Does anybody know where I can download something for Mac that will read a GEDCOM file?
Yeah, sort of…
A GEDCOM file is a database file for family history, but probably you already knew that. Most family history software will import/export to GEDCOM format.
There is also a program called GED2HTML which does what it sounds like it does–converts the GEDCOM file into a hierarchy of HTML files.
If you want the data from a GEDCOM file made readable by some type of non-family-history database, well…
GEDCOM is also an abomination in the eyes of God and an example of how NOT to store structured data. Open your GEDCOM file with a text editor like BBEdit Lite and you’ll see what I mean. You can NOT just import it into FileMaker or Excel, that’s for sure!
I have successfully imported GEDCOM data into a FileMaker Pro solution but only via GED2HTML and one hell of a parsing script. Directly from GEDCOM I haven’t mastered yet. If you do find a good guide to parsing the damn stuff, be sure to let me know, OK?
Anyway, GED2HTML is at:
I downloaded the program, but it wouldn’t open my GEDCOM file. I was later able to open it with Appleworks, but it was just stuff I already knew, so it was pretty pointless.
Thanks for the link though.