Indexing content of PDFs, cloning, internal links, etc. in MyBase/WebCollect
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Posted by Cassius
Feb 21, 2008 at 03:12 AM
I’m not yet ready to speak about these with authority, but as the topics have come up…
MyBase is a 2-pane PIM with the right pane having 2 tabs, one for a quite capable RTF word processor, the other for showing html and some other file types. The WebCollect add-on allows one to save Web pages. A few Web pages that will save in Surfulator or WebResearch do not save properly in MyBase, but MyBase has many other capabilities that the others may not have:
MyBase indexes just about anything in its entries and attachments, including PDF files…at least according to the Users’ Manual: Open “Help/Users Manual” and then use advanced search (binoculars) . Check only the “Item Caption” and search on the terms “index” and “attachments.” [I haven’t tried indexing PDF,s yet yet.]
The keyboard can be customized by editing the keyboard_shortcuts.ini file which resides in myBase install folder.
It has links between items and other files, etc. According to its authors:
“There’s two ways of creating item links. Basically, you can select ‘Organize -> Item Link with…’ menu item, then choose a target info item to link. Drag-and-drop an info items with ‘Shift’ key hold down also creates the item-link between source item and destination item.”
It has clones, which it implements with “Symbolic Links”: “You can think this kind of link ‘Virtual Item’, which is just a shortcut virtually linking to another info item. Clicking on a symbolic link item displays the linked target item’s content instead. This feature allows an info item to appear under any other info items, without having to maintain duplicates of the same item’s content; Any changes to the original info item will be reflected in all places where the item is referenced.”
It also has key words which it calls “custom labels.”
I’m sure there are many more features that we are familiar with but under different names.
At my age and retirement, I’m just too lazy and don’t need much, so I don’t really try to ferret out interesting features. As Groucho Marks said,
“A child of 5 could understand this. Fetch me a child of 5.”
He also said,
“The secret to life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them ... well, I have others.” (Think of politicians.)
“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.”
-c
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Feb 21, 2008 at 11:53 AM
I have been a registered user of MyBase 4 but didn’t upgrade to 5 as my needs became rather more specialised. Nevertheless, I’ve been positively impressed by the product’s consistent development.
Perhaps the single most important feature setting MyBase apart from most other similar outliners is the existence of a multi-user client-server network version. This used to be a version of MyBase itself, but has now been turned into a separate program, InnoKB, to which MyBase files can be converted:
http://www.wjjsoft.com/innokb.html
As far as I know, the only other contenders mentioned in this forum and offering a multi-user version are IDEA! and Treepad. However, MyBase / InnoKB has gone one step further: to access a database in the company server running the software, one only requires a Javascript capable bowser. I recall Sycon discussing that a web-capable version of IDEA! was under development more than a year ago, but I have never seen it surface.
Other programs discussed here, such as UltraRecall, can have multiple users access a common file over the network but this is often slow and inefficient as the software is in fact desktop, i.e. single-user oriented.
I am currently on the lookout for such a product to use in my own company. With a 5- user base I cannot justify investing on an expensive enterprise-oriented solution. The majority of cost-effective / open-source solutions are simply too complex to set up and maintain for my comprehension and time. And, most simple turn-key all-in-one solutions are actually quite expensive.
I will be testing InnoKB for my needs and posting my findings here. I would welcome suggestions for alternative software anyone here might have experience with.
TIA
alx
Posted by Ken Ashworth
Feb 21, 2008 at 01:53 PM
Alexander Deliyannis wrote:
>Other programs
>discussed here, such as UltraRecall, can have multiple users access a common file
>over the network but this is often slow and inefficient as the software is in fact
>desktop, i.e. single-user oriented.
>
Alex,
Have you seen that Kinook updated their Road Map yesterday (2008-02-20):
http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3204
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Feb 21, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Ken, many thanks; I had not seen this, though I do check Kinnok’s roadmap once in a while. Very interesting; I assumed that I wouldn’t be the only one hoping for a multi-user version!
alx
Posted by Graham Rhind
Feb 21, 2008 at 02:59 PM
>Have you seen that Kinook updated their Road Map yesterday (2008-02-20):
>http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3204
And yet still no mention of upgrading their support for recurring tasks that even UR-lovers are requesting. Maddening.
Graham