Using GedSite

Before Using GedSite

Before using GedSite, create a GEDCOM file using the export feature in your genealogy project manager program (Family Historian, Legacy, RootsMagic, etc.).

To account for differences between GEDCOM files exported by different applications, GedSite has been designed and implemented to support application-specific data import rules. See the list of applications help page for more information.

Family Historian

For Family Historian, you may use the main data file, which is a GEDCOM file. However, I recommend that you use the Export Gedcom File plug-in for Family Historian. See the Family Historian page for details.

The Master Genealogist (TMG)

TMG users should not export a GEDCOM file from TMG. In the instructions that follow, select your TMG project where users of other applications would select a GEDCOM file. See the Direct Import section of the TMG help page.

First-Time Process

Each of the step names in this section is a link to a more detailed explanation which appears below.

1. Start the program
2. Create a GedSite file

   Use the File > New... command to make a new GedSite file (".gsfile"). If you already have created a GedSite file and saved it, then use the File > Open... command to open it.

3. Give your site a name

   Key a title in the Site Title textbox in the Main section.

4. Choose a data file

   Click the [Choose Data File...] button in the Main section, then use the File Open dialog to navigate to your GEDCOM file or TMG project, select it, and then click [Open].

5. Save the GedSite file

   Use the File > Save command to save your GedSite file. Saving the GedSite file means you do not have to re-enter the settings you make after editing the site properties.

6. Make the site

   Use the File > Make Site command to make the site. When GedSite is making the site, a progress window will open in the lower-right hand corner of your display.

7. Browse the site

   After the Make Site process completes, use the File > Browse Site command to open the site in your default browser.

Update Process

After you make the site once, you do not have to repeat all the steps above to update it.

If you exported a GEDCOM file from your genealogy application and you have updated your genealogy data, then you need to export the GEDCOM file again. It's usually best to use the same filename and location each time you export the GEDCOM file.

When you have a GedSite file (saved in Step 6 above), you follow these steps: start GedSite, open your GedSite file, make changes to the GedSite properties (if desired), make the site, browse the site.

Details

1. Start GedSite and enter your registration information

When you start the program for the first time, you will be prompted to enter your registration information. Enter the information that has been sent to you. After entering your registration data, you will not have to re-enter it when starting the program.

2. Create a GedSite File

To use GedSite you must create a GedSite file (".gsfile"). GedSite writes the settings associated with your site to the GedSite file. By default, the file will be stored in your "Documents" folder under the "GedSite" subfolder. Use the File > New... command to create a new GedSite file to start using GedSite. When you use the File > New... command, GedSite will prompt you to save the new file. GedSite needs to know the name and location of the file because it creates folders that are associated with the file.

Save the file periodically so you do not have to re-enter the settings you have already specified. To re-open a GedSite file, use the File > Recent files sub-menu which includes a list of recently used files.

A GedSite file has multiple sections. When GedSite opens a GedSite file, it starts in the "Main" section. This section includes several important properties that you should edit to suit your preferences including the Site Title. It also includes a button to choose the data file from which GedSite should read your genealogy data.

3. Give Your Site a Name

Key a title in the Site Title textbox in the Main section.

4. Choose a data file

Click the [Choose Data File...] button to choose a Data file. You may choose a GEDCOM file or a TMG project. GedSite will present a standard "open a file" window. You can use the controls in that window to navigate to the folder that contains the GEDCOM file you created with your genealogy project manager program. Click the file name to select the file, then click the [Open] button to open the file.

When you select the file, GedSite will read the data file in a background process and display a small progress window in the lower-right of your display. For very large data files, the load progress may take several minutes. For most data files, the process will complete in a few seconds.^{Note 1}

GedSite converts the GEDCOM data or TMG data to an internal form that is designed to make it easy for GedSite to create your web site. In normal operation, you won't see the contents of the data file except in the web site that GedSite creates.^{Note 2}

GedSite writes a log file as it reads a GEDCOM file. You can review the log file using the Utilities > Logs > Open GEDCOM Log command. GedSite saves five generations of the GEDCOM log file. The current log file, i.e., the most recent, has no number. The next most recent has the suffix "-1", next most-recent has "-2.log", etc.

5. Save the GedSite File

Use the File > Save command to save your GedSite file. Saving the GedSite file means you do not have to re-enter the settings you make after editing the site properties. It's good practice to save the GedSite file after you make enough changes that you wouldn't want to redo them. Saving before using the Make Site command is usually a good idea.

6. Make the Site

GedSite makes the site on your PC. The files are not visible to anyone else until you publish the site somewhere. See the Publish on the Web and Publish on Removable Media help pages for more information.

Use the File > Make Site command to make the site.

When GedSite is making the site, a progress window will open in the lower-right hand corner of your display. GedSite makes the site using a background process, so you can continue to edit the GedSite file using the controls in the main window. Changes you make to the GedSite file while GedSite is making the site will not be reflected in the currently-running Make Site process because GedSite takes a snapshot of the GedSite file contents before making the site.

7. Browse the Site

After the Make Site process completes, use the File > Browse Site command to open the site in your default browser.

Notes

1. An extremely large GEDCOM file may cause GedSite to fail. Under normal conditions, a GEDCOM file would have to include 500,000 or more people to pose a problem for GedSite. If a GEDCOM file fails to load, there is no recourse except to use a smaller GEDCOM file. While GedSite should fail more gracefully when the error occurs, it's unlikely that GedSite would succeed in building a web site for such a large file so there's really no point in loading it anyway.
2. GedSite includes a text-based record browser that may be useful in some situations. It is not intended as a GEDCOM viewer because it shows the input data after converting the data to GedSite's internal form. To access the record browser, select Utilities > Open Record Browser.... Enter the ID number of a person to see that person's data records.