Ged, GEDCOM, PAF files?

[Robert E. Carneal]

Can I open Ged, GEDCOM, or PAF files for input? Ged, GEDCOM, &
PAF files are the popular formats to save genealogy data. Several
genealogy software companies say yes, but so far, I have not been
successful at it. I believe I may be trying to open it in the
wrong format.

Just wondering. I am thinking those formats would have to be
somehow converted to ASCII or Text, and then open the ASCII or
text file. While I can convert among Ged, GEDCOM, & PAF, I
don't know how to go from that to text/ascii.

Thanks.

Robert

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[Michael Torrie]

Check out http://www.wotsit.org

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[Brian Harney]

Take a lookit http://members.aol.com/kygs/software...r/software.htm
There you'll find a program I wrote (using PowerBasic for DOS)
that reads a PAF compatible GEDCOM file and writes a GEDCOM 5.x
file, suitable for importation into Family Tree Maker.

You'll also find another program of mine called GED2KGI
that reads a GEDCOM file and writes a "GED2KGI" file,
where each person's vital data is written to a 1-line record.

GEDCOM files are standard sequential text files (you can open and
edit them with Notepad), however, each record is prefixed with a
"gedcom tag" and a level number which shows how a series of
records construct a hierarchy of data for each person
or family. Also, some records can contain a "symbolic pointer"
showing the relationship between people (either by birth or by
marriage). In addition, some GEDCOM files can contain additional
extended GEDCOM records, for example, footnote records, which
can be pointed to by records that use each footnote.

Sadly, the GEDCOM standards set forth by the LDS Church and
Commsoft Inc in the mid-1980s, has not been followed exactly by
all vendors of "genealogy" programs. The basic vital data for
each person or family is usually there and formatted according
to the GEDCOM spec, but "extended GEDCOM tags", well, that's
another story.

There's lots of GEDCOM conversion utility type programs available,
and one of the leading genealogy programs "The Master Genealogist"
now offers database conversion from one program to another
directly, without having to rely on GEDCOM as an intermediate
file format.

Genealogical Computing, and the National Genealogical Society
NewsMagazine are perhaps two of the best places to read about
genealogy and computing.

Brian Harney, Kentucky Genealogical Society

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[This message has been edited by Brian Harney (edited November 12, 2001).]