PURPOSE ======= Geneal is a system for outputing family tree information on a PostScript printer. Geneal accepts family descendent trees as a text file, and draws the names and descent lines by executing within the printer itself, unlike most other programs that execute on a PC or some other computer. The family tree is output on standard computer paper as separate sheets for each family or group of families. Geneal allows unstructured comments to be placed close to a person's name in a tree, and also accepts text anecdotes of any length that will be placed beneath the tree on the page. In this way, family history can be included directly with the ancestry detail. Text can contain visible layout marks for italic, bold, font, sizing or other text formating instructions. Being written in PostScript, Geneal can also accept embedded PostScript instructions, so document layout can be flexibly and precisely controlled. Digitized photographs can be embedded in the document. The family tree document can be created using a word processor or editor. Alternatively, any database program capable of generating a GEDCOM format file can be used. In the latter case, a C program is provided to convert from GEDCOM format to Geneal format. A C program is also provided to generate an index to the pages of different branches of a family tree. INSTALLATION ============ Geneal is provided in either a self-installing script or TAR file for use on Unix systems, or as a ZIP file for use on Microsoft systems. These archives contain the files listed below. When you extract the contents of the archive, they will be placed in a folder or directory called "Geneal". On Microsoft systems, use Winzip to extract the contents of geneal.zip, or in a DOS window, type unzip Geneal.zip On Unix systems, you can use the self-installing script "Geneal-install.sh", which will prompt you for the directory name, or you can use the TAR file which will place the files in a subdirectory called "Geneal". Depending on the file you have downloaded, either type tar xf Geneal.tar or sh Geneal-install.sh You can then remove the "Geneal.tar" or "Geneal-install.sh" file. FILES: ====== geneal A PostScript program to produce family trees geneal_user.pdf A manual exlaining how to use the programs, with illustrations. geneal_user.txt A text-only version of the instruction manual. genealspec.pdf A report giving the rationale in the design, as published in "Genealogical Computing". qsuser.pdf Specification of the layout marks which can be used in comment sections of a document. example.ft A short example tree with comments. example.gif Image showing how the example tree will be drawn. ftindex.c A program to generate an index to a multi-page family tree, suitable for printing using "geneal". ftindex A Linux executable version of ftindex.c ftindex.exe A Microsoft executable version of ftindex.c gedc2ft.c A program to convert a GEDCOM file into Geneal format, suitable fpr printing with "geneal". gedc2ft A Linux executable version of gedc2ft.c gedc2ft.exe A Microsoft executable version of gedc2ft.c gedcom.tag A file used by "gedc2ft.c" with replacements for GEDCOM tags. border.qs A fragment of PostScript to place a border around each page catex.c A program allowing other files to be pulled into a master file by referring to them with "%include fname%" references. catex.1 Unix documentation of "catex.c". catex.pdf PDF documentation of "catex.c". catex.exe A Microsoft executable version of catex.c catex A Linux executable version of catex.c README This description. USAGE: ====== The instructions on using Geneal are given in "geneal_user.pdf", which needs Acrobat to view. A simple text version without illustrations is given in "geneal_user.txt". To print a family tree, prepare one of more files containing the keywords "", "", "", "", "", "", and "<>" at the start of lines as per the instructions. To use geneal, you must either have a PostScript printer, or a PostScript interpreter program (such as ghostscript or gsview) which will display a PostScript document. You would then combine geneal and your text file into a single temporary file (concatenating them). On Unix, this would be done with: cat geneal myfile.ft > /tmp/tempfile.ps In a Microsoft DOS window, it would be done with copy geneal + myfile.ft tempfile.ps If tempfile.ps is sent to the PostScript printer, the tree will be drawn automatically. Alternatively, a PostScript previewer can be used to print this file on other types of printer. To prepare an index of family tree names, run the program with all the family tree files on the command line, eg ftindex treefile.1 treefile.2 treefile.3 This will create a file "index.qs", which may be printed by sending "geneal" and "index.qs" together to a PostScript printer. If you do not have a Microsoft or Linux machine, you may first need to compile the "ftindex.c" program cc ftindex.c -o ftindex. To convert a GEDCOM file to Geneal format, copy the tag file "gedcom.tag" to the directory you are using, possibly editing it. Then run the program gedc2ft yourfile.ged >yourfile.ft This will create the file "yourfile.ft" which may be printed by sending "geneal" and that file together to a PostScript printer. If you do not have a Microsoft or Linux machine, you may first need to compile "gedc2ft.c" cc gedc2ft.c -o gedc2ft ======================================================================= CHANGES in this release of GENEAL (14 March 2003): The typesetting features that GENEAL has in common with Quikscript have been extensively upgraded since the last release, and these changes are now incorporated into GENEAL. This expands the ability of GENEAL to handle biographical commentary associated with a tree. A bug in "gedc2ft" which could cause a segmentation fault with some GEDCOM files has been fixed. The layout of comments associated with an individual has been improved. The usage instructions have been improved, and a self-installing script has been provided for Unix. ======================================================================= CHANGES in the release of GENEAL (4 Jan 1996): GENEAL now includes the full type-setting capability of its sister product, Quikscript (available also from ftp.adfa.edu.au in directory pub/postscript). Rounded borders to pages can (optionally) be drawn around the charts The rules determining placement of descent lines have been revised to improve layout when several generations are drawn on the one page, reducing the extent to which later generations are squashed in the lower-right hand corner of the page. It is now possible to use non-ASCII characters that are available in a PostScript font. ======================================================================= GENEAL is written by Graham Freeman and is copyright. It may be used freely for non-commercial purposes, and may be transmitted provided no copyright notice attributing authorship and ownership within the file is modified. The GENEAL distribution can be downloaded from "ftp.adfa.edu.au". The files for use on Linux machines are in "ftp://ftp.adfa.edu.au/pub/postscript/Geneal-install.sh". For Microsoft machines, use "ftp://ftp.adfa.edu.au/pub/postscript/Geneal.exe". The individual files can be downloded separately from "ftp://ftp.adfa.edu.au/pub/postscript/ftdir/". Graham Freeman g-freeman@adfa.edu.au 14 March 2003