GRAMPS Manual V2.0

The GRAMPS is a genealogical application. GRAMPS is an acronym for the Genealogical Research and Analysis Management Programming System. To put it shortly, it allows you to store, edit, and research genealogical data using your computer. Its functionality is somewhat common to other genealogical programs. However, GRAMPS offers some unique features.

1.1. Why GRAMPS?

GRAMPS was conceived under the concept that most genealogy programs were designed to provide the researcher the capability to input information related to a particular family tree. Most of these programs have allowed for the arranging and storing of information consistent with the GEDCOM standards. They usually provide means for displaying descendant or ancestral relationships by means of graphical displays, charts, or reports. These may be augmented with pictures or other media to enhance the data. Most provide for inputting data on unconnected individuals/families that may or may not have a relationship to the primary surname being researched. Various other enhancements may also be provided in the genealogical program that allows for different degrees of importing and exporting data from other programs and printing the data contained in the various reports.

GRAMPS, on the other hand, attempts to provide all of the common capabilities of these programs, but, more importantly, to provide an additional capability of integration not common to these programs. This is the ability to input any bits and pieces of information directly into GRAMPS and rearrange/manipulate any/all data events in the entire data base (in any order or sequence) to assist the user in doing research, analysis and correlation with the potential of filling relationship gaps. In short, a tool that provides a way to input all your research into one place and do your analysis and correlation using the speed, power, and accuracy of your computer instead of pencils and unmanageable reams of paper.

2. Getting Started

2.1. To Start GRAMPS

You can start GRAMPS in the following ways:

Applications menu

Choose Other->Gramps.

Command line

To start GRAMPS from a command line, type gramps, then press Return.

If you would like GRAMPS to open a specific database or to import a specific file on startup, you can supply the filename as a command line argument:

gramps filename.ged

where filename.ged is the name of the file you want to open/import.

2.2. Running GRAMPS for the first time

[ FIXME: NEED TO RUN Getting Started DRUID to document this section ] The first time you run the program, GRAMPS will display its Getting Started screens.

Figure 1. GRAMPS Getting Started Window

2.2.1. Choosing a database on startup

If GRAMPS is started without any database to open, the following window will appear prompting you to choose what database to open.

Figure 2. Open Database Window

If you would like to open an existing database, check the top radio button and click OK. You will then be asked to specify the name of your existing database. If you would like to start creating your brand new database from scratch right away, choose new XML database.

2.2.2. Optional ZODB support

If either StandaloneZODB or Zope is installed on your system, GRAMPS will give you the third option of creating a new ZODB database. You can choose to start your new database in either XML or ZODB format. Both formats have their strong and weak points.

XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language, and is a human readable structured description of data. It could be easily parsed by other programs should the need occur. It stores only the data itself. Its weak point is the relatively low speed of processing large data files.

ZODB stands for Zope Object Database and provides the full-fledged database support. ZODB files are not human readable. They contain a certain overhead to assist working with large data structures. However, ZODB provides a significant speed-up when the database size is large (over few thousand people).

Its is hard to tell which format is better, since this is a typical tradeoff situation. If you are starting your research then you are likely to be fine with the regular XML database. If you have tons of data to import describing thousands upon thousands of people, then you are probably better of with ZODB.

3. Main Window

When you open a database (either existing or brand new), the following window is displayed.

Figure 3. GRAMPS Main Window

The GRAMPS window contains the following elements:

Menubar

The menubar provides access to all features of GRAMPS through its menus.

Toolbar

The toolbar provides access to the most frequently used functions of GRAMPS. The appearance of the toolbar can be adjusted in Preferences dialog.

Progress bar

The progress bar is located in the lower left corner of the GRAMPS window. It displays the progress of time consuming operations, such as opening and saving large data bases, importing and exporting to other formats, generating web sites, etc.

Statusbar

The statusbar is located to the right of the progress bar, on the very bottom of the GRAMPS window. It displays information about current GRAMPS activity and contextual information about the menu items. The behavior of the Status line can be adjusted in Preferences dialog.

Display area

The largest area in the center of the GRAMPS window is the display area. It shows certain aspects of genealogical information, depending on the currently selected View. The following six Views are available in GRAMPS:

People View
Family View
Pedigree View
Sources View
Places View
Media View

3.1. Views

Views are the various ways to display different aspects of genealogical information, as described below. Since the relevant information is very broad and non-uniform in both context and modality, it is best to split it's display into smaller categories, uniform in context and modality. Each View represents such a split and displays a certain portion of overall available information. Before the detailed description of available Views, let us guide you through the ways of switching between the Views.

3.1.1. Switching Views and Viewing Modes

Depending on the state of the View->Sidebar menu item, the View could be switched either in the sidebar or in the notebook tabs in the top part of the window.

To switch the View while in a Sidebar mode, click on the desired sidebar icon.: Figure 4. Sidebar Viewing Mode
To switch the View while in a Notebook mode, click on the desired notebook tab.: Figure 5. Tabbed Viewing Mode

To switch between sidebar and notebook viewing modes, choose View->Sidebar from the GRAMPS menu.

3.1.2. People View

When GRAMPS opens a database, the View is set to the People View (Figure 4 and Figure 5). People View lists individuals whose data is stored in the database. People View displays people's Names, GRAMPS ID numbers, Gender, and their Birth and Death dates. The list can be ordered by any field.

Example: to order list by the Birth date, click on the Birth date column heading. To order list in reverse (descending) order, click one more time on the desired column heading.

3.1.2.1. Filters

Genealogical databases may contain huge numbers of people. Since the long lists are hard for humans to handle, GRAMPS provides a convenient way to limit the scope of browsing by using the Filter. To save screen space, Filter controls may be hidden, depending on the state of View->Filter menu item.

Figure 6. Filter Controls Displayed

When GRAMPS opens a database, the Filter is set to the trivial filter called All people, i.e. no filtering is in effect. To choose a filter, use a pop-up Filter menu above the people's list. Once the Filter is chosen, click Apply in the upper right corner of the window. The filtering will take effect upon clicking Apply. To invert the filtering rule, check the Invert box on the left of Apply button.

Example: To show people without children, choose People with children filter, then check Invert box, and then click Apply. To cancel any filtering, set the filter to All people and then click Apply.

Note: even if the Filter controls are not displayed (View->Filter menu item is unchecked), the filtering might still be in place. In other words, the visibility of the Filter controls is not related to the actual filtering imposed on the list. This may be a cause of confusion, when you enable the filtering and then remove the controls from the display. If in doubt, enable the display of Filter controls by checking View->Filter menu item and check what kind of filtering is currently set.

3.1.2.2. Alphabetical Tabs

GRAMPS offers another way of managing long lists of people -- alphabetical tabs. Upon loading a database, GRAMPS checks for the stored Family names and breaks the people list into sublists based on the first letter of their name. The alphabetical tabs are displayed in the bottom part of the GRAMPS window. The last tab, Other, stands for unidentified characters -- all the entries not assigned to any other tab end up in Other. In particular, people with no family name will appear under this category.

3.1.3. Family View

Family View displays the Family information of a currently selected (or Active) person. Specifically, this view shows the relationships (e.g marriages, partnerships, etc.) of the active person, his/her parents (or step parents, or guardians, etc), and his/her children (could be step children, adopted children, etc.).

Figure 7. Family View

The Active person's data is in the list-box in the upper left corner of the window. Directly below it, another box lists the Spouse's data, for each relationship of Active person (can be more than one). The double-arrow button to the right of the Active person list-box allows to exchange the currently selected spouse (Current spouse) with the Active person. Double-clicking on the Active person allows to edit Active person's data. Double-clicking on the Current spouse allows to edit their relationship information. To add a spouse, click + to the right of the spouse box. To remove Current spouse, click - to the right of the spouse box.

The parents of both the Active person and the Current spouse are listed in the corresponding list-boxes in the right-hand part of the window (Active person's parents on top, Current spouse parents on the bottom). Both list-boxes have a set of three buttons on their right side. The + and - buttons allow to add and remove parents of the Active person and the Current spouse, respectively. Clicking -> makes the family in the corresponding list-box and active family. That is, it makes the selected Father the Active person, and the selected Mother the Current spouse.

The bottom list-box displays children of the Active person and the Current Spouse. Children's list can be order by the Birth date, by usual way of clicking on the Birth date column header. In addition to the Name, ID, Gender, and Birth date columns, the list includes Status column. The pair of status words reflect the relationship between the child and his Father/Mother (such as Birth, Adoption, etc.) The three buttons are available on the right side of the children list-box. The + and + buttons allow to add and remove children, respectively. Clicking <- makes the selected child the Active person.

3.1.4. Pedigree View

Figure 8. Pedigree View

Pedigree View helps to visualize the place of the Active person in the tree of its ancestors. Pedigree View shows four generations, going back in time from the Active person 1 to his/her parents 1, to grandparents 1, to great-grandparents 1. Each person is denoted by a white box bearing the person's name. The two lines that converge on the box represent ties with the person's Father (top line) and mother (bottom line). Solid lines represent birth relations, while dashed lines represent non-birth relations (such as adoption, step-parenthood, guardianship, etc.). When the mouse moves over the white box, it expands to display the corresponding person's dates of birth and death. When the mouse is placed over the family line, the line changes color to indicate an active link: double-clicking on the line makes the corresponding ancestor the Active person. The display in that case is re-adjusted to show four generations, starting from a newly selected Active person.

The left-hand side of the window shows the left arrow button. Upon clicking, the button expands to the menu listing the children of the Active person. Selecting the menu item makes the corresponding child the Active person.

The right-hand side of the window shows two right arrow buttons. When the top button is clicked, the Father of the Active person becomes Active person. Clicking the bottom button makes the Mother of the Active person the Active person. Again, the display is re-adjusted to show four generations, starting from a newly selected Active person.

3.1.5. Sources View

Figure 9. Sources View

Sources View lists the sources of information stored in the database. This can include various documents (birth, death, and marriage certificates, etc.), books, films, journals, private diaries, i.e. virtually anything that can be classified as a source of information. The sources can be used as the reference for any event stored in the database. The Source View lists the Title, ID, and the Author of the source. All the columns can be used for sorting the list. The usual rules apply: one click for ascending order, another click for descending order.

3.1.6. Places View

Figure 10. Places View

Places View lists the geographical places in which the events of the database took place. These could be places of birth, death, marriages of people, as well as their home, employment, education addresses, or any other conceivable reference to the geographical location. The Places View lists places' Name, ID, Church Parish, City, County, State, and Country. All of these can be used for sorting by the usual sorting rules.

3.1.7. Media View

Figure 11. Media View

Media View is a list of Media Objects used in the database. Media Objects are any files that relate somehow to the stored genealogical data. Technically, any file can be stored as a Media Object. Most frequently, these are images, audio files, animation files, etc. The list-box on the bottom lists the Name, ID, Type, and Path to the Media Object. The top part of the GRAMPS window shows the preview (if available) and the information about the Media Object.

4. Usage

As commonly encountered in everyday life, in GRAMPS there is usually more than one way to accomplish something. The alternatives to some actions will therefore be listed as appropriate.

4.1. Opening Database

To open a database, either choose File->Open or click Open button on the Toolbar. The Open Database dialog will appear. Either type the full path into the Database text entry field, or click Browse... to get the Open File dialog in which you can select the file that you want to open. After you have selected the file, click OK to open it.

If you have previously opened files with GRAMPS you can retrieve your past selections from the drop-down menu by clicking the down arrow button. Finally, if the Revision Control System (RCS) is enabled in the Preferences dialog, the check-box Revert to an older version from RCS will be available. Check it to revert your database to an older RCS version.

Note: the name you type or select should be the directory (folder) which has your data (data.gramps or data.zodb files) as well as any possible copies of Media Objects.

4.2. Starting New Database

To start a new database, choose File->New. You will then be prompted with the Save Database dialog asking to specify the name under which the new database will be stored. Choose an empty directory for your new database (create one if necessary).

4.3. Saving Database

To save changes made to your database, choose File->Save or click Save on the Toolbar. The Status line will then display Saving filename... message, and the progress bar will advance as the saving progresses.

4.4. Importing GEDCOM Data

Importing GEDCOM data allows you to incorporate the data created in other genealogical programs into your currently open GRAMPS database. GRAMPS can import GEDCOM data files from a number of software packages, as long as they comply with GEDCOM standards. To import GEDCOM file, choose File->Import->Import from GEDCOM. You will then be prompted with the Open File dialog asking to specify the GEDCOM file name.

Upon starting the import, GRAMPS will display the following GEDCOM import dialog with the summary of the information about the data. The information is updated as the import progresses.

Figure 12. GEDCOM Import

4.5. Exporting GEDCOM Data

Exporting GEDCOM data allows you to share any portion of your GRAMPS database with other researchers by way of standard GEDCOM files. To export into GEDCOM file, choose File->Export->Export to GEDCOM. The following Export GEDCOM file dialog will appear.

Figure 13. Export GEDCOM File dialog

Type the desired GEDCOM filename into the text entry box or click Browse... to evoke Save File dialog. Use Filter pop-up menu to limit the scope of export according to the stated rule. Choose the desired Encoding of the exported file. Use Target to select the desired GEDCOM dialect. Select you copyright statement from the Copyright menu. Check Do not include records marked private to disable the output of private records. Check Restrict data on living people to limit living people's data to family ties. With this option, information concerning birth, death, addresses, various events, etc. will be omitted in the exported GEDCOM file.

Upon starting the export, GRAMPS will display the following GEDCOM export progress window with the progress bars reflecting the current state of exporting.

Figure 14. Export GEDCOM progress dialog

4.6. Importing and Exporting GRAMPS Packages

GRAMPS provides a way to make your GRAMPS database completely portable. This might prove useful, for instance, when you need to move your database to another machine or to share it with somebody, while retaining all the features provided by GRAMPS. To accomplish this, choose File->Export->Export to GRAMPS Package. The GRAMPS Package Export window will appear. Type the desired package name into the text entry area or click Browse... to select the file using the Save File dialog. The resulting package is gzip-compressed tar archive (also known as tarball) which contains gramps database, all local media objects, and copies of all external media objects.

To import data from such a package into your GRAMPS database, choose File->Import->Import from GRAMPS, then select a package to be imported from the Import from GRAMPS dialog.

4.7. Editing Data: Quick Start

Editing any portion of data allows you to amend and/or modify information stored in the database. The available editing options include editing personal data, relationship data, data about children and parents, information about sources, places, and media objects used in the database. In short, any data stored in the database can be edited! Adding new pieces of information is in fact creating an appropriate empty data structure and subsequent editing of that empty structure.

4.7.1. To Add a Person

To add a person to the database, switch to the People View (Figure 4) and then click Add on the toolbar. Enter any data you know about this person into the Edit Person Dialog (see Figure 15 for details). To edit information about a person already present in the database, select an entry you would like to view/modify, and then click Edit on the toolbar.

4.7.2. To Specify a Relationship

To specify a relationship, first switch to the Family View (Figure 7). Then click + button on the right of the spouse box. Select a spouse/partner from the list and specify their relationship using the menu at the bottom. If necessary, you can add a person to the list by clicking Add... button. To edit information about relationship already present in the database, move the mouse over Spouse box and double-click.

4.7.3. To Specify Parents

To specify parents of an active person, first switch to the Family View (Figure 7). Then click + button on the right of the active person's parents list-box. Select the parents from two lists and specify the parents' relationships to the active person using menus at the bottom. You can also specify parents' relationship to each other. If necessary, you can add a person to the list by clicking Add... button.

The top and bottom lists contain males and females, respectively. By default, GRAMPS will limit both lists to people who could possibly be the parents (judged by the date of birth) of the active person. To override this, check the Show all box for each list.

To specify parents of the active person's spouse, switch to the Family View and then click + button on the right of the spouse's parents list-box. To edit information about parents already present in the database, move the mouse over the corresponding parents' box and double-click.

4.7.4. To Specify Children

To specify children of an active person, switch to the Family View (Figure 7) and then click + button on the right of the children list-box. Select a child from the list and specify child's relationship with father and mother using menus at the bottom. If necessary, you can add a person to the list by clicking Add... button.

By default, GRAMPS will limit the list lists to people who could possibly be the child (judged by the date of birth) of the active person. To override this, check the Show all box.

4.7.5. To Add Images

You can add images (as well as other media objects) to individual people, events, sources, places, as well as images generally related to the database (e.g. group family photos).

To add images related to a single person, switch to the People View (Figure 4), select a person, and then click Edit on the toolbar to invoke the Edit Person Dialog (Figure 15). Then, select the Gallery tab, and click Add... to invoke Select a media object dialog. Type filename or select a file with the image, then provide a title for that image. To prevent the file from being copied into your database directory, check the Do not make a local copy box. Keep adding images until you are done.

To add images related to a relationship (e.g. marriage), switch to the Family View (Figure 7) and then double click on the Spouse box invoke Marriage/Relationship editor dialog. Select the Gallery tab and click Add... to add an image.

To add images related to a source or a place, first switch to the Sources View (Figure 9) or Places View (Figure 10), respectively. Then select the appropriate source or place and then either double click on it or click Edit on the toolbar to invoke Source Editor (or Place Editor) dialog. Select the Gallery tab and click Add... to add an image.

Finally, to add images that are generally related to the database but not limited to any person, relationship, source, or place in particular, switch to the Media View (Figure 11). Then click Add on the toolbar to add an image. If you have already added any images to any individual galleries, you will also find the listed in the Media View.

In any gallery, you can also use Edit... and Remove buttons to edit image information and to remove the image reference from that gallery. Note that in all galleries removing the reference to the image does not remove the image from the database. To completely remove the image from the database, delete it from Media View by first selecting it and then clicking Remove on the toolbar.

4.7.6. To Edit Sources and Places

To add a source or a place to the database, switch to the appropriate Sources View (Figure 9) or Places View (Figure 10). Then click Add on the toolbar to add a source/place. Enter the information into the Source Editor (or Place Editor) dialog.

To edit information about sources and places already present in the database, switch to the appropriate view, select an entry you would like to view/modify, and then click Edit on the toolbar.

4.8. Editing Data: Complete Description

This section provides a complete description of all editing options for all pieces of data in the GRAMPS database.

4.8.1. Edit Personal Information

Editing of personal data can be performed in the following ways.

From People View:: Double-click the name of the person whose data you would like to edit, or select the name by single click and then click Edit on the toolbar.
From Family View:: Move the mouse into the Active person box, then double-click.

With either method, the following Edit Person dialog will appear:

Figure 15. Edit Person dialog

The top of the window shows the name of the person whose data is being edited. The main part of the window displays nine notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of personal data:

General

General tab allows editing of the most general information about the person. This includes text entry fields of Given name, Family name, Family prefix (such as de or van), Suffix (e.g. Jr. or III), Title (e.g. Dr. or Rev.), Nickname (Bob for Robert), Type of the name (birth name, married name, etc.) and Date and Place of birth and death. Some of these (Family name, Type, and both Place fields), in addition to typing the data in, allow to choose the corresponding contents from the drop-down menus by clicking on a down-arrow button located immediately to the right of the text entry field. The available menu choices are formed from the information already stored in the database. Also, when you start to type within these fields, GRAMPS will try to guess the remainder of the text by using the same choices that are available from the corresponding menu. To accept the highlighted guess and move to the next field, press Tab.

The Gender radio buttons offers the choice of person's gender between male, female, and unknown. The buttons Source... and Note... allow to add or modify the data about the sources of the name information and any notes relevant to it. Similarly, clicking Edit.. buttons located by the birth and death Date fields allows to edit the corresponding events of birth and death. The field ID displays internal GRAMPS ID number which identifies user in the database. Finally, the Image area shows the first image available in the Gallery of this person.

Names: Figure 16. Edit Person dialog - Names
Names tab displays information concerning alternate names of the person and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all alternate names of the person stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected name in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an alternate name record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an alternate name is selected from the list.

Events: Figure 17. Edit Person dialog - Events
Events tab displays information about the events relevant to the person and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such events stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected event in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an event record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an event is selected from the list.

Attributes: Figure 18. Edit Person dialog - Attributes
Attributes tab displays information about the attributes of the person and the controls allowing its modification. These could be any personal attributes of a person whose description naturally fits into Parameter-Value pairs (e.g. enormous generosity can be stored as the parameter "Generosity" with the value "Enormous", etc.). The bottom part displays the list of all attributes stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected attribute in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an attribute record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an attribute is selected from the list.

Addresses: Figure 19. Edit Person dialog - Addresses
Addresses tab displays information about the addresses of the person and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all addresses stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected address in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an address record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an address is selected from the list.

Notes: Figure 20. Edit Person dialog - Notes
Notes tab displays information about the notes concerning the person. These could be any notes which do not naturally fit into the Parameter-Value pairs available to Attributes. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

Gallery: Figure 21. Edit Person dialog - Gallery
Gallery tab displays information about media objects associated with the person and the controls allowing its modification. The central part shows the list of all such media objects. For media object which are valid image files previews of images are displayed. For other objects such as audio files, movie files, etc. generic GRAMPS icon is displayed instead. Note that the first available image in the gallery will be also displayed in the Image area in the General tab. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Remove allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a media object reference to this person. Note that Edit... and Remove buttons become available only when a media object is selected from the list.

Internet: Figure 22. Edit Person dialog - Internet
Internet tab displays information about Internet addresses relevant to the person and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such Internet addresses stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected addresses in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an Internet address record from the database. The button Go allows to open a web-page with the corresponding address with your default browser. Note that Edit..., Delete, and Go buttons become available only when an address is selected from the list.

LDS: Figure 23. Edit Person dialog - LDS
LDS tab displays information about LDS ordinances of the person and the controls allowing its modification. These are LDS baptism, Endowment, and Sealed to parents ordinances, as labeled inside the tab. Each ordinance is described by its date, LDS temple, and Place where it happened. An additional pop-up menu Parents is available for the Sealed to parents ordinance. Each ordinance can further be described by its status through the selections available in the Status pop-up menu and can also be referenced by sources and notes via corresponding Sources... and Note buttons.

4.8.2. Edit Relationship Data

Editing of relationship data is performed in the following Marriage/Relationship Editor dialog which appears after double-clicking on the spouse box in the Family View.

Figure 24. Marriage/Relationship Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the names of the people whose relationship is being edited. The main part of the window displays six notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of relationship data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the relationship: the relationship type. The available types (such as married, partners, etc.) can be chosen from the drop-down Relationship type menu. The non-editable field ID displays internal GRAMPS ID number which identifies this relationship in the database.

Events: Events tab displays information about the events relevant to the relationship and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such events stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected event in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an event record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an event is selected from the list.

Attributes: Attributes tab displays information about the attributes of the relationship and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such attributes stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected attribute in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an attribute record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an attribute is selected from the list.

Notes: Notes tab displays information about the notes concerning the relationship. These could be any notes which do not naturally fit into the Parameter-Value pairs available to Attributes. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

Gallery: Gallery tab displays information about media objects associated with the person and the controls allowing its modification. The central part shows the list of all such media objects. For media object which are valid image files previews of images are displayed. For other objects such as audio files, movie files, etc. generic GRAMPS icon is displayed instead. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Remove allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a media object reference to this relationship. Note that Edit... and Remove buttons become available only when a media object is selected from the list.

LDS: LDS tab displays information about LDS Sealed to spouse ordinance of the person and the controls allowing its modification. The data can include date, LDS temple, and Place where it happened. The ordinance can further be described by its status through the selections available in the Status pop-up menu and can also be referenced by sources and notes via corresponding Sources... and Note buttons.

4.8.3. Edit Source Data

To edit source data, switch to the Sources View and select the desired entry in the list of sources. Double-click on that entry or click Edit on the toolbar to invoke the following Source Editor dialog:

Figure 25. Source Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the Source Editor title of the dialog. The main part of the window displays four notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of source data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the source: its title, author, and publication information. This information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the source. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

Gallery: Gallery tab displays information about media objects associated with the given source and the controls allowing its modification. The central part shows the list of all such media objects. For media object which are valid image files previews of images are displayed. For other objects such as audio files, movie files, etc., generic GRAMPS icon is displayed instead. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Remove allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a media object reference to this source. Note that Edit... and Remove buttons become available only when a media object is selected from the list.

References: References tab displays information about database records that refer to this source. If the source is not referenced from any database record, the tab shows empty list. If the source is referenced from many records, the tab will list all of them. The list can be ordered by any of its column headers: Source type, Object, or Value. This information cannot be modified from the Source Editor dialog. Instead, the corresponding database record (e.g. birth event) has to be brought up and its source reference edited.

4.8.4. Edit Place Data

To edit place data, switch to the Places View and select the desired entry in the list of places. Double-click on that entry or click Edit on the toolbar to invoke the following Place Editor dialog:

Figure 26. Place Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the Place Editor title of the dialog. The main part of the window displays seven notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of place data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the place: title which labels it in the database, city, church parish, county, state, country, longitude, and latitude. This information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields.

Other names: Other names tab displays information concerning other names by which the place might be known and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all other names of the place stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected name in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a name record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a name is selected from the list.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the place. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

Sources: Sources tab displays information about sources relevant to this place and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such sources references stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a source reference to this place. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a source reference is selected from the list.

Gallery: Gallery tab displays information about media objects associated with the given place and the controls allowing its modification. The central part shows the list of all such media objects. For media object which are valid image files previews of images are displayed. For other objects such as audio files, movie files, etc., generic GRAMPS icon is displayed instead. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Remove allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a media object reference to this source. Note that Edit... and Remove buttons become available only when a media object is selected from the list.

Internet: Internet tab displays information about Internet addresses relevant to the place and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such Internet addresses stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected addresses in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an Internet address record from the database. The button Go allows to open a web-page with the corresponding address with your default browser. Note that Edit..., Delete, and Go buttons become available only when an address is selected from the list.

References: References tab displays information about database records that refer to this place. If the place is not referenced from any database record, the tab shows empty list. If the place is referenced from many records, the tab will list all of them. This information cannot be modified from the Place Editor dialog. Instead, the corresponding database record (e.g. birth event) has to be brought up and its place reference edited.

4.8.5. Edit Media Data

To edit media data, switch to the Media View and select the desired entry in the list of sources. Double-click on that entry or click Edit on the toolbar to invoke the following Edit Media Properties dialog:

Figure 27. Edit Media Properties dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title. Below the title is the preview of an object and the summary of its properties (ID, path, and object type). The central part of the window displays four notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of media object data:

General: General tab allows to edit the title which labels this object in the database. The title can be typed in the appropriate text entry field. If the object is not local (i.e. the corresponding file does not reside under GRAMPS database directory), the Make a local copy button is available. Click it to copy the media into GRAMPS database directory. This will increase the amount of disk space consumed by GRAMPS database. However, if the external file is deleted or removed, GRAMPS will still be able to use the local copy.

Attributes: Attributes tab displays information about the attributes of the media object and the controls allowing its modification. The bottom part displays the list of all such attributes stored in the database. The top part shows the details of the currently selected attribute in the list (if any). The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove an attribute record from the database. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when an attribute is selected from the list.

Notes: Notes tab displays information about the notes concerning the media object. These could be any notes which do not naturally fit into the Parameter-Value pairs available to Attributes. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

References: References tab displays information about database records that refer to this media object. If the object is not referenced from any database record, the tab shows empty list. If the object is referenced from many records, the tab will list all of them. The list can be ordered by any of its column headers: Type, Object, or Value. This information cannot be modified from the Media Object Properties Editor dialog. Instead, the corresponding database record (e.g. birth event) has to be brought up and its media object reference edited in the gallery tab.

4.8.6. Edit Events

Events are edited through the following Event Editor dialog:

Figure 28. Event Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title including the name of the person whose event is being edited. The central part of the window displays four notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of the event data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the event: its type, date, place, cause, and description. The type can be selected from available types listed in the Event type drop-down menu. The rest of the information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields. Check the Private record box to mark this event record as private. This will give you a chance to omit this event from being included in the reports, if you choose so among the report generation options.

Sources: Sources tab displays information about sources relevant to this event and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such sources references stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a source reference to this event. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a source reference is selected from the list.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the event. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

Witnesses: Witnesses tab displays information about witnesses relevant to this event and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such witnesses stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a witness reference to this event. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a witness reference is selected from the list.

4.8.7. Edit Source Information

When adding source references to events, places, etc., the following dialog appears:

Figure 29. Source Information dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title. The central part displays the source information. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The source can be selected from available sources listed in the Title drop-down menu. If the source you are referencing is not present in the database yet, you can enter it into the database. To do this, click New... button and enter source information into the invoked Source Editor dialog. You can also set the details specific for this particular reference: confidence, volume/file/page. date, text, and comments. Choose the confidence level from the Confidence drop-down menu. The rest of the details can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields.

4.8.8. Edit Alternate Names

Alternate names are edited through the following Alternate Names Editor dialog:

Figure 30. Alternate Names Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title including the name of the person whose alternate name is being edited. The central part of the window displays three notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of the alternate name data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the alternate name: given name, family name, family prefix, suffix, title, and type of the name. The information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields. The family name and the type can be also selected from available choices listed in the appropriate drop-down menus. Check the Private record box to mark this name record as private. This will give you a chance to omit this name from being included in the reports, if you choose so among the report generation options.

Sources: Sources tab displays information about sources relevant to this name and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such sources references stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a source reference to this name. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a source reference is selected from the list.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the name. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

4.8.9. Edit Attributes

Attributes are edited through the following Attribute Editor dialog:

Figure 31. Attribute Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title including the name of the person whose attribute is being edited. The central part of the window displays three notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of the attribute data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the attribute: name of the attribute and its value. The information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields. The attribute name can also be selected from available choices (if any) listed in the Attribute drop-down menu. Check the Private record box to mark this attribute record as private. This will give you a chance to omit this attribute from being included in the reports, if you choose so among the report generation options.

Sources: Sources tab displays information about sources relevant to this attribute and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such sources references stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a source reference to this attribute . Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a source reference is selected from the list.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the attribute . To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

4.8.10. Edit Addresses

Addresses are edited through the following Address Editor dialog:

Figure 32. Address Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title including the name of the person whose address is being edited. The central part of the window displays three notebook tabs containing different categories of available information. You can bring any tab to the top for viewing or editing by clicking on the appropriate tab heading. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made in all tabs and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data in any tab was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The tabs provide the following information categories of the address data:

General: General tab allows editing of the most general information about the address: date, street address, city or county, state or province, country, and the postal code. The information can be typed in the appropriate text entry fields. Check the Private record box to mark this address record as private. This will give you a chance to omit this address from being included in the reports, if you choose so among the report generation options.

Sources: Sources tab displays information about sources relevant to this address and the controls allowing its modification. The central part displays the list of all such sources references stored in the database. The buttons Add..., Edit..., and Delete allow to correspondingly add, modify, and remove a source reference to this address. Note that Edit... and Delete buttons become available only when a source reference is selected from the list.

Note: Note tab displays any notes concerning the address. To add a note or modify existing notes simply edit the text in the text entry field.

4.8.11. Edit Witnesses

Witnesses are edited through the following Witness Editor dialog:

Figure 33. Witness Editor dialog

The top of the window shows the dialog title. The central part of the window displays information about the witness. The bottom part has OK and Cancel buttons. Clicking OK at any time will apply all the changes made and close the dialog window. Clicking Cancel at any time will close the window without applying any changes. If any of the data was modified, the alert window will appear with the choices of closing the dialog without saving changes, canceling the initial cancel request, or saving the changes.

The witness name can be entered in two ways, depending on whether the witness is a person already stored in the database or not (unrelated person).

Person from the database: If the person's data are stored in a database, click Person is in the database box. Then ... [ FIXME: Need Don to decide which way this will eventually be implemented. ]

Unrelated person: If the person is not in the database, make sure that Person is in the database box is unchecked. Then enter the name or any description of a person into the Person text entry field. This information is stored as entered, and this is the only place it is stored in. In other words, there is no reference to that person in the entire database except for this witness reference. If the person is in fact a member of the database, it is advised to user the former method.

The Comment text area allows to enter any comments concerning the witness. To add a comment or to modify existing comments simply edit the text in the text area.

4.9. Navigation

As long as any database is open, GRAMPS is focused on a single person usually referred to as an Active person. This allows you to view or modify the data concerning this person, his or her immediate family, etc. Navigating in the database (i.e. moving from person to person) is in fact nothing else but changing the Active person. This section describes many alternative ways to navigate through the database using complex and convenient interface GRAMPS provides. All these ways eventually accomplish the same thing, but some are more convenient than others, depending what you are doing in GRAMPS at the moment.

4.9.1. Using People View

The most intuitive way to select an active person is to use the People View. When in the People View, just select the name of the desired person from the list by clicking that list entry. The person you have selected becomes active. The statusbar updates to reflect the change of the active person.

4.9.2. Using Family View

When in the Family View, you can easily navigate between the members of the displayed family as follows:

To make currently selected spouse the active person, click double-arrow button to the right of the active person box.
To make currently selected parents the active family (thereby making father the active person and mother the selected spouse), click right-arrow button to the right of the active person's parents box.
To make currently selected spouse's parents the active family (thereby making father the active person and mother the selected spouse), click right-arrow button to the right of the spouse's parents box.
To make currently selected child the active person, click left-arrow button to the right of the children box.

4.9.3. Using Pedigree View

Pedigree View also allows you to move along the family tree. The benefits of this method is that you can see more than one generation of the family tree. Also, you can jump directly from a great-grandson to a great-grandfather without going through the intermediate generations.

Note that after changing the active person in the Pedigree View, the display is re-adjusted to show four generations, starting from a newly selected Active person. When in the Pedigree View, you can easily navigate between the members of the displayed family tree as follows:

To make any displayed person the active person, double click the line that connects to the left side of the corresponding box.
To make a child of currently active person (if any) the active person, click the left arrow button to the left of the corresponding box. If there is more than one child, the button expands to the menu listing the children to choose from.
To move the whole family tree one generation back, click on the corresponding right arrow button on the right-hand side of the display area. Clicking the upper button will move the tree along the paternal line. Clicking the lower button will move the tree along the maternal line.
Clicking either of these buttons is completely equivalent to double-clicking the lines connecting to the left of the corresponding boxes for father and mother.

4.9.4. Setting Default Person

One and only one person in the database can be selected as the default person. Once the default person is selected, moving to that person becomes a matter of a single click, regardless of which view you are using at the moment.

To set the default person, first navigate to that person using any method you like. Then choose Settings->Default Person. Once this is done, you can move to the default person from anywhere in the database by simply clicking Home on the toolbar.

4.9.5. Bookmarking People

Similarly to the default person, you can bookmark other people from the database to simplify further navigation. To bookmark a person, first navigate to that person, then choose Bookmarks->Add bookmark. To move to that person from anywhere in the database, choose Bookmarks->Go to bookmark->Person's name.

You can manage your bookmarks by choosing Bookmarks->Edit bookmarks. This opens the followingEdit Bookmarks dialog with the list of bookmarks and the controls to modify this list.

Figure 34. Edit Bookmarks dialog

4.10. Generating Reports

Reports are the most common form of the output produced by genealogical research. Majority of genealogical software puts a lot of emphasis on developing nicely looking reports. GRAMPS is no exception in this regard: it offers a variety of reports to choose from. GRAMPS can generate reports in a multitude of open formats, both text based and graphical. GRAMPS can also produce screen based reports that are convenient for viewing the summary of your database. Finally, GRAMPS can generate a web-site suitable for immediate posting on the Internet. All these are almost infinitely flexible: you get to design and choose the style for your reports.

All reports can be accessed through the menu by choosing Reports->Report Type->Particular Report. Alternatively, you can browse the complete selection of available reports along with their brief descriptions in a Report Selection dialog evoked by clicking Reports on the toolbar.

4.10.1. Graphical Reports

Graphical reports represent information in forms of charts and graphs. Most of the options are common among graphical reports, therefore they will be described only once, at the end of this section. Few options specific to the given report will be described directly in that report's entry.

The following graphical reports are currently available in GRAMPS:

Timeline Graph: This report outputs the list of people with their lifetimes represented by intervals on a common chronological scale. Specific options include filter, sorting method, and the title of the report.
Relationship Graph: This report creates complex relationship graph in GraphViz format. The GraphViz dot tool can transform the graph into postscript, jpeg, png, vrml, svg, and many other formats. GraphViz tools are freely available from GraphViz site. Specific options include filter for this report include filter and number of generations considered, as well as several GraphViz specific options related to pagination, color, and details of the graph.
Descendant Graph: This report generates the graph of people who are descendants of a currently active person. Specific options include the format of the displayed entries.
Ancestor Chart: This report generates the chart of people who are ancestors of a currently active person. Specific options include the number of generations considered and the format of the displayed entries.

Common options for graphical reports are the filename of the output, the format of the output, selected style, and page size and orientation.

4.10.2. Text Reports

Text reports represent the desired information as formatted text. Most of the options are common among text reports, therefore they will be described only once, at the end of this section. Few options specific to the given report will be described directly in that report's entry.

The following text reports are currently available in GRAMPS:

Individual Summary: This report produces a detailed summary on the active person. The report includes all the facts known to the database about that person.
Family Group Report: This creates a family group report, showing information on a set of parents and their children. Specific options: the spouse (available only if the active person has more than one spouse).
Detailed Descendant Report: This report covers in detail the descendants of the active person. It includes vital (birth and death) as well as marriages. Specific options: number of forward generations to consider.
Detailed Ancestral Report: This report covers in detail the ancestors of the active person. It includes vital data (birth and death) as well as marriages. Specific options: number of backward generations to consider, as well as a variety of options on what exactly contents to include.
Descendant Report: This report produces brief description of descendants of the active person. Specific options: number of forward generations to consider.
Complete Individual Report: This report provides individual summaries similar to that of the Individual Summary report. The advantage of this report is the specific filter option. Depending on the filter choice (active person only, his or her descendants, his or her ancestors, or entire database), the report may contain from one to many individual summaries. Another option for this report is the inclusion of source information when listing events.
Ahnentafel Report: This report lists the active person and his or her ancestors along with their vital data. The people are numbered in a special way which is an established standard called Ahnentafel. The active person is given number 1. His or her father and mother have numbers 2 and 3, respectively. This rule holds for every person while going back in generations: father's parents are numbered 4 and 5, and mother's parents are numbered 6 and 7, fathers always numbered with even and mothers with odd numbers. Therefore, for any person having number N in this tree, the numbers of father and mother are 2N and 2N+1, respectively.

Common options for text reports are the filename of the output, the format of the output, selected style, and page size and orientation. For HTML reports, there is no page information. Instead, HTML options include the choice of the HTML template, either available in GRAMPS or a custom template defined by you.

4.10.3. View

View reports represent overall summaries of the database information available immediately for on-screen viewing. The following view reports are currently available in GRAMPS:

Number of ancestors: This report displays the number of ancestors of the active person.
Summary of the database: This report displays the overall statistics concerning number of individuals of each gender, various incomplete entries statistics, as well as family and media statistics.

4.10.4. Web Page

This report generates web pages, either for a selected individual (active person) or a set of individuals. The options for this report are broken down into contents, privacy, and advanced options. The contents options include the filter (determine the scope of the database to consider), number of generations to consider, destination directory for the images, and a link to the index page. Privacy options allow you to omit private records, restrict information on living people, to skip images (either all or those of living people), and to omit comments and text in source information. Finally, the advanced options allow to include optional GRAMPS ID, create a GENDEX index, and specify the extension of the resulting files.

4.11. Running Tools

GRAMPS tools allow you to perform various types of analyses of your genealogical data. Typically, the tools do not produce output in form of printouts or files. Instead, they produce screen output immediately available for the researcher. However, when appropriate, you can save the result of running a tool into a file. Tools present one of the major strengths of GRAMPS compared to the most genealogical software.

The tools can be accessed through the menu by choosing Tools->Tool Section->Particular Tool. Alternatively, you can browse the complete selection of available tools along with their brief descriptions in a Tool Selection dialog evoked by clicking Tools on the toolbar.

4.11.1. Analysis and Exploration

This section contains tools which analyze and explore the database, but do not alter it. The following analysis and exploration tools are currently available in GRAMPS:

Compare individual events: This tool compares events across the selected group of people. The people for this comparison are chosen with the use of custom filters. The custom filters can be created in the Custom Filter Editor. The resulting table produced by this tool can be saved as a spreadsheet.
Interactive descendant browser: This tool builds a tree with the active person being the root. Children branch from their parents in a usual manner. Use this tool for a quick glance on a person's descendants.

4.11.2. Database Processing

This section contains tools which may modify your database. The modifications will only be performed upon your explicit consent. The tools from this section are used most for finding and correcting errors in the data. The following database processing tools are currently available in GRAMPS:

Check and repair database: This tool checks the database for integrity problems, fixing the problems it can.
Extract information from names: This tool searches the entire database and attempts to extract titles and nicknames that may be embedded in a person's given name field.
Find possible duplicate people: This tool searches the entire database, looking for the entries that may represent the same person.
Rename personal event types: This tool allows all the events of a certain name to be renamed to a new name.
Reorder GRAMPS IDs: This tool reorders the GRAMPS IDs according to the defaults of GRAMPS.

4.11.3. Utilities

This section contains tools allowing to perform a simple operation on a portion of data. The results can be saved in your database, but they will not modify your existing data. The following utilities are currently available in GRAMPS:

Custom Filter Editor: The Custom Filter Editor builds custom filters that can be used to select people included in reports, exports, and other tools and utilities.
Generate SoundEx codes: This utility generates SoundEx codes for the names of people in the database.
Relationship calculator: This utility calculates the relationship between two people from the database.
Verify the database: This utility allows you to verify the database based on the set of criteria specified by you.

5. Settings

To configure GRAMPS, choose Settings->Preferences. The Preferences dialog contains the following categories:

Section 5.1
Section 5.2
Section 5.3

5.1. Usage

This category contains preferences relevant to the general usage of GRAMPS. It has the following subcategories:

5.1.1. Find

Enable autocompletion: If this box is checked, GRAMPS will attempt to complete the text as you type it into text entry fields such as family name, place of birth, etc. Completion is attempted based on the match between the beginning of the text being typed and the corresponding data already stored in the database.

5.1.2. Report Preferences

Preferred text format: Select the preferred format for text reports from the available formats listed in this menu.
Preferred graphical format: Select the preferred format for graphical reports from the available formats listed in this menu.
Preferred paper size: Select the preferred paper size used for reports from the available sizes listed in this menu.
Default report directory: Choose the default directory for the reports using Browse... button or type it in the text entry field.
Default web site directory: Choose the default directory for the web site using Browse... button or type it in the text entry field.

5.1.3. Researcher Information

Researcher information: Enter your personal information in the corresponding text entry fields. Although GRAMPS requests information about you, this information is used only so that it can create valid GEDCOM output files. A valid GEDCOM file requires information about the files creator. If you choose, you may leave the information empty, however all the GEDCOM files you export will not be valid.

5.1.4. Data Guessing

Surname guessing: Select the surname guessing method which is used [ FIXME: where exactly is this used ? ]

5.2. Display

This category contains preferences relevant to displaying database records and controls in GRAMPS. It has the following subcategories:

5.2.1. General

Always display the LDS ordinance tabs: Check this box to have LDS ordinance tabs displayed. If you do not know what LDS is then you probably should not check it.
Show index numbers in child list: [ FIXME: where exactly is this used ? ]

5.2.2. Dates and Calendar

Display: Date format: Select the display format for the dates from the available formats listed in this menu.
Name format: Select the display format for the names from the available formats listed in this menu.
Entry: Date format: Select the entry format for the dates from the available formats listed in this menu.
Show calendar format selection menu: Check this box to enable calendar format selection menu [ FIXME: where exactly? ]

5.2.3. Tool and Status Bars

Toolbar: Select the desired appearance of the toolbar icons using the radio buttons.
Status bar: Select the desired contents displayed in the statusbar using the radio buttons.

5.3. Database

This category contains preferences relevant to the database itself. It has the following subcategories:

5.3.1. General

Automatically load last database: Check this box to automatically load the last open database on startup.
Do not compress XML data file: Check this box to disable compression of the XML data file. Compression significantly reduces the file size.
Capitalize surnames: Check this box to capitalize surnames entered into the database.
Autosave interval: Set the interval (in minutes) after which GRAMPS will automatically save your database. Zero interval completely disables autosave.
Default database directory: Choose the default directory in which GRAMPS starts looking when saving the database using Browse.. or type its path into the text entry field.

5.3.2. Media Objects

Drag and drop from an external source

Choose between a reference and a local copy made when the object is dropped into the gallery. The reference saves disk space as it does not copy the object. The local copy makes your database portable as it does not depend on an external file. Consult your need to make best choice.

Check Display global properties editor when object is dropped box to invoke global properties editor after you drop an external object into the gallery.

Drag and drop from an internal source

Check Display local properties editor when object is dropped box to invoke local properties editor after you drop an internal object into the gallery.

5.3.3. GRAMPS internal IDs

GRAMPS ID prefixes: Enter ID prefixes for various kinds of database entries into the corresponding text entry fields.
Allow internal GRAMPS ID numbers to be edited: Check this box to enable editing of the internal GRAMPS ID numbers. Unless you know what you are doing, leave it unchecked.

5.3.4. Revision Control

Use revision control: Check this box to enable GRAMPS to use revision control system for your database. If you choose this option, select the particular revision control system from the menu.
Prompt for comment on save: Check this box to instruct GRAMPS to prompt you to enter the comment when you save the database.

6. About GRAMPS

GRAMPS was written by Donald N. Allingham (<dallingham@users.sourceforge.net>). To find more information about GRAMPS, please visit the GRAMPS Project Web page.

To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding this application or this manual, follow the directions in this document.

This program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public license as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. A copy of this license can be found at this link, or in the file COPYING included with the source code of this program.