Research Tools

Research Tools
Summary	Adds tools for external searches or information relevant to the individual page
Validation
Mod Updated	21 Mar 2024
Download link	for TNG 12.0 TNG 13.0 TNG 14.0 Researchtools_v12_8b.zip
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Author(s)	A. S. DuPree
Homepage	Research_Tools (this page)
Mod Support	TNG Community Forums
Contact Developer	A. S. DuPree
Latest Mod	12.0.0.8a
Min TNG V	12
Max TNG V	14
Files modified	getperson.php
Related Mods
Notes	External sites can change at any moment. This mod connects to them but it is necessary to understand what it is doing to change links when needed in options.

Introduction

Update (2/2/22) All research links open in a new tab (instead of popup windows). This avoids research sites disabling themselves when they are embedded in a page. There are now 4 custom link slots and all links are in the same line.

Bring the power of the web to your site.

The mod adds a customized set of links on the right hand side of the page as "Research Tools" or just a single link (i.e. Google) if you only choose one. In some ways this mod is similar to the Research_Link_ Mod.

Mod allows you to choose to display up to six links: Surnamedb, Wikipedia, Geni (or Geneanet if you choose a language other than English), Google, FamilySearch and "more links." Links will open the page in a new window, and perform a search on the individual. Surnamedb just searches on the surname.

Which expands to this:

When link is clicked a new tab will open in research site with name and, in some cases, birthdate and birthplace pre-filled:

WARNING - Search engines change the method of their searches regularly. A dead link can cause your webpage to 'hang.' If this happens disable the link in the mod options.

1. Familysearch requires login. So you need to login and then go back to find the page you were on. This is irritating and potentially confusing for public sites. It is thus set by default to only be visible to logged in users of a site.
2. There are 4 custom links you can make yourself see information below.

Developer

This mod was developed by A.S. DuPree (a novice, happy for any help on improving it)

Requirements

• A working TNG installation.
• A backup of all affected files (see the list in the summary in the upper right corner of the page)

Language

The mod is in Czech, English, French, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. (thanks Bonnie, Katryne, Jurgen, Kare and Ron). It is easily customized for other languages.

1. There is a language option in the mod manager to choose your language. This attempts on some sites to get the version in your language if available.
2. The text is revisable. Change the text between quotes below and place into your cust_text.php file in your language folders. Some links (Surnames for example) are English-dependent but you can choose not display them.)


$text['aboutsurname'] = "About Surname";
$text['onlinetree'] = "Geni";
$text['opennewtab'] = "Open in New Tab";
$text['surnameonly'] = "Surname only";
$text['placeonly'] = "Search place";
$text['morerestrict'] = "Restrict search";
$text['addspouse'] = "Add spouse(s)";
$text['addmother'] = "Add mother";
$text['addparents'] = "Add parents";
$text['wikisearch'] = "Wikipedia";
$text['treesearch'] = "Search an online tree for this person";
$text['internetsearch'] = "Do an internet search for this person";
$text['rightclick'] = "Right click link for new tab";
$text['familysearch'] = "Requires login. Will go to new page. Log in. Hit back button. Refresh. Does not work in all browsers";
$text['Research Tools'] = "Research Tools";

Installation

1. Download the appropriate zip file as shown in the mod summary in the upper right corner of the page.
2. Extract the file from the downloaded zip file into the mods folder or FTP the extracted file to your mods folder.
3. Follow the normal automated installation for Mod Manager, as shown in the example Mod Manager - Installing Config Files to install the mod.

In the event of a problem

• Try using the Mod Manager Remove capability
• Copy the backup of the affected files back to your TNG directory
• Contact us through the TNG Community Forums.

Uninstalling the mod

If you want to completely Remove (uninstall) this mod and all its tables, you should

1. click the Uninstall button to uninstall the mod
2. click the Delete button to delete the config file from the mods folder.

Customizing a URL Search String

1. Do a search on a site that you want
2. Copy the whole url after you have searched
3. Identify the query. It comes after the '?'
4. Find the field names (generally before an = sign)
5. Copy the appropriate variables below after the = sign
6. Optional (get rid of unused stuff in the string - hint anywhere there is nothing after the =, you will see =&)

List of Variables
Paste exactly as provided
Website Language (two-letter format, i.e. 'en' for English) - {$ihlang}
Person's Surname - {$ihsurname}
Person's Firstname - {$ihfirstname}
Person's Birth Year - {$ihbirthyear}
Person's Birth Year Range - {$ihyrrange}
First year in range - ($b)
Last year in range - ($c)
Person's Spouses first names - {$ihspousenames}
Person's Mother: first - {$ihmfname} and second - {$ihmsname}
Person's Father -{$ihffname} and second - {$ihfsname}
The first section of the birth or christening place name ex Minneapolis - {$first_word}
The last section of the birth or christening place name ex Minnesota or United States - {$last_word}
(Note, you may have a lot in the middle of a place name; I take the beginning and end, as a tactic to get sufficient information for most searches...)
*********************************************
Once you have the complete string in the form of https//URLTOSEARCH?YOURSEARCHSTRING

1. Try it out in the custom field in mod options. Copy the whole string - in to one of two customized link fields in the options in mod manager.
2. Some websites do not allow embedding their site in another. All of them appreciate recognition. So add a new custom name for your link that that reflects the source.

Also feel free to copy your strings below this text so others can use them:
i.e.:
FindaGrave
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSfn={$ihfirstname}&GSmn=&GSln={$ihsurname}&GSbyrel=all&GSby=&GSdyrel=all&GSdy=&GScntry=0&GSst=0&GSgrid=&df=all&GSob=n'
FindmyPast
https://search.findmypast.com/search/world-records?firstname={$ihfirstname}&firstname_variants=true&lastname={$ihsurname}

Customizations in Mod Manager

1. Choose links/tools to display
2. Placement of popup (width, height, left and top)
3. Add one or two custom searches -- if you dare!

Revision History

1. v12.0.0.8b - Php variable fix.
2. v12.0.0.8a - Allows to restrict to users or users with edit privileges in options.
3. v12.0.0.8 - Corrects for missing Open Source Map when using templates 15, 19 or 21.
4. v12.0.0.7 - Popup windows are no longer used -- all sources open in a new tab - and custom links are moved up to one line (no more "more links").
5. v12.0.0.6 - Choose to open in new window rather than a popup window. Google search made more restrictive.
6. v12.0.0.5a - No real difference. Just making amends for breaking tng standards on mods.
7. v12.0.0.5 - This was a massive rewrite to make popups draggable and persistent (The popup will continue on to every individual page you go until you click it off). Czech and Spanish were added (thanks Ron). Java lines were trimmed significantly and draggable and touch capacities were included. Some testing on 12.1 beta of tng. Thanks to the forum for suggestions, testings and finding problems. Swedish now included (thanks Bonnie)
8. v12.0.0.4 - (Feel free to skip if you have the last version installed, customized and you are happy with it. Adds a unique link just for customizations (leaving the online tree link to be used only for trees). No additional language customization is necessary. Also adds in Norwegian (thanks to Kare). I also set the tree search to only change to geneanet for French speakers. Geneanet is a subscription service like FamilySearch and one really needs to be logged into it before using the link.
9. v12.0.0.3 - Fixes some internal variables. Adds German (thanks to Jurgen). Tinkers with popup settings to address odd displays in some browsers.
10. v12.0.0.2 - Addresses a conflict with the Research Links Mod and some format issues.

Sites using this mod

If you download and install this mod, please add your TNG site to the table below:

URL	User	Note	Mod-Version	TNG-Version	User-language
KingsThings website	Garry King	Public & Private	12.0.0.4	12.1	EN
Adupree.com	A.S. DuPree	Mod Developer	12.0.0.8b	14.0.4	EN
Roots & Relatives Remembered	Ron Krzmarzick	Public & Private	See Here	See Here	EN,DE,CS
Genealogy of the van Heerden Family	Emile van Heerden	Public & Private	12.0.0.1	12.0.3	EN
GénéaKat	Katryne	Public & Private	12.0.0.7	14.0.3	FR,EN
Racine d'Alsace	J-Louis Valory	Public (registration)	12.0.0.6f	13.1.1	FR
Généalogie des Malvache, Hermary	Cédric Malvache	Public-Private	12.0.0.6	13.1	FR,ES,EN
Geslagregisters	Louis Scholtz	Public-Private	12.0.0.6	13.1	AF,DE,EN,FR,SP,IT,PT
Joseph Oran Holtz Genealogy Pages	Jim Holt	Private	See Here	See Here	EN
Huygens - Van de Moortel	Tom Huygens	Public/Private on WordPress	12.0.0.5a	13.1.2	NL