Source Fields

What Is a Source Field?
Adding a New Source Field to the Family File

Working with Source Fields

Sources: An Overview

What Is a Source Field?

A source is comprised of one or more source fields. Examples of source fields include: author, title, compiler, contact person, quality of data, repository, etc.

A source field represents a single element of a source record, much like birth place represents a single element of a person's record, and marriage date represents a single element of a family record. Every source field is available for use with any source record.

Adding a New Source Field to the Family file

Reunion includes many different kinds of source fields. However, you may need to define new, different source fields to meet the needs of your research. To do this, choose Reunion > Settings and click the Sources button. Then click the Fields button to show the Fields section of the Source Settings window. This is where you create and configure new source fields.

Before creating a new source field, scroll through the list of source fields to make sure the desired field isn't already there. If not, click the Add Field button.

When you add a new source field, a new item called New Source Field is added to the list of source fields. Next, you need to name the new source field and set its attributes.

Working with Source Fields

New or existing source fields have several options, described below.

Naming a Source Field

To name the source field, type directly into the name in the list. Source field names must be unique.

Excluding a Field from Endnotes

You'll probably want the contents of most fields to be included in endnotes. However, if you create a field for personal use, perhaps as a personal designator or identification field, you can exclude its contents from endnotes by checking the Exclude from endnotes button.

Labels for Source Fields in Endnotes

The label of a source field is a user-defined text string that may, at your option, be included as a prefix to the field data in endnotes.

As explained elsewhere, endnotes contain the fields of a source record combined serially, in the order listed in the source record, using a comma for a delimiter. There may be certain types of source records, such as Census records, that will be more meaningful to people who read your reports if each field of a census record is given a label or title, even a simple abbreviation.

For example, let's say you're using a source type of "letter" with fields including "author," "date," and "date received." The output on the register report may read something like:

Joe Bloggs, 3 Sep 1998, 5 Sep 1998

...which is meaningless to another reader of the Register report. However, by including field labels (and a source type label), it could look more like this:

Letter. Author: Joe Bloggs, Date: 3 Sep 1998, Received: 5 Sep 1998.

In this example, the labels for the source fields are: "Author:" "Date:" and "Received:" The label of the source type is "Letter."

To include a label for the source fields in endnotes...

  1. Choose Reunion > Settings.
  2. Click Sources.
  3. Click Fields.
  4. Select the source field in the list.
  5. Check the button Include label prefix in endnotes (this button makes the Label field appear in the Source Settings window).
  6. Type a label into the Label field.

Click here to learn how to include a label for the source type.

Text Style for Source Fields

To specify the style of text applied to a source field in endnotes, use the Text style button. In the macOS, some fonts are not available in all styles. For example, Lucida Grande only supports "bold" and "regular" — not italic.

Quotes around Source Fields

When you want the contents of a source field to appear in quotes in endnotes, check the Put quotes around field button. This usually applies to "article titles" or "titles of selections."

GEDCOM Tags for Source Fields

The GEDCOM tag is typically a four-letter code that identifies the contents of a source field. This tag will be used if you export your family file as a GEDCOM file.

Deleting Source Fields

If you need to delete a source field from all source records (as opposed to deleting a source field from one source record)...

  1. Choose Reunion > Settings.
  2. Click the Sources button.
  3. Click the Fields button to show the Fields section of the Source Settings window.
  4. Select the field in the list of source fields.
  5. Click the Delete [FieldName] button beneath the list.

Reunion will scan your source records to see if the field is used somewhere. If so, the following window will appear...

Be very careful about deleting source fields that are used in your source records, as you can't undo this. Always save a backup copy of your family file before deleting fields globally.

To see a list of source records that use the field you're trying to delete, click the Usage button (shown in the warning window above). This will open the Sources sidebar and automatically search for and create a list of the source records that use the field you're considering deleting. Then you can see exactly where the field is used — before deleting the source field from all source records.

Note: If you open the Source Settings window by choosing Source Settings from the Add Source button in the Sources sidebar, you won't be able to delete source fields (the Delete button will be disabled). To delete source fields, you must "get there" via choosing the Reunion > Settings menu item.