WardInfo Program – How It Works

The WardInfo program takes a ‘snapshot’ of all available inputs from various files and produces a large number of hyperlinked files that make viewing information about ward members convenient and easy. These hyperlinked files, the output files of WardInfo, are viewable using any standard web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.

The information contained in the output files from WardInfo may contain sensitive personal data, so care must be exercised by the person producing these output files to be sure the information is only available to persons with appropriate stewardship responsibilities. To aid in this, six (6!) versions of the output files are produced:

1) Bishopric – contains the all information available

2) Priesthood Leaders – contains information appropriate for Melchizedek Priesthood leadership

3) Relief Society Leaders – contains information appropriate for Relief Society leadership

4) Youth Leaders – contains information appropriate for Young Men and Young Women leaders

5) Auxiliary Leaders – contains information appropriate for other ward leadership

6) Members – contains no sensitive information

For details about these versions, see this page.

Each time new information is ready to be included in the WardInfo output files, the WardInfo program must be run again with the new input available. A new set of output files are then produced and may be distributed and/or viewed.

The minimum information required for the WardInfo program is obtained from the ward’s computer and is composed of the files:

For MIS: Memout.Dat, Orgout.Dat, and HTVTout.Dat

For MLS: Membership.csv, Organization.csv, HomeTeaching.csv, and VisitingTeaching.csv

The ward clerk has access to these files, and instructions for obtaining these files in the correct format may be had here.

Additional input that is easily accessible from the ward’s MIS program (not MLS) includes the two files:

1) HTVisits.Txt

2) VTVisits.Txt

These files may also be obtained through the ward clerk’s access to the ward computer, and instructions are here.

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Another source of information is several Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, some of which are maintained manually, and some of which are maintained automatically by WardInfo. For a description of the spreadsheets, look here.

Additionally WardInfo will use and process “.gif” files that are pictures of ward members, as described here.