A simple script to parse your ancestry in a compact raw-text format.

README.md

GEDCOM ancestry to raw text converter

A simple script to parse your ancestry in a compact raw-text format.

Prerequisite: Python GEDCOM Parser

pip install python-gedcom

Example usage

py gedcom2txt.py -p "birth=1993:name=Lars" -i bolstad.ged

           ┌──Hans Madsen Bolstad (1874 - 1954)
        ┌──Alf Bolstad (1897 - 1958)
        │  └──Anna Marie Olausdatter Grythe (1872 - 1931)
     ┌──Helge Bolstad (1928 - 2009)
     │  │  ┌──Max Richard Böhme (1866 - 1925)
     │  └──Alice Meta Charlotte Voss Voss Böhme (1897 - 1977)
     │     └──Johanna Friedericke Christine Marie Kömm (1865 - 1947)
  ┌──Hans Christian Bolstad (1962)
  │  │     ┌──Kristian Olsen Løkensvingen (1872)
  │  │  ┌──Kristian Julius Kristiansen (1899 - 1975)
  │  │  │  └──Gina Gundersen (1857)
  │  └──Reidun Alvilde Kristiansen (1927 - 2016)
  │     │  ┌──Oluf Nilsen Svenskrusten (1858 - 1919)
  │     └──Minda Oddfrid Myrvang (1906 - 1993)
  │        └──Marthea Edvardsdatter (1875 - 1913)
Lars Henrik Bolstad (1993)
  │        ┌──Lars Larsen Mellemsæter (1836 - 1919)
  │     ┌──Daniel Olaus Larsen Mellemsæther (1879 - 1943)
  │     │  └──Andrea Sofie Abrahamsdatter Martinsdatter Bratvær (1844 - 1925)
  │  ┌──Birger Leonhard Sæther (1924 - 1967)
  │  │  │  ┌──Edvard Jacobsen Øyen (1861 - 1907)
  │  │  └──Charlotte Marie Edvardsdatter Edvardsdatter Øyen (1886 - 1961)
  │  │     └──Karen Andersdatter Rønne (1857 - 1896)
  └──Marit Sæther (1959)
     │     ┌──Nils Kristinus Hansen Elven (1868 - 1943)
     │  ┌──Hans Olbert Elven (1897 - 1989)
     │  │  └──Hanna Margrethe Johansdatter Melkvik (1868 - 1964)
     └──Mary Johanne Elven (1931)
        │  ┌──Johan Pedersen Utseth (1859 - 1928)
        └──Olga Kristoffa Johansdatter Utseth (1904 - 2001)
           └──Otilie Marie Amundsdatter Skreddervik (1866 - 1909)

gedcom2txt.py

__author__ = "Lars Henrik Bolstad"

from optparse import OptionParser
from gedcom import Gedcom

class Parents:
    def __init__(self, person):
        self.father, self.mother = None, None
        for parent in gedcom.get_parents(person):
            if parent.get_gender() == 'M':
                self.father = parent
            else: # elif parent.get_gender() == 'F':
                self.mother = parent

class Person:
    def __init__(self, record):
        self.record = record
    def __str__(self):
        first, last = self.record.get_name()
        out = first + " " + last
        birth = self.record.get_birth_year()
        death = self.record.get_death_year()
        if birth > 0:
            out += " (" + str(birth)
            if death > 0:
                out += " - " + str(death)
            out += ")"
        return out
    def isMale(self):
        return self.record.get_gender() == 'M'


def print_ancestors(record, generations=1, branch=''):
    # Check if person is valid
    if not record: return ''

    # Limit generations
    if not generations: return ''

    # Look for parents
    parents = Parents(record)

    # Print fathers recursively
    txt = print_ancestors(parents.father, generations - 1, branch+'   ') + '\n'

    # Format print
    person = Person(record)
    line = branch
    if branch:
        if person.isMale():
            line = line[:-1] + '┌──'
            branch = branch[:-1] + '│'
        else:
            line = line[:-1] + '└──'
            branch = branch[:-1] + ' '
    line += str(person)
    txt += line

    # Print mothers recursively
    txt += print_ancestors(parents.mother, generations - 1, branch+'  │')

    return txt

if __name__ == "__main__":

    # Parse command line arguments
    parser = OptionParser()

    parser.add_option("-p", "--person",
        action="store", type="string", dest="main_person",
        help="unique identifier for main person. colon separated string \"surname=[name]:name=[name]:birth=[year]:birth_range=[year-to-year]:death=[year]:death_range[year-to-year]\"")

    parser.add_option("-g", "--generations",
        action="store", type="int", dest="generations",
        help="number of generations to go back", metavar="5",
        default=5)
    
    parser.add_option("-i", "--input",
        action="store", type="string", dest="input_file",
        help="read from input file (.ged)", metavar="FILE")

    parser.add_option("-o", "--output",
        action="store", type="string", dest="output_file",
        help="write to output file (.txt)", metavar="FILE")

    #(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
    config = vars(parser.parse_args()[0])

    # Verify required arguments
    if not config["input_file"]:
        print("A GEDCOM input-file must be provided\n")
        parser.print_help()
        exit(1)

    # Read input-file
    gedcom = Gedcom(config["input_file"], False)

    # Look for main person
    all_records = gedcom.get_root_child_elements()
    main_person, first_person = None, None
    for record in all_records:
        if record.is_individual():
            if not first_person:
                first_person = record
            if record.criteria_match(config["main_person"]):
                main_person = record
    if not main_person:
        main_person = first_person
        print("WARNING: No person matched criteria <%s>"%config["main_person"])
        print("  defaulting to %s"%str(Person(main_person)))

    # Open output file for writing
    outfile = None
    if config["output_file"]:
        outfile = open(config["output_file"], mode='w', encoding="utf-16")

    # Generate tree
    txt = print_ancestors(main_person, config["generations"])

    # Print or write to file
    if outfile:
        outfile.write(txt)
        outfile.close()
        print("Output written to %s"%config["output_file"])
    else:
        print(txt)