FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
about Sacramental Register 4.0
This page was updated on 14 September 2007
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The program just sits there! What do I have to do to
make it work?
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Which is the most recent version of this program,
and when was it uploaded?
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I am ready to place my order, what do I do?
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How do I do a backup of my data files?
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What exactly is Sacramental Register, and what does it
do?
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What are some of the features that are NEW with
Sac Reg 4.0?
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Since virtually all SacReg 3.0 features are retained,
what are some of the features that were NEW with Sac Reg 3.0?
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I have Version 3.0. Do I need Version 4.0?
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What is the most misunderstood thing about Sacramental
Register 4.0 (or any database system)?
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How do I use the downloaded demo version?
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When I preview a certificate, all I get is a comma
instead of the parish name and address! Why? (added 5/10/07)
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When I print a baptism certificate, the city name
appears twice after the church of baptism. Why?
(added 9/14/07)
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Is there a way I can compare the data file with the
handwritten register books? (added 4/14/04)
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How do I find out how to use this program since there
is no manual that downloads with it? (updated 3/22/07)
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Does Sacramental Register work with Windows NT, XP, and
Windows 2000? (updated 6/08/06)
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I get an access violation when printing ledger reports
under Windows 2000?
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How do we handle this? When we enter data for a
marriage using version 4.0, and the groom is not a baptized Catholic, the
program won't let us enter him without a date of baptism?
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I have noticed that when I enter a person, I have
to enter a sacrament detail for them or the data is not saved. Why?
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If I have been using Sac Reg 3.0 or earlier,
what do I do about my data files?
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If I am going to convert my data files, where
will I find the old files, and where do I put the new files?
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I need to enter a bunch of data from the 19th century,
but the program won't let me enter anything prior to 1900!
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The Baptism certificate (portrait version) prints
with a lot of unused white space at the bottom, even when I elect to suppress
printing of notations. How can I get rid of the unprinted area?
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How do I append a set of data files to the master
Sacramental Register 4.0 file?
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My question isn't answered here. Where do I turn
now?
Q. The program just sits there. What do I
have to do to make it work?
A. When you start the SacReg program, the program screen displays,
but it doesn't do anything because you need to direct the program to open
a set of data files in order to be able to do anything. So, from the File
menu, you can open an existing set of data files, or you can create a new
set of data files. If you are using the program as a demo, you can select
Open an Existing Set of Files, and you should see a demonstration set of
data files, which is designated by the file name zzzzzzz0.adt. If you select
and open this file, then you can click on the Search button, or on the
Enter/Edit data button, and the first demo data record will be displayed.
If you select the Search button, you can look someone up by typing their
last name into the designated search text box, followed by a comma and
a space and then their first name. Normally, this puts you looking at a
unique individual, or at a short list of people who have the same name.
You can double click on the person's line in the data grid to see all the
data for the person, including which sacraments they have received. Be
careful not to use this demonstration database to enter your “real” data!
If you wish to enter your own data, either as a demo user or as a registered
user, you go to the file menu, and, if files are open you select Close
an Open Set of Files. Then, from the File menu, select Create a New Set
of Files.This brings up a Save Dialog which you should use to select a
folder in which to save your new set of files, and you should invent a
name for the new set of files. The name can be most anything, but it must
end in the digit 0 (zero) followed by .adt. For example, corpuschristi0.adt,
or holyname0.adt, or StPaul0.adt. Then click the Save button. Back on the
main screen, click on the Enter/Edit data button. A screen full of blank
text fields should show, because no data has been entered yet. Go ahead
and grab an entry from a baptism register and enter the information about
the recipient. For the baptism details, click on the Baptism button. This
will display a screen on which the sponsors, presider, and sacrament history
information can be recorded. Enter the data for your selected individual,
then click on the OK button. Now, to see a preview of the baptism certificate
for this person, go to the Output menu and select Preview a Baptism. The
preview should appear on the screen. If you made no errors, you can print
the preview, or you can close the preview without printing it. You can
consult Certificate Layout Options on the Output menu to experiment with
fonts, sizes, and colors, and also borders. You can even edit the certificate
text.
If you are a registered user, be sure you make backups of your data
files often, and run Count the Entries in this Database from the Output
menu routinely.
Q. Which is the most recent version
of this program, and when was it uploaded?
A. Version 4.03 was uploaded on June 17, 2005, to correct four minor,
non-critical errors:
1. We modified the baptism certificate "baptized at" line so that the
city field (from the address of the church where the program is registered)
is inserted after the church name. This was not done properly before, and
so left a dangling comma at the end of the line. The correction has been
implemented as an option so that users who may have already entered hundreds
of city names after the parish of baptism can choose to suppress the new
approach and avoid the city being named twice. To disable the city name
from automatically appearing, select Output | Set Certificate Layout Options,
click the Miscellaneous tab, and check the “Suppress version 4.03 change
for baptism ‘Baptized at’ line on certificates.”
2. Modified the backup process and the file open and close code so that
the program does not loop when an attempt is made to close files after
starting but not completing a backup.
3. Added 'NAME' index to ledger report code so that the ledger reports
appear in alphabetical order by last name, as well as within a date range.
4. Added Godfather and Godmother headings to the Baptism Ledger report.
Version 4.02 was uploaded on October 12, 2004, for two principal reasons.
First, to make a change in the program's backup function. It was reported
that some users had difficulty backing up to a Zip disk, so we changed
the procedure to make this possible. More significantly, there have been
a small number of cases of data file corruption reported in association
with networks and/or Windows XP. Until we get to the bottom of this potential
for data file corruption, we are asking all XP users to do three things:
1. Download and install the new update to SR4 as soon as possible,
using the update instructions.
We
have added some code to the program that will further minimize the chances
of corruption problems.
2. Check the opportunistic locking and write-behind caching registry
settings on Windows XP, NT, 2000, or 2003. Windows 98 and ME users must
also disable write-behind caching. These changes are made within the Windows
Registry. XP users should follow the instructions for Windows 2000, at
this http://support.microsoft.com/?id=296264 page. There may be other
pages that can be searched for which explain it more clearly than Microsoft
does. For example, http://www.dataaccess.com/whitepapers/opportunlockingreadcaching.html
gives a good explanation of what it is and how to control it. 3. Continue
to make careful backup copies of sacramental data files at sensible intervals,
such as once each week. See instructions
for making backups of Sacramental Register data files.
Version 4.01 was uploaded on June 11, 2004 to correct two non-critical
errors, and to provide a couple of requested new capabilities. Click here
for step by step instructions
to obtain your 4.01 update. By non-critical errors, we mean that the
errors do not cause harm to the data files, and for a majority of cases
may never be noticed by users. However, they are errors, and they can lead
to omission of data or duplication of date information, and so they have
been repaired in version 4.01.
The first error occurred when a user imported a
set of data files into a master file. Any remarks in the data were not
imported. This has been fixed in version 4.01. Users who are importing
data and are affected by this flaw can repeat importing their data with
the new release.
The second error has to do with marriage, death
of spouse, and annulment dates, for both first and second marriages, on
the baptism and profession of faith screens. These dates were unintentionally
connected to one another in such a way that putting a date in one field
could cause the same date to appear in another field. This has been fixed
in version 4.01.
There have been some new capabilities added. If
desired, a selection on the Miscellaneous preferences tab will permit the
rule under the candidates name to be suppressed on the certificates. In
addition, users can select to suppress the "issued by" and the "signature"
line on the marriage, first communion, and confirmation certificates. This
new capability permits the user to use the custom text capability of the
program to print the person's name who issued the certificate, and can
also, if desired, eliminate the space for a signature.
Version 4.0 Build 5 was uploaded on December 5 to correct an observed
problem with the custom font settings file. A minor bug was repaired, and
our thanks to the alert users who downloaded Build 4 and quickly reported
the problem. This version is the one which has been duplicated on the CD
version of the program, for those who do not have easy access to downloads.
Version 4.0 Build 4 was uploaded to correct a situation which could
cause sacrament dates to be lost rather than saved. This version was created
and uploaded on December 3, 2003.
Version 4.0 build 3 was uploaded to correct some conflicts with the
rare case of multiple users using the Windows XP Professional operating
system. This version was created and uploaded on November 20, 2003.
Version 4.0 build 2 was uploaded to reflect minor changes in the readme.txt
and srlicens.txt files, and to make some display screen adjustments. A
new feature was added to permit individual detail records to be deleted
with a button click. This version was created and uploaded on October 24,
2003.
Version 4.0 (the first build of the commercial version) was uploaded
on September 23, 2003. It has been checked and rechecked, and tested on
several windows operating systems. It is now ready for use. The CD version
will be shipped in December, but the download is available as of this date.
This final version fixes a few errors, and adds several data fields to
the baptism record and the profession of faith record which were not part
of the Beta version. We hope you like the result. Enjoy!
Version 4.0 Beta was made available on a limited basis to beta testers
as of 3 July 2003. The beta test version has been uploaded as of 21 July
for free preview purposes, and for open beta testing. We are hoping you
will take the challenge and help make this program better by putting in
for capabilities you need before the commercial version is released in
November or December. People who wish to test and evaluate the new version
should download the demo, and contact RPI by email with your findings.
The frequently asked questions (FAQs) on this page are based on similar
questions asked about version 3.0. The answers have been changed to apply
to version 4.0. This page will change as new questions and answers arise.
Q. I am ready to place my order, what do
I do?
A. You can order
Sacramental Register 4.0 by secure shopping cart. Just scroll down
past the other links and select the new user price, or (until March 31,
2004) if you are already using an earlier version, select the upgrade price.
If you prefer, you can call customer service weekdays from 8am to 5pm (Pacific
time) at 408-286-8505 and place your order over the telephone. Or, you
can print out the order form,
fill it in and fax to 408-287-8748, or mail it to Resource Publications
Inc., 160 E. Virginia Street, Suite #290, San Jose, CA 95112. Because a
full working demo is available
as a download for your advance screening, payment or credit card information
must accompany your order, and there are no returns or refunds on this
project.
Q. How do I do a backup of my data files?
A. You can do backups with commercial backup systems of various
kinds. The Sacramental Register program has a backup function, but you
must intentionally select menu items to perform the backup function. To
see the official recommended steps, link to Directions
for Backing up Sacramental Register Data Files.
Q. What exactly is Sacramental Register, and
what does it do?
A. SacramentalRegister and Certificate Maker 4.0 is a Windows computer
program for collecting and preserving all the essential data from all the
people who receive sacraments in your parish. It can also accomodate information
sent to your parish to update baptismal entries for people baptized there,
but who receive first communion, confirmation, or are married in another
parish. It can be used in parallel with, or it can replace the old ledger
books traditionally used for this purpose. It also permits printing of
formal certificates for each sacrament, to be given to the recipients.
It can also be used to print out "ledger" reports showing all the recipients
of a sacrament in a given time period. It can even be used for parishes
which have been consolidated.
There are at least two labor saving and time saving advantages to this
program. First, when there is a group of people receiving a sacrament,
the program can be used to print a batch of certificates. It can also be
used to print notification forms and/or mailing labels for each person
in the group. This makes short work of certificates for class size groups.
The real time-saver, however, is in looking up baptisms, or other sacrament
records. Instead of having to pore over stacks of hand written register
books kept chronologically, this program can perform an alphabetical (or
chronological) search in a matter of seconds (assuming, of course, that
you and your army of volunteers have entered the data into the database
file). Once found, a certificate can be printed in another few seconds.
If you happen to be an older parish, or a large parish with frequent requests
for baptism searches, the number of registers to look through by hand can
take a significant amount of time. This program saves all that time, every
time.
Q. What are some of the features that are
NEW with Sac Reg 4.0?
A. Version 4.0 has all of the features that were present in version
3.0. There are also many new features in this version. Here is a partial
list:
New File Design and Organization
The data file organization is not totally new, but additional fields
have been added, and the entire underlying database engine (Paradox for
Windows) has been replaced with one (Advantage Database from Extended Systems,
Inc.) which promises to be more stable in the evolving windows environment.
New limited networking possible with version 4.0
The new database platform permits several users to have the data files
open simultaneously over a network. We have no actual experience using
the program that way, but the feature is available. Using it this way makes
the responsibility for users to make frequent and accessible backups even
more important.
User control of certificate texts
Every line of text on every certificate is editable by the user, with
the exception of the church name, which will remain the control feature
that keeps the program from being propagated into the public domain and
freeware space. Note that this feature permits creation of "generic" certificates
for anniversaries, years of service awards, birthdays, etc.
Custom certificate text can be saved
The edited certificate text can be saved. When saved, it becomes the
default text for the certificates and is loaded into the certificates automatically.
The original defaults can be restored at any time.
Graphic settings can be saved as defaults
The graphic settings for the certificates, including border selection,
border position, border color, certificate orientation, plus font selection,
font size, font style, and font color can all be saved and are automatically
loaded with each use to become the default settings. The original defaults
can be restored at any time. Certificate body text and notations text are
separately controllable, and can now with version 4.0 be in color and in
available styles.
Parish notification letters can be edited and the text can be saved
Every line of the parish notification letters for first communion,
confirmation, and marriage can be edited and saved. This basically permits
the program to be used in (or with) places where languages other than English
are used.
Print Preview can be bypassed for groups of certificates
When printing groups of certificates, some users have requested that
they be permitted to bypass the preview screen and just send the whole
batch of certificates to the printer. This has been implemented in version
4.0, and it is invoked by selecting the suppress preview option on the
preferences miscellaneous tab.
Additional address data field
An additional address field has been added to the master record, to
make it easier to accomodate more complex addresses.
Increased size of church name fields
The church of baptism field has been extended to 48 characters so that
it can more readily contain a long church name plus the city and state
of that church. This same change has been made in the appropriate place
for the church of first communion,
confirmation, marriage, profession of faith, acceptance, and burial.
Added first communion fields to baptism/profession of faith screens
The baptism and profession of faith data entry screens have added fields
to permit the date of first communion and the church of first communion
to be recorded in the baptism or profession of faith records, especially
for when a notification message has been received from another parish.
If the person receives first communion at the same parish where he or she
was baptized, and the first communion record is filled in, it automatically
puts the date and the church into the baptism or profession of faith record.
More data fields for death of spouse or annulment
The baptism and profession of faith data entry screens have also been
changed to accomodate more complete information about marriage. The presider's
name has been added, for those cases where marriage notifications are sent
back to the parish from elsewhere. In addition, fields have been added
to account for the date of death of a spouse, and/or the date of an annulment,
along with the case number and tribunal name for each. The ledger reports
have been updated to report all this new information.
Second marriage data added to baptism and profession of faith screens
All the fields for information about marriage have been duplicated,
so that a second marriage can be entered on a person's baptism or profession
of faith screen.
Ledger reports reorganized for legibility
All ledger reports have been modified to print the person's name in
bold letters, and to have a horizontal line between entries.
New fields reported for first communion and confirmation ledger reports
The ledger reports for first communion and confirmation have been changed
to include the church of baptism and its city and state. This information
has been in the file all along, but some users requested that it be added
to the ledger reports as well.
New marriage data fields added to baptism/profession of faith ledger
reports
The fields showing the church of marriage, spouse's name, presider,
and date of marriage, along with the death of spouse and/or annulment information
(including case number and name of tribunal) have been added to the baptism
and profession of faith ledger reports for both the first and second marriages.
Pater Ignatus can now be suppressed
In the case where "Pater Ignatus" is listed as the father's name, the
user now has the option of NOT printing this name on the certificate. The
certificate simply lists the person as the child of the mother.
New Autofill Capability
An Autofill capability has been implemented permitting the church name
and/or the presider's name and/or the date of the sacrament to be filled
in with a single click (or key stroke).
More specific marriage data
The identification of dispensations and former marriages has been added
to the marriage data screen so that the information is present for both
the bride and the groom. Formerly, only one set was present, and no way
to tell which spouse was involved.
New screen sizing component added
The screen can now be maximized and restored or changed to any visible
dimensions with all the buttons and fields changing in proportion.
Errors fixed with version 4.0
There was an annoying error in version 3.0 that resulted in some users
getting a cryptic "key violation" message, and then having the program
refuse to close so that the task needed to be cancelled to get out of it.
This error, which had to do with multiple blank entries in the master file,
has been fixed in 4.0.
There was another error that locked things up if a user created a blank
new entry, and then shifted to search for a name. That error has been repaired.
The parish notification forms for first communion, confirmation and
marriage contained an error in that the parish of baptism was erroneously
always being changed to the name of the church sending the notification.
This has been corrected.
Q. What are some of the features that were
NEW with Sac Reg 3.0?
A. There were many new features introduced in version 3.0. These
features are retained in version 4.0. Here is a partial list:
New File Design and Organization
The data file organization has been changed (from the older versions
1.0, 1.2, and 1.5) so that all recipients names are in one master file,
permitting one search, regardless of which sacrament is involved. The master
file record display indicates which sacraments have been received.
Multiple Sets of Files
Program and Data file organization has been changed so that users are
able to work with sets of files. That means a user can open a set of files
and do data entry, while another user can open a set of different files
to do additional data entry. This permits different groups to keyboard
data for different sacraments, and then all the sets of files can be imported
into the master file.
Multiple Parish Capability
A field has been added which, when enabled, permits one master file
to include information from several parishes, where each parish is identified
by a unique code in the master data record.
Expanded Name Search Capability
The master file search capability has been expanded so that recipients
can be looked up by lastname plus firstname plus date of baptism (formerly
only the lastname could be searched on). Recipients with identical first
and last names are listed in order of their baptism dates.
Expanded Date Search Capability
he search capability on sacrament reception dates has also been expanded.
Formerly, search was possible on date of baptism. The new program permits
searching on date of baptism, date of first communion, date of confirmation,
date of wedding, date of profession of faith, date of acceptance, or date
of death.
New Death/Burial Registry
The program has been expanded so that the data files include a death
registry.
Full Mailing Addresses
The master data file has been expanded and designed to permit a complete
mailing address for each person entered.
Capability to Print Mailing Labels
Users can select a sacrament and a date range, and print mailing labels
for every recipient selected. This capability is limited in the demo version.
New User Interface
The new data-user interface has been changed so that pertinent information
in the master record is presented on the individual sacrament screens,
so that most information needs only to be entered once.
New Remarks/Notations Capability
The old program included two remark fields and two miscellaneous fields
per sacrament. The new program has a single remarks "memo" field, associated
with the person's name in the master file, which is open ended in terms
of how many lines of information can be entered.
Automatic Updating of Baptism Entry
The new data organization makes it possible to have a baptism certificate
automatically include information about, say, a marriage, merely because
the marriage information has been entered. No special action is necessary
to cause this inclusion. The old program required that the information
be manually entered in the baptism record as a totally separate transaction.
New Direct On-Screen Editing
The new program permits all fields to be edited on the screen, provided
the program is set up to be used to enter or edit the data files. The old
program required a field by field editing process which required many menu
steps to get into each field.
New Backup Creation Capability
The new program includes a backup procedure which permits the set of
master files to be backed up.
New Decree of Nullity Field
The Baptism record includes a new field to enter the existence of a
decree of nullity for annulments.
RCIA Tracking on Acceptance Screen
The Acceptance Data Entry Screen (and underlying data file) have been
changed so that users can enter the fact of, and the date of: Acceptance,
Election, Scrutiny1, Presentation of the Creed, Scrutiny2, Scrutiny3, Presentation
of the Lord's Prayer, Recitation of the Creed, and the Ephphetha Rite.
One Marriage Data Entry Screen
The Marriage data entry screen includes a button to coordinate the
one marriage record with both the bride's and the groom's master record.
Profession of Faith Screen Changed to track RCIA
The Profession of Faith screen (and underlying data file) have been
changed so that users can enter the fact of, and the date of: Rite of Welcoming,
Rite of Calling to Continuing Conversion, Penetential Rite (Scrutiny),
and Reception.
Added Flexibility for Volume, Page, and Number Fields
The Volume, Page, and Number fields have been converted to be simple
character fields rather than requiring integer number values only. Thus,
with the new program, if a pastor "forgot" to enter a baptism, a successor
can go back and enter something like Number 326B so as to approximate the
correct sequence for the omitted baptism.
New Custom Certificate Design Capabilities
The type font and size can be custom selected (from whatever fonts
are installed on the user's machine) for the certificates, and the Headline
and parish name & address can also be done in selected colors.
Print Certificates With or Without Borders
Each certificate can be printed with a simple border design around
it. Border options include a single border, or a double border, with the
inner border being a fixed hairline rule, which the user can move to be
closer to the other border or further from the other border. In addition,
this simple border graphic can be changed to be a vertical bar or vertical
lines on the right and left sides, or a horizontal bar or horizontal lines
at the top and bottom. The outer border can be changed in thickness and
both can be changed in color, according to the capability of the user's
printer.
Print Certificates in Portrait or Landscape Format
Each certificate can be printed in either portrait format or landscape
format. Either format offers the size, font, color, and border options.
Option to Suppress Printing of Notations on Certificates
The user can set preferences to suppress the printing of notations
on baptism certificates.
New: Certificate Preview Capability
A certificate preview capability is new with this version. Each certificate
is viewable on the screen prior to printing, to permit the program user
to make certain that the correct certificate is being printed, with all
the correct information in place.
Capability to Print a Batch of Certificates
Users can enter a sacrament and a date range and print a batch of certificates,
one for each recipient within the date range. This capability also works
through the preview function, so that the user can inspect each certificate
and elect to print it or not, one at a time.
Demo Capability Added
Until a valid user key is entered by a new user, this program can be
installed and operated as a DEMO of itself. The demo version is pretty
similar to the production version. The only differences are that in the
demo mode all the certificates print St. Swithin's as the parish name on
all the certificates, only three mailing labels will print in a range,
and any given data file can be opened no more than five times.
Date Fields Replaced with Date "Pickers"
All of the date bearing fields on all of the screens have been changed
from ordinary screen text boxes to special database bound date/time "pickers."
The pickers permit users to "pick" the date from a calendar, or type it
in as before.
File Filters Added
Users can now select to view subsets of all the data. For example,
a user can select the Baptism filter, which will exclude all but Baptism
related data from view.
Procedure for Group Printing
We have added the capability to print mailing labels, groups of certificates,
and ledger reports for a range of master file records.
Q. I have Version 3.0. Do I need Version
4.0?
We think so, especially with newer computers. Version 3.09 (still available
for a limited time to version 3 users as a FREE download from www.rpinet.com)
is fine, and will run indefinitely, provided a good backup procedure is
in place, and provided it is used on standalone (not networked) desktop
systems running under Windows 95, 98, or ME, especially if the new file
sharing and locking semantics are disabled in 98 or ME. Version 3.0 will
perform best in an environment that is not networked. Customers with newer
Windows systems or with networked systems may find that the Version 3.0
database becomes unstable on those new systems, and should consider upgrading
to Sacramental Register 4.0.
Q. What is the most misunderstood thing
about Sacramental Register 4.0 (or any database system)?
A. In my humble opinion it is the role of backup files, why
they are important, and how to manage them. Sacramental Register has a
backup function on the menu, but it does not do this backup automatically.
It requires that each user make and execute a plan for when to backup,
how often to backup, and how long to keep the backups. Most of the service
calls for prior versions have been from people who suddenly can't get to
one of their data records, and who have never, ever, made a backup. The
Sacramental Register Help system has at least two separate lectures about
the importance of making backups, but I guess it is not fun to read about
having to do additional work. Imagine one single file with everything in
it for the whole parish for all time, and no backup plan in place.
Here is a very short course in Sacramental Register backups:
1. Run the "count the entries" report (on the output menu) before making
a backup. That will make sure that you know there are no corrupted records.
2. Make a "moving" backup plan using a Zip drive, or a CD writer, or
a hard drive on a networked machine, or with a tape backup system. The
plan should permit you to have a lot of backup copies, and they should
"move" through time with you. In other words, you need a backup from today,
from yesterday, from the day before, perhaps from the week before, and
so forth, going back as far as a few months. Every month you can recycle
the backup from a few months back, and every week you can recycle one of
the backups from more than one week back, etc.
3. Use the Sacramental Register program to create a complete set of
backup files. It is easy to forget that there are seventeen physical files
in one database set of files, and that all of them have to be intact, and
all of them have to be together in the same folder in order to function.
Some users have carefully made backups of the 0.adt file, and then were
heartbroken to learn that they also needed backup copies of the other sixteen
files too.
4. Once created, Check the backup for integrity. That means use Sacramental
Register to open the backup file and repeat that "count the entries" report.
If it reports no errors, you have a good backup and you can put the backup
files in a safe place.
5. Be extremely suspicious of "automatic" backup systems that run during
the night, or of files made by someone who comes in at night or over the
weekend and runs a backup of "everything." One neat thing about Sacramental
Register is that if you can get to a medium where one of these "everything"
backups is kept, you can go ahead and open the backup files and run "count
the entries" on it. Once you have done that, then you know the backup is
ok.
Q. How do I use the downloaded demo version?
A. Well, physically, you make a new temporary folder on your hard
drive. Then, as you go through the downloading process, you browse
until the new folder you created is showing in the "Save in" box, so the
downloaded file ends up in this new folder. After downloading is complete,
run it (Start | Run and browse to the folder and file). This step unpacks
the installation kit and automatically starts the setup process. Note:
the setup program uses the Windows Installer program. This is a program
that Microsoft released with Windows NT and Windows XP. If you run setup
on an older version of windows, it will first install the Windows Installer
program (if it has not already been installed by some previous setup).
If Windows Installer needs to be installed, your system will need to be
rebooted. After rebooting, simply start the setup.exe file again.
After setup is complete, it places an icon for Sacramental Register
4.0 on your desktop. Double click on the icon on the desktop, or you can
go to Start | Programs and find the Sacramental Register line, and click
on the program icon to launch Sacramental Register 4.0. Only then does
your fun begin. At this point, you enter Sacramental Register as a guest
user, and you go to the file menu to create a new set of data files and
then add a couple of people to the master file. If you add sacrament details,
you can then preview a certificate, or print one out. Add as many people
as you like, but be advised that in the demo mode you can only open a data
file five times. There is also a "sample" data file installed in the folder
with the program (normally, C:\Program Files\Resource Publications, Inc.\Sacramental
Register\4.0\zzzzzzz0.adt). Enjoy! If you are a version 3.0x user, you
will want to convert your data files with the FREE data conversion utility
provided. The data conversion utility icon is available from the Start
| Programs list only.
Q. When I preview a certificate all I get
is a comma instead of the church name and address. Why?
A. There are two situations in which this occurs.
When you first install the program and provide the password or customer
key, you are offered a screen on which to enter your parish name and address.
Sometimes, users hit the enter key right away and thus enter no data on
this screen. If that is the case, the lone comma will appear on certificate
previews. The solution is to uninstall the program, then re-install it,
being careful to fill in this screen immediately after supplying the password.
The second situation in which this can occur is when
you have just installed the program, launched it, put in the password,
and filled in the parish name and address on the screen. If the lone comma
appears on certificate previews in this situation, then the program needs
to be closed/exited, and then re-launched before the registration information
will show up on certificates.
Q. When I print a baptism certificate, the
city name appears twice after the church of baptism. Why?
A. The baptism certificate includes the name of the
church of baptism, as entered on the baptism detail data entry screen.
Some users have made a practice of entering the church name along with
the city name in this field. For example: “Sacred Heart Parish, Saratoga.”
If your church of baptism has been entered this way, then, unless you do
something, the city name will be printed twice, because the program defaults
to assuming that the city name has NOT been entered with the parish name,
and so it is added to the printout. If your parish has made (or continued)
a practice of including the city with the parish name, then to eliminate
the double printing of the city name, go to the Output menu and select
“Set certificate Layout Options.” Select the Miscellaneous tab, and check
the box at the bottom that is (rather badly) labeled “Suppress ver 4.03
change for baptism "Baptized at" line on certificates.” You will have to
check this box every time you print certificates because it is not saved
when the program is closed.
Q. Is there a way to compare the data files
with the hand written register books?
A. Actually, yes. We created a separate report program, which operates
similarly to the way the data conversion program operates. When you run
this program on a set of version 4 data files, it creates additional indexes
so that the data can be sorted and reported in Volume, Page, and Number
order. So if you have the volume, page, and number entered, this report
can be compared line-by-line with the register books, to make sure no entry
was omitted. This program is available by download at no charge. Click
here to download.
Q. How do I find out how to use this program
since there is no manual that downloads with it?
A. There is an extensive Help system that comes with the program.
These Help files can be browsed and/or printed out and used in training
people to use the system. In addition to the help files, these FAQ pages
can be very helpful. The latest information will be placed here. But there
IS a brief (twelve page) memo introducing Sacramental Register, and you
can view or download it here.
Q. Does Sacramental Register 4.0 work with
Windows NT, Windows XP, and with Windows 2000? (updated 6/08/06)
A. There is nothing to prevent the program from installing and running
just fine on any of these systems. If you are using it with multiple users,
you must be certain that the permissions are set to give all users access
to the program installation folder, and also to any other folder in which
you place the Sacramental Register database files. These permissions are
not set automatically, which can cause problems launching the program.
If you get a message complaining about the control file, it is probably
a permissions issue.
There are two “features” of newer windows environments
which at first were thought to be compatible with SR4. However, experience
has shown that these two features need to be “turned off” on all systems
where SR4 is in use. Failing to do so risks loss of some or all the data
from the database. Here are the two features, and a link to a page of instructions:
1. One particular feature of these newer
windows systems is called “opportunistic locking” which gives the operating
system the freedom to NOT write your data to the file, but to “say” that
it has done so, so that your program can go on to the next operation. This
makes for a dangerous environment for any database system. There are some
instructions to “turn off” opportunistic locking, and it is recommended
that these instructions be followed if the system running Sacramental Register
is a Windows NT or Windows 2000 or Windows XP system. XP users should follow
the same instructions as a Windows 2000 user. You will find instructions
to turn off opportunistic locking at this web page: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=296264.
You can find a paper that explains more about opportunistic locking and
has instructions at http://www.dataaccess.com/whitepapers/opportunlockingreadcaching.html.
The changes should be made on both server and workstation if both are present
in the configuration. If several machines are involved with the data or
the program, the changes need to be made on all of the machines.
2. Another feature that was introduced
with Windows 98, and carried on with newer windows systems, called “write-behind
caching” is also problematic. The above page shows how to turn this feature
off within Windows 98/ME. It also gives a registry setting, which can be
entered or adjusted on newer Windows systems as well. Write-behind caching
needs to be turned off on every drive involving SacReg data files. For
Windows XP, write-behind caching is the default, so to disable this function,
right click on My Computer and choose Properties, or open Control Panel
and select System. Select the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager
button. Click the plus sign next to Disk Drives and select a drive. Choose
Properties and uncheck Write Cache Enabled. Repeat for all drives in your
system."
Q. I get an access violation when printing
ledger reports under Windows 2000?
A. The report modules must create temporary files in order to build
the reports, and Windows 2000 often assigns a system TEMP folder in such
a way that the path to this folder is longer than 32 characters, which
is the longest path these modules can handle. Solution: Using windows explorer
or a comparable tool, physically create an empty TEMP folder with a path
shorter than 32 characters (for example, C:\TEMP, or C:\Windows\TEMP).
Then, after you have created the TEMP folder, set the system environment
variable to this path. Here is the process for finding/setting the
current "system environment" path to the TEMP folder in Windows 2000:
1. Click on the Start Menu
2. Go to Settings->Control
Panel->System
3. In the System Control
Panel click on the Advanced Tab.
4. Next click on the Environment
Variables button.
5. The location of the TEMP
folder is located in the Variables and Values columns at the top of this
window.
6. Note the current path.
Then, click on the path shown and change it to the desired setting.
If the reports still do not run, please contact software support at
408-286-8505, or via email.
Q. How do we handle this? When we enter
data for a marriage using version 4.0, and the groom is not a baptized
Catholic, the program won't let us enter him without a date of baptism?
A. This is because the baptism date is used as part of the uniqueness
key when making a new person entry in the file. The program is trying to
keep people from skimping on this data, which can cause duplicate entries
in the data file otherwise. Since this situation will happen infrequently,
here is one suggestion. Use a fixed date that is before the groom was born,
or use the date of the wedding itself, and then, in the church of baptism
field, or the remarks field, make a notation that the groom is not baptized.
Q. I have noticed that when I enter a person,
I have to enter a sacrament detail for them or the data is not saved. Why??
A. When you enter a person's data on the master detail screen,
the data is not automatically put into the file UNLESS you also enter the
sacrament details for at least one sacrament. If you do wish to enter someone
(or even a series of people) without entering any sacrament details for
them, then, after entering the person's first name, surname, and baptism
date, and any other information you want to enter on that master screen,
simply click on the black checkmark in the upper right area of the screen.
Clicking on this checkmark will "post" the data on the screen into the
file. The checkmark should turn gray after you click on it. The checkmark
will turn black again if additional data is entered. Please do not type
a letter and click the checkmark, type another letter and click the checkmark,
etc. It will cause the database to be cluttered up with entries of partial
information. The operating approach is to type everything in on the master
screen, and then click the checkmark once, or not at all if you are going
to also enter details for one or more sacraments. When you click on a button
to enter sacrament details, the master data is posted automatically as
part of the process of creating the detail record..
Q. If I have been using Sac Reg 3.0
or earlier, what do I do about my data files?
A. Version 4.0 comes with a separate data conversion utility program
which will create a set of master files for you so you can carry on without
missing a beat.
For version 3.0 users who must convert their data files, the data conversion
utility program creates a set of files that can be opened and processed
with Sacramental Register 4.0. It is necessary for users of any version
of Sacramental Register prior to version 3.0 to first convert their data
for use with version 3.0, and then do the conversion from version 3.0 to
version 4.0.
The conversion utility will not damage or alter the earlier version
files in any way. It operates by creating a new set of files, and copying
data from the old set into the new set, making any adjustments required
along the way.
To perform the data conversion, you must have enough free space on your
hard drive to handle both the new set of files and the old set of files.
Use the Windows Explorer if necessary and do a little arithmetic to make
sure you have enough free space on the hard drive to do this conversion.
The new files will require about 10% MORE space than the old files.
IMPORTANT: This data conversion utility makes a special data
conversion report in the form of a text file which is placed in the same
folder as the new files. That report file is named ConvtProbs.txt, and
it contains a log of any entries which could not be converted, along with
record keys and some information about the context of the error. Any entries
placed in this log will reflect incomplete data in the converted files,
and so the old files need to be interrogated, or the register books need
to be looked at to bring the information up to snuff. If you need additional
information beyond what is given in the ConvtProbs.txt file, you can rerun
the conversion, after unchecking the "suppress messages" checkbox on the
Data Conversion screen. That will cause one or more messages to be displayed
each time an error occurs, stopping the conversion until the operator clicks
“ok.”
Also, version 4.0 requires that the user create and name and maintain
(and back up) the data files (just as version 3.0 did). Further, the file
names for version 4.0 data files must have the last character of the name
portion be the character '0' (zero). Examples of workable file names for
Version 4.0 data files: STJOHNS0.ADT, X0.ADT, MASTER00.ADT, or JanInput0.adt.
Please DO NOT select the test/demo file named zzzzzzz0.adt which is installed
with the program. This file has over 150 entries in it already, and is
supplied in order to give you some experience in searching for records
and playing with the program before you get involved with actual data.
if you convert your data and put it into this zzzzzzz0.adt demo file, the
bogus demo data will be all mixed in with your actual data, creating a
confusing situation for sure.
Because the Sacramental Register data is distributed over a total of
seventeen files for each identified file set name, it is a good idea to
create a new folder for each new file set, and then create the new file
in the new folder. This makes it easier later on to check up on backup
processes.
Q. If I am going to convert my old data
files, where will I find the old files, and where do I put the new files?
A. To find the version 3.0 files, launch version 3.0. When
the file menu drops down, you can usually see a path below the exit menu
item. Note that path so you can browse to it with the data conversion utility.
Next (from within the data conversion utility), click on the button
that says “Create New Ver 4 file.” Again, the little open file dialog box
appears, and again you must point it wherever you want the new files to
be placed. Where to put your new files is largely up to you. A suggested
file name might be: StSwithinMaster0.adt. It seems to work best if the
actual file name contains no spaces between words. And don't forget that
the file name must end with the digit zero (0), plus the extension .adt
as in the example shown. Please remember that the data is copied rather
than changed, so that the old program and the old data files can continue
to be used and can be saved as useful backups even after running the data
conversion utility.
Q.
I need to enter a bunch of data from
the 19th century, but the program won't let me enter anything prior to
1900!
A. This is an unfortunate limitation of the nifty little “date picker”
fields that are used throughout Sacramental Register 4.0. Those fields
have been arbitrarily restricted to dates since 1900 because they rely
on a Microsoft supplied function that can create specific graphic calendars
for all dates after that time. To permit entry of earlier dates, there
is a second set of date fields which must be used. For sacrament reception
data, you will find a column of date fields on the master data screen,
by clicking on the tab-at-the-bottom labeled “Remarks.” Any date can be
entered in these fields, which do not provide the thorough validity checking
or calendar graphics that the date picker fields do. In other words, you
must be extra careful to enter the data correctly because what you enter
is what you get. The data entered in these fields will subsequently appear
in the date picker fields, once it is saved into the file. When you get
around to entering nineteenth century marriage data, you want to
begin by going to the File menu and selecting “Set Preferences.” Select
the Miscellaneous tab and check the box that says “Permit entry of
pre-20th century dates on marriage screen.” This preference opens up a
SECOND date of baptism field for both the bride and the groom, at the bottom
of the list of data items for each. Dates earlier than 1900 can be entered
here for the “other” party to the marriage (depending on whether you are
entering the bride's master record or the groom's master record). Whoever
you are entering as a master entry (and the program prefers that this be
the bride), her baptism date should be entered in the date of baptism field
on the Remarks tab screen prior to opening the marriage data screen. Her
date of baptism will show up in the date picker field, but the groom's
date of baptism will have to be entered in the extra date field at the
bottom.
Q. The Baptism certificate (portrait version)
prints with a lot of unused white space at the bottom, even when I elect
to suppress printing of notations. How can I get rid of the unprinted area?
A. The certificates in version 4.0 are still very limited in terms
of format. Your question reads like you might have been looking for a capability
to reformat the portrait version of the Baptism certificate to take into
account the suppression of notations. That capability has not been built
into the 4.0 version. The landscape format uses the whole page without
notations, and the portrait format always allows space for the notations
whether they are printed or not. (In fact, there is also a possible problem
if people have too many notations, because the amount of space available
is definitely limited and fixed.) Some of the certificates fit nicely on
half of a portrait page, making it possible to trim off the extra portion
and have a certificate that is nicely frameable. Some people find that
the portrait format, especially when printed without borders, is not offensive
even with the added white space. At the present time, the only way to remove
the unprinted area is with scissors.
Q. How do I append a set of data files to the
master Sacramental Register 4.0 file?
A. First, use version 4.0's backup feature to create a backup copy
of the existing set of master files. This makes it possible to recover
in the event something goes wrong with one or more of the seventeen files
that make up the master Register database.
Second, open the MASTER file set in the conventional way, by selecting
the file with the zero in the name such as xxxxxxx0.adt.
With the master file set open, go to the file menu and select append
a file set.
In the dialog box, browse to the folder containing the file set to be
appended and select the file with the zero in the file name, such as yyyyyyy0.adt.
The program will automatically attempt to insert or append each master
file record, along with each sacrament record that has been checked. When
the process is complete, the master file set will be larger, and the appended
file set will be unchanged. It should be possible to attempt to append
or import the data from such a set of files over and over again, although
such efforts are not a good use of time. The point is that neither set
of files are harmed by repeating the import process.
It is always a good idea to check the data in the master file after
importing a file set, to verify that the indexes and data are functioning
properly.
Note that the file sets being appended can serve as an excellent off-line
backup of your database if they are all saved on diskettes or other appropriate
off-line media.
Q. My question isn't answered here. Where do
I turn now?
A. Submit your question (mention SacReg) using our feedback
form and we will send you an answer via e-mail right away.
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