Web based family history software

Question Create separate trees or stick with one tree?

  • Johnbob1
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2 years 10 months ago #1 by Johnbob1
I have recently acquired another tree (several hundred records) from my aging uncle that has multiple ties (duplicate people) to my existing tree. Would I be better off creating another tree and keeping it separate or just bring it into my existing tree?

Also, if I keep them separate, is there any way to 'point' from one tree to the other?
Thanks!

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  • fisharebest
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2 years 10 months ago #2 by fisharebest
Replied by fisharebest on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
I have a couple of similar "donated" GEDCOM files.

I created a separate tree for each of them, and made them private.

I then manually copied over the individuals from the private tree to my main tree - checking sources as I went.

> Also, if I keep them separate, is there any way to 'point' from one tree to the other?

GEDCOM doesn't support links between trees, so nor do we.

Greg Roach - greg@subaqua.co.uk - @fisharebest@phpc.social - fisharebest.webtrees.net

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  • norwegian_sardines
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2 years 10 months ago #3 by norwegian_sardines
Replied by norwegian_sardines on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
"Donated" GEDCOM files can be a hazard to the health of you primary tree!

I would also create a separate tree for each of the trees, I have a local server that I run webtrees on and I import them into that server.

I also only enter data (rather than Merge data) into my primary tree by hand to ensure that the data has been check for sourcing and data entry standardization!

Ken

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  • Johnbob1
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2 years 10 months ago #4 by Johnbob1
Replied by Johnbob1 on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
OUCH!! That would be alot of work. I was trying to avoid entering each person in by hand. But I do see the logic of doing this by keeping everything standard.

I have a fairly good grasp on GEDCOM format. I was a programmer in a past life. I create websites now (which is pretty much creating reports on a mainframe the way I see it).

I am having to swing my uncle's data from separate text files (his way of printing the tree in BASIC language back in the 80's) into Visual Foxpro 7, then exporting into GEDCOM format. Once I am certain I have no duplicate numbering, what's the best way to add the GEDCOM files into an existing tree? Right off hand, I don't see a way to add one, or even a few, records to the database at a time.

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2 years 10 months ago #5 by drblam
I, also, have been given several family trees created by other people, and in every case I decided to reenter the data myself to allow me to check and augment the data as I go. Honestly, a few hundred individuals isn't as much work as it seems. The other tree is full of hints about exact names, dates, and places, so verifying sources is generally quick and easy.

In addition, I suggest that you create a new source named, e.g., "tree received from Uncle X on date Y", and insert a reference to this source in every level 1 entity (individual or family) to remind yourself where the data came from -- and also to allow future family historians to see all the work carried out by good old Uncle X before he passed the torch to you.

PS. If you really want to avoid retyping the data, the Control Panel allows you to (i) merge two existing trees, and (ii) find possible duplicate records in a particular tree and optionally merge them.

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  • Johnbob1
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2 years 10 months ago #6 by Johnbob1
Replied by Johnbob1 on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
After the import of my original tree (also originally in text files), I had a lot of cleanup on over 1,000 records - had to remarry most everyone and tie children to their parents. But it gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with everyone after not touching the tree since 2004. One good thing about COVID - gave me the time to get back at it. And I did have an old printout to refer to so was not bad at all.

My Uncle Bob's data is very clean. He was extremely meticulous with researching and verifying data - and noting his sources. He enjoyed that part more than I actually do.

I was so glad to find webtrees. I did not want my data stored in the 'cloud' by some other company that I would have to pay and then they may be gone tomorrow. And since I have my own hosting space, it was no big deal to set up and install. Really glad I went searching around and found it.

I am not seeing where to merge two existing trees under Control Panel. Seems like I remember seeing that but can't find it now. Running ver. 2.0.16

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  • fisharebest
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2 years 10 months ago #7 by fisharebest
Replied by fisharebest on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
> I am not seeing where to merge two existing trees under Control Panel.

Have you created another tree yet?

This option is only shown if you have two or more trees.

Greg Roach - greg@subaqua.co.uk - @fisharebest@phpc.social - fisharebest.webtrees.net

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2 years 10 months ago #8 by Johnbob1
Replied by Johnbob1 on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
Thank you for the input everyone. I appreciate it!!
~ John

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  • fariasmarcilio@outlook.com
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2 years 10 months ago #9 by fariasmarcilio@outlook.com
Replied by fariasmarcilio@outlook.com on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
If I merge will it duplicate?

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  • fisharebest
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2 years 10 months ago #10 by fisharebest
Replied by fisharebest on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
If you merge two trees, all the records from one tree will be added to the other.

If you have the same individual in two trees, then you will have duplicates.

So after you merge the trees, you will need to merge the duplicate records.

Greg Roach - greg@subaqua.co.uk - @fisharebest@phpc.social - fisharebest.webtrees.net

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  • hermann
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2 years 10 months ago - 2 years 10 months ago #11 by hermann
Replied by hermann on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
@fariasmarcilio

If you have tree A with 100 individuals and 50 families and tree B with 100 individuals and 50 families, 50 and 25 which are unique and 50 and 25 which are already part of tree A, then after a merge you will have a tree with 200 individuals and 100 families. Then you can combine the duplicated persons and families. Finally, you will have a tree A with 150 unique individuals and 75 families. Then you can delete tree B.

Does this answer your question?

edited: Greg was faster and shorter!

Hermann
Designer of the custom module "Extended Family"

webtrees 2.1.19 (all custom modules installed, PHP 8.2, MariaDB 10.6) @ ahnen.hartenthaler.eu
Last edit: 2 years 10 months ago by hermann.

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  • fariasmarcilio@outlook.com
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2 years 10 months ago #12 by fariasmarcilio@outlook.com
Replied by fariasmarcilio@outlook.com on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?

@fariasmarcilio

If you have tree A with 100 individuals and 50 families and tree B with 100 individuals and 50 families, 50 and 25 which are unique and 50 and 25 which are already part of tree A, then after a merge you will have a tree with 200 individuals and 100 families. Then you can combine the duplicated persons and families. Finally, you will have a tree A with 150 unique individuals and 75 families. Then you can delete tree B.

Does this answer your question?

edited: Greg was faster and shorter!

I have done this, but excluding only families, I do not know what the consequences would be but it is working well.

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  • hermann
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2 years 10 months ago #13 by hermann
Replied by hermann on topic Create separate trees or stick with one tree?
I don't understand what you have done. I suggest that you select your tree in the control panel and "find duplicates". If there are none, then you are fine!

Hermann
Designer of the custom module "Extended Family"

webtrees 2.1.19 (all custom modules installed, PHP 8.2, MariaDB 10.6) @ ahnen.hartenthaler.eu

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