MEDcreator Help File

The MEDcreator allows users of Family Album 1.0 to use their own files the Family Album applet. It allows the user to easily add picture and family history files to their GEDCOM files and to save them as MED or CLASS files for use with the applet.



The MEDcreator Help file consists of four main sections:



MAIN BUTTON BAR

Make Applet.Html button

Open button

Saving

SaveAs MED File

SaveAs CLASS File

FAMILY MEMBERS LIST SECTION

Clear button

Family Members list box

Find Name button

Mother and Father fields

Name text box

EDITING SECTION

Edit History List

Add button

Change button

Delete button

Find button

Sort button

Edit Picture list section:

Add button

Change button

Delete button

Find button

Make into Html Files button:

Sort button

History Files list box

Picture Files list box

FAQ about the MEDcreator:

Why should I use one?

Report Bugs To









1) MAIN BUTTON BAR

Located across the top of the MEDcreator window, the main button bar governs the following functions:

Make Applet.Html button

The Make Applet.Html button opens a window which provides a simple way to create an html file containing all the parameters needed by Family Album v1.0 to run. (See FAQ #4) This button can be used to create html files which will allow the Family Album to run using GEDCOM, GED or CLASS files.

See "Make Applet. Help Window" for more information on what this window is for and how to use it.



If the "launch Make Applet.Html" box (bottom of MEDcreator window) is checked, this window is opened automatically after saving a file. In this case, the MEDcreator will set it up with the correct buttons selected and information entered to create an html file for the MED or CLASS file just saved.



After saving a *.med file:

The Make Applet.Html window will open with "There is no firewall" selected, since the applet cannot load or view MED files through a firewall. "Use GED or MED file" will be selected, since you just saved a *.med file. The name of your file will appear in the filename text box.

After saving a *.class file:

The Make Applet.Html window will open with "There is a firewall" selected, since the applet assumes you are creating a CLASS in order to use it through a firewall. The filename of the CLASS just created will appear in the class filename text box. The name of your file will appear in the filename text box.



Open button:

Loads a *.ged or *.med file to be edited.

NOTE: Any GED or MED file you wish to open should be in the same directory where the MEDcreator resides.







Saving



There are 2 basic ways to save an edited GEDCOM file once you have added picture and/or written history files using the MEDcreator. NOTE: Neither of these methods will replace or in any way change your original GEDCOM file. The program is simply creating new files for the Family Album applet to use.



1) The information can be saved as an MED file(*.med) using the "SaveAs MED File" button. An MED file is a modified GEDCOM file with a *.med extension. MED files are text files (as are GEDCOM files), but because of the added picture and history information, they will no longer function as a regular GEDCOM file. The Family Album applet can read regular GEDCOM files. However, it must have an MED file (or a CLASS file, see below) to display associated pictures and histories with family tree information.

2) It can be saved as a Java CLASS file using the "SaveAs CLASS File" button. A Java CLASS file is an executable Java file. The advantage of creating a CLASS file is that it can be retrieved and viewed over the Internet from behind a firewall. A CLASS file will also load and run faster than a basic GEDCOM or MED file.

The disadvantage of a CLASS file is that it cannot be edited again later to add further pictures or histories. Because of this, you may want to save your files as both MED and CLASS files. This will allow you to edit the MED file and re-save it as a CLASS file with the new changes.



SaveAs MED File

To save your changes as MED files select the SaveAs MED File button at the top of the MEDcreator window. This opens a File Save dialog box which will allow you to save your files. Simply give the file an appropriate name and click on Save. You must include the file extension *.med on any file saved this way.



IMPORTANT: The program automatically places your new *.med file in the same directory where your MEDcreator resides. You must save your *.med files in this directory. Attempting to save the file in another directory may cause your new file to be permanently lost.

AFTER SAVING THE FILE: If the "launch Make Applet.Html with save" box at the bottom of the main MEDcreator window is checked, the program automatically opens the Make Applet.Html window after saving the *.med file. This allows the user to create an html file which will run the applet using the *.med file just created. The box will open with the correct items selected and filename(s) entered for the file you just saved. If you plan to save the file again as a CLASS file, you can exit this window without doing anything. Your changes are already saved. See "Make Applet.Html Help Window " for more information on what this window is for.





SaveAs CLASS File

To save your changes as a CLASS file select the SaveAs CLASS File button at the top of the MEDcreator window. This opens a File Save dialog box. Simply give your file an appropriate name and click on Save. You must include the extension *_med.java. (For example: if your original file was named "Smith.med" you could name your class "Smith_med.java". The program will automatically compile this *.java file into a file called "Smith_med.class.



AFTER SAVING THE FILE: If the "launch Make Applet.Html with save" box at the bottom of the main MEDcreator window is checked, the program automatically opens the Make Applet.Html window after saving the *.class file. This allows the user to create an html file which will run the applet using the *.class file just created. See "Make Applet.Html Help Window" for more information on what this window is for.

NOTE on Filenames when saving

Due to constraints in Java 1.0, the first character in any filename CANNOT be a number.









2) FAMILY MEMBERS LIST SECTION

The colored area on the left half of the MEDcreator window is the family members list section. It consists of the following areas:



Clear button:

Erases the name in the Name text field and places the cursor in the name field so the user can enter a new name to find.

Family Members list box:

Contains a list of all names in the open *.ged or *.med file. If no file has been opened, the list box will remain empty.



Find Name button:

1) Select the Clear button or click in the Name text field and erase the visible name.

2) Enter a name into the Name text field.

3) Press the enter key or select the Find button. The program will find and select the first name in the Family Members list which matches the input name.

If no match is found the File Name text field will remain unchanged

Mother and Father fields:

Display the names of the mother and father of the person selected in the Family Members list box if they are available.



Name text box:

This line displays the currently selected name in the Family Members list box.

This field also allows the user to enter a particular name and find that name in the Family members list box.





3) EDITING SECTION

The colored area on the right half of the MEDcreator window is the editing section. It consists of the following areas:







Edit History List:

This section allows you to find, add, delete, change and sort the history files of a selected family member. The history filenames appear in the History Files list box at the top-right of the MEDcreator window. Each history must include both a filename (including the extension) and a description for the file.



Add button:

1) Type the filename and description of the history you wish to add into the appropriate text boxes.

2) Click on the Add button.

The new filename should appear in the History Files list box.



Change button:

1) Select the name of the history file you wish to change in the list box. The name and description of the selected file will appear in the text boxes in the Edit History List section.

2) Make desired changes in the text boxes.

3) Click on the Change button.

Changes to the filename will appear in the History Files list box.



Delete button:

1) Select the name of the history file you wish to delete.

2) Click on the Delete button.



Find button:

1) Click on the Clear button or click in the File Name text field and erase the visible name.

2) Enter a name or partial name into the File Name text field.

3) Press the enter key or select the Find button. The program will find and select the first filename in the History Files list which matches the input name or characters.

If no match is found the File Name text field will remain unchanged

NOTE: The Find button will not find descriptions.



Sort button:

Sorts the filenames in the History Files list box for user convenience.



Edit Picture list section:

This section allows you to find, add, delete, change and sort the picture files of a selected family member. The picture filenames appear in the Picture Files list box above. Each picture must include both a filename (including the extension) and a description for the picture.



Add button:

1) Type the filename and description of the picture you wish to add into the text boxes.

2) Click on the Add button.

The new filename will appear in the Picture Files list box.



Change button:

1) Select the name of the picture file you wish to change in the list box. The name and description of the file will appear in the text boxes below the list.

2) Make desired changes in the text boxes.

3) Click on the Change button.

The altered filename will appear in the Picture Files list box.



Delete button:

1) Select the name of the picture file you wish to delete.

2) Click on the Delete button.



Find button:

1 Click on the Clear button or click in the File Name text field and erase the visible name.

2) Enter a name or partial name into the File Name text field.

3) Press the enter key or click on the Find button. The program will find and select the first filename in the Picture Files list which matches the input name or characters.

If no match is found the File Name text field will remain unchanged

NOTE: The Find button will not find descriptions.

Make into Html Files button:

Allows the user to create html files all the pictures in the Picture Files list. This puts the name of the person, the description, and picture file into html format, which is useful for anyone viewing or using the applet from behind a firewall. (See FAQ #6)



Sort button:

Sorts the filenames in the Picture Files list box for user convenience





History Files list box:

Displays filenames of any written histories associated with the selected person in the Family Members list box. If the box is empty, no written histories have been entered for the selected person.



Picture Files list box:

Displays the filenames of any pictures associated with the selected person in the Family Members list box. If the box is empty, no pictures have been entered for that person.





FAQ:



GEDCOM was developed to provide a flexible, uniform format for exchanging computerized genealogical data. GEDCOM is an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication. Basically, they are text files which contain genealogical data in a standardized format. Most quality genealogy and family history programs now store data using the GEDCOM format.



Family Album v1.0 can use standard GEDCOM file format to display standard family tree information. If the user wishes to use the applet to view picture and/or history files with their family tree information, they must use a separate program (the MEDcreator) to create an altered file called an MED file (because of the *.med extension used). MED files are no longer standard GEDCOM format, and cannot be read or altered by other genealogy programs



A Java CLASS file is an executable Java file. The advantage of creating a CLASS file is that it can be retrieved and viewed over the Internet from behind a firewall. A CLASS file will also load and run faster than a basic GEDCOM or MED file.

Why should I use one?

If you are behind a firewall, or if you want people who are behind a firewall to be able to see your genealogy files over the Internet using Family Album, you must use CLASS file. Even if you are not worried about firewalls, using CLASS files will allow the Family Album applet to load and run faster than is possible with a standard GEDCOM or MED file.



Java applets, like the Family Album, must be launched (or run) by an html file. The html files created by the Make Applet.Html window contain all the parameters needed to run the Family Album applet using a specific GEDCOM, MED, or CLASS file.



No. If you wish to add or change names, you must use some other genealogy program, such as PAF, Family Origins, or Family Tree Maker, to edit your original GEDCOM file. Unfortunately, these changes will not be reflected in any MED or CLASS files you have made using the altered GED file. You will have to re-add the picture file and history filenames to the altered GEDCOM file (just as you did the first time) in order to see the changes using the Family Album applet.

In future versions of Family Album, we hope to provide a way to combine your edited GEDCOM file with an existing MED file so that re-entering picture and history file names will no longer be necessary.





To change the Html files back to the original files, you must change each name back to the original name separately, using the Change button. For example:

If the original picture filenames:

Mypic.jpg

kidpic.gif

were changed to:

Mypic.html

kidpic.html



To change them back you would:

1) Select Mypic.html in the picture Files list

2) In the File Name text box (Under Edit Picture List), retype the name Mypic.html as Mypic.jpg

3) Click on the Change button in the Edit Picture List button bar.

4) Repeat steps 1-3, changing kidpic.html to kidpic.gif







Please send bug reports, questions, or suggestions on how to make this application better to

gpierce@ nail .com