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Archiver > ROOTS > 1999-02 > 103796


From: Shirley Hornbeck <>
Subject: This and That Genealogy Tips on GEDCOMs
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 06:31:43 -0800



GEDCOM was originally designed by the LDS Church for their PAF (Personal
Ancestral File) Program. It is the international language that allows my
Personal Ancestral File to talk to your Family Tree Maker, Family Origins,
Roots, or Brother's Keeper.

Most genealogy programs have the capability of making a gedcom, and when
created it always ends in .ged extension (i.e. hornbeck.ged). Actually
all you have to know to be able to use a GEDCOM is how to upload it, how to
download it and if in a compressed state how to uncompress it and if in
some format other than .ged, how to convert it. If you are going to
receive these via e-mail , the person sending must send in the same format
that you use - for instance IBM-compatible PCs use MIME while Macintosh use
Bin-Hex. Explanations on loading and downloading should be in the manual
for your program.

When you receive a gedcom, whether on a floppy or from a download, the main
thing is that it ends with the file extension .ged. If it arrives as a
.txt file, it can be renamed as a .ged in File Manager, but you should cut
everything before 0 HEAD and everything after 0 TRLR before you rename it
to .ged. I just open and read the .txt file in File Manager, cut out the
necessary garbaaaage, then rename it as a .ged file. You can do this same
thing with your word processor. And there have been times when I have not
"cut" at all and it still worked out OK.

I then create a sub-directory in my PAF directory called, for instance,
"hornbeck" and move the file into this directory. Your manual or menus
should then give you instructions on how to make family records from this
Gedcom. I NEVER add it to my existing family records until I have first
had a chance to look it over. It's best to put it in it's own family
records file while you do this. Personally, what I like to do is to make a
"booklet" from the file by using GED-BOOK or some similar application, then
print it out to view it and work with it.

To create a gedcom, open your genealogy program and look in the menus for
GEDCOM, GIE, EXPORT or SAVE AS or FILE - SAVE AS. You should have an
option to make and export/save a GED or Gedcom file. You will also have an
option to select the drive you want it placed in, the directory you want it
placed in, and an opportunity to give it a different name.


GEDCOM EMBEDDED IN THE MESSAGE:
If you receive a gedcom file embedded in the text of an e-mail message,
here is what has to be done:

1. save message as a text file to a floppy or to another directory.<>
2. click on it in file manager or use a text editor to open it.
3. get rid of everything before HEAD.
4. get rid of everything after the TRLR.
5. Now save file as a .ged file or rename it to .ged.
6. Import the file into whatever your favorite genealogy program is and
work with it from there to convert to a family records file.

GEDCOM SPLIT INTO TWO FILES:
If you receive a GEDCOM file that is split between two floppy disks, one
with GED as the extension and the other has the rest of the file has
another extension:

Open the file without the .ged extension in Notepad, select all the text,
except the header (if any) and press Ctrl C, close the file and then open
the .GED file; move the cursor to the end of the file, and press Ctrl V.
This should paste the first file into the .GED file and save it.

Another way (which I have not tried):
(a). Go to a DOS prompt in a "Temp" sub directory-- assuming, of course
that you have an IBM pc and are using DOS.
(b). Copy the two files from their floppies into that "Temp" sub directory.
(c). Using a text editor or word processor, look at each of the files at
the beginning and end.
Cut everything before 0 HEAD and everything after 0 TRLR and save the
edited file in ASCII format.
(d). At the DOS prompt, enter the following command: File#!.ext +
File#2.ext File#3.GED

File#3.GED is now a new file formed from the two separate files. If you put
the files in the right order in the DOS command, the file will begin with
the line "0 HEAD." Your genealogy software should be able to import such a
file.


More This and That Genealogy Tips at my webpage:
<http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck>;


Shirley Hornbeck -
My Home Page: <http://www.s-hornbeck.com/home.htm>;
HORNBECK SURNAME RESOURCE CENTER:
<http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck/hsrc/home.htm>;
THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hornbeck>;

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