This article appeared in the January/February 2000 issue of Everton's Genealogical Helper.

EXPORTING CUSTOM CATEGORIES. There may be times when you want to export your Custom Source Categories.  This might be to use similar Categories in another dataset, to send them to another user, to send them to Wholly Genes for posting on their Internet website, or for some other reason.  The procedure is very easy.  First, enter the System Configuration Screen (select Tools=>Options from the top menu).  Then click on the Configure button in the Source Categories area of the System Configuration Screen. 

The Custom Source Categories Screen will now display showing all the Custom Source Categories that are available.  When you first select the Custom  Source Category option, TMG will initialize this screen with the Source Categories that were previously selected (usually defaulting to the Mills categories).  Then as you add new Custom Categories, they will also appear on this screen.

Click on the Export button on the right.  This will display all the Source Categories from the previous screen.  Each one will be marked as YES indicating that when you enter a name in the File Name field (in place of the asterisk) and click on the Export button, these “Marked” categories will be exported to the named file.  So you will want to change the “Marked” indicator to No for those Source Categories that your do not wish to export.  You may choose to Unmark All or Mark All Source Categories.  Or you mark Mark or Unmark each individually by highlighting the desired Source Category and clicking the appropriate button.

When you have finished marking all the Source Categories as you wish, click on the Export button.  This will write the marked Source Categories to the named file in the TMGW/REPORT directory/folder (or other directory/folder as you designate) and display a notice to this effect.

Importing  Custom  Categories.  Like the above procedure, the procedure to import any Custom Source Categories is also easy.   Again, you must be in the System Configuration Screen and have entered the Custom Source Categories Screen.  Now click on the Import button to display the standard Windows Open window.  Enter the file name of the desired file (it will default to a .CSC file extension as shown).  Be sure the drive and directory/folder selection is correct, and click on the Select button.  This will now display the Import Custom Source Categories Screen with the filename showing in the Import File field.  If the filename or path is incorrect, you should correct it now using the Search button. 

You should select the desired Import Mode option -- Append or Overwrite.   If you are adding Custom Source Categories from another dataset or from someone else, you should select the Append option.  Click on the OK button and the Custom Source Categories from the file will be imported after displaying a warning.  If you answer NO to the warning question, TMG will cancel the import.  Answering YES will finish the import and display a notice that it is done.

The imported Custom Source Categories will now display on the Custom Source Categories and upon exiting from this screen and the System Configuration Screen, you may use the imported Categories as desired.

BIRTHORDER.  Often new TMG users see the Birthorder Flag and think they should set it for each person in their dataset.  It is recommended that you don’t use the Flag in this manner.  The intent of the Flag is to indicate the birth order of those children for which you have documentation that they were the first child, the third child, etc. only when the birth date for the child is not known.  Remember that the Birthorder Flag will override the information shown in Birth tags and the result may not be as you wish. 

A better way to show the birth order for children is to leave the Birthorder Flag set to “?” and add a Birth tag with either a Date or a Sort Date.  Many users enter an estimated date, give it a Surety Value of  “0” while attaching a special Source indicating it is Estimated Information.  They will often enter an explanation in the Citation Detail as to how they arrived at that estimate.  Other users don’t ever want their estimated dates printed anywhere and simply enter a Sort Date.

Either date method will ensure that the children are sorted properly in the Person, Family, and Tree Views.  The children will also be properly arranged in any reports that you generate.

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Further information about The Master Genealogist can be obtained from Wholly Genes, Inc., 5144 Flowertuft Ct, Columbia, MD 21075, 
on the TMG website <http://www.whollygenes.com> or tollfree at 1-877-TMG-FAMILY. TMG Tech Support is available at 1-410-715-2260 
or by e-mail at <tmg@whollygenes.com>.

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