Surnames & Index Tab

Surnames and Index

This tab controls the Surname and Index pages.

Surname Page

Option Meaning

Display surname frequency counts
Check this option to see the frequency of surnames on your family pages. The number of individuals having each surname is displayed in parentheses next to each surname on the surname page.

Display most frequent surnames
Check this option to see the most frequently occurring surnames on your family pages. Then specify the number of top surnames to display, such as the top 10.

Visitors to your web site can see your major family lines at a glance. The most frequently occurring surnames are displayed at the top of the first Surname Page, with the number of individuals having each surname in parentheses. This is followed by a list of all surnames.

Number of partitions
If you have several hundred surnames in your family tree, the surname page can be quite large and take longer to load. You can break the surname list into smaller groups by partitioning it on to multiple pages.

Enter the number of partitions, or separate Surname pages, you desire. Specify 1 to have all surnames on a single page. Specify 2 to display half the surnames on one page and the other half on a second page. Specify 3 to display about one third of the surnames on each of three separate pages, and so on.

Partitioning is done by the first letter of a surname, not by the actual number of surnames. For example with 2 partitions, all surnames beginning with "A" through "M" are on one page while those beginning with "N" through "Z" are on the next. The actual grouping depends on the surnames present. If there are no surnames that begin with "M," the first partition will be "A" through "L."

Use alternate file name for first surname page

Advanced Users
The first Surname page is considered the start page for GED-GEN web pages. It is usually named main.html, but will have the same file prefix as other files. For instance if the prefix is grp, the first Surname page is named grpmain.html.

Many people have a link on their home page to the Surname page. However you may want the first Surname page to be your actual home page. If so, enable this option and specify the desired file name. The default home page is usually named index.html. If your website resides at a commercial genealogy website, that site may require a different file name for your home page.

If you enable this option, specify a file name that includes the file extension, like .html. Do not include a folder. The Surname page will reside in the destination folder along will all other generated files.

Option	Meaning
Display surname frequency counts	Check this option to see the frequency of surnames on your family pages. The number of individuals having each surname is displayed in parentheses next to each surname on the surname page.
Display most frequent surnames	Check this option to see the most frequently occurring surnames on your family pages. Then specify the number of top surnames to display, such as the top 10. Visitors to your web site can see your major family lines at a glance. The most frequently occurring surnames are displayed at the top of the first Surname Page, with the number of individuals having each surname in parentheses. This is followed by a list of all surnames.
Number of partitions	If you have several hundred surnames in your family tree, the surname page can be quite large and take longer to load. You can break the surname list into smaller groups by partitioning it on to multiple pages. Enter the number of partitions, or separate Surname pages, you desire. Specify 1 to have all surnames on a single page. Specify 2 to display half the surnames on one page and the other half on a second page. Specify 3 to display about one third of the surnames on each of three separate pages, and so on. Partitioning is done by the first letter of a surname, not by the actual number of surnames. For example with 2 partitions, all surnames beginning with "A" through "M" are on one page while those beginning with "N" through "Z" are on the next. The actual grouping depends on the surnames present. If there are no surnames that begin with "M," the first partition will be "A" through "L."
Use alternate file name for first surname page	Advanced Users The first Surname page is considered the start page for *GED-GEN* web pages. It is usually named `main.html`, but will have the same file prefix as other files. For instance if the prefix is `grp`, the first Surname page is named `grpmain.html`. Many people have a link on their home page to the Surname page. However you may want the first Surname page to be your actual home page. If so, enable this option and specify the desired file name. The default home page is usually named `index.html`. If your website resides at a commercial genealogy website, that site may require a different file name for your home page. If you enable this option, specify a file name that includes the file extension, like `.html`. Do not include a folder. The Surname page will reside in the destination folder along will all other generated files.

Index Pages

Option Meaning

Display Soundex codes
Check this option to display Soundex codes next to each surname on the Index pages. Soundex codes may assist in your genealogical research. They are a way of indexing surnames based on pronunciation.

Codes are generated using the simplified Soundex algorithm. A second code is displayed for some surnames. This code is generated using the American Soundex algorithm or Miracode, which is sometimes used by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA ). It is displayed only if it differs from the code generated using the simplified algorithm.

Create GENDEX index file
Check this option to generate a GENDEX file. This file was used in conjunction with the GENDEX server, which was an index of GEDCOM files on the Internet. That server may no longer be available, but the GENDEX file may be useful in other applications.

GED-GEN creates a GENDEX.txt file in the destination folder along with your family pages. It contains a list of the individuals who appear on each family page. For each person it also lists the surname, the full name, the birth date and place, and the death date and place. If you selected any privacy filters, living individuals will be filtered in the GENDEX file too.

The author of GED-GEN does not endorse or recommend any particular genealogy software or service. GED-GEN is not affiliated with the GENDEX server.

Number of individuals per page
Specify the number of individuals GED-GEN should place on each index page generated.

The index to your family pages is usually generated as a set of web pages. This avoids having one large page that takes a long time to load in a visitor's Internet browser. Specify a smaller number for more, but smaller files. Specify a larger number for fewer, but larger files. For instance if your GEDCOM file contains 5000 individuals, you may wish to have 1000 individuals per page, which would result in 5 index pages. If these files take too long to load, you could specify 500 individuals per page, resulting in 10 index pages. If your GEDCOM file contains 500 individuals, you may wish to have them all on one index page.

The number you specify is an approximation. GED-GEN may place more or fewer individuals on an index page depending on where the page break might occur.

Option	Meaning
Display Soundex codes	Check this option to display Soundex codes next to each surname on the Index pages. Soundex codes may assist in your genealogical research. They are a way of indexing surnames based on pronunciation. Codes are generated using the simplified Soundex algorithm. A second code is displayed for some surnames. This code is generated using the American Soundex algorithm or Miracode, which is sometimes used by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA ). It is displayed only if it differs from the code generated using the simplified algorithm.
Create GENDEX index file	Check this option to generate a GENDEX file. This file was used in conjunction with the GENDEX server, which was an index of GEDCOM files on the Internet. That server may no longer be available, but the GENDEX file may be useful in other applications. *GED-GEN* creates a `GENDEX.txt` file in the destination folder along with your family pages. It contains a list of the individuals who appear on each family page. For each person it also lists the surname, the full name, the birth date and place, and the death date and place. If you selected any privacy filters, living individuals will be filtered in the GENDEX file too. The author of *GED-GEN* does not endorse or recommend any particular genealogy software or service. *GED-GEN* is not affiliated with the GENDEX server.
Number of individuals per page	Specify the number of individuals *GED-GEN* should place on each index page generated. The index to your family pages is usually generated as a set of web pages. This avoids having one large page that takes a long time to load in a visitor's Internet browser. Specify a smaller number for more, but smaller files. Specify a larger number for fewer, but larger files. For instance if your GEDCOM file contains 5000 individuals, you may wish to have 1000 individuals per page, which would result in 5 index pages. If these files take too long to load, you could specify 500 individuals per page, resulting in 10 index pages. If your GEDCOM file contains 500 individuals, you may wish to have them all on one index page. The number you specify is an approximation. *GED-GEN* may place more or fewer individuals on an index page depending on where the page break might occur.

Other

Option Meaning

Display reference numbers for individuals Check this option if you want an individual's reference number to appear next to their name on family pages and the index. Reference numbers are generated by your genealogy software program. They uniquely identify each individual in your GEDCOM file.

Display SURNAMES in upper-case letters Check this option if you want surnames to appear in upper-case letters throughout all family pages and the index.

Display alias between given name and surname
Check this option if you want a person's alias to be displayed in quotes between their given name and surname. An alias is usually a nickname or a name a person goes by. For example if John Doe went by the name Jack, his name would appear as John "Jack" Doe. In the index, it would appear as: Doe, John "Jack".

Name prefixes like Major and Doctor and suffixes like III and MD are automatically used if they are provided, regardless of whether this option is enabled.

Note
This feature works with GEDCOM files exported by only certain genealogy programs. They must include special tags called "name pieces," which indicate a person's nickname, and name prefix and suffix.

If name pieces are not provided, GED-GEN attempts to use the alias field as a nickname. However most programs use the alias field as a way of linking different individuals who might be the same person. In those cases the alias is not used as a nickname.