1. Introduction to TMG to GEDCOM
9:00am to 10:15am
John Cardinal
Roots Users Group of Arlington, Virginia 14 December 2019
Good morning, introduce myself

2. TMG to GEDCOM (T2G) exports data from TMG in GEDCOM 5. 5. 1 format
TMG to GEDCOM (T2G) exports data from TMG in GEDCOM format. T2G attempts to optimize the transfer by constructing GEDCOM files in the format expected by the target application.
Explain “target application”

3. GEDCOM Experience Casual user before 2015
Wrote flexible GEDCOM reader component for GedSite beginning in 2015; gathered a library of 8,000 GEDCOM files
Wrote/edited/compiled GEDCOM standard in late / early 2019; fame and fortune ensued*
Created GEDCOM Assessment facility in late 2019
* Not really

4. Links GedSite: https://www.gedsite.com
Gedcom Publisher:
GEDCOM 5.5.2:
GEDCOM Assessment:

5. Why Export? Migrate to a new program
Transfer data to use feature(s) in another program:
Analysis
Reporting
DNA Matching

6. Why Use T2G in place of TMG’s Export Feature?
T2G supports GEDCOM and UTF-8 character encoding.
T2G has more options to control GEDCOM content.
T2G has a template facility to optimize results for popular target applications.
T2G is much faster.

7. The Master Genealogist
Speed Comparison
Elapsed time exporting my project with 29,421 people:
The Master Genealogist
TMG to GEDCOM
1670 seconds (27:50)
5.2 seconds
TMG to GEDCOM is 321 times faster than TMG to export the same people.

8. GEDCOM Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros
Cons
Not proprietary Widely supported Describes common data structures
FamilySearch abandoned specification in 1999 Lots of variations Loose and ambiguous

9. GEDCOM Uses a Text-Based Hierarchy
Line format: level id tag value
Example:
level
tag id
value

10. Tag?
TMG has Tag Types: Birth, Death, etc. An instance of a Tag Type is often called a tag, or more specifically, an event, name, or relationship tag.
GEDCOM has Tags that identify record types.
You must consider the context when deciding which meaning applies to the word “tag”.

11. Using TMG to GEDCOM (Part 1)
Start T2G then File > New… to create “.tgfile”.
Choose your TMG project and dataset.
Load a template.
Adjust Tag Type settings in the Tags section of T2G.
Set people and Tag Type filters, if necessary.

12. Using TMG to GEDCOM (Part 2)
Use File > Export to create “.ged” file.
Import “.ged” file to your target application.
Review the results in the target application.
If not satisfied, adjust settings in T2G and go back to step 6.

13. Properties Are Divided into Sections
GEDCOM
GEDCOM Format
GEDCOM Source
GEDCOM Tag Names
TMG Data
Dates
Exhibits
Flags
Names
People
Places
Sources
Tags
Role Names
Other
Database
Compiler
Language
Printer Codes

14. Attributes and Events
Where TMG has events, GEDCOM has attributes and events.
Ex: A TMG Occupation event usually exports to an OCCU attribute. A TMG Birth event usually exports to a BIRT event.
GEDCOM attributes must have a text value and may have a note value.
GEDCOM events cannot have a text value and may have a note value.
The text value for GEDCOM attributes is subject to restrictions. For example, the OCCU value is limited to 90 characters.

15. T2G and GEDCOM Attributes
T2G has several options for exporting TMG events as GEDCOM attributes.
T2G will export the first part of a TMG event’s memo field as a GEDCOM attribute value.
If an event memo’s first part is not a valid attribute value, T2G can be configured to export it as an event.

16. Tags Section Properties
Export: Whether and how (share, clone) to export the tag
Primary Only: Export tag for primary participants only, or both primary and non-primary?
Witnesses: Export tag for principals only, witnesses only, or both?
Note Value: Method to use to create the GEDCOM “NOTE” value
Text Value: Method to use to create the GEDCOM “text” value

17. Sharing and Cloning (part 1)
T2G has three options for handling a TMG name or event:
Export: No The tag is not included in the GEDCOM output)
Export: Share The tag is written for the principal with the lowest ID number and other participants are added via non-standard “share” records
Export: Clone The tag is written once for each participant

18. Sharing and Cloning (part 2)
Support is limited.
Some applications that support sharing only allow a limited set of roles.
In target application, events are distinct and there are no links between the participants.
T2G adjusts event type for witnesses to birth, death, and burial events to avoid applying the genealogical meaning to the witness.

19. Tags Section: Options per Tag Type
Primary Tags Only?
Export for Witnesses?
Tags section includes controls for adjusting the export to deal with the attributes/events issue and the share/clone issue.
Tag Type Label
How to Create GEDCOM Note Value
How to Export
How to Create GEDCOM Text Value

20. What are T2G Templates?
A template is a set of property values that users can load into the current “.tgfile”.

21. Why Are Templates Necessary?
T2G has hundreds of properties. It’s difficult to understand some of them without technical GEDCOM knowledge and/or experience.
Most users are not aware of the settings that work best for a target application.
Templates allow experienced users to share optimized property values with other users.

22. Using Templates
Choose a template from the Utilities > Load Template submenu.
T2G retrieves System templates from the T2G web server. Loading one requires an Internet connection.
T2G lists System templates first in the submenu.
You may save your own templates. Those are User templates. T2G stores them in your Documents folder.

23. Templates and TMG Tag Types
Templates include property values that are specific to TMG Tag Types. Those properties are in the Tags section of T2G.
System templates do not include property values for custom Tag Types you have added to your TMG project.
When T2G loads a template, it uses settings from the standard Tag Types to set property values for custom Tag Types. You may have to adjust them.

24. Demonstration

25. Invalid GEDCOM Setting for TMG Tag Type
ADDR is a valid GEDCOM tag but is not an event- type tag and is not valid for that reason.
tag
For more discussion, see: