How do I merge data from one database into another

Keith Wilson · Post by **Keith Wilson** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:03 am

How do I merge data from one iFamily database into another?

These instructions were last updated on 11 June, 2008 and apply to V2.393 or later

For a great video by Ben Sayer that demonstrates these instructions go to: MacGenealogist.com

Assumptions

You have two iFamily databases, let&#39s call them the Source database and the Target database.
In the Target database you have Mary BROWN but she has no father.
In the Source database you have John BROWN who would make a suitable father for Mary.

Procedure

1. Please read this whole article first before you perform Step 2
2. Open both databases in iFamily for Tiger.
3. Use File -> Backup Current Database on both the Source and the Target database. Write down the Backup file names and the data/time at which you made the backup.
4. In the Source database make Mary BROWN the Focal Person in the Context Diagram.
5. In the Target database make Mary BROWN the Focal Person in the Context Diagram.
6. In the Source database click on John BROWN to make him the Selected Person in the diagram (he is now displayed in red).
7. In the Target database right click on the ghost box for Mary BROWN&#39s father and a pop-up menu appears.
8. In the pop-up menu select the one that says " Copy John BROWN from xxxxxxxx"
9. If you want to copy John BROWN plus his ancestors then click on the button " Include Ancestors"
10. You can now decide which of John&#39s ancestors you really want to include.
11. Press the Copy button. iFamily will first of all make a backup of the Target database - just in case. It will then add John BROWN as Mary&#39s father and then add his selected ancestors to the Target model. You will get a report of what has been merged into the Target model - I suggest that you save it under a new name.
12. Close the merge dialog and see what is now in the Target model. If you don&#39t like it then you can Undo everything that was merged. Remember that there is still a backup of the Target model to revert to later.
13. Use menu option File -> Compare and Merge -> Compare and Merge from Another Database to generate a report on the differences between the target and the Source databases.

There are permutations of all the above steps for merging a new person into the Target as a Child or as a Spouse.

Steps to be performed BEFORE you Merge - on both Databases

If both databases contain imprecise information then merging the Family Trees can be very complicated. The safest way to merge two databases is to ensure that the information in both database contains matches on FullName + BirthDate +Deathdate wherever possible. This combination of fields can generally be relied upon to provide a fairly good unique identification of a person in a Family Tree containing less than 20,000 people.

1. Backup each database and make a note of the Backup filenames and the date/time - write it down.
2. On each database use menu option People -> Family Names and either (a) Capitalise All Family Names or (b)Uppercase All Family Names so that the conventions are the same in both databases.
3. On each database run menu option People -> Duplicates and see if you can eliminate, or at least reduce them. For a wife with no surname you can add her husband&#39s surname in parentheses. If someone is called " Unknown" then try to replace it with something more meaningful like " wife of John SMITH" or " daughter of John and Mary SMITH" .
4. On each database run menu option Reports -> Data Inconsistency Report. See how many you can eliminate.
5. Since you have made a backup (did you make a backup?) then you may also like to run People -> Prune Minor Dynasties to remove some extra confusing data that is lurking around in your database from that initial Gedcom Load you did 6 months ago. It is more important to prune the Target database than to prune the Source database.
6. Run menu option Events -> Calculate Birth and Death Dates. This will add additional calculated event dates based on Baptisms, Christenings, Burials and Cremations. The merge function in iFamily only looks at Birth, Death and Marriage dates. The merge function does not make assumptions based on Baptisms, Christenings, Burials and Cremations - it has plenty of other work to do.

Steps to be performed AFTER you Merge

1. Click on the main window of Target database to make it the current database
2. Select menu option File -> Compare and Merge -> Compare and Merge from Another Database.
3. Enlarge the dialog to be full screen.
4. On the LH side of the dialog select the Source database.
5. Press the button labelled Exclude Exact Matches
6. Press the button labelled Auto Compare
7. Scroll though the people in the Source (LH) database looking for information that still needs to be transferred to the target database.
8. If you see additional information in the Source database that needs to be merged then press the Merge button.

Keith Wilson · Post by **Keith Wilson** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:03 am

Originally posted by perthling
I'm trying to join to GEDCOMs from different researchers on different sides of the family. In the current absence of a 'match and merge' algorithm (which I understand could be very difficult to create!), I've tried the following, but need help with the final step...

Following a system I can generally use the merging method with success (i.e. right-click ghost space to copy individual from another file, and include ancestry/decendants).

First to add a parent and all their ancestry, then going up one generation at a time and adding the siblings (of my direct ancestor at each level) and including all their descendants and spouses.

I just can't think of an easy way to check the final result. Did I manage to bring all unique individuals from one database (B) across to the master (A)? Is there a way of comparing two databases in this fashion?

Keith Wilson · Post by **Keith Wilson** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:03 am

Originally posted by jmilne1
:-[I followed your 7 steps & nothing happened?
Jack

Keith Wilson · Post by **Keith Wilson** » Mon May 14, 2007 7:03 am

perthling wrote:I'm trying to join to GEDCOMs from different researchers on different sides of the family. In the current absence of a 'match and merge' algorithm (which I understand could be very difficult to create!), I've tried the following, but need help with the final step...

Following a system I can generally use the merging method with success (i.e. right-click ghost space to copy individual from another file, and include ancestry/decendants). First to add a parent and all their ancestry, then going up one generation at a time and adding the siblings (of my direct ancestor at each level) and including all their descendants and spouses. I just can't think of an easy way to check the final result. Did I manage to bring all unique individuals from one database (B) across to the master (A)? Is there a way of comparing two databases in this fashion?[/quote]
In V2.393 it is now all much easier and the machine does all the hard work - which is why we pay good money for them. Please refer to the amended instructions above for performing a Merge using V2.393 - you will find that there is a new button called " Include Descendants of the Selected Ancestors" that is not mentioned above.

Keith