# Does Gramps retain the ability to directly read & write XML (as it did in Gramps 1.0)?

**URL:** <https://gramps.discourse.group/t/does-gramps-retain-the-ability-to-directly-read-write-xml-as-it-did-in-gramps-1-0/3586>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [May 3, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/does-gramps-retain-the-ability-to-directly-read-write-xml-as-it-did-in-gramps-1-0/3586 "2023-05-03T20:34:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![GeorgeWilmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@GeorgeWilmes](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/GeorgeWilmes)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/does-gramps-retain-the-ability-to-directly-read-write-xml-as-it-did-in-gramps-1-0/3586/10 "2023-05-17T15:50:20Z")

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> [@ennoborg](#):
>
> I often find myself switching between a couple of trees, just to see whether they have data worth copying. And that’s quite a drag.

You could install a second copy of Gramps with a different application name so that you can have both open at once. The key is to change the second copy so that it keeps its data in a different place. See [this post](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/how-did-portableapps-implement-relative-paths/1791/2). (That’s Mac-specific but I imagine you could do the same on Windows.) I think I had also posted once with more detail about copying and changing the app but I can’t find it just now. Media files are also a consideration.

Use a different theme in each one so you can more easily tell which version you’re looking at!

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