XYFT

XYFT is a genealogy application that gives you a helping hand in generating your own family tree. It is based on XY Family Tree, but the main difference between the two is related to the data storage medium. While XY Family Tree works with  CSV documents, XYFT stores all the information in XML files, thus allowing its users to edit the content much easier and import it to third-party applications.

Working with XYFT is not difficult, although the layout of the interface could be improved. Optimized to fit wide modern screens, the main window cannot be resized (but it can be maximized) so there are scroll bars to allow you to see the entire content in case the monitor is smaller. Moreover, the color scheme and the way panels are placed are not ideal for a pleasant user experience. There are, however, a few customization options insofar colors are concerned.

Going past the design choices, it's easy to create a new family tree from scratch in XYFT. First, you have to select the person to start with, then work your way into adding parents, siblings, spouses, children, associates, and so on. It's worth mentioning that XYFT can also handle adoption lineage, not just genetics-based lineage.

A genealogy project in XYFT can have notes and to-do lists attached, which helps you stay focused and avoid forgetting about distant relatives that should be included in the family tree. And speaking about family connections, the application allows you to easily spot people without parents, or detect persons who are their own ancestors, thus helping you find mistakes in your project.

There are a few additional features of XYFT that need mentioning. For instance, it stores a list of sources and pictures that the XML data is pointing to, and it enables you to add alternative names for people.

As for data sharing, XYFT can print the family tree to HTML format or upload the content to a web folder that can be managed online.

Relying on XML schemas rather than CSV files, XYFT enables you to work with data in a family tree much easier. It has its perks when compared to XY Family Tree, but it also has a few drawbacks that might be annoying.