Merging Family Trees Help Please

[HeatherC]

Befuddled of Dorset here
Wasn't sure where to post this query so trying here (it's a lovely friendly site and I know some kind soul will guide me in the right direction )
At present I have several family trees (ancestor branches ) in gedcom form as this makes it easier for when somebody wants info sent them but on a particular side of the family......... But for my own sanity, and so I can view a complete tree, does anybody know of a program that will combine/merge at least two gedcom files?
Best regards
HeatherC

[donne]

I don't have an answer to your problem, but since nobody else has commented, for what it's worth here is what I do. I keep all my extended family in one database. If I need to select a particular line, the software I use allows me to select 'ancestors of' or 'descendents from' and export the resulting database which I can then export to a gedcom if necessary.

I don't suppose this a a unique facility, but the software I use is KKPro from www.spansoft.org. This is not the most up-to-date package but has a number of features I like.

With regard to your original problem, it seems to me that you would be asking the software to integrate the gedcoms solely on the basis of the entered names, surely a bit risky. Better to do it yourself manually, which KKPro or probably other software packages could do, but with quite a bit of manipulation.

[gandolf]

hi heatherc

As I don't know what family tree program you are using I can't offer specific info on how to merge your data. However while the process itself is generally reasonable straight forward, there are a few things to watch out for.

As a general rule, I never merge another researchers gedcom data into my own data. I have my own preferences as to how the data should be entered, and other people will inevitably have different ideas. In these instances I enter the data myself, even if it takes longer as I will then have it how I want it.

However, since you are merging two or more of your own files, this is different since presumably you have all the data the way you would want it.

To ensure that the merging of the two files goes as well as possible, you should try to ensure that the data in both is in a similar format. (e.g if surnames are capitalised in one file and not the other, you may need to change one or the other). Clean up as many as possible of non standardised place names, and so on.

Most (all?) family tree programs have a process that allows you to import (merge) and export your data to and from gedcom format.

The format you need the file to be imported in will depend on your family tree program. Some will allow you to import another file in the same format as the program stores its data in, others will require the file to be imported to be in gedcom format.

All you would need to do is open one of your files (better still a copy of the original) and then from the menu options select the import function. This will generally ask you where the file you want to import is and allow you to select it.

Work throught the programs import process (whatever that is) and at the end of it, you should have succesfully added the data from the second file into the first.

A word of caution for any merging of data from two files. It is almost inevitable that the two files you are merging will have some people in common (after all that is the reason for merging them - they join up in some way).

Pretty much all family tree programs will try to match the people listed in the file being imported with those already in the file that is receiving the import data. This is typically done primarily on the basis of names, although dates and places can be taken into account.

If this process does not happen during the import itself, there should be a way to look for duplicates after import.

When merging potentially duplicated people, carefully check each proposed merge before accepting it, otherwise you may inadvertently create strange and incorrect relationships between people. You may have two people called John Smith who do not have either a birth or death date, but who are married to two different people, in this example a Mary Jones and her grandmother Mary Williams. If you fail to check correctly, you may end up making Mary Jones a step-mother to her own grandmother!

At the end of the merge process you may then need to go through and clean up other anomolies created during the merge such as two birth date events because the place name was spelt differently in the two original data sets.

At the end of this process you should have successfully merged two different data files into one. Simply repeat as many times as required until you have all the data into one file.

[Cornish Terrier]

I agree with what Gandolf has outlined here with emphasis on the same very particular points he made.

I use a program called Relatively Yours which is quite versatile.
Since I have not yet installed my latest version (into which I plan to manually enter everything for a number of reasons) I will refer back to the original DOS version of the program.

The DOS version had a couple of extra packages available and one of these included a facility to do pretty much what you want.

You can either Import or Export data in GEDCOM Format and this program has a structured checklist to fill out so that the Imported file will be taylored to your own needs.

Basically it is as follows:

What is the name of the GEDCOM transaction file?

What are to be included on the Translation Log?
(A=all entries, N=no entries, E=errors only)

Record the reference numbers from GEDCOM input?
(Y=record as reference material, N=ignore)

Create CODE or AGCI format records if possible?
(Y=CODE or AGCI if input suitable, N=FREE format)

Concatenate NOTES if longer than 70 characters?
(Y=yes, N=no)

Convert all input or selected persons only?
(A=convert all, S=select individuals)

In what format are numeric dates (if any)?
(1=ddmmyyyy, 2=mmddyyyy, 3=yyyymmdd)

Date stamp records added with today's date?
(Y=yes, N preserves input dates of change)

Allow manual intervention for dates before 1600?
(Y=yes, N=no)

Permit termination if excessive inconsistancies?

There are no doubt further fields to deal with but I have stopped here otherwise I would have to specify a legitimate file at question one to proceed to the next page.

However, the basis for an answer is here.

Another facility in this program is to "MATCH NAMES against a file from an outside source"

Basically what you need is an import medium that supplies as many data checks as possible and also a great deal of care.

Hope that is of some help.