Changes

This tool was specifically written to make importing and merging a Gramps tree [[Genealogy_Glossary#family_tree|Tree]] derived from your own tree Tree easier. Make no mistake, merging is HARD, and this tool is not magic, it does not make the process simple, but it is easier that the alternatives.

Note that I said "a Gramps tree derived from your own tree". A case that comes up every so often Make no mistake, merging is '''''hard'''''! And this tool is when you make a Gramps XML copy of your treenot magic, give it to someone else, and both of you does not make changes using Gramps. Programmers call this the process simple but it ''is'forking', you end up with two trees derived from a common tree. At some point you may want to merge in easier than the changes from both trees to a common tree. That is what this tool is designed to facilitatealternatives.

Note that this requires ''"a Gramps tree derived from your own tree."''  A situation that occurs occasionally is after giving someone a copy of your tree in our native [[Gramps XML]] format. Then each person makes changes to the copy in their possession using Gramps locally. You can't just give the person a fresh copy of your Tree because then their changes would be overwritten. Programmers call this 'forking,' (As in we travelers come to a 'fork in the road' and each chooses different paths.) You end up with two trees derived from a common Tree. At some point, you may want to merge the forks into a common tree... without losing the useful changes from either tree. That synchronization is what this tool is designed to facilitate. It depends on the two Trees sharing common IDs to simplify ignoring unchanged records. Then it focuses you on just the changes. But what if say the other user doesn't use Gramps, so I you exported with Gedcom [[Gramps_and_GEDCOM|GEDCOM]] (or another format) and got it back? Sorry, ... this tool won't be any easier than a manual merge.You'd still need to hand compare every record. The derived trees need not be limited to those edited by someone else. I often take a copy of my tree on my laptop when traveling and sometimes I make updates while on the road. But then I may forget to copy it back to my home desktop computer until after I've made more updates. This tool helps to merge these back together.{{man warn|1=Warning Back up you current tree BEFORE using this tool to merge.|2=If something goes wrong, you will have a way to go back and start over. See [[How to make a backup|make a Gramps XML backup]].}}