Tab'n Dex is a personal information manager or PIM that is an easy way to store information about the people, places and things in your life. It is set up to store important names, addresses, phone numbers and the like but you can change the names and sort order of the fields and menus and store information on just about anything. Just keep it on the desktop and anytime you need a number or make a new acquaintence, you can open it and quickly get or add what you need. It can store, sort, search and print up to 5000 records per file. (See the end of this document for a list of new features).
Additional Help files are available both under the "Help" menu and by clicking the "Help" Tab.
How to use the Application:
Tab'n Dex is a simple application that allows you to store information about anyone (or anything) and have it quickly viewed when needed. It keeps an alphabetical/numerical record of all of your important information.
Clicking on the appropriate "Tab" will move you to the first record starting with that letter or number. Clicking the "First" (I<<), "First for Tab" (I<), "Previous"(<), "Next"(>), "Last for Tab"(>I) or "Last"(>>I) buttons will move you through the records. The "Update" and "Delete" buttons perform the indicated action on the current record. The "Add" button creates a new record. The "Find..." button opens the Find Window to specify search information. The "List..." and "Print.." buttons open windows to setup viewing or printing a selected group of records.
Records can be sorted by any one of the fields listed for each record, except the "Commments" field. The current sort order displays in the applications title bar along with the name of the currently open Tab'n Dex file. Records can be searched by any field, except "Last Updated", to find the first record where the chosen field starts, contains or exactly matches the given letter, number or phrase. You can also search all fields at once by selecting the "Search All" check box.
Records can be viewed on screen or printed either individually or in any range, sorted by any one of 12 fields (not by "Last Updated" or "Comments"). When individual records are printed, all fields including "Comments" will print. When a range of records is listed or printed, the "Comments" field will not be included.
When the records are sorted by any field, the records are also sorted secondarily by the "Last Name" field (the first field) and then by the "First Name" field (the second field). This means that if there is more than one record that contains the same entry in the chosen sort field, the entries with the duplicate sort field will display and print alphabetically by "Last Name, First Name" when you move through the records with the duplicate sort field entries. (If there are 3 records for one Company, the records will display and print alphabetically by Last Name, First Name for those 3 records). When the records are sorted by "Last Name", the records are also sorted secondarily by "First Name, Company". When the records are sorted by "First Name", the records are also sorted secondarily by "Last Name, Company".
To Add a record:
Click on the Add Button (or type -R) and a blank record will open. Enter the information desired. Click the Update Button (or type -S) to save the record.
To Update a record:
Enter the information desired by typing over any previous information. Click the Update Button (or type - S) to save the new information. Updating a record (Update button or under the Records menu) is the same as saving a record (under the File menu).
To Delete a record:
Click on the Delete Button (or type -D) and the record will be deleted. If a record is no longer wanted, you can also select the unwanted record and use it to enter a new record by typing over the previous information and then clicking Update.
To Go to a record:
Click on the letter/number that the record is under or type the letter/number while holding down the Option key (this feature must be set in the "Preferences"). You can use the First (or type -[), Previous (or type--), Next (or type -=) or Last (or type -]) Buttons to find the record.
Tab'n Dex allows you to set the field, menu and report names for all files or individually by file. Using this feature (found under "Preferences") you can change any field name to fit the information stored in that file. The sort order of individual fields can also be set to one of five different sort types, alphabetical, numerical, alpha-numeric, address (sorts by the street name) or date.
Tab'n Dex supports Command clicking of URLs or e-mail addresses (hold down the key while clicking a URL in any field). You must also have the InternetConfig Extension (by Peter N Lewis) installed and configured to directly link to a URL (see "Record Window" for more information). InternetConfig is included with Tab'n Dex 1.3. See the documentation included with it for how to set up your default browser and e-mail programs.
You can also set the Display and Print fonts to any font installed on your system (found under "Preferences").
You could set up a file for family & friends, one for business contacts, one for widgets at your company, and one for your CD collection, favorite books or video library, using a different set of field names and sort orders for each.
Select one of the other menu choices in the pop-up menu above to get more information about how to use Tab'n Dex.
You are limited to 10 records in one file until you register your copy. Once registered, up to 5000 records may be added to one file (see the information under the "Registration" menu item).
Version History
Tab'n Dex 1.3.1:
Tab'n Dex release (4/4/99).
New Features:
1) You can now register Tab'n Dex through Kagi using a credit card, either by using the Register program or on-line at our web site. You can also still register directly with us by cash or check.
Bug fix:
1) An error that prevented the saving of Font preferences was fixed.
Tab'n Dex 1.3:
Tab'n Dex release (3/14/99).
New Features:
1) The records displayed in the Print Preview window (found under the File Menu or type -J) can now be edited, selected and copied or dragged and dropped to allow easy transfer of complete record information to other applications, documents or e-mail without using the export function. The Print Preview window can also be saved as a text file for additional ease of exporting in any print format.
2) Command clicking of URLs or e-mail addresses is now supported. If Internet Config (IC) is installed and configured, your default browser or mail program will automatically start-up and connect. If IC is not installed, the URL or e-mail address will be formated as a link and copied to the clipboard for easy transfer to your browser or mail program. IC is now included with Tab'n Dex. A link can also be found on our web site at http://members.aol.com/mawrph/scs/sequoia.html or it is available from http://www.quinn.echidna.id.au/quinn/config.
3) All fields can now be searched at once by selecting the "Search All" check box in the "Find Record" window. "Search All" searches are case sensitive. The fields for each record will be searched first. After each field of each record is searched the search will start over at the comments for the first record and then search all record comments.
4) The individual field in a record containing the text found in any search will be selected for easier identification.
5) The page number now prints on each page when the Help files are printed. The page numbers start over for each section.
Bug fix:
1) An error that would cause the application to quit with a type 12 error when the Contextual Menu Control Panel was installed but disabled was fixed.
2) Several bugs that affected printing were fixed. The help files will now print even if no Tab'n Dex file is open. The labels will format correctly for most printers (you may need to change the default print font and size under "Preferences").
3) A bug that would cause some records to be deleted (if no data was in the first three fields) was fixed.
Tab'n Dex 1.2.1:
Tab'n Dex release (2/20/99).
Bug fix:
1) An error related to Apple Events that could cause the application to quit unexpectedly was identified and fixed.
Tab'n Dex 1.2:
Tab'n Dex release (11/1/98).
New Features:
1) The List button or menu item now displays a scrolling list of all the records in the selected range, in the chosen sort order. Double-clicking an entry will display that record in the Records (main) window.
2) A Text Menu has been added which allows you to edit the font, size, style and color of any text in the Comments field or Comments window.
3) A new Preferences item is available which allows you to individually set the default font and size of the text used for both display and print operations from any font installed in your system.
4) One level of Undo is now supported (under the Edit menu).
5) A Print Preview Menu item has been added. It is identical to the old List function but you can now choose any one of seven display types, the same as with Print.
6) Contextual Menus are now available by holding down the "Control" key while clicking the mouse. Three different menus are active in the Record Window (Sorting, Editing and Record actions) and an Edit menu is available in all windows with active edit fields.
7) Drag and Drop editing is now supported.
8) Two new delimiters have been added to the "Import" and "Export" windows. You can now choose from comma, tab, carriage return, semi-colon or caret(^).
9) You can now choose if you want to display or print the field names or not as part of the header in the "Print Preview..." or "Print..." menu items. This allows for an additional record to display or print on one page. These new settings are saved in the Preferences file.
10) The Records Window now has a close box which is another way to quit the application.
Bug Fixes:
1) Several Menu key combinations were changed to conform with those specified by Apple for the Style Menu.
2) The "Print..." Menu item now opens the "Print Selected Records" window and its action now matches the "Print..." button. This was formerly the action of the "Print All..." Menu item which was deleted. A new Menu item called "Print Record..." has been added that prints the currently displayed record.
3) Now, when a record is deleted, it is no longer converted to an empty record that can still be viewed. The total number of records is reduced by one. If a record is added but no data are added, it also will be deleted from the file when you quit.
4) Pop-Up menus have been fixed to correctly display when using System 8.x.
5) The headers for printing or previewing records now all say "Selected Records from".
Tab'n Dex 1.1:
Tab'n Dex release (4/30/98).
New Features:
1) Sorting records(and all actions that sort records such as lists and printing) is now 10-15 times faster.
2) Records now sort by the selected sort field and then within this sort by "Last Name, First Name" (the first two fields in a record).
3) Each field can now have its sort order set individually, both for the application and for each individual file. Five choices are available, alphabetical (sort by first character in a field, tabs are A-Z), numerical (sort by the first number in a field, tabs are 0-9, Empty and Other, no letters), alpha-numeric (same sort as alphabetical but tabs are 0-9 and A-Z with two letters per tab), address (if the first character in the field is a number, sort by the second word, usually a street name, tabs are 0-9 and A-Z with two letters per tab) and date (field must contain a date in the one of the following formats: "Wed, Apr 15, 1998"; "Apr 15, 1998"; "15 Apr 1998"; "4/15/98"; "4-15-98"; "04/15/1998"; or "04-15-1998" the last 4 are MM/DD/YY format).
Bug Fixes:
1) The "Use Defaults" button in the "Edit Field Names" window (Preferences) is active when the current file or the application field names are in use and gray when the default names are in use to make it easier to tell the current setting.
2) The size of the font used in the "Update" field is now reduced to prevent long dates from wrapping to the next line.
3) The "Last Name" field no longer is required to start with a letter.
4) Errors when searching for records sorted numerically or by address has been corrected.
Tab'n Dex 1.0:
Tab'n Dex initial release (3/9/98).
Registration
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions concerning Tab'n Dex please contact us at Sequoia Coast Software by e-mail at mawrph@aol.com or sequoiacoast@kagi.com.
Registering Tab'n Dex:
Tab'n Dex is shareware. If you like it after using it for 30 days, please send $15 to Sequoia Coast Software at the address below. Enter your personal information into a new Tab'n Dex record, print it out and mail it in with your payment. Include any comments you may have about the program. Mail your correspondence to:
Sequoia Coast Software
Post Office Box 3237
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729-3237
USA
You can also register by credit card through Kagi using the included Register application or on-line at our web site at: http://members.aol.com/mawrph/scs/sequoia.html or at Kagi at: http://order.kagi.com/?U4C.
If you use the Register program, the address to send the form is output when you Print or Copy the completed form. The addresses are:
Email: shareware@kagi.com
FAX: +1 510-652-6589
Postal mail:
Kagi Shareware
1442-A Walnut Street #392-U4C
Berkeley, California, 94709-1405
USA
You will receive a registration number that is entered in the registration window found by clicking the register button in the "About Tab'n Dex..." window(under the Apple menu). Once you register your copy, you can save up to 5,000 records in one Tab'n Dex file. Prior to registration, you are limited to 10 records in one file.
We’d love to hear from you, and hope you enjoy using Tab'n Dex!
Reporting problems with the Tab'n Dex application:
We would really like to believe that Tab'n Dex is bug-free, but unfortunately, there are some problems that cannot be foreseen. If you do encounter a problem with Tab'n Dex, We really want to know about it. We want to try and make the program error-free.
When reporting a problem, please let us know the system software version, along with EXACTLY what the problem is and what caused it. The more information you can supply, the easier the problem will be to track down. We don’t have every version of every piece of software ever written, so we will need your help to eliminate the bug.
We will try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
License and Distribution:
The Tab'n Dex application and the accompanying Sample files and the READ ME files may be distributed via electronic bulletin boards, on-line services, non-profit user groups, or person to person, without the prior written permission of Sequoia Coast Software, as long as all files are distributed together.
Tab'n Dex may be included with commercial software or any public domain/shareware package sold for profit with prior written consent from Sequoia Coast Software. All magazines, CD-ROM magazines, CD-ROM shareware collections, and redistribution companies may include it.
Tab'n Dex is shareware. If you like it after using it for 30 days, please send $15 to Sequoia Coast Software at the address above. A registration number will be e-mailed to you to allow you to save more than 10 records in each Tab'n Dex file.
THE AUTHOR MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE FITNESS OF Tab'n Dex FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR CLAIMS NO LIABILITY FOR DATA LOSS OR OTHER PROBLEMS CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY Tab'n Dex.
