Gramps 6.0 JSON export for Gramps 5.1 / 5.2

Version 1.0.0. An export plugin for Gramps 6.0.x that creates a JSON file suitable for import through the JSON Import addon in Gramps 5.1 or 5.2.

Choose the target version in the normal Gramps export assistant. The plugin exports the entire open family tree to temporary JSONL, applies the tested compatibility adjustments, and saves the converted JSON file and one English conversion report. The temporary JSONL file is removed automatically.

The interface follows the Gramps language setting: Danish or English. Reports use English in both interfaces. Names, custom type names, places and other text from the family tree retain their original language.

Requirements

• Gramps 6.0.x to run this exporter. The registration targets 6.0; other release series, including 5.1, 5.2 and 6.1, are rejected by Gramps' version check.
• No separate JSON Export addon is required in Gramps 6. The plugin uses the JSON serialization functions included in Gramps itself.
• The matching JSON Import addon is required in the receiving Gramps 5.1 or 5.2 installation.

Install

1. Close Gramps.

2. Extract the downloaded ZIP archive.

3. Copy or extract the project folder into your Gramps user plugin folder. Keep the complete folder structure unchanged, including any locale folder included with the project.

   The user plugin folder is normally located here:

   • Windows: %AppData%\gramps\gramps<version>\plugins\
   • Linux: ~/.gramps/gramps<version>/plugins/
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/gramps/gramps<version>/plugins/

   Replace <version> with the Gramps version folder used on your system.

4. Start Gramps again.

5. Check that the installed filter, rule, gramplet or tool is available where described in the project documentation.

If the project does not appear or fails to load, check Help → Plugin Manager for an error message.

Removing the test version

1. Close Gramps.
2. Delete the project folder that you added to the Gramps user plugin folder.
3. Start Gramps again.

Because the project was installed only in the user plugin folder, removing that folder removes the test installation without changing the original Gramps program files.

Use

1. Open the family tree in Gramps 6.0.
2. Select Family Trees → Export... / Slægtsbøger → Eksportér....
3. Choose JSON for Gramps 5.1 / 5.2 / JSON til Gramps 5.1 / 5.2.
4. Select Gramps 5.1 or Gramps 5.2 under Target version / Målversion.
5. Choose a new .json filename and complete the assistant.
6. Import the JSON file into a separate family tree in the selected target version using its JSON Import addon.

For an output named family_51.json, the report is named family_51.report.md. Reports contain record/type counts, conversion action counts, role/event/place checks, input SHA-256, scope information and source references. Gramps 5.1 reports also list the From/To date adjustments in detail.

The output uses one JSON object per line, matching the receiving JSON Import addon. It is not a single JSON array. The temporary input is named Gramps6_export.jsonl; that name appears in the report even though the temporary file is removed after the operation.

Data included

The exporter reads the entire open family tree, including private records, without person filters. It exports the ten primary record categories: Note, Event, Person, Family, Repository, Place, Source, Citation, Media and Tag.

Media records and references are included. The image, audio, video and other media files themselves are not copied. The plugin does not change the open family tree and is not a complete portable backup of all database settings and media files.

Type classes handled

The compatibility conversion actively handles these eleven Gramps type classes:

For these classes:

• Supported standard types retain their numeric value; the string field is removed so the receiving Gramps version can localize the type itself.
• Custom types retain their text name; their class-specific CUSTOM value is removed. CUSTOM is 0 except for FamilyRelType (4) and ChildRefType (7).
• Text-only types that exactly and unambiguously match an English standard name supported by the target are converted back to numeric values. Other text-only names remain custom text.
• V6 standard types absent from the target are preserved as English custom text, rather than an unsupported numeric value.
• Unknown numeric values, invalid value/string combinations and unnamed custom types in the handled classes stop conversion before output is written.

Type classes not actively converted

Passing a class through unchanged does not establish compatibility for every possible value or data form. Other fields and classes are also passed through unchanged, except for the Gramps 5.1 date adjustments below.

Date compatibility

The Gramps 5.1 adjustment is an approximation, because that release series does not support From/To. The 5.1 report records the affected dates and their original values. Other date modifiers are not changed by this conversion.

Verification and limitations

The original conversion scripts were tested by the user in Danish and English Gramps 5.1 and 5.2. The user subsequently tested the integrated exporter and imports into both target versions and reported matching output and no observed discrepancies. The Danish interface translation was also reviewed and approved by the user.

The tested family tree contains 2,208 people. The original handover recorded 8,020 records; the later local regression file contains 8,027 records. RepositoryType and SourceMediaType were also tested separately with manually added data.

Local regression checks compare the converted JSON with the previously approved scripts. They also check type mappings, date adjustments, record counts, English/Danish interface selection, overwrite protection and temporary-file cleanup. These checks supplement the user's Gramps tests; they do not cover every possible database.

The converter preserves the tested Gramps data structures and performs compatibility adjustments required by Gramps 5.1/5.2. Because Gramps databases may contain custom and rarely used data types, an exact 1:1 conversion of every possible database cannot be guaranteed.

Existing output and report files are refused, even if the standard export assistant offers an overwrite confirmation. Choose a new filename. A write failure, such as a full disk, can leave a partial output file; investigate the error and use a new filename for the next attempt.

Package files

The conversion modules can also be run with Python independently of the Gramps interface:

python V6_to_V51_1_0_0.py INPUT.jsonl OUTPUT.json
python V6_to_V52_1_0_0.py INPUT.jsonl OUTPUT.json

References

• Gramps addon development
• Gramps 6 JSON serialization
• JSON Import registration for Gramps 5.1
• JSON Import registration for Gramps 5.2

License

GNU General Public License v2 or later, like Gramps.

PROJECT WEBSITE

https://myown-project.dk/