NetMinder for Windows

Table of Contents:

Toolbar Controls

Pulldown Menus

Data Area

Browse Controls


Toolbar Controls

NetMinder Main control button options:

  Creating a new address database

  Opening an existing address database

  Add a new record

  Edit current record

  Delete current record

  Using memos


Data Area

The Data Area is the main area of the NetMinder window. It contains the controls for viewing and editing database records. Most of what you do with NetMinder will occur in the Data Area. The various controls and their functions are summarized below:

The Use Button:

The use button copies the current visible network address to your Microsoft Windows compatible terminal. After pressing USE switch back to your terminal program and paste the address to your screen.

Sending Internet mail to a person in your database:

After finding the person you wish to send mail to by using the browse buttons or by a query, press the USE button. Switch to your terminal program (by pressing ALT-TAB, or by sizing down the NetMinder window and clicking on your terminal to make it the active window) and type "Mail" at your prompt. Then either select "paste" from a pulldown menu, or one of the keyboard equivalents (usually CNTRL-V or SHIFT-INS). The address you selected from NetMinder should now be on your screen. All you now have to do is hit return to begin typing  your mail.

The Memo Indicator:

The memo indicator appears if there is a memo connected to the current record. To view or create memos use the memo button on the toolbar.

The Browse Controls:

The Browse Controls  (the plus and minus sign buttons) allow record by record movement through the database.

The Data Entry Area:

The Data Entry Area is where the actual text associated with each record is viewed or edited. Fields for information such as a street address are included so the data can be exported and used for postal mailing. It is also possible to search on the address, name, site, country and company fields.

The Data Area Listbox:

The Data Area Listbox - Lists entires from a database dependant on how the List menu controls are set. If the List menu is set to "All", all records in the current database will be shown. Double click on any entry in the listbox to make that entry the current record.


Creating a new address database

NetMinder allows you to create an unlimited number of new database files.  You might want to create different files for different purposes, such as separate databases for work and home use.  To create a new  database press the New push-button, or select New from the File menu. Once you have selected New, you will  see the Save As dialog box that will prompt you for the name of your new database. Once you have selected  "Ok", the new database will become the current open database and you can begin to add entries to it.


Opening an existing address database

NetMinder stores the information you enter in files called Databases.

To open an existing Database simply  press the Open push-button, or select Open from the File menu. Once you have selected Open you will be  presented with a dialog box that will allow you to look for and select existing NetMinder database files.  NetMinder database files always have the extension  ".dbf". Once you have selected one of the database files  listed in the dialog box and have pressed "Ok", the file that you have chosen will become your current open  database. NetMinder always remembers which database you were using last, and automatically loads it on start  up.


Adding a new record

Each NetMinder Database file is made up of individual entries which might represent people or network  addresses. Adding entries to your current open database is a simple matter.

To add a new entry to your current database select either the New Entry push-button, or select New Record from the Edit menu.  NetMinder will then be in Add mode, and the data area will go blank to allow you to enter your new information.  Once you  have finished making the entry press the "Ok" button on the left side of the main screen and the entry will be  saved.

Most Internet addresses are not intuitive and it is easy to make a mistake while typing them in. NetMinder  allows you to "cut" an address from your terminal screen and insert it into your new entry automatically so as  to avoid errors.  The process is simple and generally goes something like this; with your Windows compatible  terminal highlight and select the address you wish to copy to NetMinder.  Select Cut or Copy from the  Terminal's menu.  Using the Alt-Tab key combination, or the mouse make NetMinder the active application.  Press the New Entry push-button (as described above). You will notice that the "Use" button now says "Get".  Just press the "Get" button and the address you had selected on your terminal will appear in the Network  address box.  Fill in any other information if you wish, and then press "Ok" to save the entry.


Edit current record

Often it will be necessary to make changes to a particular entry.  To make changes to the current entry on the  screen press the Edit Entry push-button, or select Edit Record from the Edit menu.  While NetMinder is in  edit mode you can make what ever changes you wish to the information on the screen.  After you have made  your changes press "Ok" to save your changes, or Cancel to abort the edit and return to the last saved version  of the entry.


Delete current record

Deletes the current record permanently from the database. This command is enacted by either selecting the delete button on the toolbar, or selecting Delete Record from the Edit menu.


Using Memos

Memos are notes that can be attached to each entry. You might want to use a memo to record any important  additional information related to an address. Using the Memo push-button will bring up the memo editor. You  can create a new memo for an entry, or edit an existing memo.  A memo can be completely deleted by using the  "clear" button on the memo editor. A memo entry can have a maximum of 255 characters.

 If an entry does have an attached memo, the memo indicator will appear.  To view the memo press the Memo push-button.


Browse Controls

The browse control set allows the user to move through the database record by record.

 Move to the next record

 Move to the previous record

 Move to the first record in the database

 Move to the last record in the database


Pulldown Menus

NetMinder's Pulldown Menus are grouped by five different areas of functionality:

File

Edit

List

Search


File

The File menu has three options

Open - Opens an existing NetMinder database

New - Allows creation of a new NetMinder database

Exit - Quits the NetMinder program

See Also:

Opening an existing address database

Creating a new address database


Edit

The Edit menu has four options

New Record - Creates a new address record

Edit Record - Allows changing the information in the current record

Delete Record - Deletes the current record from the database

See Also:

Adding a new record

Edit current record

Delete current record

Launch Line


Launch Line

When enabled, the Launch Line menu option prefixes the selected network address with the appropriate Unix command.

If for example a FTP address is chosen and Launch Line is enabled the address will be prefixed with "ftp" when it is copied

to the Windows clipboard.


List

The selections available under the List pull-down menu determine how NetMinder presents it's information.  The List Menu's selections are divided into two parts.

Data ListBox Controls:

By Address: If "By Address" is checked on the List menu the Data ListBox will list all of the current  database's entries by their network address field.

By Name: If "By Name" is checked on the List menu the Data ListBox will list all entries by their name field.

Type Sort Controls:

List All: This selection makes NetMinder show all records in the current database regardless of their type.  This is the default setting.

List Email: If List Email is selected NetMinder will only show the entries in the current database that are of  type Email.

List FTP: If List FTP is selected only entries of type FTP will be shown.

List Telnet: If List Telnet is selected NetMinder will only show entries of type Telnet.

List WAIS: If List WAIS is selected NetMinder will only show entries of type WAIS.

An entry's "type" in this context is determined by whatever the data area Type combo box is set to for that  entry.


Search

NetMinder has the ability to search it's current address database for a desired record.

Example: Searching for a person named Janet

1. Select the Search Name menu option from the Search menu.

2. The search text entry box will appear. Enter the name of the person to search for (in this case Janet) and press the "Ok" button.

3. The data area listbox will now show only records that have the name Janet  in the name field.

Note: Searching is case sensitive, i.e. Janet is not the same as janet.

The Search menu has five options:

Search Address - Allows searches of the Network Address field. For example you could use this to list all addresses with an .edu domain in them.

Search Name - Allows searches of the Name field. You could use this to find a particular person in your database.

Search Site - Allows searches of the Site field. You could use this to list all entires that have accounts on the same machine.

Search Country - Allows searches of the Country field. Use this to list everyone in your database who is in Ecuador for example.

Search Company - Allows searches of the Company field. This can be used to find entries at a particular company.


Record

A collection of data that constitutes one entry in a NetMinder database.


Database

A collection of records related to a particular topic or purpose. NetMinder has the ability to create and use many databases.