FreeCEN

The Path of a "Piece"

Having established a small, but hopefully expanding, team arrangements will be made for census images to be made available on fiche, film, or CD-ROM.
The Co-Ord will arrange for "pieces" to be allocated for transcription. Sadly, experience suggests that in order to minimise "losses" transcribers should generally be supplied with only one piece at a time.

At some early stage it will be necessary to prepare details for the construction (by "Support") of a relevant ctyPARMS.DAT file. [8c]

While the 'normal' FreeCEN method for transfer of data-files between workers is discussed in terms of using floppy disks, alternative arrangements may be agreed within a County (by the Co-Ordinator) to allow transfer of data using CDs or Email attachments, whichever may be most expedient.

TRANSCRIPTION
Prepared using INCENS	Prepared using SSCENS
Transcriber will need the ctyPARMS.DAT to be available in order to start work.,	Transcriber can start immediately, and should be encouraged in the use of CSVCHECK [9b].
.	Co-Ord should insist that the first few transcribed pages are submitted for examination to ensure that correct standards are being applied.
on completion ...
Transcriber submits a ZIPfile named "CENScccc.ZIP" (where "cccc" identifies the transcriber's "code"). This should be [RENAME]d as "nnnncccc.ZIP" (where "nnnn" identies the "piece" number) - avoiding possible confusion with subsequent work from the same person, which would also carry the same "CENScccc.ZIP" name.	Transcriber submits the finished work, which must be in comma separated variable format (.CSV). They should also submit any Comments text-file, if created, named "MYNOTES.TXT
Co-Ord should test the work (using TOOLBOX) to ensure that no "Errors" are present in the work. (Any "Errors" could cause the Checking programme to crash!)	Co-Ord to use the TOOLBOX [9c] routines to TEST and CONVERT the .CSV file to FreeCEN format. If necessary (due to a large amount of Error or Warning items) send the "Error Report" back to the Transcriber to fix the file. Any "Errors" must be fixed before preparing a ZIPfile suitable for Import into the Checking routine!. It is desireable that as many "Warnings" as possible should also be fixed. The ZIPfile must contain: the transcribed Data and the relevant ctyPARMS.DAT file; it may also contain an optional MYNOTES.TXT file.

CHECKING Co-Ord will issue, to a Checker, the images and a ZIPfile suitable for Import into the WINCC routine. Note that WINCC versions since v2.2.9 allow for Import of ZIPfiles which may have been supplied to the Checker on floppy disk, on CD-ROM, or by email attachment. on completion ... Checked Data should not normally be rebuilt using TOOLBOX. The Checked ZIPfile contains inter-related datafiles and the addition or deletion of records at this stage will make the Validator's task much harder!

VALIDATION Co-Ord will issue, to the Validator, the images and a ZIPfile suitable for Import into the WINCC routine. Note that VALDREV Import is conducted using floppy disk. on completion ... VALDREV produces a ZIPfile containing all required files. The final operation of "Post-Validation" can be conducted (by agreement) by the same volunteer who has performed Validation of the file.

POST-VALIDATION
Post-Validation involves a final check of the data-file before it is uploaded to the FreeCEN DataBase.
If the file was Validated using the old VALCENS routine ...	A ZIPfile from VALCENS will be seen to contain about ten files; a ZIPfile from VALDREV will have only three files RUN VALCONV [9d] from the TOOLBOX. (VALCONV will not damage a VALDREV file if run accidentally.)
If the file was Validated using a VALDREV version earlier than v2.2.4 ... or if in doubt ...	RUN CENSDUPL [9e] (CENSDUPL will not damage a 'modern' VALDREV file if run accidentally.)
Then continue with Post-Validation [6d] as described. on completion ... Post-Validation produces a ZIPfile containing all required files, checked to the maximum limits.
UPLOAD to DATABASE Upload, i.e. access to the Database Input, is restricted to list of persons which may include the Co-Ord or an approved "Deputy" for each County.

Jan2004