Searching Log Files:
Clicking the search button in a log window will call up a search setup dialog which looks like the following:

You can execute three basic types of searches on a log file. These searches include date-based searches, subject string searches, and matching keyword searches. These searches may be combined to produce a more narrow search parameters, i.e., combining a date search with a keyword search produces a search which only results in a match if both the date and keyword criteria are met.

Date Search:  To perform a date search, check the “Date” checkbox in the search setup dialog. Then, you must set the type of date search. By checking the “From” checkbox, you may enter a date from which the date search will begin looking for entries. In other words, the date search will look for all entries after the indicated date. By checking the “To” checkbox, you may enter a date to which the date search will look for entries. In other words, the date search will look for all entries before the indicated date. If you enable both a “From” and “To” date search, the date search will look for all entries found between the two indicated dates. If you check the “Include Last Date Edited” checkbox, the date search will include all entries that have been edited last on a date that fits the date parameters. If this checkbox is not checked, the date search will only look for entries based on their initial recording date.

Subject Search: To conduct a subject search on a log file, check the “Subject” checkbox in the search setup dialog. Then, in the subject text box, you may enter the subject string on which to search. You may use the subject manager pop-up menu next to the subject text box to enter quickly often-used subjects (see Subject Manager below). Note that when the subject text box is empty, the subject search will look for entries with empty subjects, i.e., entries in which the subject field is blank.

In addition to the text box, the subject search has an option which allows you to select how the subject search will compare strings. You may choose to have the subject match what has been entered in the subject text box exactly, or just contain the text somewhere in the string. Either option may be selected via the radio buttons adjacent to the “Subject” checkbox.

Keyword Search: To conduct a keyword search on the log file, check the “Keyword” checkbox in the search setup dialog. Then, in the keyword text box, you may enter a list of keywords, each seperated by a comma, for which to search. You may use the keyword manager pop-up menu next to the keyword text box to enter quickly often-used keywords (see Keyword Manager below).

In addition to the text box, the keyword search has an option which allows you to select how the keyword search is to be conducted. You may choose to have the keyword search look for entries which include all of the keywords listed, or look for any entry which has at least one of the entered keywords listed.  Either option may be selected via the radio buttons adjacent to the “Keyword” checkbox.

Subject Manager:
The subject manager allows you to define some often-used subjects for a particular log file.  Once defined, you may access these subjects quickly via pop-up menus located where a subject or subject-related string is entered.  To call up the subject manager, select the log window for which you wish to define any often-used subjects. Then select Subject... from the Managers menu. A dialog will appear which looks the following:

This dialog allows you to define any often-used subjects for the log file.  To enter information into the dialog, click an enabled, unchecked checkbox, then type a subject in the text field adjacent to that box. Each time you click on an enabled, unchecked checkbox, the checkbox immediately below it will become enabled. When a checkbox is checked, what ever information that is in the text box next to it will be considered an often-used subject, even if the text box is blank. To remove a particular often-used subject, click on the checkbox adjacent to it. That subject will be removed and all subsequent subjects will move up one position.

To save and quit  the subject manager dialog when you are finished, click the OK button and your list of often-used subjects will be saved to the log file. You may access them via pop-up menus at key points in Personal Log. For each log file, you may define a maximum of eight 255-character subjects in the subject manager.

Keyword Manager:
The keyword manager allows you to define often-used keywords for a particular file, and works under the same principle as the subject manager.  To define often-used keywords for a particular log file, call up the keyword manager by selecting the appropriate log window. Then select Keywords... from the Managers menu.  A dialog will appear which looks like the following:

To define a list of keywords, enter them into the text box which appears in the keyword manager dialog. Each keyword must be seperated by a comma. 

To save and quit the keyword manager dialog when you are finished, click the OK button and your list of often-used keywords will be saved to the log file. You may access them via pop-up menus at key points in Personal Log.  For each log file, you may define a maximum of eight 31-character keywords in the keyword manager.

Password Manager:
Passwords may be used in Personal Log to maintain the security of your files. Password functions are handled by the password manager which allows you to do two things. First, it allows you to password-protect a chosen log file, preventing the file from being opened without the correct password. Second, the password manager allows you to change the current password of that particular log file. (Please note, the password manager cannot change whether or not recorded entries may be edited.) To activate the password manager for a particular log file, select the appropriate log window, then select Password… from the Managers menu.  A password manager dialog will appear and looks like the following:

This dialog allows you to change the current password protection status of the chosen log file, as well as change the file’s current password. To change the password status, either check or uncheck the “Require password to open log file” checkbox. If the file did not have a password defined when it was created and the “Require password...” checkbox is checked, the OK button in the password manager dialog will be disabled until you click on the “Change Password” button to define a new password.

To change the password of a chosen log file, (this is also the password used for editing and deleting recorded entries), click on the “Change Password” button.  A change password dialog will appear and looks like the following:

Please note that the OK button in the change password dialog is disabled when dialog window is opened. To enable the button, you must enter correctly the old password into the “Old Password” text box and enter a new password into the “New Password” text box. When you click on the OK button, the password of the log file will be change, and you will be returned to the password manager dialog.  Please note that if a log file is set up so that it does not require a password, e.g., it is fully editable and does  not require a password to open, the “Change Password” button will be disabled.  Also, if the change password dialog is called up when the current log file has no password, the “Old Password” text box will be missing, and the OK button will be enabled when a new password is entered.

Editing Recorded Entries:
To edit a recorded entry, hold down the <option> key while opening the entry from the log window, i.e., <option>-double-click on the entry you wish to edit in the entry list area of the log window. If the log file was set up as a “Fully Editable” file, the entry will open in an editable mode. If the log file was set up as an “Editable with Password” file, a dialog will appear asking for the correct password to open and edit the log file.  

Once you have edited the entry, you must re-record the entry by clicking the record entry button. The changes will not be saved if you dismiss the window by clicking in the go-away box. When the edited entry has been re-recorded, the information under the “Date” heading will change, and instead of reading “Date,” the heading will read “Last Edited.”

Deleting Entries:
Entries are not intended to be removed from log files, but this feature has been added in case you mistakenly add an unwanted entry.

You may delete entries in any of the log file modes. However, to delete entries recorded in the “Editable with Password” and “Uneditable” modes, the correct log file password is required. To delete an entry from a log file, select that entry in the entry list area of the log window, then press <option>-<delete>.  If a password is required, a dialog will appear for you to enter the correct password. After the selected entry has been deleted, Personal Log will reconstruct the log file. This process may be lengthy for large log files.

“Speaking” Entries:
This feature is only available if you have Apple’s speech manager installed into your system software. If you do have it installed, a hierachal menu will be added to the bottom of the Commands menu. This sub-menu has three items: Speak Text, Stop Speaking, and Voices. The Speak Text item is enabled if an entry window has been selected. It will cause an entire entry to be spoken aloud, unless part of the text is selected. Then only the selected text will be spoken aloud. The Stop Speaking item is available only when Speak Text has been selected and a passage is being read aloud. When Stop Speaking is selected, the current speaking is stopped. The Voices menu item is a sub-menu containing all of the voices currently installed in your system. The voice you select will govern what voice is heard throughout the program.

Personal Log Preferences:
Selecting the Preferences... item from the Managers menu brings forward the Personal Log preferences dialog which looks like the following:

Under the Entry Window Settings, you may set the default font and font size of new entries' text. 

Also under the Entry Window Settings is a checkbox which toggles whether or not you will be warned when you close a new entry window without your entry being recording. If you check this box, an alert will be displayed each time you close a new entry window. If you do not wish to use this feature, do not check this checkbox.

Personal Log has the capacity to perform some operations, such as log file loading and searching, in a “background mode.” When an operation is being conducted in the background mode, you are free to use every aspect of Personal Log (except for items directly related to the log file on which the operations are being conducted) and of the rest of your computer. Although these operations may take longer to complete in the background mode, this feature allows you the convenience of being able to use your computer while you are waiting for Personal Log to complete its task. To utilize this feature, the “Background Operations” checkbox must be checked. If this box is not checked, you must wait for all operations in Personal Log to finish before you can move on to anything else.