Charlie said: >It's apparently not *all* that difficult to write software that will >read one programs data, and convert it to what another program >expects... Well, it ain't easy <g> but it would be easier if developers commonly published their own file specifications (as we do). But most refuse to do so for reasons that you might imagine. It is the same reason that most developers decline invitations to be involved in the many efforts that there have been to develop a GEDCOM alternative. Those developers simply have no perceived incentive to help people leave their program. It is not a market-driven thing because, sadly, the vast majority of researchers are oblivious to the problems and have the same opinion of GEDCOM as does Tom who started this thread. It is almost impossible to recognize data loss and corruption from the receiving end. >Maybe if you packaged Genbridge as a separate product, and made it >capable of writing out data files.... Then we wouldn't even need >GEDCOM any more. It is available to developers as a standalone module (FTM 2008 uses it, among others) but it cannot _write_ proprietary data files because that would be a copyright violation. Bob Velke Wholly Genes, Inc. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.31/1129 - Release Date: 11/13/2007 9:22 PM