Requesting a new GEDCOM save type
Although GEDCOM files provide a way to exchange data between
different programs, genealogy programs have slightly different
GEDCOM formats. Most programs do not fully implement the GEDCOM
format, which means you can lose data when you transfer your
file between programs.
Issue
can help with this, since it should never lose data which other programs
have placed in GEDCOM files, and it can convert from one program's
format to another program's format.
Issue has a set of "save types" corresponding to a number of
popular programs, so that you can easily save a GEDCOM file in
a format tailored to another genealogy program. This minimizes
the amount of data which gets lost. If Issue has no "save type"
for some program, you should use "Standard GEDCOM 5.5 format".
However, most programs cannot handle the complete standard format,
and so some data may be lost.
You may help with this situation by helping us generate a
"save type" for another program you have access to.
To do this, follow the steps given below:
-
Get the file
http://armidalesoftware.com/issue/ged/master.ged.
This file contains most of what is legal in GEDCOM 5.5, as well as some
things which aren't legal but either were legal in previous versions of
GEDCOM, or which are used by other popular programs.
-
Import this file into a new database in the other program. It will
likely generate a number of errors. If it asks you how to handle
specific cases, always choose the default options, or whatever is
easiest for you to do if there are no defaults. If a log file is
generated, make a note of the filename.
-
Once the file has been imported, save (or export) it to another
GEDCOM file, with a different filename. If you have a choice of
types or destinations, choose the one for sending to another
person with your program. For example, if you have PAF 5.0,
save as a PAF 5.0 GEDCOM file.
-
Send us the log file generated in step 2, and the GEDCOM file
you created in step 3. You may send these in email to
thalerk@armidalesoftware.com.
Existing "save types" include:
- Standard GEDCOM 5.5
- Ancestral Quest
- Legacy 2.0
- Legacy 4.0
- Family Origins
- PAF 3.0
- PAF 4.0
- PAF 5.0
- TempleReady
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