GEDCOM 5.5.1 spec syntax errors

[dthaler]

MULTIMEDIA_LINK:=
 n OBJE @<XREF:OBJE>@                 {1:1} p.26
 |
 n OBJE
 +1 FILE <MULTIMEDIA_FILE_REFN>       {1:M} p.54
 ...

The second OBJE is missing the cardinality, presumably {1:1}.

FAMILY_EVENT_STRUCTURE:=
 [
 n [ ANUL | CENS | DIV | DIVF ]       {1:1}
 +1 <<FAMILY_EVENT_DETAIL>>           {0:1} p.32
 ...
 |
 n RESI
 +1 <<FAMILY_EVENT_DETAIL>>           {0:1} p.32

RESI is missing the cardinality, presumably {1:1}.

Not sure what we want to do about 5.5.1 spec syntax errors. Have an errata document?

[tychonievich]

Not sure what we want to do about 5.5.1 spec syntax errors. Have an errata document?

Per #52, I think that the PDFs we have are derivatives, not the originals, and thus that there's no compelling reason not to replace them with fixed derivatives as long as doing so doesn't change the spec.

[dthaler]

Discussing in GEDCOM Steering Committee 17 DEC 2024:

• The current PDF for 5.5.1 was generated by @chronoplexsoftware and then updated by the committee for title, copyright, and contact info.
• The committee will generate an updated PDF with these two omissions corrected.

[chronoplexsoftware]

The current PDF for 5.5.1 was generated by @chronoplexsoftware and then updated by the committee for title, copyright, and contact info.

Just for clarity, we generated derivate PDF versions of GEDCOM 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.3, and 5.4.

The copy of the 5.5.1 draft from 1999 we host, is, as far as we can tell, an unmodified original. We had no role in generating the PDF for the 5.5.1 release in 2019. The errors noted by the OP occur in both documents.

[dthaler]

Thanks @chronoplexsoftware for the clarification! The committee was able to find Word document source for the 5.5.1 PDF so we can generate a corrected PDF.

[dthaler]

Another syntax error in the quoted text above is that MULTIMEDIA_LINK is missing the [ ] around the alternatives

[dthaler]

Also several places refer to <<FAMILY_RECORD>> but it's actually defined as <<FAM_RECORD>>

[dthaler]

Several entries in Appendix A are missing the := at the end. E.g.:

 FORM {FORMAT}:=
 An assigned name given to a consistent format in which information can be conveyed.

 FONE {PHONETIC}
 A phonetic variation of a superior text string

 GEDC {GEDCOM}:=
 Information about the use of GEDCOM in a transmission.

 GIVN {GIVEN_NAME}
 A given or earned name used for official identification of a person.

 GRAD {GRADUATION}:=
 An event of awarding educational diplomas or degrees to individuals.

Notice that both FONE and GIVN are missing the :=

[dthaler]

Facimilie should be Facsimile

[dthaler]

NICK description has "A descriptive or familiar that is used instead of" but is missing "name" after "familiar".

[dthaler]

ANCE entry in Appendix A has "Pertaining to forbearers of an individual." but "forbearers" should be "forebearers"

[dthaler]

FONE {PHONETIC}
 A phonetic variation of a superior text string

The trailing period is also missing.

[dthaler]

BAPL {BAPTISM-LDS}:=
...
CONL {CONFIRMATION_LDS}:=

All other tags use _ to separate words in the formal name. BAPL instead uses -.

[dthaler]

SOURCE_FILED_BY_ENTRY:= {Size= 1:60}

Every other type has no space after Size=. This one has an extra space.

[dthaler]

Discussion in GEDCOM Steering Committee 7 JAN 2025:

• FAM_RECORD is the common one and FAMILY_RECORD should be corrected
• The formal names are just for humans, typos are ok to fix, e.g., FACIMILIE is ok to change
• The November 15, 2019 version of the 5.5.1 specification was finalized for copyright purposes and there are no plans to add revisions or correct errors or omissions in the document.
• As a result, the committee agreed to create a 5.5.1 errata document (markdown in the FamilySearch/GEDCOM repository, html or PDF in FamilySearch/GEDCOM.io repository).

[dthaler]

Discussion 14 JAN 2025:

• Move the errata link up to the same line as GEDCOM 5.5.1 spec, e.g., "(Errata)" as the text
• Consider an HTML rendering of the 5.5.1, can we render an informative copy that shows errata alongside it, like the IETF does? See the RFC 2119 copy with inline errata as an example.

[dthaler]

FamilySearch/GEDCOM.io#230 moved the errata link up as discussed.

Assigning to Luther now to investigate how to display inline errata.

[tychonievich]

In the HTML file @dthaler emailed me,

1. Remove all instances of overflow:hidden; in the file
2. Add styling like the following to the beginning of the first <style> element:

.sidenote {
    float:left;
    clear:left;
    width:20em;
    margin-left:-25em;
    white-space:wrap;
    background:white;
    border:medium solid green;
    padding:1ex;
}

3. Add notes inside the document like this:

   <span class="sidenote">
   Demo sidenote with enough words so that we can see how it works when wrapping occurs.
   </span>

This isn't perfect: the alignment of the notes depends on the horizontal positioning of the div they are in. If we put them on the page div, not the line divs, they line up but with the top of the page instead of the line in question. If we put them on the line divs, they are positioned horizontally based on the indentation of that div. However, it does show up.

[tychonievich]

Discussed in steering committee 28 JAN 2025

• Because the current errata are almost all inline typo/mistake replacements, consider a version that overlaps the exisiting text to make this more printable.