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PostSearch KI Database Search Post Processor For Knowledge Index Searches Version 1.2 (c) 1993 Pastel Programming Co. HC56 Box 6038 Sidney MT 59270 USA CompuServe 71477,352 U S E R S ' M A N U A L CONTENTS PURPOSE ............................................ 1 INSTALLATION ....................................... 3 LAUNCHING PostSearch ............................... 3 HELP ............................................... 4 INPUT FIELD EDITING KEYS ........................... 4 MAIN MENU .......................................... 4 Menu Items .................................... 4 Command Footer ................................ 5 FILTER CAPTURED SEARCH FILES ....................... 5 What is a Captured Search File? ............... 5 What the Filter Does .......................... 6 Filter Captured File Sub-Menu ................. 6 FILTER ALL CAPTURED RECORDS TO ONE FILE ............ 7 Filter Box .................................... 7 Specifying Drive\Path\File .................... 7 Files Created and Preserved ................... 8 Content of Filtered Record File ............... 8 Command Footer ................................ 10 FILTER SPECIFIED RECORD TYPES TO ONE FILE .......... 10 Reasons for this Option ....................... 10 Extended Filter Box; Input and Feedback ....... 11 Files Created and Preserved ................... 12 Filter Again or Exit .......................... 13 Command Footer ................................ 13 FILTER SPECIFIED RECORD TYPES TO SEPARATE FILES .... 13 Reasons for this Option ....................... 13 Extended Filter Box; Input and Feedback ....... 14 Files Created and Preserved ................... 16 Filter Again or Exit .......................... 16 Command Footer ................................ 17 SIFTING FILTERED RECORD FILES ...................... 17 Reason for Sifting Facility ................... 17 What the Sifting Facility Does ................ 17 Sifting Box ................................... 17 i Specifying Drive\Path\File .................... 18 Scanning and Indexing ......................... 19 Indexing Capacity ............................. 19 Orientation Line ............................. 20 Record Browsing Keys ......................... 20 Record Navigation Keys ....................... 21 Keep ......................................... 22 Keep Express ................................. 23 Keep List .................................... 24 Command Footer ............................... 24 SAVING AND LOADING RECORD FILE INDEXES ............ 25 SELECT RECORDS BY KEY WORDS ....................... 26 What the Record Selector Does ............... 26 Select Records Box ........................... 26 Specifying Drive\Path\File ................... 27 Scanning and Indexing ........................ 27 Indexing Capacity ............................ 27 Key Word Form ................................ 28 Select File .................................. 29 Searching and Writing ........................ 29 RENUMBER RECORD FILES ............................. 29 What is a Record File? ....................... 29 Why Renumber? ................................ 30 What Renumbering Does ........................ 30 Renumber Box ................................. 31 Specifying Drive\Path\File ................... 31 Files Created and Preserved .................. 32 Command Footer ............................... 32 FORMAT CHANGES .................................... 33 Reformat TAGed Records ....................... 33 Insert Page Breaks ........................... 33 FILE VIEWER ....................................... 34 Availability of File Viewer .................. 34 Uses of File Viewer .......................... 34 Specifying Drive\Path\File ................... 34 Browsing Keys ................................ 35 Text Search .................................. 37 "Record" Stepper ............................. 38 SET UP DEFAULTS ................................... 39 NAMING FILES ...................................... 40 ii DIRECTORY CLEANUP ................................. 40 APPENDIX A Input Field Editing Keys ................ 42 B Main Menu Command Footer ................ 44 Help ............................... 44 Change Directory ................... 44 List Files ......................... 44 Copy Files ......................... 45 Rename Files ....................... 45 DOS (command mode) ................. 46 DU (DOS utilities shell) ........... 46 Exit Program ....................... 46 LIMITED WARRANTY .................................. 47 TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................... 48 COPYRIGHT ......................................... 48 iii PURPOSE PostSearch KI is post processor for Knowledge Index searches which lets you: o "filter" search files to create files containing just the database records, labeled and numbered o "sift" filtered record files to "keep" records you choose to new files o select records by key words o renumber records in filtered record files o reformat TAGed records to remove hard carriage returns within records o insert page breaks every X records You can turn on screen capture in your communication program at the beginning of a KNOWLEDGE INDEX search session, capture everything, focus on the search, and afterwards easily filter the search file to just the database records. You may: o filter all online types to one file o filter specified online types to one file o filter specified online types to separate files The filters label each record in the form "Record - X" at the left margin, replacing the "X" with numbers in numerical order. In the PostSearch KI sifting facility: o PostSearch KI indexes filtered record files to display records one by one, let you navigate among the records with single-key commands and let you optionally write ("keep") ones you select to a new file or files. o The Keep (K) command lets you write the currently displayed record to a file you specify and acts on the whole record at once, eliminating the need for cursor movements, highlighting, block operations PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- and all the other manipulations that would be necessary in a text editor or word processor. The program then automatically advances to the next indexed record. o The Keep Express command (Alt-K) writes the currently displayed record to the same file to which the last "kept" record was written without having to again specify that file, saving additional time. o The Keep List command (Ctrl-K) displays a list of the records by number which already have been "kept" during the current sifting session. o Record browsing commands let you browse the currently displayed record with PgDn, PgUp, Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Ctrl-PgUp, Ctrl-PgDn and Move to Line. o Record navigation commands let you move through the records with Next, Previous, First, Last and Jump commands. The record selection facility lets you place key words on a form and have only those records which satisfy your search request written to a new file. The renumbering facility automatically renumbers records in a record file to restore them to numerical order, such as files of "kept" records or files of records selected by key words which otherwise would have numbers out of numerical order. PostSearch KI also includes a file viewer with text search (F3) and a "Record" stepper (F8) that steps through record files to the next "Record - X". PostSearch KI also includes a number of DOS facilities indicated in the command footer, including drop to DOS in command mode, change directory, list files, files pick list, copy files, rename files, and a DOS shell interface. PostSearch KI does not alter your original files. When you filter, sift, select by key word, renumber or reformat, PostSearch KI creates new output files and preserves your original files. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------- INSTALLATION PostSearch KI includes three files, PSKI.EXE, PSDU.EXE and PSKI.HLP. If you received these files in plain form, simply copy them to your desired directory. No special installation or configuration is required. You might have received PostSearch KI on a distribution floppy diskette which includes an installation program. If so, insert the floppy diskette into your floppy drive. You may log on to the floppy drive and type INSTALL or, without logging on to the floppy drive, give the full drive, path and file name, e.g., A:\INSTALL. The INSTALL program is menu-driven and provides an option to read about installation using the program. The INSTALL program makes no changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file, nor any other alterations to your system configuration. You might have received PostSearch KI in a compressed archive file. If so, copy the archive to a directory containing no other files. Type the name of the archive without the extension and press <enter>. Then delete the archive file from that directory (saving your original copy elsewhere) and copy the decompressed files to your desired directory. LAUNCHING PostSearch KI Launch the program from the DOS prompt by typing "PSKI" and pressing <enter>. By DOS convention, case is not sensitive in this command. As ever, for DOS to find the program: o it must be in the current subdirectory, or o it must be in a subdirectory included in the current PATH statement which is usually the one executed by your AUTOEXEC.BAT file at boot-up, or o you must give the full path when launching the program. o you can create a DOS batch (.BAT) file in a subdirectory included in the current PATH statement which calls PostSearch KI by giving the full path to the program. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 4 ----------------------------------------------------------------- HELP PostSearch KI provides context-sensitive help which is widely available throughout the program by pressing the F1 key. INPUT FIELD EDITING KEYS The program often requires user input and displays a field on the screen where the user provides the program with the required input. A number of editing keys are active in each of these fields. To avoid repetition, the function of these keys is explained once in an appendix. This manual mentions when the input field editing keys are active and refers you to the appendix. MAIN MENU Menu Items When PostSearch KI is first launched, it presents a Main Menu like this: Main Menu C Filter Captured Search Files M Filter Mailed Search Files S Sift Filtered Record Files K Select Records by Key Words R Renumber Record Files F Format Changes V File Viewer D Set Up Defaults X eXit Program C, M, S, K, R, F, V, D or X This menu indicates the five Main Menu options available: o to filter captured search files o to sift filtered record files o to select records by key words PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------- o to renumber record files o to reformat records It also indicates the availability of a file viewer and an option to set up certain defaults explained later in this Manual. The final option is to exit the program. To make a choice among these options, press the key for the letter opposite your choice. For example, to filter a captured search file, press the C key. Case is not sensitive. Pressing "c" or "C" will work. The Main Menu keys are turbo keys, meaning that you will not need to press the <enter> key to carry out the command. As soon as you press the option key of your choice, the program carries out the command and takes you to the next step. Command Footer Additional commands are active at the Main Menu. The program displays a command footer to remind you of them. (See Appendix B) FILTER CAPTURED SEARCH FILES What is a Captured Search File? Screen capture is a feature of most computer communication programs that lets you record the information scrolling up your screen during an online session and save it to a disk file on your computer. This feature may also be called logging or recording. When your Knowledge Index search request hits on records, you may command the system to immediately display the records in your choice of online record types. If you command that online types be displayed, and if you have activated screen capture, your communications program will save the records to a disk file on your computer. PostSearch KI refers to a file created in this manner as a captured search file. It is a file which captures records you've commanded Knowledge Index to immediately display in online types. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 6 ----------------------------------------------------------------- What the Filter Does Capturing records in this manner causes the file to include other information transmitted to your computer during the session. The other information includes prompts, error messages, commands you enter, etc. The object of PostSearch KI's filter is to create a new file or files with everything filtered out except the records. As the capture file is cleaned up, PostSearch KI automatically labels and numbers the records for you. PostSearch KI does not alter your capture file; it writes the filtered records to a new file. Filter Captured File Sub-Menu When you press C at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI opens the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu, like this: Filter Captured File Sub-Menu 1 All record types to one file 2 Specified types to one file 3 Specified types to separate files Q Quit 1, 2, 3 or Q This menu lets you choose between: o filtering all records of all types in a captured search file to one file, or o filtering up to five record types you will specify to one file, or o filtering up to five record types you will specify to separate files you will specify, a file for each type. The following sections explain first how to filter all the records to one file. Later sections explain how to specify record types for filtering either to one file or separate files. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 7 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FILTER ALL CAPTURED RECORDS TO ONE FILE Filter Box When you press 1 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu, PostSearch KI opens a box where you will conduct the filtering session. The contents of the filter box when a file has been filtered to a single file look like this: Filter Captured Search Files File to filter: search.log Processing: line number 2142 record number 36 Records saved to: SEARCH.PRO Captured search file unaltered: SEARCH.LOG Specifying Drive\Path\File The filter box asks you for the name of the file to process. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) If the file is in the current subdirectory, you need not give a drive or path. You may specify a drive and path to let PostSearch KI find a file in a subdirectory other than the current one. If you do not give a drive or path and the file is not in the current subdirectory, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. You need not concern yourself with case when specifying drive, path or file name. F5 presents a pick list of all files in the current subdirectory. Use the cursor control keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp and PgDn) scroll through the list and highlight the file you want. When the file you want is highlighted, press <enter> to select it. When you select a file, its name is inserted into the input field and the pick list is PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- cleared. If you decide not to pick a file from the list, press ESC. You may obtain a pick list of just the files with a certain file name extension by pressing Alt-F5. When you press this key combination, the program presents a prompt and input field like this: Choose a file extension: . The input field is just three spaces, the maximum length of a DOS file name extension. Follow DOS conventions to specify the extension you want. The input editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) When you have specified an extension, a pick list of all the files in the current subdirectory with that extension will appear. Files Created and Preserved PostSearch KI automatically names the filtered file with the same base name as the captured search file plus a .PRO extension. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file is SEARCH.LOG and the filtered record file is SEARCH.PRO. The .PRO extension means "processed." PostSearch KI automatically assigns the file a .PRO file name extension because it requires that extension later if you choose the Sift option or Select Records by Key Words option from the Main Menu. PostSearch KI preserves the captured search file without altering it. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file specified by the searcher in the input field is SEARCH.LOG and the box displays a message that this file has been preserved unaltered. Content of Filtered Record File The filtered record file will consist of two kinds of segments, numbered record labels and records: PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 9 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Record - 1 record content Record - 2 record content Record - 3 record content An example from a search of ERIC is: Record - 1 EJ426056 IR522936 The Seven Stages of an Online Search--Part I. Quint, Barbara Online; v15 n3 p13-18 May 1991 ISSN: 0146-5422 Available from: UMI Language: English Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); CLASSROOM MATERIAL (050); POSITION PAPER (120) Journal Announcement: CIJSEP91 Discussion of online searching focuses on the first three of seven stages of searching: (1) the reference interview, including user needs, the search request, and the user's expectations; (2) the tactical overview, including institutional control and cost and time factors; and (3) database selection considerations, including relevance, accessibility, and costs. (LRW) Descriptors: Cost Effectiveness; Costs; Databases; Interviews; *Online Searching; Relevance (Information Retrieval); *Search Strategies; Time Management; *User Needs (Information) Identifiers: *Query Negotiation (Library Science); User Fees Record - 2 EJ428878 IR523115 Inside a Searcher's Mind: The Seven Stages of an Online Search--Part 2. Quint, Barbara Online; v15 n4 p28-35 Jul 1991 ISSN: 0146-5422 PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 10 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Available from: UMI Language: English Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); CLASSROOM MATERIAL (050) Journal Announcement: CIJNOV91 Continues a description of elements in the online searching process, highlighting: (1) search strategy formulation, including free text search construction versus controlled terminology, and terms and search statements; (2) the actual online search, including speed and cost considerations; (3) feedback or reviewing results; and (4) presentation of final search results in print or machine-readable format. (LRW) Descriptors: Cost Effectiveness; Feedback; *Online Searching; *Search Strategies; Subject Index Terms; Thesauri; Time Management; User Needs (Information) Identifiers: Free Text Searching; Machine Readable Data; Printed Materials Command Footer When the filter box opens, the command footer remains active. (See Appendix B) FILTER SPECIFIED RECORD TYPES TO ONE FILE Reasons For This Option Choosing option 1 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu tells PostSearch KI to filter records of all types to the output file. You might have reasons for not wanting to include all record types. For example, you might have commanded Knowledge Index to display some records in Short (S) format and not want them in the filtered file. Options 2 and 3 accommodate such purposes. When you press 2 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu, PostSearch KI opens a filter box which initially looks like the filter box it opens if you press 1. The filter box asks you for the name of the file to process. This step works just like it does when you press 1. Please refer to "Specifying Drive\Path\File" under "FILTER ALL CAPTURED RECORDS TO ONE FILE." PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 11 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Extended Filter Box; Input and Feedback After you specify the captured search file to filter, PostSearch KI extends the filter box to cover a larger portion of the screen to accommodate the additional prompts and feedback you will need to filter specified record types to one file. Under a new subheading, the program first asks you how many record types you want, like this: Specified Types to One File How many types, 1 to 5? When you tell PostSearch KI the number of types, it next provides you with prompts and input fields to specify the types and associated files. Assuming you told PostSearch KI you want to filter five types, the screen will look like this: Specified Types to One File How many types, 1 to 5? 5 Type File First type SEARCH.PRO Second type SEARCH.PRO Third type SEARCH.PRO Fourth type SEARCH.PRO Fifth type SEARCH.PRO In this table, the single output file name is given automatically opposite all the record types to be specified. This example assumes that the searcher told PostSearch KI to process a captured search file with a base file name of SEARCH, such as SEARCH.LOG. The program then automatically assigns SEARCH.PRO as the name of the file to which records of the types to be specified will be written. PostSearch KI automatically assigns the file a .PRO file name extension because it requires that extension later if you choose the Sift option or Select Records by Key Words from the Main Menu. To the right of the type/file table the program displays a reminder of how to respond to the input fields in the table, like this: PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 12 ----------------------------------------------------------------- You may specify record types L, M, S, F or K. All the types you specify will be filtered to SEARCH.PRO. PostSearch KI presents an input field in the "Type" column on the "First type" row. This input field is one character wide and will accept input of only one character. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Enter a Knowledge Index record type just as you would see it online or in a captured search file between the slashes on the line before a record. When you fill the input field, PostSearch KI moves the input field to the "Type" column on the "Second type" row. You may specify a second record type in this field the same way you did for the first type. You may repeat these steps for the third, fourth and fifth types you wish to filter. If you told PostSearch KI you wish to filter less than five record types, the program would have presented a similar table, but the table would have only as many rows as the number of types you told PostSearch KI to filter. As filtering progresses, PostSearch KI provides feedback about the number of lines processed, the number of records being found in the file, and the number of records of each specified type being written to the .PRO file, like this (changing the example to three specified types and a shorter output file name to fit the table into the margins of this page): Type File Records Processing: First type L FIL.PRO 57 line number 2862 Second type M FIL.PRO 21 record number 141 Third type F FIL.PRO 14 Captured file unaltered FIL.LOG Files Created and Preserved PostSearch KI automatically names the filtered file with the same base name as the captured search file plus a .PRO extension. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file is SEARCH.LOG and the filtered record file is SEARCH.PRO. The .PRO extension means "processed." PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 13 ----------------------------------------------------------------- PostSearch KI automatically assigns the file a .PRO file name extension because it requires that extension later if you choose the Sift option or the Select Records by Key Words option from the Main Menu. PostSearch KI preserves the captured search file without altering it. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file specified by the searcher in the input field is SEARCH.LOG and the box displays a message that this file has been preserved unaltered. Filter Again or Exit When filtering is done, you may specify a captured search file again, either the same file or a different one. Notice in the example above, the total number of records is 141 while the sum of the records of the three specified types is only 92, indicating that there were records of other types. Be aware, however, that if you specify the same file, the new .PRO file will overwrite the last one. You might want to change that last one's name or copy it to a file with a different name to save it from being lost. If you do not wish to continue filtering specific record types, you may press F7 or ESC to return to the Main Menu. Command Footer When the filter box opens, the command footer remains active. (See Appendix B) FILTER SPECIFIED RECORD TYPES TO SEPARATE FILES Reasons for this Option Choosing option 1 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu tells PostSearch KI to filter records of all types to single output file. You might have reasons for not wanting to include all record types. For example, you might have commanded Knowledge Index to display some records in Short (S) format and not want them in the filtered file. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 14 ----------------------------------------------------------------- In addition, you might not want all the specified record types in a single output file. You might want them in separate files. Option 3 accommodates this. When you press 3 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu, PostSearch KI opens a filter box which initially looks like the filter box it opens if you press 1 or 2. The filter box asks you for the name of the file to process. This step works just like it does when you press 1 or 2. Please refer to "Specifying Drive\Path\File" under "FILTER ALL CAPTURED RECORDS TO ONE FILE." Extended Filter Box; Input and Feedback After you specify the captured search file to filter, PostSearch KI extends the filter box to cover a larger portion of the screen to accommodate the additional prompts and feedback you will need to save different record types to separate files. Under a new subheading, the program first asks you how many record types you want, like this: Specified Types to Separate Files How many types, 1 to 5? When you tell PostSearch KI the number of types, it next provides you with prompts and input fields to specify the types and associated files. Assuming you told PostSearch KI you want to filter five types, the screen will look like this: Specified Types to Separate Files How many types, 1 to 5? Type File First type Second type Third type Fourth type Fifth type To the right of the type/file input table the program displays a reminder of how to respond to the table, like this: PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 15 ----------------------------------------------------------------- You may specify record types L, M, S, F or K, and any valid DOS file names up to eight characters long without dots (.) or extensions. PostSearch KI automatically uses .PRO extensions. PostSearch KI presents an input field in the "Type" column on the "First type" row. This input field is one character wide and will accept input of one character. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Enter a Knowledge Index record type just as you would see it online or in a captured search file between the slashes on the line before a record. When you fill the input field, PostSearch KI moves the input field to the "File" column on the "First type" row. This input field is eight characters wide and will accept input of up to eight characters. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Enter any valid DOS filename, but do not include a dot (.) or an extension. PostSearch KI automatically assigns the file a .PRO file name extension because it requires that extension later if you choose the Sift option or Select Records by Key Words option from the Main Menu. The records from the captured search file of the "First type" you specified will be filtered to the file you specified for that record type. Other record types will not be written to that file. The records filtered to that file will be labeled and numbered sequentially within that separate file. When you press <enter> or fill the first file name input field, PostSearch KI advances the input field to the "Type" column on the "Second type" row. You may specify a second record type in this field the same way you did for the first type. When you do, PostSearch KI moves the input field to the "File" column on the "Second type" row. You may specify a separate file name for records of the second type the same way you did for the first type. You may repeat these steps for the third, fourth and fifth types you wish to filter. If you had told PostSearch KI you wish to filter less than five record types, the program would have presented a PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 16 ----------------------------------------------------------------- similar table, but the table would have only as many rows as the number of types you told PostSearch KI to filter. As filtering progresses, PostSearch KI provides feedback about the number of lines processed, the number of records being found in the file, and the number of records of each specified type being written to each separate file, like this (changing the example to three specified types): Type File Records Processing: First type L L.PRO 57 line number 2862 Second type M M.PRO 21 record number 141 Third type F F.PRO 14 Captured file unaltered SEARCH.LOG You may specify any file name you want (except that you may not use the same name for any two or more of the record types and you may not use the input file name). In the example above, the L records were saved to L.PRO merely because the searcher specified L as the file name, not because the file name would have had to be the same as the record type. Files Created and Preserved PostSearch KI automatically names the filtered file with the base names you specify plus .PRO extensions. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file is SEARCH.LOG and the filtered record files are L.PRO, M.PRO and F.PRO. The .PRO extension means "processed." PostSearch KI automatically assigns the files the .PRO file name extensions because it requires that extension later if you choose the Sift option or Select Records by Key Words option from the Main Menu. PostSearch KI preserves the captured search file without altering it. In the illustration of the filter box above, the captured search file specified by the searcher in the input field is SEARCH.LOG and the box displays a message that this file has been preserved unaltered. Filter Again or Exit When filtering is done, you may specify a captured search file again, either the same file or a different one. Notice PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 17 ----------------------------------------------------------------- in the example above, the total number of records is 141 while the sum of the records of the three specified types is only 92, indicating that there were records of other types. Be careful not to use any of the same file names. If you do, the new file with the same name will overwrite the previous file with that name. If you do not wish to continue filtering specific record types, you may press F7 or ESC to return to the Main Menu. Command Footer When the filter box opens, the command footer remains active. (See Appendix B) SIFTING FILTERED RECORD FILES Reason for Sifting Facility Once you have a file of just records with everything else filtered out, you might want to sift through the records and save just certain ones to a separate file, or some to one file and others to other files. Doing this in a word processor or text editor requires a lot of cursor movements, highlighting, block operations and other manipulations. PostSearch KI provides a special sifting facility to significantly reduce the manipulations for speed and ease. What the Sifting Facility Does The record sifting facility lets you select a file of records, indexes the records so they can be displayed one at a time in a file viewer, lets you browse the currently displayed record, lets you navigate through the series of indexed records, and lets you optionally save records you select to files you specify, all with a minimum of key strokes. Sifting Box When you press S at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI opens a box where you will begin the sifting session. The contents of PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 18 ----------------------------------------------------------------- the box when PostSearch KI has indexed the records and is ready to display the first one looks like this: Sift Filtered Record Files File to Sift: please specify a .PRO file prepared by the filter search.pro Lines in file 1256 Lines to be processed 1256 Scanning line number 1256 Indexing record number 36 Specifying Drive\Path\File When you press S at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI asks you for the name of the file to process. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) If, during the current PostSearch KI session, you previously filtered a captured search file to a single record file (option 1 or 2 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu), PostSearch KI remembers the name of the last processed record file (.PRO) and proposes it as a default. You can accept the default file by pressing <enter>, clear the input field by pressing Alt-C or edit the file name using the input field editing keys. (See Appendix A) The sifting facility indexes the records to display them one by one. To recognize records individually, the file needs to have been processed by the filter. The sifting box displays a message reminding you to specify a .PRO file prepared by the filter. If the file you specify does not have a .PRO extension, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. Then the program lets you respond again to the prompt to specify a file to sift. If the file is in the current subdirectory, you need not give a drive or path. You may specify a drive and path to let PostSearch KI find a file in a subdirectory other than the current one. If you do not give a drive or path and the file is not in the current subdirectory, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 19 ----------------------------------------------------------------- You need not concern yourself with case when specifying drive, path or file name. F5 works here like it does at the Main Menu, but shows only the names of .PRO files since the sifter requires .PRO files. The files list is displayed in a manner similar to the "wide" format of the DOS DIR /W command. Alt-F5 presents a pick list which works like file pick lists elsewhere in the program, but includes only .PRO files since the sifter requires .PRO files. Scanning and Indexing Before the sifting facility can begin displaying records it must scan the lines in the filtered record file and index the records to display them record by record. In case the file is long, to let you know what is happening, the program displays a line odometer and then a record odometer. When indexing is complete, the program automatically activates the file viewer and displays the first record. The odometers look like this: Lines in file 1256 Lines to be processed 1256 Scanning line number 1256 Indexing record number 36 Indexing Capacity Indexing absorbs varying amounts of RAM depending in part on the size of the filtered record file. PostSearch KI attempts to detect cases when it might run out of system RAM and if it thinks it might, it will decide to process only a portion of the file. This will be indicated by a smaller number of "Lines to be processed" than "Lines in file." Note these two lines in the display: Lines in file Lines to be processed In addition to the line limits, the sifter is limited to 1000 records PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 20 ----------------------------------------------------------------- To work around these limitations, you might want to split the file and sift it in more than one part. Orientation Lines The file viewer used by the record sifting facility displays orientation lines near the top of the screen like this: Line 1 File SEARCH.PRO Kept 0 Record No. 1 of 45 Keep File none The line number indicated refers to the top line displayed. The filename indicated is the name of the processed record file being sifted. The record number indicated is the number of the record in sequential order in the processed record file as detected by the indexer. If the numbering of records in the file is not in order, at times this will vary from the number displayed in the record. The Kept counter accumulates the number of records written to "keep" files using the Keep command (K) or the Keep Express command (Alt-K), and the Keep File reminder tells you the name of the file to which the last "kept" record was written. This is helpful especially when using the Keep Express command (Alt-K) discussed later, so you can decide whether to use that command or the Keep command. Keep lets you confirm or change the name of the file to which the record will be written while Keep Express automatically writes the record to the same file to which the last "kept" record was written. Record Browsing Keys Within a record, certain browsing keys are active. Reminders of their availability are displayed in the command footer. UP ARROW Moves up one line, unless already at the top of the record. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 21 ----------------------------------------------------------------- DOWN ARROW Moves down one line, unless already at the bottom of the record. PgUp Moves up one screen-full of lines, unless already at the top of the record. PgDn Moves down one screen-full of lines, unless already at the bottom of the record. CTRL-PgUp Moves to the first screen-full of the record. CTRL-PgDn Moves to the last screen-full of the record. RIGHT ARROW Moves one column to the right in the record. LEFT ARROW Moves one column to the left in the record, unless already at the first column. HOME Moves to the first column. Record Navigation Keys The following record navigation keys are active: Next Prev First Last Jump Pressing N displays the next record in the file, unless the currently displayed record is the last record, without performing any other function. The file is not altered and the record is not saved to any new file. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 22 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Pressing P displays the previous record in the file, unless the currently displayed record is the first record, without performing any other function. The file is not altered and the record is not saved to any new file. Pressing F displays the first record in the file, without performing any other function. The file is not altered and the record is not saved to any new file. Pressing L displays the last record in the file, without performing any other function. The file is not altered and the record is not saved to any new file. Pressing J allows you to jump to a record by number. A box opens prompting you to choose a record and reminding you of the range of valid numbers, like this: Jump to Record Choose record 1 to 36 Type the record number of your choice and press <enter>. If what you type fills the input field before you press <enter>, the program will accept the number automatically without requiring that the <enter> key be pressed. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Because a number is expected, if you type a key which is not a number, the character will not be accepted or displayed in the input field, the cursor will not advance, and the program will sound an audible signal of data input error. The record navigation commands are not case-sensitive. When you reach the last record, the orientation line flashes a message, "LAST RECORD." Keep The Keep command lets you write the currently displayed record to a file you specify. When you press K, which is not case-sensitive, the program will ask you at the bottom of your screen for the name of the file to which you wish to save the record. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 23 ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you give just a file name, the file will be created in the current subdirectory. You may choose to specify a path or a drive and path to write the record to a file in a different subdirectory or on a different drive. Beginning with the second record you choose to write, the program remembers the name of the file to which the previously written record was written and proposes it as a default. If you want to accept the default file name as the file to which to write the currently displayed record, just press <enter>. If you want to write the record to a different file, you may edit the drive\path\file entry field. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Of special note, Alt-C clears the field in one step. When you keep a record, the orientation lines indicate the number of records kept so far in the current sifting session and the name of the file to which the last kept record was written. Before any records are kept, the Kept counter is zero (0) and the Keep File is "none." Each time a record is kept, the Kept counter increases and the name of the file to which the last kept record was written is updated. When a record is kept, the sifter automatically advances to the next record in the file being sifted. The record navigation commands continue to be active and you can still view the last record with the Previous command, as well as any record with the various record navigation commands. Keep Express The Keep Express command lets you write the currently displayed record to the same file as the last kept record without having to again specify that file. When you press Alt-K, which is not case-sensitive, the currently displayed record is written to the file indicated in the Keep File reminder in the orientation lines. The intervening step of specifying the file to which you wish to write the record in the input field at the bottom of the screen is skipped. This lets you save additional time. When you save a record with Keep Express, the sifter automatically advances to the next record in the file being sifted. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 24 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Keep List While sifting, you might want to know which records you've already kept. The Keep List command lets you review a list of the records already kept during the current sifting session. Pressing Ctrl-K opens a vertical box along the right edge of the screen displaying the numbers of kept records in a column. If the box is empty of numbers, it means no records have been kept during the current sifting session. This should be confirmed by a 0 (zero) in the Kept counter in the orientation lines. If more records have been kept than can be indicated at one time within the box, the word "more" will appear below the last kept record number shown. You can scroll downward in the list by pressing the Down Arrow key. When you do, the word "more" will appear above the first displayed kept record number to remind you that you have scrolled downward in the list and that more numbers appear above the top number currently displayed. You can scroll upward in the list by pressing the Up Arrow key. To clear the Keep List from the screen, press ESC. Command Footer When the sifting box opens, the command footer remains active. (See Appendix B) When indexing is complete and PostSearch KI is displaying records, the following commands continue to be active as shown the command footer: F1 Help Ctrl-F1 DOS F5 Files F7 Exit F10 Sav Ndx These commands work the same way as elsewhere in the program, except that pressing F7 exits the sifting facility only, not the whole program. The Save Index command (F10) is explained in detail in the next major section. The current directory continues to be indicated like this: C:\SEARCHES PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 25 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SAVING AND LOADING RECORD FILE INDEXES To sift records, the program must index the filtered record file. The index is held in RAM and is lost when the sifter is exited. If you wish to sift the same file again, the program must rebuild the same index. You can save the time it takes to rebuild the index by using the Save Index command, F10, before you leave the sifter. When you press F10, a box opens and displays an odometer showing the program's progress in saving the index to a disk file. Saving is fast, and on many shorter record files you will just see the box flash on and off, probably too fast to read it. When you want to sift the same record file later, select S at the Main Menu as usual. At the "File to sift:" prompt, use the Load Index command, Shft-F10. This command presents a prompt asking you to give the base file name of the indexed file. The index file has the same base name as the record file plus a .NDX extension. If you remember the base file name, you can just type it. The input field is just eight characters long and the prompt displays the .NDX extension. Do not type the extension. PostSearch assumes it and provides it for you. If you don't remember the base file name, pressing Alt-F5 will call a pick list of saved index files in the current directory. You can highlight the index file you want and press <enter> to select it. When you specify the base file name, PostSearch KI loads the index from the saved index disk file, which is very much faster than rebuilding it, and identifies the associated record file. The index file also remembers the record you were viewing when you saved the index to disk and automatically takes you to that record so you can resume sifting where you left off. Please understand that if any alterations have been made to either the record file or the index file, the index will be out of synchronization with the record file. If this happens, you will need to let the program index the record file from scratch. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 26 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SELECT RECORDS BY KEY WORDS What the Record Selector Does PostSearch KI lets you select records by key words. The record selection facility lets you place key words on a form and have only those records which satisfy your search request written to a new file. The form will provide blanks where you can type key words. There will be three columns each having three blanks. Each column represents a nest of search terms. Within each nest the terms will be related to each other by the OR operator. The second nest will be related to the other two nests by the AND operator and the third nest will be related to the other two nests by the NOT operator. Truncation is supported using the asterisk (*). Phrases with blanks are not supported Select Records Box When you press K at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI asks you for the name of the file to in which to select records by key words. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Select Records by Key Words Selection File: please specify a PostSearch filtered record file. .PRO The record selection facility indexes the records to prepare for searching them. To recognize records individually, the file needs to have been processed by the filter. The select records box displays a message reminding you to specify a .PRO file prepared by the filter. If the file you specify does not have a .PRO extension, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. Then the program lets you respond again to the prompt to specify from which to select records. If, during the current PostSearch KI session, you previously filtered a captured search file to a single record file (option 1 or 2 at the Filter Captured File Sub-Menu), PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 27 ----------------------------------------------------------------- PostSearch KI remembers the name of the last processed record file (.PRO) and proposes it as a default. You can accept the default file by pressing <enter>, clear the input field by pressing Alt-C or edit the file name using the input field editing keys. (See Appendix A) If the file is in the current subdirectory, you need not give a drive or path. You may specify a drive and path to let PostSearch KI find a file in a subdirectory other than the current one. If you do not give a drive or path and the file is not in the current subdirectory, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. You need not concern yourself with case when specifying drive, path or file name. F5 works here like it does at the Main Menu, but shows only the names of .PRO files since the sifter requires .PRO files. The files list is displayed in a manner similar to the "wide" format of the DOS DIR /W command. Alt-F5 presents a pick list which works like file pick lists elsewhere in the program, but includes only .PRO files since the sifter requires .PRO files. Scanning and Indexing To prepare for selection of records by key words, PostSearch must scan the lines in the filtered record file and index the records to display them record by record. In case the file is long, to let you know what is happening, the program displays a line odometer and then a record odometer, like this: Lines in file 1256 Lines to be processed 1256 Scanning line number 1256 Indexing record number 36 When indexing is complete, the program displays the form where you can specify key words. Indexing Capacity The indexing capacity of the key word record selection facility is the same as in the sifter. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 28 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Loading Saved Indexes As with the sifter, you can load a saved index by pressing Shft-F10. The key word selection facility automatically saves indexed to disk files which can be load later, and the sifter saves indexes while viewing records when F10 is press. Indexes saved either way can be loaded while to select records by key words. Key Word Form When indexing is complete or a saved index is loaded, PostSearch displays a form on which you can place key words, like this: Choose Selection Terms 1st Nest AND 2nd Nest NOT 3rd Nest Record File: BUSFILES.PRO Select File: SEARCH.KEY Each column has three blanks where key words can be specified. The terms in each nest are related to the other terms in the same nest by the OR operator. The whole second nest is related to the other two nests by the AND operator. The whole third nest is related to the other two by the NOT operator. You may use truncation by ending a key word with the asterisk (*). Specifying glaci*, for example, would hit on glacier, glacial, etc. Phrase with spaces, like glacial lake, are not supported. A search term is required in the first blank of the first nest. All other blanks are optional; no key word need be filled into them. If the second blank in the first nest is left blank or null, the third blank automatically will be made null also. If the first or second blank in the second or third nest is left blank or null, the succeeding blanks in the nest automatically will be made null. To bypass a blank, simply press <enter> without typing a key word. The cursor will move to the next field or nest. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 29 ----------------------------------------------------------------- In each blank, the input editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Select File When you have finished placing key words on the form, the program will prompt you to specify the name of the file to which records satisfying your search request will be written. Follow DOS conventions. The input editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Searching and Writing When you press <enter> or fill the input field for the select file, PostSearch automatically begins searching the file for records which satisfy your search request. While searching, PostSearch displays the following odometers to let you know its progress through the records and the lines of records, and the number of records hit by your search request, like this: Searching record Searching record line Records hit Whenever a record is hit, another odometer appears to the right of the first three letting you know that the hit record is being written to the select file and shows an odometer of the record lines being written. When searching and writing is complete, PostSearch returns to the box and prompt for specifying a record from which to select records, letting you perform another selection of records by key words, if you wish. RENUMBER RECORD FILES What is a Record File? Once you have processed a captured search file, you have a record file with a .PRO extension. You might have reason to sift, edit, copy, combine or rename these record files. Any of these files containing numbered record labels in the form Record - 1 PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 30 ----------------------------------------------------------------- are record files. Why Renumber? If you sift, edit, copy, combine or rename a record file, the resulting file might contain records whose numbers no longer are in numerical order. The renumbering facility lets you automatically renumber the records without having to do so manually in a text editor or word processor For example, you might have a file like this: Record - 7 record content Record - 22 record content Record - 98 record content What Renumbering Does The renumbering facility reads a record file, finds the numbered record labels, and automatically renumbers the records in numerical order within the file. Continuing the example above, the renumbering facility would produce a renumbered file like this: Record - 1 record content Record - 2 record content Record - 3 record content PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 31 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Renumber Box When you press R at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI opens a box where you will conduct the renumbering session. The contents of the box when a file has been renumbered look like this: Renumber Record Files File to renumber: search.pro Name for renumbered file: search.ren Processing: line number 1256 record number 36 Renumbered file SEARCH.REN Record file unaltered SEARCH.PRO Specifying Drive\Path\File When you press R at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI asks you for the name of the file to renumber. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) If the file is in the current subdirectory, you need not give a drive or path. You may specify a drive and path to let PostSearch KI find a file in a subdirectory other than the current one. If you do not give a drive or path and the file is not in the current subdirectory, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. You need not concern yourself with case when specifying drive, path or file name. For the renumbering facility to work, the file you specify for renumbering needs to be a record file, as defined above. When specifying a file name for the renumbered records it is important not to specify the same name as the input file to be renumbered. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 32 ----------------------------------------------------------------- F5 presents a pick list of all files in the current subdirectory. Use the cursor control keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp and PgDn) scroll through the list and highlight the file you want. When the file you want is highlighted, press <enter> to select it. When you select a file, its name is inserted into the input field and the pick list is cleared. If you decide not to pick a file from the list, press ESC. You may obtain a pick list of just the files with a certain file name extension by pressing Alt-F5. When you press this key combination, the program presents a prompt and input field like this: Choose a file extension: . The input field is just three spaces, the maximum length of a DOS file name extension. Follow DOS conventions to specify the extension you want. The input editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) When you have specified an extension, a pick list of all the files in the current subdirectory with that extension will appear. Files Created and Preserved PostSearch KI does not automatically name any files in the renumbering facility. The name of the renumbered record file in the example above is SEARCH.REN because that is what the searcher specified. PostSearch KI preserves the captured search file without altering it. In the illustration of the renumber box above, the record file specified by the searcher in the input field is SEARCH.PRO and the box displays a message that this file has been preserved unaltered. Command Footer When the filter box opens, the command footer remains active. (See Appendix B) PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 33 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FORMAT CHANGES PostSearch KI allows you to make two kinds of format changes in filtered record files: o reformat TAGed records to remove hard carriage returns within paragraphs o insert logical page breaks When you press F at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI displays the Format Changes Sub-Menu. Here you can choose between the two format change options. Reformat TAGed Records Pressing 1 at the Format Changes Sub-Menu lets you reformat TAGed records to remove hard carriage returns within paragraphs. This feature is dependent on the presence of TAGs in the file to be reformatted. Knowledge Index displays TAGeg records with the TAG option added to your type command. While this feature is designed to work with filtered and kept record files, you may use it with your unprocessed, captured search file; if you do, don't be alarmed by the record counter remaining constant at 0. Please understand, however, that if the file is not one of filtered records, the results can be unpredictable and should be closely reviewed. Enter a file name with some extension other than .FMT. The reformatter uses the base file name of the input file plus a .FMT extension for the output file. Insert Page Breaks Pressing 2 at the Format Changes Sub-Menu lets you automate the insertion of page breaks. Logical page breaks between records will be hard-coded at intervals you specify. This feature is dependent on the presence of record labels in the format produced by PostSearch's filter. You would want to use this feature only with filtered or kept record files. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 34 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Enter the name of your record file, e.g., SEARCH.PRO. Case is not sensitive. The page breaker uses the base file name of the record file plus .BRK for the output file. Using .BRK for the input file name will generate the error of both files having the same name. You must specify the interval at which logical page breaks will be inserted. The range of permissible intervals is 1 to 99. One handy use of this feature is to print as many records as will fit on each page and insure that the next record begins printing on a new page. Using this feature is much faster and less tedious than manually inserting page breaks with a word processor. If you want every record to begin printing on a new page, as you might with full text records, specify 1. If any record is more than one page long, your word processor will be able to print it from page to page, and then begin the next record on a new page. FILE VIEWER Availability of File Viewer PostSearch KI provides a file viewer at the Main Menu. This gives you the ability to see what's in a file without having to exit the program or shell to DOS and call a separate file browser, viewer or listing program. Uses of File Viewer This facility is useful, for example, to look into the contents of a file to see if it is the log you want to filter, to review the online record types it contains, or to check on the performance of PostSearch KI by looking into a filtered file it produced. Specifying Drive\Path\File When you press V at the Main Menu, PostSearch KI asks you for the name of the file to view. Follow DOS conventions. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 35 ----------------------------------------------------------------- If the file is in the current subdirectory, you need not give a drive or path. You may specify a drive and path to let PostSearch KI find a file in a subdirectory other than the current one. If you do not give a drive or path and the file is not in the current subdirectory, PostSearch KI detects the error and notifies you. You need not concern yourself with case when specifying drive, path or file name. The file viewer does not perform any function other than letting you view files. It performs no processing of files and creates no new files. It does not alter the files you view. F5 presents a pick list of all files in the current subdirectory. Use the cursor control keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp and PgDn) scroll through the list and highlight the file you want. When the file you want is highlighted, press <enter> to select it. When you select a file, its name is inserted into the input field and the pick list is cleared. If you decide not to pick a file from the list, press ESC. You may obtain a pick list of just the files with a certain file name extension by pressing Alt-F5. When you press this key combination, the program presents a prompt and input field like this: Choose a file extension: . The input field is just three spaces, the maximum length of a DOS file name extension. Follow DOS conventions to specify the extension you want. The input editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) When you have specified an extension, a pick list of all the files in the current subdirectory with that extension will appear. Browsing Keys While browsing a file, a number of browsing keys are active. As a reminder, they are listed at the bottom of the screen: UP ARROW Moves up one line, unless already at the top of the file. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 36 ----------------------------------------------------------------- DOWN ARROW Moves down one line, unless already at the bottom of the file PgUp Moves up one screen-full of lines, unless already at the top of the file. PgDn Moves down one screen-full of lines, unless already at the bottom of the file. CTRL-PgUp Moves to the first screen-full of the file. CTRL-PgDn Moves to the last screen-full of the file. The file viewer must index the lines of the file you view. When first loaded, the indexer indexes a number of the file's lines behind the scene, and you will be able to move there directly. If the file is larger than that number of lines, when you press Ctrl-PgDn, a box opens displaying a line indexing odometer showing the program's progress in indexing to the last line. Then the viewer displays the last screen full of the file. Lines need to be indexed just once during any viewing of a certain file, so future browsing commands during the viewing will be direct and the indexing odometer box will not appear. RIGHT ARROW Moves one column to the right in the file. LEFT ARROW Moves one column to the left in the file, unless already at the first column. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 37 ----------------------------------------------------------------- HOME Moves to the first column. F4 Move to a line number you will be able to specify after pressing F4. A box opens prompting you to choose a line number and reminding you of the range of valid line numbers, like this: Move to line Choose line 1 to 1256 Type the line number of your choice and press <enter>. If what you type fills the input field before you press <enter>, the program will accept the number automatically without requiring that the <enter> key be pressed. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Because a number is expected, if you type a key which is not a number, the character will not be accepted or displayed in the input field, the cursor will not advance, and the program will sound an audible signal of data input error. The file viewer must index the lines of the file you view. When first loaded, the indexer indexes a number of the file's lines behind the scene, and you will be able to move there directly. If the line number you specify is beyond what has been indexed already, a box opens displaying a line indexing odometer showing the program's progress in indexing to the line you have specified for the move. Then the viewer moves to that line. Lines need to be indexed just once during any viewing of a certain file, so future move commands during the viewing will be direct and the indexing odometer box will not appear. Text Search The file viewer provides a text search facility. Pressing F3 displays a box with the following prompt: Enter Search Text: PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 38 ----------------------------------------------------------------- An input field is displayed to the right of the prompt where you may enter the text to find. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) When you have entered the text to find, press <enter> and the text searcher will search the file for the first occurrence of the text beginning at the presently displayed location in the file. When found, the viewer will move to that position in the file, display that portion and highlight the search text you specified. To find the next occurrence of the same text, press F3 again. This again displays the same prompt and the input field. The program remembers your last search text and proposes it in the input field as the default. To accept it and search again for that same text, just press <enter>. To search for different text, edit the search text. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) Of special note, Alt-C clears the field in one step. While searching, the program displays a line odometer indicating its progress in searching for the text. While this is displayed, you can interrupt the search by pressing ESC. "Record" Stepper If the file being viewed contains records labeled with the word "Record" at the left margin, pressing F8 will let you step through the file to each occurrence of record labels. This should work with filtered records files created by PostSearch KI. The stepper will find any occurrence of the word "Record" at the left margin, which can occasionally step to a location which is not the beginning of a record if the file contains that word at the left margin without it being a record label. If the current display already shows more than one labeled record, as can be if records are short (for example, records in title format), the stepper will bring the second record already on the screen to the top line. When you reach the end of the file, the orientation line flashes a message, "End of File." When the end of the file is reached, even if the screen contains more than one record, the stepper will no longer scroll the display. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 39 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SET UP DEFAULTS To understand this section, you will need to have read the portions of the manual explaining how to filter search files, or have found your way through some filtering sessions with the program. This option lets you tell PostSearch KI the search file extension you typically use and the online types you typically want to filter to one file or separate files. PostSearch will save this information to a disk file. Whenever you begin a filtering session, PostSearch KI will detect the presence of the defaults file, read its contents, and supply the defaults to save you the trouble of entering them each time. PostSearch always leaves you the option of editing the defaults if you choose not to use them. Pressing D at the Main Menu displays a data entry box like this: Search File Extension: . Types Filtered to Types Filtered to Separate One File Separate Files First Type First Type Second Type Second Type Third Type Third Type Fourth Type Fourth Type Fifth Type Fifth Type If you typically use the same extension when naming captured search files, setting up the extension as a default will save you the trouble of having to type it each time you wish to filter search files. The program will supply it for you. For example, if you usually use the extension .LOG, you may type .log or .LOG here. Case is not sensitive. At the current prompt, type just the extension without the dot (.) The prompt already assumes the dot. Pressing C at the Main Menu presents a sub-menu at which you might choose to filter up to five specified online types to one file. If you typically want the same types, you can save yourself the trouble of having to re-specify them each time by setting them up as defaults in the first column of the defaults setup box. Then the program will supply them PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 40 ----------------------------------------------------------------- for you. If you want to set up less than five default types, fill in the ones you want, and after that just press <enter> to leave the remaining ones blank. Pressing C at the Main Menu presents a sub-menu at which you might choose to filter up to five specified online types to separate files. If you typically want the same types, you can save yourself the trouble of having to re-specify them each time by setting them up as defaults in the second column of the defaults setup box. Then the program will supply them for you. If you want to set up less than five default types, fill in the ones you want, and after that just press <enter> to leave the remaining ones blank. NAMING FILES PostSearch KI creates a number a files using the base file name of your input file plus a three-character DOS file name extension. .PRO filtering .NDX filtering and selecting records by key words .FMT reformatting records to remove hard carriage returns within paragraphs .BRK inserting page breaks You would want to avoid using any of these file name extensions as input file names. You would also want to avoid using them to identify searches unless the base file name still will enable you to associate the .PRO, .NDX, .FMT and .BRK files with the right searches. DIRECTORY CLEANUP You might want to delete files created by PostSearch KI during the current session or day. A handy way to do this is by using the DOS shell interface available from the Main Menu by pressing F9. Once you reach the DOS shell, press F9 again to sort the files by date. The most recent files will be at the bottom of the sorted list. You can mark the ones you want to delete by first moving the highlight to a file you want to delete, press ENTER or SPACE to toggle file marking for the PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 41 ----------------------------------------------------------------- highlighted file, and then Ctrl-F4 to delete the marked files. If you are not sure whether a particular file is one you want to delete, you can highlight its name and press F10 to load it into a file viewer and browse its contents. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 42 ----------------------------------------------------------------- APPENDIX A INPUT FIELD EDITING KEYS At each input field where this manual says the input field editing keys are active, you may type as usual. In addition, the following keys are active and perform the following functions: BACKSPACE The backspace key is destructive. SPACE The space bar also is destructive. LEFT CURSOR The left and right arrow keys are active. HOME The home key moves the cursor to the beginning of the field in one step. END The end key moves the cursor to the end of the field in one step. DEL The delete key deletes the character at the cursor location and draws to the left all characters previously to its right. INS The insert key toggles between insert and overtype mode. ALT-C Alt-C clears the entire field in one step. The "c" is not case-sensitive. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 43 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ALT-R Alt-R restores the previous contents of the entire field in one step. The "r" is not case-sensitive. CTRL-END Ctrl-End deletes everything at and to the right of the cursor position in one step. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 44 ----------------------------------------------------------------- APPENDIX B MAIN MENU COMMAND FOOTER At the Main Menu the program displays a command footer at the bottom of the screen like this (the command options on the first two lines as printed here appear on a single line on the program screen): F1 Help Ctrl-F1 DOS F2 Chg Dir F6 Copy Shft-F6 Rename F7 Exit F9 DU C:\SEARCHES F5 Files Alt-F5 Files by Ext The current directory is shown at the left margin of the second line. Help Context sensitive help is available widely throughout the program on F1, including at the Main Menu. Change Directory Pressing F2 lets you change directory. A box opens, displays a prompt to specify the new directory and displays an input field where you can specify it. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A) You may specify any valid directory following DOS conventions. List Files Pressing F5 allows you to see a list of files in the current directory. The program is temporarily suspended and the directory is displayed in wide format. You may return to the program by pressing <esc>. At locations in the program where you are being asked to specify a file, pressing F5 will present the files list as a pick list. Pressing Alt-F5 lets you first specify a file extension to see a files list showing only the files in the current directory with your specified extension. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 45 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Copy Files Pressing F6 lets you copy files. A box opens, displays a prompt to specify the file to copy and displays an input field where you can specify it. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A). A message reminds you to use full file names and no wildcards (*, ?). This facility only acts on one file at a time. F5 presents a pick list of all files in the current subdirectory. Use the cursor control keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp and PgDn) to scroll through the list and highlight the file you want. When the file you want is highlighted, press to select it. When you select a file, its name is inserted into the input field and the pick list is cleared. If you decide not to pick a file from the list, press ESC. When you have specified the file to be copied, the box displays a prompt to specify the name of the file to which the source file is to be copied and an input field where you can specify it. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A). You should not specify the same file name as the source file. At both input fields, you may give full drives and paths. Follow DOS conventions. If the file to be copied is not in the current directory, you will need to either give a full path to the file or change directories to the one containing the file before copying. Rename Files Pressing Shift-F6 lets you rename files. A box opens, displays a prompt to specify the file to rename and displays an input field where you can specify it. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A). A message reminds you to use full file names and no wildcards (*, ?). This facility only acts on one file at a time. F5 presents a pick list of all files in the current subdirectory. Use the cursor control keys (Up Arrow, Down Arrow, PgUp and PgDn) to scroll through the list and highlight the file you want. When the file you want is highlighted, press to select it. When you select a file, its name is inserted into the input field and the pick list PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 46 ----------------------------------------------------------------- is cleared. If you decide not to pick a file from the list, press ESC. When you have specified the file to be renamed, the box displays a prompt to specify the new name for the file and an input field where you can specify it. The input field editing keys are active. (See Appendix A). You should not specify the same file name as the source file. DOS (command mode) Pressing Ctrl-F1 lets you access DOS in command mode. This is sometimes called dropping to DOS. The program is temporarily suspended and a second copy of the DOS command interpreter, COMMAND.COM, is loaded into RAM. This lets you perform DOS commands as if the program were not loaded. To return to the program, type "exit" and press <enter>. DU (DOS utilities shell) Pressing F9 loads PSDU.EXE, a DOS shell provided with PostSearch KI. This shell works like many others widely available and acts as an interface between the user and command mode DOS. Exit Program Pressing F7 lets you exit the program. This is an alternative to and does the same thing as choosing the eXit command from the Main Menu. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 47 ----------------------------------------------------------------- LIMITED WARRANTY LIMITED WARRANTY. Pastel Programming Co. warrants that the software will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying written materials for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of receipt. Any implied warranties on the software are limited to ninety (90) days. Some states/countries do not allow limitations on durations of an implied warranty, so the above limitation may not apply to you. CUSTOMER REMEDIES. Pastel Programming Co. and its suppliers' entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Pastel's option, either (a) return of the price paid, or (b) replacement of the software which is returned with a copy of your receipt. The Limited Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty (30) days, whichever is longer. NO OTHER WARRANTIES. Pastel Programming Co. and its suppliers disclaim all other warranties, either express or implied, including, but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with regard to the software and the accompanying written materials. The Limited Warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may have others which vary from state/country to state/country. NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. In no event shall Pastel Programming or its suppliers be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages whatsoever including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, and the like, or any other pecuniary loss arising out of the use of or inability to use the software, even if Pastel has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states/countries do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you. PostSearch KI Users' Manual Page 48 ----------------------------------------------------------------- TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Knowledge Index is a trademark or service mark of DIALOG Information Services, Inc., A Knight-Ridder Company, 3460 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, U.S.A. COPYRIGHT PostSearch KI and this Manual are (c) 1993, Pastel Programming Co., HC56 Box 6038, Sidney MT 59270 USA, CompuServe 71477,352.