GED2JS

What is GED2JS?

GED2JS is a simple-to-run program, written by myself (Robin Handley), to create web pages from a GEDCOM file. The currently available version runs in an 'MSDOS'/command prompt window under Microsoft Windows. However, this will shortly be replaced by an updated version with a Windows visual user interface ('point and click') which is easier to use, provides more user control, and has more features. Both versions use core algorithms which have developed since 2003 and have so far been run successfully on Windows NT4, XP Pro, Vista, and 7, and using GEDCOM files of over 5000 individuals created by:

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) v5.2.18.0 (GEDCOM format v5.5);
EasyTree v8.0 (GEDCOM format v5.5);
FamilyOrigins v10.0 (GEDCOM format v5.5);
Family Tree Maker v11/2006;
FamTree v4.3 (GEDCOM format 5);
GSP FamilyTree v2.0;
Legacy.

It is all my own work, and I reserve all copyrights.

Why did I develop it?

When I started with genealogy, I created web pages manually, including a linked-list of individuals, and pedigree tables for my sons. I thought that the idea of using HTML to link individuals was a good one, and was happy to have this code as my reference family database. However, even with a small set of individuals to work with, database creation and modification was a time-consuming and error-prone task, and I didn't add all the family members that I knew about, as I couldn't face the task.

A year or so later, a thread appeared on the Westmorland e-mail chat list, which talked about web page layouts and software which could be used to record family data and automatically create web pages. As a result of this, I finally 'grew up' and started to use a professional (but free) genealogical software package (PAF 5) to record all my family data. This is easy to use and quick to add new individuals. It also has the ability to create web pages automatically. However, having already created genealogical web pages, I had a clear idea of what I wanted, and the format of the output from PAF 5 wasn't it. Fortunately, like most (if not all) such software packages, PAF 5 can export family data in GEDCOM format (a 'standard' in family data storage formats). GEDCOM files are ASCII text, and so easy to view. They are also easy to read, using software. In fact, several free programs are available to read a GEDCOM file and automatically create web pages. However, once again, they weren't how I wanted them, and I knew I could do it myself. So, having populated PAF 5 with some family data, I subsequently wrote my own software (called GED2JS) to read all the family data from my exported GEDCOM format file, and automatically create HTML (including JavaScript code) to reproduce the linked-list of individuals that I had previously created manually. Thus I have a means to create up-to-date, error free, consistent, and easily modifiable web pages.

Having been bitten by the bug, I have subsequently continuously enhanced this software to present the data in a variety of forms, to make the family data as clear as possible. The HTML generated is efficiently coded to keep storage requirements and page loading time to a minimum. The code is also neatly presented.

As existing users (and the dates on my web pages) can testify, GED2JS is still an on-going project with active and prompt response to user feedback. If you like it, have problems with it, or have suggestions for change/improvement, let me know and I will do my best to implement fixes/upgrades. If you're already running GED2JS, it may be that there's already a later version which fixes a problem or implements a feature that you'd like to have... 'MSDOS' GED2JS is now at version 2.23a. (16 Jan 2010)

What does it do?

GED2JS has the ability to generate all of the following web files:

An HTML web page file of details for every individual. Filenames are of the form: I12.html (where 12 is the individual number from the database). As of v2.19 of GED2JS, there are 7 different layouts to choose from. Too see what these look like in the context of my original frame-based web page design, click on the following links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. More will be added, if requested. All individual layout files are only 2 to 4 kb in size;
An HTML web page pedigree file for every individual. Filenames are of the form: P41.html (where 41 is the individual number from the database). Click on the link to see what the pedigree looks like. Each pedigree file is only 6 to 8 kb in size;
An HTML web page descendancy tree for one, user selected, individual, with a user requested number of generations (up to the maximum available in the database). Filename is of the form: Tree898.html (where 898 is the individual number from the database). Click on the link to see what the descendancy tree looks like. (Note that the example is a very large tree, which will take a while to download.) Of course, more of these can be produced by just re-running GED2JS;
The following ordered lists of individuals (click on the lins to see what they look like):
- Alphabetic by Surname (filenames = 'AlphaSurnameList2.html' and 'AlphaSurnameList1.html');
- Alphabetic by Forename (filename = 'AlphaForenameList.html');
- Alphabetic by Birth Place (filename = 'AlphaBirthPlaceList.html');
- Chronological by Birth Date (filename = 'ChronoBirthDateList.html');
- Alphabetic by Death Place (filename = 'AlphaDeathPlaceList.html');
- Alphabetic by Couple (filename = 'AlphaCoupleList.html');
Note that the links in all these lists are designed to load the individual pages in another window. They work best in conjunction with a top level page, like my Database.html, which divides the browser window up into 'frames'. If you would like a new option within GED2JS, let me know and I will do my best to implement it.

GED2JS also has the following features:

A user-selectable function for censoring information on the living;
All individuals appear as HTML (web) links - to make navigation around the family easy;
The web pages generated are W3C compliant, and therefore work in a variety of browsers;
In accordance with best practice, the web pages generated use external HTML 'Style sheets', called Style.css and TreeStyle.css, so the style (e.g. fonts, colour) of all generated pages can easily be changed by you, using a text editor such as NotePad;

Note that the Windows visual user interface version currently in development will also have the following features:

Individual pages support up to 10 spouses;
Generation of a JavaScript code database which supports an HTML/JavaScript anniversary function;
Generation of a printer-friendly version of the descendancy tree - where the tree is broken down into multiple web pages that should allow your browser to print them properly;
Full user control over which web files are generated;
A choice of two different layouts of Pedigree page. (The new layout can be seen here);
User control over whether to include a picture of each individual on their respective page (e.g.);
Support for GEDCOM files exported directly from Ancestry.co.uk and Geni.com;
Generation of a family tree statistics page;

If you haven't seen what the GED2JS generated pages can look like all together, have a look at mine. I have used a top level HTML file, called Database.html, as the 'root' of the web pages, which uses frames to show index and individual information at the same time. I've also styled the fonts and background in green. You have the option of using and/or modifying my style sheets to suit your taste. By modifying Database.html it is easy to create different layouts of the frames, if desired. This and this are a couple of subtle variations on the layout that I use.

Current Limitations

Individual details include no more than two spouses.
Descendancy trees only include details for first spouse;
No support for: NPFX, NICK, SPFX, and NSFX individual name structure tags;
No support for source information;
No support for GEDCOM files exported directly from Ancestry.co.uk;

If you want GED2JS to support more options then ask! I won't bite your head off. Otherwise, if it doesn't occur to me to add a feature and nobody asks for it, then it'll never happen!

Is it easy to use?

Yes, it couldn't be much easier. I like things to run 'at the touch of a button'. GED2JS can be run as follows:

UnZip and save GED2JS.EXE, and the files bundled with it, to a working directory on your hard disk (where you want the web pages to be created);
Open the family tree program that you use and export the database to a GEDCOM format file (.GED) in the directory on your hard disk, that has GED2JS.EXE saved in it (consult the help documentation for your family tree program if you are unsure how to do this). You need to ensure that the exported GEDCOM file has the suffix '.GED'. From here on, let's assume that the file that you've just exported to is called: filename.GED;
Open a command prompt window (this can be done from the Windows menus, but also by selecting Run from the Start menu, entering cmd, and then clicking OK). Using DOS commands (e.g. cd) attach to the directory with the GEDCOM file in it (your Microsoft documentation might help to tell you how to do this, otherwise www.computerhope.com provides useful guidance);
To create web pages with key information on living individuals removed, run GED2JS by typing: GED2JS filename.GED{return}. To create web pages with no information removed, run GED2JS from the command prompt window by typing: GED2JS filename.GED -no_privatise{return}. If filename.GED includes one or more spaces, put it in double quotes, e.g: "My Database.GED";
Once running, GED2JS asks you a few simple questions on how you want to configure the descendancy tree and individual pages to your requirements. Answer these, then lots of files should be created in your current directory.
That's it!

If you like the output from GED2JS but don't want to deal with command prompts, let me know and I will speed up release of the visual user interface version of GED2JS.

Any of the .HTML files can be viewed, directly off your hard disk, using your favourite internet browser (e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer) either by typing the pathname of the file into the address (URL) window of the browser, or by viewing the files using Windows Explorer and then double-clicking on a file. To publish your database on-line, you will need to upload all the files to your webspace using an FTP program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How does the automatic privatise/censoring filter work?

A1: Individuals with a VALID DEATH DATE are tagged as DEAD. Individuals with a BLANK DEATH DATE, and a BIRTH DATE THAT ISN'T BLANK and is AFTER 1910, are assumed to be LIVING. Individuals with a BLANK DEATH DATE, and a BIRTH DATE THAT ISN'T BLANK and is BEFORE 1910, are assumed to be DEAD. Individuals with a BLANK BIRTH DATE and a BLANK DEATH DATE are assumed to be DEAD (as there's no information available to decide if they're alive or dead). All individuals tagged as LIVING have the following information removed: forenames, birth date & place, christening date & place, marriage date & place. An entry for them still exists, to preserve the structure of the family.

Q2: If I add more people or update their details in my family tree software database, how do I update the web pages that GED2JS creates?

A2: Just export a new GEDCOM file from your software, re-run GED2JS, and it will overwrite the old web page files with the new ones.

What others have said about it

Charlotte: "I particularly like using the different Alphalists and being able to view all the dates for a person, as well as their parents, siblings, spouse and children all on one page. One click and I can move back and forth in the family. I love the AlphaList3 [Robin: now called 'AlphaBirthPlaceList'] - having the people grouped by location of birth. Thanks so much."

Yvonne: "Bingo, it worked. I like it. Many thanks."

Paul: "I'm very impressed with the results. I am using FTM 2005 and the GEDCOM export/import worked a treat."

Lynn: Thankyou again for the use of your GED2JS project...it works like a charm.

Miguel: This is fantastic!!!

Disclaimer

Although I've never heard of a problem when running GED2JS, I have to issue a disclaimer. Consequently, if you run GED2JS, you do so entirely at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for any damage it may cause to files on your hard disk, nor for any other damage that it may cause. If you get the program from me, then it will be guaranteed virus-free, spyware free, free of adverts, and I will provide e-mail support. If you get a copy from someone else, it could have been infected by them, their computer, or even the person who gave it to them. You have been warned.

Contact the author

To request a free copy of GED2JS, ask a question, or just to make contact, e-mail me.