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I'm still working this one out but here goes... I have an NTFS partition which I can access from both Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux, that's where I keep all my genealogy files. Because my main computer for doing genealogy work switches between two machines every now and then I name the directory after when I move it to that system. At the moment it's called The goal''Database_in_2008-06-20'', which I won't type every time, consider './' to mean 'the main directory'.
./Backups/ - has GRAMPS XML files as backups, I do this about once a month and after any large change. ./Dropbox/ - has anything I haven't dealt with yet (it's quite full!) ./Events/$EventNames/ - has media files which are primarily related to an event. ./Individuals/$Surnames/ - has images primarily related ve decided to an individual. The files are sorted after the persons (birth) surname. ./Individuals_icons/ - has passport sized images use aim for generating reports ./Places/$Country/ - has files primarily related a system designed to a specific place. I will start subdirectories by country. ./Rapports/$Surname - has some rapports I've sent out. ./Sources/$Source - has all sorts of files which contain direct information, scanned letters and so work onany computer made after 1994... Sorted by the source's source. ./2008-03-11_4.gramps - there are often quite a few of these backups which This means I go through and can put a couple in the ./Backups/ directory files on virtually any media and throw the others outvirtually anyone can read them.But this comes at a cost:
I don* Directory depth is limited to media plus 7 (limit of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660 ISO 9660]). For example: ''media/2/3/4/5/6/7/file.ext't think this system is so great so I'm working on improving it, * File and directory names are limited to a-z Lower-case alphabetical characters (see below) A-Z Upper-case alphabetical characters (see below) 0-9 Numerals - Hyphens/ dashes (must not start a files name) _ Underscores (And all names need a combination of lower and upper-case letters so Windows doesn't change the case)* File path lengths need to be limited to 256 characters (limit of [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365247.aspx Windows Path Size]). Currently this requires manual checking.
= Duncan's planned system =Indicating unsure or incomplete dates --1810ca-- or --1810-09ca-- or --1810before-- or --1810-09-15before-- or --1810-_-10--
== The problems ==* Maximum number of subdirectories?** Only base + 7 in ISO 9660 level 1.* Records covering several family names, like weddings and census records?** In a directory with the two surnames alphabetically, separated by double underscore. ie: ''Lithgow__Schmidt/'Directory tree' ** Census is of the family, so goes into the dual name directory of the parents, not in an individuals sub directory.* How should the record properties and directory names be limited so we don't cross the maximum path length restriction?** No idea* Single letter directory names, how do we stop them changing case?** No idea* Indicating unsure dates?** ca = circa/ approximately, ie: ''--1810ca--'' or ''--1810-09ca--** before = before, , ie: ''--1810before--'' or ''--1810-09before--* Is it really necessary with the '-' between date parts? ie: why 1810-12-28 when it could be 18101228?** One problem is if people forget to add a zero before single digit dates. With the dash we get 1810-01-22 or 1810-01-22 but without it if they forget the zero we get 1810122 which could mean 1810-01-22 or 1810-12-02. I say better safe than sorry.
== Problems in progress ==Directory naming rules:* When I want Top directory is <upper case letter><lower case start of range>-<lower case end of range>, ie ''Aa-z'' for all the ''A''s or ''Sl-z'' for surnames starting with ''Sl'' through to work ''Sz''. This may look like overkill but it is primarily to avoid directories with letters in only one case as these can change case without warning on one family with a small portable computer?older Windows systems, breaking Posix file paths.** all folders need to under Start words in directory names with capitals so Windows file systems don't change the family name directory, for families under a dual name directory, children under their own family namecase.* What about Once a family portrait not from starts (shared address, children or legal union) any common files go into a known event?** I think itfamily directory (alphabetically sorted) ie: ''Jensen__Williams''s best to regard pictures of groups as an event, maybe event=gathering
== Directory tree == <upper case letter><lower case start of range>-<lower case end of range>/ - <family name(s)>/ - - <record type>/ (Ind, Sou, Evn or Sou) - - - <file> or - - - <given name(s)>/ - - - - <file> or - - - - <event type>/ - - - - - <file>
The base directory is not shown. A name like Imported_2008-12-23 is recommended to record when the data was moved to this machine from some other machine.For example
Directory naming rules: Ga-z/• Single letters should be lower case, but some windows filesystems will change this without warning. So don - George__Spencer/ (because 'G' comes before 'S't rely on it) - - Evt/ - - - Marriage/ - - - - S--marriage--george__spencer--charles__diana--england_somewhere--1981--wedding_certificate--0065.png - George/ - - Ind/ - - - George__Charles--1948-11-14/ - - - - Evn/ - - - - - Stag_party/• Start words in directory names with capitals, this discourages file systems from changing the case - - - - - - Charles_and_the_surprise_guest.jpg Ja-z/• Once a family starts (shared address, children or legal union) they join a dual family name directory, alphabetically sorted, ie: Jensen__Williams and not Williams__Jensen. - Jetson/ - - Ind/<pre><first letter> - - - Jetson__George--1995-01-21/<family name> - - - - Sou/<record type> - - - - - S--award--jetson__george--luna_city--2014--pilots_license--0562.jpg Sa-z - Spencer/ <file> - - Ind/ or - - - Spencer__Diana--1961-07-01/ <given name(s)> - - - - Evn/<file>< - - - - - Hens_night/pre> - - - - - - Diana_getting_drunk.jpg - - - - - - Everyone_enjoying_the_fun.jpg
I will not add subdirectories.Also, all objects Media related to my direct family and myself are duplicated on an other support (backups and searchs) with the top level of my media directory, close to my grandparents' surname :folders.
./Surname of the mother of my mother (maiden) ./Surname of the father of my mother ./Surname of the mother of my father All objects are also duplicated on an other support (maidenbackups and searchs) ./Surname of the father of my father
And I use attributes [[Gramps_3.3_Wiki_Manual_-_Navigation#Tagging|tags]] on my database (as marker). True, using relationships calculator should do and share the work but it is usefull for filtering and sharing datacommon branch/folder with my distant cousins. Why attributes ? Adding this value (like a description) is not false ...They are and will still be my ancestors on (father or mother side)
→Jerome's system
* ''./Need_To_Process/'' Any new files, photos, etc that I need to process into Gramps. Kind of a holding area.
= Duncan's system =
= Jerome's system =
ISO 8601 date_description.extension
4 folders with my grandparents' surname :
./Surname of the mother of my mother (maiden)
./Surname of the father of my mother
./Surname of the mother of my father (maiden)
./Surname of the father of my father
then 4 subdirectories into the 4 previous folders:
./Docs/ numerical sources (scanned certificates, papers, acts, hand written sources)
./Identity/ passport sized images use for generating reports
./Places/ (photos of gravestones, living places , buildings or addressaddresses)
./Other/ not in the first ... (videos, sounds, groups photos)
-- [[User:Romjerome|Romjerome]] 26 July 2008 (EDT)
= Frederico's system =
I'm converting my physical storage system from a ad-hoc solution based on a 2-ring binder with all the documents (organised by the Soza number) to a vertical filling system that is organised by manilla folders that contain all the relevant information for each family. The focus is thus less on the individual and more on the family. Using folders allow for a much easier way to aggregate all relevant documents (certificates, photos, research logs, etc) and also facilitates research since each folder is pretty much self-contained and can be easily retrieved when needed, and taken to the archives for investigation.
With that in mind it makes some sense to mirror this physical approach when organising digital documents, especially since every document has both a physical copy and a digital one. I am experimenting with creating a directory for each family under a Sources folder (it could also be named Families, or any other name really), like this:
./SMITH,John+BLACK,Mary
./LEWIS,Edward+MCDONALD,Jane
The contents follow the same rules as the physical archiving. Of note is the fact that each person is generally present in two different folder: as a son they are present in the folder of the parents, and as one of the members of a family they have their own folder. Documents related to pre-marriage events go into the parent's folder, and from the marriage onward to their own folder.
Filenames follow more or less the examples given, e.g. BAP--John_Smith--1830.png.
The advantages I can see so far are:
* Consistency between physical archive and digital storage. It makes is easier to compare the completeness of both of them so they they are not our of sync.
* Easy to access all documents that relate to a family. Since many documents have information that applies to more than one family member it makes sense.
* Each directory can be archived and sent to someone else and all the relevant sources are contained therein.
Some disadvantages:
* Storing the birth certificates (or any pre-marriage information) of an individual not under his own folder but under the parents' folder can be a bit counter-intuitive in the beginning.
* Since it is Family based (and not Individual based) documents that relate to an individual are split between two folders.
* Sometimes one doesn't have information about the marital status of an individual, and when that is latter discovered files could have to be moved. An example would be the military record of an individual that doesn't contain information about his marriage, and since there is no other source that contains such an information it is not possible to create a Family directory. When latter that information surfaces those documents would have to be moved to the Family folder.
= Doug's System =
I don't do anything special: I put all images in one directory, mostly. But some are in other places.
My philosophy is: if I need something special, such as all media connected to a person, I'll add that functionality to Gramps.
Your philosophy could be: if I need something special, I'll submit a feature request to Gramps.
= Your system? =
