XY Family Tree (XYFT) is a fully featured, freeware desktop genealogy program designed to record, organize, and research ancestry on a Windows PC. Developed as an alternative to rigid mainstream programs, it prioritizes a biological view of family structures while offering total database flexibility. Core Philosophy & Data Structure
XML Architecture: Unlike standard genealogy software that relies strictly on the traditional GEDCOM format, XY Family Tree uses logically related XML files built as a proper relational database.
Custom Tagging: Users are not locked into standard fields. You can define your own unique searchable tags, such as
XYXchange Format: The software utilizes an .xyx format for backups. When sharing trees, this file packages the data along with all attached photos, documents, and media—a major improvement over standard GEDCOM files which only export text data. Key Features
Flexible Relationships: XYFT easily maps complex family dynamics, including half-siblings, unlimited spouses, same-sex marriages, and peripheral connections (like historical or social associations).
Advanced Adoption Tracking: The program handles adoption and egg donor tracking flawlessly. A child can be linked concurrently to both biological (“releasing”) parents and “adopting” parents with notes mapped to both sides.
Multimedia Support: Supports any media your PC can handle, allowing you to link photographs, video clips, audio snippets, and external web resources to individual profiles.
Multi-Family Research: You can manage an unlimited number of families across dedicated, independent folders while maintaining the ability to execute searches for names, places, or custom tags across all folders simultaneously.
Privacy & Local Storage: All records are kept directly on your local PC rather than forced into the cloud. Sharing your tree online via an optional browser-based HTML view is entirely optional and password-protectable. Program Details & Getting Started xyfamilytree.com XY Family Tree
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