FamTree

FamTree is now at version 1.50.

This rejects GEDCOM files that are encoded in UTF-16 (they can be converted to ANSI using Notepad on Windows and will then load correctly) with a tidy error message. RISC OS text editors cannot display them anyway. Those either coded in UTF-8 or containing text following code words that are specified to be UTF-8 (these are different things) continue to work, except that names of individuals will be shown on screen as multiple characters. They can be edited to their Latin1 equivalents.

It handles proportional fonts better and now uses Sassoon.Primary by default rather than System.Fixed. The actual font you want to use can be specified in the !Run file.

It also handles very long text lines in input files rather better, previously a ‘String too long’ error might be produced.

Available via !Store.

If you don’t want to faff with Windows, Fireworkz can be your friend here. Try loading text files with BOMs.

This rejects GEDCOM files that are encoded in UTF-16

Whuh?

If you know it’s UTF-16 (the BOM or every other byte probably being a null is a clue), why not try to translate it into something that RISC OS can cope with (UTF-8 if you’re adventurous, or just ‘?’ for whatever doesn’t convert to something in the normal character set).

(they can be converted to ANSI using Notepad on Windows and will then load correctly)

Hmm, “ANSI” as I understand it is something entirely different (think DOS code page 437).
You’re probably thinking of Windows-1252 which is basically their take on ISO 8859/1. For some reason this is called ANSI a lot in the Windows world, which is odd given that CP-1252 was never an ANSI standard!

If you know it’s UTF-16 (the BOM or every other byte probably being a null is a clue), why not try to translate it

Yes. Step 1 was to reject a format that caused issues.

Step 2 is to translate it. Watch this space.

ANSI is what Notepad calls code page 437 or codepage 1252 (not sure which).

Step 2 is to translate it. Watch this space.

Version 1.52 now available from !Store. This handles UTF-16 encoded GEDCOM files and translates Latin-1 compatible UTF-8 characters in names to Latin-1.

Version 1.54 now available from !Store. This fixes a bug when importing GEDCOM files with lines longer than 256 characters.

It also fixes a bug related to the Draw buffer being nearly full.

and after a brief hiatus with !Store, it is now uploaded.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the update.

On Store it says you have to buy the upgrade but is a special price of £0.00 for existing owners.

It does not say you have to put any any special code so I assume you just provide nominal details?

OK cancel that though still a little confused but hopefully have it sorted now.

So I have 1.52 already which it says purchase the upgrade for £0.00 but it has a seperate 1.54 version in the catelogue that I have downloaded and copied over my copy of 1.52 and it seems to have updated things correctly.

A little strange but hopefully I have done it correctly.

If you have already registered your purchase (e.g. of 1.52), then 1.54 should be free i.e. to purchase at zero cost.