Hi, Larry, I'm not sure what you mean by " Help search function"? It seems to me what we're complaining about is the way instructions in Legacy "Help" are written, not about the Search function?
Pat On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 4:33 AM, Larry <[email protected]> wrote: > John, > > Your point is well made. > > Having found similar issues with the Help search function in other > software I am inclined to think this may be more of a problem with the > Microsoft help function than with Legacy. Maybe someone with expertise in > this area will respond. > > Larry Lee > > hwedhlor <[email protected]> wrote: > > >My apologies to all. The two lists I attempted to include > >with my previous e-mail did not display well, even though I > >kept to plain text and spaces, rather than tabs to separate > >them. Here are those two lists one above the other in hopes > >that they will be easier to read. I have included the > >content of my original post to make it easier for everyone > >to associate the lists with the text of my e-mail. Sorry > >about any inconvenience. > > > >John Zimmerman > >Mesa, AZ > > > >============================ > > > >Pat and Marnie, > > > >I am in complete accord with you on Legacy Help screens, and > >to a great extent on the Legacy 7 manual as well.Entries > >tend to present the user with a multitude of exceptions > >rather than on the most simple, straight forward procedures > >that are liable to be sought after by first time Legacy > >novices.The Legacy Help System Keyword Search presents > >information in a convoluted, and non-intuitive fashion that > >can be daunting to use by even a seasoned Legacy enthusiast. > > > > > >Let's examine "Sources" as an example.This mailing list > >probably discusses sources more than any other subject. > >Partly because we all tend to enter sources differently from > >person to person, so much verbiage is expended on this list > >diagramming, justifying and rebutting one-another’s source > >citing philosophies. However at least as much energy is > >expended explaining things that new Legacy users should be > >able to find using the Help System. Unfortunately they > >cannot find those explanations because the Help System is > >not very well organized. > > > >If I click on “Help/Show Help Index” then key in “Sources” I > >am presented with a list of 32 sub-headings under the word > >"Sources".With "Sources" highlighted in the resulting > >Keyword List I am invited to click on a "Display" button at > >the bottom right of the list, and if I click on that button > >in hopes that the large screen area to the right of the > >Keyword List will fill with information about Sources I am > >sorely disappointed, for instead I am presented with yet > >another list! The "Topics Found List" is only 23 items, but > >surprisingly four of them duplicate entries on the Keyword > >List of sub-headings (see the two lists below). The oddities > >of capitalization in the lists are taken directly from the > >Help System. > >Keyword List > > > >Sources > >Adding when exporting GEDCOMs > >Advanced source citations > >Assignment when importing > >Author > >Citation report > >Citations > >citations (advance) > >citations to groups > >Clipboard > >Clipboard loading > >Comments > >Definition > >Description > >Detail > >Detail Comments > >Detail options > >Details > >Entry system > >in Notes > >Marriage information > >Name > >Name options > >on Reports > >Options > >Options for books > >Search for missing > >SourceWriter > >Tab on name list > >Templates > >Text > >Type > >which system to use > > > > > >Topics Found List > > > >Adding Source Types > >Advanced Source Citations > >AutoSource - Export > >Book Source Options > >Citing the Sources of Your Information > >Define or Edit a Master Source > >Defining Master Sources > >How to Document Your Information > >Importing a GEDCOM File > >Information Screen > >Marriage Information > >Master Source List > >Master Source Type List > >Missing Sources Search > >Name List > >Report Options > >Source Citation Report > >Source Clipboard > >Source Detail > >Source Detail Comments > >Sources Tab > >SourceWriter > >Which Source System to Use > > > > > > > >To my way of thinking when a user highlights “Sources” in > >the Keyword List, then clicks on “Display,” they should be > >presented with some text in the right window that explains > >the fundamentals of citing sources as well as explaining > >that there are two systems in Legacy (Basic and > >SourceWriter) for citing sources. If the user is a little > >savvy about genealogy they will be able to figure out that > >“Citing the Sources of Your Information” will probably > >provide some basic information, and indeed it does, but I’d > >like to know why “Citing the Sources of Your Information” is > >not one of the items on the Keyword List and why clicking > >"Display" while "Sources" is highlighted on the original > >list the user does not trigger that same information about > >citing sources instead of getting another list? > > > >If the organization of the Keyword List is not confusing > >enough, throughout the Help system the text refers to icons > >by their name. A new user is not going to be familiar with > >what those icons look like. The Help system should show > >pictures of those icons when they are referenced. > > > >To sum up, the Legacy Help system is full of information, > >but it is presented in such a convoluted, non-intuitive > >fashion as to put off the user, rather than lead them down > >the path to knowledge. > > > > > >John Zimmerman > >Mesa, AZ > > > > > > > >Legacy User Group guidelines: > >http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > >Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > >http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > >http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > >Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > >Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and > on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > >To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > > > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: > http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp > Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp > Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and > on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). > To unsubscribe: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp > > > Legacy User Group guidelines: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp Archived messages after Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Archived messages from old mail server - before Nov. 21 2009: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Online technical support: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp Follow Legacy on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LegacyFamilyTree) and on our blog (http://news.LegacyFamilyTree.com). 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