Contents

How to Order SiteFinder and AniMap Plus

Overview

Selecting Files

Compressed vs. Uncompressed Option

Explanation of the Listings

Go To

Pluck Option

Search Mode

How to Order SiteFinder and AniMap Plus


Overview
Overview of SiteFind

Sitefind is a special-purpose database viewer/searcher for using
SiteFinder.  It provides capabilities to quickly access and view
any part of any of the regional SiteFinder databases, and to search
and selectively display data from one or all of the files.

In addition, SiteFind provides the ability to use the database files from theircompressed form, saving about 80% of the hard disk space normally required, yet allows you to access them quickly.


Select
Selecting Files

The "File" - "Open" sub-menu provides a list of those of the
files that are present on your system.  Files that show a check mark
are present in uncompressed form, available for immediate
display.  Unchecked files are present in compressed form and if
opened will appear after the delay required for decompression.
The file currently being displayed is shown in the "Name" title
field at the top of the display.

See Compressed & Uncompressed Files


Compress
Compressed & Uncompressed Files

Note: The CD ROM version of SiteFinder does not use compressed files. Information on this topic applies to the demo version only

Under "Options", the item "Open from Compressed File" may be
either checked or unchecked.  Once set, it will be "memorized" for
later Sitefind sessions.

If the "Load From Compressed File" option is checked, the dtabase will delete the expanded file each time you exit SiteFind or load a new file and involve a short delay (less than one minute on most systems) each time you open the file for the decompression process.

In compressed form, each file occupies no more than 1.4 megabytes of hard disk space. The decompressed files will occupy up to 4.7 megabytes each.

To select the Compressed File option, click the left mouse button on "Open from Compressed Files" on the Options Menu. When this is done, a check mark will appear to the left of the text in that box.

To change your selection, click the mouse on the same line.


Go To

The "Go To" function is for quick access to any part
of a file.  One or two letters may be typed, followed by "Enter", and the display will move to the first entry in the name field beginning with your selection.

 Note: the full version of SiteFinder allows you to type up to 5 characters in the "Go To" box.

Go To accepts only letters. Numbers or other symbols will be ignored.

The "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys may
then be used to look through the file.


Search
Searching Files

     Two types of searches may be performed "simple" and "compound".

     For a simple search, any text may be entered into the search
field.  All items containing that text in the name field will be
displayed, up to the limit of the display page.  If there are more
items found than can fit on one display page, "Page Down For More" will
appear at the top of the screen. "Page Down" will then show another
batch of found records.

Case Sensitive: If you capitalize a letter in your search request and check the Case Sensitive box, You will get only those items that are capitalized as you typed it. For example, a search for "Smith" in case-sensitive mode will return all the "Smith" names, but not those with "smith".

     For a "compound" search, commas can be inserted to delimit
fields.  Searches can be made selective as to state or county.  The
following variations are possible:

1.  Two letter state code which must be in capital letters, followed by a comma, then the search text. ("ST, search").  Only those entries in the specified state will be displayed.

2.  Two text fields separated by a comma.  ("search,county").  The
text after the comma is tested in the county field.  Only those
entries matching the county specified will be displayed.

3.  Three fields, for state-county selection. ("ST,search,county").
Only those entries matching all three fields will be displayed.

4.  State-county selection. (ST,,county).  If two adjacent commas
separate a state code and a text field, a display will appear of all entries for that county in that state.

5. County-only selection (,county). A single comma followed by a name will search for all the names in the specified county regardless of the state where it is located

Wild Card Searches

If part of a name is unknown, you may substitute a question mark (?) for the missing letter(s). You may use more than one wild card in a seach, but a question mark must be inserted for each missing letter.

Wild cards will only work in the Name field. However, they may be used in a compound search if the full state abbreviation and/or county name is specified.


Plucking
Plucking a Record

The PLUCK option on the Options Menu allows you to extract a record from SiteFinder for use in AniMap Plus or other Windows applications.

Using the mouse (left button) or the arrow keys, highlight the item you want to use. Then select Pluck from the Options Menu. The SiteFinder screen will disappear and a small window will remain with the selected information.

To use the Plucked record in AniMap Plus, enter the AniMap Plus program, and get the state map on the screen. Then switch* to "SiteFind Plucked Record". This will place the record on your map screen so that you can easily refer to the coordinates and place a marker at the desired location. If the window is in an inconvenient location, you can move it by placing the cursor on the title bar, and holding down the left mouse button while you drag it to another place.

The Plucked Record information will not appear on printouts or exports of your map.

*If switching between windows is not a familiar operation for you, access the Help File in Windows Program Manager and search for information on "Switching between applications".


Ordering Info
ORDERING ANIMAP PLUS AND SITEFINDER

AniMap Plus and SiteFinder are now available on a single CD ROM. Included are the AniMap County Boundary maps for 48 states (no Alaska or Hawaii), the SiteFinder U.S. Place Name Database containing nearly 250,000 cities, towns and other places of interest both current and historical, and the SiteFinder Cemetery File containing over 100,000 cemeteries throughout the United States.

The AniMap/SiteFinder CD ROM is available for $79.00+4.50 shipping & handling from:

THE GOLD BUG, P.O. BOX 588, ALAMO, CA 94507

Credit card orders may be submitted by phone (510) 838-6277 or our toll-free number (888) 653-6277.  E-Mail to goldbug@compuserve.com.


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Information in the Files

Each record gives the place name, the county in which it is (or was) located, and the latitude and longitude coordinates for all but a few.

There are two additional fields, "H" and "S". An X in the "H" field indicates a historical place which is no longer in existence. The "S" field is used to show the source of the information. If the "S" field is empty, the information is from the Populated Places list published by the U.S. Geological Survey. The letter "L" in this field is used for places from the Locales listing from U.S.G.S. A Z in this field indicates places listed as post offices by the U.S. Postal Service which to not appear on the U.S.G.S. listings.

Many of the place names are followed by "v-" and another place name. These are variant names, usually obsolete, for the indicated location.

If you have access to the Internet, you may obtain information on geographic features not listed in SiteFinder such as rivers, mountains, etc. from a Geographic Server. Easy access to one of these can be found in our homepage on the World Wide Web.

http://www.goldbug.com