How To Get Your Ged

Q: i desperately need too convert html files back into gedcom files can this be done if so please tell me how

A:I haven't heard of a program which can convert HTML files to .ged files, but you may be able to do it yourself in a semi-automatic fashion by doing the following: (1) Insert all the data into a word processing program which has a facility to "find + change" characters. (2) Make a copy of a small .ged file and import it into the program to see how it SHOULD look as text. (3) Compare the appearance of both the HTML file and the text version of the .ged file. (4) Get the program to "find + replace" any superfluous HTML characters (or series of them)with something innocent like a space - or something obvious like a # - which could be removed afterwards. (5) Find out what characters are being used in the HTML doc for "Name" "Mother" "Father" etc - and if they are unique, "find + replace" the HTML with the appropriate word (for the whole document). It may be necessary to manually add a specific character to every HTML prefix which indicates "Name" (such as "n") and then afterwards "find + change" (all automatically) every occurance of (say) ">>>n" to "Name" and then do the same for other categories. (6) Find any unique coding in the *text version* of your "sample .ged file" and copy / paste that into the document being modified (or alternatively copy the HTML text into your "sample .ged file" so that when the GED program reads the text file, it will read the essential stuff which says "Hey - this is a .ged file". [This may not be at all necessary] (7) Change your word processing (modified doc) to a real GED document by changing the coding in the document. (This will give the modified document the correct icon, and your GED program will be happy to read it if you have no errors. This can be done by looking at the modified doc in a program like "ResEdit" or "Diskdoubler" or other programs which let you look at the hidden coding for documents. You will find a small panel when you tell "ResEdit" to "get info" and that panel will show "TYPE" and "CREATOR". In the case of a word processing doc it might say "TEXT" (for file) and "R*ch" (for creator). You need to change the "creator" code to whatever your .ged docs use - such as "@GN4". The TEXT is usually the same and does not need altering. You will receive dire warnings on "ResEdit" program like "Get out of here unless you know what you are doing!" but if you only alter the creator you shouldn't ge into too much trouble. If you are too scared - get someone else to do it on their computer! (8) Be careful to delete all spaces AFTER the last entry because they might confuse your GED program and it may refuse to read the doc. (9) Practice with a small version of the HTML file (by deleting most of it). Basically you should end up with a text file that looks just like your "sample .ged file" - with an identical layout. Even if you are unable to convert the entire HTML file semi-automatically, you can still do it manually, but this will save heaps of time in typing in all the actual details onto new file cards. TO SUMMARISE: (if it all the above looks too hard). (a) Make your HTML file into a text file that looks just like a sample .ged file converted to text. (b) Change the secret coding of the text doc to suit your GED program.

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