The Rootsmagic People Tab View

Rootsmagic version 4 saw the introduction of some new screen views which are available by tab selection on the main screen, People View and Websearch. The big one for me was the People View which presents the user with a spreadsheet type view of their data. The information columns displayed can be customised to show just what is needed and alternate names can also be displayed.

Like any new feature the possibilities only become fully apparent once users get their hands on it and start using it. It is fair to say the People View is a big plus to Rootsmagic but the introduction of multi column sorting and filtered display results would greatly add to the usefullness on this view.

One problem that still exists in version 4.0.9.6 is that the column sizes do not auto size to the data being displayed. They can be manually resized by dragging the headers but that sizing is not currently remembered by Rootsmagic between sessions.

Another slick little addition to Rootsmagic version 4 is the collapsible side bar with selection tabs along the top for Index, Family, Bookmarks, History and Groups. The most exciting one here for me is the Groups tab where you can define a Group by various search criteria and give it a name so you can return to work with it more in the future. The problem at present is that the find criteria for that Group is static and not dynamic!. In other words if you set up a Group for Individuals missing a burial place, then correct some with burial information, that group will still show those found originally and not only those records still missing a burial place. In the Rootsmagic blog Bruce did acknowledge that Dynamic Groups as a feature that had to be temporarily removed and one that would come in the future.

Once Dynamic Groups do become a feature of Rootsmagic that will effectively fulfill the Stored Find wish which has gone back, I think, to Family Origins days. Another wish that goes back ten or more years was for the ability to be able to double click entries on a report to edit that record, a feature Family Tree Maker had before the year 2000. The People View is effectively an Onscreen Report and combining that with Dynamic Groups effectively closes out those two long standing wishes. 

The People View could also utilize colour coding to provide a visual highlighting of Places or Place Details that currently lack geocoding, maybe also highlight text dates that are not recognizable to Rootsmagic. Options to highlight certain information deserving further attention could set behind the Customize this View button and a simple checkbox on the main screen would allow users to turn the Highlighting on or off, click the image to the left to view a mock up.

It should also be possible behind the Customize this view button to set mutil column sorting options, three levels would be great as that would allow Surname > Forename and one other column of interest. However more than one column sort and any filtering options would be a very welcome addition to a great new view.