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Php Gedcom Laravel Package
liberu-genealogy/php-gedcom
A PHP library for reading, writing, and manipulating GEDCOM genealogy files. It offers an object-oriented API for parsing individuals, families, events, and records, simplifying import and export of family-tree data in Laravel or any PHP application.
A GEDCOM file parser (read + write) for PHP 8.4+
Frequently asked questions about Php Gedcom
- How do I install liberu-genealogy/php-gedcom with Composer?
- Install it as a Composer dependency with composer require liberu-genealogy/php-gedcom, ensuring your runtime is PHP 8.4 or newer. In a Laravel application, do not call the parser directly from controllers or Eloquent models. Wrap it behind an application-owned adapter or service interface such as GedcomGateway so the package can be pinned, swapped, or upgraded without changing domain code.
- Does php-gedcom support both reading and writing GEDCOM files?
- Yes. The library is described as a GEDCOM file parser for reading, writing, and manipulating genealogy data, with an object-oriented API covering individuals, families, events, and records. That makes it suitable for both import and export workflows in a Laravel or plain PHP application. Version 4.2.0 also adds a partial GEDCOM-X mapping path, but that capability should be treated as experimental.
- Which PHP and Laravel versions does php-gedcom require?
- The package requires PHP 8.4 or newer according to its overview. The technical evaluation places it in a Laravel 10 or 11 stack, but you should confirm the exact framework compatibility against the package's Composer constraints before pinning it. Because it is a library-layer dependency rather than a Laravel framework concern, the main compatibility risk is PHP version and parser behaviour, not framework coupling.
- What is new in php-gedcom 4.2.0?
- Version 4.2.0 adds two capability surfaces: GEDCOM to GEDCOM-X mapping, explicitly marked work in progress and partial, and UID or _UID handling across all record types with GEDCOM-X export. It is a minor bump from 4.1.1 to 4.2.0, which implies semver-compatible additive changes. The UID work is the more architecturally significant change because stable record identity affects idempotent imports, deduplication, and reconciliation.
- Is GEDCOM-X export in php-gedcom production ready?
- No. The evaluation baseline explicitly treats the GEDCOM-X mapping layer as work in progress and pre-stable, regardless of the semver minor bump. If you expose it, gate GEDCOM-X export behind a configuration flag and avoid presenting it as a supported product surface. Keep classic GEDCOM parse and write paths on the stable side of your integration.
- Does php-gedcom preserve _UID values on round-trip or regenerate them?
- The evaluation flags this as an open question rather than confirmed behaviour. The 4.2.0 release claims UID and _UID support across record types, but GEDCOM 5.5.1 and GEDCOM-X treat identifiers and custom tags differently, so bulk changes can silently affect parse-emit-parse fidelity. Verify verbatim preservation or normalization with your own golden-file corpus before relying on it for identity reconciliation.
- How do I integrate GEDCOM import and export into a Laravel application?
- Use an application-owned GedcomGateway interface around the package so domain code does not depend on the library directly. Run import and export as queued jobs such as ImportGedcomJob and ExportGedcomXJob, writing files to a configured filesystem disk rather than processing synchronously in request cycles. This keeps large family-tree files out of web requests and makes retries and failure handling easier.
- How do I test a php-gedcom upgrade for round-trip regressions?
- Pin 4.2.0 explicitly and build a golden-file regression suite before merging it. Parse and re-emit a representative corpus of GEDCOM files on 4.1.1, then diff that output against 4.2.0 output. Record any diffs attributable to UID handling, and if the diffs are material for existing users, remain on 4.1.1 for write paths and use 4.2.0 read-only until validated.
- Can I use php-gedcom outside Laravel?
- Yes. It is a PHP library for reading, writing, and manipulating GEDCOM files, so it can be used in any PHP 8.4+ application, not just Laravel. The same architectural advice applies: wrap it in an adapter or service class rather than scattering parser calls through application code. Laravel-specific integration mainly concerns queued jobs, filesystem disks, and JSON responses for GEDCOM-X output.
- Should I pin liberu-genealogy/php-gedcom to a specific version in production?
- Yes. Pin 4.2.0 explicitly rather than relying on a floating constraint, especially because the release includes AI-authored changes and a merged work-in-progress GEDCOM-X mapping path. Start on a feature branch with GEDCOM-X export disabled by default and run the golden-file suite before enabling new behaviour. Treat GEDCOM-X mapping as pre-stable in your dependency policy and review future patch releases for mapping-layer changes.
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