     ===================================================================
                     README file for Geni Version 1.20
     (c) Martin Dunstan  (mnd@dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk)  February 16th, 1997
     ===================================================================

Credits:
   Idea and design: Vivienne S. Dunstan
   Programming:     Martin N. Dunstan


Purpose:
   Browse genealogical (family tree) databases with ease.


Copyright:
   (c) Martin N. Dunstan  (mnd@dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk)  February, 1997.

   This application is shareware. You may use it to browse to 50 individuals
   while unregistered. After this point the program will become unusable
   (except to read the help information) until it is registered.


Machines:
   Geni will run on the Psion 3a, Psion 3c and Acorn Pocketbook II. Note
   that the current version will NOT run on the Psion Siena.


Features:
   * Databases stored in compact format e.g. 4000 individuals in 300K.
   * Browse to parents, siblings, children or spouses via a few
     easy-to-remember keypresses.
   * Ancestral tree display (three or four generations visible).
   * Zooming on tree display and an optional status window.
   * View details of current individual and their marriages.
   * Context-sensitive help as well as detailed help.
   * Searching with wildcards.
   * Remembers details of recently used databases.


Registration:
   This program is shareware - if you like it and wish to register your
   copy please send 15 pounds (or whatever you feel the program is worth) in UK
   currency (Sterling cheque or international bankers draft) to the address
   below along with the name under which you want it registered (maximum of 60
   characters). If you have an e-mail address please print it clearly and I
   will e-mail your registration code to you, otherwise I will reply as soon
   as possible via snail mail. If you wish I will notify you of any major
   changes or bug fixes.

      Martin Dunstan
      1 Cupar Mills
      Cupar
      Fife  KY15 5EH
      Scotland


Description:
   Geni is a fully-fledged genealogical database browser for the Psion 3a
   and 3c. It is intended to be used by genealogists who maintain their
   data on a computer such as a PC or Macintosh using a package designed
   for the purpose. Users must be able to save their data in GEDCOM
   format for Geni to work.

   The databases used by Geni are very compact (usually half the size
   of the GEDCOM from which they were created) allowing the user to
   carry large databases on a small Psion without the need for extra
   disks. These databases are created from GEDCOM files by RdGed, a
   program which accompanies the Geni distribution. 

   Users are not expected to keep the Geni file completely up-to-date
   with their central database but will recreate it when needed. The
   ability to save information in GEDCOM format is required for the
   creation of the Geni database file. 


Quick Installation:
   See the MANUAL.TXT file for a more detailed description on how to
   install Geni. If you have never installed a third-party application
   on your Psion or have a limited amount of memory please read the
   instructions in that file.

   The distribution files (GENI.OPA, GENI.HLP, GENI.PIC and RDGED.OPO)
   can be installed on any drive. You can even split the distribution
   over multiple drives (eg. GENI.OPA on A:, GENI.PIC on B: and GENI.HLP
   on the internal drive) if you are short of memory.

     (1) Create the following directories:
           \APP\GENI
           \GENI
           \GENI\GED

     (2) Make sure that your transfer program regards .HLP files as
         binary files and .GED files as plain text files.

     (3) Copy:
           GENI.OPA  into \APP
           GENI.HLP  into \APP\GENI
           GENI.PIC  into \APP\GENI
           RDGED.OPO into \OPO
           Your GEDCOM file(s) into \GENI\GED

     (4) Choose INSTALL from the system screen APP menu and install Geni.

     (5) Run RdGed on each GEDCOM file to convert them into Geni files.
         Once RdGed has finished converting the newly created files can
         be used by Geni immediately. At the first dialog of RdGed you
         should select the GEDCOM file to be converted and then press
         ENTER. Type in a suitable name for your database at the second
         prompt, press ENTER and wait for the conversion to finish.

   After conversion you can remove the GEDCOM files and RDGED.OPO as well
   as \GENI\GED if you created it. RdGed can read GEDCOM and write Geni
   databases over the serial link - at either of the dialogs press the down
   arrow and then use the left and right arrows to select the appropriate
   drive. Unfortunately Geni doesn't like to access the databases over the
   serial link so you must have them stored on the Psion somewhere, ideally
   in \GENI.

   The detailed help information is stored in the GENI.HLP file. If you
   need a little extra space this file can be deleted and Geni will still
   work although detailed help will be unavailable (context-sensitive help
   is always available though). You can also delete the GENI.PIC file if
   you want but then you will get a fairly boring title screen!


RdGed 1.11 Footprint:
   System memory (running) ... 22K
   User memory (running) ..... 13K
   Application size .......... 15K
   Total ..................... 48K

   If large GEDCOM files are converted then some extra memory might
   be needed for a lookup table. A database of 6000 records could
   require an extra 64K of system memory.


Geni 1.20 Footprint (from DEMO.GED):
   System memory (running) ...  25.0K
   User memory (running) .....  22.0K
   Application size ..........  27.2K
   Help database .............   4.9K
   Title screen ..............   7.1K
   Resource file .............   1.0K
   Extra (detailed screen) ...  27.0K
   Total ..................... 114.2K

   The operating system requires some extra memory when opening new
   Geni databases. This memory is released once the database has been
   successfully opened. For a database of about 380K the extra memory
   is about 20K.


Changes from version 1.00 to 1.10:
   * Geni 1.10 runs far quicker than version 1.00.
   * Much quicker when closing down.
   * Databases incompatible with version 1.00
   * Doesn't rely on the sex field for locating spouses.
   * Requires less memory to use.


Changes from version 1.10 to 1.11
   * RdGed uses non-recursive quick sort to save system memory.
   * Search string only has a * wildcard at the end not at the
     beginning as well.


Changes from version 1.11 to 1.20
   * Geni searches drives M, A, B and C for its files but
     creates its preferences file (1K in size) in M:\APP\GENI.
   * Added zooming to allow tree display to show great-grandparents.
   * Optional status window. 
   * Requires less memory to install and use.


Bugs:
   No bugs have been found in this version although there must be some
   lurking somewhere. If you do find any bugs or the program crashes
   with a fatal error please let me know! Ideally I need to know the
   exact circumstances under which the bug appears so try and restart
   the program and replicate the bug using the least number of moves.

   RdGed also seems to be free from bugs - if you find any please send
   me a fragment of GEDCOM that is causing the problem. The program will
   attempt to tell you which line it stopped at but it is probably best
   to look at the lines immediately before and after it.

     ===================================================================
                     README file for Geni Version 1.20
     (c) Martin Dunstan  (mnd@dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk)  February 16th, 1997
     ===================================================================
