Just how generic IS a gedcom?

[wildtech]

I was under the impression that a gedcom file was a universal way of exchanging genealogical information.  However it seems this is not the case.  I use Legacy to store all my information and upload it to my website as a gedcom file.  My son wrote a display program which takes the information from the gedcom file and displays it in a style similar to that on tribal pages.  I recently updated to Legacy 7.4 and on my latest export to gedcom and upload to website the display program has `lost` information and no longer displays everything.  My son is now looking for the reason for this and a solution.  But as my subject asks - just how generic is the gedcom format?

[Berlin-Bob]

There is a "standard" set of GEDCOM tags and if ALL programs use these, then there is no problem.

Unfortunately ... here we go again .... almost every software producer adds a few tags to "their" solution, with the result that other programs either ignore those bits of the GEDCOM file, or at the worst, simply can't read it.

On the one hand, everyone wants a standard solution, but on the other hand, each software producer would like to "bind" you to their program, and to their program only.

Bob

[Berlin-Bob]

A GEDCOM file is plain text (usually either ANSEL or ASCII) containing genealogical information about individuals, and meta data linking these records together. Most genealogy software supports importing from and/or exporting to GEDCOM format.[3]  However, some genealogy software programs incorporate the use of proprietary extensions to the GEDCOM format, which are not always recognized by other genealogy programs, for example the GEDCOM 5.5 EL (Extended Locations) specification.[4][5][6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM

[jim1]

In the GEDCOM optional field ensure all boxes are checked.

jim

[Redroger]

After similar difficulties with Legacy GEDS I was told that Gedcom 5.5 is the universal generic version, which supposedly works on all systems. Must say that so far I have had no problems whatsoever using it, but would emphasise that when transferring from Legacy to Legacy I now always use a Legacy file for export.

[wildtech]

Thanks for the replies.  I guess part of the problem is that the `reader` program is home-written to read gedcom for Legacy.  Perhaps if he re-wrote it to read gedcom 5.5 it would stay more universal.  What really surprised me was that the biggest problem was the loss of the `parent` tag.

[downside]

What really surprised me was that the biggest problem was the loss of the `parent` tag.

Er ... there never was a parent tag to lose?

GEDCOM files mainly consist of 4 tables:

Individuals - I numbers
Groups - F numbers
Notes - N numbers (same number as the individual number)
Sources - S numbers

Relationships are determined in the group table by an F number i.e. F009

It consists of:

HUSB = I001
WIFE = I002
MARR
PLAC
DATE
CHIL = I003:I004:I005

In the individual table these two individuals will have a descendancy group (FAMS) of F009.

If the man remarries he will start a new group and will have two FAMS numbers.

http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa110100d.htm

[wildtech]

Thanks downside - I was speaking as a programming dunce.  The use of the word tag was only my way of `seeing` the problem.  My son wrote the program which displays my gedcom file and the problem after I updated Legacy was that the parents of an individual are no longer displayed.  I'm sure he will fix it.  My puzzlement revolved around the fact that I thought gedcom files were meant to be a standard way to transfer genealogical information from one program to another and therefore were not subject to major changes.  It would seem from the other replies that as the type and scope of information of genealogical programs varies so much that FULL standardisation will never occur and hiccups such as mine will always occur.

[Redroger]

I fear that may well be true, which is why whenever possible, i.e. Legacy to Legacy I use the Legacy transfer files to overcome this.