Genealogy Software Developer Resources
If you are looking at developing your own genealogy software, above and beyond setting up a database using software like FileMaker, on this page your going to find links to genealogy-specific development resources (such as libraries), as well as links to open-source genealogy software projects that are always looking for additional developers. Generally, “open-source” means that the source code is available, and the developers are looking for contributions from other developers. For an explanation of just what “open-source” software is, please see this link at Wikipedia.org.
Most of the links listed below will take you to SourceForge.net. This will be continuously added to, so if your interested in development, check back here often.
Know any young genealogists who are also interested in technology and in combinging the two fields? Read the National Genealogical Society‘s GENTECH Scholarship Site.
Articles and Information
Genealogical Data Models in the Unified Modeling Language
Standards
GenTech Genealogical Data Model – National Genealogical Society
GEDCOM Testbook Project
- The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate the ability of a number of programs to transfer the results of a typical genealogical search using the current GEDCOM 5.5 specification as available on the GEDCOM ftp site and dated December 11th 1995. There have been a number of draft versions since but this version is considered the official version by the Family History Department of the LDS Church.
gdmxml – XML implementation of the Genealogical Data Model
GEDCOM File Format Information
GEDCOM XML 6.0 Specfications (familysearch.org – PDF Format)
GenXML 2.0 – GenXML is a file format for exchange of data between genealogy programs. It is an alternative to Gedcom 5.5
Development Libraries/APIs
GDBI – GEDCOM Database Interface written in Java. (last updated Aug 2005) It can interact with PhpGedView as a local family tree editor on your PC, or if you are interested in Java development, GDBI is an API for using GEDCOM, so you can write editors and reports that work with several databases.
GEDCOM Parser Library – (last updated 2003) – The GEDCOM parser library is a C library that provides an API to applications to parse, process and write arbitrary genealogy files in the standard GEDCOM format. – listed as being in beta development. Genes, a Linux-based genealogy program (last updated Jan 2004) is based on this library, if you’d like an example of its implementation.
GEDCOM_Tools CVS – Collection of GEDCOM tools (or rather their sourcecode). Unorganized.
hrlib– Python library that allows you to readHeredis Files.
My Family Tree – Genealogy libraries for importing/exporting gedcom and other major formats for Delphi/Kylix projects
Open-Source Genealogy Software Note: this is a sampling – Most inactive projects were not included – you can find them here by doing a search on “genealogy”.
GenealogyJ (GenJ) (last updated Feb 2005) – a Java based genealogy application that supports the GEDCOM format. It can view and edit genealogical data and offers multiple views including family tree/charts, tables, timelines and geography listings.
GeneaPro (last updated Dec 2004) – Java-based cross-platform application. Supported databases: HSQLDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL. Based on the GenTech Genealogical Data Model
GenerationX – Mac OS X genealogy application written in Cocoa/Xcode. Doesn’t appear to be in development (last updated, Nov 2003). It can be compiled with current versions of Xcode, so it is potentially a “Universal Binary” (meaning it will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs). Supports GEDCOM.
GRAMPS (last updated Sep 2005) – Linux and FreeBSD based genealogy application (runs on Solaris and other platforms as well). GRAMPS has a Developer’s Wiki you may find interesting. It’s a GNOME interface, and is written in Python. Information on Building and Compiling GRAMPS under Mac OS X can be found here.
Kartpathos – (last updated Feb 2004) – Genealogy web application written in Python. Supports GEDCOM.
LifeLines (last updated June 2005) – Written in C, supported on just about every major platform (Linux, *BSD, Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris, etc.). It’s a genealogy program with a powerful scripting language that supports the GEDCOM format.
Personas (Sep 2005) – Windows 32-bit genealogy application written in C++.
PhpGedView (last updated July 2005) – Supports GEDCOM. Is an online genealogy application that utilizes PHP, and SQL-based databases such as MySQL. Genealogy data can be edited online in a collaborative fashion.
phpmyfamily – Another web-based genealogy application, written in PHP. Has GEDCOM support.
Retrospect-GDS – Online/Collaboration web-based genealogy application. Written in PHP and can be used with the following databases: ADOdb, SQL-based, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL (pgsql), SQLite. Supports GEDCOM.
Front-ends, Other Projects
SQL FamilyTree – a cross platform front-end to SQL databases for genealogy projects.