Making your own text data base
[This approach was devised, in part, to overcome limitations in Resource File Viewer 2. For some searches, etc., the answer might be to upgrade to Resource File Viewer 3.02]
While the search facilities on the CD are limited it is possible to copy sections of the data base to your word processor and use the search facilities of your word processor to sort through the data.
If you want to make a data base of a given "census place" carry out the following steps:
(1) Load the 1881 programme
(2) Type in the name of the census place on the search form (leaving the rest blank) and select "OK"
(3) The system will display a large number of matches - select "View Matches"
(4) Select "Tools" and the "Options" from the menu bar
(5) Ensure that "When scrolling update cursor position" in NOT checked, and select "OK"
(6) Select "Neighbors" and scroll upwards to the start of the census place.
(7) Set cursor to the front of the first item for the census place.
(8) Scroll to the other end of the census place
(9) Press "Shift" and set cursor to end of the census place. All the records on the census place will now be highlighted
(10) Select "Edit" and "Copy" from menu bar.
(11) Open an empty file on your word processor and paste the records into it.
You may now process all the date on the selected census place on your word processor.
Note 1
: The file as copied over can be large, but if saved and packed with winzip it compacts by about 90% making it practical to keep copies of the downloaded data on your hard disc.Note 2
: Unless you reset the selection, steps 4 and 5 only need to be done the first time you download data in this way.Note 3
: While most census place records are consecutive this is not always the case - for instance the records of Berkhamsted and Northchurch are mixed up.