Talk:Gramps 5.2 Wiki Manual - User Directory

User Directory files and directory Structure overview

Idea for new section that provides an overview of the files and folders/directories found in the user directory see https://gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Gramps_XML#See_also Auxiliary XML files in Gramps https://gramps.discourse.group/t/auxiliary-xml-format-documentation/2800 https://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Template:Backup_Omissions

In general the following Gramps user files and folders can be found in the "User Directory"

Gramps - Top level folder

Subfolders:

• CSS - Theme files used by the narrative website report

• grampsXX - example: "gramps52"

gramps.ini - file holding Gramps configuration settings ( Gramps key file )

'*.ini - for each view or bottom or sidebar the configuration of each will be stored in assorted *.ini files

• • plugins - location of user installed addons for Gramps either manually or via the addon manager

• grampsdb - location of your family tree files each in subfolders using random seven (7) alpha/digit Hexidecimal folder name
  • abcdef12 - each SQLite based family tree folder may contain the following files

database.txt - plain text file that contains what format the data file is in eg: sqlite / bsddb ...

meta_data.db - ?

name.txt - name of the family tree

sqlite.db - family tree data file

• • abcdef34 - each legacy BSDDB based family tree folder may contain the following files 31 files!

(list example)

• • abcdef56 - other addon database backend family tree folders may contain other files as required please consult that addon

• thumb - folder contains media thumbnails for use by the Gramps programs and various reports and addons
  • large - versions of the media thumbnails
  • normal - versions of the media thumbnails

recent-files-gramps.xml - file

report_options.xml - file

GrampsXX.txt - file containing any error reported by Gramps eg Gramps52

Backup Omissions

The Gramps Package backup only contains your family tree and (when the 'include media' backup option is selected) your media.

The following settings in Gramps are not transferred:

• Any changes you have manually made to gramp.ini
• Any custom settings for reports (report_options.xml) you have made.
• Any custom Books (books.xml) you have created.
• Any custom holiday sets or country calendars (holidays.xml) you have created.
• Any custom Place Formats (place_formats.xml) you have created.
• Any changes you have made to the dictionary for spell checking e.g.: new or excluded words.
• Gramps exports objects in the Tree. So any added Tags or custom types that have not been applied to at least one record, the Tag or Type will have no place to be included in the backup.
• Any custom filters (custom_filters.xml) you have created.

Custom Filter migration Keep your collection of custom filters through a minor updates to patch Gramps (e.g., from version 6.0.1 to 6.0.2) by manually copying your custom_filter.xml from Gramps User Directory to the corresponding directory in new gramps_version_number. Even minor upgrades with feature changes (e.g., from a 6.0.x to a 6.1.x version) may include XML format changes since the recent innovation of addon rules are causing rapid evolution in Filters. So porting filters in this manner requires verification that the XML definitions haven't changed. Also, Addon rules may have to be installed in the new upgrade before copied custom filters will work safely.

You can keep your custom settings by manually copying each of the *.xml files from the Gramps User Directory to the corresponding directory in the new gramps_version_number directory. Be aware that (due to changes in different versions of Gramps) the settings may no longer work. So be diligent that you test.