Behold is not yet a full-featured genealogy program. Currently it is just a utility program for genealogy. You will still require another program to enter your genealogy data and export it to GEDCOM before Behold can work with the data.
A GEDCOM file is a type of file that was designed to allow different genealogy programs to transfer data from one to another. Most genealogy programs can import data from a GEDCOM file and export data to a GEDCOM file. GEDCOM file names usually have the extension: .ged
Please note what this version of Behold will and will not do:
What the Current Version of Behold Will Do
Behold will read in genealogy data from GEDCOM files, allow you organize the data and see it through the Everything Report.
Behold will let you view, print and export your data to a few other formats like HTML and RTF (but currently not to GEDCOM).
Behold will save your settings in Behold Organize files, so you can organize your data any way you want, and then recall that exact view later.
Behold will allow you to see all your data like you've never seen it before!
What the Current Version of Behold Will Not Do
Behold will not read your data directly from your current genealogy program. You will have to use your program to export your data to a GEDCOM file so that Behold can read it. (Maybe this will be possible someday)
Behold will not save data into a GEDCOM file. (This will come in Version 1.1)
Behold cannot save any text editing changes you may make to your data. (This will come in Version 2.0)
Behold does not allow you to create or add new genealogy data other than text editing changes. (This will come in Version 2.0)
Behold does not import pictures. (This is on my list and will come, but after Version 2.0)
Saving, editing, and pictures will all be added in future releases. (After Version 2.0)
Work on a Mac or handheld. (This will come as well)
Why is Behold Unique?
All other genealogy programs were designed to help you get your data in. That's great, but only if you can get your data out again. Behold was designed, first to get your data out. Its Everything Report is a straightforward concept that no other genealogy program decided to implement. The Everything Report will make working in Behold more like working in a word processing program than in a genealogy editor.
Behold has powerful data organizing features. You can organize, select, and view families easily. Instant Organize and Surname Organize or Reorder with a single mouse click. Add or remove Relatives through Marriage. Add or remove Everyone Else.
Behold handles the most complex family relationships imaginable. Half-families, step-families and adoptions are well understood by Behold and are presented logically and understandably. Behold reads all the slightly different types of GEDCOM files by being more lenient in the GEDCOM rules and not throwing anything away. So Behold will accept all data in a GEDCOM generated by any program with the best interpretation possible.
But what will really differentiate Behold is when Version 2.0 is developed. That will include editing in-place right on the Everything Report. Behold will be the world's first genealogy word processor. It will make those limiting and time-consuming fill-in-the-blank data entry forms of other programs a thing of the past. Unfortunately, I've still got a bit of work to get there, but I will make it happen. Now, back to today.
The hardest part of designing Behold was to try to make it very user friendly and easy to use. My goal is that you will find the user interface very easy to learn and pleasant to work with. If you find anything difficult to understand or hard to do, I'll want to know about it and improve it.
In addition, I've tried to optimize Behold and make it as fast as possible for those of you with large genealogy files (hundreds of thousands of people) so you won't have to wait forever.
Let's take a look at Behold's main screen on the next page ...
