date reformat

ronaldthomasreck1

the date format from Family Search is not compatible with Family Tree Maker. Can I change the format of downloaded dates to a comparable format? i.e. DD/MMM/YYYY

dontiknowyou

I think @ronaldthomasreck1 is asking about exporting data from FT to a partner software program. I expect the date format is incompatible between the new GEDCOM standard released by FS this year and the old standard around which the partners wrote their software.

A temporary solution would be to export from FT to a GEDCOM text file, then edit the file and do a global search and replace on months in all the date fields. Then import the edited text file into the partner software.

MDRMT

Hello Ronald and thank you for asking this question.

If I understand your question properly, you are asking if you can use a different date format in FamilySearch to make it compatible with another program.

As you may have realized, when a date or place does comply with the FamilySearch standard, Family Tree identifies it as a data problem and displays a red exclamation point next to it. To fix this, edit the date or place, and select a standard.

One of the significant benefits of using FamilySearch is the aspect of receiving hints to further our research for our families. Using standards for things like dates and places is one of the reasons our hints are generally so useful and accurate.

So, unfortunately, FamilySearch is not likely to change the format for standardized dates as it is a key aspect of the robust search and find capability for the program.

The following link can give you more information on the standardization.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-enter-dates-and-places-into-family-tree

I hope this has been useful to you.

ronaldthomasreck1

I use MacFamilyTree 9 and it cannot handle DD/MMM/YYYY as a recognized date.

Dennis J Yancey

what interface are you referring to - between FamilySearch and MacFamilyTree??

GEDCOM?

or something else??

dontiknowyou

Yep, I think I called it.

The website support pages for MacFamilyTree 9 talk about GEDCOM 5.5. FT is now using GEDCOM 7.0 (or higher).

https://www.syniumsoftware.com/support-article/switch-from-family-tree-maker-to-macfamilytree-and-import-your-family-tree

Dennis J Yancey

usually (with most software) you can indicate for your import to fall back to a prior version of GEDCOM

but it very much suprises me that any GEDCOM version - has a date format different than the rest.

dontiknowyou

There's an old joke about the problem with standards being that there are so many of them.

DD/MMM/YYYY has a history:

https://www.tamurajones.net/TheGEDCOMDATECase.xhtml

Dennis J Yancey

yes - but it would not make sense to have it in any other format

MacTree - can still store it internally in any format it wants - and can still display in any format it wants

ir-regardless of what format the date in the GEDCOM is.

I just dont see any advantage to have in any other format - once the initial format had been decided upon.

Dennis J Yancey

. . . unless the change was really to the GEDCOM standard itself - and not just unique to MacTree itself

and older versions maybe had a 2 byte year and newer versions of GEDCOM had a 4 byte year in the format you poiint out. - just a guess

but either way - most genealogy packages allow for retrieving GEDCOMS in older formats.

Dennis J Yancey

Im still confused though - - - FamilySearch doesn't GENERATE GEDCOM EXPORT

so what is the iterface that is being alluded to???

dontiknowyou

@Dennis J Yancey some partner applications pull data off FT and export GEDCOM format files. The recent release of GEDCOM 7.0 seems to have caught almost everyone off guard and a lot of users who were exporting GEDCOMS are unhappy with the product coming out.

Brett .

@dontiknowyou

FYI

The confusion was caused by your suggestion that:

A temporary solution would be to export from FT to a GEDCOM text file, then edit the file and do a global search and replace on months in all the date fields. Then import the edited text file into the partner software.

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/271033/#Comment_271033

Even I was confused; and, as such, did not want to go there ...

There is NO ability, in 'FamilySearch', to "Export", one's "Ancestral" Lines in "Family Tree", to a GEDCOM File.

There WAS (ie. used to be) a facility/function/feature to "Download" one's "Ancestral" Lines in "Family Tree", to (if I remember correctly) a GEDCOM File; but, that DIED many Years ago. As, such was too MUCH of a 'strain' on the "System" (ie. It used to 'cripple' the "System"). I remember, I tried once, many Years ago, after some x6 to x8 Hours, some 2,000,000 (could have been much more), individuals/persons; couples; and, families, the "Download", literally, 'Fell-Over', 'Died', never to resurrected.

Enabling Users/Patrons to "Download" their "Ancestral" Lines in "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch' would STILL, even these days, 'cripple' the "System" - even more so, if it was done, 'on mass'.

Hence, WHY there are, the INTERFACES, between "Family Tree" of 'FamilySearch'; and, the various, "Third Party" (ie. those "Family Tree Management") Applications, that are "Certified" to work with "Family Tree".

Brett

Dennis J Yancey

responding to: dontiknowyou

Can you give some specific examples of applications you are referring to?

Thanks

dontiknowyou

Dennis, since you are interested, you should head on over to https://gedcom.io

Dennis J Yancey

thanks

for myself I use RootsMagic - and download directly into RM from FS - bypassing the GEDCOM

Brett .

@Dennis J Yancey

Dennis

FYI

"Knowledge Article", that may be of interest ...

What is the FamilySearch GEDCOM 7.0 standard?

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-is-the-familysearch-gedcom-7-0-standard

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-is-the-familysearch-gedcom-7-0-standard

Brett

dontiknowyou

Dennis, although you bypass handling of GEDCOM files you are still using GEDCOM. That is the FS export standard. The API (application programming interface) passes data in GEDCOM records. So it matters which version of GEDCOM is supported by each piece of the software in your data pipeline.

GEDCOM 7 significantly changed how dates are encoded. From the gedcom.io landing page: "All dates now have date phrases, including date ranges and periods."

Dennis J Yancey

I really dont know that to be true

yes API' calls are made - but I am not convinced it is being transformed into GEDCOM before it is loaded into RootsMagic

adding a step to convert to GEDCOM and then immediately transform again into Rootsmagic's internal database format would limit Rootsmagic capabilities to that which is inherent in GEDCOM - I dont think they have that limitation - I think they can and do - directly transform the API results - into Rootsmagic database records (using Rootsmagic computer code) without going through the process/format/ limitations of GEDCOM

thus as long as the API response format (which is not GEDCOM) is understood and handled - - Rootsmagic can then do whatever it wishes with the data and transform into whatever format it wants or needs.