Family Tree Research and GEDCOM Files
Genealogy Related Issues
Gedcom files were developed by the LDS Church Family History department to make it easier for researchers to exchange data with others working on the same extended family tree. They are plain text files for recording data on important family events, such as Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths. There are several programs to choose from, depending on whether you plan to be a light or a heavy user.
Source: Home-and-Family:Genealogy-Family-Trees