It is pretty easy to take this data and extract it into a spreadsheet
and then create a searchable PDF. If you set up your site search index
it should be able to search within a PDF which might satisfy him.
Personally I think the page is pretty ugly with the missing borders on
empty cells. That is something that can be corrected easily in the HTML
by inserting a "<br>" into the empty cells. Anything in there will force
the cell to draw it's borders. Whoever designed this probably had the
data in a spreadsheet and exported it into HTML format. Excel is
notorious for defaulting to leaving the cells empty when there is
nothing to export which ends up with the missing borders. If you copy
all the data on the page and copy it to your clipboard and then past it
into an empty spreadsheet, it will automatically align the rows and
columns. You can then print or export to a PDF and replace the page link
with the PDF. When in the PDF you would have to use the normal search
method or rely on your site search to point to the file.
You already have a Search tool on the site, how is this not fulfilling
his need to make the information searchable? You shouldn't have to
change the format if all he wants is to be able to search his data
separate from the rest if the site. You could also put these pages in
their own directory and create a new Search tool that just searches that
directory and will return a pointer to the data. That may satisfy him.
Since your a neighbor of my county, Muskingum, I'll help any way I can.
Dale's not the only one who can help!
Denny Shirer - drdx(a)neo.rr.com - Canton, OH
Shirer Family Genealogy -
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mysong
Muskingum County, OHGenWeb -
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohmuskin/
On 8/7/2013 10:31 AM, Sheila Helser wrote:
Is Dale Grimm still the state coordinator for OHGW?
I looked on the OHGW site but was unable to find out?
I have been contacted by a researcher/contributor who donated material back
in 2001, before I became webmaster, and he is now not happy with the way it
is online, h prefers it be more searchable. He wants me to either correct
it to a way he likes or remove it.
However I do not have the original files I only inherited the HTML as is.
http://coshoctonohio.pa-roots.com/Births1867_1879/births1867_1879Info.html
Therefore changing the format would be extremely difficult. When it was put
online it evidently was put through an html creator. Plus I think one large
alphabetical file would be too large?
I am trying to figure out a way to deal with the contributors unhappiness
with the files and keep the files on the site and not have to remove them.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I hope if Dale is state Coordinator he can
advise?
Thank you,
Sheila
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