Preface

Table of Contents

Why use GRAMPS?
Typographical conventions

GRAMPS is a software package designed for genealogical research. Although similar to other genealogical programs, GRAMPS offers some unique and powerful features, which we'll discuss below.

GRAMPS is an Open Source Software package, which means you are free to make copies and distribute it to anyone you like. It's developed and maintained by a worldwide team of volunteers whose goal is to make GRAMPS powerful, yet easy to use.

Why use GRAMPS?

Most genealogy programs allow you to enter information about your ancestors and descendants. Typically, they can display family relationships through charts, graphs, or reports. Some allow you to include pictures or other media. Most let you include information about people even if those people are not related to the primary family you happen to be researching. And they may include features that let you exchange data with other programs and print different types of reports.

GRAMPS has all these capabilities and more. Notably, it allows you to integrate bits and pieces of data as they arise from your research and to put them in one place -- your computer. You can then use your computer to manipulate, correlate, and analyze your data, rather than messing with reams of paper.