear in the popup list at the top of the research extract layouts in the Research database to a minimum if they would like. Note that the Research database can still "look up" information on sources that do not have a "Short Source Name" based on the "Source Number" field.
  9. Contacts Database Changes: You can now link repositories, professional genealogists, etc. that you enter into this database to the localities that they have records for or work in if you would like. (In the .9c Localities database, you used to link to Contacts that applied to the locality. But the way Contacts and Localities are now linked has been "reversed" as described above.)
  10. TimeLine Database Change: The TimeLine database has some new buttons to create HTML Tables of time lines, that can be imported into a word processor, attached to an email, or included on a web page.
  11. BugFix & Improvement: The "Copy Correspondence Information Into Research Database" button in the Corresp DB has been fixed and improved to correctly copy information from a correspondence entry in the Corresp DB into the Research DB.

B. BASIC CONCEPTS

To upgrade to Bygones .9d, you will need to:

  1. Make a backup copy of your Bygones .9c databases.
  2. Download a zipped (or stuffed) copy Bygones .9d.
  3. Unzip (or unstuff) Bygones .9d, into a separate folder than your .9c databases are in.
  4. Transfer the data from your old .9c databases into the new .9d databases.

A few important things you need to be aware of when going through this process are:

  1. The .9d databases have the same names as the .9c databases. When you unzip (or unstuff) the new .9d databases in your Bygones folder, it is very IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT OVERWRITE THE OLD .9c DATABASES WITH THE NEW .9d DATABASES. If you do that, you will loose the data you have entered in the .9c databases. For this reason, make a backup copy of your .9c databases before unzipping (or unstuffing) Bygones .9d, and then when you unzip (or unstuff) Bygones .9d, unzip it to a different folder than your .9c Bygones folder. (The default folder name is "Bygones9d.")
  2. Note that the Bygones databases are divided into two groups, that you will work with separately when you are importing data from the old databases:
    (a) The "Common" databases that are in the Bygones folder; and
    (b) The "Research Folder" databases, that are in the Research subfolders. (If you have made more than one set of "Research Folder" databases, you will need to repeat the import process for each of them.)
  3. When you import data from one Bygones/FileMaker Pro database (.9c) to another (.9d), only the "found" records in the old database will be imported by the new database. Because of this, you should make sure that all of the records are "found" in your old databases before you import the data into the .9d databases. In the .9c Start database, if you go to the "About Bygones" layout, and scroll down, there is a button that is incorrectly labeled to "Find All Records In Each .9c Research Database." That button actually opens up each "common" database in the Bygones folder, and "finds all" records in each of those databases, in preparation for importing the data into the .9d databases. In the Research database, the "About Bygones" layout has a similar button, which will open and "find all" records in each database in that Research Folder.

C. STEPS TO UPGRADE TO THE .9d DATABASES

The specific steps to upgrade a .9c copy of Bygones to version .9d are:

  1. Make a backup copy of your old .9c databases. It is usually quickest to do this through your operating system (Windows or Macintosh) rather than through Bygones. Simply make a duplicate copy of the Bygones databases and place them on a separate disk or separate folder.
  2. Open up your .9c Start database, go to the "About Bygones" layout, and scroll down until you see the incorrectly labeled "Find All Records In Each .9c Research Database" button. Click on it to open and "find all" records in each of the "common" databases in the Bygones folder.
  3. Open up the .9c Research database in your "Main Rsrch" folder, go to the "About Bygones" layout, and scroll down until you see the "Find All Records In Each .9c Research Database" button. Click on it to open and "find all" records in each of the databases in the Main Rsrch folder.
  4. If you have made other Research folders, open the Research database in each of them, and repeat the previous step.
  5. Close the Bygones .9c program.
  6. Download the new .9d Bygones program from this web page.
  7. Unzip (Windows) or unstuff (Macintosh) the downloaded Bygones 9d, into a different folder than your .9c databases are in. (The default folder is to a new "Bygones9d" folder.) Remember to BE CAREFUL TO NOT OVERWRITE YOUR OLD .9c DATABASES WITH THE NEW EMPTY .9d DATABASES (which could happen if you unzip the new databases into the same folder as your old Bygones databases).
  8. You will then need to import the data from your old .9c Bygones databases into the .9d databases in two groups: (a) the "common" databases in the root Bygones directory (excluding the databases that are in your Research folders); and (b) the databases in your Research Folders. If you have multiple Research Folders, you will have to go through the import process for each Research Folder you have. (Except for the sample data in the Sample Research folder, which has already been transfered to new .9d databases.)
  9. To import data from your old .9c "common" Bygones databases, double click on the icon for the Bygones 9d program. The new .9d Start database with the "Welcome to Bygones" layout should also open. Use the layout pop-up menu in gray status area to switch to the "Import Old Data" layout. Scroll down in that layout, until you see a button to "Import Data from .9c Common Databases into these .9d Common Databases." Click on that button to start the import process. For each database, if the .9d database has data in it, you will be asked if you want to delete the records in the .9d databases before importing your data from your .9c databases. (The .9d "common" databases come with some sample data in them for illustration purposes; but if you have customized the data in them when using .9c, you may want to just delete the sample data in them before importing the data from your .9c databases.) Then you will be asked to select the .9c databases to import data from. After you have selected the appropriate .9c database, you will need to click on the "Import" button in the "Import Field Mapping" window, and then on the "OK" button in the "Import Options" window. The Import Field Mapping and Import Options will be correctly preset for you. So, you should not change any of the mapping or options in those windows. You may choose to "skip" importing data from any particular database if you would like by clicking on the "skip" button when you are asked to select the .9c database to import data from.
  10. To import data from the "research folder databases" in your old .9c "Main Rsrch" folder, open up the new .9d Research database in your new .9d "Main Rsrch" folder. Go to the "Import Old Data" layout. Scroll down until you see the button to "Import Data From a .9c Set of Research Folder Databases to this .9d Set of Research Folder Databases." Click on that button to start the import process, and then specify each of the corresponding .9c databases you wish to import data from. After you have selected each .9c database, you will again need to click on the "Import" button in the "Import Field Mapping" window, and on the "OK" button in the "Import Options" window. Again, the default import settings should be correctly preset, so you should not change any of the options in those windows. If you wish to not import from a particular database, click on the "skip" button when you are asked to select that .9c database.
  11. If you have made multiple "Research Folders" in Bygones .9c, you will need to make new corresponding Research folders in Bygones .9d by making copies of the .9d "Blank Rsrch" folder, and then repeating the above step to import the data from the .9c Research folders into the .9d Research folders. (Alternatively, if you wish to combine data from multiple .9c Research folders into the .9d Main Rsrch folder, you can click on the "Import Data From a .9c Set of Research Folder Databases into this .9d Set of Research Folder Databases" button in the Main Research database again, and import the data from multiple .9c research folder databases into the Main Rsrch database files.)

You are now done upgrading to the .9d databases, and are ready to use them.  

If you are upgrading to Bygones .9d from Bygones .9b, follow the steps above, but with the following modifications:

Steps 2 & 3: The Bygones .9b databases do not have a button that "finds all" the records in multiple databases in preparation to import the data into updated databases. So, to prepare your .9b data to import into Bygones .9d, you will need to open up each .9b database with Bygones .9b, and select the "Find All" command from the "Select" menu, then close that database. If the "Find All" command is dimmed out, it is because all records are already "found" in that database. You can see in the gray status area if all records have been "found," as the gray status area shows both the total number of records in the database, as well as the number of records in the "found" set of records.

Steps 9 & 10: Rather than clicking on the buttons to import data from the .9c databases, click on the button to import data from the .9b databases.

D. 9d DATABASES FOR DOWNLOADING

 The Windows version of Bygones comes in a self-extracting zip file, "BygInstl.exe" (4.48 MB). Download it from http://www.bygonessoftware.com/BygInstl.exe. Follow the instructions on this web page to install it.

The Macintosh version of Bygones comes in a "stuffed" file.
If you use Mac OS X, please download http://www.bygonessoftware.com/BygXInst.sit;
if you use Mac OS 9 or 8, please download http://www.bygonessoftware.com/BygInstl.sit.
You will need a program like Aladdin System's freeware StuffIt Expander to "unstuff" it. Follow the instructions on this web page to install it. (Note to Macintosh Netscape users: unless you have already told Netscape how to handle ".sit"/stuffed files in Netscape's preferences, when you click on this link, you may get a confusing message that makes it sound like you need a plug in to download this file. However, if you just click on the "Save File" button that comes up in that window, it should download fine.)

 E. NOTES ON USING THE .9D DATABASES

Here are some things that may be good to know as you use the .9d Bygones databases.

You may want to delete the .9c Bygones.exe program off your computer as soon as you are sure the .9d Bygones.exe program is working fine. Since both the .9d and .9c databases use the same ".byg" extension, Windows may try to use the .9c Bygones.exe program to open up a .9d Bygones database, which will give you an error message. You may want to delete just the .9c Bygones.exe program without deleting your old .9c databases, until you are sure all your data has imported correctly into your .9d databases. After you delete the .9c Bygones.exe program, the first time you double click on a Bygones database, Windows will ask you to locate the new Bygones.exe file that should be used to open ".byg" files. After you designate the .9d Bygones.exe file in your Bygones .9d folder one time, Windows will then know to use the new .9d Bygones.exe program to open up files with the ".byg" extension.

Because of the above issue, while you still have Bygones .9c on your computer, you should not try to open a .9d database by double clicking on it through Windows. If you do, Windows will start the Bygones .9c program to try to open the .9d database, which will result in the error message. So, while you still have the .9c Bygones.exe on your computer, you will need to open up the .9d databases via the "Open..." menu in the Bygones program.

Note that the Windows version of Bygones .9d actually needs 2 dll files to run which it does not come with: Shfolder.dll, and Comctl32.dll. However, almost all Windows computers should already have these dll files, as they are included with Internet Explorer. But if for some reason your computer does not have these dll files, you can get them by downloading Internet Explorer from www.microsoft.com, and installing it on your computer.

As mentioned above, the Bygones .9d Sources database comes with some sample census extract forms. These contain some sample "text templates" for US Censuses, that can be pulled into the Research DB from the Sources DB with the Research database's "Source LookUp" button. Extracting censuses often works best with one of the "landscape" research extracts in the Research database, rather than the "portrait" research extract layouts that are usually used for other records. If you decide to use both the "landscape" and "portrait" research extract layouts as you extract various records, it is useful to understand how to work with both of those layouts when viewing and printing research extracts. Of course, as you enter and view the records on your computer, you simply switch between the landscape and portrait research extract layouts as needed. When you want to "find" a group of either landscape or portrait research extracts to print, note that the "landscape" research layouts have a "Mark as Landscape" field that is either set to "N" or "Y" depending upon whether that record was entered using a portrait or landscape research extract. If you click on the "New Extract" button on a landscape research extract, a "Y" is placed in that field. If you click on the "New Extract" button on a portrait research extract layout, a "N" is entered in that field. So, when you want to print a group landscape research extracts, enter a "Y" in that field when you are "finding" the records to print. If you want to print portrait research extracts, and exclude records that were entered using a landscape research extract, enter a "N" in that field as part of your search criteria when doing a "find" to find the records/extracts to print. So, although alternating between "landscape" and "portrait" research extracts is not quite as simple as sticking purely with one or the other, utilizing the "Mark as Landscape" field does allow you to some extent to alternate between the two.

As was noted in one of the paragraphs above, the way "Contacts" and "Localities" are related or linked together has been reversed. In .9c, you could select the names of "Contacts" that had a connection with that locality. In .9d, you now enter the applicable localities for a "contact" (library, genealogical or historical society, professional genealogist, etc.) in the Contacts database, if desired. There is a layout in the Locality database which shows all "Contacts" that have been linked to that locality. At any rate, if you have entered the names of "Contacts" applicable to a locality in the locality database, those contacts will no longer be linked to that locality when you transfer your data to .9d. So, if you want to "relink" contacts in the Contacts database to the applicable localities, you will need to do that by entering the applicable localties in the Contacts database after you transfer your data to Bygones .9d.

One thing that may come in handy after you have imported data from a .9c Research database, into a .9d Research database, is understanding how you can use the "Replace" command to easily enter the Researcher's Name to many newly imported records at once. As previously mentioned, the .9d Research database now stores the name of the researcher with each research extract/record. The .9c Research database did not. So, after importing data from a .9c Research database into a .9d Research database, the name of the researcher needs to be added to each imported record. If you have imported data via the Import button on the "Import Old Data" layout of the Research database, you will be asked to enter your name and address in one Research Extract, and then that name will be added to all imported records. However, if for some reason you import some data from a .9c Research DB via the import command in the File menu, you will need to add the Researcher's name yourself to the imported records. If you understand how to use the "Replace" command (in the Records menu), this is easy to do. You can use the Replace command to enter the same value in a field for all "found" records. After you import new records, only the newly imported records are in the found set. So, you can use the Replace command right after performing an import, to modify data only in the newly imported records. Or, if you want to "find" all records without anything entered in the "Researcher's Name" field, you can do a "find" to find all those records by just typing a single equal sign in the Researcher's Name field during a "find." To add a researcher's name to all of the found records:
1) Enter the researchers name in the Researcher's Name field on a Research Extract layout for one record/extract.
2) While the cursor is still in the Researcher's Name field, select the "Replace" command from the "Records" menu.
3) In the window that comes up, select the "Replace with [Researcher's Name]" option, and click on the "Replace" button. That will enter that value in that field for all the found records.

Good luck! If you find any bugs or problems with the databases, or have any suggestions for improving them, please send them to me at
.

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