From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,1ebbccbc114d641e X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-10-23 08:41:15 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cambridge1-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!bos-service1.ext.raytheon.com!bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Message-ID: <3BD58F53.7A3F89B@sparc01.ftw.rsc.raytheon.com> From: Wes Groleau Reply-To: wwgrol@sparc01.ftw.rsc.raytheon.com X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en,es-MX,es,pt,fr-CA,fr MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Genealogy Software [off-topic] References: <3BD498DF.27E8B66C@otelco.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:40:03 -0500 NNTP-Posting-Host: 151.168.144.162 X-Complaints-To: news@ext.ray.com X-Trace: bos-service2.ext.raytheon.com 1003851674 151.168.144.162 (Tue, 23 Oct 2001 11:41:14 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 11:41:14 EDT Organization: Raytheon Company Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:15084 Date: 2001-10-23T10:40:03-05:00 List-Id: Larry Kilgallen wrote: > You need to be able to express _multiple_ birth dates, Expressing them is not too hard. Search and compare algorithms for multiple and/or uncertain dates (along with all the other genealogical oddities of dates) are a bear. > when there are conflicting data from various sources. Although GEDCOM has its flaws, something similar to it is a good data structure for data that is as variable in format as genealogy. > I would strongly urge you not to consider writing such software > until you have tried some that already exists. PAF was only $ 35 Definitely. There are many decent freeware/shareware packages. Give some of them a thorough workout and see what's wrong with them before writing the requirements for your own. GEDitCOM, Lifelines, GIM, and Brother's Keeper are four that I find worthwhile, in that order of preference. PAF has a so-so user interface, but it's GEDCOM implementation is the worst ever. (Ironic that the people who invented GEDCOM also produce the worst implementation of it!) For what it's worth, no matter what genealogy package I try, I eventually get fed up with its limitations. I finally ended up editing my GEDCOM file directly, and using the software only for error checking and searching. Which is why I planned to write my own software--only the stuff above it on my priority list adds up to more than 168 hrs/wk ! There is a GEDCOM-L mailing list devoted to enhancement ideas for GEDCOM. Last I checked, it seemed to be expannding into general technical discussions about things "similar to" or derived from GEDCOM and implementation ideas. > ... (Mormons) ... are quite open to sharing that information with any > non-believers who are interested. The only hitch is that film > must be viewed on their property, since that is a condition of Not necessarily. Libraries can get stuff from the LDS archives by inter-library loan. Same rental fee as if done at a Mormon facility and still, must use it at the receiving library (but how many people have microfilm readers at home anyway?) And of course, the GEDCOM specs are not nearly so private. Web search for GEDCOM 5.5 specification will find several mirrors of the GEDCOM spec in various formats. -- Wes Groleau http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~wgroleau