CWGC: Changes, Updates & Access difficulties

Many years ago an old boy offered me a pearl of wisdom that I have never forgotten when he said, "Don't talk to me about progress, in my experience it only makes things worse".

 

I've just had a play around on the site using my (large-screened) mobile and while I was able to search well enough and the big chunky Lego-like blocks display easily, it's still very impractical unless you are looking for a single individual. There's too much information per entry to be comfortably arranged and far too much scrolling--you'd have to be mad to attempt to do serious research on a handheld device.

 

I use the CWGC site on an iphone when out and about and it works for me the only thing that gets in the way is a poor signal but thats usually in the wilds

 

I would rather have all filters and the Search button visible on a single screen. But mobile is progress. Mobile should have its own website version, but I'm old fashioned and hate progress

I wonder what proof they would require for adding a photo. I have a photo of a relative casualty, I'm 99.9999% sure it is him but there is no documented proof or anyone living who can give evidence.
I think I would struggle to meet their requirements to add next of kin details.

 

Hi

To convert old CWGC URLs embedded in hyperlinks into a format that works. Firstly make a backup of your spreadhseet.

Assuming that all CWGC ID numbers have 7 digits.

Then open your spreadsheet and insert a column to the right of the column with the hyperlinks. Then press ALT and F11 and in the "Microsoft Visual Basic for Application" screen select "Insert Module".

Then paste the following code into the module.

Function GetURL(pWorkRng As Range) As String
'Updateby20140520
GetURL = pWorkRng.Hyperlinks(1).Address
End Function​

Then save the spreadsheet as a macro enabled spreadsheet (.xslm).

For those who want to convert the following hyperlinks: http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/nnnnnnn/

Assuming column A is the one with the ones you want to change. Insert the following formula into cell B2.

=CONCATENATE("https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/" & RIGHT((GetURL(A2)),8))

For those who want to convert the following hyperlinks: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=nnnnnnn

Assuming column A is the one with the ones you want to change. Insert the following formula into cell B2.

=CONCATENATE("https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/" & RIGHT((GetURL(A2)),7))

If it works, then click on cell B2 and drag the bottom right corner down (mouse will change to a crosshair) all the way to the bottom of your data.

If everything is fine, highlight all of the cells in column b press CTRL C and then select Paste Special and choose 'Values'. That will permenantly replace the formulas with values. You can then choose to delete column A1 without fear of messing things up.

At this point, if you wished, you could just copy and paste the new values straight over the your backed up version then delete the macro enabled one.

If this doesn't work let me know.

Gus

 

If you do the above and the URLs are not bringing up the individual casualty details page or going to the "search home" page do the following.

Open the macro builder. Create a macro called RefreshCells.

Insert the following code:

Sub RefreshCells()
Dim r As Range, rr As Range
Set rr = Selection
For Each r In rr
r.Select
Application.SendKeys "{F2}"
Application.SendKeys "{ENTER}"
DoEvents
Next
End Sub
​

Save and close.

Highlight the cells that haven't changed and select Macros - View Macros and Run 'RefreshCells'

The Macro will press ENTER and then jump to the next row and keep going until the end of the cells you highlighted. That should do the trick.

Close and re-open the spreadsheet and the hyperlinks should all go blue.

Gus

 

Gus, where were you when I tried to understand coding?
I don't know if it works, (leave that to those with more than my one brain cell) but top marks for clarity of explanation!

 

Thanks for the kind words.

I have a degree in Business Information Systems, which in my current line of work I hardly get to use it. And of course thanks must also go to the mighty Google.

And as the Gynecologist said, its always nice to keep your hand in.

Gus

 

Gus, you lost me on the first line of code.

 

All it does is take the url (Web address) out of the original hyperlinks, then extract the cwgc unique ID by stripping the 7 right most characters and the appending in onto the end if the new cwgc url. As you drag down it turns each url into a hyperlink again simples.

 

Looks rather over complicated to me. What is going into the space left for an image, a "head and shoulders" of the person or their headstone?

 

I've noticed these new format links sometimes don't work first time, but the second attempt the page open up.

 

I wonder if that was why they dropped out of their partnership with TWGPP ?

Kyle

 

Just spoken to cwgc re the casualty page
In the near future the facility will be available to add casualty photo or headstone they are still working out how it will work re uploading and copyright issues
So it might be possible for public to upload or i suspect when they have thought it through it will have to go through cwgc first for sanity check

 

Wonder why they don't have TWGPP photos? Did they fall out? Or run out of fivers?
Casualty photos could be a can of worms.

 

Casualty photos could/would not be a good idea. Whilst I personally know people who would take a sensible approach with fully validated photos - and at least one is a member of this Forum - it could lead to all sorts of mischief. In any case, who would validate the photos? Who would resolve the family arguments? Who would own the copyright? Who.......

In my mind, the only properly validated photos would be those taken when the person joined the Services etc, and that was never (?) done. In any case, how would that person now give permission for publication (?!) and would they have done so when they were alive?

 

TD

 

Whilst there's always a risk of it being open to abuse, a parallel wiki would permit the addition of a 'history' to each casualty. You'd still need GSE to do it properly, though.

 

Isn't that what the IWM's Lives of The First World War are doing? (for 50 quid a year, as a supporter)
CWGC database should be restricted to what records they hold, with the addition of grave photos, which they probably should have done themselves.
GSE should not be a requirement, their system should do all that is required (I'm available for hire!)