Release 1.0.4.13 has been posted at http://www.gensmarts.com/versionHistory.asp

(this update is available to registered customers only)

It adds over 1000 Ancestry.com databases to what GenSmarts analyzes for. If you've got an Ancestry.com subscription and don't mind trying new things, you'll want to download this new version and give it a try.

We still consider it "pre-production" in the sense that we're still finishing up our final testing and verification. If you do try it, post a reply or drop us a note and let us know what you think.

Another nice new feature is support for "boolean" searches in the "<=SEARCH" box for the To Do List. Here's an excerpt from the new help text:

To Do List Tab - Extended Search Capabilities

The search box in the To Do List tab has some limited capability to also do "boolean" searches - searches that have imbedded "and" and "or" logic. The special symbols used for this are as follows:

• Means the phrase that follows must exist

  • Means the phrase that follows must not be found

& Says to include in the list anything with the phrase that follows

| Says to also include in the list anything the phrase that follows

The "|" character is the solid bar (or somtimes split bar) which is found as the upper case character of the "\" character on your keyboard. These operators are applied in left to right order. Any resulting suggestions displayed will always adhear to "+" and "-" phrase rules, regardless of any subsequent "&" or "|". In other words, the list is always constrained by the phrase used with "+" and "-".

Here are some examples which illustrate how this capability works:

Example 1) How can I see only the non-census suggestions?

Use a "minus" sign in front of the word, which will remove any suggestions where that word occurs:

-census

Example 2) How can I see only the non-census suggestions available through Ancestry.com?

Select the "AVAILABLE AT RESEARCH LOCATIONS SELECTED BELOW" filter, and then further select Ancestry.com from the drop down list below. Then use:

-census

Example 3) How can I see suggestions for both Pansy Brown and Nancy Brown?

Search for Pansy or Nancy and the word Brown. Note that the "or" symbol is the solid bar which is found as the upper case character of the "\" character on your keyboard:

Pansy | Nancy & Brown

Note that as these search phrases are interpreted on from left to right, "Brown & Pansy | Nancy" wouldn't work. In that case, the "Brown" part would get you all of that surname, the "Pansy" part would narrow it down further, but then the "or Nancy" would add back in anybody (even non-"Brown"s) who had the name of "Nancy". A good rule of thumb is to always put the "&" in your search phrases first, then the "|"s.

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Tags:  Ancestry.com  

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