Invalid GEDCOM tag in FAM.CHIL.SLGC

[Graham]

I am unable to open certain family group records because of invalid tags. This appears to have started when I changed computers from a PPC G4 running OS 10.4 to an Intel running 10.6, both with the latest updates, and I updated to GEDitCOM II. The error message I get is:

Undefined variable #first used in expression (command 'doIf: #first = "yes"' in template 'Ordinance Editing.txt')

I see an if #first="yes" statement in the Ordinances Editing template, but not quite sure what to do about it. If I understood the code better I could probably figure this out, but for now I need help. Below is the report for the GEDCOM Validation. Apparently the software doesn't like quotation marks or Ys in certain LDS Child Sealing data locations - I don't see them in the Event windows. Can y'all tell me how to fix these errors? Thanks!

Graham

GEDCOM Validation Report for MacLean20130120bac.gedpkg

6 records have warnings or errors in their GEDCOM data.

1. Leinbach, Felix William-Evans, Mary Elizabeth Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
2. Leinbach, Johannes-Rheim, Anna Catherina Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value 'SUBMITTED' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
3. Lopez Ferrer, Jose del Carmen-Merced Rodriguez, Teresa Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
4. McLean, James Leslie-Frothingham, Alice Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value 'Y' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
5. Thomas, George M.-Davenport, Lillian A. Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value 'Y' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.
6. Torres Pol, Evaristo-Cardona Garcia, Cristina Family
• FAM.CHIL.SLGC with value '' is an invalid GEDCOM tag at this location.

[Simon Robbins]

On Monday, 11 March 2013 02:34:16 UTC, Graham wrote:

I am unable to open certain family group records because of invalid tags. This appears to have started when I changed computers from a PPC G4 running OS 10.4 to an Intel running 10.6, both with the latest updates, and I updated to GEDitCOM II. The error message I get is:

Undefined variable #first used in expression (command 'doIf: #first = "yes"' in template 'Ordinance Editing.txt')

Not entirely sure but that sounds a bit familiar. Are you using the modified default format which I wrote and are you using the latest version? I'm not sure if I thought about Sealing events as they are of no interest to me.

[Graham]

I am using the default formats in version 1.8 (latest) as downloaded - I have not modified anything. Thanks.

[John Nairn, Developer]

I posted this a couple of days ago by email, but it looks like it never made it to the discussion group?

You might be using an out-dated format (I can send more help if that is the problem), but I think it is the GEDCOM errors you found. All fo them are LDS child sealings and in your file they are under a CHIL (or child link) and a FAM (or family record). But they are not allowed in that location. I am sure GEDitCOM II never puts them there. Where did you get the data? Was it imported from some outside GEDCOM file? If so, do you know where. Note that the errors are only about location of that ordinance and have nothing to do with the 'Y'.

Fixing them depends on whether or not you are doing LDS ordinance work and therefore want to keep the child information in your file. Here is how to fix them and unfortunately it will take manual editing of each record (but there are only 6). The other problem is you get that error message when trying to open them. Here is a work around that can be done without opening the records.

1. Look at families in the index window

2. Turn on the GEDCOM source editor (if not on already - see View menu)

3. Locate and select one of the families in the error report

4. You will see lines that look something like

     1 CHIL @I152@

     2 SLGC

     3 DATE 1982

     3 PLAC Salt Lake City, UT

and most of your families have more than one such error

5. If you do not care about keeping child sealing ordinances, just delete every line in such a group except the 1 CHIL @I152@ line (and that "@I152@" will be different in every group). You want to delete every line after each CHIL line that begins in a number 2 or higher. Stop deleting when you get to next line starting in 1. Once all are deleted, you should be able to open that family without any error message.

6. If you want to keep child sealing information, than you should move it to where it belongs which is attached to each child's individual record. I would do the follwoing:

     a. Copy each block of lines beginning in 1 CHIL and ending with the SLGC block that follows it and paste into a temporary text file.

     b. If the family has more than one CHIL block, keep the coped text in order in the temporary text file

     c. Delete the SLGC blocks from the family record (as in #5 above)

     d. Now open the family record and look at the children

     e. Click each child to open their record in order, go to events tab, and add a new event.

     f. Select child sealing ordinance

     g. Finally copy the data from the temporary text file for that numbered child to the fields in the now-valid ordinace data

     h. Repeat for the six families that had errors.

[Graham]

Thanks, John. I deleted all the child sealing information in the family sections and it opens fine now. The error apparently crept in when I upgraded to the latest version of GEDitCOM II. The file with the problem was the same that worked fine in the earlier version. I was too lazy to copy and paste all the information, but I am going to try using FamilyInsight to reconcile my GEDCOM with the information in Family Tree (Family Search). Do you have any experience with using FamilyInsight with full compliant GEDCOM files like GEDitCOM creates?

[John Nairn]

GEDitCOM II would not create an invalid FAM.CHIL.SLGC link, but it is possible that earlier versions of the default format handled them differently. I see similar errors with other types of invalid data and will see if I can make the display at least do something when it happens.

I have never used FamilyInsight. A good way to test their GEDCOM files is to open in GEDitCOM II and run a validation report. It will find all important issues that do not follow the standard. Let me know what you find out. GEDitCOM II comes with scripts that can repair GEDCOM files with consistent problems. It might be possible to add an option for FamilyInsight or other system you use and certain errors are common.

On Mar 24, 2013, at 1:48 PM, Graham wrote:

> Thanks, John. I deleted all the child sealing information in the family sections and it opens fine now. The error apparently crept in when I upgraded to the latest version of GEDitCOM II. The file with the problem was the same that worked fine in the earlier version. I was too lazy to copy and paste all the information, but I am going to try using FamilyInsight to reconcile my GEDCOM with the information in Family Tree (Family Search). Do you have any experience with using FamilyInsight with full compliant GEDCOM files like GEDitCOM creates?
>

---------------
John Nairn
GEDitCOM - Genealogy Software for the Macintosh
http://www.geditcom.com