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Archiver > TMG > 2002-07 > 1026619854


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Exporting Witness Tags
Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 00:10:54 -0400
References: <3D2F915C.14850221@reigelridge.com>
In-Reply-To: <BF3388A2-96D1-11D6-90EB-003065D91F8C@mac.com>


Wayne Dreier wrote:
>On Friday, July 12, 2002, at 10:33 PM, Terry Reigel wrote:
>>
>>GEDCOM had no provision for witnesses in the way TMG uses them, so they
>>cannot be exported by GEDCOM.
>>
>>Terry Reigel
>
>I have come to accept the fact that TMG uses witnesses in a non
>conventional way, but remain extremely disappointed that TMG, billed as it
>is as the best genealogical program around, cannot or will not insure the
>integrity of the data that is entered in it is not compromised. The fact
>is that information I have entered into TMG in my witness tags is ignored
>and lost to me or another's use if I try to GEDCOM the file. Yes, it is
>still in TMG so one can argue it is not lost but you and others are
>saying there is no way to get it out because GEDCOM is at fault.
>
>I disagree. GEDCOM is nothing more than a text file, stated here
>innumerable times, albeit set up with special formatting. If TMG ignores
>information by not putting it in the file why is that the fault of GEDCOM?
>It cannot do anything with data it is not given. And, before someone tells
>me that GEDCOM cannot handle user defined items, or special information,
>let me indicate that I have created a custom tag with the very same
>information that TMG places in the Witness tag it creates and if I give
>the tag a label which tells GEDCOM it is a custom tag, TMG includes it and
>GEDCOM can and does handle it.
>
>Now it can be debated whether other genealogy applications will properly
>record that information. But I maintain that even if none of the existing
>programs can handle it properly, TMG should be able to include anything
>and everything in a GEDCOM file and let the other programs worry about
>what to do with it.

You don't have to use the Witness feature of TMG. If you want those
witnesses to export in a GEDCOM file, then you should enter them in the Tag
Memo.


Lee Hoffman/KY
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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