List of Census dates in columns

[Beryl]

I am new to RootsMagic so if this appears a silly question please forgive me.
I would like to produce a list of people on my database with columns showing which Census returns I have for them and which are missing. Therefore seeing instantly which ones I still need to try and find. I can't see any way I can get the different Census dates in different columns. Therefore saving paper and being able to see at a glance. Not having to check each person in the list individually.
If someone out there can help I would be most grateful.

[DrRoots]

Hi. If you entered census returns as facts then try going to "Lists" - "Fact type lists", select the census fact and click "Print". You will then get numerous options. You can even print a list of people without the fact.

[Beryl]

Thanks for your reply. Tried this and it works but I obviously didn't make myself clear. I wanted a way to place the cenus dates side by side so you could see down a column who didn't have a particular year accounted for. The way it prints at the moment they are all one under the other so have to be looked through and my tree, which isn't huge by some standards, runs to 16 pages. Any ideas?

[Mellie]

Hello Beryl,

I have found that a simple Excel spreadsheet gives me easy access to missing information, I have three columns for ID, first name and surname, then three columns for BMD's and finally one column for each census. I fill the columns in with dates for BMD's or relationships for census records, if any information is missing I colour the cell so that I can easily pick out what I need to look up.

I appreciate that this is yet another programme to use and another form to fill in but once set up it only takes a few seconds to complete and is very adaptable.

Margaret

[DrRoots]

You can create a custom report much like the way you would in Excel.

Have a column for the name and a column for each census fact year.

[Beryl]

Thanks for your help both of you. I had already thought of the excel route and was hoping there was a way within the programme where the programme would be able to put the information from what it has straight into columns but it seems not. The thought of typing in, and then remembering to update each time I find another person or census, 1000 + people x up to 8 census returns appears to daunting. Trouble is the old programme i had would treat each census individually and could produce this in a columnised report just like roots magic can do it with fields it already has.

[DrRoots]

Did you try the custom report feature in RootsMagic as suggested above?

[Beryl]

Message from your thickest fan.
I'm sorry I must be driving you mental but I am determined to crack this, with your help. I have figured out how to set up a custom report but each column headed with the various years still puts every census in every column. Have I entered my censuses wrongly? If I look at the edit person screen the word census is in the fact column and the year is in the date column next to it. Sorry to be such a dimwit

[DrRoots]

Sorry, I was under the impression that you had created a custom fact for each census year.

If you created a fact called "Census 1841" and "Census 1851" etc. you could assign a fact to each column.

Unfortunately you would have to go through and edit all of your census facts.

Other than that you will have to do as Mellie suggested.

[Beryl]

Cracked it!! Works perfectly with the couple I have done to try it out. What a little star you are. My fault I thought as it said Census in the "Add a fact" list I just added Census and then put the date. I think it will be worth going through gradually and changing everybody, as I would have to add everybody plus details into a spread sheet anyway. Thanks again I will try to leave you in peace for a bit.