Chapter 1. Users' Manual

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
INSTALLATION
STARTING LIFELINES AND CREATING DATABASES
INTRODUCTION TO GEDCOM
MAIN MENU
ENTERING THE FIRST PERSON
SCREEN EDITORS AND ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
BASICS OF BROWSING
IDENTIFYING A PERSON OR LIST OF PERSONS TO BROWSE
ZIP IDENTIFYING A NEW PERSON
BROWSE DISPLAY BASICS
PERSON BROWSE MODE
LIST BROWSE MODE
FAMILY BROWSE MODE
TANDEM PERSON BROWSE MODE
TANDEM FAMILY BROWSE MODE
PEDIGREE BROWSE MODE
ADD OPERATION
DELETE OPERATION
CHARACTER TRANSLATION
MISCELLANEOUS UTILITIES
HANDLING SOURCE, EVENT AND USER-DEFINED RECORDS
FAMILY STRUCTURE AND MERGING PERSONS AND FAMILIES
LINKING RECORDS TOGETHER AND USING THE REFN FEATURE
THE LIFELINES PROGRAMMING SUBSYSTEM AND REPORT GENERATOR

INTRODUCTION

LifeLines is a genealogy program that runs on UNIX systems. It maintains genealogical records (persons, families, sources, events and others) in a database, and generates reports from those records. There are no practical limits on the number of records that can be stored in a LifeLines database, nor on the amounts or kinds of data that can be kept in the records. LifeLines does not contain built-in reports. Instead it provides a programming subsystem that you use to program your own reports and charts. The programming subsystem also lets you query your databases and process your data in any way. LifeLines uses the terminal independent features of UNIX to provide a screen and menu based user interface.

LifeLines is a non-commercial, experimental system that is use at your own risk software. I developed LifeLines for personal use and shared it with friends. Enough of a demand arose through word of mouth and internet, that I have made the LifeLines source code and other information freely available at two ftp sites, ftp.cac.psu.edu and hoth.stsci.edu. Though LifeLines is free in all its forms, I retain all rights.