Creating a New Family File by Coping an Older One
I created a "Family" file today for my wife and me. Let's call it "MB Family 1"
To faciliate analysis, I would like to create "MG Family 2" but do so by first copying the intial file and then, once created, change certain assumptions.
This feature would enable me to do various analyses but without having to rekey in a lot of the data that would stay the same ...eg SocSecurity earnings etc.
Is there a way to do this?
If not, can you create this capablity? It should be pretty simple to do and I think many would appreciate and use it.
Thanks.
RSS
There are technical reasons, primarily because the database design isn't particularly flexible, why this can't be done, specifically things like the date of birth, family status, and a number of others that are less visible (like the default date when the family was created). In the abstract, you're right, but most of this you can get by copying profiles and then modifying them. I've argued that the kids should be profile specific data, but there are good arguments both ways on that and I haven't been able to get traction.
What, specifically, do you want to change between the copies of these families?
Best,
Dick Munroe
How do you copy a profile?
Save As in the menu at the top of the window. Copies the currently selected profile.
Best,
Dick Munroe
Actually, it would be pretty easy to have a copy family function. But, I would assume that's not really what you want. It implies you want to save so that you can then modify the family (add kids or remove them or change demographic data). When you copy a family, do you copy the profiles already created? Do you allow changing the DOB? The one area where the db design is inflexible is that when the profile is created the DOB is used as the starting point in filling out the default values. This would then preclude copying profiles along with allowing a change in DOB as it would invalidate the profiles.
You can change the number of kids INDEPENDENT of the profiles. This was a design choice early on. It would be easy enough to change that design. Just convince Larry that's what should be done.
That's what I meant by "getting traction". Not a big thing.
Best,
Dick