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GEDitCOM Features | GEDitCOM Philosophy | Version History

Some Features of GEDitCOM

Many genealogy applications like to list their features or list what types of genealogical data entry are supported. Such a list less useful for GEDitCOM because the customizable user interface contains whatever you want it to contain. By writing templates and GEDitCOM Formats, you have complete control over the feature list. You can match the feature list of other applications, exceed them, or even limit the features to just ones you use.

Here are a some of the generic features of GEDitCOM:

  • A full-featured, Macintosh carbon application for MacOS X but also runs in MacOS 8 and 9.
  • Store data for an unlimited number of individuals and families (limited only by computer memory) .
  • Full user-friendly editing of all types of genealogy data. The way the user edits data is completely customizable. You can create rigid forms (like most other genealogy programs) or you can design a more flexible method of data entry. The Default GEDitCOM Format that comes with GEDitCOM provides virtually complete access to all features of the GEDCOM standard. There are French versions of some formats available for download.
  • Supports 100% of the GEDCOM standard.
  • 100% data integrity. You will never lose any data you read from a GEDCOM file and all data will be correctly preserved when changes are made and the file is saved.
  • Unlimited number of note fields for any given record with up to 32,000 characters per note field. Furthermore notes can be attached to specific data such as notes on someone's birth, on their death, or on any other event.
  • Unlimited number of source citations to document the sources for all your genealogical information and the ability to attach source citations to each specific piece of genealogical data.
  • Unlimited number of special event records for any individual or family record.
  • The Index Window can be customized to display a variety of data from the file in a mini-spread-sheet format. The spread sheet can be exported to a file.
  • Unlimited number of multimedia file links which lets you annotate you genealogy data base with pictures, sounds, and movies. Multimedia files will be displayed internally by GEDitCOM or will automatically open for viewing with user-defined helper applications.
  • Unlimited number of links to internet sites to document or annotate your genealogy data base.
  • Conversion of any GEDCOM file into a complete web site (see sample web site) ready for posting on the internet. All features of the web site can be customized by the user.
  • Customizable exporting of genealogy data. Besides web site creation (see previous feature), exporting has many other uses. It can make changes to GEDCOM files, fix GEDCOM files created by software that does not export valid GEDCOM files, and convert GEDCOM files to other forms such as XML files. GEDitCOM comes with several Export Styles and you can download more with a GEDitCOM menu command.
  • You can merge two GEDCOM files into one larger GEDCOM file. Once the files are merged there are tools for merging any kind of GEDCOM records.
  • Easy access to your favorite web sites from a GEDitCOM menu. The favorite web sites can all be customized.
  • You can download GEDCOM files directly from the internet into GEDitCOM.
  • Search and compile a list of all relatives for any individual. A search of an individual's ancestors provides an "ahnentafel" report. A search for an individual's descendants provides two types of descendant reports. All relatives searches can be printed or exported to an HTML file or a plain-text file.
  • You can select any two individuals and calculate how they are related.
  • Internet-style searching of the entire GEDCOM file.
  • Multiple windows for each record type can be allowed.
  • Template sets or the complete editing GEDitCOM Format can easily be switched. Thus the same GEDCOM data can be viewed, edited, or printed in a variety of ways. You can use formats that come with GEDitCOM or download more using a GEDitCOM menu command.
  • Customizable report generation and full-color printing. The printing style is also controlled by templates and the current GEDitCOM Format. The printed reports can thus be customized by the user.
  • Customizable book printing. You can print a complete and customizable book from any GEDCOM file. The book can have a table of contents and an index.
  • Smart Date entry for automatic recognition of dates and conversion to standard GEDCOM dates. The date entry methods are customizable including customization of how dates are displayed.
  • You can convert dates between Gregorian, Julian, Hebrew, and French Republic calendars. You can calculate the day of the week for any date or calculate someone's age on any date.
  • You can control-click many objects to get context-sensitive menus that provide help and various other functions.
  • Records can be marked. Once marked, you have various options for dealing with those records such as bulk printing and bulk deleting.
  • The Index Window makes it easy to locate living and dead individuals.
  • Color Ancestor Family Trees and Descendent Family Trees for any number of generations. Many tree features are customizable and more customization will come in the future.
  • You can export a subset of a large file to a smaller GEDCOM file.
  • GEDitCOM will recognize problems in GEDCOM files and helps you fix them. You can even edit the raw GEDCOM data, if you know what your are doing.
  • You can scan files for more types errors such as impossible or unreasonable dates, broken GEDCOM links between records, disconnected records, and the use of invalid GEDCOM 5.5 tags. You can fix such errors right in GEDitCOM.
  • You can search for recently changed records.
  • Reading and writing files using ASCII characters (with Mac OS Roman extensions), ANSEL characters, Unicode characters, UTF-8 characters, MS-DOS characters, and MS-Windows characters.
  • Research Log files can be used to track the progress of your genealogical research and to write letters. The logs can be linked to GEDCOM data.
  • Complete on-line help is always available along with frequent help prompts at the bottom of many windows. You can even print the on-line help to get a hard copy of a complete, indexed manual. Or if you prefer the manual in a PDF format, you can download one on the Downloads page.
  • Upgrades are easy and free to registered users.

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Last Updated: 30 OCT 2007