GEDCOM as a database in Augean - 10 reasons why this works well.
Historically in the days of 32 bit applications due to size limits a GEDCOM database was not always possible, and vendors opted for SQL type databases.
But now, with fast 64 bit Java applications, GEDCOM is an excellent choice for a database.
Augean which is built on OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 21
uses a pure GEDCOM database, without needing to use an SQL database.
|
1. Large GEDCOM files are loaded quickly
The Catalog of Life database at 666 MB is quite a beast, with 2.4 million persons and 250 thousand families,
But Augean has no problems with it, and loads it in 59 seconds.
 Tested on Windows 10, Intel with 16GB Ram.
Augean handles large databases, and is responsive.
Mennonite ancestry GEDCOM database, 1.4 million persons - Loads in under 1 minute
Augean gives you a direct view of the GEDCOM
 For comparison, another genealogical tool we benchmarked took 12+ hours to import the same file.
|
2. Fast
The large database performance is good.
The user interface remains responsive even with 2.4 million persons.
GEDCOM is a fast database.
Augean uses Tables which page information, this handles the display of large files.
|
3. Safe
When the GEDCOM file is saved, Augean uses an atomic write
- save to a different file then rename to the original file.
The database is therefore never partially saved, the information is protected.
There is no danger of data corruption, if the computer crashes while saving.
|
4. Easy to backup
GEDCOM is easy to backup, and transfer to new machines.
Just copy the GEDCOM file and the Media Directory to a new machine.
Upload the GEDCOM file to a cloud drive as a convenient backup method.
|
5. Every field can be viewed and edited.
View and edit the GEDCOM database visually through Augean.
Every GEDCOM field can be viewed and updated visually.
|
6. All custom fields are preserved during a GEDCOM file import
All custom fields are preserved during database import.
No loss of information when importing from any GEDCOM source.
Custom GEDCOM fields, which may have been created in other GEDCOM programs are all preserved.
Custom fields, in this case FootNote, are preserved during import
|
7. No loss of information when exporting to GEDCOM
A non GEDCOM database application, would typically loose information during a GEDCOM export - for example
Augean prevents the loss of information by using a pure GEDCOM database.
|
8. Portable across all platforms
The GEDCOM database file format is portable across multiple platforms and architectures.
Augean is supported on (Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebooks)⨯(Intel, Arm)
The GEDCOM database allows for a very simple installation process.
|
9. No vendor lockin
GEDCOM is a universal shared format which prevents Vendor lockin.
Everything in Augean is in GEDCOM 5.5.1 AE, which is a universal shared standard - so no vendor lockin.
When The Master Genealogist was discontinued, its proprietary database format caused migration problems.
Both Roots magic ,
and Gramps had to write plugins to manage the conversion of data.
Augean, will never have this problem, as Augean's pure GEDCOM database can be imported by any other genealogy program.
|
10. Enchanced reporting
All of the database is loaded in memory, this enhances the reports that can be quickly generated.
For example, the Island Report
An in memory GEDCOM database enhances the type of reports that can be generated.
The island report, which is unique to Augean, provides insight into the different disconnected lines in your genealogy.
The reports are possible because of the in memory GEDCOM database.
The GEDCOM database can be read directly by any GEDCOM application.
If there is a 3rd party report you like that requires a GEDCOM file, you can run this directly on the Augean GEDCOM database file, with no need for export.
Conclusion
• GEDCOM is an excellent choice for a database, it is fast, portable and safe.
• GEDCOM handles large files, and solves all problems of import / export to other genealogical programs.
• The simple nature of the GEDCOM database allows Augean to support all platforms, (Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebooks)⨯(Intel, Arm)
Special thanks to Tamura Jones, for Tamura's analysis and documentation of GEDCOM.
The GEDCOM 5.5.1 AE which Tamura diligently annotated, and explained over 15 years
was critical in the development of Augean.
|
|
