
Notes Feature

        While researching your ancestors, you will undoubtedly find a
wealth of interesting information that you want to keep but can not 
be entered into the database.  Family Scrapbook has a notes feature 
to help you deal with this.  To keep notes, you must choose a text 
editor or word processor to create and edit your notes with.  The 
editor must be able to accept the name of the text file from the DOS 
command line.

        Example:  I have a word processor named WP and a notes file
named NOTE.DOC.  When I am at the DOS prompt, I should be able 
to enter the command: WP NOTE.DOC and see the contents of 
NOTE.DOC when the word processor loads up.  If the word processor 
does not load the notes file up, it probably won't work with Family 
Scrapbook.  However, most word processors and text editors can do 
this.

        To implement the notes feature you must go to the Program
Setup screen and tell it the command that is needed to start your 
editor.  While in the setup area, it is also a good idea to tell it where 
to put the notes.  It is highly recommended that you assign separate 
directories for person notes and family notes.  This helps keep things 
organized.  Then, whenever you are in the Family Database or the 
Person Database and you want to type in a few extra items of 
interest, simply press ALT-N and your editor will pop up.

        If you choose a large word processor to use as your editor, you
might need to turn on the Swap to EMS/Disk option in the Program 
Setup area.  Normally, when Family Scrapbook loads the editor, it 
keeps itself in your computer's memory (RAM) while you do your 
editing.  This is the fastest and easiest way to do it.  However, 
Family Scrapbook will be using about 250K of your computer's 
memory WHILE your editor is running and that might not leave 
enough free memory for the editor/word processor.  You can still use 
your editor by enabling the Swap to EMS/Disk option.  For more 
information about the swap option, refer to it's special section in the 
manual.

        This is how the names for note files are determined:  If it is a
note file for a person record, it will be the letter P plus the person's 
record number and the extension NOT.  For family note files it is the 
letter F, the record number, and NOT.  Example: Family Database 
record number 167 would have a note file named F167.NOT

        Please note that the Gedcom utility can import and export
notes in gedfiles, but in order to do this the note files must be ASCII 
text.  Most word processors do not normally save their files as ASCII 
text, but many offer it as an option.  This fact may be of importance 
to you when choosing a program for recording notes.

