Although published over many decades, the printed series was not uniform in coverage or currency.
Some elements are represented only by decades-old and not updated slim summary volumes.
Most later supplement volumes focused on an element's organic complexes.
It has over 800 different data fields on subjects such as the compounds' electric, magnetic, thermal, crystal and physiological information.
The Gmelin database is less complete and less up-to-date than the handbook; the printed book is consequently kept available.