SpeedREG: FAQ

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SpeedREG: FAQ

Frequently asked questions (and their answers) will be noted here

Can the data from SpeedREG be imported into my own database program? Yes, and you may need to do this if you want to create an index and supply a sensible print-out to your Family History Society or the County Record Office.
What you need to do, however, is make a copy of the SpeedREG data file and work with that rather than the original data file that SpeedREG produces. This is very important indeed, as the altered file will no longer be able to be imported into the FreeREG database, and will no longer work with SpeedREG..
The batch file which SpeedREG has created will have a file name such as parkb1.csv (or whatever you happened to name it). Use Windows Explorer to make a copy of this file from the \speedreg directory into your own data directory.

Open the file in a word processor
Delete the header section of the file, which looks something like:
+INFO,rod@neep.demon.co.uk,LEAVE AS IS,SEQUENCED,BURIALS,CP850
#,,Rod Neep,GLStest,TEST7.CSV,02-Feb-2000
#,comments line here
#,,,,,print of register,02-Feb-2000
+PAGE,1
Leave in the remainder of the data which starts with something like:
GLS,Parkend,St. Paul,1,30 Sep 1875,James John,Son Of,John,Ann,,ROBINSON,3y3m,Whitecroft,
Save the file again using the same file name and making sure you are saving it as a text file and not a word processor document.
Start your database program.
Import the .csv file.
Be aware that when importing, you may have to specify that the date fields are to be formatted as text fields and not date format! Database "date" format cannot handle the type of data that we are importing into it, e.g. "23 Feb 1743/4", and even normal dates can have strange things happen to them.

Note: it is not recommended that a SpeedREG data file be imported into a spreadsheet program! Some of the entries, for example partial entries of surnames, may begin with underscore ( _ ) or ? or * characters, which spreadsheets will try to interpret as parts of a formula! Dates may also go horribly wrong. Bear in mind that a spreadsheet program is used essentially for numeric data and calculations. A database program is the correct software to use for data about collections, people or things.

Can the data from SpeedREG be imported into my own database program?	Yes, and you may need to do this if you want to create an index and supply a sensible print-out to your Family History Society or the County Record Office. What you need to do, however, is make a copy of the SpeedREG data file and work with that rather than the original data file that SpeedREG produces. This is very important indeed, as the altered file will no longer be able to be imported into the FreeREG database, and will no longer work with SpeedREG.. The batch file which SpeedREG has created will have a file name such as parkb1.csv (or whatever you happened to name it). Use Windows Explorer to make a copy of this file from the \speedreg directory into your own data directory. Open the file in a word processor Delete the header section of the file, which looks something like: +INFO,rod@neep.demon.co.uk,LEAVE AS IS,SEQUENCED,BURIALS,CP850 #,,Rod Neep,GLStest,TEST7.CSV,02-Feb-2000 #,comments line here #,,,,,print of register,02-Feb-2000 +PAGE,1 Leave in the remainder of the data which starts with something like: GLS,Parkend,St. Paul,1,30 Sep 1875,James John,Son Of,John,Ann,,ROBINSON,3y3m,Whitecroft, Save the file again using the same file name and making sure you are saving it as a text file and not a word processor document. Start your database program. Import the .csv file. Be aware that when importing, you may have to specify that the date fields are to be formatted as text fields and not date format! Database "date" format cannot handle the type of data that we are importing into it, e.g. "23 Feb 1743/4", and even normal dates can have strange things happen to them. Note: it is not recommended that a SpeedREG data file be imported into a spreadsheet program! Some of the entries, for example partial entries of surnames, may begin with underscore ( _ ) or ? or * characters, which spreadsheets will try to interpret as parts of a formula! Dates may also go horribly wrong. Bear in mind that a spreadsheet program is used essentially for numeric data and calculations. A database program is the correct software to use for data about collections, people or things.