Rich256 wrote: > On Nov 14, 3:35 am, Ian Goddard <godda...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote: >> Steve Hayes wrote: >>> On Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:39:27 +0000, Ian Goddard <godda...@hotmail.co.uk> >>> wrote: >>>> The underlying data model of GEDCOM is very simple. IMV far too simple. >>> Or far too complex. >>> GEDCOM tries to group people into families, which is an unnecessary >>> complication. >>> The basic relations are father-child and mother-child, and if GEDCOM stuck to >>> that it could simplify things. >> Same difference! The *evidence* provides names of people (often >> inconsistently spelled even on the same document. A data model should >> provide an entity to represent data (names and roles) extracted from the >> evidence; this is *analysis*. A simple data model which stops there >> would be what you seek and I could go along with that. >> >> If we then try to group into families we build hypotheses which identify >> one analysis record with another. This is *interpretation*. A data >> model which makes provision for interpretation should provide a separate >> entity for this - and make the link between the analysis and >> interpretation representations of individuals a further entity. This is >> the sort of model I would prefer. >> >> GEDCOM does neither. It provides a single entity to represent >> analytical and interpretive views of individuals. It tries to achieve >> complex ends by simple means. >> >> -- >> Ian >> >> Hotmail is for spammers. Real mail address is igoddard >> at nildram co uk > > > If anyone can come up with a better standard please feel free to do > so. However to accomodate the peculiarities of every program is a > difficult if not impossible task. First of all perhaps all programs > would have to adhere to a standard defining what data is acceptable. > As I've said before, the first thing is to get the data model right. Data model comes first, programs and interchange standards come later. If you have a good data model and a program that follows it then you can produce a good interchange standard. If you wanted to import into a program which only supported GEDCOM you would be able to do that. You would be able to convert down to GEDCOM level if need be but this would involve throwing data away. Does the concept of throwing data away alarm you? It should. -- Ian Hotmail is for spammers. Real mail address is igoddard at nildram co uk