FamTree - Family Tree Manager

A Windows desktop application for managing genealogical data in GEDCOM format. Built in the style of a classic Petzold Win32 application using C++.

Features

Core Functionality

• GEDCOM Import/Export: Full support for GEDCOM 5.5 and 5.5.1 file formats
• Multiple Tree Management: Work with multiple family trees simultaneously via the dashboard
• Person Management: Add, edit, and delete individuals with full biographical data
• Family Management: Create and manage family units with spouse and children relationships

Tree Visualization

• Pedigree View: Classic ancestor chart showing parents, grandparents, etc.
• Descendant View: Shows all descendants of a selected individual
• Family Group View: Displays family units with parents and children
• Timeline View: Chronological view of events

Analysis Tools

• Relationship Calculator: Determine the relationship between any two people
• Common Ancestor Finder: Find shared ancestors between individuals
• Search: Full-text search across names, places, dates, and notes
• Filtering: Filter individuals by surname, dates, places, and living status
• Statistics: Comprehensive statistics about your family tree

Data Management

• Auto-save: Configurable automatic saving
• Backup: Automatic backup creation on save
• Recent Files: Quick access to recently opened trees
• Settings: Customizable date formats, name formats, and more

Building

Requirements

• MinGW-w64 (GCC for Windows)
• Windows SDK headers (included with MinGW-w64)

Build Commands

# Build release version
make

# Build with debug symbols
make debug

# Clean build artifacts
make clean

# Rebuild everything
make rebuild

Output

The build produces famtree.exe, a standalone Windows executable.

File Structure

famtree/
├── famtree.cpp      # Application entry point and main loop
├── dashboard.cpp/h  # Main dashboard window
├── treeview.cpp/h   # Family tree view window
├── dialogs.cpp/h    # All dialog implementations
├── person.cpp/h     # Person/individual management
├── family.cpp/h     # Family unit management
├── gedcom.cpp/h     # GEDCOM parser and exporter
├── analysis.cpp/h   # Relationship and analysis functions
├── storage.cpp/h    # Settings and file management
├── types.h          # Common type definitions
├── resource.h       # Resource identifiers
├── famtree.rc       # Resource script (menus, dialogs, icons)
├── famtree.ico      # Application icon
├── famtree.manifest # Windows manifest for visual styles
└── Makefile         # Build configuration

Usage

Getting Started

1. Launch famtree.exe
2. Click "New Tree" to create a new family tree, or "Import" to import a GEDCOM file
3. Use the tree window to add persons and families
4. Save your work as a GEDCOM file for portability

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+N	New Tree
Ctrl+O	Open Tree
Ctrl+S	Save
Ctrl+W	Close
Ctrl+F	Search
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Insert	Add Person
Enter	Edit Selected
Delete	Delete Selected
F5	Refresh View
F1	Help

GEDCOM Compatibility

FamTree supports the following GEDCOM features:

• Individual records (INDI)
• Family records (FAM)
• Source citations (SOUR)
• Standard events (BIRT, DEAT, MARR, DIV, etc.)
• Notes and dates with modifiers (ABT, BEF, AFT, etc.)
• ANSEL, ASCII, and UTF-8 character encodings

Architecture

The application follows classic Win32 programming patterns:

• Window class registration and message loop in main
• Separate window procedures for dashboard and tree views
• Modal dialogs for editing
• Linked lists for in-memory data storage
• Registry/INI file for settings persistence

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Alex Thies

See LICENSE.md for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure your code:

• Follows the existing coding style (C with classes, Win32 API)
• Includes appropriate comments
• Maintains GEDCOM compatibility
• Works on Windows 7 and later