Active Desktop Calendar Workspace

Today's cell is highlighted with light-blue and currently selected cell (if not the same as today's) with light-yellow. You can use keyboard arrows for navigation, plus Home key to jump directly to today's date, Page Up/Down to go to previous/next month and Enter to open Editing Note dialog. Copying notes works both from the right click context menu and through standard keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V). Basically, you can paste any text you have on the clipboard and the program will automatically create a note for it.

Menus Bar

Data

Layers (Ctrl-L): Opens the dialog for managing data layers. See more details here.

Backup: Opens the dialog with options for backing up data. The program keeps all its settings and data in a single database file. To backup that database file it is recommended that you let the program do that automatically. The default folder the program will use to save backup copies of its database file is the following:

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\Active Desktop Calendar Backup\
(on Windows XP)

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Active Desktop Calendar Backup\
(on Windows Vista)

Of course, you can change the backup folder and in that case the program will automatically transfer all backup copies to a new location. There is also an option to revert back to the default backup folder.

You can choose how many backup copies the program should keep for you. One is the minimum and nine the maximum with older backup copies removed automatically to make place for new ones. Finally, you can also force saving a backup copy at any moment by clicking Save Backup Now.

Export: Allows you to export your Notes, Tasks, Alarms and calendar icons within a time frame you specify. Please note that when you use exporting from this menu then the program will automatically export data from all enabled layers to the same file. If you want to export data from one particular layer then go to the layers dialog, select that layer and click Export layer data (exporting from layers dialog also works when you make multiple layer selection).

Note: You can choose between three file formats here. One is Active Desktop Calendar's proprietary .ADC format and the other two are well-known iCal and comma separated values .CSV (Windows) formats supported by many programs.

Note (iCal): On exporting data the program does not write your time zone information to exported ICS file.

Import Calendar: When importing select a data file that you want to import, click Open, adjust importing options if necessary and click Finish. By default the program will import all types of data from a file to a new layer. If you want to import data to an existing layer then switch to "Import to existing layer" option, choose the target layer and tell the program what to do in case of duplicates. Importing option currently recognizes the program's own data formats, .ADC that you get by exporting and .ADX that is the internal data layer file format, plus the iCal and comma separated values .CSV (Windows) formats.

Note (CSV): If you want to import data from a CSV file please note that it has to be formatted in the same way as a CSV file exported from the program. That means it has to have the leading row with data field names in the same order. Export a CSV file to check how exactly it should look like and here is a single note example:
   "Subject", "Start Date", "Start Time", "Description", "End Date", "End Time", "All day event"
   "Meeting in Detroit","26-07-04","00:00:01","Meeting in Detroit","26-07-04","23:59:59","true"
One more thing is very important to note. Dates in CSV file to import have to be written in the same format as in an exported file on the same computer because date format depends on the regional settings. That means if you export to CSV on a computer that has US regional settings and try to import it on a computer that has German regional settings the import will not succeed.

Note (iCal): On importing data the program does not recalculate times available in an ICS file if your time zone is not the same as time zone in the ICS file.

Import Contacts: To import contacts simply select external data source you want to import contacts from and click Import Contacts. The program will do the rest automatically.

Note (Outlook): For successful import from Outlook it is essential that you do the following. Before clicking Import Contacts button make sure Outlook is started. After clicking Import Contacts switch temporarily to Outlook and allow access to its contacts, then go back to the program.

Note (XML): Main purpose of this option is to allow you to transfer contacts from one installation of the program to the other. Of course, exported XML file with contacts can also serve as a backup file. If you select this option for importing and click Import Contacts the program will open the standard browsing dialog so you can select the XML file to import.

Print Calendar (Ctrl+P): Use this option to print out a monthly calendar. See more details here.

Print All Contacts: Use this option to print out all your contacts (to print out a single contact go to Contacts View, right click on that contact and choose Print contact option). See more details here.

Print Notes/Tasks: Use this option to print out notes and/or tasks as a list. See more details here.

Program Settings (Ctrl+S): Opens the Settings panel.

Exit Program: Exits the program.

View

Notes View (Ctrl+N): Switches the workspace to Notes view.

Tasks View (Ctrl+T): Switches the workspace to Tasks view.

Desktop Pictures (Ctrl+D): This option allows you to add some of your pictures to the desktop on top of the background picture you may already have. See more details here.

Enable Notes View Tooltips (Ctrl+W): Use this option to enable or disable tooltips that show complete subject/text of a note when mouse pointer is kept over it for a short while.

Show Notes View on Start: With this option enabled the program will bring up Notes View automatically each time it starts.

Notes



New Note: Opens a dialog for adding a new note. See more details here.

New Alarm: Opens a dialog for adding a new alarm.

Find (Ctrl+F): Performs a search through all notes text. Search is case insensitive.

Find Next (F3): Repeats the last successful Find action.

Go To Date (Ctrl+G): Automatically positions your Notes view to a specified date.

Attach Date Icon: Attaches icon of choice to selected date in the calendar. That icon will appear instead of regular date icon if calendar is set to be shown as icons on desktop.

Remove Date Icon: Removes previously attached icon of selected date. Regular date icon will be shown on desktop.

Edit: Edits selected note. If note selected for editing is an instance of repeating note you will be prompted to decide whether the original note and all of its instances should actually be edited or not. Editing just one instance of a repeating note is not possible.

Delete (Del): Deletes selected note. If note selected for deletion is an instance of repeating note you will be prompted to decide whether the original note and all of its instances should actually be deleted or not. Deleting just one instance of a repeating note is not possible.

Tasks

New Task: Adds new task on the top or at the bottom of task list depending on the "Place new task" setting. Also automatically switches the workspace to Tasks view. If you are using data layers then choose the destination layer for your task from the list available just right of the Add Task button. Please note that the list shows only your own layers because you can not add or edit data in layers owned by other people.

Edit (F2): Used for editing existing tasks.

Set As Done (Ctrl+D): Marks an existing task as done.

Move Up: Moves currently selected task up on the list.

Move Down: Moves currently selected task down on the list.

Move Top: Moves currently selected task to the top of the list.

Move Bottom: Moves currently selected task to the bottom of the list.

Delete Task (Del): Deletes currently selected task.

Delete All: Deletes all tasks from the layer where selected task belongs.

Contacts

New Contact: Opens dialog for adding a new contact. To add new contact you can also click NEW button in the contacts navigation toolbar in the top-right corner of the main contacts workspace window.

Find (Ctrl-F): The case insensitive search goes through all contact fields looking for text entered in the search box.

Find Next (F3): Repeats the last successful Find action.

Edit: Opens dialog for editing details of selected contact.

Card view: Switches the program to show contacts as cards. To switch between card and list views you can also click C/L button in the contacts navigation toolbar in the top-right corner of the main contacts workspace window.

List view: Switches the program to show contacts as the list. In the list view you can click on column names to change the sorting order. To switch between card and list views you can also click C/L button in the contacts navigation toolbar in the top-right corner of the main contacts workspace window.

Delete Contact: Deletes selected contact.

Delete All Contacts: Use this option only if you want to empty the address book and start from scratch.

Help


Help (F1): Opens the help file.

Data Integration Wizard: Launches a wizard that helps new users transfer the information they already have in other programs into Active Desktop Calendar. Supported external data sources are MIcrosoft Outlook (appointments, tasks, contacts), Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook Express (contacts) and Windows Address Book.

Registration: Use this option to enter your registration data. When the registration dialog shows up type in your name and registration code and click Register. While typing the code pay attention to typw all 17 symbols without mistakes.

View Errors Log: The program keeps track of important events regarding access to network data layers. Informations about lost connection with a layer file and successful reconnection are all written to a text log file that you can open in Notepad with this command.

Clear Errors Log: Use this command to clear the log file for network layers access.

Contact Technical Support: You can use this option to contact XemiComputers technical support with any questions you may have about the program.

Visit Program Homepage: Takes you directly to Active Desktop Calendar homepage.

About Active Desktop Calendar: Displays some basic information about the program.

Tell a friend: If you want to spread a word about this program "Tell a friend" option is there to help you. It will open new email message in your default email client and set it with some basic information and a link to the program's homepage.

Toolbar

New Note

Opens a dialog for adding new notes. See more details here.

New Alarm


Opens a dialog simmilar to New Note one, but used only for adding alarms.

Print


Opens a dialog for printing monthly calendar. See more details here.

Edit

Edits selected note. If note selected for editing is an instance of repeating note you will be prompted to decide whether the original note and all of its instances should actually be edited or not. Editing just one instance of a repeating note is not possible.

Find

Performs a search through all notes text. Search is case insensitive.

Go To Date

Automatically positions your Notes view to a specified date.

Delete

Deletes selected note. If note selected for deletion is an instance of repeating note you will be prompted to decide whether the original note and all of its instances should actually be deleted or not. Deleting just one instance of a repeating note is not possible.

New Task

Adds new task on the top or at the bottom of task list depending on the "Place new task" setting. Also automatically switches the workspace to Tasks view.

Edit

Used for editing existing tasks.

Set As Done

Marks selected task as done. Task will appear in strike-through letters in task list on the desktop. Depending on the chosen setting a task marked as Done could go to the bottom of the task list automatically.

Move Up

Moves currently selected task up on the list.

Move Down

Moves currently selected task down on the list.

Move Top

Moves currently selected task to the top of the list.

Move Bottom

Moves currently selected task to the bottom of the list.

Delete Task

Deletes selected task (standard multiselect options are available).

Help

Opens the help file.

Data Layers

Opens the dialog for managing data layers. See more details here.

Notes/Alarms

Switches the Active Desktop Calendar workspace to Notes/Alarms view.

Tasks

Switches the Active Desktop Calendar workspace to Tasks view.

Contacts

Switches the Active Desktop Calendar workspace to Contacts view.

Desktop Pictures

This option allows you to add some of your pictures to the desktop on top of the background picture you may already have. See more details here.

Settings

Opens the Settings panel.

Notes Title Bar

While in Notes view, displays the current month. If a special icon is attached to the currently selected date, it is displayed in the left corner. To the right there are navigation options which are self explanatory. Single arrows for months, double for years and central button serves as Go to Today.

An extra button that appears just left of the navigation set opens a dialog where you can change background and foreground colors for all components that form the calendar in Notes View. Default color scheme remains always available.

Note Fields

Double clicking on the date title will automatically open Add Note dialog. Double clicking on an existing note will open Edit Note dialog, while right clicking on it will give you the options to either Edit or Delete the note.

Right clicking anywhere within the date field or title will bring a drop down menu with the following options:

New Note: Opens a dialog for adding a new note. See more details here.

New Alarm: Opens a dialog for adding a new alarm.

Find: Performs a search through all notes text. Search is case insensitive.

Go to Date: Automatically positions your Notes view to a specified date.

Attach Date Icon: Attaches icon of choice to selected date in the calendar. That icon will appear instead of regular date icon if calendar is set to be shown as icons on desktop. Please note that the date icon must be stored in the primary layer. If you attempt to use this option and the primary layer is disabled you will have to go to Layers dialog first and enable the primary layer. One more important thing, if you use this option and you are sharing your primary layer with other people, the icon will not appear on their desktops.

Remove Date Icon: Removes previously attached icon of selected date. Regular date icon will be shown on desktop.

Paste: Use this option to paste text from the clipboard. The program will automatically open new note for you.