From: fr@compu.com (Fred Rump from home)
Newsgroups: soc.roots
Subject: Re: Parents, Spouses, Children (was: Re: PAF tricks)
Date: 23 Dec 92 17:51:56 GMT
Organization: CompuData Inc.

lincoln@rand.org (Tom Lincoln) writes:

>We have seen lots of suggestions about "work arounds" to introduce this or
[etc]

>Just because genealogy is so rich in real world properties and challenges,
>it is a fine subject for the study of how to manage real world issues by
>computer. We find that most applications come up short -- and quickly.

>If one goes back to the work-arounds... they surely work locally, and
>probably cause only a modest amount of difficulty, but if you wish to share
>your files with each other or with a common data base (like LDS) then the
>lack of conventions introduces long explanations, etc. [Once again, there
>is a distinction to be made between conventions and standards, but I won't
>enter it here...]

I believe the LDS attempts at defining the ultimate dataset for genealogy go 
far in the direction we would like to go. That is they do provide us with a 
set of information rules that we can at least hang our combined hat on.

I'm not sure if these rules can be described as the work-around Tom may be 
suggesting, but they are being used to enhance the flexibility of LL at least.

As examples may I refer to some items Tom uses in HIS database:


Before I give the official LDS list (nyuck, nyuck), here is the list
of all tags that LifeLines treats specially:

Tags with special meanings in person records:

0 INDI -- maintained by LifeLines
1 NAME -- surname must be between /-chars -- required
1 SEX -- M, F or U -- required for parents/spouses
1 BIRT -- birth event
1 CHR -- baptism event
1 DEAT -- death event
1 BURI -- burial event
2 DATE -- date information -- free format, any length
2 PLAC -- place information -- free format, any length
1 FAMC -- maintained by LifeLines
1 FAMS -- maintained by LifeLines

Tags with special meanings in family records:

0 FAM -- maintained by LifeLines
1 MARR -- marriage event
2 DATE -- date information -- free format, any length
2 PLAC -- place information -- free format, any length
1 HUSB -- maintained by LifeLines
1 WIFE -- maintained by LifeLines
1 CHIL -- maintained by LifeLines


And finally, here is the list taken from the 5.0 draft standard.

ADDR address
ADOP adoption event
AFN Ancestral File number
AGE age at time an event occurred
ALIA alias -- don't use [ttw]
ANCI ancestor interest
ANUL marriage annulment event
ASSO associates
AUTH author
BAPL baptism event -- LDS
BAPM baptism event -- not LDS
BARM bar mitzvah event
BASM bas mitzvah event
BIRT birth event
BLES blessing event
BURI burial event
BUYR buyer
CALN call number
CAST caste
CEME cemetery
CENS census event
CHAN change
CHAR character set indication
CHIL child -- natural, adopted or sealed
CHR christening or naming
CHRA adult christening or naming
CNTC contact person
CONF confirmation event -- non LDS
CONL confirmation event -- LDS
CONT continuation
COPR copyright
CORP name of institution, agency, corporation or company
CPLR compiler
DATA stored automated information [huh?  - ttw]
DATE date of an event
DEAT death event
DECI descendent interest
DESR physical description
DEST destination system
DIV divorce event
DIVF divorce filing event
EDTR editor
ENDL endowment event [LDS esoterica]
ENGA marriage engagement event
EVEN event
FAM family
FAMC family as child
FAMS family as spouse
FATH father
FIDE fidelity of record
FILE information storage place
FILM film number
FORM format
GEDC gedcom information
GRAD graduation event
HDOH head of household
HEAD file header
HEIR heir
HUSB husband
INDI individual
INDX information about index
INFT informant
INTV interviewer
ITEM item
LANG language
LCCN library of Congress call number
MARB marriage bann event
MARC marriage contract event
MARL marriage license event
MARR marriage event
MARS marriage settlement event
MEDI storage or transmit medium
MOTH mother
NAME name
NAMR religious name
NAMS name sake
NATI nationality
NATU naturalization event
NCHI children count
NMR marriage count
NOTE note
OCCU occupation
OFFI officator
ORDN ordination event
PAGE page
PERI period
PHON phone number
PLAC place
PROB probate event
PROP property
PUBL publication
PUBR publisher
QUAY quality of data
RECO recorder
REFN reference number
REFS referenced source
REL relationship
RELI religion
REPO repository
RETI retirement event
RFN record file number
ROLE role played by person in event
SELR seller
SERS series
SEX sex
SIGN signature
SLGC child sealing event [LDS esoterica]
SLGS spouse sealing event [LDS esoterica]
SOUR source
STAT status
STIL stillborn
SUBM submitter
SUBN submission
TEMP temple [place where esoteric LDS events occur]
TEXT exact wording in an original document
TIME time an event occured
TITL individual's title
TRLR trailer record
TXPY taxpayer
TYPE type
VERS version
WAC initiatories event [LDS esoterica]
WIFE wife
WILL will making event
WITN witness
XLTR translator



Here are some event tags that I use.  Some are probably in the
GEDCOM standards, but I don't have a cheat sheet at hand:

1 GRAD -- Graduatation from an institution
2 INST -- name of the institution
2 DEGR -- associated degree, if any
1 NATU -- Naturalization event
2 COUR -- court where event occurred
1 ARRV -- Arrival event (as in arriving in North America from the
	home country)
2 SHIP -- name of ship, if arrived by water
2 FROM -- place of embarkation
2 PLAC or 2 TO -- place of disembarkation or first settling
1 REMV -- Event of removing from one place to another (I find it
	surprising that such an important genealogical event has
	not found its way into the LDS standards)
1 FROM -- the coming from place
1 PLAC or 1 TO -- the going to place
1 IMMI -- immigration
1 EMIG -- emigration
1 RESI -- resides (people disagree with me on this one, as they
	ususally "want" events to occur at discrete points in
	time; I have no problems with events that "occur" over
	extended periods of time.)
1 FREE -- being made a freeman (not manumission; New England concept)
1 EMPL -- becoming or being employed (discrete or continuous)
1 CENS -- being censused [sic?]

Others that I don't think I have used, but which make sense:

1 MATR -- matriculation at an institution
1 MEMB -- becoming a member of something
1 ELEC -- being elected to some office
2 OFFC -- office elected to
1 RETI -- retiring
Tom Wetmore

*********************************************************************

There seems to be a lot of flexibility to do whatever the genealogist prefers 
to do to record events and situations as they occur over time and place.

Yet, Tom's basic system is based upon the assumed concept of genetic 
linkage which is based upon extant records of birth. Everything else is 
descriptive in one way or another. I totally concur with this assessment of 
what I want my software and data to be.

Surely, as time goes on, we will get more sophisticated with data access 
techniques and link additional datasets etc. This takes time to do. We must be 
patient in that regard unless we wish to write our own special thing.

Fred


-- 
W. Fred Rump 	office:	   fred@COMPU.COM     'mans feet have grown/so big 
26 Warren St.   home: fred@icdi10.compu.com  that he/forgets his littleness'
Beverly, NJ. 08010                          		Don Marquis 
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