GEDitCOM II, Version 3.0

[John Nairn, Developer]

I just posted GEDitCOM II, version 3.0 with some important new features. One key feature was to adopt all the features of GEDCOM 5.5.1. Although this standard has been around for many years, it did not become official until 2019. It is now the internal standard used by GEDitCOM II.

Version 3.0 was built in Monterey and is a universal binary to run native for both Intel and M1 chips. One consequence of Monterey 12.3 is that Apple deleted python 2.7 and did not replace it with python 3.8 or newer. To run any GEDitCOM II extension written in python, you may have to install python 3.x. It is easy (and time consuming) but only needs to be done once. The GEDitCOM II help on "Extensions" gives more details. Note that all python extensions were checked to make sure they can run in either python 2.7 or 3.8 or newer.

A feature (hidden to most users) is a new internal scripting language. Over time, many extensions will be rewritten in this language (a few are converted now). Internal script extensions are about 20 times faster than python or AppleScript extensions. Furthermore, using a internal language means GEDitCOM II does not have count on Apple to continue to support scripting options. Someday Apple might decide that scripting is a "security risk" instead of the valuable feature that it actually is.

[Stanton Sanderson]

John,

Thank you once again. The new version feels “snappier”, but it could just be my imagination. 

Good health to you and may you prosper!

Stan

[theboo...@gmail.com]

Thanks, John. I've been looking forward to this.

But I seem to have hit a snag with the new way of using the EVEN tag

According to Help instead of:

1 EVEN

2 TYPE Military Service (or whatever)

one can simply use

1 EVEN Military Service

But that doesn't work. I get this displaying in the editing window

Line 1 of next EVEN should not have this text Military Service

Event ?

Maybe I'm missing something - wouldn't be the first time.

I'm on Macbook Pro late-2020 M1 using Monterey 12.4

Cheers

Mick

[Andy Howell]

On my computer, I can enter a Generic Event via direct editing or via the "+" sign:

1 EVEN Military Service

The one odd thing is that "Military Service" appears on a white background instead of the default blue.

Adding a Generic Attribute works as expected, and the name of the Generic Attribute appears on the default blue background.

Andy Howell

Gainesville, FL

P.S. I love it!

[John Nairn]

Yes, GEDCOM 5.5.1 allows the EVEN line itself to explain the “type” of event where before EVEN had to be empty and the type of event was in a subordinate TYPE line. Or GEDCOM 5.5.1 allows:

     1 EVEN Military Service

while 5.5 requires

     1 EVEN

     2 TYPE Military Service

Actually 5.5.1 allows both versions. I had to decide how to handle that in GEDitCOM II, version 3.0, and here is what I did:

1. All browser styles (such as the “Default Format”) allow either option for generic events in EVEN blocks (note that be sure be be using the updated “Browser Styles” that are installed the first time your run it (or by using “Restore Resources” in “General” pane of the GEDItCOM II preferences)

2. In the “Default Format”, for example, an old style EVEN with a TYPE line will show the TYPE as the event name, but it cannot be edited there (it looks like other built-in event name). If the EVEN uses the 5.5.1 style, however, type of event text appears on a white background and it can be edited in place.

3. Finally, I decided that when reading a file using the 5.5 version, GEDitCOM II, version 3.0 should NOT automatically move all TYPE lines to the EVEN line. I was worried some files might either not have a TYPE or not want it all moved.

These decisions “passed the buck” to each user on how to handle generic events. I think the 5.5.1 method makes more sense. Although GEDItCOM II, version 3.0 does not force them, I added an extension to do the work for you if you prefer that style:

1. Open your file

2. Choose Extensions->Editing Tools->Miscellaneous Tasks

3. Run “Copy TYPE lines to EVEN lines for GEDCOM 5.5.1”

This new extension will convert all generic events to the new 5.5.1 style. I just checked and this extension is written in python so if you are on Moneterry Mac without python 3 installed, you will have to follow python3 installation steps firsts. I wrote this before creating the internal scripting language. I may rewrite it now using an internal script.

You can also manually convert one single generic event to the new style, but I could not come up with a user-friendly approach so it has to be done by editing the raw GEDCOM source. Both the above extension and the GEDCOM source method instructions are “buried” in the help window at this path:

   Help Menu > GEDitCOM II Help > Genealogy Records (on the left) > Individual Records (on the right) > Attaching and Editing an Event or Attribute > Attaching an Event or Attribute

Hope that helps.

Regards,

John Nairn

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GEDitCOM II Discussions" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to geditcom-ii-discu...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geditcom-ii-discussions/755b928a-d41e-4900-90b3-3ec6a1ede711n%40googlegroups.com.

[theboo...@gmail.com]

Thanks, John.

I see now. I use Simon's Modified Default Format and, since this isn't part of the system resources, I assume it hasn't been changed to allow for this. I'm so used to it that I forgot I was using it.

Using the Default Format the item appears against a white background as described by Andy.

I did notice though that it doesn't seem to do so if the Dark Default Format is used. In this case, the same issue as my original query holds. This doesn't worry me since I don't get on with Dark Mode most of the time.

Since 5.5.1 allows both versions and, since I prefer the look of the non-white, non-editable version, I may stick with things as they are.

Version 3 seems to have impacted at least one other aspect of the Modified Default Format. In the Source Images tab an image only appeared once even if the source was used multiple times. Now it appears as many times as the source is used.

Overall though, V 3 seems to be excellent.

Thanks again.

Mick

[John Nairn]

The “Modified Default Format” will need modification. I am hoping I can use a global file differences tool to update that format. Since it is not part of installed resources, I did not get to it yet. I will try to convert in soon. I have not heard from Simon recently, but the changes needed would probably be easier for me to do this time. I have to remember all the things I did to change the Default Format.

I will check out “Dark Format” issues too.

John

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geditcom-ii-discussions/f95952d3-917a-45ca-8841-91a185719bccn%40googlegroups.com.

[theboo...@gmail.com]

Still in trouble.

Since I don't necessarily know which scripts use Python, I thought I'd check to see that I am running Python 3. I already am but when I run a definite Python script (eg some of the Lifelines ones that John converted to GeditCom II) I get the ModulueNotFoundError: No module named 'Foundation'  that John mentioned. And the script terminates.

So I followed the instructions to install the MacOS libraries and that seemed to go okay except for two warnings that appeared in Terminal.

One was that my pip was out of date so I updated that all right as per the Terminal instructions.

The other was not to use pip as a root user because this could result in broken connections. I know not what that means in practice. It seems a bit late to only get the warming after completion of the operation, but there you go...

I've no idea whether this matters but I am still getting the missing Foundation module message.

I reran the install MacOS libraries command and it says they are already installed.

Cheers

Mick

[Richard Blake]

 Hi

One thing I have seen in the past is that there is a possibility that you may have more than one version of python3 on your machine and GEDitCOM and Terminal are using different versions. If this is the case then you have probably installed the pyobjc libraries for the one that GEDitCOM is not using.

If you run ‘which python3’ in the terminal, is the path you get the same as the path set in the GEDitCOM preferences. If not then change the preferences to be the path that you get from the ‘which’ command.

Richard

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geditcom-ii-discussions/0b8055a1-dd07-40af-95e3-c23ae65ed43dn%40googlegroups.com.

[theboo...@gmail.com]

That's it, Richard.

Thank you so much.

Mick

[Jim Eggert]

> opendiff a.gfmt b.gfmt

is what works for me.

=Jim

[John Nairn, Developer]

When you have text in the EVEN lines, it appears as the event name in an editing field and you can edit it. It light format that should have a white background while in dark format it should be black background with white text for editing. I just tried to check it seems to respond to each format OK for me.

[theboo...@gmail.com]

Thanks John

I've added the following:

1 EVEN Military Service

I've run through the following formats

Default Format is as you suggest it should be see attached

Dark Default Format is incorrect as attachment

Gedcom Tab View is fine

Dark Gedcom Tab View shows it simply as  1 EVEN Checkbox Event Occurred - and that's all.

Wiki Genealogy is fine

Book format is okay

Dark Book Format doesn't show it at all

Using the old method

1 EVEN

2 TYPE Military Service

And all display correctly.

I'm using a 13-inch Macbook Pro M1 Monterey  12.4

Mick

[John Nairn]

Thanks. Now I am see the problem. All formats like “Dark Default Format” are no longer used. In version 3.0, I made it so a single “Default Format” can do both light and dark modes. As a result, the “Dark Default Format” (and similar “Dark” formats were never updated and no longer work fuylly in version 3.0).

To fix, you should

1. Open Preferences window

2. Click on “Restore Resources”

3. Do a “Clean Update”

That should remove all the “Dark” side formats and leave just the new ones that work.

This is actually a feature of version 3.0 browser styles (and I should have mentioned in the release notes). All browser styles now work in both light mode and dark mode. If you switch modes on your Mac, you no longer need to switch browser style in GEDitCOM II. If you look at the Preferences window for “Fonts” and “Colors”, you can now see each color well has two sides - use left side to set light mode color and rightr side to set dark mode color. This change enables a single format to look good in both modes.

In summary the “Dark Default Format”, “Dark GEDCOM Tab View”, and “Dark Book Format” should all be deleted. I think if you delete them the 1 EVEN Military service will work in all formats and in both light and dark mode on your computer.

John

On Jul 13, 2022, at 7:37 PM, theboo...@gmail.com <theboo...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks John

I've added the following:

1 EVEN Military Service

I've run through the following formats

Default Format is as you suggest it should be see attached

Dark Default Format is incorrect as attachment

Gedcom Tab View is fine

Dark Gedcom Tab View shows it simply as  1 EVEN Checkbox Event Occurred - and that's all.

Wiki Genealogy is fine

Book format is okay

Dark Book Format doesn't show it at all

Using the old method

1 EVEN

2 TYPE Military Service

And all display correctly.

I'm using a 13-inch Macbook Pro M1 Monterey  12.4

Mick

<DarkDefaultFormat.jpeg><DefaultFormat.jpeg>

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geditcom-ii-discussions/743083b8-81a8-4bc5-986b-f4e4ed79045cn%40googlegroups.com.
<DarkDefaultFormat.jpeg><DefaultFormat.jpeg>