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GEDCOM is an acronym for
GEnealogical
Data
COMmunications and is a file format specification that
allows different genealogical software programs to share data with each other.
It was developed by the Family and Church History Department of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to provide a flexible, uniform format
for exchanging computerized genealogical data. This standard is supported
by Family Search™ Internet, by the family history products that The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produces, as well as by the vendors of
most of the major genealogical software products.
GEDCOM files are merely TEXT files formatted
in a special way, so they can easily be exchanged between Windows PC and Apple
Macintosh users.
The acronym "PAF" stands for "Personal Ancestral
File", a popular genealogy program published by the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints which is available for MS/DOS and Windows personal computers
and Apple Macintosh computers. Most genealogists use this programme to store
and view their family trees.
You will need to convert the file in your
genealogy program into GEDCOM format before it can be added to
the Duerden Website. The conversion to a GEDCOM format results
in a second file, with the file in your genealogy program
remaining intact.
If you don't keep
your family tree in a PAF, you can download this free software
by clicking on the highlighted page below.
Scroll down and click on the "Personal Ancestry File"
(on the left hand panel), then click on "English 5.2 Download" to load the software on to your computer.
FamilySearch - Family History Products - PAF
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