PAF (Personal Ancestral File)

File Format
Name	PAF (Personal Ancestral File)
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Genealogical data PAF (Personal Ancestral File)
Extension(s)	.paf, .dat
PRONOM	fmt/854, fmt/855, fmt/856
Released	1983

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) was free genealogy software provided by FamilySearch, a website operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

File Identification

PAF software up to v2 used individual .DAT file to store genealogical data. File names included, INDIV2.dat, MARR2.dat, NAME2.dat, NOTES2.dat, REPTITL2.dat, etc.

PAF software versions 3-5 used a single .PAF file to store data. Version 5 header starts with ascii 500 500 PAF

File Format

• OPG's PAF5Parser.java

TimeLine

References

• Personal Ancestral File - Wikipedia
• Ancestral Quest can be used to import all PAF files