Importing & merging a single family branch

[bkthomas]

Family members have sent me several GEDCOM files with both ancestor and descendent branches which I would like to add to my existing family PAW II file. Some of their persons are duplicates of persons in my existing PAW file. What is the best way to import a single family branch of ancestors from a new GEDCOM file and merging the branch point person with a person in an existing PAW II file? I have tried to delete all the irrelevant persons which does not seem to work because I still end up with many duplicates in the final merged file. Thoughts? Is it possible to tag a single branch of one person's ancestors and import and/or merge only the tagged persons? Would that be the best way or is there another? Same questions re a descendent branch. I'm new at this so it may be obvious to a more experienced user. Thanks.

[Howard Metcalfe]

bkthomas said:

Family members have sent me several GEDCOM files with both ancestor and descendent branches which I would like to add to my existing family PAW II file. Some of their persons are duplicates of persons in my existing PAW file. What is the best way to import a single family branch of ancestors from a new GEDCOM file and merging the branch point person with a person in an existing PAW II file? I have tried to delete all the irrelevant persons which does not seem to work because I still end up with many duplicates in the final merged file. Thoughts? Is it possible to tag a single branch of one person's ancestors and import and/or merge only the tagged persons? Would that be the best way or is there another? Same questions re a descendent branch. I'm new at this so it may be obvious to a more experienced user. Thanks.

Hi,

There is no simple way to do what you want. So I will refer you to the "Importing GEDCOMs into an existing file" topic under FAQs. (As with most genealogy programs, merging GEDCOMs is extremely complex and error-prone.)

The key is just to have one person in common between the file and the GEDCOM. Then the merge of just that one person is straight-forward. Avoid having the person's parents, partners and children in both files.

So if you want to import the ancestors of a person already on file (and that person does not already have ancestors on file), import the new GEDCOM into a new file. Try to validate the information. Tag only the person and his/her ancestors and the ancestors' relatives. and export those people to second GEDCOM. Then import the second GEDCOM into your existing file and merge the person into the imported identical person. No one else should be a duplicate.

Repeat this process for the other GEDCOMs people sent you. Follow the same sort of logic for descendants not on file.

Remember, just one person in common between your existing file and the second GEDCOMs you produce. This will keep you out of trouble.

Alternatively, you can import a GEDCOM someone sent you. Then duplicate PAW and launch your existing file into the duplicate program. Now you have your old info in one PAW and the imported file in another window. Looking at both, you can manually enter info into your existing file from the imported GEDCOM file. More work, though.

Best,
Howard