Update: The poll is here
First off, MacPAF has a poll going about layout/look in regards to how the Pedigree View should display empty buttons – you can vote here – this will be the first of several polls taken over the next few months as MacPAF 1.0 nears release.
MacPAF Preview Release:
From Logan: “The end is in sight for the first preview release. There are only a handful of things left to do before I’ll feel comfortable letting some of you beat on it and put it through its paces. If all goes well, sometime this weekend or during next week I will release the first public preview…..Depending on how the preview release goes, I expect a final 1.0 release in 1 to 3 months”.
Some notes concerning the preview release:
* TempleReady submission will not be finished in the preview release, but will be for the final 1.0 release.
* MacPAF will probably lose some custom GEDCOM fields when you edit files imported from other genealogy programs. Many windows applications like PAF and Legacy use these custom GEDCOM fields to store specific information to those programs that are not part of the GEDCOM specification. These data fields usually only have meaning to those specific programs, but if you import data from one of the programs, modify it in MacPAF and open it back up in the original application, some of that custom data may be missing. This is a touchy subject that all GEDCOM applications have to deal with, and no important data is ever supposed to be stored in these custom fields, or should be stored somewhere else as well, like notes. This is one are where feedback will come in handy. There are several ways to deal with the issue, and I haven’t quite decided what to do yet. If you only use MacPAF to edit your files, this won’t be an issue. (MacGenealogy.org note – this is completly true, even between Mac genealogy programs – at some point developers have to decide whether to stay with a GEDCOM format and use those extra fields to extend the amount and type of data available to genealogists, or to move to a proprietary database/storage format).
* Multimedia support will not be finished for the preview release.
* Sorting the individual and family lists probably won’t be finished, and searching will be possible, but fairly basic.
* The preview won’t have much support for sources outside of the notes.
* So the preview release will have a mismash of poor icons and the application logo will be a temporary one. Hopefully with the help of these fine volunteers the final release will have a nice logo and better icons. I’ll be contacting those who offered to help in the next few days to enlist their help.
* With the preview release, you should be able to import GEDCOM files, and view and edit all of the basic information (birth, death, ordinances, notes, etc.) You’ll be able to view some of the more advanced data, like personal attributes (hair color, occupation, etc), but it won’t have support for editing/adding them yet (again, should be in final 1.0).