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Update Family

update_family

Change an existing family: father, mother, relationship type, children, family events, citations, notes, media, tags, attributes or the private flag. Pass only what changes; omitted arguments stay as they are.

Instructions

Change an existing family: father, mother, relationship type, children, family events, citations, notes, media, tags, attributes or the private flag. Pass only what changes; omitted arguments stay as they are. Link lists (…Handles, …Refs) follow linkMode: replace (default) sets the whole list, add appends, remove drops the given handles; in replace mode [] REMOVES every link of that kind. Returns the handle and Gramps ID; a missing family returns a not-found message. To add one child, pass it in childRefs with linkMode add. Formats of every argument: get_reference(topic: "input-guide").

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
handleYesThe family to change. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects.
linkModeNoHow to apply all supplied link lists: replace (default) replaces each full list, and a link it keeps keeps its stored privacy, citations, notes and crop unless the call sends new values; add appends missing handles and preserves existing link metadata; remove removes all links matching supplied handles (reference metadata is ignored). Omitted lists stay unchanged; empty lists clear only in replace mode. Does not affect attributes, names, addresses or URLs. Use separate calls to add and remove, or replace to edit existing link metadata.replace
childRefsNoChildren with their relations to the parents. In replace mode the list must hold every child the family keeps. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Child references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, frel, mrel}, strings "HANDLE::RelType" (sets both frel and mrel; default: Birth), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. A relation must be a standard Gramps one (Birth, Adopted, Stepchild, Sponsored, Foster, Unknown, None) or a custom one the tree already uses. JSON objects accept snake_case (frel, mrel, tag_list) or camelCase (fatherRel, tagList, etc.).
eventRefsNoFamily events (Marriage, Divorce, …). Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Event references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, role}, strings "HANDLE::Role" (default role: Primary), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. A role must be a standard Gramps role or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. JSON objects accept snake_case or camelCase list fields (note_list / noteList).
isPrivateNotrue makes the record private, false public. Omit to leave unchanged.
attributesNoAttributes. Omit to keep; a value replaces the whole list and [] clears it, whatever linkMode says. Attributes: JSON array of objects {type,value,...}, or strings "Type: Value" (first colon), or one string with lines or | between entries. A type must be a standard Gramps attribute type or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. Full grammar: gramps://input-guide.
sortEventsNotrue sorts all event links by event date after the other changes, keeping each link's role and metadata; alone it sorts the stored list. Undated Birth, Baptism and Christening go first and other undated events last, ending with Death, then Burial and Cremation. On the same date: "before" dates, then Residence and Occupation, Birth, Baptism, other events, Death, Burial, then "after" dates. Default false keeps the order (linkMode add appends at the end).
tagHandlesNoTags. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array ["h1","h2"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {"ref":"…"}.
noteHandlesNoNotes. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array ["h1","h2"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {"ref":"…"}.
fatherHandleNoNew father. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects.
mediaHandlesNoMedia. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array ["h1","h2"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {"ref":"…"}.
motherHandleNoNew mother. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects.
citationHandlesNoCitations. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array ["h1","h2"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {"ref":"…"}.
relationshipTypeNoRelationship type (Married, Unmarried, Civil Union, Unknown). Omit to leave unchanged. Must be a standard Gramps type or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. List: get_reference(topic: "types").

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed4 schema fields changedv2.3.2
    • changedInput schema / properties / attributes / description
      Previous value: -"Attributes. Omit to keep; a value replaces the whole list and [] clears it, whatever linkMode says. Attributes: JSON array of objects {type,value,...}, or strings \"Type: Value\" (first colon), or one string with lines or | between entries. Full grammar: gramps://input-guide."New value: +"Attributes. Omit to keep; a value replaces the whole list and [] clears it, whatever linkMode says. Attributes: JSON array of objects {type,value,...}, or strings \"Type: Value\" (first colon), or one string with lines or | between entries. A type must be a standard Gramps attribute type or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. Full grammar: gramps://input-guide."
    • changedInput schema / properties / childRefs / description
      Previous value: -"Children with their relations to the parents. In replace mode the list must hold every child the family keeps. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Child references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, frel, mrel}, strings \"HANDLE::RelType\" (sets both frel and mrel; default: Birth), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case (frel, mrel, tag_list) or camelCase (fatherRel, tagList, etc.)."New value: +"Children with their relations to the parents. In replace mode the list must hold every child the family keeps. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Child references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, frel, mrel}, strings \"HANDLE::RelType\" (sets both frel and mrel; default: Birth), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. A relation must be a standard Gramps one (Birth, Adopted, Stepchild, Sponsored, Foster, Unknown, None) or a custom one the tree already uses. JSON objects accept snake_case (frel, mrel, tag_list) or camelCase (fatherRel, tagList, etc.)."
    • changedInput schema / properties / eventRefs / description
      Previous value: -"Family events (Marriage, Divorce, …). Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Event references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, role}, strings \"HANDLE::Role\" (default role: Primary), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case or camelCase list fields (note_list / noteList)."New value: +"Family events (Marriage, Divorce, …). Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Event references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, role}, strings \"HANDLE::Role\" (default role: Primary), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. A role must be a standard Gramps role or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. JSON objects accept snake_case or camelCase list fields (note_list / noteList)."
    • addedInput schema / properties / sortEvents
      Added value: +{
      +  "default": false,
      +  "description": "true sorts all event links by event date after the other changes, keeping each link's role and metadata; alone it sorts the stored list. Undated Birth, Baptism and Christening go first and other undated events last, ending with Death, then Burial and Cremation. On the same date: \"before\" dates, then Residence and Occupation, Birth, Baptism, other events, Death, Burial, then \"after\" dates. Default false keeps the order (linkMode add appends at the end).",
      +  "type": "boolean"
      +}
  2. Changed1 schema field changedv2.3.1
    • changedInput schema / properties / linkMode / description
      Previous value: -"How to apply all supplied link lists: replace (default) replaces each full list; add appends missing handles and preserves existing link metadata; remove removes all links matching supplied handles (reference metadata is ignored). Omitted lists stay unchanged; empty lists clear only in replace mode. Does not affect attributes, names, addresses or URLs. Use separate calls to add and remove, or replace to edit existing link metadata."New value: +"How to apply all supplied link lists: replace (default) replaces each full list, and a link it keeps keeps its stored privacy, citations, notes and crop unless the call sends new values; add appends missing handles and preserves existing link metadata; remove removes all links matching supplied handles (reference metadata is ignored). Omitted lists stay unchanged; empty lists clear only in replace mode. Does not affect attributes, names, addresses or URLs. Use separate calls to add and remove, or replace to edit existing link metadata."
  3. Changed12 schema fields changedv2.3.0
    • changedInput schema / properties / attributes / description
      Previous value: -"Replace attributes. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Attributes: JSON array of objects {type,value,...}, or strings \"Type: Value\" (first colon), or one string with lines or | between entries. Full grammar: gramps://input-guide."New value: +"Attributes. Omit to keep; a value replaces the whole list and [] clears it, whatever linkMode says. Attributes: JSON array of objects {type,value,...}, or strings \"Type: Value\" (first colon), or one string with lines or | between entries. Full grammar: gramps://input-guide."
    • changedInput schema / properties / childRefs / description
      Previous value: -"Linked all children. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Child references: JSON array of {ref, frel, mrel}, strings \"HANDLE::RelType\" (sets both frel and mrel; default: Birth), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case (frel, mrel, tag_list) or camelCase (fatherRel, tagList, etc.)."New value: +"Children with their relations to the parents. In replace mode the list must hold every child the family keeps. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Child references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, frel, mrel}, strings \"HANDLE::RelType\" (sets both frel and mrel; default: Birth), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case (frel, mrel, tag_list) or camelCase (fatherRel, tagList, etc.)."
    • changedInput schema / properties / citationHandles / description
      Previous value: -"Linked citation links. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Handles: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], a single handle as a plain string, comma/semicolon/newline-separated list, or a JSON-array string. Array entries may be strings or objects {\"ref\":\"…\"} / {\"handle\":\"…\"}."New value: +"Citations. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {\"ref\":\"…\"}."
    • changedInput schema / properties / eventRefs / description
      Previous value: -"Linked family–event links. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Event references: JSON array of {ref, role}, strings \"HANDLE::Role\" (default role: Primary), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case or camelCase list fields (note_list / noteList)."New value: +"Family events (Marriage, Divorce, …). Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Event references (handles, not Gramps IDs): JSON array of {ref, role}, strings \"HANDLE::Role\" (default role: Primary), comma/pipe/newline-separated, or a single handle. JSON objects accept snake_case or camelCase list fields (note_list / noteList)."
    • changedInput schema / properties / fatherHandle / description
      Previous value: -"Father person handle. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001). Handles are opaque strings from the API. Gramps IDs (like I0001, F0023) are auto-resolved to handles. Find handles with search() or list_objects()."New value: +"New father. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects."
    • changedInput schema / properties / handle / description
      Previous value: -"Family handle. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001). Handles are opaque strings from the API. Gramps IDs (like I0001, F0023) are auto-resolved to handles. Find handles with search() or list_objects()."New value: +"The family to change. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects."
    • changedInput schema / properties / isPrivate / description
      Previous value: -"Private flag. Omit to leave unchanged."New value: +"true makes the record private, false public. Omit to leave unchanged."
    • changedInput schema / properties / mediaHandles / description
      Previous value: -"Linked media links. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Handles: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], a single handle as a plain string, comma/semicolon/newline-separated list, or a JSON-array string. Array entries may be strings or objects {\"ref\":\"…\"} / {\"handle\":\"…\"}."New value: +"Media. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {\"ref\":\"…\"}."
    • changedInput schema / properties / motherHandle / description
      Previous value: -"Mother person handle. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001). Handles are opaque strings from the API. Gramps IDs (like I0001, F0023) are auto-resolved to handles. Find handles with search() or list_objects()."New value: +"New mother. Omit to leave unchanged. Handle or Gramps ID (e.g. I0001), resolved automatically; find it with search or list_objects."
    • changedInput schema / properties / noteHandles / description
      Previous value: -"Linked note links. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Handles: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], a single handle as a plain string, comma/semicolon/newline-separated list, or a JSON-array string. Array entries may be strings or objects {\"ref\":\"…\"} / {\"handle\":\"…\"}."New value: +"Notes. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {\"ref\":\"…\"}."
    • changedInput schema / properties / relationshipType / description
      Previous value: -"Relationship type string. Omit to leave unchanged. Type values are validated by the server; see gramps://types resource or call get_reference(topic: \"types\") for available values."New value: +"Relationship type (Married, Unmarried, Civil Union, Unknown). Omit to leave unchanged. Must be a standard Gramps type or a custom one the tree already uses; anything else is rejected with suggestions. List: get_reference(topic: \"types\")."
    • changedInput schema / properties / tagHandles / description
      Previous value: -"Linked tag links. Omit to leave unchanged. For link lists, linkMode controls replace/add/remove; [] clears in replace mode and does nothing in add/remove. Other lists always use replacement. Handles: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], a single handle as a plain string, comma/semicolon/newline-separated list, or a JSON-array string. Array entries may be strings or objects {\"ref\":\"…\"} / {\"handle\":\"…\"}."New value: +"Tags. Omit to keep; applied per linkMode. Handles, not Gramps IDs: JSON array [\"h1\",\"h2\"], one handle, or a comma/semicolon/newline-separated string; entries may also be objects {\"ref\":\"…\"}."
  4. First observedv2.2.0

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