PAF 3: Linking &
Merging Individuals
(Last updated 01 March, 2003)
After importing a GEDCOM file into his PAF file, the rookie may be alarmed
to find that his PAF pedigree appears to be unchanged. Lets say, for instance, that his
pre-import PAF file contained only himself, and he imported a GEDCOM that contained his
father. When the rookie looks at the Small Pedigree screen after the import, he may be
alarmed to find that his father does not appear.
Linking Defined
What the rookie does not realize is that his father is indeed in the PAF
file. He must remember that computers are stupid, and need to be told what to do. After
the father is imported, the computer needs to be told that the rookie is a child of this
imported father. This is called Linking individuals. To learn this process, please see
Linking Individuals as Relatives.
Merging Defined
There is another process -- called Merging -- where the computer needs to
be told what to do. Suppose the rookie's pre-import PAF file contains only himself and his
father. Imagine that he then imported a GEDCOM pedigree which starts with his father and
goes back two hundred years. Once again, the computer needs to be told what to do. In this
case, the rookie must tell the computer that his pre-import father is the same fellow as
the imported father. Their records need to be Merged together. To learn this process,
please see Merging Duplicate Individuals.
Merging Duplicate Individuals
To guard against data-corrupting crashes and user errors, you should
always make a backup before merging individuals. For instructions, please see the lesson
on PAF Backups.
From the SMALL PEDIGREE screen, press "F6" for More Options
and select option "T" to see the MATCH/MERGE menu. To let the computer find
possible matches for you, select "Automatic Match/Manual Merge."
The MAKE A BACKUP FILE? screen will appear. If you already backed up to
GEDCOM in STEP 1 above, press F1 to continue.
At the AUTOMATIC MATCH / MANUAL MERGE SETTINGS screen, use the arrow
keys to scroll down to the "Combine notes when merging individuals?" field. Type
"Y". This assures that when you merge two individuals, neither of their Notes
will be lost.
Press F1 to continue.
Study the first pair of "matched" records. If the two records
are not of the same person, select "next Match".
When you find a pair of records that really do match, use the
"Switch" option to move the individual with the most accurate data to the left
screen. When merging two individuals with conflicting data (like different birth dates),
the right individual's data will be deleted and the left individual's data will be kept.
Note that if there is no birth date on the left but there is one on the right, the one on
the right will be transferred to the left and preserved when the merge takes place. If you
followed Step 4 above, you needn't worry about losing notes here; the notes for both
individuals will be saved in the newly-merged record.
Before you merge, make sure these two individuals really do match! Once
the individual on the right screen is deleted, he is gone for good!
To merge the two individuals on the screen, type "!".
When you're done merging all individuals, go back into the Small
Pedigree screen to make sure your pedigree is correct.
From the Small Pedigree screen, press "L" to see a large
5-generation pedigree chart and check on your pedigree linkages.
Linking Individuals as
Relatives
Suppose that before you searched Ancestral File, you entered yourself and
your father in your PAF database. Then suppose that you found your grandfather in the
Ancestral File™, so you made a GEDCOM of his pedigree and imported it into your PAF
files. Since no one from the GEDCOM matched anyone on your PAF records, you have "No
duplicate names in your PAF database."
Since there are no duplicates in your PAF database, you can link your
father with your grandfather by putting your father in the top left position on the Small
Pedigree screen and selecting "A" to add.
Select "Parents" and press Enter.
At the IDENTIFY FATHER screen, select "Father is in the file.
Select from list."
Scroll to your grandfather's name, and press Enter.
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