The different data fields

Identity fields

Some fields are not displayed by default. If you need to use them click on the cogwheel  to choose the Data Entry mode adapted to your work. For further details, see Customize Heredis/Heredis’ Preferences.

Surname

Type the surname of the person, without worrying about upper or lower case. Heredis includes various data entry aids which allow you to save time and avoid errors. Each new surname entered is added to the Surnames Index, you can change the formatting for any name from the Surname index.

See Customize Heredis/Heredis’ Preferences and Indexes: generalities.

Prefix

The prefix is used to specify an attribute found often in an old deed, such as «Lord», «Sir», «Reverend»…, or in more recent documents, such as «Professor», «Master», «Doctor»…

Suffix

The suffix specified is assigned only to the surname of the person being entered. You can add references such as «Senior» or «Junior» or assumed names.

Given Names

Type the different given names of the person. The list of given names known to Heredis appears and is updated as and when you type. Once you have located the given name in the list, use the down arrow to select it and then press Enter to select it.
If the usual given name is not the first given name, it can be high­lighted. To do this, click the icon (Windows: , Mac:)to the right of the field for entering given names, and select the usual name in the list.
Info • The usual given name may also be highlighted by entering it with quotation marks.

Gender

The gender of the person is automatically filled in by Heredis, accord­ing to the given name entered. If you want to change it, or if you typed a given name unknown to Heredis or for a multiple given name, type M for Male, F for Female, or leave ? for persons whose gender is unknown. You can change the default gender for a given name by editing it in the Given Name Index.  If you encounter multiple male Robin, choose by default the male sex in the Given Name Index. If you meet a woman named Robin, it will be enough to change the sex only for her.

Nickname

The display of a nickname will be preceded by aka.

Occupation

Enter the occupation of the person. This item should contain the sole or main occupation he/she held. You may also enter as events any other dated and detailed occupations, for other activities. The list of recognized occupations with Heredis appears and is updated as and when you type. When you see the desired occupation in the list, use the down arrow to select it and press Enter to select it.
In the Occupations field, recognized occupations are underlined. When you type a word not recognized as an occupation, you may add it to the list of occupations available.

(Mac) Select the word or phrase with your mouse and click the arrow to the right in the input field. Heredis will add the occupation to the Occupations Index. When you leave this field, you will find that the occupation is now recognized as it is underlined.

(Windows) Select the word or phrase with your mouse and click the + button to the right in the input field. Heredis will add the occupation to the Occupations Index. When you leave this field, you will find that the occupation is now recognized as it is underlined.

Title

Indicate here any title of nobility or honorary title.

Personal number

This number corresponds to any personal numbering system you may wish to set up (numbering by genealogical areas, identification numbers…).

Signature

Scroll down the Signature menu and select:

• Yes if the person knows how to sign,
• No if you have observed that the person does not know how to sign
• ? if you do not have any information.

You can choose which option is the default for each new person entered in Heredis > Preferences > Format, see Customize Heredis/Heredis’ Preferences.

Child status

Scroll down the Child Status menu to choose the appropriate option. If your ancestor was born out of marriage of an unknown father, chose natural. Make you choice according to the data you found.

Flags and their use

There are 2 types of flags:

• those suggested by Heredis, see Flags suggested by Heredis article.
• those you can fully personalized, see Personalized flags article.

Use the Smart Search to change flags at once for multiple persons. For example, you want to make confidential all people born after 1920. Use the Smart Search and apply the treatment to make them all confidential at the same time. See Smart Search article for further details.

Facts

With Facts, enrich your genealogy with new data and attach witnesses, places, sources, medias and dates to it.
You can add as much as you wish, unlimited number, and you can organize them.
These facts are displayed in the central part of the screen Data > Personal Data in the Facts tab.
When a Fact is filled, the tab is marked with a blue spot.

Facts

Read also Facts article.

Notes

Add specific details to your genealogy by using the available notes. You will find entry boxes for notes on persons, families, events, media, sources, surnames, given names, occupations and plac­es. The notes are equipped with formatting tools integrated in the Heredis software. One may also paste formatted text from other applications (word processors, browsers, desktop publishing tools, etc.) though images are ignored.

For further details, see Input notes.