Copyright: URL Organizer v2.0


Welcome
Welcome to URL Organizer 2!

Thank you for taking the time to evaluate URL Organizer 2. I hope you will soon discover just how sophisticated, powerful and innovative a tool it is for storing and organizing all your URLs; and that you will quickly appreciate its finely-crafted and feature-rich interface.

You may want to check out the key features you can look forward to using, or you may want to get started immediately. If, after consulting these help notes, you have any questions or suggestions about this program, please e-mail me and I will be happy to reply.

•	ZD Net awarded four stars to version 2.0 (since when the program has improved almost beyond recognition).

•	Tucows awarded four cows to version 2.2.

•	PC World’s FileWorld chose version 2.2 as an Editor’s Pick.

•	Skylark Utilities chose version 2.2 as an Editor’s Pick.


Getting Started

URL Organizer 2 is shareware, so you may install it and try it out for 30 days before paying a cent. Please consult the terms of the license to see the conditions under which you may use the program.

1. Install URL Organizer

If you have installed software before, you should have no difficulties with URL Organizer. Double-click on ‘setup.exe’ to start the process. See the notes on installation options.

2. Experiment with the basic features

When you first run URL Organizer, you will see loaded a sample URL list. First, check out the different interface modes by selecting from the Application menu. Switch to Organize mode and experiment with the organizing facilities: see how to edit a URL or heading, re-order or re-group URLs and headings and add a note to a URL. Then see the different ways to add a new URL to the list.

3. Import your existing URLs

Now you probably want to see how URL Organizer looks with your own URLs loaded. See Importing URL Collections.

4. Get to know URL Organizer intimately

URL Organizer’s interface is probably quite unlike any other you’ve encountered. Don’t let this put you off: it’s very simple to use, and when you get the hang of it, very fast. Most of the functionality of URL Organizer you’ll discover by experimenting or by reading the rest of the Help notes. See in particular Keyboard Shortcuts and Tips.

5. Register URL Organizer

Hopefully you will be so impressed by URL Organizer you won’t have any doubts about registering. However you have 30 days to decide and e-mail support is always available to answer your queries.


Key Features
Key Features of URL Organizer 2

URL Organizer 2 is a highly sophisticated tool for storing and organizing your URLs. These are just some of its key features:

General features

•	URLs stored in a 3-level hierarchy so no URL is more than 3 mouse clicks away

•	fast full-text search facility*

•	instantly switch between up to 10 URL collections of up to 10,000 URLs each*

•	instantly switch between up to 10 web browsers*

•	loads in a snap and uses minimal disk space, memory and resources

•	includes comprehensive integrated help notes**

Information stored

•	web, e-mail and news addresses

•	application, folder and document shortcuts**

•	unlimited space for notes on each URL **

•	site log-in names**

•	time of last opening a URL*

Sophisticated organizing tools

•	import and export URLs to/from Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Opera**

•	import Start Menu shortcuts**

•	quick and easy to edit, re-order and re-group titles and URLs*

•	support for aliases (multiple instances) of URLs**

•	support for separators/dividers**

•	drag and drop support**

•	automatic and manual backup of URL collections**

•	copy URLs as text or HTML**

Highly-configurable interface

•	alternative interfaces: ‘Regular’, ‘Organize’ and ‘Compact’**

•	fully-resizable windows**

•	user-definable color scheme*

*Features more primitive(*) or not available(**) in freeware version


License

URL Organizer 2 is copyright (1998-1999) of Edward Leigh. It is distributed and sold as ‘shareware’. It is NOT public domain or ‘freeware’.

In the license conditions that follow, three terms have special meaning:

•	‘ the Author’ shall refer to Edward Leigh, the author of URL Organizer 2

•	‘ the Program’ shall refer to URL Organizer 2

•	‘ the Licensee’ shall refer either to you as an individual plus any family with whom you share a computer or, if you will be using the Program in the capacity of an employee, to the company which employs you.

The Author grants the Licensee:

•	the right to install and use the Program on any computer;

•	the right to use the Program for thirty (30) consecutive days from the day of installation before the Licensee must either purchase a license or uninstall the Program

providing that the Licensee agrees to be bound by the following conditions:

•	If the Licensee is a company, the number of licenses required at any one time equals the number of employees who use the Program. The number of licenses required specifically does not equal the maximum number of concurrent users of the Program, nor does it equal the number of computers on which the program is installed.

•	The Program is licensed, not sold, to the Licensee.

•	The Program is provided ‘as is’. The Licensee uses the Program entirely at its own risk. No warranties nor guarantees are included with the license. In no event shall the Author be liable for any consequential damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, damages for loss of business profits or loss of business information) arising out of the use of, or the inability to use, the Program. In any case, the Author’s liability shall be limited to the price paid for this license, or ten UK pounds sterling, whichever is the greater.

•	The Licensee agrees to respect the copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as any other intellectual property laws and treaties that apply to the Program.

•	The Licensee may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or modify in any way whatsoever the Program.

•	The Licensee may not sell, rent or lease the Program to anyone else. The Licensee may distribute only the most recent installation package as available from the Author’s Web site.

•	This licence agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

If The Licensee does not agree with the stated license conditions, please do not install URL Organizer; or if installed already, please uninstall URL Organizer 2 immediately.

See also:

•	Registering and Purchasing a License


Registering
Registering and Purchasing a license

URL Organizer 2 is SIVL-compliant shareware. This means that, in order to fully-enable the program’s functionality, you must register it with OSoLiS. Functionality is limited after the 30 day evaluation period is over, but you will always have access to your URLs and, should you decide that URL Organizer is not for you, you can export your URLs back to Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator or Opera.

As of the release of version 2.3, a license to use URL Organizer (see the terms of the license) costs US$20. Up-to-date pricing, including special offers and discounts, is available on the registration site: http://www.osolis.com/cgi-bin/register.cgi?2

OSoLiS currently accepts payment by VISA, MasterCard, American Express and NOVUS Discover charge cards. Payments by check are not accepted at this time, but please contact me if you are unable to pay by any other means.

Registration steps

To access the OSoLiS registration service, either:

•	Go to About URL Organizer under the Application menu, and click the Register button whilst you are connected to the Internet,
or

•	Go on the Internet to http://www.osolis.com/en/registration/ and follow the instructions there. The Program ID of URL Organizer 2 is P2.

You will find instructions on OSoLiS’s site, but the basic steps are:

1.	Register your contact details.

2.	Buy a license for URL Organizer (Program ID: P2).

3.	Download a copy of your Personal License Register (or have it e-mailed to you).

4.	Exit from any SIVL-compliant programs (e.g URL Organizer 1) that you are running.

5.	Move the License Register to the active Windows directory (usually C:\WINDOWS, but it might be C:\WIN95, C:\WIN98 or C:\WINNT). If you’re not sure where to put the License Register, run URL Organizer and check About URL Organizer under the Application menu.

Can’t replace existing License Register

If you find you get an error when trying to move your Personal License Register to the Windows directory, you probably still need to exit from all other SIVL-compliant programs that you are running (including URL Organizer 1).

See also:

•	Registration Problems


Registration Problems

If you have difficulties obtaining your Personal License Register from OSoLiS, please contact them at client.support@osolis.com.

If URL Organizer doesn’t recognize that it is registered, please check About URL Organizer under the Application menu to see what is wrong. Below are some suggestions for what to do depending on the message you see. If you still don’t have any joy, then please e-mail me with the message URL Organizer reports.

License Register missing

You must place the Personal License Register in the directory that URL Organizer says it is looking in. If the file you have is called licenses.zip, then you must ‘unzip’ it to extract the actual Personal License Register. If you don’t know how to unzip a file, or you have lost your Personal License Register, see below for how to obtain a new copy of your Personal License Register.

License Register corrupt

If the Personal License Register has become corrupted, then you will need to obtain another copy: see below.

To obtain a new copy of your Personal License Register

1.	Log back into your account with OSoLiS using the Register button in About URL Organizer, or starting from http://www.osolis.com/en/registration/.

2.	Click on the License Register button.

3.	Choose to have your Personal License Register e-mailed to you unless you have difficulty receiving attachments.

4.	Install your Personal License Register in the active Windows directory as before, overwriting your existing Personal License Register if applicable.


Upgrades

New releases of URL Organizer fall into two categories: ‘updates’ and ‘new editions’. All updates to URL Organizer 2 are free to registered users of and carry a version number 2.x.

The next major release of URL Organizer is likely to be a new edition, though it may be preceded by one or more minor updates. The next new edition will be called ‘URL Organizer 3’; it will carry a version number 3.x; and will require a new license for which a fee may be charged. However, registered users of URL Organizer 2 will be entitled to upgrade to URL Organizer 3 for no more than a third of the regular purchase price.

You can install an update over an existing installation without affecting your preferences, URL list files or registration status.

See also:

•	Plans for Future Releases

•	Registration Problems


Installing

To install URL Organizer for the first time, run setup (or setup.exe). You will be presented with various set-up options, described here. You can change any of these options even after URL Organizer has been installed.

Location of application files

Choose the folder in which you want URL Organizer and the help files to be stored.

Shortcuts

•	Desktop: Include a shortcut on the desktop

•	Quick Launch bar: If you have Internet Explorer 4.0 with ‘Desktop Update’ installed, then you can include a shortcut in the Quick Launch bar in the Task bar.

•	Startup items: If you want URL Organizer to launch when you start up your computer, include a shortcut here.

•	Start Menu: Include a shortcut in the Windows Start menu. You can choose the folder in which the shortcut should be added.

Default location for list files

This folder is the one you will be offered first when you save a new URL list. It is also where the sample URL list file will be moved. You can either use the application folder or you can choose another.

Re-installing

You can re-install URL Organizer any number of times without affecting your registration. As long as you don’t move or erase your Personal License Register then URL Organizer will recognize that it is registered.

See also:

•	Changing Set-up after Installation

•	Registering & Purchasing a License

•	Registration Problems


Uninstalling

To uninstall URL Organizer choose Uninstall from the program’s Application menu. You will then be asked which components you wish to remove before they are finally erased. (If you only want to reset the Windows Registry entries, uncheck the other items.)

You can also use the Windows Add/Remove Programs Control Panel to start the uninstall process.


About URL Lists

URL Organizer stores your URLs in a simply-formatted text file. Internet Explorer’s method of storing shortcuts is inherently slow and offers no facility for storing notes; Netscape’s bookmark file can be difficult to edit manually, and cannot be extended; so I came up with a simple, readable format to use instead.

URL Organizer supports up to 10 different list files concurrently. This effectively gives you another level in the hierarchy above Category. You might have one list for business-related URLs, one for leisure URLs, and one for applications installed on your computer, and others created for one-off projects. If you’re using URL Organizer at home, you can let family members build up their own lists independently.

Each list can hold up to 10,000 URLs. In the unlikely event that you also have more than 10,000 category and subcategory headings, you will find that the limit is just under 10,000 URLs. However, you would be much better advised to break your URL collection into smaller parts, and save each in a separate URL list (see Moving URLs and Headings).

You can switch between lists on-the-fly from the List menu or using the Ctrl+<digit> shortcut indicated in the List menu.

If you use more than one computer, you can access a list file over a network, or you can store one copy in a ‘Briefcase’ to keep it synchronized with the master copy.

See also:

•	Adding or Removing a URL List

•	Saving a URL List

•	Importing a URL Collection

•	Exporting a URL List

•	URL List Backups

•	Moving URLs and Headings


Adding or Removing a URL List

To include an existing URL list in the List menu

1.	Select Configure from the List menu.

2.	Click on the New/Add button.

3.	Select the list in the file browser and click Open

4.	If necessary, edit the name that URL Organizer uses to refer to the list.

5.	Click Done.

To create a new, blank URL list

1.	Select Configure from the List menu.

2.	Click on the New/Add button.

3.	Select the folder in which you want to save the new URL list

4.	Type the name you want to give the new URL list and click on Open

5.	If necessary, edit the name that URL Organizer uses to refer to the list.

6.	Click Done.

To create a new URL list from Netscape bookmarks, Internet Explorer favorites, an Opera Hotlist or your Start Menu, see Importing a URL Collection.

To remove a URL list from the List menu

1.	Select Configure from the List menu.

2.	Click on the Remove button. (This does not erase the list file.)

Drag names up or down the list box to change the order in which they appear on the List menu.

See also:

•	Importing a URL Collection


Saving a URL List

URL Organizer automatically saves the open URL list whenever you switch viewing mode or switch to another URL list (but you are prompted first if you have made changes in Organize mode. To force changes to be saved at any other time, select Save from the List menu, type Ctrl+S or, in Organize mode, click on the Save button.

You can save a copy of an open URL list by selecting Save Copy from the List menu and choosing a location and name for the copy.

See also:

•	Exporting a URL List

•	URL List Backups


Importing a URL Collection

URL Organizer can import favorites from Internet Explorer, bookmarks from Netscape Navigator, Hotlists from Opera and shortcuts from your Start Menu. Here’s how:

1.	Select Configure from the List menu to bring up the URL Lists Preferences.

2.	Press the Import button.

3.	Click on the type of URL collections you want to import.

4.	If desired, change the path name of the new* URL list that will hold your imported URLs.

5.	Press the Import button.

6.	If there’s a problem, check that the Source file or folder is correct, and if necessary choose another.

In order to fit your URLs into a 3-tier hierarchy, URL Organizer has to do some pre-arranging of its own. These changes are only reflected in the imported URL list, not in your original favorites/bookmarks/Hotlist/shortcuts.

Where you have URLs that are at the top level of the URL collection, URL Organizer inserts both a category and subcategory heading (‘Uncategorized’) above those URLs. Where you have URLs one folder down from the top level, URL Organizer inserts a subcategory heading (‘Uncategorized’) above those URLs. You can change the ‘Uncategorized’ headings to something else afterwards.

Where you have URLs more than two folders down from the top level, the bottom level folder is effectively moved up one or more levels to become a subcategory. Because this may not be what you want, it may be advisable before you import to rearrange the folders so that you don’t have any folders within folders within folders.

Ideally you would start with a URL collection that has:

•	a top level of just category folders

•	a second level of just subcategory folders

•	and a third level of just URLs

*Merging with an existing URL list

URL Organizer will only import URL collections into a new list. If you want to add the imported URLs to an existing URL list, you can do this simply as follows:

1.	Import the existing URL collection to a new URL list file (e.g. ‘Imported URLs’).

2.	Mark all of the categories in ‘Imported URLs’.

3.	Switch to the list you want to add the imported URLs to.

4.	Select Duplicate Marked from the Edit menu.

Note that URL Organizer will not detect duplicate URLs if there are any.

See also:

•	Adding or Removing a URL List


Exporting a URL List

URL Organizer can export a URL list as Internet Explorer favorites, Netscape Navigator bookmarks or as an Opera Hotlist:

1.	Select Configure from the List menu to bring up the Lists Preferences.

2.	Press the Export button.

3.	Choose the source URL list.

4.	Select the export format.

5.	Check or choose the path name of the favorites folder or bookmark file to which the URL list will be exported.

6.	Press the Export button.

Internet Explorer

Each exported shortcut is saved with the following path name relative to the folder you select for export: <Category title>\<Subcategory title>\<URL title>.

Beware of overwriting existing favorites if you export your URL list into an existing Internet Explorer Favorites folder.

Netscape Navigator

URL Organizer cannot automatically merge exported URLs with an existing Bookmark file. If you need to add your URLs to an existing bookmark list, you can do this as follows:

1.	Import the existing Bookmark file into a new URL list file (e.g. ‘Netscape Bookmarks’).

2.	Mark all of the categories in ‘Netscape Bookmarks’.

3.	Switch to the list you want to export.

4.	Select Duplicate Marked from the Edit menu. (This adds the imported Netscape bookmarks to your URL list.)

5.	Export your URL list as a new Netscape Bookmark file.

Note that URL Organizer will not detect duplicate URLs if there are any.

Opera

To merge your URLs with an existing Hotlist, simply export your URLs to a new Hotlist file. Then in Opera, right-click on the Hotlist window and select File > Insert File, and select the exported Hotlist file.

Note that Opera will not detect duplicate URLs if there are any.

See also:

•	Saving a URL List


URL List Backups

URL Organizer automatically creates a backup copy of your URL lists. This happens when you or URL Organizer save changes for the first time after loading a URL list. (Be aware that URL lists are reloaded each time you make a selection off the List menu.) The backup copy is saved in the same folder as the original list and is called ‘Autobackup of [name of original list file]’. (Note that the name of the URL list file may not be the same as the name of the URL list as reported on the List menu in URL Organizer.)

Restoring a backup

If you realize that you’ve accidentally saved changes you didn’t mean to make:

1.	Exit URL Organizer.

2.	Using Windows Explorer, open the folder where you store your URL list file.

3.	Check that there is a backup of your URL list called ‘Autobackup of …’

4.	Delete the regular URL list file (not the autobackup copy).

5.	Rename the autobackup copy to have the name of the regular URL list file (by deleting the words ‘Autobackup of ‘).

6.	Reload URL Organizer.

Salvaging a corrupted URL list

If you notice that a URL list has become corrupted (perhaps because of a computer crash) then, AS LONG AS YOU HAVEN’T SAVED CHANGES since loading the URL list, you can restore the backup copy that was made when you last loaded that URL list:

1.	Don’t exit URL Organizer.

2.	Using Windows Explorer, open the folder where you keep your URL list.

3.	Check that there is a backup of your URL list called ‘Autobackup of …’

4.	Make a copy of the autobackup file by selecting, copying and pasting it (see Explorer’s Edit menu).

5.	Exit URL Organizer.

6.	Delete the regular URL list file.

7.	Rename the file you created in step (4) to have the name of the regular URL list file (by deleting the words ‘Copy of Autobackup of ‘).

8.	Reload URL Organizer.

See also:

•	Saving a URL List


Manually Editing a URL List

You can edit a URL list using a text editor as long as you bear in mind the following:

•	Do not try to edit a list whilst it is open in URL Organizer 2 (you won’t be able to re-save it).

•	Each category, subcategory and URL must have a line to itself.

•	Prefix each category title with <1>

•	Prefix each subcategory title with <2>

•	Enter each URL as the full URL (including e.g. http://), then a tab*, then the URL title

•	Indentations aren’t necessary, though URL Organizer 2 generates indents for ease of viewing

•	Other information (such as last visited time) is added automatically after the URL title

•	Don’t put any URLs between a category (<1>) and a subcategory (<2>)heading

You are advised as a precaution to save a copy of your URL list before you start editing it!

*Note that in version 1 you could use spaces or commas instead of a tab. Because these are not recognized in version 2, you may find some URLs are shown with their titles appended. If this happens, simply cut the title text and paste it into the title box.


Printing a URL List

URL Organizer does not have any built-in facility for printing a URL list. However since URL lists are stored in plain text files, you can use other programs to do this. If you open a URL list in Notepad or WordPad (both part of a standard Windows installation), or any other text editor, you will see that your URLs are listed in a perfectly readable format, which your text editor will be able to print out.

If you want to remove the last-visited times (represented as long numbers), notes or log-in names, the easiest way to do this is to copy the entire URL list from a text editor and paste it into a spreadsheet (e.g. in Microsoft Excel). You can then select and copy just the first 3 columns, containing the titles and URLs, and then paste these back into your text editor.


Exporting a URL List to the Web

If you want to place a list of your URLs on a web site (so that you can access it away from your own computer), the best solution is to export your URL list as a Netscape bookmark file. This displays in a Web browser as a well-formatted list of links and even preserves your notes (but be careful about letting other people see your log-in names and/or passwords).

When you export your URL list, you should probably choose a folder other than Netscape’s, unless you want to overwrite the bookmark file that Netscape uses. You may need to make a note of where you save the exported bookmark file so that you can find it to upload to your Web site.

See:

•	Exporting a URL List


Finding and Opening a URL

To select a URL

1.	Select the relevant list from the List menu.

2.	Select the category. In Compact mode, click on:

3.	Select the relevant subcategory. In Compact mode, click on:

4.	Select the title of the URL you want

To search for a URL

  To search for a URL, type the text to search for in the search box and press Enter/Return or click on the Search button (shown here). Repeat if the first match isn’t the one you’re looking for. URL Organizer searches through all the text in the current URL list file, including category titles, subcategory title, URL titles, URLs, notes and log-in names.

To open a URL

Select a URL (so that it’s title is highlighted), then either:

•	Click on [image] when it’s highlighted (as shown here), or

•	Double-click on the URL’s title, or

•	Type Ctrl+O (the title list box must be the focus, not the Search text box), or

•	Drag the title onto a browser window (not available in Organize mode). Note that the Last Visited time may not be updated (see Known Problems).

To open an Internet URL in the frontmost or in a new window

Click on this button to toggle between these states:

  Open Internet URLs in a new window

  Open Internet URLs in the frontmost browser window

To open a URL with the alternate setting without toggling this button, simply hold down the Shift key when opening the URL.

To minimize URL Organizer after opening a URL

Hold down the Alt key when opening a URL and URL Organizer will immediately minimize itself. Or you can set URL Organizer to automatically minimize after opening a URL (see Behavior Options), in which case holding down the Alt key stops URL Organizer minimizing. Pressing F8 minimizes URL Organizer immediately.

How URL Organizer opens a URL

If the URL path begins ‘http://’, ‘ftp://’, ‘file://’ etc, then URL Organizer sends the URL directly to the selected web browser. Otherwise URL Organizer asks Windows to open the file, using whichever program is associated with the file’s extension type (such as ‘txt’, ‘htm’, ‘gif’ etc).

If you open an html file and the URL doesn’t begin with ‘file://’ (e.g. the URL begins ‘C:\…’ or ‘\\fileserver\volume\…’) then the Windows setting for the default browser will be used, not the browser selected in URL Organizer.

See also:

•	Behavior Options


Adding a URL to a List

There are four ways to bring a URL into URL Organizer:

•	 Use the Fetch button (available in Regular and Organize modes) or type Ctrl+E (available in all modes) to fetch the URL currently open in the frontmost web browser window.

•	Drag a shortcut onto the URL Organizer window.

•	Highlight a URL contained in a body of text, and drag it onto the URL Organizer window

•	Switch to Organize mode; click on the rightmost [image] button; and type the new URL and title.

Choose which category and subcategory you want to add the URL to or use the [image] buttons to create new headings. Then press Enter/Return in the title input box or click on the rightmost [image] button when it is highlighted.

If a list box is already sorted into alphabetical order (see Re-ordering URLs and Headings), then new items are inserted in alphabetical order too. Otherwise new items are added at the bottom of the list box (but you can then re-order them as you want).

Note that you can add e-mail addresses, path names to programs, folders and documents as well as Internet URLs, e.g.:

E-mail address:	mailto:user@domain.com

E-mail address: 	mailto:Full Name<user@domain.com>

E-mail:*	mailto:Full Name<user@domain.com>?cc=Another Person<user@domain.com> &bcc=Secret Agent<user@domain.com>

Program:	C:\Program Files\URL Organizer\URL Organizer.exe

Program:	D:\WebSvr\System\inetsw95.exe -w3svc -msftpsvc

Local folder:	C:\My Documents\

Network folder:	\\Network Volume\Disk Name\My Documents\

Document:	C:\My Documents\To Do List.txt

Make sure that you include the full path name, including extension (‘.doc’, ‘.exe’, ‘.bat’ etc), of any programs or documents you reference.

*This probably only works with Outlook  Express.

See also:

•	Re-ordering URLs and Headings

•	Importing URL Lists


Editing a URL or Heading

Editing a URL or heading is simple:

1.	Switch to Organize mode.

2.	Select the relevant title or heading.

3.	Click on the edit box showing the item you want to change (the edit box will change to a white background).

4.	Edit the text.

See also:

•	Moving and Sorting URLs and Headings


Deleting a URL

Deleting a URL is simple:

1.	Switch to Organize mode

2.	Select the URL or heading you want to delete

3.	Press the Delete key or click on the [image] button below the item you want to delete.

If you try to delete a category or subcategory title that isn’t empty, you will be prompted to confirm that you want to delete it.


Moving URLs and Headings

To move one or more URLs or subcategories to a different ‘branch’ of the list:

1.	Mark the relevant items.

2.	Select the category or subcategory under which you now want the marked item(s) to be listed.

3.	Select Move Marked from the Edit menu.

Alternative ways to Move items:

•	Press the [image] (Move) button

•	Click the right mouse button over the Titles list box and select or Move Marked from the popup menu.

This Mark and Move process is similar to Cut and Paste, but you won’t find you’ve accidentally lost anything by overwriting what you’ve cut. All marked items will remain grayed until Moved or Unmarked, or until you leave Organize mode.

Moving and copying items between lists

To move or copy URLs between lists, you follow exactly the same procedure: just switch to the list you want to move or copy the items to after step 1. At step 3 you have the option either to Move or to Duplicate the marked URLs: if you Move them, then when you next save the current URL list you will be prompted to confirm that you want to save changes to the source URL list.

See also:

•	Marking URLs and Headings

•	Making Aliases of URLs

•	Re-ordering URLs and Headings

•	Manually Organizing a URL List


Making Aliases of URLs

URL Organizer permits you to have the same URL mentioned in more than one place in a URL list using a system known as ‘aliasing’. When you create an alias, you create a link to the URL rather than a duplicate. This means that you can modify a URL’s details (e.g. the attached note or the Last Visited time) by modifying any of its instances.

To create an alias of one or more URLs:

1.	Mark the URLs you want to create aliases of.

2.	Select the subcategory under which you want the aliases to appear.

3.	Select Alias Marked from the Edit menu.

URL Organizer manages aliasing entirely transparently: you can re-title or Mark and Move any instance of an aliased URL. If you delete an instance of an aliased URL you will be prompted whether you want to delete all instances or just the selected instance.

See also:

•	Marking URLs and Headings

•	Moving URLs and Headings


Marking & Unmarking URLs and Headings

Ways to Mark items

•	Hold down the Control (‘Ctrl’) key down while you click on an item you want to mark.*

•	Switch to Organize mode and select the URL or subcategory you want to move and press the [image] (Mark) button.

•	Select the URL or subcategory you want to move and type Ctrl+Shift+X.*

•	Select Mark/unmark Item from the Edit menu.**

•	To select all the items in a list box together, click the right mouse button over the list box and select Mark All Here from the popup menu.

•	To select consecutive items, click on the first item then Ctrl+Shift-click on the last item.*

* This works in any display mode and automatically switches you to Organize mode.

** not available in Compact mode.

Ways to Unmark items

•	Select the Marked (grayed) item you want to Unmark and press the [image] button that shows in place of the usual [image] button.

•	Hold the Control  (‘Ctrl’) key down while you click on a Marked (grayed) item.

•	Click the right mouse button over one of the list boxes and select Clear All Marks from the popup menu.

•	Select Clear All Marks from the Edit menu.

•	To unmark all the items in a list box, click the right mouse button over the list box and select Unmark All Here from the popup menu.

Marked items are automatically unmarked after you move, duplicate or create aliases of them.

See also:

•	Moving URLs and Headings

•	Making Aliases of URLs


Re-ordering URLs and Headings

To alphabetically sort items a list box:

1.	Switch to Organize mode

2.	Click on the [image] button under the relevant list box.

Note that if the list box contains a separator, the items above it are sorted independently of those below it; the separator itself doesn’t move.

To re-order individual items in a list box:

1.	Switch to Organize mode

2.	Click on an item and, whilst holding the mouse button down, drag the item up or down the list box as required.

See also

•	Moving URLs and Headings


Inserting a Separator

To insert a separator (a horizontal line) between headings:

1.	Switch to Organize mode

2.	Click the right mouse button on the item you want to insert the separator before.

3.	Select Insert Separator from the popup menu.

See also

•	Re-ordering URLs and Headings


Adding a Note to a URL

For each URL you can add a note and/or record your site log-in name. Simply select Show/Hide Note from the Application menu, or press the function key F5, to bring up the URL Note dialog box. The URL Note dialog box shows the note and log-in name for the currently-selected URL; both items are always editable.

N.B. You should not store site passwords in URL Organizer since anyone else using your computer could easily access them.

To hide the URL Note dialog box, simply select Show/Hide Note from the Application menu, or press the function key F5.

Titles of URLs that you’ve annotated are displayed with a small asterisk (*).


Copying a URL

To copy a single URL (to the clipboard):

1.	Select the URL.

2.	Select Copy Highlighted URL from the Edit menu, and then select the format you want for the copied URL. Alternatively, click the right mouse button over the highlighted title and select either Copy as Text to copy just the URL as plain text or Copy as HTML to copy the URL and title as an HTML link.

To copy several URLs (to the clipboard):

1.	Mark the URLs you want to copy.

2.	Select Copy Marked URLs from the Edit menu, and then select the format you want for the copied URLs.

Then just Paste the URL(s) where you want them.

See also:

•	Marking URLs and Headings


Resetting Last Visited Time

The Last Visited time is automatically updated whenever you open a URL from with URL Organizer. You can reset it to indicate either that you have just opened the URL, or that you have never opened the URL:

•	Click the right mouse button over the Last Visited time and select either Set to Never or Set to Now.


General Tips

•	In Compact mode, you can see the full address of a selected URL as a ‘tool tip’ by letting the cursor hover over the [image] button. If you use the cursor keys to change the selection, the tool tip is updated immediately.

•	You can see the exact time and date when you last visited a URL as a ‘tool tip’ by letting the cursor hover over the Last Visited time.

•	Use the Ctrl+Tab shortcut to switch back and forth between two URL lists.

•	Check out the popup/context menus (click the right-hand mouse button) for useful functions, some of which are only available there.

•	Get to know the keyboard shortcuts.

•	When you switch to URL Organizer from another application, you can immediately type text in the Search box (not necessarily the case in Organize mode).

•	Use URL Organizer to store program, folder and document shortcuts, even DOS commands.


Keyboard Shortcuts

F1	Open Help Notes

F2	Switch to Compact mode

F3	Switch to Regular mode

F4	Switch to Organize mode

F5	Show/hide Note dialog box

Alt+F5	Activate Note dialog box

F8	Minimize URL Organizer

Alt+F4	Exit URL Organizer

Ctrl+O	Open URL*

Ctrl+F	Find next occurrence of search text

Ctrl+E	Fetch URL from frontmost web browser window
(This is also available in Compact mode)

Ctrl+S	Save changes

Ctrl+Shift+X	Mark URL to be moved (also Ctrl+click with left mouse button)

Ctrl+Shift+V	Move URL to selected location

Ctrl+L	Configure URL Lists

Ctrl+B	Configure Web Browsers

Ctrl+P	Configure other Preferences

Tab	Advance to next list or text box

Shift+Tab	Return to previous list or text box

Return/Enter	With caret in the search box: Find next;
With URL title list in focus: Open URL;
With caret in an edit box when an [image] is highlighted: Add URL/title.

Ctrl+<digit>	Switch to a different URL list (see List menu)

Ctrl+Tab	Switch to URL list containing marked items or to previously open list

*Modifiers for opening a URL (use with Ctrl+O or when double-clicking on a title):

Shift	Open URL with the frontmost/new window choice switched

Alt	Open URL then minimize URL Organizer (or, if auto-minimize is set, don’t minimize URL Organizer)

Most keyboard shortcuts are indicated on the menus.


Preferences & Configuration

There are three sets of preferences you can modify. When you press Apply, the changes are applied immediately (and cannot then be canceled), and the Preferences dialog box remains open. When you press OK, the changes are applied and the Preferences dialog box closes.

See:

•	URL Lists

•	Web Browsers

•	Behavior Options

•	Presentation Options


Web Browsers

To add a Web browser:

1.	Select Configure from the Browser menu.

2.	Click on the Add button.

3.	Find the main browser executable file, and click OK.

4.	If necessary, edit the name that URL Organizer uses to refer to the browser, and the DDE name*.

5.	Click Done.

Use the Remove button to remove a browser from the Browser menu.

Drag names up or down the list box to change the order in which they appear on the Browser menu.

URL Organizer supports up to 10 different web browsers. This is particularly useful if you need to test web sites with different browsers. You can switch between browsers on-the-fly from the Browser menu.

*The DDE name is the name that is used by other applications to ‘talk’ to the Web browser. Usually this is obvious: it’s the application’s DOS name minus the ‘.exe’, e.g:
Internet Explorer’s DDE name is iexplore
Netscape Navigator’s DDE name is netscape
Opera’s DDE name is opera

If you need help with configuring URL Organizer to work with another Web browser, please e-mail me.


Behavior Options

Keep window at front

You can choose, for each of the window modes, whether URL Organizer stays in front of all the other windows, even when you’re not using it. (You can always minimize URL Organizer to the Task Bar or to the System Tool Tray.)

Use System Tool Tray

If checked, URL Organizer will create an icon in the ‘tool tray’ area (usually at the right hand end) of the Windows Task Bar (which usually runs along the bottom of your screen). Clicking on this icon will bring URL Organizer to the front or, if it is already the active window, it will hide the program completely. When URL Organizer is ‘minimized’ or hidden it does not take up a slot on your task bar, but you can call it back immediately by clicking on the tool tray icon. You may find this particularly convenient if you’re using a small screen.

Start program minimized

If checked, URL Organizer will first start minimized to the Task Bar or System Tool Tray. This is most useful if you set URL Organizer to load when you start your computer (see Setup)

Auto-dock Note window

If checked, URL Organizer will always try to display the Note window immediately to the lower right of the main window; or if there’s not room there, then immediately to the lower left of the main window; or if there’s no room there either, then centered over the main window. Otherwise the Note window always remains where you place it.

Auto-minimize on opening URL

If checked, URL Organizer will automatically minimize after opening a URL. If you don’t check this option, you can achieve the same effect by holding down the Alt key when opening a URL; if you do check this option, then holding down the Alt key prevents URL Organizer minimizing.

Show message-line help

If checked, URL Organizer will display brief help notes in the message line at the bottom of the Regular/Organize mode window. The notes describe the functions of buttons menu items. The note shown corresponds to the button the mouse is hovering over or the currently highlighted menu item.

Application hot key

Choose a keyboard hot key that you can use to immediately bring URL Organizer to the front when using another application. Simply delete the hot key (with Backspace or Delete) to disable the facility. Make sure you use a key combination that doesn’t have a function in another application, since the hot key will override that function. A suggestion: If you have an Alt Gr key (functions as Ctrl + Alt) on your keyboard, combine it with a nearby key (e.g. ‘/’ or ‘\’) that is rarely used in keyboard shortcuts.

Note that a hot key will not work when URL Organizer is minimized to the System Tool Tray (see above).

See also:

•	Presentation Options


Presentation Options

Window Colors

To set your own window colors, choose Custom. To change a color, click on the swatch and pick a new color using the Windows color picker. Note that the Highlights color is used both for recently visited URLs and for the text in certain buttons.

Highlight URLs visited within last … days

Type a figure in the box if you want URL Organizer to highlight URLs that have been visited within the last so many days. Leave the box empty if you don’t want URLs to be highlighted. The highlight color used is either bright red (default) or the custom Highlights color (see above).

See also:

•	Behavior Options


Changing Setup after Installation
Changing Set-up after Installation

You can modify any of the set-up options after installation from within URL Organizer: choose Modify Setup under the Application menu.

Location of application files

If you specify a new location for URL Organizer, URL Organizer will exit when you press Setup Now. You must then re-launch URL Organizer in its new location. Any shortcuts will be modified to point to URL Organizer in its new location.

Shortcuts

If you deselect a shortcut option, the corresponding shortcut will be deleted; if you select a new shortcut option, the corresponding shortcut will be created.

Default location for list files

If you change this, then any URL lists in the current default folder will be moved to the new location.

See also

•	Installing


Problems

If you encounter serious problems with URL Organizer, please check first that you are using the latest version by visiting the program’s Web site. If URL Organizer doesn’t recognize that it is registered, see Registration Problems.

If you are experiencing problems with the latest version, these are two possible causes which you may wish to investigate:

The current URL list is corrupt

•	Switch to a different URL list, or create a new one: does that work OK?

•	Open the URL list in a text editor. Does it look OK?

•	If a URL list becomes corrupted, you can replace it with the automatic backup copy.

The Windows Registry settings are corrupt

•	Choose Uninstall from the program’s Application menu.

•	Select only Remove entries from Windows Registry and press Uninstall Now.

•	When you next run URL Organizer it will recreate the entries with default values.

If you can’t solve a problem then please contact me with the following information and I will endeavor to come up with a solution:

1.	The version of URL Organizer you are using (see About URL Organizer)

2.	The Operating System you are using (see the System Control Panel).

3.	The steps you took before the problem occurred.

4.	Whether you can now reproduce the problem following the same steps.

Known problems

The following are problems I am aware of:

Internet Explorer: ‘Frontmost’ window is not actually frontmost

If using Internet Explorer, you may sometimes find that a URL is opened in a window that is not actually frontmost, and that Fetch URL retrieves the URL from a window that is not actually frontmost. This is a limitation of Internet Explorer. The workaround is to drag the URL title onto the window you want the URL to open in.

Internet Explorer: Shift key interacts with opening URL in frontmost window

If you use the Shift key to invert the action of opening a URL to open a URL in the frontmost Internet Explorer window, you must release the Shift key before Internet Explorer attempts to open the URL or it will not open it. This is a peculiarity of Internet Explorer.

Opera: URLs open in Opera when another browser is selected

If you have Opera loaded but you have Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator selected in URL Organizer as the current browser, you may find that URLs will open in Opera’s frontmost window, rather than in the selected browser’s. This is a ‘feature’ or bug of Opera, which poses as Internet Explorer and Navigator whilst loaded.

Drag and Drop: URLs dragged from URL Organizer do not drop

URL Organizer implements the core features of drag and drop, but these are not all implemented by all applications (e.g. Opera and Microsoft Outlook Express). In these cases you should use URL Organizer’s alternative methods to open or copy a URL.

Drag and Drop: Last Visited time is not updated

URL Organizer receives very limited feedback about what happens to a dragged URL: it doesn’t even find out if the URL was dragged onto a Web browser or a text editor. The way I have implemented it, URL Organizer updates the Last Visited time if you drag a URL onto Internet Explorer, but not if you drag it onto most other applications. Therefore you may want to use the Drag and Drop feature to open a URL only in Internet Explorer (which allows you to get around the problem of Internet Explorer mistaking the frontmost window - see above).


Frequently-Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions

Most questions I have received in the past are answered elsewhere in these help notes. These though are a bit more philosophical:

Why this non-standard interface?

Windows Explorer-style tree lists and hierarchical menus permit you to create any number of levels, but they are slow to navigate around, are cumbersome to edit, and they clutter the screen. By contrast, URL Organizer’s interface requires you to make no more than three mouse clicks to get to a URL; editing, re-ordering or regrouping items is quick and easy; and the interface is compact.

Why only three levels?

To create a compact, simple but powerful interface. If you have, on average, 15 items at each level, you can comfortably store over 3,500 URLs. If you break your URL collection into separate lists (effectively creating a fourth level), you can readily store and retrieve tens of thousands of URLs. You can use separators to achieve visually what another sub-level would. And you won’t find yourself wasting time drilling down 5 levels to find a URL that you can’t quite remember how you categorized. Sometimes restrictions can be liberating.


Support & Feedback

Support is always available by e-mail if you encounter a problem or can’t work out how to do something. But please check the Help notes first to save both you and me time.

The URL Organizer Web site is kept up-to-date with news of the latest version available and a link to download it. If you have a comment, gripe or suggestion, feel free to e-mail me. If you discover a bug, I can usually get a fix posted to the Web site within a few days. If you have requests or suggestions, I can let you know if or when I intend to implement them.

Web site

http://www.osolis.com/hosting/urlorg/ or

http://www.osolis.com/cgi-bin/program.cgi?2

E-mail

urlorg@osolis.com

Thank you for choosing URL Organizer.

Edward Leigh


History of Changes

1.x	Freeware version - now distributed separately

2.0	Released 22 December 1998

2.0.1	Released 02 January 1999
Minor bug fix

2.1	Released 30 January 1999
Enhanced ‘Mark and Move’ to support multiple selections
Added facility to alphabetically sort headings and titles
Added option to highlight recently-visited URLs
Added facility to copy URLs as text or html
Added option to use System Tool Tray
Improved support for application and document shortcuts
Rearranged ‘Organize’ mode screen to include search facility
Many functional and graphical enhancements to interface
Various bug fixes

2.1.1	Released 5 February 1999
Added extra keyboard shortcuts
A few bug fixes

2.2	Released 26 March 1999
Added URL note & site log-in name fields
Added facility to import Opera Hotlists (including URL notes)
Added facility to import Start Menu shortcuts
Improved pre-formatting of imported URL collections
Importing & exporting Netscape bookmarks retains URL notes
Removed limitation on number of items at each level
Increased URL list limit to 10,000 URLs
Items selected in a list now remembered between sessions
Added ‘Mark All’ and ‘Unmark All’ items in a list box
Added keyboard shortcut to minimize URL Organizer after opening a URL
Added hot key facility to bring URL Organizer to the front
Added tool tip showing the exact date and time URL was last visited
Added color preference for marked items
Permit user to set ‘recent’ period for highlighting URLs
Automatically creates backup copies of URL lists
Altered ‘Organize’ mode functionality
Altered keyboard shortcuts: F5 becomes F8; Ctrl+Shift+O behaves differently
Fixed problems with importing Internet Explorer favorites
Minor bug fixes and tweaks to interface

2.2.1	Released 9 April 1999
Added ‘Save Copy’ function
Enhanced drag and drop support
Improved list file handling, particularly for networked list files
Minor tweaks to interface

2.2.2	Released 4 May 1999
Added asterisk indicator for annotated URLs
Location of last-imported Netscape bookmark file now remembered
Minor tweaks to interface
Fixed various bugs, including disappearing notes

2.2.3	Released 17 June 1999
Tweak to ‘Compact’ mode behavior
Various minor bug fixes

2.2.4	Released 13 July 1999
Updated import tools to read Opera v3.6 Hotlists

2.3	Released 1 September 1999
Main windows, list boxes and note box are now all fully-resizable
Added facility to move or copy URLs between lists
Added support for aliases (multiple instances) of URLs within a list
Added support for section separators
Added facility to export as an Opera Hotlist format
Items are inserted into a sorted list box correctly-ordered
Permits deletion of non-empty categories and subcategories
Added pop-up options to set Last Visited time to now or ‘never’
Added message-line help prompts for menu items
Added option to turn message-line help prompts off
Enhanced copy-to-clipboard options, including copying multiple URLs
Drag and drop now drops html links onto html documents
‘Edit’ menu included in ‘Regular’ and ‘Organize’ modes
‘Display’ preferences split into ‘Presentation’ and ‘Behavior’
Note window auto-docks below main window if no room to right or left
List boxes now permit dragging of item to bottom line
Added option to start minimized
Added option to auto-minimize after opening a URL
Added popup context menu to application and note windows
All functionality now available during 30-day evaluation period
Added index to Help notes
Program registers with ‘Add/Remove Programs’ Windows Control Panel
Esc is no longer a shortcut for Exit
Alt+F5 activates/deactivates the Note window
Various modifications to interface


Plans for Future Releases

Features being considered for inclusion in a future release:

•	undo of changes made in Organize mode

•	user-selectable fonts

•	additional note fields, including passwords (stored encrypted) and star ratings

•	fetch URL from any browser window

•	automatically maintain in nominated subcategories aliases of ‘recently visited’ and ‘recently added’ URLs

•	advanced search facility that interactively lists all matches

•	maintain list of searched-for terms

•	print and/or export a (more) printer-friendly URL list

•	merge URL lists, favorites or bookmarks with an existing list

•	de-duplicate lists

•	import favorites from AOL

If you have a suggestion, please feel free to e-mail me.

See also:

•	Upgrades


Background & Credits

My motivation for developing this arose from frustration with using hierarchical pop-up menus and collapsible ‘tree’ lists to store URLs. My priorities in seeking a solution were (and still are):

•	Quick access to any URL, no matter how many stored

•	Simple interface, using a minimum of screen space

•	Speedy editing and re-organizing of URLs

•	Portability of URL collections and ease of backup

•	Concurrent support for multiple browsers for testing web sites

•	Low computing requirements (‘efficient’)

URL Organizer incorporates the SIVL verification software under license from OSoLiS (http://www.osolis.com/). ‘OSoLiS’, ‘SIVL’ and ‘Personal License Register’ are trademarks of OSoLiS LLC.

The development environment I use is Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0.

My thanks go to all those users who have helped test URL Organizer and who have made constructive suggestions on how to improve and refine it. In particular the contributions of John Gibney and George Davis have been invaluable.


Organize mode is accessible from the Application menu or by pressing the F4 function key. You should switch to this mode to add to or reorganize your URLs. You are not committed to any changes you make in Organize mode until you press Save.


Regular and Compact modes are accessible from the Application menu or by pressing, respectively, the F3 or F2 function key. You should use either of these modes when not adding to or reorganizing your URLs since there’s no danger that you’ll change or delete something unintentionally. The URL list is saved (updating your notes and last visited times) when you switch mode, switch to another URL list, or exit URL Organizer.


Wherever you need to enter a file path, you can either type it directly into the edit box, or you can use the [image] button to bring up a file/folder browser dialog box.


URL Organizer 1 is the freeware parent of this program. It offers a very basic, and relatively inflexible interface, but if a free lunch is what you’re after, see the home page at http://www.osolis.com/cgi-bin/register.cgi?1 for more details.