Please note this website is no longer being updated due to personal circumstances. Some links may no longer be available but the entire website is being left in place since even in a restricted capacity it may still be helping people. PLEASE do not email me about changes to this website because this site is no longer being updated!
HOW TO MAKE A GEDCOM Instructive page prepared by GEN SERV. The site gives instructions for making Gedcoms using the following:
WWW.MY-GED.COM Frequently asked questions concerning GEDCOMs. There are also instructions here for making a GEDCOM.
THE GEDX GEDCOM GENEALOGY SITE To quote from the site, "The GEDCOM file format is something that EVERY person that does genealogical research on his computer will encounter sooner or later. The purpose of this site is to gather together in one place information, links, programs, etc., that pertain to GEDCOM files, their creation, their use, and the problems encountered in doing so."
MANASOTA PAF NEWS: GEDCOM Making a GEDCOM using PAF 4.0....a very helpful site, with illustrations.
GEDCOM UTILITIES This site has some useful programs which can be downloaded to help with your GEDCOMs. For example, as a total newbie, I typed about 4,000 entries into Brothers Keeper before I realised it would have been a good idea to put the surnames in capitals. BIG job to re-do them! From this site I downloaded Gedcaps.exe and with that small program, changed over my 4,000 names in a few minutes, so that every surname was in capitals.
TRANSFORMING YOUR GEDCOM FILES INTO WEB PAGES Written by Mark Howells for one of several different genealogical publications.
GEDCOM VIEWER Gedcom Viewer opens a Gedcom (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) format file, exported from your Genealogy program, and displays the full family tree - all on a single screen, even for hundreds of people.
GEDPAGE Gedpage will create your family tree webpage right from your GEDCOM file.
GEDCLEAN To quote from the site, "GEDClean32 is the industry-leading program which automates the task of "cleaning" the personal information about living individuals from a GEDCOM file containing genealogical data."
GEDPRIVY GEDPrivy is a program to create privacy for data in genealogy files (GEDCOMs).
GED2HTML A GEDCOM to HTML Translator.
GED2WWW GED2WWW is a free GEDCOM to HTML converter; it takes a genealogy database stored in GEDCOM format and produces a bunch of web pages from it.
GEDHTREE GedHTree is a program for Windows 95/98 users that processes GEDCOM files to generate direct ancestor tree pages, family group pages or family group descendant trees, index pages, note pages, source pages, photo links, time/density map, and, name/age stats in HTML format.
SPARROWHAWK Sparrowhawk is a GEDCOM-to-HTML conversion program for the Macintosh.
GED2GO GED2GO removes living persons from GEDCOM files. GED2GO completely deletes living persons rather than just withholding details.
RES PRIVATA An easy to use application for filtering private data from genealogy database (GEDCOM or GED) files. It can filter birth, death, marriage, adoption, notes, source and other details.
THE GEDCOM STANDARD RELEASE 5.5 Information about Gedcoms. Prepared by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
GEDCOM DATE CALCULATOR The Date Calculator is a date conversion and calculation utility for genealogists. The Date Calculator is a free utility for many date calculations and conversions.
IMPORTING A GEDCOM FILE IN FTM DearMYRTLE's wonderful page on the topic of importing Gedcoms into Family Tree Maker program. The document is clearly illustrated with computer-screen shots which make this exercise really easy to follow.
IMPORTING A GEDCOM FILE IN PAF Another of DearMYRTLE's pages on the topic of importing Gedcoms, this time, into PAF [Personal Ancestry File] program. Once again, the document is clearly illustrated with computer-screen shots which make this exercise really easy to follow.
GEN VIEWER To quote in part from the site, "GENViewer works with any genealogy application that can export to the GEDCOM file format. This is an "Add On" utility and doesn't replace your current genealogy application. Reads GEDCOM version 5.5, PAF version 3 and PAF version 4 data files. Fast imports! View your information in seconds not minutes! Allows you to view and analyze your data without creating separate databases that can fill your hard drive.
The article "Creating A GEDCOM", may be printed out more easily by going HERE to print out a document using black text and without any graphics.
The following instructions for CREATING A GEDCOM have been written by Juliette Hendry for a BROTHERS KEEPER program: others may differ slightly. See the link How to Make a Gedcom by GenServ, above, for other family history software programs.
In the following article, we are talking about sending and receiving Gedcoms by email. I should add here, that if you do not have access to email, a Gedcom can be exchanged simply by saving it on a floppy or other portable disk and importing it into your family history program as described below. A Gedcom can also be saved onto a floppy disk or other portable disk and posted or given to someone who may want to install your Gedcom into their own family history program.
Here we are going to use our entire database to create our Gedcom. To send a portion of our database in a Gedcom entails splitting the database before creating the Gedcom. We'll get to that. First things first!
Here goes...
Open your Brothers Keeper program.
Select FILE then click on GEDCOM
Click on EXPORT then on O.K.
You will be asked to name your file, e.g. Brown.ged. Note the .ged file extension.
You will need to choose where the finished Gedcom will be saved, either somewhere on your hard drive or on a floppy disk. Unless it is a huge Gedcom I usually save mine to a floppy disk as it is easier to find! If this is your first attempt, I suggest you SAVE YOUR GEDCOM TO A FLOPPY DISK.
Anyway, having selected where you are going to save your Gedcom, and what you are going to name it, click O.K.
You will then need to choose the items you want included in your Gedcom. When in doubt, leave the choices as they are, and then click O.K.
The process of creating your Gedcom will commence, and this may take a minute or so, depending on the size of your database.
You will get a dialogue box when it is finished, to say the work is done. When this occurs, click O.K. You did it!
Now, to send your Gedcom to another person by email, go through your usual email procedures and send your Gedcom as an attachment.
Why would anyone want to split a database? Good question! Suppose you have a large database, consisting of all your side of the family, your husband's side of the family, and you receive a request for a Gedcom of your mother's ancestors.
You can then split off that part of the database and send the information, without including your full history or that of your husband's family. It keeps the file smaller and more manageable, also.
Here's how you do it!
In Brothers Keeper, click on FILE and select SPLIT DATABASE
Create a new Directory in the bottom box, inserting the following:
C:\BK5 and adding your chosen directory name so that it becomes, for example,
C:\BK5\SMITH
Click on CREATE
A dialogue box comes up, asking if you want to create that new directory.
Click on YES
Now you will come to a screen which asks particular questions concerning how you want the database split. You can experiment on the various options at your leisure but for now, we will choose
DESCENDANTS OF A PERSON and leave the default at 40 GENERATIONS
Click on DESCENDANTS OF A PERSON
This brings you to a box where you are required to type in either the person's name or a Brothers Keeper number. When you have done that, click on FIND
This will give you the name and details of that person. Just be careful here that you select the correct person if there is more than one person of that name from which to choose.
Click on the person you want, then click on SELECT
Yet another screen comes up, with choices to be made. Note, on the bottom of the screen, it shows how many people have been selected.
Choose COPY THE SELECTED PEOPLE NOW and click on it.
You will be notified when this is completed.
Click on O.K.
Now, you are back again in Brothers Keeper main screen. To find your database with the people in it you have selected, go to FILE
Then to OPEN LIST OF DATABASES
It may show a different directory from the one you want.
Click on your keyboard DELETE button then in the blank space, type in:
C:\BK5\BROWN or whatever you called your directory when you created it.
Click on O.K.
There you are! You are in your newly created directory, with your newly split database.
Now, you can send the contents of your split database in a Gedcom, creating it as before, only now you are using the people you split off from your complete database, instead of creating a Gedcom from your full database.
To get back to your main database,
Click FILE Select OPEN LIST OF DATABASES
and type in the address of your main database, e.g.
C:\BK5\SMITH or whatever you called it.
We are assuming that you have been sent a Gedcom by email and you have saved it either on a floppy disk or somewhere on your hard drive. For the first time, it is easier if you save it on your floppy disk. If you want to, you can locate it now on your hard drive and save it to your floppy before you start this exercise, assuming the file itself isn't too large for a floppy.
You don't have to do it that way, I just find it easier that way, when someone is new to Gedcoms. By all means, save it on your hard drive if you are confident [ and know WHERE on your hard drive you have saved it!!]
To receive a Gedcom you first need to create a new database in which to receive it.
Open Brothers Keeper, and Select FILE
then select OPEN DATABASE
In the bottom box, type in the following, C:\BK5 followed by the name of your new database, so the result would be something like this:
C:\BK5\CLARK
Now, having done that, get ready to import your Gedcom! Here goes..don't be nervous...
On the main screen of Brothers Keeper, click on FILE then
GEDCOM then IMPORT
Click O.K. Not hard so far, is it?
In the dialogue box, select the Gedcom file to IMPORT.
You will be presented with a dialogue box, insert your file name in the top left-hand box.
If your Gedcom is stored on a floppy, it is easy to locate. If you have stored it somewhere on your hard drive, you will need to click on C:\under Folders and then click on O.K. then click on WINDOWS in the same location, and so on, until you locate your Gedcom to import. Hang in there! It isn't hard...
The Gedcom will commence scanning. When it is finished, it will tell you. Click on O.K.
You will then be presented with a number of options concerning the content of your Gedcom. You can either select what you want, or leave the settings as they are. Then click O.K.
Your Gedcom will commence importing. You are on the home strait now, so relax for a minute or two and reflect how easy it is to import data that would otherwise take you perhaps months to type in to your database!
When the Gedcom finishes importing, it will tell you.
Click O.K. There you are, FINISHED!
Now you can view the new information you have received, in a chart or a tree, a list or a group, create an index, print it all out if you wish...the choice is yours!
