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Creating a Gedcom file is a four (4) step process:
1.Create and save a load sheet
2.Populate the load sheet
3.Load the load sheet into Gedcom Builder
4.Create and export the Gedcom file.
Create and save a load sheet
To load information into Gedcom Builder requires the generation of a specifically formatted spreadsheet comprising 29 columns as listed below. By selecting the menu option Create load sheet a Microsoft Excel workbook will be created containing two (2) sheets labelled Data and Instructions.
Column Group |
Column # |
Column Label |
Description |
Required |
Valid Values |
Max Length |
PERSON |
1 |
PERSON ID |
A unique numeric value assigned to identify a person. If the person also exists as a parent, this value would be entered in the Father ID or Mother ID cell, as appropriate to ensure that the records are linked. |
YES |
|
Number only |
2 |
SURNAME |
The primary persons surname or family name |
|
|
40 |
|
3 |
GIVEN NAME/S |
The primary persons given name/s |
|
|
40 |
|
4 |
SEX |
The gender of the primary person. Use a single letter only. |
YES |
M, F or U |
1 |
|
BIRTH |
5 |
DATE |
The date of the birth event |
|
|
24 |
6 |
LOCATION |
Location for the birth event |
|
|
60 |
|
7 |
REFERENCE |
A citation or reference id for the birth event |
|
|
40 |
|
8 |
SOURCE |
The name of the source for the birth event in which the citation appears |
|
|
60 |
|
BAPTISM |
9 |
DATE |
The date of the baptism event |
|
|
24 |
10 |
LOCATION |
Location for the baptism event |
|
|
60 |
|
11 |
REFERENCE |
A citation or reference id for the baptism event |
|
|
40 |
|
12 |
SOURCE |
The name of the source for the baptism event in which the citation appears |
|
|
60 |
|
DEATH |
13 |
DATE |
The date of the death event |
|
|
24 |
14 |
LOCATION |
Location for the death event |
|
|
60 |
|
15 |
REFERENCE |
A citation or reference id for the death event |
|
|
40 |
|
16 |
SOURCE |
The name of the source for the death event in which the citation appears |
|
|
60 |
|
17 |
AGE AT DEATH |
The age of a person at the date of the death event. Enter as number of years. For part years enter number of months following decimal point, e.g. 0.6 for 6 moths or 6.2 for 6 years and 2 months. Age at death will be used to estimate the birth year if not provided using the burial date if no death date exists. |
Decimal number only |
|||
BURIAL |
18 |
DATE |
The date of the burial event |
|
|
24 |
19 |
LOCATION |
Location for the burial event |
|
|
60 |
|
20 |
REFERENCE |
A citation or reference id for the burial event |
|
|
40 |
|
21 |
SOURCE |
The name of the source for the burial event in which the citation appears |
|
|
60 |
|
PARENTS |
22 |
FATHER ID |
A unique numeric value assigned to a person acting in the role of a father. The person must exist as a listed person and the Person ID is the value to be used as the Father ID.Each child of the person will be assigned the same Father ID. |
Number only |
||
|
23 |
MOTHER ID |
A unique numeric value assigned to a person acting in the role of a mother. The person must exist as a listed person and the Person ID is the value to be used as the Mother ID. Each child of the person will be assigned the same Mother ID. |
Number only |
||
SPOUSE |
24 |
SPOUSE ID |
A unique numeric value assigned to a person acting in the role of a spource or partner of a person. The spouse or partner must exist as a listed person and the Person ID is the value to be used as the Spouse ID. |
Number only |
||
MARRIAGE |
25 |
DATE |
The date of the marriage event |
|
|
24 |
26 |
LOCATION |
Location for the marriage event |
|
|
60 |
|
27 |
REFERENCE |
A citation or reference id for the marriage event |
|
|
40 |
|
28 |
SOURCE |
The name of the source for the death marriage in which the citation appears |
|
|
60 |
|
PERSON |
29 |
NOTE |
Used to record notes related to the person |
|
|
1000 |
If it is decided not to use the generated load sheet, the information must be laid out in the columns as listed above with the information commencing at row four (4). The first three (3) rows are not loaded into Gedcom Builder.
Populating the load sheet
•Enter in the Person ID column a unique number for each unique individual recorded.
•Enter all information available into the appropriate columns. At a minimum the spreadsheet must contain a Person ID and a Sex (or Gender) value for each row to be loaded in to Gedcom Builder.
•If an individual is a parent of another person enter the Person ID of the parent in either the columns Father ID or Mother ID as appropriate on the row of each person who is a child. The combination of the Father ID and Mother ID will result in a family identifier being created.
•If an individual is a spouse or partner of another person enter the Person ID of the spouse or partner in the column Spouse ID on the row for their partner. The combination of the Person ID and Spouse ID will result in a family identifier being created. If any marriage information is know record it on the same row as where the Spouse ID is recorded.
The following extract illustrates the linking of parents and partners.
PERSON |
BIRTH |
PARENTS |
SPOUSE |
||||||
PERSON ID |
SURNAME/FAMILY NAME |
GIVEN NAME/S |
SEX |
DATE |
LOCATION |
REFERENCE |
FATHER ID |
MOTHER ID |
SPOUSE ID |
14 |
Wells |
Frank Herbert |
M |
1905 |
Redfern, New South Wales, Australia |
|
3 |
4 |
15 |
15 |
Condon |
Edna Victoria |
F |
14 Dec 1908 |
Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia |
|
|
|
|
16 |
Wells |
Norma Frances |
F |
1931 |
|
|
14 |
15 |
|
17 |
Wells |
Frank |
M |
1939 |
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
|
14 |
15 |
|
18 |
Wells |
Edna |
F |
|
|
|
14 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19 |
Wells |
William Allan |
M |
7 Oct 1913 |
Petersham, New South Wales, Australia |
|
|
|
20 |
20 |
Hunter |
Holly Jean Elizabeth |
F |
31 Mar 1915 |
Manly, New South Wales, Australia |
|
|
|
|
In this illustration, Edna Victoria Condon (person 15) is the partner of Frank Herbert Wells (person 14) and mother of persons 16, 17 and 18, and Frank Herbert Wells (person 14) is the father of persons 16, 17 and 18. As the person 15 is entered as the partner of person 14 it is not necessary to show the reverse relationship.
•When entering an Age at Death enter the number of years followed by the number of months as a decimal, e.g. 0.6 for 6 months or 6.2 for 6 years and 2 months. Age at Death is used in conjunction with the date of death or burial date to calculate the birth date where is does not exist. See Preferences to enable this option.
•When complete save the Workbook.
Load the load sheet into Gedcom Builder
•Select the menu option FILE > Load a spreadsheet. A dialog will display asking if any information stored in Gedcom Builder is to be deleted. The default position is to delete all existing information. If NO is selected then the information being loaded will be appended to any existing information. Next, select the saved workbook as the file to be loaded.
•Once the spreadsheet is loaded into Gedcom Builder a dialog will display asking if a Gedcom File is to be created. Select YES to continue with the Gedcom creation process. If NO is selected the loaded information will remain within Gedcom Builder for creaing a Gecom file at a later date.
Create and export the Gedcom file.
This process is performed automatically if the YES option is selected after the spreadsheet file has been loaded.
Alternatively, if information is stored in Gedcom Builder the menu option Create gencom file will be enabled on selection will generate a Gedcom file from the information on file.