diff --git a/server.rb b/server.rb
index 3089751..de35224 100755
--- a/server.rb
+++ b/server.rb
@@ -239,27 +239,28 @@ post '/part' do
     # add new part
     halt(401, "name required") unless part["name"] and part["name"].length > 0
     statement = @db.prepare("SELECT id FROM part WHERE name = ?")
-    halt(401, "name already existing") unless part = statement.execute(part["name"]).to_a.empty?
+    halt(401, "name already existing") unless statement.execute(part["name"]).to_a.empty?
     insert = @db.prepare("INSERT INTO part (name) VALUES (?)");
     insert.execute(part["name"])
     part["id"] = statement.execute(part["name"]).to_a[0]["id"]
   end
-  # update fields
-  fields_txt = ["name", "description", "details", "package", "pincount", "family", "datasheet", "page"];
-  fields_txt.each do |field|
-    halt(401, "#{field} missing") unless part[field]
-    part[field] = nil if 0 == part[field].length
-    update = @db.prepare("UPDATE part SET #{field} = ? WHERE id = ?")
-    update.execute(part["id"], part[field])
+  # update family
+  family = nil
+  field = "family"
+  part[field] = nil if part[field] and 0 == part[field].length
+  if part[field] then
+    statement = @db.prepare("SELECT id FROM part WHERE name = ?")
+    family = statement.execute(part[field]).to_a
+    halt(401, "family not existing") if family.empty?
+    family = get_part_by_id(family[0]["id"])
   end
-  fields_int = ["pincount"]
-  fields_int.each do |field|
-    halt(401, "#{field} missing") unless part[field]
-    if 0 == part[field].length then
-      part[field] = nil
-    else
-      part[field] = part[field].to_i
-    end
+  # update fields
+  fields_txt = ["name", "description", "details", "package", "pincount", "family", "datasheet", "page", "pincount"];
+  fields_txt.each do |field|
+    next unless part[field]
+    part[field] = nil if part[field].kind_of?(String) and 0 == part[field].length
+    part[field] = part[field].to_i if part[field] and "pincount" == field
+    next if family[field] == part[field]
     update = @db.prepare("UPDATE part SET #{field} = ? WHERE id = ?")
     update.execute(part["id"], part[field])
   end
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ post '/part' do
   field_ref = ["manufacturer", "package"]
   field_ref.each do |field|
     part[field] = nil if part[field] and 0 == part[field].length
+    next if family[field] == part[field]
     if part[field] then
       statement = @db.prepare("SELECT id FROM #{field} WHERE LOWER(name) = ?")
       ref = statement.execute(part[field].downcase).to_a[0]