Newsgroups: soc.roots
Date:         Thu, 31 Dec 1992 08:49:31 CST
Reply-To:     Ed Mertes <mertes@STL-07SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
From:         Ed Mertes <mertes@STL-07SIMA.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Re: Royalty GedCom and GEDCOM program
Comments: To: roots-l@VM1.NODAK.EDU

I have a couple comments relating to Steven Holloway's message that
might be helpful to him and others in his position...


>I assume to view these, one must first have acquired the GEDCOM program.
>DOes anyone one know where I could do so?

I think this was already pointed out by Tom..
 Most programs include a GEDCOM program as part of thier package
 or as an additional cost utility.


>This is all a bit frustrating.  For years I have relied on a program
>called Family Ties.  But after a several weeks on this list and nobody
>but nobody mentioning it, I concluded I was driving an Edsell.
>Therefore I rushed out and got a copy of Brothers Keeper (5.1) which
>was being hyped at the time.  My first shock was to find nothing in
>the documentation on IMPORTING files.  Assuming that Family Ties was so

If you have the complete BK package you should have the GEDCOM program.
It is on the main menu as something like "Gedcom import and eXport"
I don't have a copy of the documentation handy so I can't check to
see if it's included in the manual.


>As I've gotten to know BK better, there have been other shocks.  I like
>the capability to print descendent charts, but personally I like
>Family Ties' Ancester charts tons better.

There is/was a GEDCOM utility program for Family Ties as part of the
package FTP119.zip.  This is available on Simtel20 as well as many
mirror sites.  I don't remember much about it except it did create
data that was acceptable by PAF.

One word of warning when using GEDCOMs.  In almost all GEDCOM conversions
there is some loss of data.  For instance if one program has a twenty
position location field and the one your going to only has eighteen
position you will lose two positions.  This is the reason you should
choose one program as your main program and GEDCOM from that program
to others if you wish to do special reports and charts.  Only do
your updates to the main program (and of course back up often).  I
use PAF as my main program but I use Brothers Keeper for its Box
Charts.


>Most of my prior experience with databases has been the standards (DBase,
>Paradox, and so on). But the key thing is they IMPORT AND EXPORT TO
>EACH OTHER LIKE A CHARM.  If I've got my CD collection on any one of them,
>and something better comes along, I'm virtuely certain to be able to switch
 over
>with a few simple commands.

Yes, that is the whole purpose of GEDCOM.  The difference is in GEDCOM
each program reads and writes a standard GEDCOM file format while in the
other example most programs supply a menu of other formats to select
from.  There are Pro and Cons with either method.


>One more example: I've been looking at Family TreeMaker, which a friend
>says makes great charts.  But the documentation has nary a word about
>importing.  I'll be d****d if I'll type in 500 names again.
>
>Is there a list anywhere of what will talk to what?  Or all they all
>monolingual?  This seems now to me to be one of THE MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
>in getting a program.

IMHO (In My Honest/Humble Opinion) If a program does not include GEDCOM
don't waste your time and money on it.  If it has GEDCOM it "should"
be able to communicate with other programs.  The way to find out if it has
GEDCOM is to look at the program if it's shareware or ask around if
it's commercial software.

> Steven K Holloway   Internet:  Holloway@essex.stfx.ca


Ed



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Ed Mertes    7746 Suffolk Ave.  St. Louis, MO  63119    (314) 647-8847
mertes@stl-07sima.army.mil
mertes%st-louis-emh2.army.mil@vm1.nodak.edu
bh736@cleveland.freenet.edu
usr9223a@cbos.us.edu

Researching: MERTES DREILING RAWE STUMP/STUMPS/STUMPF JACCOD GIRARD GRAF
             DEPAUL/DIPAULO REINACHER PLOESSER/PLAZIER/PLACIER CANTER
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