This document specifies a standard conceptual model for exchanging genealogical data, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
Copyright 2011-2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
This document is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. For details, see:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
The GEDCOM X conceptual model is a specification of formal concepts and types that are used to provide a standard model and vocabulary for describing genealogical data. Genealogical data is structured by data types such as persons, relationships, and sources.
The identifier for this specification is:
http://gedcomx.org/conceptual-model/v1
For convenience, the GEDCOM X conceptual model may be referred to as "GEDCOM X 1.0". This specification uses "GEDCOM X" internally.
This specification uses the term "data type" to refer to a formal description of a data structure, including the properties that define valid instances of the data type. For example, information about a person might be contained within a data structure that supplies the person's name, birth date, and gender. A "data type" defines the formal properties of the data structure.
When a property of a data type is specified as being of a particular data type, the property inherits the corresponding requirements from that data type's definition. When a data type is specified as an extension of another data type, the extending data type inherits the corresponding requirements from the extended data type's definition.
Data types are defined by the following sections:
- The identifier for the data type, which takes the form of a URI.
- The extension of the data type (if any) which specifies which data type is extended by the data type.
- The properties of the data type, which define the information the data type encapsulates.
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14, RFC2119, as scoped to those conformance targets.
Many data types of the GEDCOM X conceptual model share common structures. This section defines the data types of those shared structures and their requirements for convenient reference by the other data type definitions.
The Uniform Resource Identifier ("URI") is fundamental to the GEDCOM X conceptual model. The URI is used to identify specific resources, such as persons, relationships, and sources. The URI is also used to identify the data structures that describe those resources and even the data types that define those data structures. The URI is specified by RFC3986.
The Identifier data type defines the data structure used to supply an identifier of a
genealogical resource in a specific data set.
The identifier for the "Identifier" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/Identifier
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| value | The value of the identifier. | string (possibly interpreted as a URI, depending on the type of the identifier). |
| type | URI identifying the type of the identifier. | URI - MUST resolve to an identifier type. Refer to the list of known identifier types. |
The following identifier types are defined by GEDCOM X.
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Forwarded |
todo: fill in some examples.
The Attribution data type defines the data structure used to supply the attribution (including
who, when, and why) of genealogical data.
The identifier for the "Attribution" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/Attribution
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| contributor | Reference to the contributor to whom the attributed data is attributed. | URI - MUST resolve to an instance of http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Person or http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Organization. |
| confidence | Reference to the confidence level of the contributor of the attributed data. | URI - MUST resolve to a confidence level. Refer to the list of known confidence levels. |
| modified | Timestamp of when the attributed data was contributed. | timestamp |
| proofStatement | A statement of proof provided by the contributor of the attributed data | string |
The following confidence levels are defined by GEDCOM X. For more information, refer to Mills, Elizabeth Shown. "Fundamentals of Evidence Analysis." Evidence Explained. 2nd ed. (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2009), 19-20 (Section 1.6).
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Certainly |
The contributor has no reasonable doubt about the assertion, based upon sound research and good evidence. |
http://gedcomx.org/Probably |
The contributor feels the assertion is more likely than not, based upon sound research and good evidence. |
http://gedcomx.org/Possibly |
The contributor feels some evidence supports the assertion, but the assertion is far from proved. |
http://gedcomx.org/Likely |
The contributor feels the odds weigh at least slightly in favor of the assertion. |
http://gedcomx.org/Apparently |
The contributor has formed an impression or presumption, typically based upon common experience, but has not tested the matter. |
http://gedcomx.org/Perhaps |
The contributor suggests that an idea is plausible, although it remains to be tested. |
todo:
The FormalValue data type defines the data structure used to supply a normalized and/or
standardized value. The formal value is used to supply a formal interpretation of a
value that has been supplied by a user. If the value has been reformatted for the purpose of easier
processing (e.g. for display purposes), it is said to be "normalized". If the value has
been resolved to a discrete, machine-identifiable value based on a specific standard, it is
said to be "standardized".
The FormalValue data type does NOT support extension properties (see Extension Properties).
The identifier for the "FormalValue" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/FormalValue
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| value | A string supplying the value of the formal value. If the value has been standardized, a datatype will be supplied to identify how the string is to be parsed. | string |
| datatype | URI identifying the way the value is to be processed according to a specific standard. | URI |
| resource | URI identifying the resource to which the formal value has been standardized. | URI |
If a value is supplied for the datatype property, a value SHALL NOT be supplied for the resource property.
If a value is supplied for the resource property, a value SHALL NOT be supplied for the datatype property.
- A user supplies the text "jan 1 1890" as the value of a genealogical date. If a process (either automated or by user-interaction) normalizes this text to "1 January 1890", the formal value containing the results of this normalization will have a value of "1 January 1890" and no values specified for either the datatype or the resource.
- A user supplies the text "jan 1 1890" as the value of a genealogical date. If a process (either automated or by user-interaction) standardizes this text to a specific date such as midnight UTC of the first day of January of the year 1890 A.D. of the Gregorian calendar, the formal value containing the results of this standardization might have a value of "1890-01-01T00:00:00Z" and a datatype of "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime" and no value specified for the resource.
- A user supplies "boston, MA" as the value for a genealogical place. If a process (either automated or by user-interaction) standardizes this place to a unique resource (e.g. the actual city know today as Boston, Massachusetts) identified by a specific URI (e.g. "http://places.com/12345"), the formal value containing the results of this standardization will have "http://places.com/12345" as the value of its "resource" property. The formal value MAY also supply a value for the "value" property that contains the results of normalizing the user-supplied text (e.g. "Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States").
The GenealogicalResource data type defines an abstract data structure that defines a basic
genealogical resource. The GenealogicalResource data type is not designed to be used independently,
but instead as an abstraction from with other data types can inherit.
The identifier for the "GenealogicalResource" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local, transient identifier for the genealogical resource being described. Note that as a local, transient identifier, the id may only be used to resolve references within a well-defined scope (such as a single web service request or a single file). | string |
| attribution | The attribution of this resource. | http://gedcomx.org/Attribution |
The Note data type defines a note that was contributed from genealogical research.
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
The identifier for the "Note" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/Note
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| lang | The language of the note. | http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace#lang |
| text | The text of the note. | string |
The RDF Literal data type defines a literal RDF value. The Literal is
defined by the Resource Description Framework (RDF), but its definition is included here
for convenience.
The identifier for the "RDF Literal" data type is:
http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| value | The literal value. A datatype MAY be supplied to identify how the string is to be parsed. | string |
| datatype | URI identifying the way the value is to be processed according to a specific standard. | URI |
| lang | The language of the literal value. | http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace#lang |
The RDF Value data type defines the value of an RDF resource. This data type is defined by the
Resource Description Framework (RDF), but its definition is included here for convenience.
The identifier for the "RDF Value" data type is:
http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Resource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local identifier for the value. | string |
| resource | Identifier for the value | URI (No restrictions on what the URI must resolve to. It could be an image, a conclusion, a book, etc.) |
| type | Reference to the type of the identifier. | URI - MUST resolve to a resource type. See the list of known resource types. |
| value | The string form of the value. | string |
| lang | The language of the string form of the value. | http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace#lang |
The following resource types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Person |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Relationship |
In addition to the resource types defined by GEDCOM X, GEDCOM X recognizes the Dublin Core Type Vocabulary as valid resource types.
Citing sound evidence is a critical component to the exchange of genealogical data. The source of a piece of genealogical data has to be completely and accurately described in order to be consistently evaluated by other genealogical researchers. Many sources do not have a digital representation (e.g. books or other physical artifacts). These sources are instead described and their description is provided in digital form.
This section defines the data types that are used for describing and referencing sources.
The Description data type defines a description of a resource. The Description is
defined by the Resource Description Framework (RDF), but its definition is included here
for convenience.
The identifier for the "Description" data type is:
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#Description
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local, transient identifier for the resource being described. Note that as a local, transient identifier, the id may only be used to resolve references to the resource within a well-defined scope (such as a single web service request or a single file). | string |
| about | A uniform resource identifier (URI) for the resource being described. | URI |
| type | Reference to the type of the resource being described. | URI - MUST resolve to a resource type. See the list of known resource types. |
As defined by RDF, the RDF description may contain additional "extension" properties that are used to provide additional details about the resource being described.
GEDCOM X recognizes the Dublin Core Metadata Terms as standard properties for a description of a resource.
todo: list the dublin core terms here with their types and descriptions for convenience.
The SourceReference data type defines a reference to a source. Genealogical data cites its evidence
using an instance of SourceReference.
The identifier for the "SourceReference" data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/SourceReference
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local identifier for the source reference. Note that this id MUST NOT be processed as an identifier for the resource being referenced, but instead as a transient identifier for the reference itself. | string |
| resource | Identifier for the resource being cited. | URI (No restrictions on what the URI must resolve to. It could be an image, a conclusion, a book, etc.) |
| type | Reference to the type of the source being referenced. | URI - MUST resolve to a resource type. See the list of known resource types. |
| description | Reference to a description of the source being referenced. | URI - MUST resolve to an instance of http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#Description |
| attribution | The attribution of this source reference. | http://gedcomx.org/Attribution |
Genealogical research is performed and data is gathered by a living person or organization. This section describes the data types that are used to provide information about contributors of genealogical data.
GEDCOM X refers to the Friend of a Friend project to define the data types for describing contributors. The data types are duplicated here for convenience and consistency.
The OnlineAccount data type defines a description of an account in an online web application.
The identifier for the OnlineAccount data type is:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/OnlineAccount
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local, transient identifier for the online account. | string |
| serviceHomepage | The home page of the service. | URI |
| accountName | The name of the account. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| displayName | A display name for the account. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
The Address data type defines a street address of a person or organization. The Address data type is
defined by the Contact schema.
The identifier for the Address data type is:
http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/pim/contact#Address
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| id | A local, transient identifier for the address. | string |
| city | The city. | string |
| country | The country. | string |
| postalCode | The postal code. | string |
| stateOrProvince | The state or province. | string |
| street | The street. | string |
| street2 | The street (second line). | string |
| street3 | The street (third line). | string |
The Agent data type defines data that is common to a living entity, such as a person (user)
or organization. The Agent data type use used as an abstraction to share properties
between contributor data types such as FOAF Person and Organization.
The identifier for the Agent data type is:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Agent
This data type extends the following data type:
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#Description
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| name | The name of the person or organization. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| homepage | The homepage of the person or organization. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| openid | The openid of the person or organization. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| accounts | The online accounts of the person or organization. | List of http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/OnlineAccount. Order is preserved. |
| emails | The email addresses of the person or organization. | List of URI - MUST resolve to a valid e-mail address (e.g. "mailto:someone@gedcomx.org"). Order is preserved. |
| phones | The phones (voice, fax, mobile) of the person or organization. | List of URI - MUST resolve to a valid phone number (e.g. "tel:+1-201-555-0123"). Order is preserved. |
| addresses | The addresses of the person or organization. | List of http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/pim/contact#Address. Order is preserved. |
The Organization data type defines data describing an organization.
The identifier for the Organization data type is:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Organization
This data type extends the following data type:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Agent
The Organization data type defines no additional properties beyond those defined by
its extended type.
The Person data type defines data that is common to a living person (user). The Person
data type is an extension of the Agent data type.
The identifier for the Person data type is:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Person
This data type extends the following data type:
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Agent
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| familyName | The family name of the person. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| givenName | The given name of the person. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| postName | The post name of the person. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
| language | The language of the person. | http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#Literal |
This section describes the data types that are used to define conclusions about genealogical data.
The Conclusion data type defines the base conceptual model for basic genealogical conclusions.
The Conclusion data type is an extension of the GenealogicalResource data type.
The identifier for the Conclusion data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Conclusion
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| sources | The list of references to the sources of the conclusion. The sources of a conclusion MUST also be sources of the conclusion's containing entity (i.e. Person or Relationship ). |
List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/SourceReference. Order is preserved. |
The Date data type defines the value of a genealogical date.
The identifier for the Date data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Date
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| original | The original value of the date as supplied by the contributor. | string |
| formal | The formal value of the date. | http://gedcomx.org/FormalValue |
The following date formats are recognized by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/GEDCOM_5_5 |
The date format specified by the GEDCOM 5.5 specification. |
iso:8601 |
The date format specified by ISO 8601. |
The Place data type defines the value of a genealogical place.
The identifier for the Place data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Place
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| original | The original value of the place as supplied by the contributor. | string |
| formal | The formal value of the place. | http://gedcomx.org/FormalValue |
The EventRole data type defines a role played in an event by a person.
The identifier for the EventRole data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/EventRole
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| person | Reference to the person playing the role in the event. | URI - MUST resolve to an instance of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Person |
| type | Reference to the role. | URI - MUST resolve to a role. Refer to the list of known roles. |
| details | Details about the role of the person in the event. | string |
The following roles are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Principal |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Participant |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Official |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Witness |
The Fact data type defines a conclusion about a fact of the life of a person or
the nature of a relationship. The Fact data type extends the Conclusion data type.
The identifier for the Fact data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Fact
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Conclusion
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the fact. | URI - MUST resolve to a fact type. See the list of known fact types. |
| date | The date of applicability of the fact. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Date |
| place | The place of applicability of the fact. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Place |
| original | The value of the fact as supplied by the contributor. | string |
| formal | The formal value of the fact. | http://gedcomx.org/FormalValue |
The following fact types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description | scope |
|---|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Adoption |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/AdultChristening |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Affiliation |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Age |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Baptism |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/BarMitzvah |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/BatMitzvah |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Birth |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Blessing |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Burial |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/CasteName |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Census |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Christening |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Circumcision |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Citizenship |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/ClanName |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Confirmation |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/CountOfChildren |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/CountOfMarriages |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Cremation |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Death |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/DiedBeforeEight |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Dwelling |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Education |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Emigration |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Ethnicity |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Excommunication |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/FirstCommunion |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Flourish |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Funeral |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/GedcomUUID |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Illness |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Immigration |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Interment |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Living |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MaritalStatus |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryAward |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryCompany |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryDischarge |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryRank |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryRegiment |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryService |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryServiceBranch |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Mission |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Move |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/NameOfShip |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Naturalization |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Namesake |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/NationalId |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Nationality |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/NeverHadChildren |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/NeverMarried |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/NotAccountable |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Occupation |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Ordinance |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Ordination |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/PhysicalDescription |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/PortOfDeparture |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/PreviousResidence |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Probate |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Property |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Race |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/RelationshipToHead |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Religion |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Residence |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Retirement |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/SocialSecurityNumber |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Stillborn |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/TitleOfNobility |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/TribeName |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Twin |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Will |
person | |
http://gedcomx.org/Annulment |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/CommonLawMarriage |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/CurrentlySpouses |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Divorce |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/DivorceFiling |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Engagement |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Marriage |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageBanns |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageContract |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageIntent |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageLicense |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageNotice |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/MarriageSettlement |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/NumberOfChildren |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Separation |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/UniversalId |
couple relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Biological |
parent-child relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Adopted |
parent-child relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Step |
parent-child relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Foster |
parent-child relationship | |
http://gedcomx.org/Guardianship |
parent-child relationship |
The Gender data type defines a conclusion about the gender of a person. the Gender data type
extends the Conclusion data type.
The identifier for the Gender data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Gender
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Conclusion
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the gender. | URI - MUST resolve to a gender type. Refer to the list of known gender types. |
The following gender types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Male |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Female |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Unknown |
The NamePart data type defines a part of a name of a person.
The identifier for the NamePart data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/NamePart
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the name part. | URI - MUST resolve to a name part type. Refer to the list of known name part types. |
| text | The text of the name part. | string |
The following name part types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Prefix |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Suffix |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Given |
|
http://gedcomx.org/Surname |
The NameForm data type defines a form of a name of a person.
The identifier for the NameForm data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/NameForm
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| fullText | The full text of the name form. | string |
| parts | The parts of the name form. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/NamePart. Order is preserved. |
The Name data type defines a conclusion about a name of a person. The Name data type
extends the Conclusion data type.
The identifier for the Name data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Name
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Conclusion
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the name. | URI - MUST resolve to a name type. Refer to the list of known name types. |
| primaryForm | The primary form of the name. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/NameForm |
| alternateForms | The alternate forms of the name. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/NameForm. Order is preserved. |
| preferred | Whether this name is preferred above the other names of a person. | boolean |
The following name types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Name |
|
http://gedcomx.org/BirthName |
|
http://gedcomx.org/DeathName |
|
http://gedcomx.org/MarriedName |
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http://gedcomx.org/AlsoKnownAs |
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http://gedcomx.org/MaidenName |
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http://gedcomx.org/Nickname |
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http://gedcomx.org/Adoptive |
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http://gedcomx.org/Formal |
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http://gedcomx.org/Religious |
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http://gedcomx.org/PostName |
The person is the fundamental unit of genealogical research.
The Person data type defines a description of a person. The Person data type
extends the GenealogicalResource data type.
The identifier for the Person data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Person
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| identifiers | Identifiers for the person. | List of http://gedcomx.org/Identifier. Order is preserved. |
| living | Whether the person is considered living. | boolean |
| gender | The conclusion about the gender of the person. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Gender |
| names | The conclusions about the names of the person. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Name. Order is preserved. |
| facts | The conclusions about the facts of the life of the person. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Fact. Order is preserved. |
| sources | The list of references to the evidence of the person. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/SourceReference. Order is preserved. |
| notes | Contributed notes about the person. | List of http://gedcomx.org/Note. Order is preserved. |
A relationship describes the relationship between two persons.
The Relationship data type defines a description of a relationship. The Relationship data type
extends the GenealogicalResource data type.
The identifier for the Relationship data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Relationship
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the relationship. | URI - MUST resolve to a relationship type. Refer to the list of known relationship types |
| person1 | Reference to the first person in the relationship. | URI - MUST resolve to an instance of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Person |
| person2 | Reference to the second person in the relationship. | URI - MUST resolve to an instance of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Person |
| facts | The conclusions about the facts of the life of the relationship. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Fact. Order is preserved. |
| sources | The list of references to the evidence of the relationship. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/SourceReference. Order is preserved. |
| notes | Contributed notes about the relationship. | List of http://gedcomx.org/Note. Order is preserved. |
Note: when a relationship type implies direction, the relationship is said to
to from person1 to person2. For example, in a parent-child relationship, the
person1 property refers to the parent and the person2 property refers to the
child.
The following relationship types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Couple |
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http://gedcomx.org/ParentChild |
An event describes a historical event.
The Event data type defines a description of a historical event. The Event data type
extends the GenealogicalResource data type.
The identifier for the Event data type is:
http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Event
This data type extends the following data type:
http://gedcomx.org/GenealogicalResource
| name | description | data type |
|---|---|---|
| type | URI identifying the type of the event. | URI. MUST resolve to an event type. Refer to the list of known event types |
| date | The date of the event. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Date |
| place | The place of the event. | http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/Place |
| roles | The roles of the persons in the event. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/EventRole. Order is preserved. |
| sources | The list of references to the evidence of the event. | List of http://gedcomx.org/conclusion/v1/SourceReference. Order is preserved. |
The following event types are defined by GEDCOM X:
| URI | description |
|---|---|
http://gedcomx.org/Adoption |
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http://gedcomx.org/AdultChristening |
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http://gedcomx.org/Annulment |
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http://gedcomx.org/Arrival |
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http://gedcomx.org/Baptism |
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http://gedcomx.org/BarMitzvah |
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http://gedcomx.org/BatMitzvah |
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http://gedcomx.org/Birth |
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http://gedcomx.org/Blessing |
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http://gedcomx.org/Burial |
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http://gedcomx.org/Census |
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http://gedcomx.org/Christening |
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http://gedcomx.org/Circumcision |
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http://gedcomx.org/Confirmation |
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http://gedcomx.org/Cremation |
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http://gedcomx.org/Death |
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http://gedcomx.org/Departure |
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http://gedcomx.org/Divorce |
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http://gedcomx.org/DivorceFiling |
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http://gedcomx.org/Education |
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http://gedcomx.org/Engagement |
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http://gedcomx.org/Emigration |
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http://gedcomx.org/Excommunication |
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http://gedcomx.org/FirstCommunion |
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http://gedcomx.org/Funeral |
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http://gedcomx.org/Graduation |
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http://gedcomx.org/Immigration |
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http://gedcomx.org/Interment |
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http://gedcomx.org/Marriage |
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http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryAward |
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http://gedcomx.org/MilitaryDischarge |
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http://gedcomx.org/Mission |
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http://gedcomx.org/Move |
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http://gedcomx.org/Ordinance |
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http://gedcomx.org/Ordination |
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http://gedcomx.org/Retirement |
This specification provides the data types and properties that define GEDCOM X. Other data types and vocabularies ("foreign vocabularies") can be used in GEDCOM X data types.
The GEDCOM X namespaces are reserved for future forward-compatible revisions of GEDCOM X. Future versions of this specification could add new data types and properties to the GEDCOM X vocabulary. Software written to conform to this version of the specification will not be able to process such extensions correctly and, in fact, will not be able to distinguish such extensions from error. For the purposes of this discussion, unrecognized data types and properties from the GEDCOM X vocabulary will be considered "foreign vocabularies".
GEDCOM X Processors that encounter foreign vocabularies in a location that is legal according to this specification MUST NOT stop processing or signal an error. It might be the case that the GEDCOM X Processor is able to process the foreign vocabularies correctly and does so. Otherwise, such vocabularies are termed "unknown foreign vocabularies".
When unknown foreign vocabularies are encountered, GEDCOM X Processors MAY bypass the foreign properties, type references, and textual content and MUST NOT change their behavior as a result of the presence of the vocabulary.
GEDCOM X allows properties of foreign vocabularies in any data type, except where it is explicitly forbidden.
GEDCOM X allows data types of foreign vocabularies to be referenced anywhere data types are defined to be referenced. Examples of data type references include name types, fact types, resource types, etc. GEDCOM X supplies its own set of "known" data types and implementors are encouraged to use the list of known data types as much as possible to preserve maximum compatibility.
Some applications MAY allow data types to be provided. For example, a genealogy application may provide a feature that allows a user to supply a "custom" fact about the life of a person when the list of known fact types doesn't contain the type of fact the user may want to add.
In the case where a user has supplied a title or description instead of selecting a known data type, GEDCOM X recognizes the data URI scheme as defined by RFC 2397.
todo: add details about which properties are required.
todo: supply details about how GEDCOM X defines its evidence model.