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Introduction
Getting Started
Tutorial
On Your Own
If You Have Problems
The FamTree application creates various views of your family tree after you enter the family information into a text file.
The text file needed can probably be used or even created in your database or spreadsheet application (Microsoft Works, for instance). That makes it easy to edit/manipulate/sort family tree information. Most databases allow the user to save the information as a text file which is how you will need to store your information in order for this application to use it. You can start with any family member and see his ancestors (4 levels) or descendants (3 levels) in tree fashion. You can also prepare a gedcom file, a format invented by the Mormons and used by many family tree programs such as Ged2Html, an application available for purchase at http://www.gendex.com which creates .html files for displaying your family tree on the Internet. If you currently have gedcom files, you can convert them to files that can be used with your database application. A database is not necessary to use this application, but an editor is necessary.
You may download, but you may not redistribute or profit from this application. These programs have been tested on Windows95. If you have suggestions for improvement or questions, please write to me at regandr@prodigy.net. I am writing these applications in my spare time as "not for profit". You may download, but you may not redistribute or profit from this application.
These instructions assume that you know how to:
The easiest way to use this application is to create a separate directory for the files you download and keep your family tree text files in the same directory. The result files will also go to the same directory by default.
Before using this application please read the documentation in FamTree.doc. You will need to enter your family tree information in a text file first. By default the text file is called famtree.txt. This can be created using a database or spreadsheet program and saving the results as a text file (e.g. Text & Commas). For defaults, you may hit ENTER without typing in anything.
>>>Type in a number and hit ENTER:
1. Create an descendant file (default)
2. Create an ancestor file
3. Create a ged file for use in the Ged2Html program
4. Create a data base file from a ged file
5. Find unsed indi/fam numbers while creating ged
To exit the application, click on the X in the upper right corner of the DOS window.
To continue, skip the first instruction in the tutorial below. You may use sample.doc as your input text file to see the JFK family tree.
To start the application, find FamTree.exe or its icon and double-click on it or right click and select "Open". You will see the following displayed in a DOS window:
Before using this application please read the documentation in FamTree.doc.
You will need to enter your family tree information in a text file first.
By default the text file is called famtree.txt.
This can be created using a database or spreadsheet program and saving
the results as a text file (e.g. Text & Commas).
For defaults, you may hit ENTER without typing in anything.
>>>Type in a number and hit ENTER:
1. Create an descendant file (default)
2. Create an ancestor file
3. Create a ged file for use in the Ged2Html program
4. Create a data base file from a ged file
5. Find unsed indi/fam numbers while creating ged
To see the application run without having to create your own text file, try using the file called sample.doc. The sample.doc file contains a lot of the John F. Kennedy family tree.
Let's create a descendant file of the Kennedy family. Type 1 and hit ENTER or just hit ENTER. Now you will see:
>>>What file is your family tree info in?
Default: famtree.txt
If you had an input file named famtree.txt, you could just hit ENTER, but to see the Kennedy family descendants, type sample.doc and hit ENTER. You will see:
>>>Last name (maiden if female) of person being investigated
(in correct case, e.g. Regan, O'Leary,):
Default: no prompt needed.
You need to know the INDI (individual) number of the person in whose tree you are interested. I can tell you that JFK's grandfather's individual number is 25 and that his father's number is 1 and you could just hit ENTER here, but if you don't know the person's INDI number, you would need to see some kind of list. Try entering Kennedy or Bouvier or Fitzgerald or Shriver or Lawford, being sure to use the correct case (first letter capital). If there are many names, you will see:
Remember first number. Hit Enter when ready to see more names.
In any case, hit ENTER until you see the message below.
>>>Type the number (num) of person you want:
Default: 1
To see the whole Kennedy clan, type the 25, the individual number of JFK's grandfather, and hit ENTER. You will see:
>>>Name of the file you want your results in:
Default: desc.des
You could enter Kennedy and hit ENTER and the application would save your tree in Kennedy.des. Or you can just hit ENTER and your tree will be saved in desc.des and you can rename it later if you wish. The application will now complete and tell you where to find the completed tree.
Descendants of Joseph Patrick Kennedy are listed in desc.des
Hit ENTER to close window.
Find the output file. By default it is in the directory where your application is running (where FamTree.exe is) and it is named desc.des. Open it with your editor. You will want to view/print it with
Look at the file, sample.doc, and create something similar for your own family tree. Be sure to save your file as a plain "text" document, NOT something specially formatted. You may be able to enter the information using a database application if you have one which allows you to save the information as a text file with commas between columns. You will need to have 16 commas on each line. Commas that do not represent columns (e.g. between city and state) should be changed to vertical bars ( | ); vertical bars will be changed to commas in the final output. Quotes can be used, but they will be discarded. Commas represent divisions between the columns below:
Column 1 - Anything (meaningless to this program)
Column 2 - FAMC (child of which family) (relates to FAMS), see below
Column 3 - FAMS (spouse of which family) (relates to FAMC), see below
Column 4 - INDI (individual number), see below
Column 5 - Sex (M or F)
Column 6 - First name and middle
Column 7 - Last name
Column 8 - Date of birth
Column 9 - Place of birth
Column 10 - Date of marriage
Column 11 - Place of marriage
Column 12 - Date of death
Column 13 - Place of death
Column 14 - Cause of death
Column 15 - Place of burial
Column 16 - Anything (meaningless to this program)
Column 17 - Source of information
INDI number - Assign each individual a different number. If an individual has more than one "family" (remarried, children with more than one partner), it is best to create duplicate entries, each with the same information, but with a different FAMS number for each family matching the FAMS number of the partner (e.g. see the entries in sample.doc for Edward "Ted" Kennedy). (I use numbers 1-799)
FAMS (spouse) number - Each set of parents has the same FAMS number; use this same number as their children's FAMC number. (I use numbers > 800)
FAMC (child) number - each child has the FAMC number that is his parents' FAMS number. (I use numbers > 800)
Sort by INDI number; this will allow double entries for "remarrieds" to be processed correctly.
Run the program as described above in Getting Started.
If the window doesn't close when you hit ENTER, close it by clicking on the X in the right upper hand corner. A permanent way to fix this problem is to create a shortcut for the application. This will be a DOS shortcut. Right click on your shortcut and click on "Properties". Click on the "Program" tab, check the "Close on exit" box, and click on "OK". Start the application from then on by double clicking on this shortcut.
If you have suggestions for improvement or questions, please write to me at regandr@prodigy.net. I am writing these applications in my spare time as "not for profit". You may download, but you may not redistribute or profit from this application.
Download this file as a text file
Download this file as a "Word for Windows 6.0" file