Family Tree Web Application

This web application will display your family tree on a web page. The software uses a standard GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication ) text file as the data source. If your family tree software can output to GEDCOM format you can display the file on your web server.

This is not a GEDCOM to HTML converter. The software creates web pages on the fly. Except for the Home Page, all the pages are dynamic content. Changing the web site is as easy as changing or updating the GEDCOM file. The Home Page is the only static page. You can modify it to introduce the viewers to your family database.

Download Family Tree Web Application 1.00.00

Features

Note: The links on this page will open a second browser window so that you can follow along without loosing your place on this page. Click here to open the sample: Open the Sample Family Web Page

The web application has four basic functions. It will display the GEDCOM file as a family page, descendant tree or ancestor chart. It also has a search function to search the GEDCOM database.

The family page is the basic navigation tool. It displays a family unit; father, mother and children. In the family page, clicking the parent button (large arrow pointing left) displays the parent's family. This is navigating up the tree. If there are children listed, clicking on a child's name will display the child's family. This is navigating down the tree. If one of the parents listed on the family page has a second marriage, the Next Spouse button appears in the family page. Clicking this button will cycle you through the person's families.

You can display an ancestor chart or a descendent tree from the family page, or from one of the menus at the top or bottom of the page. The ancestor and descendant charts will display the entire linage that is in the database for that person. The ancestor chart can be graphical or text based. The descendant tree can be displayed as a standard graphical tree, a graphical chart or a text based list. These options are available at the bottom of the page.

You can use the Search Page to find a person in the GEDCOM database.

The Home Page displays some instructions, and can be modified to suit your situation.

Note: This web site is best viewed at 800x600 or larger.

Click here to close the sample: Close the Sample Family Web Page

Requirements

The web application will run on any Windows Personal Web Server (PWS) or Windows Internet Information Server (IIS). This includes all windows versions with the exception of Windows ME and Windows XP Home Edition. These versions do not have a web server.

Installing the Software

The software package includes an installer. This is a standard Windows installer. The installer copies the files to your computer. You also can use the installer to remove the files from your computer. The installer doesn't setup the web site. You can do that manually or use the WebWizard . The WebWizard only runs on Windows NT/2000/XP. However, the web site is not difficult to setup manually. (See below)

The installer copies the web files to a subfolder of the installation folder called Web. If you don't change the default settings during the install, it will be located in C:\Program Files\FT Web Application\Web. You can leave the web files here and use it as the Web Site Content Directory.

Setup the Web Site

To manually setup the web site use the Personal Web Manager (Windows 95/98) or the Internet Services Manager to create a new web site or virtual directory.

Windows 95/98

When you install the Personal Web Server (PWS) on Windows 95 or Windows 98 it adds an icon for the Personal Web Manager (PWM) to the TaskBar (by the clock) and one on the Desktop.

  1. You can start the PWM by right clicking the tray icon and selecting Properties, or start it from from the Desktop.
  2. Select the Advanced Icon and click the Add button.
  3. File in a name for the web page in the text edit called Alias.
  4. Browse to the directory that you installed to, noted above.
  5. For Access, select Read, Execute and Scripts.
  6. Click OK and close the PWM

You can access the web page by typing http://localhost/Alias in the address, where Alias is the name in step three.

Windows NT/2000/XP

  1. The Execute Permissions for the web page have to be set to Scripts and Executables.
  2. Create and copy a GEDCOM file to the web folder. It must be named Family.GED

If you use the WebWizard, just follow the instruction in the wizard.

update: feb.18.03

update: feb.11.03 update: oct.05.02 update: oct.03.02

Files:

This is the initial release. The previous versions were never distributed.  The software comprises of one web wizard program, a dynamic linking library, a static html home page, plus assorted graphics, help and documentation files. All the files are placed in the folder (and subfolders) that you specify at installation. The files are listed here:

Web files:

This is a BETA version of the software and as such does not contain method to verify that it is licensed. Future release features: Last updated: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - Visits since March, 2003: 2927
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Family Tree Web Application ©1998-2003 Digital Mapping Systems