This presentation introduces a free open-source platform for genealogy applications, for both mobile and web, and show how you can easily extend this platform by writing plug-ins, like Eclipse or WordPress for genealogy. This presentation was given by Dallan Quass at the 2015 RootsTech Innovator Summit held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA on February 11, 2015.

1. DON'T RE-INVENT THE GENEALOGY
APP WHEEL
A PLATFORM FOR PERSONAL FAMILY-TREES
by Dallan Quass / dallan@gmail.com

2. UNDER CONSTRUCTION

3. PERSONAL FAMILY-TREES
Owner decides who to let in

4. SUPPOSE YOU WANT TO CREATE A
FAMILY TREE TOOL

5. OPTIONS
Build on top of FamilySearch - limited user base
Build on top of MyHeritage - read-only
Build on top of Ancestry Trees - no API
Build your own tree manager
- lots of foundation code to write
- grow user base ( marketing $ )

6. WE NEED A PLATFORM
For personal family trees, like FamilySearch is a platform for
a shared family tree

7. PLATFORM BENEFITS
Foundation code written
GEDCOM import
GEDCOM export
REST API
OAuth support

8. MORE BENEFITS (LATER)
Open-source web, desktop, and mobile clients
Plug your tools into these clients
Clients written using web components
Embed components into your own app

9. EVIDENCE-BASED DATA MODEL

10. EVIDENCE-BASED ADVANTAGES
More fun
Better model for collaboration
Increase chances to get new people involved

11. WHY ADOPT THE PLATFORM?

12. ADVANTAGES
Back-end code written
Less custom code to write
Don't need to spend money growing your user base
Free, hosted service
Simple REST API
Evidence-based approach
DISADVANTAGES
Depend upon external entity
Loss of control over back-end storage

13. WHAT'S THE CATCH?

14. PRICING
FOLLOW GITHUB'S LEAD
Free for public trees
Ad supported
Up to ~100Mb image storage
Low annual fee for private trees
No ads
Additional image storage

15. ROADMAP

16. ROADMAP
Feb 2015 Request for Comments
Mar 2015 Limited beta - server
Q2 2015 Public beta - server
Q3 2015 Web client
Q4 2015 Mobile client
Q1 2016 Desktop client

17. DIVE INTO THE DETAILS

18. DATA MODEL COMPARISON
Ged GedX FS DeadEnds STEMMA This
Person X X X X X X
Event X X X Post
Source X X X X X Post
Note X X X X X Post
Discussion X Post
Memory X Post

19. PERSON
Follows GedcomX
ID
Living
Gender // same as GedcomX
Names // same as GedcomX
Facts // same as GedcomX
Identifiers // for collaboration
Attribution // contributor, last-modified, change-message
ChangeID // change records track changes

20. POST
Superclass of Event, Source, Note, Discussion, and Memory
ID
EventType // e.g., Birth
Date
Place
Subject
Text
URL // external URL
SourceCitation
MediaID // uploaded image/doc
MediaType // e.g., image/jpeg
Tags
Identifiers
Attribution
ChangeID
Status // e.g., draft, active, discredited
EventRoles // one for each person in photo/record
PersonID
RoleType // e.g., father, mother, child
Fields
Label // e.g., age
Value

21. COMMENT
Posts can have comments
ID
PostID
Text
Identifiers
Attribution
ChangeID

22. CHANGE
Change records track changes
ID
TargetID
TargetPrevChangeID // ID of previous Change record for Target
ReverseDelta // in json patch format
Attribution

23. DATA MODEL COMPARISON
Ged GedX FS DeadEnds STEMMA This
Family X X
Couple
Relation
X X Family
Child-Par
Relation
X Family
Place X X X X use FS
Agent X X X
Document X
Media X X X

24. FAMILY
Combines GedcomX Couple Relationship with FamilySearch
ChildAndParents Relationship
ID
Couple // GedcomX couple relationship
Children // array of FamilySearch ChildAndParents relationships
Identifiers
Attribution
ChangeID

25. REST-ISH API
GET, POST, PUT, DELETE verbs
No unique content types - everything is application/json
If you request a person, you get back a person
If you request an event, you get back an event
API version is part of the request URI
HATEOS?

26. REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

27. STARTUP WEEKEND

28. CONCLUSION
Dallan Quass - dallan@gmail.com