* Duplicated Source Text in Ancestor Report Footnote

[KennethEvans]

So the definition of a Citation is that it is a link to a Source, which means it (the Citation) has a GEDCOM line like n SOUR @Sm@ where n does not equal 0. A Source has a GEDCOM line like 0 @Sm@ SOUR. (m refers to the number assigned to the Source).

The word "Source" when it appears in a Citation is a Source Citation and is a name used to refer to the link.

Do I have it right, yet?

[tatewise]

Yes, you are correct.

[KennethEvans]

Thanks for your help and to others who helped also. This discussion has improved my understanding of FTM and also led to quite a bit of cleaning up of my data.

[tatewise]

I could go into GEDCOM in a bit more detail if you are interested in what the numbers, etc, mean.

[KennethEvans]

I think I know what the numbers mean, but I have been wrong before.

[tatewise]

The number starting each line is called a level number, and analogous to generation numbers in a descendant family tree.

Each record starts with a root parent line numbered 0 followed by its reference enclosed in @ and its type.
All subsequent lines starting with 1 are child items of the record and thus siblings of each other.
Lines starting with 2 are children of the preceding line that starts with 1.
e.g.
0 @I99@ INDI is the start of an Individual record with reference I99
1 SEX Male is its first child item defining the gender
1 NAME John /Smith/ is another child item defining the name
2 SOUR @S4@ is a 2nd level item giving a citation link to source record S4 for the name
1 BIRT is another 1st level child item introducing the birth event
2 DATE 1 JAN 1800 is a 2nd level item, a child of the birth event, and giving its date
1 DEAT is another 1st level child item introducing the death event
2 DATE 31 DEC 1870 is a 2nd level item, a child of the death event, and giving its date

Within FH, the All tab and the Records Window are an almost one to one representation of the GEDCOM data where the level numbers have become nested bullet lists so it looks even more like a descendant family tree.

[KennethEvans]

Thanks, Mike. That was a nice summary. I will print it out and keep it handy.

A good overview is at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM

This page also includes links to more detailed information including the spec.

[tatewise]

Perhaps you have overlooked the glossary:gedcom|> Glossary of Features > GEDCOM article that includes that Wikipedia link, the Specifications, and much, much more...

[davidf]

If you download the free utility Notepad++ (the ++ is key!) you can then load a GEDCOM plugin "GEDCOM Lexer". This then allows you to directly view a GEDCOM file with the various elements coloured to highlight the syntax.

Notepad++ with GEDCOM Lexer

Screenshot from 2020-04-10 16-04-28.png (42.3 KiB) Viewed 3988 times

Best not to be tempted to edit your file by this means unless you are absolutely certain that you have a secure backup and know what you are doing.