
About GEDREAD - Version 0.5 - May, 1994
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The purpose of this program is to compile and display various statistics
from a genealogy database.  

Currently, features and reports include:
  
  Listing of individual (with birth, death, & marriage data)
  Search (on last or first name, birth, marriage, or death date)
  Age Stats (with life span distribution analysis)
  Marriage Stats (with marriage age distribution analysis)
  Month Stats (with birth month, marriage month, and death month
    distributions)
  Family List (listing of husband/wife/marriage date)

Since genealogy programs provide varying degrees of statistical information
about their databases, I wrote GEDREAD to extract the desired data from
the GEDCOM output of the genealogy program.  In this way, it should be
able to provide the statistics for any genealogist, regardless of what
software program is used to maintain the genealogy database.

GEDCOM files are flat ascii text files created by a wide variety of
genealogy software for the PC.  GEDCOM files provide a "standard" way
to exchange genealogy data between these programs, most of which use quite
different, and therefore incompatible, file formats.


NOTE:
GEDREAD does NOT produce or maintain a genealogy database - you must use
your own program to do that, and there are literally dozens of them
available from shareware and commercial sources.  I use The Family Edge,
a terrific and easy to use program by Carl York (P.O. Box 3157, Knoxville,
TN  37927) - he has both shareware and commercial versions.


How to Use GEDREAD
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All that's needed to use GEDREAD is your own genealogy database software
that's capable of creating a GEDCOM format file.  Once that file is
produced by your genealogy program, you can use GEDREAD to quickly
analyze the information for you.  The program will read data on up to 
400 individuals.

Since the whole idea behind GEDCOM files is to provide standard data
transfer, GEDREAD should work with GEDCOM output from any genealogy
program.  Because I haven't tested it with all of them, I can't guarantee
it will work with all of them!  However, the worst that could happen
is it won't work; since it doesn't do anything to your original database,
your data is safe.  If you're having trouble with a GEDCOM file produced
by a genealogy program other than those listed at the end of this 
file, I'd be interested in receiving a copy to test GEDREAD.

The syntax for the program is simple.  At the DOS prompt, type GEDREAD
followed by the name of your GEDCOM file:
          
          GEDREAD edge.ged                    [and press the "ENTER" key]

                or
          
          GEDREAD \f-edge\data\edge.ged       [and press the "ENTER" key]

If you don't provide the name of the GEDCOM file from the command line,
GEDREAD will ask you to enter the name.

NOTE:  Enter GEDREAD ? to display the help text

GEDREAD will then open the target file and determine its size.  You 
will see a message on the status of the read activity.  The rest of 
GEDREAD is menu driven (press the highlighted letter for the function 
you want).  When you're done, press Q to exit the program.  

NOTE: Printing of any report is done by using the PrintScreen key 
(usually on the far upper right part of the keyboard) while the
desired report is displayed on the screen.


Copyright and Disclaimer (legaleze)
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GEDREAD and all support files are provided on an "AS-IS" basis with
no warranty. I cannot accept responsibility for loss of data, profit,
or any damages which are incurred by the use of this program or any
support files.
           
Written by Michael Reich for the IBM PC using DOS 3 or later.  GEDREAD
is free for use by individual, not-for-profit, genealogists.  You
may distribute (such as by posting on BBS's) and use GEDREAD given 
these restrictions:

 -the program may not be altered in any way and must include
   this documentation
 -no fee may be charged
 -for-profit or institutional or corporate use without a license
   is prohibited
 -the program may not be included, or bundled, with other goods or
   services without express written permission based on written
   request.   This also applies to clubs and distributors.


Compatibility
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GEDREAD was written and compiled using Microsoft QuickBASIC* for the PC.
GEDREAD has been tested using GEDCOM output produced by these genealogy
programs:

The Family Edge *
The Family Scrapbook *

*All copyrighted materials are the property of their respective owners.


Comments
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Future versions of GEDREAD will add printing capabilities.
I'm interested in comments about the use of GEDREAD as well as suggestions
for other statistical reports.  Contact me via E-Mail on:
          America Online:  michae2012@aol.com
          Internet:        mike.reich@wfe.chi.il.us

<< Michael Reich >>
       
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