When you 'run' a query, the results are displayed in the Query Window. Figure 1 shows the results when the standard query Relations and 5 Nearest Relationships was run. This particular query requires you to specify an individual (in this case, the individual is called 'Cameron Peabody'). The query finds all relatives of Cameron Peabody and lists the 5 nearest ways that each of them are related to him. For example, Mary Peabody is both his sister and his wife's cousin.

With all queries, the results can be easily copied to another program (such as a spreadsheet or word-processor), or they can be printed as a report, or saved to a file.

Uses of Queries within Family Historian

Obviously queries are used for retrieving and analysing data in your family tree file. But they can also be used in other ways. You can run a query to mark all boxes in a diagram that are returned by the query (show an ancestor diagram and then mark all individuals who died over the age of 90, say). You can also use a query to locate pictures to display in the Multimedia Window. You can use a query to select records for a report. And you can use a query to split a family tree file.

All queries are stored separately from your family tree data so you can re-use them with any family tree file you like.

Sharing Queries

It is very easy to create a useful query and then share it with other Family Historian users. The Family Historian User Group, for example, encourages members to share queries, by uploading them to the web-site for others to download.