The Specifications
The Specifications
There are five distinct specifications that comprise GEDCOM X. Some specifications build on others. The formal specifications are maintained in a version-controlled and access-controlled repository.
- The GEDCOM X Date Format
- The GEDCOM X Conceptual Model
- The GEDCOM X XML Serialization Format
- The GEDCOM X JSON Serialization Format
- The GEDCOM X Standard Header Set
- The GEDCOM X File Format
The GEDCOM X Date Format
The GEDCOM X date format specifies a mechanism for representing dates, with specific attention given to the need to represent genealogical dates.
The GEDCOM X Conceptual Model
The GEDCOM X conceptual model is a specification of formal concepts and types that are used to provide a model and vocabulary for describing genealogical data. Genealogical data is structured by data types such as persons, relationships, and sources.
The GEDCOM X XML Serialization Format
The GEDCOM X XML Serialization Format is a specification that defines the way that the GEDCOM X conceptual model is serialized to and deserialized from XML.
The GEDCOM X JSON Serialization Format
The GEDCOM X JSON Serialization Format is a specification that defines the way that the GEDCOM X conceptual model is serialized to and deserialized from JSON.
The GEDCOM X Standard Header Set
When processing a set of genealogical resources it is often useful--sometimes even necessary--to process metadata for the resource before processing it. Examples of this kind of metadata include:
- The data format for the resource.
- Caching directives such as the last modified timestamp or version.
- Identifiers for the resource.
- Bibliographic metadata, such as a bibliographic citation.
- Display names or titles.
The GEDCOM X Standard Header Set specifies the set of metadata terms that are recognized for genealogical resources and the mechanism for providing that metadata.
The GEDCOM X File Format
A GEDCOM X file is a bundle of digital genealogical resources. Resources reference other resources, which may be located within the same file or may be located external to the file.
Perhaps the most familiar use of a GEDCOM X file is to bundle together conclusions about a pedigree. This research is composed of a lot of different resources such as persons, relationships, citations and images. The GEDCOM X File Format is designed to enable the bundling of all of these resources into a single file and to specify how each resource may reference (or link to) other resources, which are either bundled in the same file or are located external to the file, such as in an online database.