Gedcom Source Mess

[Miss Myrtle]

I use the templates to enter my source info, and I use the Free-Form Text box to enter the transcription, and checkmark the "Exclude from Endnotes".

When I export a GEDCOM to upload to Ancestry, the only part of my source information that transfers is the freeform text box. That creates a worthless citation. I have discovered if I copy and paste the preview of my citation into the freeform text box above the transcription, it all transfers and while not perfect, certainly workable. If I do this for all my sources, but continue to keep exclude from endnotes checked, will it mess anything up in my reunion reports? Or is there any other reason I might not wish to do this that I'm not thinking of?

[Blaise A. Darveaux]

I can't say much about making reports since I don't do much of that (nobody in 50 years has asked me for one), but it is my understanding of the source window that the Free-Form Text section is intended for information ABOUT the source, not for the information WITHIN the source. IMHO, transcriptions would better be put in a Notes field in the family card. Even if the information in the source is, for whatever reason, ambiguous and/or abnormal from other sources of the same type, that should be put into a regular Notes field with your own observations and interpretations.

[Miss Myrtle]

Hmm.. I can't seem to find anything in the manual that actually says what Reunion's free-form text box is meant to be used for. I rather like having the transcriptions there because if it's a census record for example, then I can see all the details for everybody in the household at once. If I transcribe that into the notes for each person, then I have to open each person to look at that.

[fjvanbodegom]

Just my twocents comment

For the Dutch users in Holland I made a special chapter: 'Guiedline on structured source references'

https://cq-reunion.nl/handreiking-bronvermeldingen/

Of course this is in Dutch, but might be that the added screendumps can elucidate some of the text.

1. First of all: there are only a few genealogy programs that really upport uses 'Structural sources'
That is the reason Leister made a special button in the Gedcom export Window, so that all info from the source window is present in the gedom source in the same sequence: 'Flatten structured sources'

2. Have thousands and thousand of MM from wills, court pronunciations (from 1500-1800) etc.
From all I made real transcriptions.
The MM from that specific notary or court is added to a source INCLUDING the whole transcription.
Link that source to a person, event or what you like
When you click on the citation, you see all the linked MM and also the transcription and it is very easy to find all the persons, events etc that are linked.
Might be this is helpful.

Normally I do not add comment or advice to ReunionTalk, so this is an exception

[fjvanbodegom]

Added: for reading the chapter (see link above) : click on the red word hier

[Miss Myrtle]

Added: for reading the chapter (see link above) : click on the red word hier

Thank you Frans, looking through it now.

[Historyscape]

Sounds like Frans's suggestion of 'flatten structured sources' might help and stop you having to duplicate data. I tried a small GEDcom with that option checked on and off. It changed each of the various tags under the SOUR tag from TYPE, AUTH, TITL and FILEN to TEXT. The data in the Free Form box was already called TEXT but the separate lines after the first in that field are headed with a CONT tag. I don't know what Ancestry would do with multiple TEXT tags so you'd have to experiment.

If it does work, do let us know.

Ruth

[Miss Myrtle]

Sounds like Frans's suggestion of 'flatten structured sources' might help and stop you having to duplicate data. I tried a small GEDcom with that option checked on and off. It changed each of the various tags under the SOUR tag from TYPE, AUTH, TITL and FILEN to TEXT. The data in the Free Form box was already called TEXT but the separate lines after the first in that field are headed with a CONT tag. I don't know what Ancestry would do with multiple TEXT tags so you'd have to experiment.

If it does work, do let us know.

Ruth

The manual says NOT to flatten them for Ancestry.

[Historyscape]

Ah - I didn't realise that Ancestry.com was a distinct destination option in a GEDcom export window. Did you use that the first time around?

[Miss Myrtle]

Ah - I didn't realise that Ancestry.com was a distinct destination option in a GEDcom export window. Did you use that the first time around?

I did not! I didn't even realize that was an option. I will go try it and see what I get.

[Miss Myrtle]

Flattening and exporting to Ancestry DID include the citation details, but it messed up the order of them. By that, I mean the layout of the source was rearranged. I'm sorry I didn't understand that is what Frans was explaining.

[Blaise A. Darveaux]

Hmm.. I can't seem to find anything in the manual that actually says what Reunion's free-form text box is meant to be used for.

It may be a moot point by now, but here you go.


image.png

[Miss Myrtle]

It may be a moot point by now, but here you go.


image.png

I did see that, but apparently did not read it well enough to catch the transcription part. Good, that is exactly how I am using it.