The GEDCOM TestBook Project

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The GEDCOM TestBook Project

• FGS2000
• Beau Sharbrough

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The GEDCOM TestBook Project

• A clearinghouse for the exchange of family
  history information between programs using GEDCOM

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Where can you go to find out what information can
be exchanged between your program and another?

• Dont worry. Take your time. Dont hurry.

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Where can you go to find out what problems other
users are having similar to yours?

• Can you see me at all?

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What space contains the combined knowledge of the
community of genealogical computer users that I
can explore?

• Please listen. You dont know what youre missin.

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Project Team

• Project Leader
• User Volunteers
• Storytellers

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The Participants

• Project Leaders
• 2/3/96-1/25/97 Larry Ledden
• 1/25/97-1/31/00 Beau Sharbrough
• 1/31/00- Evan L Ivie
• Story Tellers
• 1/25/97- Robert C Anderson
• 1/25/97-6/1/99 Bob Booth

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The process includes four steps

• Entering the story
• Exporting the story
• Importing the story
• Reporting the results

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A given volunteer might only do the last two
steps, or anything else they think reasonable.

• The world is at your command.

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Entering the story

• Entering the sources and the information from the
  story into your program
• Equal parts content and method in this recipe
• Maybe Im Amazed that any communication takes
  place at all

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Exporting the story

• creating a GEDCOM file
• creating a register report
• sending the GEDCOM file to testbook_at_gentech.org
• GENTECH volunteers post the file on the GENTECH
  website

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Importing the story

• Bringing the information from a GEDCOM file into
  your program
• NOTE Be sure you dont do this in your real data
  set.
• Files can be downloaded from the website
  Theyre sitting perfectly still.

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Reporting the results

• Creating another GEDCOM file
• Creating another register report
• Any comments that you might have

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Use the GENTECH website as a clearinghouse

• The story
• Stored GEDCOMs
• Stored Reports

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General observations

• The types of errors encountered ran in patterns
  depending on the product reviewed.
• All products had problems.
• Nearly all products could cleanly read a GEDCOM
  file generated by that product.
• Not all products gave an import problem report.

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Test Conditions

• Test was conducted over a three-month period.
• The same test specifications were used for all
  testing.
• The test volunteers were not familiar with all
  products (learning curve).
• The testers were supported by computer
  professionals to answer questions as needed.
• The testers were not genealogy or computer
  professionals, but rather experienced amateur
  genealogists.

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Disclaimer

• Although the test specifications were clear and
  used for all testing, variations were possible.
• It is very possible that mistakes were made, and
  that specific problems were not problems at all,
  but only misunderstanding product functions

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Types of problems encountered

• Input error log page count from 0 to 8 pages
• GEDCOM statements not recognized
• Named individuals became individuals with no
  names
• Married individuals became married to "Unknown
  Person"
• Marriage information added for unmarried person
• Death information added where not present before
• Event types were changed to a different but
  related type
• Event type changed to miscellaneous
• Second marriage event added for nearly all
  individuals
• Lost certain common event types (baptism, birth,
  death)

• Lost everything except the names and
  relationships
• Pieces of a locality string lost
• LDS temple names changed
• Order of children changed
• Lost source references
• Lost sources
• Lost source text (full transcription of test
  problem)
• Lost note references
• Lost marriage connection
• Lost parent connection
• lost dates and/or places of some or all events
• Lost special events only
• Lost endnotes
• Administrative action date added to genealogical
  reports

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The Future

• Formation of a clearinghouse for specific
  information about exchange issues. SPR Site
• Opportunities to adopt "standard" approaches to
  problems
• Communicate with developers about the needs of
  the marketplace, promote verndor certification.
• Opportunities for improvement are Here, There,
  and Everywhere.

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Summary

• The project needs volunteers
• The information gathered will be freely available
  for anyone
• If youre worried that you wont be able to find
  the results, relax you have a Ticket to Ride.