"Export Transform Wizard" tool

Ideas
1

Here’s a brief [Perplexity 1st draft, edited] proposal for the “Export Transform Wizard” tool:

A Flexible Data Processing Tool for Gramps

An “Export Transform Wizard” could be a powerful and customizable ETL tool designed to streamline the process of exporting and transforming genealogical data through multiple external applications.

Key Features:

  1. Multi-step Processing: The wizard will herd data through a series of transformations, utilizing various external applications to process intermediary files before producing the final output. (In an ideal world, APIs would pass the data through transparently. This uses a rudimentary CLI ‘batch’ file approach but generates the appropriate parameters for each line of the batch.)

  2. Customizable Workflow: Users can define and save custom workflows, specifying the sequence of applications to be used and the desired output format.

  3. Flexible Parameter Passing: Each step in the transformation process will allow for customizable parameter inputs, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of external tools and user preferences.

  4. Temporary File Management: The wizard will handle the creation and cleanup of temporary files generated during the multi-step process, maintaining a clean workspace for the user.

  5. Final Output Handling: Upon completion of all transformations, the wizard can automatically open the final file in a user-specified application for immediate viewing or further editing.

  6. Repeatable transforms: Saving the steps and parameter passing for re-use would increase the value. Being able to add a transform to a Book would allow generation of consistent illustrations for a series of people or families.

This tool will significantly enhance Gramps’ interoperability with external applications, providing users with a seamless experience for complex data transformations while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate various genealogical research needs and preferences.

Here’s a practical example of how the Export Transform Wizard could work with the current People-oriented view in Gramps:

This is skipping the part where the wizard limits the People exported to GEDCOM to the subset in the current view

  1. Export GEDCOM from Gramps:
/usr/bin/gramps -O "My Family Tree" -e /tmp/export.ged -f gedcom
  1. Convert GEDCOM to DOT using ged2dot:
/usr/bin/python3 /home/user/tools/ged2dot/ged2dot.py -i /tmp/export.ged -o /tmp/family_tree.dot
  1. Open the DOT file with GraphViz:
/usr/bin/dot -Tpng /tmp/family_tree.dot -o ~/Documents/family_tree.png && xdg-open ~/Documents/family_tree.png

The Export Transform Wizard would streamline this process by:

  1. Automatically determining the objects in the current view in Gramps.
  2. Handling temporary file creation and letting the OS do cleanup.
  3. Allowing customization of export parameters for each step.
  4. Executing the chain of commands seamlessly.
  5. Opening the final output file for the user.

This approach would significantly simplify the process of creating visual representations of genealogical data, making it more accessible to users who may not be familiar with command-line operations[1][3][4].

Citations:
[1] Exporting Data
[2] GEDCOM - Betty documentation
[3] Usage — GEDCOM Utilities 0.5.1 documentation
[4] Appendix D. Command line reference
[5] Reddit - Dive into anything
[6] Introduction - ged2dot user guide
[7] Gramps 5.1 Wiki Manual - Command Line - Gramps
[8] Usage - ged2dot user guide
[9] Gramps 5.0 Wiki Manual - Command Line - Gramps
[10] gramps(1) — Arch manual pages
[11] 1. Available options

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