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1994-11-06
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APPENDIX D QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Here is information about GIM, what it can and cannot do. This is
written with version 2.18 in mind. Future versions may contain
enhancements which might make obsolete some of the following
information.
1. On what computer(s) will the program run?
GIM will work on any PC compatible computer (i.e. 8086 family).
2. How much RAM is required?
We recommend a minimum of 512K RAM. Additional RAM (640K) and EMS
memory will increase performance.
3. How many and what kind of disk drives are required?
GIM expects a hard disk attached to the system with typically 3M
free. GIM will run on two floppy drives but the performance will
be unrealistically slow (please contact the GIM authors for a
special release for a computer with only two diskette drives).
4. What operating systems are supported?
DOS 3.0+ is required. DOS 3.3+ is recommended. Any other
operating system which provides DOS 3.3+ compatibility and
functionality is supported--Windows, OS/2, etc. . Refer to the
operating system documentation for configuration of a DOS
compatible session.
5. What printers are supported?
GIM provides support for many Epson, IBM ProPrinter, and
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet compatible printers. Contact the GIM
authors for additional support.
6. Is it easy to understand the instruction in the user manual?
We (the GIM Authors) hope so.
7. Do the program authors give buyers good after-sale assistance?
Where time and cost permits, we support our customers in a wide
range of needs.
8. Do many other genealogists use this program?
We have distributed GIM on the Internet and CompuServe and
estimate (wild guess) that more than 1000 people have download GIM
and a large portion of those are currently using GIM. Because of
a long and extensive Beta Test period, very few minor reported
errors have been have been received to date (August 1993). We
also currently (August 1993) have more than a dozen Beta Sites,
with approximately 6 in regular contact. Two of these are friends,
the rest are impartial, semi-anonymous genealogy computing users.
9. Can this program handle an unlimited-size family?
No. The current limitation is 32 children per marriage. Version 3
is rapidly under development which will raise the limit to two
billion. (See question 24.)
10. Are the things the program does genealogically adequate and
genealogically sound?
We believe so. Both of the GIM Authors are software engineers by
profession and personally long term genealogical enthusiasts and
researchers.
11. Is it easy to make backup copies of the program disks?
Yes. GIM provide a simple mechanism for regular/routine backups
of data.
12. Is it easy to create data disks and safety backups of data disks?
Yes. GIM is flexible and simple about where data is kept, on
either hard disk or floppy diskette. We expect the typical user
to keep the data on the hard disk and have some mechanism for
backing up the hard disk.
13. Are there utility programs that add ways you can massage the
genealogical database?
Utility functionality is integrally bundled with the overall
program. (For computer experts: GIM uses program overlay
capabilities.)
14. Do the program authors promise to provide error fixes, upgrades,
and additional program features at nominal or no cost?
Yes. But please keep in mind that with this version, we (the
GIM Authors) are limited in time and cost. At the current date,
GIM is a non-profit product. Any voluntary remuneration of costs
is of course appreciated. It is distributed through shareware
channels.
15. Are the specimens of charts, indexes and reports good and
desirable?
We hope so. Reports have been designed after standard forms.
16. Is there someone who knows the program and will help you when you
have a problem?
With the current version, it seems that the GIM Authors will be
the best source for assistance.
17. Can you add footnotes and short freestyle comments for any field
in any record?
Emphatically YES! GIM provides separate source and research notes
for each vital statistic (i.e. birth, christening, marriage,
death, burial, etc.). This is one of the distinguishing features
of GIM.
18. Is there a way to integrate files made with your word processing
program with files from this program?
At the present time, no. This capability will be incorporated
into the future version 3.
19. Are there quick-entry routines that allow abbreviations of long
and repetitious place names and character strings?
Emphatically YES! While typing in a partial phrase that has been
entered before, GIM will prompt the user with a suggestion which
the user may easily and quickly accept. An <Alt>-<function key>
combination also provides quick re-entry of the eight most
recently entered items.
20. Will the program run on any other model of computer than the one
for which you bought it?
GIM is currently limited to PC compatibles (8086 family). An
enthusiastic programmer may negotiate with the GIM Authors over
arrangements for porting the source code over to another platform.
GIM is currently compiled with Borland Pascal 7.0.
21. Do the program authors supply user names for you to check user
satisfaction?
A list is available on request. However; the list contains new
users due to recent general availability GIM (three months).
22. Is there a user's group formed around use of this software?
Not really; GIM is relatively new. (See previous question.)
23. Does the program allow you to designate a subject and then create
an automatic search of ascending and descending bloodlines?
Yes, yes, yes. The GIM Lists Area (within the GIM program) is
very powerful, flexible, and friendly. It provides a very good
way to do searching, sorting, and much more. It has a
simplified SQL-like user interface.
24. Can the program handle any number of marriages and any number of
children from each marriage?
No. The current limitation is 12 marriages per person and 32
children per marriage. Version 3 is rapidly under development
which will raise the limit to two billion. (See question 9.)
25. Are there church-related fields in the records that match your own
needs?
GIM is designed for a typical LDS genealogical user. Non-LDS users
may simply disregard special LDS fields. Version 3 (a future
release under development) will make church-related fields user
customizable. ("LDS" is a term which refers to the genealogical
efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
26. Can you buy a demonstration disk and a user manual and apply their
costs to the software price if you decide to buy the whole
package?
At the present time, GIM is offered under a shareware license and
distributed through shareware channels. Future versions may be
sold for a profit. Terms and conditions will be determined at that
time. (See question 15.)
27. Can you return the software and manual with a reasonable or total
refund if it does not satisfy your requirements?
Not required; see previous question.
28. Are the record-keeping differences between this program and your
manual system minor and negotiable?
We hope so. We (the GIM Authors) tried to give the program a
natural look and feel with a very simple and flexible user
interface. Where appropriate, program modules were designed
around family group record and pedigree chart concepts.
29. Will the program authors help you to convert data files made on
another computer and under another program to this program's
control?
Yes, definitely yes. GIM provides a GEDCOM exchange capability.
GIM data may be imported from and exported to GEDCOM standard
files. This provides a no risk opportunity to try GIM. (GEDCOM
is the genealogical computing industry standard. All of the major
genealogical software packages support the GEDCOM standard.)
30. Is the vendor prompt in answering your letters and filling your
order?
We try to be responsive, especially to problem (bug) reports.
31. Will the program create acceptable pedigree charts (ascending and
also descending) and family records of an acceptable style?
GIM produces standard 8.5x11 family group record sheets and
pedigree charts. Additional non-standard forms are provided
which include an outline style descending pedigree chart (progeny
form) and an outline style extended ancestral chart.
32. Can you create indexes of spouses, individuals, and family
groups?
No. But, we plan to add this feature shortly.
33. Can you use your own numbers or your old numbering system?
Yes. GIM provides many numbering or identification systems.
These are:
PIN Person Index Number, internal to GIM
GIN Genealogical Index Number, or Ahnentafel number
AFN Ancestral File Number
REFN Reference number, typically from PAF
Code User definable field of twenty characters
(PAF is Personal Ancestral File, developed and marketed by The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
34. Can you search files on any word in any field?
Yes. GIM provides a very powerful searching and sorting
mechanism. (See question 23.)
35. Can you use "and", "or", and "not" in search term combinations?
Yes. GIM provides a very powerful searching and sorting
mechanism. (See question 23.)
36. Can you sort records by chosen fields?
Yes. GIM provides a very powerful searching and sorting
mechanism. (See question 23.)
37. Can you get printouts of screen-display records in a variety of
formats?
Currently GIM is limited to standard forms and a few non-standard
forms for printing.
38. Does the program have all the fields you want and with adequate
field lengths?
There are many, many fields, notes, and collections of
information. Please contact the GIM Authors with additional
requirements.
39. Can you have records spread out over many disks and still treat
them as a single file?
GIM data is designed around the concept of a folder which contains
family group record and pedigree chart information. A user's
genealogical data may be contained in one complete folder or
across multiple folders. GIM provides pruning and grafting
mechanisms for handling genealogical tree fragments.
40. Is a field easy to edit during or after the record-entry process?
Yes. The user interface is extremely friendly and easy to use.
41. Can you add fields later?
Data can be added to existing fields (birth, death, burial, etc.)
at any time; however, if you need to add fields (such as bar
mitzvahs, religious confirmations, or other blessings) which are
not currently provided, please contact the GIM Authors with your
additional requirements. These specialized fields will be
available and standard in version 3 (future release under
development).
42. Can you easily locate records for individuals?
Yes. There is person name search for similar phonetic spelling
universally available throughout the program.
43. Does the program prevent putting death dates earlier than birth
dates?
No, and with good reason! GIM is designed to be non-obtrusive.
A user may take advantage of the List Area (searching and sorting)
to easily find suspicious situations.
44. Can you express dates in any of several format styles?
Yes. Any format within twenty characters.
45. Will the program protect you from errors if the data diskette is
full?
No. However, there are ample obvious warning messages when the
disk/diskette is getting close to being filled.
If you've read this far, you should have a fairly good idea of what GIM
is and what it does. We hope that it satisfies your genealogical
computing requirements.
We (the GIM authors) wish you success in your genealogical pursuits.