Getting software to work together

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Note: This message is from the outliners.com archive kindly provided by Dave Winer.

Outliners.com Message ID: 5140

Posted by 100341.2151
2006-02-02 16:16:56

Recently I have spent more time than I care to count on trying to get software to work properly with other programs, or with files generated by other programs.

First, it was trying to get Papyrus (DOS) to work properly in Windows XP; then it was getting TotalCommander (file manager) to scroll through and display a range of file types - pdf, gif, doc, rtf, htm, mht - fullscreen. And, most recently - an ongoing problem - trying to get Zoot, and Word 2003 to make use of the address hyperlinks that ContentSaver offers as a way of accessing and displaying files saved to its database.

It is probably unreasonable to expect some of these goals (e.g., the Papyrus one) to be achievable. But, as Graham has pointed out, being able to browse through a list of various types of file is an essential part of research activity. It is also important to be able to do so without having first to save the files in question into a ‘container’ database, as this tends to restrict further access to the data by indexed search engines. Hence the TotalCommander project…

Lastly, I was naively encouraged by the similarities between Zoot’s and ContentSaver(CS)‘s three-pane display to think that it might be useful if CS could be used as a container for project files that Zoot could not itself display - htm, pdf, gif, doc, and rtf files, for example. Of course, Zoot has its own way of linking to external files in the Windows folder/file system, and displaying them by invoking their original programs. But ContentSaver seemed a tidier and potentially quicker way of assembling, organising and displaying specific project data. The downside is that a duplicate set of files needs to be kept outside CS so that indexed searches can be performed - although, in fact, programs like dtSearch can index and display CS’s htm and mht files.

Only the TotalCommander project has worked out satisfactorily due, mainly, to help from its lively and excellent forum members. The CS project works for htm, txt and gif files but not for doc, rtf or pdf ones, so far. (Incidentally, CS and Ultra Recall work flawlessly together using CS’s address hyperlinks, but this is an answer to someone else’s problem.)

Next comes the issue of references and whether I can do more than just keep parallel lists of references in Zoot and whatever bibliographic program I decide to work with, or whether I can find a way of avoiding this duplication - and get some added value, too. So far this does not look too hopeful…

Somewhat discouraging maybe, but - looking on the bright side - it I’m beginning to think that CRIMP may be a self-limiting affliction.

Derek

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