Copyright: Authoring Tool: Xantippe from IRIS Media Systems


SEARCH (id=256)
SEARCH

Legal Searcher

About Searcher

Getting Started

About Text Files

Search Criteria

Menus

Tips on Searching

License


Menus (id=261)
Menus

File Menu

Edit Menu

View Menu

Search Menu

Options Menu

Window Menu


Search Criteria (id=262)
Search Criteria

A search always begins at the beginning of the document, use the binoculars to open another search window.

Or

Not

At beginning of line (left arrow)

Case Sensitive (Aa)

Whole word or phrase (double arrows)

Whole number (#)

Lines of text to search


About Searcher (id=265)
About Searcher

Legal Searcher is a fast and dirty search/reader for monster text files. Up to four key words or phrases can be simultaneously searched for, and when located within a pre-specified range of lines in the document being interrogated, a match is recorded. Searches can be as sloppy or precise as desired. While you examine the findings, searching continues recording additional occurrences for later examination.

When searching commences, a window slides down the document. Successful matches are highlighted in the center of the window, or alternatively, when the document is organized according to some discernible pattern of chapters the window advances by chapter. You can easily toggle between the two modes.

Having searched and located 'something', invariably there is a reference to something else. Call-up another Search Criteria Window (binoculars icon) to locate that other item, when finished return to where you started.

Searching is accomplished without modifying the source documents. Most hypertext viewers require that document file be pre-programmed manually to establish hypertext links. Legal Searcher accomplishes the same effect by using the ‘binoculars’ to make the hypertext associations, thereby eliminating the need for preprocessing.


View Menu (id=280)
View Menu

Search Criteria On Top

By Section Title

Toolbar


File Menu (id=281)
File Menu

Open

Preferences

Print

Exit


Preferences (id=282)
Preferences

Number of characters to scroll - The number of characters to scroll back or foreword. The default is 5,000.

Maximum search topics - As topics are located during searching, each is recorded. This is the maximum number of matches allowed.

Search Criteria - 1,2,3 background color - specify color for each search criteria window.

Lines of text to search for match - default number of lines.

Fonts - Select the font to view the text.

Font size - Specify an appropriate font size for easy viewing.

Bold - Make the font bold.


Open (id=284)
Open

Select the directory and file name of the document to view and press "OK". Text files '.txt' are the default, but any file can be viewed. Searcher is non-destructive and will not alter the contents of the file.


Exit (id=285)
Exit

Exit searcher. Configuration information is saved.


Print (id=286)
Print

Print the current page.


Toolbar (id=291)
Toolbar

Toggles to display or hide the toolbar.


By Section Title (id=292)
By Section Title

Switch between the title mode and the text mode.


Window Menu (id=299)
Window Menu

Shows active windows and is helpful for restoring hidden windows.


Options Menu (id=300)
Options Menu

Title Delimiters

There are several different ways text may be organized. Once specified these characteristics travel with the text file in a configuration file (.dat).

Not delimited - no discernible pattern (default).

Custom Delimiters - Delimiters are the marker placed at the beginning or end of a chapter. Enter the custom delimiter in the box.

Something as simple as:

Rule 1 ...

Rule 2 ...

at the beginning of each section line.

Or: some series of markers, followed by a title:

****

RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE

in this case the delimiter is '****' and the title is on the next line.

Lines starting with numbers - Numerical titles are like:

1. Jurisdiction

2. Time to File Petition

3. ....

the number is always on the left.

The marker may precede the chapter title by several lines or be on the same line. The title line position relative to the marker is specified below.

Use current line starting with:

Current line - Title is on the same line as the delimiter.

Next line - Title is on the next line.

Second line - Title is on the second line after the delimiter.

Custom - Specify number of lines.


At beginning of line (left arrow) (id=303)
At beginning of line (left arrow)

The topic occurs at the beginning of the line.


Not (id=304)
Not

The topic is not within the range of lines.


Or (id=305)
Or

If one topic or the next topic is located within the specified number lines, a match is recorded.


Whole number (#) (id=306)
Whole number (#)

The number 1 matches 1 or 1.5 unless this option is specified, however, 1 will match 21 unless the 'Whole Word' option is also selected.


Whole word or phrase (double arrows) (id=307)
Whole word or phrase (double arrows)

Put spaces around a word or phrase to force a successful search of a whole word. This works except in the case where the word is at the beginning of a line or at the end. To cover the latter case select this option.


Case Sensitive (Aa) (id=308)
Case Sensitive (Aa)

Exact match is required. Normally upper and lower case are ignored.


Lines of text to search (id=309)
Lines of text to search

The number of lines of text in which the search criteria is expected to be located.

Example: If search topics are located within 3 lines of each other, or within 5 lines, etc.


Tips on Searching (id=310)
Tips on Searching

On searching: The word ‘the’ matches, ‘the’, ‘their’, ‘THE’, ‘Athens’, etc. This is the default search mode, you can limit the search using the check boxes.

Specify the search criteria and get the searcher working first, then use the (binoculars). The searcher keeps going even if you are doing something else, like reading text or using the (binoculars) to check a specific section.

When specifying your search criteria, or defining custom delimiters spaces are important.

Be sure to adjust the window in which the text resides to accommodate the width of the longest text line, otherwise the long text lines will word-wrap and make for a confusing display.

To search for all the titles in the document, place a space as the first search criteria and press Search Topics (Usually there is a space in the topics).

If you loose sight of the Search Criteria, select windows in the main menu and click on the lost form to get it back on top. Or get search criteria to stay ‘on top’ (see View menu).

Searches are not case sensitive unless specified (Aa option).

Custom Delimiters are assumed to be left-justified and are not case sensitive.

If Searcher will not open your text file, delete the ‘*.dat’ file and restart program.


Getting Started (id=311)
Getting Started

From the file menu select Open and proceed to open your favorite text file. Enter the word 'the' in the search criteria box. Then select Search Topic. In the search window below, lines of text appear. Click on one of the lines to view that selection. Select another and that section appears. Try it yourself using a less frequently used word or expression.

You will notice a button over the text viewer with either a small 't' or Capital 'T'. If small 't' is showing then we are in the text mode, which is where we want to be. The large 'T' is the titles mode and if we have not specified how titles are to be located (Options, Title delimiters - in the main menu) nothing will be found.

Add an additional search criteria, specify the range of lines in which a match may occur. And re-start your search. You will notice that while searching the 'Search Topics' button is dimmed. This is because a search is in progress. Press 'Stop' halt the process. But we do not want to do that now.

Click on the binoculars and search for the word 'if'. Press the up button, which looks like an upside down triangle to move up a page or the button next to it , the down triangle, to move down or alternatively use the scroll bars to accomplish the same.

Now click the highlighted item in the search box to return to where we started.

There is an experiment you can run, take the bottom right hand corner of the viewer window and drag it left, thereby squishing the document. Notice that the lines wrap and the screen becomes difficult to read. The point here is that different documents may have different viewing width’s. So you may want to experiment.

By specifying a format for the document (Options, Title delimiter - in the main menu) we can also utilize the titles mode to view the document in a more organized format.

The procedures for searching and viewing documents are the same, the only difference is that Titles are displayed in the search window, and documents are navigated by sections rather than by chunks of raw text.


License (id=312)
License

COPYRIGHT - Copyright 1994, HRG, INC. All Rights Reserved. This document may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form, without prior consent, in writing, from HRG, INC. All software described in this manual is Copyright 1994, HRG, INC.. All rights reserved. The distribution and sale of these products are intended for the use of the original purchaser only. Lawful users of these programs are hereby licensed only to read the programs, from their media into computer memory, solely for the purpose of executing the programs. Duplicating or copying for other than backup purposes, selling, or otherwise distributing these products, is a violation of the law and this agreement.

Shareware Evaluation - HRG, INC. hereby grants you a limited license to use this software for evaluation purposes for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days.  If you intend to continue using this software (and/or it's documentation) after the thirty (30) day evaluation period, you MUST make a registration payment to HRG, INC.  You may make as many copies of the Shareware version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original Shareware version to anyone; and distribute the Shareware version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means.  There is no charge for any of the above.

Registered Owners - HRG, INC. grants the non-exclusive right to use any enclosed program.  One registered copy of LEGAL SEARCHER is be dedicated to a single person who may use the software on one or more computers.  You may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, modify, or translate the program or the documentation.  All other rights and uses not specifically granted in this license are reserved by HRG, INC.

You may access the registered version of LEGAL SEARCHER through a network, provided that you have obtained individual licenses for the software

covering all workstations that will access the software through the

network.

Distribution - You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written permission from HRG, INC..

The LEGAL SEARCHER package is defined as containing all the  material listed in the PACKING.LST text file.  If any files listed in the PACKING.LST text file, or the PACKING.LST file itself, are missing, then the package is not complete and distribution is forbidden.  Please contact HRG, INC. to obtain a complete package suitable for distribution.

The LEGAL SEARCHER package - including all related program files and documentation files - CANNOT be modified in any  way and must be distributed as a complete package, without exception.  The PACKING.LST text file contains a list of  all files that are part of the LEGAL SEARCHER package.

Terms - This license is effective until terminated. You may terminate it by destroying the program, the documentation and copies thereof. This license will also terminate if you fail to comply with any terms or conditions of this agreement. You agree upon such termination to destroy all copies of the program and of the documentation.


Search Criteria On Top (id=313)
Search Criteria On Top

Keep Search Criteria form(s) on top.


Search Menu (id=314)
Search Menu

New Search Criteria Window - opens a new Search Criteria window to initiate an additional search. (Max 3 allowed)

Leap Up - display the previous chunk of text. The chunk size is specified in the File, Preferences menu under 'Number of characters to scroll'.

Leap Down - display the next chunk of text.


About Text Files (id=316)
About Text Files

Text Files - Legal Searcher works best with text files, i.e. files without special character in them. If Legal Searcher doesn’t work with a file, this is because of special formatting or special character sequences in the file. The easiest way to solve this problem is to convert the file to an ASCII text file format. This can be accomplished by loading the document into a word processor, choosing the ‘Save as’ option, and selecting ‘txt’ or ‘asc’ file extensions. In most word processors this will automatically make the necessary conversion.

Building document files - I faxed the ‘Rules of Tax Court’ to my computer. My fax program converted the fax images to text files, which I then consolidated into one large document.


Edit Menu (id=317)
Edit Menu

Using the mouse, select the text you wish to copy, then select Edit, Copy from the menu bar to place the text on the clipboard.