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USING ADVANCED FOCUS FILTERS IN YOUR PERSONAL PAF PROGRAM

By Rebecca Richards


By creating filters we can focus on something we want to know and filter it out of our file, in this way we can customize our lists and make them useful to for Genealogical research.


Advanced Focus Filters are for creating lists such as everyone in your file born in a certain place or everyone born in a certain time period.


We will create several of these lists today and I will send you home with instructions for several more.


By the time you have done this several times you will be able to create your own lists.


  1. At the Family View Screen, click on “Search.” Click on “Advanced Focus Filter.” At the bottom left is “Relationship Filter.” Click on the little arrow next to the word “ancestors” to see the choices. You will select one when creating a “List,” then you will click on “Select” just below it. In the middle of the screen you’ll have a choice of “And,” “Or,” or “Not” to combine filters. In most examples below, you will leave the choice to be “And.”


  1. From “Field Filter,” in the center of the filter screen, you choose from a list of “Possible Fields” to include in your focus list. Click on “Define” and by scrolling down the list on the left hand side, you will see the many fields from which you can choose. You can also search for specific words that are in your “Notes” screen. Just to the right is a pair of parenthesis ( ), and the words AND and OR. Beneath that is a right arrow >, a left arrow <, and a double left arrow <<. Clicking the > (right arrow) will include a choice from “Possible Fields” in your Focus List. Clicking the < (left arrow) will remove that

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choice (if you highlight it). The >> will clear all the choices so you can start over. You can modify one choice by highlighting it and clicking on “Modify,” but it is usually easier to start over by clicking on <<. Now click on OK to remove the “Field Filter” screen. Click on “Clear” under both the Relationship and Field Filters. Let’s try our first one, a simple one.


FOCUS LIST #1 (People born in a certain place)


  1. Bring all persons in the Hall file that were born in Utah into a “List.” Under “Relationship Filter,” choose “All” to select everyone in the file, then click on “Select" just below.


2) Leave “Combine Filters Using,” at AND. Under “Field Filter,” click on “Define.” “Name” will be highlighted. Click on the right arrow (>). This brings up another screen of choices. Click on the arrow to the right of “Matches,” and click on “Exists.” Click on OK. Your Current Filter should say “Name Exists”.

3) Now click on the AND button. Under the Parenthesis. Under “Possible Fields,” click on “Birth Place.” Click on the right arrow (>), and you will see a birth place field filter. Click on “State (Level 3),” then click on the “Matches” arrow. Click on the word “Contains”. This will give you a text box and type the word “Utah.” Click on OK in that window.


4) The “Current Filter” should say “Name exists AND birth place (Level 3) contains Utah.” At the bottom of the screen, click on OK. You should get the people born in Utah. Click on “Show Results Only.” This is at the right hand side of the screen. You will see those selected on the name list. You can highlight each one to verify they were born in Utah.


5) Save this list for later use. Click on “Save” (bottom right corner). Give the list the name: births in Utah. Click on “Save” (lower left corner.) Later we will retrieve it. Clear the “Field Filter” by clicking on the “Clear” button, but don’t clear the “Relationship Filter.”


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FOCUS LIST # 2: (All Males Without a Birth Date or Place)


1) Let’s try another easy one. We’ll choose everyone in the file who is male and where a birth date and birth place are NOT in the file. This is a good one to use if you are going to use Temple Ready. This will give you a list of names to select out of your PAF file.


2)Under “Relationship Filter,” keep the word “All”. You should still see the same number of individuals selected (the entire file.)


  1. Go to “Field Filter” and click on “Define.” “Name” will be highlighted. Click on the >, then click on the arrow to the right of “Matches.” Click on “Exists.” Click on OK. Now click on And.


4)Under “Possible Fields” click on “Sex” and click on the >. Choose “Male” and click OK. Click on AND. Go to “Birth Date” and click on it, then click >.

Click on the “Equals” arrow and choose “Does not exist.” Click on OK. Now click on the OR button.


5) Under “Possible Fields,” click on “Birth Place,” then click on >. Click on “Does not exist,” Click on OK. The “Current Filter” should say “Name exists AND sex matches male AND birth date does not exist OR birth place does not exist. This will find persons who have either a birth date and/or birth place missing. Click on OK.


6) Click on “Show Results Only,” and you should see the people listed. Clear the Field Filter and the relationship filter.


FOCUS FILTER #3: (All Persons Born Within a Certain Time Period)


1)Click on William Berkley Hall on the name list. For “Relationship Filter” choose “Ancestors” then click on “Select.” At the next screen, type in six (6) generations and two (2) descendant generations. Include


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all the spouses and all the parents. Click on OK. The computer will show the number selected below.


2) Click on “Define” under “Field Filter.” Name” will be highlighted. Click on >. At the “Matches” arrow, click on “Exists.” Click on OK. Click on AND.


  1. Under “Possible Fields,” click on “birth Date.” Click on the >. For “Equals” select “Is Less than” and type in 1800. Click on OK. Click on AND again. Click on “Birth Date” again, then on >. At “Equals” select “Is greater than” (scroll down to see it) and type in 1700. Click on OK.

4)The “Current Filter” should say “Name exists AND birth date is less that 1800 AND birth date is greater than 1700.” This will pick up all William’s ancestors who were born between 1700 and 1800. Click on OK. Click “Show Results Only,” to see who was chosen. You get your matches. Look at the names list to verify that the computer picked up only people born in the 1700’s. Clear the “Field Filter.”


FOCUS FILTER # 4 (All Person buried in Salem, Utah)


1)Clear the relationship and Field Filters. Include everyone (All) in the file. Click on “Select,” the on “Define.” You won't need “Name.” Click on “Burial Place,” Click on >. For “Matches” click on Level 1(City) and in the text box type “Salem.” Click on OK. Click OK again. Again you get your matches.


FOCUS LIST # 5 (Creating A List of RIN Numbers Without Printing Entire File)


  1. If you want a list of all the people in your file, you could print it by clicking on the “Printer” button, then “Lists”, but if you have 800 or more people, perhaps you won't want that many pages. Here's how you can print only the first 50 RIN Numbers. This one is really easy.

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  2. For Relationship Filter “All” should be selected. Click on “Define.” Under “Possible Fields,” click on RIN, right under name (no name needed), then on >.

    You'll get a range. Change it to 1 to 50. Click on OK. Click on OK again. Click on “Show Results Only.” At the top of the “Find individual screen” change “sort” to RIN, You could save this list with a name of your choice to print out later. Return the “sort” to “Alphabetical,” Clear the Field Filter.


FOCUS LIST # 6 ( All Persons Who Are End-of-the-Line In Your File)


Choose “All” for Relationship Filter. Click on “Define,” Under “Possible Fields,” click on “End of Line,” you will need to scroll down the list a ways to find it. Then click on >. Click on OK. Leave choice as “ is” . Click on OK again and you get your matches.


FOCUS LIST # 7 (Persons With Notes and With a Specific Word in Notes)


  1. Select the entire file. Choose “Notes” from “Possible Fields”. (No name necessary) You should get those people with notes in the Hall file . If your notes are tagged with a certain word, you can bring up only the ones with that tag. Example 1880 Census, Cemetery (or a certain cemetery), You can type just about any word you think might be in “notes” and the computer will search for it “


FOCUS LIST #8 (Persons With More Than One Marriage)


1)Choose “All” for Relationship Filter. Click on “Define” Under “possible Fields” scroll down and click on # Marriages. Click on the > Under “Number of Marriages,” click on the little arrow, then click on the “greater than” sign (>). Change 0 to 1. Click OK in the little box. Click OK again at the bottom. You get the matches you wanted. Click on “Show results Only” to see who in the file was married more that once.



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RETRIEVING A FOCUS FILTER


We will go back now and retrieve the list we made earlier.

1)Click on “Search” from the family view screen. Then on “Advanced Focus Filter” . Let's “Retrieve” a list. Clear the Field Filter. Click on “Retrieve.” Highlight “births in Utah” or whatever you named your list and click on “Open.” The ”saved” file will be restored to the screen. Any of the saved lists can be printed out (Learned Next). Clear both Relationship and Field Filters . The saved lists will remain intact and in the file. Close the screen by clicking on OK at the bottom. You will be returned to the family view screen.


2)At the Family View Screen, click on the Printer button on the Tool bar. Then on “Custom” click on “Select” At the bottom right. Click on “Retrieve” and you will see the names of the reports you have saved.


3) Choose from the list “Births in Utah” Click on “Open” Click on OK At the “ Reports and Charts” screen. Click on “Fields.” We can choose in what order the information shows up on our report. Click on each of the following in this order, clicking on the right arrow after each choice. Surname, given, RIN, Birth Date, Birth Place, Death Date, Father, Spouse. Click OK.


4)Click on Preview and Zoom in to see the list. Close the screen to return to “Reports and Charts.” Click on “Fields” and add “Mother” to the list, but place her just after “Father” This can be done by clicking on “Spouse” first, then click on “Mother,” Then >. This will insert “Mother” just below “Father.” Click on OK at the bottom. Click on “Preview” to see the list on screen. Zoom in to see it better. Click on “Close.” Click on “Page Setup” at the right and change from “Portrait” to “Landscape” Click OK. Preview the list again, the close the screen.


  1. Click on “Sort Order” then click on “RIN” Click on >. Under “Order List” it should say “A RIN” Click OK. Click on Preview again and

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  2. notice the list has been sorted by RIN chronologically. Close the Preview Screen.


  1. Click on “Sort Order” again. Click on “A RIN” under “Order List” to remove it with <. Now sort by “Birth Date.” Don't forget to click on > after choosing “Birth Date” from the Field List. Click on OK. Click on Preview and you will see the first person is the person with the earliest birth date. The last person listed is the person with the last birth date. Click on “Close.”


  1. Go back to Sort Order and change it to Surname, Given. Preview to see the list alphabetically. There are many ways to sort your lists as well as different ways to order the information.

Keep practicing and you will be able to create useful lists to help with your research.