The Master Genealogist

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The Master Genealogist
Original author(s) Bob Velke
Developer(s) Wholly Genes Software
Initial release July 1993
(Pre-release: 1991)
Stable release 8.08.000 /
22 April 2013; 8 days ago (2013-04-22)
Development status Active
Written in Visual FoxPro
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Available in English (US), English (UK), German, Dutch, French, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, and Afrikaans
Type Genealogy software
License Proprietary
Website www.whollygenes.com

The Master Genealogist (TMG) is genealogy software for Microsoft Windows first released in 1993[1] by Bob Velke. Data entry can be customized through the use of user-defined events, names, and relationship types.

Contents

Features [edit]

  • Designed for both normal users and genealogy professionals
  • Flexibly displays information.
  • Has elaborate database-oriented support for source and citation information
  • Supports the inclusion of media files
  • Supports DNA information
  • Allows the user to record conflicting evidence, instead of being restricted to deciding which piece of evidence is correct.
  • Allows a "Surety" of a given piece of evidence to be recorded
  • Supports elaborate chart-making
  • Supports smart importing of genealogy files. Its GenBridge recognises many common genealogy data format files from other programs and imports genealogical data directly into TMG. This minimizes the loss of data when transferred from other software and avoids some of the problems caused by transferring files through the limited but universal GEDCOM format.[2]

Source types [edit]

The default source types in the standard edition are based on Wholly Genes' interpretation of Elizabeth Shown Mills's Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian.[3] Source templates based upon Wholly Genes' interpretation of the , source types in Richard S. Lackey's Cite Your Sources[4] are also provided. The source templates in the UK edition are based on designs by Caroline Gurney for sources commonly encountered in the United Kingdom.[5]

Platforms [edit]

TMG was designed to run on the Windows platform, however many users run TMG on Macintosh and Linux machines.[6] Running TMG on a Macintosh requires special software such as Parallels, or Virtual PC for older non-Intel Macs. TMG runs on Linux with Wine.[7]

Limitations [edit]

  • Before version 8, reports generated on computers with 64-bit operating systems (only) were limited to "txt", HTML, and PDF output, although popular word processor reporting formats were supported on 32-bit platforms. The print routine was rewritten for the current version of the program eliminating this restriction.
  • Some users have complained about the limitations in the program's multilingual support. This issue is focused on personal pronoun and other individual word replacement resulting in output that may have minor grammar errors.

TMG version history [edit]

Please press show for more information on past versions.

File format [edit]

TMG's underlying database engine is Visual FoxPro v9. and does not support Unicode.

  1. File Structures for (TMG) for DOS and Windows v3.6
  2. TMG File Structure - Applicable to TMG v3.x, v4.x, v5.x, v6.x, v7.x

Migration from TMG [edit]

TMG has elaborate and detailed support for sources in a database format where a source can be referred to by any other record. In the GEDCOM database specification, sources can only refer to either a single individual or single family. Because of GEDCOM's limitation, exporting a TMG database involves duplicating the sources into each place where a given source is used. All of the information is exported, but the structure of each source is lost permanently.

An example of this limitation of GEDCOM is when there is a census or ship's record that lists many members of an extended family. TMG allows each individual's entry to refer to a common source record, which can itself have an elaborate description. The structure of GEDCOM forces you to duplicate all mention of and information contained in that source. The duplication of records, makes the source information in the exported GEDCOM file (and all GEDCOM files) hard to maintain.

Non GEDCOM exports of TMG [edit]

The following advanced options, apart from GEDCOM transfer are available:

Companion products [edit]

Several software developers have created companion products specifically for TMG that enhance its functionality. These products include:

  • Second Site, advanced web publishing and data review application for TMG - by John Cardinal
  • PathWiz!, TMG exhibit file management product - by BeeSoft
  • GedStar Pro, for Android smartphones display application - by GHCS Software.
  • GenSmarts, research advisor that analyzes users' genealogical data and offers suggestions

TMG data output is compatible with a range of geographical mapping and genealogical reporting applications that support the GEDCOM format.

Significant freeware and shareware utiity applications, as well as independently published user guides and manuals, also support TMG's installed user base.[73][74][75]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Ancestry - Genealogical Computing 7/1/2002 - Innovators: Bob Velke". 
  2. ^ "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - August 30, 2004 -GenBridge Update". 
  3. ^ Elizabeth Shown Mills. Evidence! Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997.ISBN 0-8063-1543-1
  4. ^ Richard S Lackey, Cite Your Sources: a manual for documenting Family Histories and Genealogical Records, Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1980.ISBN 0-87805-286-0
  5. ^ "Terry's TMG Tips - A Source Tutorial". 
  6. ^ RootsWeb: TMG-L Re: [TMG] TMG on a Mac - 21 Jun 2008
  7. ^ "TMG Setup on Wine - Wine Application Database (AppDB)". 
  8. ^ 23 Aug 2008 Chat Transcripts - Wholly Genes Community
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n TMG-L Re: [TMG] TMG puchase (sic) - "TMG's update history off the top of my head <g>:" From: Bob Velke - Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2000 13:41:19 -0400 - RootsWeb
  10. ^ Product announcement from 1993 when TMG v1.0 - Laura's Minimalist Home Page
  11. ^ Product announcement for TMG v1.2 - Laura's Minimalist Home Page
  12. ^ a b TMG Demo - Laura's Minimalist Home Page
  13. ^ Downloading TMG/Win v3.5, Laura's Minimalist Home Page
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ a b [2]
  16. ^ [3]
  17. ^ [4]
  18. ^ [5]
  19. ^ [6]
  20. ^ [7]
  21. ^ [8]
  22. ^ [9]
  23. ^ TMG 5 Release Date, PRESS RELEASE
  24. ^ [10]
  25. ^ [11]
  26. ^ [12]
  27. ^ [13]
  28. ^ [14]
  29. ^ [15]
  30. ^ [16]
  31. ^ RootsWeb: TMG-L [TMG] TMG v5.06.000 is now available, From: Bob Velke Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2003
  32. ^ [17]
  33. ^ [18]
  34. ^ [19]
  35. ^ VCF Chart, Second Site requires version 2.1.0.592 or greater of VCF.EXE. If you are using TMG v5.09 or greater you should have a supported version of VCF.EXE., John Cardinal's Home Page
  36. ^ [20]
  37. ^ [21]
  38. ^ [22]
  39. ^ [23]
  40. ^ [24]
  41. ^ [25]
  42. ^ [26]
  43. ^ Subject: TMG v6.00 is now available!, From: Bob Velke, Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004, RootsWeb: TMG-L
  44. ^ [27]
  45. ^ [28]
  46. ^ [29]
  47. ^ [30]
  48. ^ [31]
  49. ^ [32]
  50. ^ [33]
  51. ^ [34]
  52. ^ [35]
  53. ^ RootsWeb: TMG-L TMG v6.08 is now available!
  54. ^ [36]
  55. ^ [37]
  56. ^ [38]
  57. ^ [39]
  58. ^ TMG 6 and Windows Vista.pdf
  59. ^ [40]
  60. ^ [41]
  61. ^ [42]
  62. ^ [43]
  63. ^ [44]
  64. ^ [45]
  65. ^ RootsWeb: TMG-L [TMG] TMG v7.04 is now available! From: Bob Velke Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009
  66. ^ Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter: The Master Genealogist version 8 Has Been Released, by Dick Eastman, Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011
  67. ^ RootsWeb: TMG-L Archives, TMG v8.01 is now available, From: Bob Velke, Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2012
  68. ^ a b RootsWeb TMG-L Archives, TMG v8.02 is now available (again), From: Bob Velke, Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2012
  69. ^ RootsWeb TMG-L Archives, TMG v8.02 is now available - stand by, From: Bob Velke, Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2012
  70. ^ RootsWeb TMG-L Archives, TMG v8.03 is now available, From: Bob Velke, Date: Tue, 1 May 2012
  71. ^ a b c d e Wholly Genes Forum, The Master Genealogist v8.x Change Log, Date: regularly updated
  72. ^ Wholly Genes Forum, TMG v8.05 and the changed Role Design by Jim Bryam, 22 February 2013
  73. ^ John Cardinal, TMG Utility, downloaded 8 January 2012
  74. ^ ReigelRidge Press, A Primer for The Master Genealogist, downloaded 8 January 2012
  75. ^ Wholly Genes, Companion products, downloaded 8 January 2012

External links [edit]

Reviews [edit]
Open source
Desktop/Non-web
Web-based
Freeware
Desktop/Non-web
Retail
Desktop/Non-web
Web-based
Software as
a service (SaaS)
Free/Web-based
Retail/Web-based
General
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