Re-number sources

[Harvey Researcher]

Hiya

Is there an easy way to re-number your sources? Originally I created my sources dynamically, as they were needed.

I want to number them in a more logical way . . .

Is this possible?

Thanks heaps

[John Hill]

Re: Re-number sources

Hiya

Is there an easy way to re-number your sources? Originally I created my sources dynamically, as they were needed.

I want to number them in a more logical way . . .

Is this possible?

Thanks heaps

As far as I know, no.

Otherwise I would have renumbered mine long ago!

But Reunion assigns Source numbers in the same way as Personal ID numbers - in sequence starting with the lowest empty slot. There is no way of moving either to a higher number, leaving an empty slot behind.

John.

[Bruce L Crockett]

Re: Re-number sources

I renumbered my sources a number of years ago. It is not difficult, it does take some time.

I created a copy of my file with just the sources. Then I used the duplicate source function to move the numbers around. Course you would delete the previous source number to free up that number.

Then import your original Reunion data file.

Works for me.

[John Hill]

Re: Re-number sources

I renumbered my sources a number of years ago. It is not difficult, it does take some time.

I created a copy of my file with just the sources. Then I used the duplicate source function to move the numbers around. Course you would delete the previous source number to free up that number.

Then import your original Reunion data file.

Works for me.

That sounds like a smart trick - must try it on a small example! But it could take some time with over 650 sources!

Would this work?
1. Duplicate each and every source.
2. Delete all the original sources, leaving the space up to the first duplicated one free.
3. Duplicate each duplicate, filling up the empty slots in the order you want them.
4. Delete the unwanted duplicates (or maybe merge them with the renumbered ones).

I would not have expected Reunion to have matched the imported sources with the resident, renumbered ones. Very clever, if it does! But then, it is a very clever application.

[Bruce L Crockett]

Re: Re-number sources

As you described, that would work. I did mine in batches.

Reunion matches your sources when importing sourced data. Those not matched take the next available source number for the new source.

When I duplicated a source, I put something in the original source number: such as "save".

This way the next duplication would not fill the source number that was just made available.

Then I deleted all the "save' sources so that the numbers were available. Now one can go through and again duplicate your sources in the order that one would want them. They will take the first available number.

I would not try to do 500 in session. Smaller increments in a session would work better to wrap my brain around.

A match and merge of sources would work instead of deleting the duplicate sources.

[Michael Talibard]

Re: Re-number sources

My sources I keep ordered by type and data, and that is neat and satisfactory. Yes, the numbers look random, but why look at that column? It is very quick and easy to re-order them by number, when that is useful for some reason, and then to revert to my usual ordering. And with close to 1600 sources, I don't see the point of doing all that work just to get these two orders to match, only for them to part company again over time.

[John Hill]

Re: Re-number sources

My sources I keep ordered by type and data, and that is neat and satisfactory. Yes, the numbers look random, but why look at that column? It is very quick and easy to re-order them by number, when that is useful for some reason, and then to revert to my usual ordering. And with close to 1600 sources, I don't see the point of doing all that work just to get these two orders to match, only for them to part company again over time.

A good point. I suspect that many of us exploit only a tiny fraction of the capability of Reunion; we are too busy using it to explore it :-(

[Bruce L Crockett]

Re: Re-number sources

A question was asked and a way to accomplish it was provided.

Lets keep asking questions and learning ways to do what we have an interest in doing.

Genealogy is not a rigid field with certain rules that everyone must follow. The flexibility of Reunion is one of its strengths.