Software:GenealogyJ
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| Original author(s) | Nils Meier |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | The GenealogyJ Team |
| Initial release | August 2, 1998 |
| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Solaris |
| Platform | Java |
| Available in | Multilingual (11) |
| Type | Genealogy software |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Website | sourceforge |
GenealogyJ (commonly abbreviated GenJ) is a free, open-source viewer and editor for genealogical data in the GEDCOM format. Written in Java, it runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris, and can also be deployed as a Java applet embedded in a web page. It supports the GEDCOM 5.5.1 standard and is available in eleven languages.
Development
GenealogyJ was created by software developer Nils Meier and first released on August 2, 1998.[1] A 2005 survey of open-source genealogy software by John Finlay of the Brigham Young University evaluated GenealogyJ among the leading free alternatives to commercial genealogy applications.[2] Development later expanded to a team of contributors.[3] The software is released under the GNU General Public License (version 2.0 or later) and hosted on SourceForge.
Because it is written in Java, GenealogyJ runs on any operating system with a Java runtime, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris. It can additionally be packaged as a Java applet, enabling users to embed a family-tree viewer directly in a personal genealogy website.[1]
Features
GenealogyJ supports the GEDCOM 5.5.1 standard, the interchange format used by most genealogy applications. It provides several views of the same data:[1]
- Table View — a sortable spreadsheet-style display with one row per person and columns for properties such as name, sex, and birth date.
- Tree View — a graphical family-tree display showing parents, children, and spouses across multiple generations, with zoom support.
- Timeline View — a chronological plot of life events, which Eastman noted is useful for identifying data inconsistencies such as erroneous dates.
- Edit View — a form-based editor for modifying names, dates, and places within the GEDCOM file.
- Navigator View — a fast-navigation panel for moving through a family tree.
- Report View — a set of built-in reports (family tree, table, timeline, and geography); custom reports can be written in Java.
The program's interface is available in English, French, German, and eight additional languages. Meier designed the language files as separate plain-text resources, allowing translators without programming knowledge to add new languages.[1]
Reception
In a 2005 review, genealogy writer Dick Eastman called GenealogyJ "an excellent utility for examining and even modifying GEDCOM files" and described its cross-platform Java implementation as "modern and flexible."[1] He highlighted the Timeline View as particularly useful for detecting date errors in imported data, and the web-applet mode as a useful feature for sharing genealogical records online.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Eastman, Dick (May 15, 2005). "GenealogyJ". https://web.archive.org/web/20060427034533/http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/05/genealogyj.html.
- ↑ Finlay, John (2005). "Open Source Genealogy Software". Family History Technology Workshop. Brigham Young University. https://fhtw.byu.edu/conf/2005/finlay-genealogy-fhtw2005.pdf. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- ↑ "GenealogyJ Contributors". https://web.archive.org/web/20121012193610/http://www.ohloh.net/p/genj/contributors.
External links
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