* Convert event dates to be just year

[johnmorrisoniom]

Background:
Genes reunited has a length limit on its date field, so any date range effectively gets deleted.

I would like to be able to export a gedcom where any date ranges, or even normal dates are converted to just the year.

Is this easily possible, or are we into plugin's here.

[PeterR]

My Work-In-Progress Plugin plugins:wip:my_clean_living_people_v1.2|My Clean Living People V1.2 might be of some use, but it's been quite a while since I looked at it.

[ EDIT: That Plugin is deleted as it is replaced by Trim Date and Text Fields in Plugin Store. ]

[tatewise]

There are no Date formatting options in the FH Export > Gedcom File or Split Tree Helper, so it either requires a GEDCOM file edit or a Plugin.

The limit must be quite small because a GEDCOM Date Range/Period is a maximum of only 31 characters, unless you use double years or B.C. in which case it is 37 or 41 chars.
e.g.
FROM 19 APR 1927 TO 29 MAY 1947
BET 19 APR 1927 AND 29 MAY 1947
BET 19 APR 1627/28 AND 29 MAY 1647/48
BET 19 APR 1243 B.C. AND 29 MAY 1234 B.C.

What is the Genes Reunited limit?

Are you sure it is simply just not recognising the GEDCOM Date Range/Period formats?

[tatewise]

I have experimented with Genes Reunited and its Date limit appears to be 30 characters.
Therefore the following should be OK albeit non-standard GEDCOM:
FM 19 APR 1927 TO 29 MAY 1947
BET 19 APR 1927 & 29 MAY 1947

So a global edit on the GEDCOM file to change " DATE FROM " into " DATE FM " and " AND " into " & " should do the trick.

Alternatively suggest to Genes Reunited that their Date field limit be increased a little.

[tatewise]

I have a prototype Plugin V1.0 on my SkyDrive at Export Gedcom File.

If you choose the Genes Reunited Tree dropdown option it will shorten those long DATE lines, and also convert FH custom tags to Standard Gedcom local Notes, Note Records, etc.

Let me know if it works.

[tatewise]

I have posted Plugin V1.1 dated 16 Aug 2014 on my SkyDrive at Export Gedcom File.

This is close to being complete, with bug fixes, online help pages, etc.
(It is possible that V1.0 did not actually shorten long DATE fields, but this version definitely does.)

It just needs you guys to check its output GEDCOM is acceptable to all the destination programs.

[EDIT]
New version dated 20 Aug 2014 now available.