		       GEDLAB - 30 MAR 1995
	       Rick Hughes - rbhughes@infi.net

GEDLAB is a IBM-PC DOS shareware program containing a collection of commands 
for manipulating GEDCOM files.

All the questions asked by GEDLAB can be answered with a '?' to receive a 
further explanation of the question.

GEDLAB asks for the path names of two GEDCOM files to be used by the 
comparison commands (see below).  The first file will be the newest file
and most likely it will be the largest also.  If you are not going to do
a comparison these paths can be identical (hit 'enter' for the 2nd path name
question).  It is not necessary to enter the file's .GED extension.


Command format:  [n]C[xxx]          Only the 's' command is case sensitive
==========================
    n - an optional field of either a '1' or a '2' that specifies which GED
	file to use.  The default is '1' (the first pathname entered)
	if the file number is not specified in the command.

    C - the single letter command to execute

  xxx - An individual or family's identification number where needed


============================================================================
Hitting the ESC key while a command is executing will terminate the command.
============================================================================

 C    - Compare the two .GED files
	Often you receive a GED from someone and you load it on your
	database.  After a few months of manipulating your database
	the person sends you an updated version of the GED.  Identifying
	new information in the GED and getting it merged on your system
	is extremely difficult.  This problem is compounded by the fact
	that the identification numbers in the received GED do not match
	the numbers assigned by your database when it imported the old GED.

	This command compares the two .GED files.  The mismatches are
	listed in file GDL.MM.  The new people and families are written
	to file GDL.GED which can be imported into your database.  The
	links 'New Individual<->Old Family' and Old Individual<->New family
	are not written in the GDL.GED thus making the new information
	totally separate from the old data in the database.  These links
	between the old and new data are listed in the GDL.MM file and
	must be entered by hand.  

	Possible differences between files include:
	   1. New spelling of name.  The name line is the only difference.
	   2. New capitalization of the name.  After converting the name
	      to upper case letters the item compares good.
	   3. The person in the oldest file is replaced by someone new.
	      Detected by both the name and the body of the item being
	      different.
	   4. A person in the oldest file is deleted in the new file
	   5. An empty individual or family slot in the old file now is 
	      occupied
	   6. All the reference numbers have changed.

**************************************************************************
* Backup all your data files and verify the GEDCOM before proceeding!!   *
* It is a good idea to lay the GEDCOM down in a temporary database to    *
* insure that the data is good before laying it on your working database *
**************************************************************************

	My usual procedure is to bring up Brother's Keeper and GEDLAB
	from the 6.2 DOS shell in a task swapping environment.

	   C:> DOSSHELL
	   Set View    = Program/File Lists
	   Set Options = Enable Task Swapper
	   Click on GEDLAB
	   Shift - Enter       (moves GEDLAB to list)
	   Click on BK5.BAT
	   Enter               (starts Brother's Keeper)
	     . . .
	   Alt - Tab           (switch from one to the other)

	I import the new GDL.GED to BK and start adding the changes in the
	GDL.MM file.  Whenever there is a question of which person in my
	database is the person in the MM file, I 'ALT-TAB' to GEDLAB and
	display the individual using the 'Ixxx' command.  The display is
	usually enough to identify the person and indicate how they fit in
	the scheme of things even though the numbers are different.

	Sometimes two people will maintain two copies of the same database.
	To keep these databases in synch, use a Master-Slave arrangement.
	When the Master is completely up-to-date, PKZIP the data to REPLACE
	the Slave's files; this insures that the Slave has all the changes
	applied previously by the Master.  Create a reference GEDCOM file
	of the Master.  When the Slave delivers a future GED file you can
	compare it to the reference and apply the changes to the Master.
	Another ZIP and creation of a reference GEDCOM will set you up for
	the next delivery.

***************************************************************************
NOTE: Be very carefull that you are comparing the older file to the newer.
      GARBAGE will result if you compare them backwards!!
***************************************************************************

nIxxx - Display an individual's 'Child of' & 'Spouse of' families e.g.  2i876

nFxxx - Display a family                                          e.g.   f76
	These two commands clear the screen and display the individuals in
	a family.  These commands are very useful when trying to decide if
	the GED's individual matches your database's individual.  To display
	the family without clearing the screen end the number with an
	asterisk.   e.g. i23*  This for when you wish to display two families
	at the same time.

nL    - List names, notes, sources or reference numbers to file GDL.LST

 N    - Compare .GED files by reference number
	Occasionally you will be running two databases the smaller of which
	is a subset of the larger.  Problems can arise where an item was
	updated in one database and not in the other.  After creating two
	GEDCOM files of the databases use this command to read the smaller
	file (entered as the 'oldest') and locate the entries in the 'newest'
	by their reference numbers and compare them.  Mismatches  will be
	listed on the screen and in file GDL.MM.  Needless to say, if there
	are no reference numbers in your database the command can not
	function.

	NOTE:  The I-numbers, the F-numbers and families are not compared.
	       These will definitely be different between the files.  It
	       will, however, check that the individual is a member of the
	       same number of families.

nR    - Create a file for submission to the ROOTS-L Surname List (RSL)
	The ROOTS-L Bitnet group on the Internet maintains a surname list
	that users can interogate to see who else is researching a certain
	name.  This command creates a file of the most popular names in the
	GEDCOM file with the earliest birth, latest death years and the
	states they were in.  "now" means that a person of that surname is
	probably still alive.  The states must be designated by the official
	2 character abbreviation.  Only names that have a birth date and a
	location are considered for counting and only 533 unique names can
	be handled.  Only surnames with 10 or more entries are on the final
	list and only the first 7 states encountered for the surnames are
	displayed.  The resulting GDL.RSL file will require editing to add
	counties and countries and to delete those names that you are not
	very interested in.

nSxxx - Search for a string & display the raw GED record      e.g. 2sWoburn
	Enter any string of characters and the program will display the first 
	record containing that case sensitive string.  It will then ask if 
	you would like to see the next record containing the string (y), 
	display the next record in the file (+) or start a new search from 
	the top of the file (s).  Lines exceeding 80 characters in length 
	are truncated when they are displayed.

nT    - Translate file to a PAF or Brother's Keeper style .GED
	Copies a file making any changes needed to conform to the destination
	database type.
	   PAF - Source and Occupation lines converted to note lines
	   BK5 - Source and Occupation lines removed from notes
	       - Title lines all end in a period.
	Currently translations only occur for PAF and Brother's Keeper.
	While it is copying, the REFN numbers can be changed or deleted.

nV    - Verify the GEDCOM file and check for branches
	1. Verifies that the Birth, Death and Marriage years are numeric
	   and reasonable.
	2. It checks that husbands are male and wifes are female.
	3. Checks for illegal characters in names, places and dates.
	4. Checks the GED for free floating branches that are not connected
	   to the main tree.  It is, of course, possible to track two
	   different families in one database.  This may be what you desire
	   but it is usually an error.

	Since the program has to read the GED file completely several times
	this command takes a while to finish.

	Errors are displayed on the screen and logged into file GDL.ERR.
	This command can only execute with less than 16000 individuals.

 !    - Toggle the 'Don't read NOTE lines' flag.
	The notes in a GED can be of any size but GEDLAB currently can only
	support entries up to 350 lines long.  Toggling this flag ON will
	cause GEDLAB to not read these lines into memory.  It has been of
	use in the past.



ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS:
====================

SMURF - This is a file printer that has a couple useful options; foremost
	of which is the ability to print double column compressed.  This
	will be very useful when printing a Names List.

	To create a file of help instructions enter:  SMURF ?


Examples of GEDCOM entries:
===================================================================
  Individual                               Family
===================================================================
0 @I84@ INDI                             0 @F451@ FAM
1 NAME Samuel  /Wyman/                   1 HUSB @I84@
1 SEX M                                  1 WIFE @I581@
1 BIRT                                   1 CHIL @I1102@
2 DATE 18 MAR 1700                       1 CHIL @I748@
2 PLAC Woburn,Middlesex,MA               1 CHIL @I747@
1 DEAT                                   1 MARR
2 DATE 23 DEC 1767                       2 DATE 22 MAY 1739
2 PLAC Woburn,Middlesex,MA               2 PLAC Woburn,Middlesex,MA
1 REFN W0A123
1 NOTE !BIRTH:IGI;MA,46,696
1 FAMS @F451@
1 FAMC @F3456@

GEDLAB expects the file to be in this format.  If there are leading spaces
they will be deleted when the records are read in.  It will also attempt
to make the tags 4 characters long and upper case. e.g. Husband becomes HUSB

As of Mar 95 only PAF and Brothers Keeper GEDCOM files have been tested.
If you have difficulties with the GEDCOM from another program please send
me a small copy and I will see what I can do to fix the problem.


Example of GDL.MM entries:
==========================
These are "smushed" down GED entries. 
They are formated like this to save paper when printing the GDL.MM

   I84     Samuel  /Wyman/               SEX M          (First 7 - Last 13)
   BIRT    18 MAR 1700    Woburn,Middlesex,MA                  ^        ^
*  DEAT    23 DEC 1767    Woburn,Middlesex,MA                  |        |
*  REFN W0A123                                                 |        |
*  NOTE !BIRTH:IGI;MA;46,696            First difference was   |        |
*  FAMS  F451                           detected on GED line # |        |
*  FAMC  F3456   <<======= NEW FAMILY   Line numbers start at 1         |
									|
									|
   F451    HUSB  I84    WIFE  I581                  Last difference was |
   CHIL  I1102                                      detected on line ----
   CHIL  I748
*  CHIL  I6666   <<======= NEW INDIVIDUAL
*  MARR    22 MAY 1739    Woburn,Middlesex,MA
^
|__________ Denotes lines that are different


Difficulties, suggestions, requests for special functions,
   inordinant praise and the $20.00 registration fee
	should be submitted to:

   Richard Hughes                    804-479-3278 (Home)
   5273 Albright Drive               804-523-8191 (Work)
   Virginia Beach, VA                
   23464                             Internet   rbhughes@infi.net

Fix History:
12 Sep 94 - Family records in the MM file would not display an '*' if the
	    marriage place was diferent.
20 Nov 94 - Add the 'R' command to create a RSL file.  New individuals
	    and families occupying old numbers are now dumped to the GED
	    file instead of the MM file.
10 MAR 95 - Fix a hang when opening a file that is not a GEDCOM file
30 MAR 95 - New individuals in old numbers could not be linked to new 
	    families in old numbers.  There would be no links in the family 
	    records to the new individuals.
