Peter Without going into details, the Unicode problem could have been ‘fixed’ (those characters handled within Visual BASIC 6, the Microsoft computer language that Legacy Family Tree has been using long past its death-date); or by converting Legacy to be written with another Microsoft language (or more correctly, the framework supporting numerous computer languages on many different operating systems) – Microsoft .NET (using either C# or Visual BASIC .NET computer languages).
I think the merger/acquisition with MyHeritage would (have) complicate(d) things a little. See below. Re the “Mapping Function”: It may be that the change in the last couple of years by Microsoft, that software incorporating the Bing Mapping API and which has a large number of users (which Legacy has) must now acquire licensing (costing significant $) became an issue intermingled with the MyHeritage takeover. I am guessing of course. MyHeritage, if it is to incorporate a revamped Legacy Family Tree for desktops, has to rationalize its current desktop application that communicates and synchronizes with its customers’ online trees (I have it on my system – seldom used); and also to consider that the world is not all Windows (Microsoft) but includes iOS (Apple desktops) and even the mobile devices (tablets – Apple and Android) and the always-connected Google desktops running Android. Not to mention mobile phones (but why would anyone want to have a full-function and very comprehensive genealogy program on such a small screen? I think that is crazy). My plan – if I were a Millennia programmer or software architect - would have been to transition to Microsoft .NET about 4 or 5 years ago. The NET Framework, which in its recent (last 3 years or so) manifestations is quite transportable across Windows, Unix, Linux, and the Apple and Android Unix-like operating systems, is powerful and versatile and of course understands Unicode and is available in many ‘spoken’ languages (not just English). This has been an obvious migration path for almost a decade. If Millennia was/is still using VB6 for its Legacy FT, it could have considered Google Maps and it could have used the third-party tools (eg, a Japanese company) for making VB6 speak Unicode (for English and many other ‘spoken’ languages). The latter has been around and well-tested for 6+ years that I know of. I think Google Maps would require non-free licensing. In conclusion, I should say that this is all pie in the sky because circumstances have rolled over the top of one’s wish for a Unicode-compatible Legacy FT with close integration with Microsoft, Google, Here Maps, or Apple’s online mapping data and all the advantages of location to genealogy. Ian Thomas Albert Park, Victoria 3206 Australia From: LegacyUserGroup [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Peter Matthews Sent: Monday, 7 January 2019 5:27 PM To: Legacy User Group <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [LegacyUG] Mapping Function I am wondering whether this problem with the new Bing interface is related to the problem of Legacy not being able to accept data which uses Unicode characters, which most programs in this 21st century can, even Windows Notepad. I have raised the Unicode issue several times with Legacy in the past and have been told that it is because of the underlying database they use, and would require a major re-write of Legacy to fix, so, is unlikely to happen. Legacy is an excellent and very capable genealogical program, but, unlike other popular genie programs, has this major weakness of not being able to support a wide range of characters in the data you enter. For example, I have ancestors in Hungary, but cannot enter names and places with their correct spelling because the English-speaking version of Legacy will not accept Eastern European characters, such as u-double-acute. It will accept only characters from the Western European character set. (Legacy versions in other languages would accept characters in their language of course, but only from the one respective 256-character set ("code page"). But this is only one aspect of not being able to operate in a Unicode environment. So, are we going to get a band-aid mapping facility, or is Millennia/MyHeritage going to bite the bullet and fix Legacy properly for the 21st century, or are they going to eventually fob us off on to MyHeritage's Family Tree Builder? At least that program can exist in a Unicode environment. Millennia's "Customer Service" certainly leaves its loyal users in the dark. Very sad. Come on Millennia, take your loyal users into your confidence - you might even end up losing less that way, if that's what you're scared of. If you want to be totally depressed, check out this admittedly 2017 in-depth review of Legacy's situation: https://www.tamurajones.net/MyHeritageBuysMilennnia.xhtml Let's hope she's wrong. Peter Matthews (Grumpy Old Man on soapbox) At 12:27 06-01-19 -0500, Ronald Bernier wrote: POSTED BY MICHELLE SIMMONS LEWIS FOUR HOURS AGO ON THE FACEBOOK LEGACY GROUP!!!! "Mapping will not be coming back in its current form. The developers are working on something new. Legacy’s platform is simply incompatible with the new Bing API. I am closing the comments."
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