From 622bb4dceca0bcf64f1f86df6649ff6b931d00c6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Don Allingham Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 22:07:46 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] * doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml: wording fixes. svn: r5169 --- gramps2/ChangeLog | 3 + gramps2/doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml | 443 ++++++++++++++++-------- 2 files changed, 294 insertions(+), 152 deletions(-) diff --git a/gramps2/ChangeLog b/gramps2/ChangeLog index 995af91ff..4c4a5094e 100644 --- a/gramps2/ChangeLog +++ b/gramps2/ChangeLog @@ -1,3 +1,6 @@ +2005-09-01 Don Allingham + * doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml: wording fixes. + 2005-09-01 Don Allingham * src/docgen/OpenOfficeDoc.py: fix font point size handling * src/Plugins.py: sort submenu entries properly diff --git a/gramps2/doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml b/gramps2/doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml index 385e2cd20..1027999a3 100644 --- a/gramps2/doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml +++ b/gramps2/doc/gramps-manual/C/preface.xml @@ -23,202 +23,341 @@ Preface - &app; is a genealogical - application. &app; 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, &app; offers some unique features. + + + &app; is a software package designed to help you with + genealogical resarch. It allows you to store, edit, and research + genealogical data using your computer. Although similar to other + genealogical programs, it offers some unique and powerful + features. GRAMPS is an open source software package, which means + it's distributed for free. It's developed and maintained by a + worldwide team of volunteers. + + - Why GRAMPS? - &app; 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. - - &app;, 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 &app; 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, it - is 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. + Why use GRAMPS? + + + + Most genealogy programs allow the researcher to input + information related to a family tree. They can usually display + descendant or ancestral relationships through graphical + displays, charts, or reports. Some allow pictures or other media + to be inserted to enhance the raw data. Most provide a means to + include data on individuals or familys that may or may not be + related to the primary family being researched. And they may + include other features such as exporting or importing to and + from other programs and printing data contained in various + reports. + + + + &app; has all these capabilities and more. Notably, it allows + you to integrate bits and pieces of stray data as the arise from + your research and put all this information in one place - your + computer. You can then use the speed, power, and accuracy of + your computer to store, manipulate, correlate, and analyze your + data, rather than messing with reams of paper. + + + + &app; has the power to let you rearrage your data in any order + or sequence and to help you fill gaps in genealogical + relationships. + + What's new since 1.0.X - This section lists most notable changes from the previous stable branch of - &app;, the 1.0.X. + + + This section lists most notable changes from the previous + stable branch of &app;, the 1.0.X. + + Berkeley database backend - The default format for &app; is now the BSDDB database. - This change allowed us to overcome performance issues and memory - requirements of the 1.0.X branch. With the database backend, the database - sizes of up to a hundred thousand people do not - present a major obstacle any longer. - - - The default extension for &app; BSDDB database files is grdb. The new format is open and - fully documented in the developer's API reference distributed with the source of &app;. - + + - A consequence of the new database backend is that the changes, once approved - by the user, are applied immediately. In short, once you click OK - in the Person, Family, Source, Place, Media object, or Event editor, all the changes made to - this object are recorded in the database. No saving is necessary (or even possible). The analog - of quitting without saving would be abandoning all changes and quitting. Also, it is possible - to undo recent actions. + The default format for &app; is now the BSDDB database. + This change allowed us to overcome performance issues and + memory requirements of the 1.0.X branch. With the database + backend, the database sizes of up to a hundred thousand + people do not present a major obstacle any longer. + + + + The default extension for &app; BSDDB database files is + grdb. The new format is open and fully documented in the + developer's API reference distributed with the source of + &app;. + + + + A consequence of the new database backend is that the + changes, once approved by the user, are applied + immediately. In short, once you click + OK in the Person, Family, Source, + Place, Media object, or Event editor, all the changes made + to this object are recorded in the database. No saving is + necessary (or even possible). The analog of quitting + without saving would be abandoning all changes and + quitting. Also, it is possible to undo recent actions. Interface improvements - - There were numerous changes in the interface. Most of them are subtle and incremental - improvements, and all of them cannot be listed here. The most noticeable changes are: - - Removal of alphabetical tabs - Ability to add/remove/rearrange columns in list views - Removal of Save function and addition of Undo - Proper window management and removal of most modal windows - Support for Tip of the Day - Person-dependent context menus (right-click) in Pedigree View - listing parents, children, spouses, and siblings - Export wizard - Built-in Find function in list views - Date selector dialog - Name editor enhancements: patronymic names and non-default grouping - Recent file support (both gramps-specific and gnome-wide) - + + - + There were numerous changes in the interface. Most of them + are subtle and incremental improvements, and all of them + cannot be listed here. The most noticeable changes are: + + + + + Removal of alphabetical tabs + + + + + Ability to add/remove/rearrange columns in list views + + + + + Removal of Save function and addition of Undo + + + + + Proper window management and removal of most modal windows + + + + + Support for Tip of the Day + + + + + Person-dependent context menus (right-click) in Pedigree View + listing parents, children, spouses, and siblings + + + + + Export wizard + + + + + Built-in Find function in list views + + + + + Date selector dialog + + + + + Name editor enhancements: patronymic names and non-default + grouping + + + + + Recent file support (both gramps-specific and gnome-wide) + + + + + + - Other database backends - - Along with the BSDDB backend, the in-memory database handling for &app; XML and - GEDCOM formats has been added. Simply put, it is now possible to natively open data - in those two formats (although the preferred and default format is grdb) and work with - that data, without necessarily setting up an empty database and then importing into it. - This approach requires holding all data in memory, so it is only useful for small databases - (depending on the available memory size). In such mode, the data is automatically - saved upon exit, to mimic the functionality of the real database. + + + Other database backends + + + + Along with the BSDDB backend, the in-memory database handling + for &app; XML and GEDCOM formats has been added. Simply put, it + is now possible to natively open data in those two formats + (although the preferred and default format is grdb) and work with + that data, without necessarily setting up an empty database and + then importing into it. This approach requires holding all data in + memory, so it is only useful for small databases (depending on the + available memory size). In such mode, the data is automatically + saved upon exit, to mimic the functionality of the real database. - - GEDCOM Editing + + GEDCOM Editing - Please keep in mind that some information in GEDCOM file may be lost - during import into &app;. Simply opening and viewing the file will not change it. - However, if any changes were made and they were not abandoned upon exit, - exiting &app; will save the data, with the possible data loss. + + Please keep in mind that some information in GEDCOM + file may be lost during import into &app;. Simply + opening and viewing the file will not change it. + However, if any changes were made and they were not + abandoned upon exit, exiting &app; will save the data, + with the possible data loss. + - - + + - Import and Export - - New import and export filters available for the GeneWeb format. - + + Import and Export + + + New import and export filters available for the GeneWeb format. + + - Reports - - A new report -- Statistics Chart -- has been added to &app;. - - - An overall change of the whole report framework has been acomplished. - All reports now remember their options. It is possible to generate reports from the command - line, without launching the interactive &app; session. The report API is much simpler now, - making it easy to write custom report. A single code instance may be used for a standalone - report, a book item, and a command-line report. + + Reports + + + A new report -- Statistics Chart -- has been added to &app;. + + An overall change of the whole report framework has been + acomplished. All reports now remember their options. It + is possible to generate reports from the command line, + without launching the interactive &app; session. The + report API is much simpler now, making it easy to write + custom report. A single code instance may be used for a + standalone report, a book item, and a command-line + report. + + - Command line - The new command line functionality includes opening the filename - argument given without any flags, as well as new flags and options for report generation. - Also, the addition of new formats leads to addition of available format options. - + + Command line + + + The new command line functionality includes opening the + filename argument given without any flags, as well as new + flags and options for report generation. Also, the + addition of new formats leads to addition of available + format options. + + - Internationalization - - The approach for entering and displaying dates has been completely - re-worked. In particular, the new framework allows for a deeper - localization of displayed dates than was ever possible using the - translatable strings. - - The internationalization of names have also been improved. - Names can be grouped under a non-default string. Patronymic names are - supported, and it is easy to program new ways on displaying names, as - may be required by various cultures and languages. - + + Internationalization + + + The approach for entering and displaying dates has been + completely re-worked. In particular, the new framework + allows for a deeper localization of displayed dates than + was ever possible using the translatable strings. + + The internationalization of names have also been improved. + Names can be grouped under a non-default + string. Patronymic names are supported, and it is easy to + program new ways on displaying names, as may be required + by various cultures and languages. + + - Desktop integration - All formats known to &app; are now registered as mime types, each - with its icon and &app; as a default handler. Double-clicking on a file with any of these - formats will launch &app; and open that file. &app; also added support for the recent - documents functinonailty. This is on both for the GNOME-wide level and within the &app;. - - The preferences are now properly store using GConf, with schemas, partitioning - of keys into smaller directories, error checking, and notification. - + + Desktop integration + + + All formats known to &app; are now registered as mime + types, each with its icon and &app; as a default + handler. Double-clicking on a file with any of these + formats will launch &app; and open that file. &app; also + added support for the recent documents + functionailty. This is on both the GNOME-wide level + and within the &app;. + + The preferences are now properly stored using GConf, with + schemas, partitioning of keys into smaller directories, + error checking, and notification. + + - - - Typographical conventions + Typographical conventions - In this book, we some words are marked with special typography: - - Applications - Commands you type at the command - line - Filenames - Replaceable text - Labels for buttons and other - portions of the graphical interface - Menu selections look like this: - - Menu - Submenu - Menu Item - - - Buttons you can - click - Anything you type - in + In this book, some words are marked with special typography: + + + + + Applications + + + + + Commands you type at the command line + + + + + Filenames + + + + + Replaceable text + + + + + Labels for buttons and other + portions of the graphical interface + + + + + Menu selections look like this: + + Menu + Submenu + Menu Item + + + + + + Buttons you can click + + + + + Anything you type in + + - We also provide assorted bits of additional information in tips - and notes, as follows. + + The manual also provides assorted bits of additional information in + tips and notes, as follows. Tip @@ -237,13 +376,13 @@ - Finally, we have warnings, in cases where you should be careful: + Finally, there are warnings, notifiying you where you should be careful: Example Warning This is what a warning looks like. If there's a chance - you'll run into trouble, we'll warn you beforehand. + you'll run into trouble, you will be warned beforehand.