Recent Posts

3001

General Software Discussion / Re: Clipboard manager

« Last post by rjbull on March 02, 2006, 04:38 AM »

There's also AceText -- which is the one I use the most -- it's a good balance of

-allen (March 01, 2006, 10:17 AM)

Allen,

I notice this on the AceText site:

When a thought hits your mind, write it down in AceText. When you come across useful information on a web site or in a document, copy and paste or drag and drop it into AceText. Never again forget a good idea or lose a scrap of paper with valuable notes.

Use AceText's full-featured text editor to take notes and write down ideas at any time. Quickly jot down a brief thought, or hold a long brainstorming session writing down, organizing and sorting out ideas. Easily store web site addresses, text snippets or even whole documents. Drag and drop or paste them directly into an AceText collection. Move or copy previously captured text from the clipboard history and other AceText collections.

How would that feature relate to the "General brainstorming for Note-taking software" thread  https://www.donation...pic=2362.0;topicseen

3002

What's the Best? / Re: AddressBook Utility

« Last post by rjbull on February 28, 2006, 05:05 AM »

a pervasive Address Book built right into the OS itself.  You could enter an address once into this address book and then call it up from ANYWHERE in ANY app and use the information.

-LuckMan212 (February 26, 2006, 11:29 PM)

Is it possible to make a direct shortcut to the Outlook address book, so you don't have to load the rest of it if an address is all you want?  I seem to remember seeing this suggested in one of the magazines.

3003

What's the Best? / Re: Master Category List for the "What's the Best" section... please help finali

« Last post by rjbull on February 27, 2006, 08:45 AM »

if you have a moment, could you post any additions

-LuckMan212 (February 26, 2006, 07:36 PM)

Desktop - Best Sticky Notes  (to an extent, this would overlap with alarms)
Desktop - best clipboard extender

3004

General Software Discussion / Re: NeoMem organiser update

« Last post by rjbull on February 23, 2006, 03:37 AM »

ASRT (Advanced Software Reconisence Team).. has morphed into a full fledged call for reviewers:

-mouser (February 22, 2006, 09:40 AM)

<gulp>  Beyond my pay grade...

Sure you don't want an area for quick "heads-up" notices as well?

3005

General Software Discussion / NeoMem organiser update

« Last post by rjbull on February 22, 2006, 04:53 AM »

Organiser / organizer freaks may care to know that NeoMem has been updated:

NeoMem
New Version 1.2a released February 20, 2006

New features include:

    * Export entire file or selected object (recursively) to csv (this has limitations, as far as being imported to other programs - Excel has a 32k character per cell limit and Access a 64k character per row limit, which makes this feature less useful than one might hope. But someday there will be an export to XML feature...)
    * Uses an ini file instead of the registry for storing options
    * Added File, Folder, Email, and Website property types, to replace the Hyperlinks type (which is still available, though deprecated)
    * Added Strikethrough format
    * Insert date/time from Edit menu or F5 key
    * Use Alt+, and Alt+. for back/forwards
    * Use Alt+Backspace for undo, in addition to Ctrl+Z
    * Various bug fixes, including the one of printing extra blank pages

More here http://www.neomem.org/neomem.htm

Mouser, what happened to ASRT?  Is there another area for update announcements?

3006

General Software Discussion / Re: Text/Books Database

« Last post by rjbull on February 21, 2006, 04:02 AM »

I think Jot+ Notes has compression    http://www.kingstairs.com/jot/

3007

General Software Discussion / Re: batch programs and stuff

« Last post by rjbull on February 21, 2006, 03:59 AM »

Personally, I have used Rob Van der Woude's scripting pages as a reference for some time now.

-Edvard (February 20, 2006, 11:37 AM)

That's a good one.

I also dabbled with PowerBatch (no longer available, quite old) that promised to make batch files into .exe's but I never got it to work.

There were others, like Extended Batch Language (EBL), BatLite, and FromBAT, but I suspect most of them have gone during the rise of Windows.  Some people had reasonable success with PC Magazine's Bat2Exe, BAT2EX15.ZIP.  I always found I had too many external programs to make these very useful.

I'll look into these others you mention, as NT's batch language is quite different from even 95 and 98's.

Also take a look at Acme Software (now Swanson Software) batch file reference for Windows 2000 and XP at  http://www.acmesoffw...erence_BatchFile.asp

3008

General Software Discussion / Re: batch programs and stuff

« Last post by rjbull on February 20, 2006, 11:14 AM »

@rjbull: His name is Stefan

-brotherS (February 20, 2006, 09:21 AM)

Apologies to Stefan.

I just mentioned Bob Stephan, author of GET.  That really is Bob's surname.  At my age, maybe you should expect neuronal crosstalk... 

PD version of GET:

  GET -- Bob Stephan's Batch file enhancer -- a public domain utility
         Syntax:  GET command argument
Purpose             Command       Argument   Environment Errorlevel  Extended
---------           -------       --------   --(GET=)--- --(Exit)--  --[E]---
Get character       C[E] ["prompt"] [chars]  Character   ASCII dec.  No Echo
Get yes/no aNswer   N[E] ["prompt"]  None    Character   ASCII dec.  No Echo
Get string          S[E] ["prompt"]  None    String      Length      No Echo
Moving Text(GetaKey)T[E] "Filespec" [chars]  Character   ASCII dec.  No Echo
Get DOS version     D[E]             None    Major Vers. MajorMinor  MinorEnv
Get environment left    E[E]         None    Bytes left  Bytes left  Bytes/10
Get file size (DIR=0)   F[E]  Filespec       Hex bytes   Kilobytes   Kb/10
Get disk space          K[E] [driveletter]   Kilobytes   Kilobytes   Kb/10
Get memory free         M[E]         None    Kilobytes   Kilobytes   Kb/10
Clear (Blank) Screen    B[E] [New attribute] Current or last attr.   HexAttr
Check for printer(PRN)  P[E]         None    1=yes,0=no  1=yes,0=no  Initialize
Get/set video mode      V   [New mode]       Current or last mode    None
Check coprocessor       7            None    1=yes,0=no  1=yes,0=no  None
Check for ANSI.SYS      A            None    1=yes,0=no  1=yes,0=no  None
Get current directory   Y[E]         None    Directory   Level/Drive Drive
 Surrogate [char] args: } is Carriage Return, ~ is Escape, ` for Extended Keys.


Version 2.8 needs three pages of online help screens.

3009

General Software Discussion / batch programs and stuff

« Last post by rjbull on February 20, 2006, 09:00 AM »

Talking about batch
Batchman.- Multi-function batch program.

Old (1989) but packs 48 batch functions into a single 6K program.

-Stefan (February 20, 2006, 05:42 AM)

Stephan,

Two more small but powerful multi-function multi-purpose utilities, both shareware;

Bob Stephan's GET   http://www.redshift....bstephan/bs01000.htm
Should also be on BFDS link above.  Very early versions of GET were public domain.  Later ones, with 3.5 being the last, were free for personal use (and still do plenty); the last few are all-payware.

PocketD - author site seems to have gone, here's a link for a description and download link
http://www.digibuy.c...uct.html?93930276892

3010

General Software Discussion / Re: Living without AutoHotkey - possible?

« Last post by rjbull on February 20, 2006, 05:00 AM »

My favorite use is to automate batch processing stuff through command-line utilities.

-Edvard (February 09, 2006, 07:18 PM)

Good grief, all those languages?!   

It's probably too late now, as these are almost all plain DOS, but if you're into batch processing  via command-line utilities, you might like to know about
BFDS  http://www.filegate.net/bfds/
which is the repository for the Fidonet BATPOWER echo's files.  It contains lots of useful tools, including some not radily available elsewhere.  Also, don't overlook Horst Schaeffer's DOS batch ("PBATS") and Win32-bit command-line tools at
http://home.mnet-online.de/horst.muc/

3011

Find And Run Robot / Re: CTRL+SPACE

« Last post by rjbull on February 20, 2006, 04:39 AM »

you who uses a IBM Thinkpad and found the lack of "WinKey" on the keyboard a big annoynance

-taichimaster (February 18, 2006, 03:02 PM)

Rats.  Only listed for Win2000 and XP.  My T22 (which is in the hardware list) is Win98SE...

3012

Find And Run Robot / Re: CTRL+SPACE

« Last post by rjbull on February 20, 2006, 04:37 AM »

rjbull, you might want to check out WinKey.

-jdmarch (February 18, 2006, 02:43 PM)

Thanks!

Have you noticed how many DC participants like AutoHotKey for kb remapping?

link here  http://www.autohotkey.com/

3013

General Software Discussion / Re: Multiple desktops

« Last post by rjbull on February 10, 2006, 08:05 AM »

PowerPro has multiple desktops, and is supposed to run light - if you can figure out PowerPro...

PowerPro, freeware macro program for Windows
http://powerpro.webeddie.com/index.html

PC Rangers third-party PowerPro support
http://powerpro.pcrei.com
Contains archives of the user groups, the "Wink" based Flash demos, etc.

Beginners user group / mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo..../powerpro-beginners/

3014

Screenshot Captor / Re: Is Screenshot Captor not capable of capturing text for editing in text file?

« Last post by rjbull on February 10, 2006, 07:46 AM »

THANKS rjbull!

-jgpaiva (February 10, 2006, 06:40 AM)

Thanks, but actually, I think we should all thank Google   

And, to repeat; it only works with some versions of Windows.  Not with Win9x, as I recall it.

3015

Find And Run Robot / Re: CTRL+SPACE

« Last post by rjbull on February 10, 2006, 03:40 AM »

I had trouble with that because I use Alt-Space (N|X) all the time for minimising and maximising windows.  Sorted now, thanks to that pointer.

3016

Screenshot Captor / Re: Is Screenshot Captor not capable of capturing text for editing in text file?

« Last post by rjbull on February 09, 2006, 03:24 AM »

CopyMessageBox

-Stefan (February 09, 2006, 02:24 AM)

Even CopyMsgBox doesn't always work.  I hae to access some programs via Citrix Metaframe, which seems to leave the rest of the computer completely blind to what's going on.

On some versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000 at least, you can just get the focus on an error message box and press Control-C to copy the plain text to the clipboard.  Again, doesn't work with Citrixed programs.

3017

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2006, 04:30 AM »

I wish the terminology was a bit clearer...  I think of programs for saving and retrieving text notes, something of particular interest to me, as not necessarily the same thing as tools for organising information into structures.

Mouser, are you really sure you want to give this category a try, given just how many there are out there already, some of them very good?  Especially with Keynote's author's exhaustion  in mind?

3018

General Software Discussion / Re: Living without AutoHotkey - possible?

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2006, 04:23 AM »

I use Autohotkey and love it for what it does, which is a lot, and will continue to use it for the many things it does for me. But sometimes I am itching for just a little more power and scripting languages seem to be a sweet spot for me. Thus FBSL. I'll keep you posted...

-Edvard (February 07, 2006, 01:01 PM)

Edvard,

I thought you were DC's chief fan of PowerPro.  Are you still using all these scripting languages?

3019

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Addressbook Software Mini-Shootout

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2006, 04:14 AM »

trying Info Select for Windows?

Oh yeah!  I tried InfoSelect a couple of times over the past two years.  It was pretty good, but if you read the beginning of my review for this addressbook software, I mentioned that I am now at a point that I want the addressbook to just be an addressbook and nothing else.

-superboyac (February 07, 2006, 10:30 AM)

Sorry, forgot that...   

InfoSelect does everything under the sun.  It was too much for me to use it as an addressbook, and I felt like the other features were done better individually on other programs.  I am always highly skeptical of all-in-one solutions to anything.

I can't make my mind up.  While I can see that there's a good case for small individual programs working better for their specific objectives, I then have to remember which program I stored which bit of information in.  And there's always an overlap - addresses, fine, but many people will want something more like a contacts system, with more notes, for example.  One of my e-contacts has a constant mantra: "horses for courses..."   

I suspect, though, that Info Select as it now is tries to to do far too much.   I'd be more interested in the equivalent of a straight port of the DOS version, at a much lower price.

Evernote

You know, I agree with you about the size thing, but the program runs pretty light.  The reason why it's big is because it has this sketchpad in it where you can draw and paint.  ...  Evernote is good for entering a bunch of random notes in, and finding them very quickly.

Speed of finding random notes is good, but I don't need the handwritten notes/sketching abilities.

I love Keynote, what a fantastic program.  If Keynote would just resume being actively developed

Sadly, looks like it won't, but check out posts by kfitting on sucessors/similar programs.

TC has filter-as-you-type?  I didn't know that!

Options, Operation, "Quick search (current dir)" section, Letters - _w_ith search dialog checkbox.

3020

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by rjbull on February 08, 2006, 03:47 AM »

While there's an overlap, I assume this is separate from outliners in the Keynote or ECCO senses?

My first thoughts:

1)  Indexed, for fast retrieval
2)  Boolean searching, for precise retrieval
3)  Keyboard driven, or rather, everything readily accessible by keyboard

3021

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Addressbook Software Mini-Shootout

« Last post by rjbull on February 07, 2006, 04:49 AM »

AZZ got it right for the purpose they were trying to achieve, which is a general note accumulating program. 

-superboyac (February 06, 2006, 07:33 PM)

I liked - still like - Memory Mate for DOS as a "random notes" program.  Simple, clean interface, very fast and just enough power.  But it didn't really make the transition to Windows 

knew someone's number started with 398- but you didn't know the rest, it would be nice to just type in 398 and get the list in front of you.  It's just more

Memory Mate has simple but useful Boolean searching.  When you've done a search, it's like you have a small stack of qualifying 5x3 file cards in front of you, though you can only read the top one and have to page through the others (but a well-designed search will limit the stack to only a few).  If you want to see several cards at once, Info Select for DOS did that with immediate searching.  Which begs the question, have you considered pushing the financial boat out and trying Info Select for Windows?  It's $249.95 and isn't shareware, though there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.  Link here: http://www.miclog.com/

powerful that way.  I'll never say no to more power, because you can always turn features off, but you (as the end-user) can't add features.

Agreed, with the proviso that the power features have to be organised so they don't put off the novice.  Or indeed anybody who needs to get the job done, but doesn't have lots of time to learn.

Have any of you checked out EverNote?  It's a cool, quirky program that

Just had a quick look at the Web site, and was put off by the size.  The free version is an 8.4Mb download, the payware one 18Mb.  It's not just the download time and hard-disk footprint, I tend to expect that programs that size are going to be slow to load, which puts me off using them.

I mentioned to kfitting on another thread that there are lots of Keynote-type outliners now - and that's getting a problem in itself, because they aren't mutually compatible and you don't want to commit to the "wrong" one.

If you can't tell, I'm in love with the filter-as-you-type feature.  I'm immediately attracted to any program that has it, and more and more programs are using it.  PowerMarks, EverNote, CardScan, Essential PIM, Directory Opus (so cool!), Find and Run Robot...that's all I can think of for now.

And Total Commander    depending on how you set it up, and that's how I've set it up now as being most intuitive.

3022

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Addressbook Software Mini-Shootout

« Last post by rjbull on February 06, 2006, 03:43 AM »

superboyac,

Sounds like AZZ got the mix right in the sense that if you had immediate search on the whole record, you'd get too many "false drops."  Think of trying to look up someone called Theodore - how many times does one use the definite article?  The lady who mentioned AZZ Cardfile in PowerToolsSoftware actually said that she used it for quotes/one-liners/short paragraphs, so it looks like she implicitly agrees.

You obviously need a heavier-weight, more structured program...

3023

Post New Requests Here / Re: Notes Snippet organizer

« Last post by rjbull on February 06, 2006, 03:25 AM »

I realize that one program may not do everything I want... but dreaming is nice!!

-kfitting (February 03, 2006, 09:18 AM)

I was beginning to think that you wanted two diametrically opposite approaches combined in the same program    Well, please let us know if TreeDBNotes eventually does the business.

One more that I don't recall having been mentioned on DC before:
WhizFolders,  http://www.whizfolders.com

3024

Post New Requests Here / Re: Notes Snippet organizer

« Last post by rjbull on February 03, 2006, 09:00 AM »

benefit of this.  My first taste of this type of thinking was with Opera Mail Client
...
In the initial phases I was collecting data and didnt know what I knew.  Grabbing random bits of info I would put them where I thought they made sense.  As my understanding improved I realized I needed to change the structure somewhat.  But, what I also realized is that there are different ways of looking at the same data. But, often, I find myself wanting to throw data into the mix and then, once I figure out how it relates to different things (projects, concepts, parts, etc) quickly relate it. 

-kfitting (February 03, 2006, 06:03 AM)

Isn't this the kind of thing brainstorming tools/mindmappers are meant to help with?  John Buckman's page on these is http://john.redmood....m/brainstorming.html
Looks like Brainstorm  http://www.brainstormsw.com/ and Inspiration  http://www.inspiration.com/
might be worth looking at, also possibly Axon  http://web.singnet.com.sg/~axon2000

Thanks for the detailed explanation.  You sort of want a relational database, without having to know and set up a rigid structure before you start, and being able to change it as you go along...

3025

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: Addressbook Software Mini-Shootout

« Last post by rjbull on February 03, 2006, 06:00 AM »

Addressbook Software Mini-Shootout

I've probably tried dozens of these programs, and there are way too many to even list.

-superboyac (February 03, 2006, 05:23 AM)

Pity, because it begs the question: did you try AZZ Cardfile,  http://www.azzcardfile.com/

I saw this mentioned in the Yahoo! Group PowerToolsSoftware, mentioned by someone who said it had "immediae entry search," which I think is what you mean.