CREATING GEDCOM FILES
USING BROTHER'S KEEPER
(User-Contributed Instructions)

Submit Your Family Tree   User Code   Password Both required; 3-16 characters (letters, numbers, hyphen, or underscore only)   We recommend Standard if this is your first submission. You can use the Advanced setup later to modify your options. Terms and Definitions GEDCOM GEDCOM is an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunications. Within the WorldConnect Project, "GEDCOM" indicates an individual family tree or file. A more detailed explanation of what a GEDCOM is, and how it is used within the WorldConnect Project, is available here. More Terms and Definitions Related FAQs: Submitting Your Family Tree Standard Submission Form Creating A GEDCOM file

These are the instructions for Brother's Keeper for Windows, version 5.2G. Please refer to the software instructions for other versions. Remember, this process will create a new file; it will not erase or replace your current file. Before you start: Think about which people you want to include in the GEDCOM. Is it your entire database, or just the ancestors or descendants of one individual? With Brother's Keeper you can choose the ancestors of an individual and all of the ancestors' descendants. If you pick this option for one of the youngest members of your family, it will include everyone linked to your tree. If you are not going to include the whole database, then you must first split off the part you want to send into a new database, as follows. Choose File/Split Database. Choose the directory (or "folder") where you want the new database to be copied. It must be different from the one you are using at the moment. If you wish, you can type in the name of a new directory. Click OK. If you are creating a new directory, Brother's Keeper will ask you to confirm. Click Yes. A screen appears that allows you to choose the people you want to include. The Entire Branch option is the one referred to in #1 above. As an alternative, by selecting and deselecting people in turn, it is possible to include exactly who you want. When you are happy with your selection, click Copy the selected people now. Once the new database is done, click OK. Each time you submit, you need to choose a name for your GEDCOM. For the first time you upload to WorldConnect, choose a name that is any eight characters followed by .GED. If you are sending an amended file, the name in Brother's Keeper must be different from the one you sent previously; the user code for WorldConnect must be the same, however. Follow these steps to convert your file: Make sure you have the correct database open. If necessary, select the right one by using File/Open Database from the main menu. Select File/GEDCOM/Export from the main menu. You will get a confirmation window. If you are happy with what you have chosen, click OK. Choose a name for your GEDCOM file and the folder where it will be saved. Before moving on, make sure you note the file name and its location. Then click OK. From the options window, choose the options you want. You can accept the defaults, but you may want to remove addresses, notes, and/or sources from the GEDCOM you send to WorldConnect (we recommend you submit an unedited version). If you check the box Exclude details about living people, these details will be removed, but the names will still be sent to WorldConnect. If you want to prevent details of living people from being seen on WorldConnect, leave this box blank and use the options available when you upload the file to WorldConnect. Once you are happy with your options, click OK. If you opted to include submitter information, a window will appear with your name, address, and phone number, which you can edit. When you are happy, click OK. The GEDCOM will be created. A graphic shows you how work is progressing. Once it is done, another window appears, and you can again click OK. You can now exit Brother's Keeper. Your GEDCOM is ready to send to WorldConnect! WorldConnect SetUp/Edit Form | WorldConnect FAQS WorldConnect Main Page  | HelpDesk Main Page Check the side panel for related links. Still need help? Contact our HelpDesk.