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Gedcom X appears to be an attempt at a next generation gedcom format.

"The intent of GEDCOM X is to define a standard for modeling and exchanging the components of the research process that comprise the genealogical proof standard"

Look at a good picture of the process they used with permission from Mark Tucker. The Gedcom X data model is here.

Are there any programs that use this format?

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4 Answers 4

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To the best of my knowledge, at this point in time, there are no commercial products that have publicly announced that they using GEDCOM X in any of their retail products.

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  • 15
    ... and no non-commercial (e.g. freeware) products either.
    – lkessler
    Dec 1, 2012 at 5:08
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GEDCOM X is currently being developed for information exchange between Family Search and selected software programs. Given this, it could be unlikely it would be used for data storage and exchange in a way GEDCOM is.

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  • Could you elaborate as I don't follow your logic. Wasn't gedcom developed by essentially the same crowd for essentially the same reason. Looking at gedcomx website, it appears to me that it is specifically for data storage (they give the schema) and exchange (they give the api). It appears both more comprehensive and better suited than gedcom for those purposes.
    – Duncan
    Dec 1, 2012 at 13:22
  • This is incorrect. The first "product" to use it is the new FamilySearch API (APIs are designed for data exchange). GEDCOM X is also being designed with file storage in mind: github.com/FamilySearch/gedcomx/blob/master/specifications/…
    – user47
    Dec 1, 2012 at 17:32
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    @JustinY Please highlight the section that indicates GEDCOM X would be used for file transfer between software.
    – Alex
    Dec 1, 2012 at 19:23
  • @Alex On that page it's only implied by the fact that they're specifying a file format. The quote Duncan shared in his question is found on the About page of the GEDCOM X site; it says one of the primary purposes of GEDCOM X is for the exchange of information. The fact that it could be used for exchange between software is again implied in it's intent to replace GEDCOM.
    – user47
    Dec 1, 2012 at 22:12
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Third parties have been examining the GEDCOM X code since it was revealed in 2011. FamilySearch opened up the GEDCOM X site during RootsTech 2012. FamilySearch had no product, and no third party had hurried to support it, so at that time, there was no single product that supported it.

Right now (2012 Dec 1), there still seems to be no application that reads GEDCOM X files yet. There is at least one utility that writes GEDCOM X files, but that is merely FamilySearch's own GEDCOM to GEDCOM X Converter, which was introduced in June of 2012. That finally enabled a first look at the actual GEDCOM X file format. FamilySearch has not released a GEDCOM X to GEDCOM converter yet.

Please note that, right now (2012 Dec 1), FamilySearch is still planning to use the GEDCOM X file format and API, but that FamilySearch is not actively using the GEDCOM X format yet. In fact, the GEDCOM X specification is still not even at version 1.0 yet.

Third parties that might support the GEDCOM X format eventually are not very likely to do so until FamilySearch releases GEDCOM X version 1.0 and actively starts using it themselves.

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FamilySearch has developed a new API to work in conjunction with the new Family Tree. This new API is using the GEDCOM X format.

All 3rd party partners who who consume the new API are consuming GEDCOM X. At the time of writing, 7 products have been released which use the new API. Well before the end of the year, all products which integrate with FamilySearch will have to consume GEDCOM X.

Consuming GEDCOM X via the API is not the same as importing/exporting the GEDCOM X format. As Tamura pointed out, GEDCOM X still hasn't reached version 1.0. It's unlikely that anybody will consider importing/exporting until then.

Disclaimer: I work for FamilySearch. My job is to provide technical support for 3rd parties that use the FamilySearch APIs.

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