Problems with dates - uploading to genes from FTM2009

[Dallashandra]

Hi, wondered if anyone had any experience of this problem.

I've uploaded a gedcom to Genes Reunited recently and the dates have got all messed up. It doesn't put a year in the year of birth/death fields at all and where I've got a date of 'bet. Oct and Dec 1853' for example (this is the format that FTM puts it in) genes has 'Bet Oct an'.

Have emailed Genes who say that I need to change the format of my dates (no, really?) and can be of no further help. Family Tree Maker haven't bothered to answer my email yet.

Bit annoyed as my tree on genes is basically trashed.

I thought the point of gedcom was that it was a standard format!

D

[andycand]

Hi

My understanding is that there isn't a single format for GEDCOM but that it varies from software to software. Certainly when creating a GEDCOM from Legacy it asks who I'm producing it for and what character set,

If you have a look at the Help Centre on Genes re importing a GEDCOM it has tips re requirement and then look at FTM to see what options you have. I use GEDCOM 5.5 from Legacy.

Andy

[Nick29]

You've basically got two options.....

1.  Open the file in a text editor (e.g. Notepad) and manually edit the dates.

2.  Get a copy of "The Complete Genealogy Reporter" from here  This contains a program called "GedPad Pro" which automatically fixes bad Gedcom dates.

[Dallashandra]

Right, have gone through text file and it seems to have uploaded better.

Its made a complete pigs ear of the cousin marriage though so I'll need to try to sort that out. How on earth are you meant to delete parents of an individual?? It tells me I can't delete someone that's related to two other people - well, yes, they would be!

 

What a pain...

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Unfortunately the problem with importing to GR is almost always because GR use a system compatible to the old gedcom files but not always the newer versions.

GR works best with v4  or v5.5 files that have dates entered as dd/mm/yy, a non standard date (such as bet Oct and Dec 1853) is more than the antique software system used by GR can handle.

Editing the text file isn't hugely complicated but for a large file it is a bit laborious and obviously there is a chance you may edit something you didn't mean to do.

Once you are aware of what the problem may be you can adjust the settings that are applied to the ged files when they are created.




Glen

[Dallashandra]

Thanks, unfortunately it doesn't appear that there are any options to change the format of the gedcom.

Wasn't too bad a job to change the dates, I just did a search on 'BET' and deleted the bits that weren't years. It's just a bit of a pain that i'd have the same hassle next time. You'd think they'd want to encourage people to keep their trees up to date, wouldn't you?

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

I know that there were (possibly still) issues with GR ged files uploaded to the Family Tree Forum name database, character set issues used by GR were the problem that time but GR does have a quirk where it works better with either the dd/mm/yyyy format or simply "abt 1853", anything else just gets mashed about.

At the risk of moaning about GR again the tree building software they use is pathetic, they should chuck it in the bin and start again.

I haven't got 2009 so couldn't advise on it too well but certainly with FTM 2005 there are options to change between v4 and v5.5 files as well as character set and abbreviated tags.



Glen