GRAMPS User Manual
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# Customization

To change the application settings, select Settings->Preferences.... This opens the Preferences dialog, shown in Figure 20 in the section called General Preferences.

## General Preferences

Figure 20. Preferences Dialog

The General Preferences tab contains basic information to control the operation of `GRAMPS`.

General Preferences options

Automatically load last database

  With this selected it will automatically load your last database.

Do not compress XML data file

  `GRAMPS` normally compresses its data file to conserve disk space. If you do not whish to have the file compressed, selecting this option will cause `GRAMPS` to leave the file uncompressed. This may be desirable if other applications need to process the generated XML file.

Use tabbed pages

  When this is selected there will be a row of tabs below the tool bars for the Person View, Family View, Pedigree View, and Sources View.

Display GRAMPS ID in list

  This will add a new column to the Person View with the `GRAMPS` ID for each individual.

Allow internal GRAMPS ID numbers to be edited

  This option allows advanced users to edit the internal `GRAMPS` indentification strings for certain entries.

Display attribute on Edit Person form

  Selecting this and adding a comment/word will add that comment/word to the Identification part of the Edit Person view.

## Formats

Figure 21. Formats

The Formats tab allows you to change the display formats of several different typs of data. This includes dates and names.

Formats Preferences options

Display Formats

  Allows you to choose your preferences for displaying dates and names. Options exist for several different date formats. Names can be displayed with either the given name or the surname first. This option typically does not affect lists that are sorted by last name, in which case the surname is displayed first.

Entry Formats

  Numerical date formats can be ambiguous. Some people enter the day, month, and year (European style), while others prefer month, day, year (American style). Selecting the option here informs `GRAMPS` how it should interpret numerical dates.

## Appearance Preferences

Figure 22. Preferences Dialog

Appearance Preferences

Custom Colors

  Enabling custom colors allows you to choose foreground and background colors for the Person View list. A different color combinations may be chosen for odd and even rows. This may make the display easier to read. It should be noted that it may slow down redisplays of the window if a large number (thousands) of people are in the list.

Status Bar

  Allows you to change the information displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the window. There are three (3) preferences from which to chose. The first is Active person's name only - this will display the active person's name only in the status bar. The second is Active person's name and GRAMPS ID - This will display the name and ID for the active person ( [I9] Edwin Michael Smith ). The last option is Active person's name and attribute - this is just like the second option but shows the attribute you specified in the General Preferences section.

List Display Options

  Allows you to control what gets displayed in lists. You can control if alternate names are displayed in the lists, or if the lists will contain detail flags to indicate additional information (such as the presence of notes, sources, or images).

## Researchers Preferences

Figure 23. Researcher Information Dialog

This is where you are able to change the information you entered when you started GRAMPS for the first time and was asked to enter in some information. (This information shows up in your GEDCOM files as being the researcher/author of the file)

## Report Preferences

Figure 24. Report Preferences Dialog

Many of the reports that `GRAMPS` produces can be generated in different file formats and different paper sizes. Selecting a `Preferred Output Format` and a `Preferred Output Format` tells the report generator your preferences. It should be noted that a report generator might not support all possible formats.

## Directories Preferences

Figure 25. Directory Preferences Dialog

This allows you to set the default directories for your databases, reports, and Web Sites.

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Bookmarking People |  | Generating Reports