Pointers describe file relationships
GEDCOM links individual records to family and source records through identifiers. A missing target creates a dangling reference. The workbench reports these pointers and removes unresolved references from a subset, but it cannot recover the missing record or decide which similarly named person should replace it. Investigate the original application when a link is unexpected.
Family records can represent more than a simple pair of biological parents. Multiple families, adoption pedigree labels and other source conventions may coexist. The subset retains supported links without converting them into a single inferred ancestry story. Custom tags remain source-specific and require interpretation by the original application or researcher.
Dates remain evidence, not guesses
Genealogical dates often include approximate years, before/after statements, ranges and historical calendar conventions. The tool keeps the readable source expression. It does not calculate an exact date from an approximate statement or decide that two differently written dates refer to the same historical event.
This also affects privacy decisions. The conservative rule uses a death declaration or death-date structure rather than estimating lifespan from a birth date. A malformed or mistaken source fact can still lead to a wrong classification, so the user must review the result. File processing does not validate the historical truth of the underlying research.
Use the right visual output
The SVG is a bounded relationship map arranged in source record order. Lines connect members of family records; position does not encode proven generations. Full labels and family roles are included in the offline print view and PDF inventory. The diagram is intended to support inspection, not replace the GEDCOM evidence.
Keep diagrams small enough to read. SVG and print views support up to 60 people, while the subset and PDF inventory can include up to 200. The bundled PDF font has explicit character coverage; use the SVG or system-font print view for unsupported names. Test the output in its destination viewer and retain the GEDCOM plus audit for details the map cannot show.