Adding new info from a GEDCOM to existing records in my FamilyFile

[thomprod]

A distant cousin has sent me a GEDCOM containing 412 individuals. I opened a new family file and imported the GEDCOM, just so I can view the information. I find that there are about 10 people who are already in my family file but the GEDCOM has some additional or different information than I already have. I would like to be able to copy this new information from the GEDCOM and merge it with the people that I already have without any duplication. What is the best way to accomplish this?

[Michael Talibard]

This may sound laborious, but what I would do is to have both family files open, and review each item of new information, checking whether it is well evidenced, and if so then copy and paste just that item.

[KirkS]

Thomprod...

Not to sound flippant, but have you read the manual?

if you haven't done so, be sure to click Help --> Contents and search for MERGE.

There are many tips and pointers in there to help you capture the information you want to keep.

[thomprod]

…what I would do is to have both family files open,..

I wasn’t aware you could open two family files at the same time. Would that be two instances of Reunion opened in two separate windows?

[Michael Talibard]

Yes, you can.

[Bob White]

This may sound laborious, but what I would do is to have both family files open, and review each item of new information, checking whether it is well evidenced, and if so then copy and paste just that item.

Not sure about behavior with other fields but... One can drag highlighted text from just about any application into an opened Notes window. (e.g., the full size window one types in) Thus, if you have opened the GEDCOM as a text file, you could drag text into Notes. Having said that, I would recommend using the Merge procedure. (Anyway that I can avoid doing C and V helps to make old fingers last longer!)

[Michael Talibard]

Merge is fine if you are confident as to the quality of your new material. I like to know that I can trust what I'm entering, and am happy to cut and paste the bits that pass muster.

[Don Halward]

I received a gedcom file from one of my wife's aunts, loaded it into Reunion 13, and added quite a bit of information about my wife's immediate family. The problem I have is that all references to people in the file are oriented to the cousin in whose name the file was created, so that first cousins, first cousins removed, second cousins, and so on, are all in relation to her aunt. I'd like to make the file my own, and have the references in relation to my wife or myself. Can I do that? If so, how?

[Deb]

...I'd like to make the file my own, and have the references in relation to my wife or myself. Can I do that? If so, how?

You can do that by going to your family view (where you and your wife are shown side-by-side in the center of the Reunion window). Then, drag your name to the word "Relatives" in the Sidebar list along the left or click on the person menu button (the little "v" icon) and select "Find Relatives" from the menu that appears."

[thomprod]

I wasn’t aware you could open two family files at the same time. Would that be two instances of Reunion opened in two separate windows?

Michael, I tried opening both Family Files, as you suggested, and found that I could, allowing me to see the information in two windows that I could move side by side. I've been using Reunion for many years and I'm quite sure you could not open two Family Files in the past. Maybe that's a recent improvement?

[theKiwi]

Michael, I tried opening both Family Files, as you suggested, and found that I could, allowing me to see the information in two windows that I could move side by side. I've been using Reunion for many years and I'm quite sure you could not open two Family Files in the past. Maybe that's a recent improvement?

No, it's been a feature of Reunion - and for that matter almost any Macintosh programme - that you can have more than one "document" open at the same time. A Reunion family file in this sense is a document - you can open more than one at a time - probably since at least Reunion Version 4 - the Version 3 that was made with HyperCard might be an exception to that - I do remember using Reunion that far back, but don't remember if I had more than one family file at that time and if HyperCard allowed simultaneous opening of multiple stacks.

Roger

[Bob White]

Roger: I also was trying to remember regarding multiple stacks. I wrote a few stacks of my own back in the day. Found an article from 1990 talking about the intro of Hypercard 2.0. A new feature was the ability to open multiple stacks. For a trip down memory lane.... https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-...642-story.html.