Managing your FreeREG files

Information on how to manage your FreeREG files

The FreeREG file management process.

The FreeREG database is reconstructed each four weeks using the files that are resident on the FreeREG server AT THAT POINT IN TIME. It is a complete rebuild each time thus avoiding the need for special software to add, change or delete specific records within a file. The FreeREG transcriber adds a file to the server the first time that they contribute records for a specific parish/church. The transcriber then adds records to their files on their computer and when ready uploads a copy of the file to the FreeREG server by replacing the previously uploaded file. This means that the FreeREG transcribers can update their files at any time and reload them onto the server and have their changes incorporated into the database at the next build. Files must never be deleted from the server except under very special circumstances, as this will eliminate the records from the database at the next build.

Regular uploading to the server is highly recommended as FreeREG can then act as a backup for your files and your coordinator can retrieve files for you in the event that you have had a computer crash. How frequent is frequent? It is your decision but it takes very little time to do so at the end of each session.

Uploading a file.

To upload a file to FreeREG, first log onto the FreeREG server using your UserID and password. (PLEASE NOTE IT IS ESSENTAL TO LOG INTO THE webpage http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Login.pl DO NOT TRY TO USE THE LOGIN THROUGH ROOTSWEB AS IT WILL NOT WORK). We recommend that you save the upload server page in your bookmarks/favourites in your browser so that you can go there again and again.
A successful login takes you to your personal FreeREG file maintenance page. Immediately below the welcoming banner on this page are a series of buttons. One of which "UPLOAD A FILE", when selected, takes you to the actual file upload and validation page. This page allows you to identify up to five (5) files to be uploaded. (Until you are comfortable with the process it is suggested that you upload and validate a single file at a time.) Selecting the BROWSE button opens a box that enables you to identify where on your computer the csv file to be uploaded is located. Having either highlighted or typed the file name and its extension (eg NFKEASBA.CSV) select the OPEN button and the location of the file will be copied into the slot next to the BROWSE button. At this point go to the UPLOAD FILE(S) button at the bottom of the page and select it. At this point FreeREG will validate the data that is being uploaded, this may take a short wile. If there are no errors with the file you will receive a message to this effect. If there are errors with the file you will receive an error message for each record in which there is a problem. In both cases a copy of the file is kept on the FreeREG server. If the file is error free then the data will be incorporated into the FreeREG database at the time of its next update. So do not expect to immediately find your upload in the database! If you file contains errors you MUST correct those errors and REPLACE the file with an error-free file before the data can be incorporated.

Viewing the errors in a file.

You can look at the errors with a file at any time. Once again log into the FreeREG server using your assigned UserID and password. Immediately below the welcoming banner on this page and the series of buttons will be a list of the files that you have uploaded showing the date uploaded as well as its name. The file containing errors will be highlighted in RED. Select the "VIEW ERRORS" option on the file you are interested in (the green dot will move from the view option to the view errors option) and click on the file name. A listing of the errors will then be displayed.

Replacing a file.

A file that has been corrected for errors identified by the validation system or updated by the submitter for whatever reason is uploaded onto FreeREG in a slightly different manner. Once again log into the FreeREG server using your assigned UserID and password. Immediately below the welcoming banner on this page and the series of buttons will be a list of the files that you have uploaded showing the date uploaded as well as its name. The file containing errors will be highlighted in RED. Select the "REPLACE" option on the file that requires replacing (the green dot will move from the view option to the replace option) and click on the file name. This will take you to a page stating that you are replacing a file. MAKE SURE this is the file you wish to replace!!! Select the replacement file on your computer by clicking the BROWSE button in the same manner that you did when you uploaded the file. Once the file name has appeared next to the BROWSE button. Make sure it is the one you want, then go to the bottom of the page and select the "REPLACE" button. (The RESET button next to the REPLACE button allows you to clear the file that you have selected for upload if you found you had selected the wrong one!). Once again the validation process will take place and the file uploaded. An error free upload message indicates that you were successful in correcting the file. Alternatively you may still get messages that there are errors with the file that require correction and you will need to repeat this process by once again looking at the data you are submitting and correcting it.

Viewing a file.

You can view the content of a file at any time. Once again log into the FreeREG server using your UserID and password. Immediately below the welcoming banner on this page and the series of buttons will be a list of the files that you have uploaded showing the date uploaded as well as its name. In the options to the right of the file name you will see a green do in the VIEW FILE option. Clicking the file name causes the content of the file to be displayed. For large files this may take a few moments.

Renaming a file.

Occasionally an incorrect file name may have been used in uploading a file. In which case you may wish to rename the file. Once again log into the FreeREG server using your assigned UserID and password. Immediately below the welcoming banner on this page and the series of buttons will be a list of the files that you have uploaded showing the date uploaded as well as its name. Select the "RENAME" option on the file that requires replacing (the green dot will move from the view option to the rename option) and click on the file name. This will take you to a page asking for the new name. MAKE SURE this is the file you wish to rename!!! Type twice the new name for the file (Don't forget to type the extension as part of the name), then go to the bottom of the page and select the "RENAME" button.(The RESET button next to the RENAME button allows you to clear the file name that you have typed if you see you had typed the wrong name!).