DP Tool Club 15/CD_ASCQ_15_070894.iso/vrac/ged2tth1.zip/GED2TT.DOC

Text File | 1994-05-17 | 10KB | 194 lines

                           GED2TT DOCUMENTATION

     GED2TT is a genealogical program which converts gedcom files to
     TinyTafel files for use in the national Tafel Matching System
     (TMS) exchange program.
          To register this shareware program or if you have questions and
     comments about the program please contact the author:
              Andrew Koppenhaver       PRODIGY ID: NGDN81A
              13224 Old Chapel Rd.     Compuserve ID 70476,521
              Bowie, MD 20720          CPAFUG BBS, FidoNet 109/422
              [phone]

         Although the copyrights for GED2TT  and the documentation are
     reserved by the author, permission is hereby granted for the
     distribution by any desirable means, with only these RESTRICTIONS:
     No-one but the author or his designated agent is to receive any
     remuneration for GED2TT or the documentation, except that bonafide
     users' groups, clubs, etc may charge a nominal fee for the material
     and handling in non-profit distribution of thIs package on magnetic
     media.  Distribution of any kind must include the 4 files:
        1 executable program - GED2TT.EXE; plus
        3 document files - GED2TT.DOC (this file), WHATS.NEW and
          REGISTER.G2T

          Users of GED2TT  may make copies of the program for trial use by
     others on a PRIVATE NON-COMMERCIAL BASIS.  Unlimited license for the
     non-commercial use of this program is hereby granted.
          In no event will the author be liable for any damages arising
     out of the use of or the inability to use these programs by anyone,
     even if the author has been advised of the possibility of such
     damages.
          If the software does not perform as described, liability is
     limited to replacing the software or refunding the purchase price (if
     purchased and registered).

          Use the program, and if you find it worthwhile and useful a
     contribution ($15 is suggested) to the author will be appreciated.
     If a contribution (registration) of $15 or more is received, an
     up-dated copy with improvements or changes will be provided to the
     contributor.
          With the $15 registration (see file REGISTER.G2T) a copy of the
     programs GENE/GENEX/GEDCOMG and the latest version of the program
     GENE-PAF will also be provided.  Comments about the programs
     are solicited and welcome.


    INTRODUCTION

    GED2TT was written in GW BASICA under DOS 3.1 and compiled using
    Spectra Publishing's PowerBasic version 3.0.   Borland"s TURBO BASIC
    DATABASE TOOLBOX (modified) was also used to facilitate large data file
    manipulation.

    A GED2TT MENU will appear allowing you to select GEDCOM file
    modifications or TINY TAFEL.

     Several routines are provided which allow you to modify a gedcom
    file...i.e. to change capitalization of Individual names and abbreviate
    State names. GED2TT will also create a TINY TAFEL file from a gedcom
    file.   TINY TAFEL is a summary of a data file which lists all surnames
    in the file, the number of times each surname is found in the file,
    oldest and youngest birthdates of each surname and geographic area
    where the surnames resided.  This is a useful summary of data to share
    with other genealogists about your data or for doing genealogy data
    research with other software data bases.  You may submit your Tiny-
    Tafel  to any node on the computer bulletin board network known as the
    National Genealogy Conference (NGC) which contains a program called the
    Tafel Matching System (TMS).  You can then use TMS to search other data
    bases over the entire NGC network using the information in your Tiny-
    Tafel as a basis for matching, within the constraints you select. To
    get more information about NGC and TMS contact COMMSOFT,Inc (address
    given on page 3) or you may sign-on to the COMMSOFT BBS at (707) 838-
    6373.


    GED2TT INSTRUCTIONS:

    When GED2TT is executed an introductory screen is shown.  Just press
    Retrn or Enter to continue.
    If you are working with a gedcom file containing more than about 500
    records of individuals you may not be able to execute GED2TT
    successfully using standard 360K floppy diskettes.  A hard disk,
    capable of handling larger data files, may be necessary.   GED2TT
    creates scratch data files which are about 50% of the input gedcom
    file.  These scratch files are deleted upon program termination.  If
    space for the scratch data files is not available on your output disk
    then the program will abort.    GED2TT will prompt for which drive will
    contain the input (xxxxxxxx.GED) file and to which drive the output
    (Mxxxxxxx.GED  or xxxxxxxx.TT) will go to.   The output drive must have
    sufficient free space for the temporary scratch file.

    If you experience a program abort and error when running GED2TT you may
    determine what the problem might be by checking the error codes and
    error messages in your BASIC instruction manual or the Borland TURBO
    BASIC manual or the Spectra Publishing POWER BASIC manual.  For example,
    if you work with large data files you may get error 61 which is the
    "Disk Full" error.

    The top menu from which all operations are initiated looks like this on
    your display:

                   GED2TT MENU
          1 GENE data file to GEDCOM
          2 GEDCOM file to GENE data file
          3 GEDCOM file modifications
          4 TINY TAFEL
          5 ALARM & COLOR set
          0 Exit GED2TT program
          SELECT 1 2 3 4 5 or 0


    When this top menu (GED2TT MENU) appears on your display you have the
    following options (just type in the number to execute):

    1  GENE -TO- GEDCOM:
           or
    2  GEDCOM -TO- GENE:

    A note will be displayed suggesting you use the GEDCOMG program to
    execute these functions.  If you have GEDCOMG.EXE loaded in your default
    drive you may execute GEDCOMG directly by pressing G at the prompt.

    3  GEDCOM file modifications

    A sub-menu will appear to select which of the following procedures to
    execute.  You have three choices. You can 1) change the names to all
    caps,  2) change all surnames to all caps,  3) convert all names to
    have the first letter of each name capitalized,  or 4) abbreviate State
    names found in place data. Option 3 also allows you to specify exact
    spelling for up to six unique capitalizations (i.e. McDonald, O'Brien,
    deLong etc.). This routine changes the format of all the Individual names
    in a gedcom file or if 4 is selected the State names will be abbreviated
    if the data meets the spelling criteria.   The output gedcom file will
    have the same name as your input file except the letter "M" will be
    prefixed.  No other data in the gedcom file will be altered.  This is
    useful if your data file (i.e. PAF family records) contains a mixture of
    formats and you want to make them all the same.   Make a gedcom file of
    your PAF records data (include all family records and notes) and then
    make a new gedcom file using GED2TT with this option to change the data
    and then convert the new gedcom file back to a new PAF data file
    (ie ...PAF family records).

    4  TINY TAFEL :

    TINY TAFEL is a program which provides a compact way of describing a
    family database.  TINY TAFEL was first proposed by Paul Andereck,
    editor of Genealogical Computing.  This program will provide such a
    summary of a gedcom data file.   The program is designed using the TINY
    TAFEL Specification version 1.6 written by COMMSOFT, 7795 Bell Road,
    P.O. Box 310, Windsor, CA 95492-0310  (1-800-327-6687)

    You will be asked for the name of the gedcom file (xxxxxxxx.GED) for
    which you want to make a TINY TAFEL.  The gedcom file may be created by
    PAF GIE-GEDCOM or by GENE GEDCOMG.   Gedcom files created by GENE
    GEDCOMG do not contain any place data whereas PAF gedcom files do
    contain place data.  Header data is read from the gedcom file or you
    can enter the  "header" information (ie your name, address, etc) to be
    placed in the TINY TAFEL file.  The TINY TAFEL file created by GED2TT
    will have the same name as the gedcom file except that the extension of
    the name will be changed to (.TT).  A second gedcom file may be added
    to the TINY TAFEL.  Each name is soundex coded.  Soundex coding was
    done using a variation of the program by W.R. Buell, 642  Meadowlane Rd,
    Dearborn, MI, 48124 published in Genealogical Computing Vol 5 No 4,
    Apr-Jun 1986.


    You will be queried about printing output to your printer in addition
    to saving to a TINY TAFEL  (xxxxxxxx.TT) file.  You may select to
    abbreviate State names and you may also select to save/print only those
    names for which you have specified special interest.
    When the TINY TAFEL file generation is completed you are returned to
    DOS.


    5  ALARM & COLOR set:

    If you have a color monitor you may change the display colors by
    entering the BASIC commands for COLOR. Enter as 3 numbers separated
    by commas in the format: foreground, background, border.  The default
    colors are 14,0,1.
    You can also turn ON/OFF the alarms (BEEPs) which are used during
    program execution.  The default is ON.
    All values are saved in the GED2TT.CFN file for the next time you
    execute the program.

    0  EXIT GED2TT PROGRAM

    This selection will return you to DOS



                                                      GED2TT.DOC  5/12/94