The GEDCOM X project is FamilySearch‘s offering to the community of a set of free and open specifications, libraries, and tools defining how genealogical data can be stored, shared, searched, and secured across all phases of the genealogical research process.
This is a new and exciting development in the genealogical community. At present it is difficult to export and import a .gedcom file from one program to another without some data loss and errors, hopefully .gedcomx will be able to address these and other issues.
I will be excitedly following the project and hope to be able to contribute to it a little as well.
If you scroll about half way down this page https://github.com/FamilySearch/gedcomx/wiki there is more explanation of what the .gedcomx will cover.
The intent of GEDCOM X is to define a standard for modeling and exchanging the components of the research process that comprise the genealogical proof standard:
- Search Reliable Sources
- Cite Each Source
- Analyze Sources, Information, and Evidence
- Resolve Conflicts
- Make a Soundly-Reasoned Conclusion