Add a GEDCOM

Once PhpGedView has been successfully installed, you then need to add a GEDCOM. The GEDCOM may be an existing file saved from your genealogy software and may contain many individual and families or you can use PhpGedView to create a new empty GEDCOM ready for use by PhpGedView. Until at least one GEDCOM file has been added to PhpGedView, you will be redirected to the GEDCOM admin page.

Adding a GEDCOM File

PhpGedView maintains a GEDCOM file on the web server as well as using a database to store the same information. Knowing this should help in understanding the tasks required to get PhpGedView working after a successful installation. Firstly, a GEDCOM file needs to be added (or uploaded) to the web server and then this GEDCOM needs to be imported into PhpGedView so the database is populated with the data.

Uploading a GEDCOM File

If you have experience with genealogy you may have been using software to help organise and present your research/data. If this is the case, you should be able to export the data from this software into a GEDCOM file.

Upload details here

Need to Reorganise All the Info Below

To add GEDCOM files to the system, you can upload your GEDCOM file using the "Upload GEDCOM" option from the Admin menu. All files uploaded using the "Upload GEDCOM" page are saved in your "index" directory.

Most hosts limit the size of files that can be uploaded from a web form for security reasons, so you may be forced to use a manual method. You may also upload your GEDCOM in ZIP format, either manually or using the "Upload GEDCOM" option. Type in the filename of the ZIP file. PhpGedView will automatically unpack the ZIP file and use the GEDCOM file inside it. Be sure to include only one GEDCOM file in the ZIP file.

Updating GEDCOMs

When you change your genealogy data external to PhpGedView, it is not necessary to delete your GEDCOMs from PhpGedView and start over. Follow these steps to update a GEDCOM that is already in use:

a. The first step is to replace your old GEDCOM on the site with your new GEDCOM. You can do this using FTP, or by going to the "Upload GEDCOM" page and uploading a new GEDCOM with the same filename as the old one. Please remember that file names are case sensitive.

b. Re-import the GEDCOM file by going to Admin->Manage GEDCOMs->Import GEDCOM. The GEDCOM will be validated again before importing.

c. The Import script will detect that the GEDCOM has already been imported and will ask if you want to replace the old data. Click the "Yes" button.

d. You will again see the import statistics and the “Import complete” message when the import is finished.

If you want to use a ZIP file to upload the GEDCOM, you must use either the "Upload GEDCOM" option or the "Add GEDCOM" option. The GEDCOM file in the zipped file has to have exactly the same name as the already existing GEDCOM. In this way, existing GEDCOM settings will be preserved.

If you had media items linked to individuals in your old configuration, you will need to relink them to individuals in the new GEDCOM. However, if the GEDCOM being imported already contains media object references, these references will be preserved and the links will be re-established automatically. PhpGedView will not import embedded media objects that appear within the GEDCOM as binary data; all media objects must be in the form of references to external files.

Deleting GEDCOMs

You may delete GEDCOMs from your site from the "Manage GEDCOMs" area. Deleting a GEDCOM from the site will remove it from the database but will not delete the original GEDCOM file that you imported. It will also not delete any of the cache or privacy files related to this GEDCOM. These retained files, which are no longer required by PhpGedView, are all located in the "index" directory.

GEDCOM Upload

Then click on the link labelled "Click here to continue" where you will be taken to the "Manage GEDCOMs" area. In the "Manage GEDCOMs" area you can add GEDCOMs to your site.

Figure 6

You have already uploaded your GEDCOM file, so it is ready to be used. For a first-time user, this is the simplest way to do it. But later on there are other ways of uploading GEDCOMs – see 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3

Select Add GEDCOM, and advise PhpGedView where it is. Give it a title (this will appear as the header on your page.)

Figure 7

c. Set GEDCOM configuration settings: You will be asked to set the configuration parameters for your GEDCOM. There are too many parameters to list all of their options in this document, but for the time being, accept all the defaults that exist already.

d. Validate GEDCOM: After you save the GEDCOM configuration PhpGedView will validate your GEDCOM and automatically fix any errors that it can. If any errors found in the GEDCOM require user input, you will be prompted to choose how to proceed. Again use the online Help ? for more information.

Figure 8

e. Import GEDCOM: This is the final step before you can begin viewing your data. After validating the GEDCOM and fixing any errors, you will need to import the GEDCOM into the data store. During the import you will see a lot of processing statistics printed on the screen. If the Import completed successfully you will see an "Import complete" message. Everything is now set up and you can begin using PhpGedView.

Figure 9

Everything is now set up and you can begin using PhpGedView with your GEDCOM. You will be welcomed by a page that starts like this…

Figure 10

f. Reset config.php attributes

For security you should set the attributes of config.php back to Read-only (chmod 755) when you have finished configuring for the first time. Write permissions will only need to be set for config.php if you use the Admin->Configuration link.

And that should allow you to have a basic set-up of PhpGedView. Congratulations . . . . welcome to the PhpGedView world!

Assuming that you have a GEDCOM prepared you can now upload it. This is not a mandatory step, but for your first try, do it now.

Find the GEDCOM location on your home drive (in the left pane), then find and open the “index” folder in your web space (in the right pane). Now double click on the GEDCOM file name in the left pane, and make sure it copies to the “index” folder on the right.

Right click on the GEDCOM name in the right-hand pane, and set the file attributes to chmod 777 (if you want to edit it online) or 644 if you don't.

If instead you want to create a new GEDCOM from scratch in PhpGedView, look at the instructions here - http://wiki.phpgedview.net/en/index.php/Create_a_new_GEDCOM

Maximum GEDCOM size

For GEDCOMs larger than 2MB, you will probably need to research different hosting options and find one that will accept a request to modify the default memory and time limits built into PHP. See the FAQ at http://www.phpgedview.net/faq.php or the Wiki for more information about large GEDCOMs. Resolve the GEDCOM size and hosting conditions before you go any further.

Internal Links

• Create a new GEDCOM
• Upload_GEDCOM