* Family ID Numbers

[brianh]

I seem to be having a problem with Family ID numbers. When I bought FH, I imported all my data from Generations and everything seemd OK. It was when (in FH) I added a spouse to someone that I noticed that the Family ID number in Generations was different to that in FH and in FH it seemed to be the next Family ID number available. It looked as if Generations allocates a Family ID Number to everyone even though at that time they do not have a spouse while FH allocates one when a spouse is added. To confuse me even more, when, as a test, I then imported my FH Gedcom file back into Generations and I ended up with yet a third Family ID number.
Where there were couples in Generations, the Family IDs are the same no matter what I do but others (mainly the newer entries) seem to change.
As I use the Family ID number to assist in sorting my data in Custodian, can you explain how the Family ID numbering works in Gedcom and / or Family Historian.

ID:663

[Jane]

If you are using both programs at the same time, I would suggest using the custom ID field in FH to put the generations number, I don't know if generations will know what to do with it, but at least you will be able to use the number in FH to see what the number is in Generations.

Personally I would always suggest using a custom ID when cross referencing to another system, such as custodian.

You can copy the current record ids to a custom id using the Tools, Work With Record Identifiers.

Generations does not use GEDCOM internally, it only exports to it. FH allocates as you have found a family number as it is required. I presume Generations as you suggest builds numbers as they are needed.

[brianh]

In Generations I had already started to copy the Family ID to the Custom ID as I could print the Custom ID in Family Group sheets (I could not print the Family ID).
I will be going away from Generations as I get better with FH but can you explain how / when FH 'issues' a Family ID number. If there is one in a Gedcom import, why does it not use that instead of (apparently) issuing a new one.

[Jane]

Have you checked that the family ID actually exists in the GEDCOM file exported from generations and not just with in Generations?

You could try turning off the autoclean up of family records from properties, but I suspect Generations may not actually export the 'unused' family ID's

[brianh]

I have just checked again and although Generations gives a Family ID on screen, it only seems to export it as a 'FAMS' Gedcom value if there is a spouse.
As a test I added a spouse, and then that family ID was exported and thus can be imported into FH. What I can't seem to understand is why Generations can export a FAMS value but does not seem to want to Import it (I could not find an obvious 'export' tick box for this record value). I must have been mistaken when I first posted this query as I thought it did export it.
Thanks for your help on this even though the underlying problem seems to be with Generations.
While playing with this, I have added the Family ID as a column in the Records window which helps. Is there a list / index which explains what the various internal reference codes are (ie INDI.FAMS) and what the exact / correct syntax should be (I could not find it in the Help files or User Manual).

[Jane]

The easiest way to see them and use them is to use the data reference helper which comes up when you select other for the column option.

The references are built from basic blocks and you get used to them.

The power is in the fact you could for instance use a reference to get the husbands mothers date of birth.

For your simple example
INDI is person
FAMS is family as spouse

If you use the data reference in Queries it shows at the bottom what the result of clicking on the one you have drilled down to would be.

I suspect the combinations are infinite.
You can find some basic help for them in the help under 'Understanding Data References'