GRanDMA OnLine Development Details.
Ken Ratzlaff, July, 2025
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Some History
The GRanDMA genealogical database has revolutionized research for those tracing Prussian/Russian Mennonite and Hutterite ancestry.
Launched in the early 1990s, it had documented around 600,000 individuals by the end of that decade. Alan Peters later authored a
history detailing its development.
In its early years, GRanDMA was distributed every few years on CD by the California Mennonite Historical Society (CMHS).
Like many others, I explored the data using Brothers' Keeper software on my desktop computer.
In 1999, I had the privilege of joining the Heritage Tour to Ukraine, where Alan Peters served as our resident genealogist.
He brought with him not only the database but also a remarkable depth of genealogical knowledge.
At one point, I remarked that the web could be an ideal platform for distributing, viewing, and even updating the
GRanDMA database—and that a web application could generate reports dynamically. Someone in the room replied,
“It can’t be done; it’s too big.” And indeed, the display methods used by individual genealogists at the time
were not equipped to handle a project of this scale.
That challenge sparked my first venture into database-driven web development. I set up a local web server
and began exploring options. In 2000, someone recommended using the ASP language (in hindsight, perhaps not the best choice).
The initial platform, named Grandma’s Window, aimed to provide a visual interface to the GRanDMA data.
Before long, it could return a list of possible matches based on a user’s search.
At the request of CMHS, the "Grandma’s Window" moniker became GRanDMA OnLine (GMOL). I continued developing
the platform—improving search speed and functionality, and adding more reporting features—while CMHS managed
subscriptions, which still cost just $10 per year. Over time, the user base steadily grew.
In 2019, I retired from my role as Director of the Instrumentation Design Lab at the University of Kansas.
Retirement—combined with the Covid-19 lockdown—allowed me to devote nearly full-time effort to GMOL.
I dove into learning new technologies, enhancing the user interface, expanding search options, and refining reports.
GMOL development continues to be rewarding. Ten-hour programming days often fly by. But as I transition into my 80s,
my focus is shifting toward making GMOL more robust, sustainable, and user-friendly.
Some Technical Details
What’s behind the GMOL screen? Here’s a brief overview for the tech enthusiasts.
The core codebase is written in Classic ASP (Active Server Pages) and HTML, with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
used for page styling. Because ASP is used, GMOL requires a hosting environment running Microsoft IIS
(Internet Information Services). Many pages also use embedded JavaScript for enhanced interactivity.
XML and PHP play supporting roles in specific tasks. Visual Basic utilities convert GEDCOM files from
the GRanDMA Master Database into usable formats. The databases are held on Microsoft SQL Servers.
Altogether, the project includes nearly 100,000 lines of code—about 87,000 of which are ASP.
Cookies
Cookies contain user preferences or are used to maintain login status. They are necessary for operation of
the GRanDMA OnLine app. Data from cookies are not extracted.
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