save

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This article explains how to save a GeneWeb base using command line tools. The same operations are also accessible through the web based interface gwsetup.

Storage devices are not 100% failsafe, and one should maintain multiple archives on separate devices. It may also be prudent to maintain inetrmediate versions of a base, allowing fallback to an earlier version in case of severe modification problems. Lastly, the .gw save format is a clean and sure mechanism to exchange bases between GeneWeb users (GEDCOM is also available but not with 100% compatibility).

A simple mechanism to archive a base is to make a copy of the base.gwb folder. A better mechanism is to produce a textual base.gw file using the .gw format.

To create an archive for base toto, use the gwu command and archive the resulting output:

gwu toto > toto.gw

Or using option -o for gwu :

gwu toto -o toto.gw

You may select any name of your choice, provided you keep the extension .gw. For safe archival, make multiple copies of the base.gw file, on multiple devices.

Using the .gw file format has many avantages :

• simpliciy : a single file when the base folder contains multiple files (note forum and update history are not preserved through a .gw file) ;
• economy : a .gw source file is quite smaller that the corresponding folder ;
• compatibiliy : the .gw format maintains compatibility with future versions of GeneWeb ;
• accessibiliy : the .gw is a human readable format, and allows for global editing or difference detection

(using a command such as diff base-v1.gw base-v2.gw under Unix/Linux/OSX)

To restaure base toto from toto.gw, use the gwc commande:

gwc toto.gw -o toto

Caveats

In the .gw file created by gwu some orphan information is not saved:

• Isolated persons, that is which have no family and are not part of any family.

Such persons may appear as witness of another person subsequently deleted.

• A Linked page (created with the WikiText syntax, or with the command m=NOTES;f=linked_page) will not be saved if it is not referenced in the notes section of a person, or in another linked page.
• Should gwu stop with Uncaught exception: Invalid_argument("index out of bounds"), add the -mem parameter (seen with 5.02 on Ubuntu)

GeneWeb Manual

• Download and install GeneWeb program under GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD; on Mac OS X, Linux or Windows using Docker; or in CGI mode behind a web server.
• Understand GeneWeb server, homonym, consanguinity.

Use and manage genealogical databases

• Import Gedcom .ged or GeneWeb .gw files with gwsetup or in command-line.
• Update datas (add/remove individuals and families), merge duplicates, type dates.
• Use wikitext syntax, macros, keyboard shortcuts.
• Clean, recover, rename, save, archive a database.
• Merge and split multiples databases.

Technical annex

• Personalize CSS, header and trailer, templates, lexicon and declension.
• Configuration file .gwf (for templm), wizard notes, passwords for friends/wizards and access restrictions to databases.
• Add images in notes, further remarks for experts.