Family Search Data Definitions
In looking at the data definitions for Family Search for RootsMagic 11 it shows the field Status as either a 0 or 4. 0 being the default with the record being created in RootsMagic and 4 being the record was imported from FamilySearch. This does not make sense as I have: 1527 records with a 5; 832 with a 0 and 21 with a 4. Can someone tell me what the field status is actually used for.
Thanks
The data definitions on this site are unofficial, i.e., they are not provided by the developer. Rather, they are the best-guess inferences made by RM users from examination of data changes as observed and correlated as best they can with operations in the RM app. Some definitions are added, changed, or removed as the software evolves and someone like yourself comes across a discrepancy. If you figure out what 0, 4 and 5 now mean, please suggest the update for the table.
You raise 2 good questions:
- What does FamilySearchTable.Status = 5 represent, and
- What is FamilySearchTable.Status used for
I don't spend much time using the FamilySearch API and have not been able to figure out what that field is used for. Am interested if you have any sense of what the value "5" represents since it seems to be the majority of your matched records.
Here's the data dictionary evolution as best I have been able to reconstruct it:
- The table was new with RM8
- With RM9, the data dictionary listed Typical Values of "0,1,4" with no comments.
- With RM10, Typical Values were updated to "0,4" and comments added explaining those values.
Quote from Kevin McLarnon on 2026-06-28, 8:20 pm...
- The table was new with RM8
but it was largely identical to the LinkTable of RM4-7 which had a column to identify which external system a record was associated with. The value 1 in it designated FamilySearch. There was no linkage known with any other external system.
RM7.5 introduced Ancestry TreeShare with a dedicated version of LinkTable known as LinkAncestryTable which was then renamed AncestryTable in RM8.
Hey Tom!
Yeah, I understand that definitions are unofficial, and due to people like you! Let me tell you, and Kevin, where I am at. You may have seen my posts in the past, but I am using Progress Telerik Fiddler Classic to monitor API calls. I have written a C# application that reads the save transactions from both Ancestry.com and Family Search. All of this so I can understand what is going on and maintain the integrity of my data on both sites.
I try to go into FamilySearch Central daily and go through the list of changes made on Family Search. This helps me not only be alerted to changes made to my family members, but also locate information I may not have in RootsMagic. Here is where my work with understanding API comes in. When I first open RootsMagic there are 30 to 43 API calls to FS, 28 are the same people, which are tied to my main family lines. When I launch FSC it reads all 2,381 that are in RM plus 3 additional.
After analyzing the data myself several things did not make sense so I fed the data to AI. Since some people return more hints AI asked what Status was for and that is where I am at!
BTW: Initially, I started watching API because I learned that if you don't let the calls complete than you start missing things like hints. I now open RM, wait until all API calls complete. When I start FSC I always wait until it completes the API calls before going into the list. The list will never stabilize.
Charles
Sorry, I guess TMI!
I was hoping to start a conversation about some of this. I guess Status is going to be another mystery that no one understands.
Understood. I'll add a bit more to perhaps entice some others to join in. The FamilySearchTable.Status values of 0 and 4 are easily validated with a test db. For me,
- Status=0 when I create a profile in rm and then match it to a FamilySearch record, and
- Status=4 when I import the person from FamilySearch into rm
Your status=5 made me wonder if perhaps that value was related to LDS, since I am not LDS. But I can only generate values of 0 or 4, regardless of the settings option.
Also, in terms of how the table is used. I've played around with this a few times and have not seen evidence of any usage beyond tracking matched rmID and FSID numbers. The "Modified" field gets set to "1" on an import and then changes to "0" with a share data action. But I've not found any subsequent action that changes it to "1". Seems to not be fully implemented yet.