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VII. Export\Import Utilities.
Whenever you spend a great deal of time entering information into a
file on your PC, there are invariably instances when you would like to
be able to get to that information for processing by another program.
When the file is in a format that was designed especially for the
program used to originally create it, it may be very difficult or
impossible to use it with any other software. At such times you may
get the feeling that your own information is being held "captive"
within the "non-standard" format file.
To alleviate the anxiety of users, most software that employs special
formats for storing information will supply utility programs for
"converting" information into a more generatlly usable form. The
process for converting information from a "special" format file to a
"standard" format file is called "EXPORT" while the term "IMPORT"
refers to a process of converting information from a "standard" format
file to a "special" (non-standard) format file.
This section describes two FHS programs that allow you to EXPORT
family file information into "text" files that can be used by other
software. One of these utilities also supplies an IMPORT procedure
for moving (possibly large quantities of) information from a "text"
file into an FHS family file. One of these programs uses the GEDCOM
(GEnealogical Data COMmunication) format for sharing information with
other genealogy software. The other creates files that can be used
with a shareware organization chart utility for printing graphical
descendant charts.
A. GEDCOM Export/Import Program (F3-D-1)
The PAFGEDCM Export/Import program allows you to transfer information
between Family History System files and family files maintained by
other software packages that support the GEDCOM format. The "Export"
option converts information from a FHS family file into an expanded
ASCII (or standard character) format and places it in a text file,
TRANSFER.GED. Information in the text file can then be "Imported"
into a new empty set of family files, or may be appended to an
existing set of family files. In the latter case, the system's file
maintenance program may then be used to establish relationships
between old and new individual records. All family relationships
between transferred records are preserved across the export/import
procedure.
The format of the transfer dataset is based upon the descriptions of
the format provided by the LDS Family History Department as imple-
mented in the Personal Ancestor File (PAF) software, v2.0 and v2.1.
This format prescribes that each data item (Name, BirthDate, etc.)
appear on a separate line in the transfer dataset, with related items
being grouped by associated "level numbers" and each individual data
item labeled by a 3-4 character "Tag".
Actually, the GEDCOM formats introduced by PAF 2.0 and 2.1 have some
significant differences, both in the TAGs used and the methods for
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representing family and marriage relationships. When this GEDCOM
option was first added to FHS, in Sept 88, only PAF 2.1 was actually
using the new format. The other GEDCOM supporting packages were
designed to the PAF 2.0 specifications. Since PAF 2.1 could handle
either format, there seemed to be no loss in generality by having the
FHS utility able to import either PAF 2.0 or 2.1 format GEDCOM files,
but export information using the 2.0 format.
In the subsequent year and a half, many other genealogy packages added
GEDCOM utilities, but nearly all embraced the 2.1 format only.
Therefore, in the March 1990 update, the FHS utility was modified to
permit exporting or importing information using either GEDCOM
description. The format used during an export operation is determined
from the SOURce and DEST items in the GEDCOM header record. If the
SOURce is "PAF" or the DEST is "PAF 2.0", the GEDCOM file is processed
using the rules introduced with PAF 2.0. Otherwise it will be
processed using the rules introduced with PAF 2.1 and continued with
PAF 2.2. During an import operation you will be asked whether the
file being imported follows the rules for PAF 2.0 or PAF 2.1.
1. Program Operation
Upon entry to the Export/Import program you will notice that the
screen is formatted similarly to others in the system. In the
upper left corner are listed the datasets that may participate in
the various program options. These include the NAM and OTH data-
sets from a family file, an index dataset (name records may be
exported in ID# sequence or in an indexed sequence), a SELECTion
dataset created by the system's Search/Select/LIST program or the
Family Group Report Program, and a new TRANSFER dataset. The
identification of the datasets to be used may be changed using
program option F1 as usual.
In the upper right corner of the display are the familiar printer
parameters. These are used when the program option (F6) is
selected for printing the information in the TRANSFER dataset.
The printer parameters may be changed using program option F2.
In the "viewing area" in the lower right corner of the screen are
listed the various types of information (by family file record
type) that may be transferred. The number next to each record type
will be hilited or not depending on whether or not that type of
information is to be processed during the next selected import or
export procedure. Although Name Records are always processed, you
may adjust the selection of other types of information using
program option F3. (Note: this program will only process those FHS
record types that provide information that is found in the PAF
implementaton of GEDCOM.)
The lower left part of the display lists the program options that
may be function key selected. These include:
F1 Change File Names
F2 Change Printer Parameters
F3 Change Information Table
F4 Export Information to Transfer dataset
F5 Import Information from Transfer dataset
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F6 List Dataset of Exported Information
F9 Return to Main Menu
Options F1,F2, & F9 have either been described above or should be
familiar from their similarity to options in other programs of the
system. The other options will be described in the following
sections.
2. Changing the Table of Types of Information to be Processed
As described above, the lower right corner of the display has a
"viewing area" in which are listed the different types of
information that are stored in the Family History System datasets.
These include:
0.Name Records
1.Places (Birth/Death/Marriage/Divorce Locations)
2.Spouse Records
3.Educational Records
4.Occupational Records
5.Military Records
6.Medical Records
7.Address Information
and 8.Comment Lines
Program option "F3" permits you to indicate which of these types of
information are to participate in an import or export process. A
reason for wanting to restrict the information transfered might be
that you want to exclude sensitive information among the remarks.
When you select program option F3, the hilited border moves to the
lower right corner of the screen and the message:
Enter 1,2 or 8 to Toggle Transfer of Information Type
appears at the bottom of the screen. If you press one of the
indicated number keys you will find that the corresponding
character in the list of information types will be alternately
hilited or displayed in normal intensity. If the character is
hilited, it indicates that the information type is to be processed
during the next export or import procedure. When you have hilited
just the items that you wish to process, press the Enter or Return
(or ESC) key to terminate the process and return to the selection
of another program option.
3. Exporting Data from your Family file
(NOTE: Prior to using the Export option, I would recommend that you
use the Validation option (F3-E) to verify that there are no
inconsistent relationships between the family file records that
could cause problems during the export procedure. The export
procedure will also assume that husbands have a sex code of "M" and
that only one of the participants in a marriage is a "M"ale.)
Selecting program option F4 initiates an export process in which
information is copied from your family files into the TRANSFER
dataset. You will first be asked whether you want to:
Export 1) ALL Records 2) SELECTed Records
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If you choose to export selected records, you must have previously
used the system's Search/Select/LIST program (Main Menu option F2-E
of the extended system) or the Family Group Report Program to
create a "selection table" and save it in the SELECT dataset.
You will next be asked to:
Select: 1)INDEXed 2)ID # Sequence
that is, you must specify whether the exported individual name
records are to be in indexed order or in ID# sequence. To export
in an indexed order, you must first have created the INDEX file
using Main Menu option F3-F of the extended system. If you have
entered information from family group worksheets, then ID# sequence
would be the best choice to permit efficient processing of the
family files created from the Transfer dataset. After indicating
the order of export, the program builds the "Sequence Reference
Table" that identifies which name records are to be processed and
in what order.
Next, the viewing area in the lower right corner of the screen is
cleared and formatted to permit entry of descriptive information
that will be stored in the transfer dataset's header record. This
information includes the Name, Address & Phone number of the
"submitter", the source and destination system identifiers, and up
to 3 lines of comments. If the SOURce system is "PAF" or the DEST
system is "PAF 2.0", the information will be exported in PAF 2.0
GEDCOM format, otherwise the rules for PAF 2.1 GEDCOM files will be
used. You may choose not to enter anything in the header record
for datasets only used for local transfer of information. Press
the F1 key when you are ready to continue with the export
procedure.
You will next be asked to:
Enter Drive ID (A,B,C,...) for POINTER Workfile
This workfile is a temporary dataset needed only for the duration
of the export operation to place information concerning the rela-
tionships between records in the TRANSFER dataset. It is needed
because of the differences in the ways records are connected in the
FHS family file and in the PAF GEDCOM file. A RAM disk would be a
good place for this dataset if you have one available.
The process of building the POINTER workfile is accompanied by the
sequential display of the messages:
Building POINTER Workfile
Reversing Direction of Sibling Pointers (only PAF 2.0 format)
Finding Family Record of Parents
If there are children in the file whose parents are not married, a
dummy marriage record will be created for the parents because
within PAF GEDCOM files parent-child relationships are established
through the marriage record of the parents. In this case, at the
termination of the building of the pointer workfile, the message:
xxx NEW Parent Family Records Created...
will be displayed. You must press a key to acknowledge the message
before the export process will continue.
When the export process begins, the viewing area in the lower right
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corner of the screen will again be cleared and the list of Infor-
mation to Transfer will be redisplayed. As the export process
continues, the number of records exported of each type will be
shown next to the line describing the record type. You will see
that family records are created only after all the name records
have been processed.
Perhaps I should note that I have chosen to include a few "non-
standard" data items to allow for information that seemed too sig-
nificant to omit. In particular, an adoptive parent relationship
will be noted by tags of ADFA (for ADoptive FAther) or ADMO (for
ADoptive MOther), and comments under a marriage record will be
exported as NOTEs under the GEDCOM family record...Although indi-
vidual record ID's in the GEDCOM file are numbered sequentially,
beginning with I1, the original ID # of the source record in the
FHS file is given as an RFN tag (in PAF 2.0 format) or a REFN tag
(in PAF 2.1 format) under the INDI record.
The export procedure may be terminated at any time by pressing the
ESCape key, though a partially created transfer dataset should not
be used in a subsequent import procedure.
When the process is finished, the message:
Export finished at hh:mm:ss...
will be displayed at the bottom of the screen. Pressing any key
will "clean up" the display and allow you to select another program
option.
4. Importing Information into your Family Files
The process of moving information from a TRANSFER dataset into an
existing set of family datasets is begun by selecting program
option "F5". The family datasets being used must have been
previously "created" using the system's file maintenance program
but may be otherwise empty.
At the beginning of the import procedure, the program opens the
family file datasets and checks to see that all "header" infor-
mation is valid (indicating that the file has been "created") and
consistent (i.e. the Name and Misc datasets "match").
If name records have been previously placed in the family file, the
program displays the message:
"Imported Name Records will begin with ID=nnn..."
All imported information will be placed after existing information
in the family file. You may later use the file maintenance program
to establish relationships between old and new name records. If
you had intended to import the information into an "empty" file but
forgot to change the names of the family datasets before beginning
the import procedure, you may terminate the process now by pressing
the ESCape key. Pressing any other key will permit the process to
continue.
The program must keep a table of name and marriage records created
so that it may subsequently go back and update the internal
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"pointers" to these records. Therefore, you will be asked to:
"Enter Maximum for Name Record ID in Transfer File: 1000"
and "Enter Maximum for Family Record ID in Transfer File: 1000"
The number entered (1000 is the default) tells the program how big
the table needs to be to hold this information. The program will
not import records that would cause it to exceed the capacity of
this table. The numbers entered don't necessarily indicate how
many name or marriage records are to be imported, but rather the
highest value that is used for an ID of a name or marriage record
in the TRANSFER file that is being imported.
You will next be asked if you want to:
"Print Unprocessed Data Lines (Y/N)"
Although you will be shown a "running total" of the number of
incoming data lines in the TRANSFER dataset that have not been
processed (either because you have requested not to process the
type of information recorded on those lines, or because the program
doesn't recognise the type of information on the line) and these
unprocessed lines will also be displayed on the bottom line of the
screen, you may also request that the program write a copy of the
bypassed lines (together with the value of the most recent Name
record "identifier") to an attached printer. If you respond "Y" or
"y" to this question you must have a printer available and made
ready to receive output.
You will also be asked whether you want to:
Import Long PLACE Names into Notes? (Y/N)
If you respond with a "Y" then birth, death or marriage place names
which exceed the FHS limit of 22 characters will be placed in the
COMMENTs under the name or marriage record, and the literal "see
Notes" will be stored in the PLACE field in the file. If you reply
"N" then long place names will be truncated to 22 characters, but
the incoming line will also be listed among the "unprocessed" data
lines to call attention to the fact.
If there is Baptismal or Burial information in the transfer dataset
then it will also be imported into comment records under the
individual's NAME Record.
The program next reads the transfer dataset for header information.
If no header information is found a message is displayed and you
are asked whether to continue or not. Otherwise the viewing area
in the lower right corner of the screen is formatted to display the
header information and you are asked whether to:
"Continue with Import...(Y/N)"
If you choose to continue, the list of types of information that
can be imported is redisplayed, followed by another line for
"unprocessed data lines". During the input procedure a running
total is displayed of each of these data types next to the line
describing it.
Near the end of the import procedure, you will see the message:
"Updating Family Record Pointers"
which lets you know that the program is updating the internal
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spouse record pointers from the table previously mentioned.
Following this, the message:
"Updating Other Family & Sibling Pointers"
and "Final Cleanup"
document the beginning of other cleanup phases.
At the end of the import procedure the message:
"Import Finished at hh:mm:ss..."
is displayed. Pressing any key will result in the display's being
"cleaned up" and the program will be ready to process another
option. I would recommend that following the completion of each
import procedure, you run the system's pointer validation option
(Main Menu option F3-E) against the updated file to verify that all
relationships between records in the TRANSFER dataset are
consistent.
5. Producing Listings of GEDCOM format exported data
Program option F6 may be used to produce listings of the contents
of the TRANSFER dataset. You may route the output to the screen,
for verification of an export procedure or examination of a
TRANSFER dataset prior to import, or to the printer. As usual, the
printing may be "paused" by pressing any key, and then may be
terminated (by pressing the ESCape key) or continued (by pressing
any other key). Thse listings will be in "outline" format with
each data item offset according to its "level number".
B. ORGCHART Export Program (F3-D-2)
Late in 1988 I ran across a shareware program which produced rather
nice organization charts in "inverted tree" format. The data used
to produce the charts is taken from a simple text file, created by
a text editor or word processor (in non-document mode). Because
the charts were in a format that appeared useful for representing
family descendancy, I wrote a little program for "Exporting"
information for descendants in an FHS family file to an ORG format
text file that could be used for printing such a descendant chart.
That is the program invoked by Main Menu option F3-D-2.
While the procedure had some short-comings, I felt that it may
prove useful for some among you. Of course you must have a copy of
the ORGCHART program to produce the charts, and if you decide to
add this to your "genealogy toolkit", it will be necessary for you
to send a ($20.00) registration fee to its author. While the
program is available from public software libraries (in particular,
"The Public (Software) Library" in Houston Texas, you should also
be able to order copies from the author:
Jerming Lee, P.O. Box 102, Chappaqua, NY 10514-0102
The operation of the "ORGCHART Export program" is similar to other
programs in the system. You must have first created a descendant
"relationship" work file, DESCNDNT.WRK, using Main Menu option F2-
A-2. You may then use option F3 of this program to export
information from your FHS family file, using the DESCNDNT.WRK file
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as a guide, into the ORGCHART file.
When you select program option F3, you will be asked to:
Select Name Format: 1) SURNAME, Given 2) Given Surname
The first option will result in the name appearing on 2 lines
within the "information box" on the chart, with the surname, in
CAPS, centered on the first line and the Given name centered below
it. If the second option is chosen, the name will appear in a
single line of the box. The first option may result in slightly
more compact charts.
You will also be asked if you wish to:
Include BIRTH/DEATH Dates? (Y/N)
If you include dates, they will appear centered below the name in
the format: 14 Oct 1884-12 Nov 1969
You will have the option to:
Include NAME of Most Recent Spouse? (Y/N)
and if you you choose this and have also chosen the first form for
the Name, you will be asked if you wish to:
Substitute Husband's Surname for WIFE's (Y/N)
Choosing "Y" for this option may produce slightly more compact
charts. If you do substitute the husband's surname for the wife,
and the wife is the "subject" of the box of information, then an
"*" will appear to the right of the SURNAME at the top of the box,
to note that it is the married surname and not the surname at
birth.
After the creation of the ORG workfile is complete, you may choose
to use option F8 (if you have DOS 3.3 or later) to temporarily go
into DOS mode for running the ORGCHART program. After completing
your work there, you can return to FHS by entering the EXIT
command. You should be aware that the ORGCHART program is
completely separate from FHS. It does not use the FHS printer
or screen tables and any questions about it should be directed to
that program's author.
While the charts that can be produced in this manner are somewhat
limited and there is no effort to denote "crossed" lines of
descendancy, a few persons who have tried preliminary versions of
this program have expressed satisfaction with the results. Perhaps
you will find them pleasing as well.
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