Hi
It's worth noting that there are a couple of topics about GEDCOM in the RootsChat Reference Library Lexicon (created 2006 onwards) here . . . . .
http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/reflib-lexicon.php?letter=G&lang=EN&input_form=0 It includes . . . . .
(
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,593221)
plus some very good stuff from falcybe and jc26red et al.
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This may interest one or two Rootschatters, it will probably bore most.....
GEDCOM was/is meant for standardising a method of transferring (family tree) data between "points", not necessarily backing-up (family tree) data.
It should be remembered that the last (and final) specification for a "GEDCOM" file was published in
1996, being version 5.5.
It encompasses the view of the world at that point.
Based upon "DISKETTES" and in DOS (+ MAC equivalent).
The specification of the GEDCOM standard allows for the developers of genealogy software to create their facilities (for media) using one of two ways.
1) Breaking the object into segments of 32kbytes and embedding into the exported file. You should remember that you are dealing with diskettes of a size 1.44mb (2.88mb were around for a "short" time)
2) providing a reference to an external (to the gedcom file) file.
Filename only, to DOS naming standards
eg myfoto01.jpg or mylist05.doc
(max name length 8.3). NO drive/folder/directory detail.
It is likely that the GEDCOMv5.5 specification "committee" could not have forseen the explosion in media availability that we have at our finger tips now.
The normal way of pointing to media (et al) was by the way of "source reference" linking ie naming/pointing to the original book/GRO ref/etc where the information can be found.
The current version of the GEDCOM v5.5 specification is held ....
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0lei/ It's probably also worth noting that FTM12, for tree export, includes both the standard Gedcomv5.5 method and a separate FTM Gedcom version. I have yet to try this FTM-"specific version" to see what the differences are.
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Ray