History of GEDCOM

The GEnealogical Data COMmunication format (GEDCOM) was originally defined by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide a standard by which data could be uploaded to their archive.
The current version 5.5 is used as a world wide standard for the exchange of genealogical data, and while several attempts have been made to move the XLM based standards, such as version 6 of GEDCOM, the now 10 year old text based version is still prefered.
[http://www.familysearch.org/GEDCOM/GEDCOM55.EXE|GEDCOM55.EXE] contains the official version of the standard, and various samples to assist management of the information will be produced here.
!!Sample file format
{CODE source=none}0 @I2@ INDI <- The level 0 means this is a new record. The INDI tag means the record is for an individual.
1 NAME Charles Phillip /Ingalls/ <-name of individual
1 SEX M <- level 1 info denotes data about the individual in level 0, Charles Ingalls
1 BIRT
2 DATE 10 JAN 1836 <- this is level 2, because it refers to the birth in level 1 above
2 PLAC Cuba, Allegheny, NY
1 DEAT
2 DATE 08 JUN 1902
2 PLAC De Smet, Kingsbury, Dakota Territory
1 FAMC @F2@
1 FAMS @F3@
0 @I3@ INDI <-A new record (level 0) for a new individual
1 NAME Caroline Lake /Quiner/
1 SEX F
1 BIRT
2 DATE 12 DEC 1839
2 PLAC Milwaukee Co., WI
1 DEAT
2 DATE 20 APR 1923
2 PLAC De Smet, Kingsbury, Dakota Territory
1 FAMC @F21@ <-FAMC indicates the FAM record where this person appears as a Child
1 FAMS @F3@ <-FAMS indicates the FAM record where this person appears as a Spouse{/code}
A list of the possible tags can be found in the specification, but a convenient copy is available here
[http://genealogy.about.com/library/weekly/aa110100d.htm|Gedcom Tags]

((PhpgedviewPackage))