* Export Gedcom File 3.3

[craigmollekin]

Hi,

With the new version of the plugin, I keep getting this error message when attempting to convert to Gedsite.It does not happen with all of my Gedcoms, just one, with German characters. Any ideas how to resolve it as it as it will not let me progress:-

[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:5149: attempt to compare number with nil
stack traceback:
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:5149: in function <[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:5119>
[C]: in function 'gsub'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7063: in function 'useRules'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7934: in function 'ExportGedcom'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7706: in function <[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7696>
(tail call): ?
[C]: in function 'MainLoop'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."] in function 'ShowDialogue'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7816: in function 'GUI_MainDialogue'
[string "C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\..."]:7991: in main chunk

[tatewise]

Sorry Craig, the problem is associated with the script that is inserting Sort Dates.
Not sure what exactly is causing the problem so have added a diagnostic popup message when nil value is detected.
It identifies which variable has nil value and shows first line and current line of offending GEDCOM record.
Let me know what it says. The current line should identify the problematic Date value.

Try the attached Export Gedcom File Plugin Version 3.3.4 Date 18 Oct 2017 in ZIP file that must be extracted.
[Attachment now deleted as fixes are in Plugin Store.]

[craigmollekin]

Thanks, Mike - I've attached a couple of error warnings (the second one appeared after I'd resolved the first error). 90/06/1913 was easy to solve. But I cannot find an error with the second date? The lady in question was born in September 1752 and she was christened on 6 Sep 1752.

[tatewise]

OK, so invalid Dates are the cause, and I will update the Plugin to cater for them by treating the Facts as undated.
(The functions the Plugin uses claim to always return a day number, but for invalid Dates it returns nil and explains the error.)
[EDIT: Rather than just treat such Facts as undated, it can first try using the 1st of the Month & Year from the invalid Date.]

If you re-enter those problem Dates, then FH V6 explains why they are invalid, but allows you to ignore the error.
Try using the Show Project Statistics Plugin, and review its Result Set report for Fact Date : The date entered is not valid... to discover all invalid entries.

BTW:
May I have your feedback on the Sort Date (2 _SDATE) strategy?
See plugins:help:export_gedcom_file:sort_date_details|> Export Gedcom File ~ Sort Date Details for current strategy.

V3.3 ensures that the All tab / GEDCOM file order of Facts is strictly reinforced by the _SDATE values, even if that results in the Fact Date value and _SDATE value being very different.

V3.4 proposes that if an explicit Date field or Sort Date: value is out of sequence, then that takes precedence and all subsequent _SDATE values start from that date. This means that 'clumps' of Facts can appear in a different _SDATE order than in the All tab / GEDCOM file. However, it means that Facts with a Date will have a matching _SDATE value, and subsequent undated Facts will immediately follow them.

This allows users to override the All tab order, especially when the FH auto date sorting is misbehaving.
If all Facts are sorted chronologically by Date in the All tab, then there is no difference between V3.3 and V3.4.

Are you happy with the proposed V3.4 strategy?

[craigmollekin]

Thanks, Mike - to be honest, I find it all quite confusing when looking at the strategy I think I might have got the general gist though.

I'm not fussed if a few facts are put out of sequence. It's not going to affect many people in the database and it's only on the exported Gedcom, so it's not something that would personally cause me any concern.

I'd be happy with whatever solution you come up with that works as best as possible, as there's no way I'd be able to do anything better myself

[tatewise]

Try the attached Export Gedcom File Plugin Version 3.3.5 Date 19 Oct 2017 in ZIP file that must be extracted.
[Attachment now deleted as fixes are in Plugin Store.]

It implements the Invalid Date fix, and proposed V3.4 Sort Date strategy described earlier.

So you might want to test it caters for Invalid Dates before you fix them all.

BTW: How did you get on with Show Project Statistics to find and fix all your Invalid Dates?

[craigmollekin]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

I have used the Show Project Statistics tool before to find invalid dates. There are quite a few that I'm aware of that are wrong. Some are easier to resolve than others and many are just sitting on the back burner until I can figure out what's gone wrong in my research

[craigmollekin]

Everything went through okay, Mike and I now have an exported Gedcom. I'll worry about the dates another day

[tatewise]

Craig, in this context I am only interested in the Dates that are reported as Fact Date : The date entered is not valid... and NOT any others that are simply found in future or past or earlier/later than some other date and without the colon ( : ).

i.e. Like the one where day number was too big (90) or the 6 Sep 1752 that never existed due to the missing 11 days.

[craigmollekin]

It did throw up a number of errors, Mike, although I haven't looked at them to see exactly what they are. I use the Export tool just to export a Gedcom so as to quickly update my website. Scrutinising date errors would be for a rainy day and not at the point of the website update.

[tatewise]

Hi Craig, I'm not sure why you posted the Export Gedcom File actions Result Set with the caption Error.JPG as it does not indicate any errors.

[tatewise]

Export Gedcom File Plugin Version 3.4 Date 26 Oct 2017 is now in the Plugin Store and incorporates the changes needed here, so the prototype versions have been deleted.