FHSWIN - Family History System for Windows

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This series of pages attempts to describe the appearance and operation of the Family History System for Windows software. Each of the visible FORMs are shown and decribed. (Note: Upon returning to work on the FHSWIN program in 2018, the name of the executable program file was changed from FHSWIN to FHSW2018. If the program is ever considered to be "completed", the name will return to FHSWIN.)

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The operation of FHSWIN is somewhat similar to previous versions in that producing a report requires three steps:

1. Identify the records that are to be included in the report (by creating a "work" file or by selecting records during a search process)
2. Enter the desired report/chart option settings
3. "Print" the report to Screen, Printer or File

The difference in FHSWIN is that these operations are controlled using mouse selected "buttons" and "selection lists" instead of special keyboard function keys. Although updating report settings and data entry will still require the use of the keyboard, the only "special function" keys are the Enter, ESCape and Tab keys. At this time, no attempt has been made to continue the use of the program function keys or to provide "Alt+character key" shortcuts to menu options.

The description of the operation of FHSWIN will be done by looking at the different "forms" that make up the visible part of the "user interface". The "Header" or "Title" portion of each form contains a line describing the form. In some cases the text is fixed, but in the case of form FHSWRPGM the line describes the program that will print the report or chart. The descriptions of the forms will concentrate upon the part of the form that is below the title.

There are currently 29 forms: (In the description of each form a small representation of the form is shown. Clicking on that graphic will display a clearer view of the form.)

• FHSWMAIN - the "Main Menu", the first form displayed and the one from which other FHSWIN programs are invoked
• Support for the "Update Family File" option consists of several different forms, including:
  • FHSWUPDT - the form for displaying/updating individual name records
  • FHSWSPSE - the form for displaying/updating marriage or spouse records
  • FHSWCHLD - the form for displaying/selecting children of an individual, a family (marriage), or parents (This form is "resizable" to allow viewing more information without scrolling for those with larger monitors)
  • FHSWMISC - a form for displaying/updating "Miscellaneous Records" of Education, Occupation (Work), Military or Medical information
  • FHSWEVNT - a form for displaying/updating EVENT Records
  • FHSWNOTE - a form for displaying/updating comments or notes
  • FHSWPARE - a form for displaying information about parents
  • FHSWADRS - a form for displaying/updating address information
• FHSWLIST - a form for producing quick lists of names on the screen; (These lists can be used as "pick lists" for entering name record ID numbers into data fields)
• FHSWRELW - the form that controls the creation of relationship (ancestor/ descendant/ relative) work files
• FHSWNDWK - the form that controls the creation of Node Work files (for producing horizontal box charts)
• FHSWSLCT - the form that controls the selection of records from a family file for processing by programs that are not based upon a relationship or node work file
• FHSWRPGM - the form that provides the interface to a report/chart printing program
• FHSWRPIX - the form that provides the interface for printing a Report Index
• FHSWPARM - the form that allows displaying Configuration Parameters
• FHSWTABL - the form that allows displaying information in the FHSTABLE.TDF system file.
• FHSWMSGS - the form that allows displaying information in the FHSMSGS.MDF system file.
• FHSWUPGM - the form that provides the interface to a utility program
• FHSWDCLC - the form that provides the interface to the Date Calculator
• FHSWRCLC - the form that provides the interface to the Relationship Calculator
• FHSWINDX - a form used to create Index Files for processing family records in sorted sequence
• FHSWTTFL - the form that displays a Surname Table entering "Interest Levels" for used in producing a Tiny Tafel report or file
• FHSWINFO - the form that displays when Main Menu option About/Version is selected
• FHSWVIEW - a form for viewing output from report programs (This form is "resizable" and "maximizable" to allow viewing more information with less scrolling for those with larger monitors)
• FHSWFFDF - a form for making changes to the family file setup table
• FHSWPRNT - a form for making changes to the printer/page setup table
• FHSWFILE - a form used to locate a file by "browsing"
• FHSWMSG - a form for showing FHS messages and receiving (single key) responses
• FHSWMSGD - a form for showing messages that request field (multiple keystroke) input

While the use of independent "forms", instead of a single large form, may seem at times to "clutter" the screen with multiple objects for this one application, you can move the forms around to locations that you prefer and these locations will be "remembered" so that the forms will reappear in predictable locations.