Genealogy Chat

Hi Karen, They've moved it ! It's now at http://www.freecen.org.uk/software/csvcheck/ Use the self-expanding one. Rick.

Hi All Rick is this checker thing any use? Ann

Hi Ann, I haven't really used it in anger - I just fired it up as a test because Jo and Susie were having trouble with it. It did point out where I'd left a name blank, so I guess it's better if we use it so that the checkers don't have the burden of doing it. It does seem to put a lot of warning messages out (as opposed to errors). For example, where a schedule is split over two pages, I've repeated the schedule number along with the new page number. It flags this with a warning that you've used the same schedule number twice to alert you to it, even though it's not really a problem ! Rick.

Hi all Well, managed to do my 1st page yesterday, finally! Had a lot of trouble trying to save it as a csv file, kept scrambling everything, and my columns would disappear. Saved it as a xls file, and it accepted it fine. I think (although all my instructions for excel are in Dutch!) it was telling me that I needed an updated version of Excel in order to do that, but ours is the '97 version that goes with our windows '98 computer! E-mailed my co-ordinator about the problem, and she was so nice, just simply said that it didn't matter, I was to carry on saving to xls, and she would convert it at her end. What a relief! I was so worried, thought I couldn't do it. Anyway, all is well, and I am going to carry on with page 2 today and see how far I get. i have to say though that mine isn't that difficult to read, just a few perculiar letters, and the odd ink blot. Making sure I put the 'x's in and all should be ok. I am lucky because I was able to choose a town that I lived in for nearly 20 years, and am surprised at the amount of street names that are still the same, and also interesting to see names of people who now have streets named after them!! Happy transcribing Lisa xx

I am still awaiting on my discs, so have emailed Carol today hopefully should get then soon Nat

hellooooo ive managed to get the csvcheck working and am in a state of shock!!!! soooo many mistakes..grrrr!!!! ive now gotta correct them:( most of the mistakes are where ive put an X in place of surname.is this wrong? ive also put X in the next box,but i didnt think we could leave the name fields empty or am i wrong susie

Hiya Susie ! Nice to hear you've got it working. If I can't read the addres properly I've taken a stab at it and put an x in column H. If I can read some letters I've put R?m?ey Street or something like that. If I can't read it at all I've put - in the column. Rick.

hi rick ive just gone through it again and amended my mistakes lol some of the warnings were saying things like head isnt first in household? but thats because they were at the bottom of the household on the census so im confused...again!!!! ive just left them as they were transcribed is this right susie

Susie, Yes !!! The're just warnings to let you know it might be something you've transcribed wrong - the "errors" are the ones you really need to do something about. Getting there ! I've got a half page of impossible to see stuff to do before sending it off now. Can't wait til page 50 after which it all gets readable. Rick.

rick thank gawd for that lol ive not done too bad .quite chuffed with myself the page ive just done was really hard to read very faint and just like scrawl!!! couldnt even make out the initial of the surnames let alone the whole name lol oh well,going to bed now ,will carry on tomorrow im really enjoying it now after i almost gave up thankyou for your help rick susie

Susie, I think it's like anything, once you've done a bit it starts getting easier & you get more confident. Night ! Rick.

Good for you Sussie! And Rick, come up trumps again. Best wishes, Jo

jo without the help of the great people on this thread i wouldnt have known where to start lol you surely had a great idea by starting it:) if only the enumerators thought of us when they were filling the census's in!! lol susie

if we cant make out the address,not one single letter of it,can we put a ? in its place or do we just leave it blank and add a note in cell y susie

Hi Susie The default for the address column is a hyphen. Then add an x in column H and a note in column Y. Don't forget to put an apostrophe before the hyphen. This disappears when you tab to the next column. (Sorry if you already know this.) Von - transcribing Lincs.

hi yvonne thanks for answereing me i didnt know that lol i will redo like that then,you live and learn lol its just that the ?'s didnt look right somehoe:( susie 1861 uley gloucester

Hi Karen, This is from memory as I'm at work. If you haven't already done so, extract the file that you downloaded to a folder on your C drive. From your spreadsheet program, save your file as a comma-separated (CSV) file to a floppy disk and leave it in your A: drive. Run CSVCHECK by double-clicking on it. I think it then brings up a list of the CSV files it can see on the floppy. Select your file and click OK or CHECK or whatever it says ! I think you then have to select to view the log. You get a long list of messages. The warnings are just there to prompt you to double-check certain things. The errors are problems that you reall need to correct. Hope this helps. Should be around tonight if not ! Rick.

Hi Louisa, Don't give up ! Have you got any instructions from your co-ordinaton at all ? If not, have a read back through this thread - you should get most of your questions answered. I posted a link to some instructions that my co-ordinator has done on page 9 (if you sort by latest reply). I downloaded everything & printed out everything and followed it all through very slowly before starting. If you need more help, tell us how far you've got & we'll get you through it :-) Rick.

louise you sound just like i did a couple of weeks ago but karen and rick were brilliant!!! so if you follow their instructions you will be ok rick has posted it on this thread somewhere lol dont give up .im glad i didnt !!!! i really enjoy it now susie

Louisa Please don't give up i have mailed you and if then you have problems please mail your co-ordinator and ask he/she to ring you that's what i did in the beginning as I am no good at reading instructions but found it easy over the phone and My co-ordinator telling what to click on etc. So please don't give up we are all here to help. Regards Ann