The Import Pre-processor gives you the ability to solve import problems by automatically changing the contents of a Gedcom file. Some problems occur due to variant spellings or use of other keywords in the Gedcom file. The Import Pre-processor can perform up to six search and replace operations for the entire Gedcom file. These operations are not limited to a single line; line breaks are represented by \n. Variable data are represented by \*.

The Gedcom file is not changed by the Import Pre-processor. The operations are performed in a copy of the Gedcom file saved in the system memory. The operations are part of the conversion process, so that they can be performed with the current strings for repeated conversions.

Every step of the Import Pre-processor can be turned on or off using checkboxes. Unneeded steps do not need to be deleted. It is enough to simply deactivate the On checkbox.

The settings, including strings, are treated like all other Gedcom Options so that they are available again later.

Each of the six steps can perform one search and replace operation. Every individual step is used for all lines of the Gedcom file before the next step is performed.

The following examples use the step numbers of the above figure:

One step is enough to change the spelling of a tag:

Only one step is needed to replace a double line coding by a single line coding:

For switching the spelling of two tags, three steps are needed. The example below switches the tags MARR and ORDI for civil and religious marriage data:

 

The usage of data placeholders \* allows for complex changes. If a data placeholder \* is used, it must occur both in the search string and in the replacement string exactly once. Data placeholders must not be at the beginning or at the end of a string; in such cases enter in addition constant neighboring characters or the characters \n for a line break. The following example describes the usage of data placeholders \*:

An individual record in a Gedcom file includes the godparent coding

1 EVEN Name1, Name2

2 TYPE Godparents

The FamilyTreeFactory cannot read this coding directly. Using the Import Pre-processor, the coding should be changed to this form:

1 EVEN

2 TYPE Godparents

2 _GODP Name1, Name2

The change is performed in a single step with the following strings:

The search string begins with 'EVEN ', followed by the data placeholder \* for the variable data ('Name1, Name2') und \n for a line break. The second line is represented by '2 TYPE Godparents'.

The replacement string no longer includes the variable data directly behind 'EVEN '. The variable data are now included in the third line '2 _GODP \*'. Because data placeholders must not be at the beginning or at the end of the strings, a line break \n is added to the end of the third line; to ensure, that the replacement string will replace the search string correctly, a line break \n is added to the end of the search string, too.

 

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