Copyright: Copyright © 1999 - 2001 Damage Inc Software
Citation: Copyright © 1999 - 2001 Damage Inc Software


Category list

Contains a list of categories in the currently opened URLBase file. Select a category to view its contents.


Internet shortcut list

Displays the contents of the selected category. Right-click on the list or use the View-menu to control the display of internet shortcuts.


Toolbar

The toolbar can be used to display a set of frequently used commands. Right-click on the toolbar or select Tools | Customize… to customize the layout.


Statusbar

The statusbar displays information about certain elements in URLBase. The first two panels display information about a button or menu-item under the cursor or provide information about the progress of a command that’s being executed. The right most panel displays the path and filename of the currently opened URLBase data file.


Add

Add a new browser library. A library is a collection of internet shortcuts or bookmarks.


Properties

Display the properties of the selected browser library.


Remove

Delete the highlighted browser library.


Libraries list

Displays a list of configured browser libraries. To select a library for import, set a check mark by clicking on the check box in front of the library name.


Import

Import internet shortcuts from libraries with a check mark.


Library type

Displays a list of library types you can choose from.


Library Path

Full path to the library. Use the Browse-button to select a path and/or filename.


Name

Name of the category.


Description

Description of the category.


Keywords

You can add a set of keywords to both categories and internet shortcuts.

To add a new keyword, type a keyword in the Keywords edit box. URLBase will automatically switch focus to the Add-button, so you can press the Enter-key on your keyboard to add the keyword to the list. To delete a keyword, select a keyword from the list and click the Remove-button.


Name

Name of the internet shortcut.


URL

Full URL of the internet shortcut, including the protocol (http://).


Category

Category in which the internet shortcut resides.

Select a category from the list to move the shortcut to another category. The full path to the selected category is displayed above the list.


Description

Description of the internet shortcut.


Result

Displays the results of the last verification.


Text to find

Enter the text you want to search for.


Search for

Specify where you want URLBase to look for the search text.


Origin

Specify the starting point of the search. Selection starts at the currently selected category, while Entire file starts at the top.


Case sensitive

Controls how URLBase compares text. To find text only if it matches the capitalization of the text you typed, select this check box.


Select path

Select a folder to create the HTML in.


Filename

Type a filename for the HTML file, without the extension.


Filetype

Select an extension to use for the HTML file.


Export

Exports the URLBase data file with settings you specified.


Page title

Type a title for the HTML file.


Table of contents

Select this option to include a Table of contents in the HTML file. URLBase will generate a set of internal bookmarks, which allow you to easily navigate through the HTML file.


Standard CSS

Select one of the predefined Cascading Style Sheets to use with the HTML file.


Custom CSS

Type the path and filename of the Cascading Style Sheet file to use, or use the Browse-button to select a file.


Edit

Opens the specified Custom CSS file for editing. You can configure the editor in the Options dialog.


Storage mode

Select a Storage mode to use with URLBase.

In Automatic storage mode, changes made to the file are saved immediately, while in User control storage mode changes are buffered in a temporary file and only written to the data file when you save the changes via File | Save.


Reopen

Set a maximum number of entries on the File | Reopen menu.


Open last used file at startup

Select this option to have URLBase automatically open the last used file at startup.


Clear menu

Removes all entries from the File | Reopen menu. This can not be undone.


Launch URLBase at Windows startup

Select this option to start URLBase when Windows starts up.


Launch minimized

Select this option to minimize URLBase to the taskbar at Windows startup.


Auto-expand category list

Select this option to automatically expand the category list when URLBase opens a data file.


Internet shortcut display

Select the columns to be displayed in the internet shortcut list, when working in the Details view style. You can set the view style via the View menu.


Center in screen

Centers the URLBase main windows on the screen. If not selected, URLBase will use the last known position.


Use desktop font

Select this option to use the desktop icon font in the category and internet shortcut lists. Otherwise URLBase uses the default font MS Sans Serif.


Flat toolbuttons

Select this option to use flat toolbuttons on the toolbar, instead of default raised buttons.


Show toolbar tips

When selected, URLBase will display a tooltip if you keep the mouse pointer several seconds on top of a toolbar. This tooltip often contains a short description of the button’s function. Note that regardless of this setting, URLBase will always display the description in the statusbar (bottom left of the main screen).


Show toolbar

Hide or show the toolbar. You can also set this option in the View menu.


Show header

Hide or show the header. You can also set this option in the View menu.


Browser list

Shows a list of configured browsers.


Add

Add a new browser to URLBase.


Properties

Display the properties of the selected browser. Note that you cannot edit the properties of the system’s default browser.


Remove

Deletes the selected browser from URLBase. Note that you cannot delete the system’s default browser from URLBase.


Proxy server

Allows you to configure a HTTP proxy server to use with URLBase. If you have a direct connection to the internet or if you wish to use the default Windows proxy settings, leave these options off. Contact your system administrator for any assistance.


CSS editor

Allows you to configure a CSS editor to use in the Export to HTML dialog. Note that the Use default editor will not be available if URLBase could not find a default editor on your system.


Browse

Use the Browse-button to select a custom CSS editor.


Use English date format

Select this option to use the English date format throughout the program. URLBase will use the English month names and will format the date as Month, Day, Year. To use the system’s default date format, uncheck this option.


Auto-detect

Attempts to auto-detect installed browsers on your system, using information from the system’s registry database.


Add

Add a new browser library. A library is a collection of internet shortcuts or bookmarks.


Properties

Display the properties of the selected browser library.


Remove

Delete the highlighted browser library.


Libraries list

Displays a list of configured browser libraries. To select a library for import and or export, set a check mark by clicking on the appropriate check box.


Confirm import

Displays a list of items found in the file. To keep an item from being imported, simply remove the check mark in front of the item.


Import into selected category

Set this option to import the selected URL’s into the currently selected category. Leave this option off to import the URL’s into the root category My Internet shortcuts.


Browse

Use the Browse-button to select a browser


Display name

Specify a name for the browser, as it will appear in the browser list.


Commandline

Specify the commandline arguments the browser requires to open an URL. You can leave this editbox empty if the browser only needs an URL as a commandline argument (usually displayed as %1).

Microsoft Internet Explorer needs the commandline argument: -nohome. Netscape Navigator/Communicator, Netscape 6, Mozilla and Opera do not require any arguments.


URLBase 4.0
URLBase 4.0 Help

URLBase 4 is the next generation of link management. By listening to users of previous versions we have continued development of an already successful program. Urlbase 4 offers more functionality than ever before. We have added support for more browsers, added more export options, enhanced the interface and much more.

We feel URLBase 3 set a mark in link management, and with the release of URLBase 4 we have set that mark even higher. If you have a use for URLBase 4 that we have never thought of and would like to let us know, or if you feel you are still missing some function or feature in the program, don't hesitate to contact us!

See also:

New features

Getting started

Known issues


URLBase 4.0 - Known issues
URLBase 4.0

Known issues

Last updated on February 20, 2001

•	Missing images on toolbar and/or menus
On some system configurations, the images on the toolbar and/or menus of URLBase do not appear. This malfunction is most likely caused by an incorrect version of comctl32.dll. Check the Microsoft website for more information on how to obtain the latest version of this file.

 http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q186/1/76.asp

•	Copy as HTML doesn’t seem to work
Some applications cannot paste the HTML generated by URLBase via Edit | Copy URL as HTML. These applications either do not support HTML or use their own HTML clipboard format. URLBase 4.0 uses the HTML clipboard format as described on MSDN. For those who wish to know more:
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/clipboard/htmlclipboard.asp

•	Sending a URLBase data file using File | Send does not work
This feature only works with MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) compatible e-mail clients, like Microsoft Exchange. Please consult the available documentation of your e-mail client to find out if it is MAPI compatible.

•	Verification seems to hang when there’s no connection to the internet
When trying to verify internet shortcuts without an active connection to the internet may cause URLBase to become less responsive, which might suggest the verification routines have crashed or are about to crash. This situation is caused by the connection settings of Internet Explorer, when set to Never dial a connection. Instead of bringing up the Dialup-dialog, the program tries to verify the selected internet shortcut until the operation times out.

This problem can be solved by having Internet Explorer ask you for a connection to dial when there’s not active connection to the internet. Here’s how to proceed:

- Open the Control Panel and double-click on Internet Options

- In the Internet Options dialog, select the Connections-tab

- Select the option Always dial my default connection and click on OK

Note: you don’t have to change the connection settings if you connect to the internet via a network.


New features
URLBase 4.0

New features

•	Completely rewritten for improved performance and stability. URLBase 4.0 uses a new data file format, for the most optimal storage of your favorite internet shortcuts.

•	Enhanced user interface, which gives you more control over your internet shortcuts.

•	Extended browser support. URLBase supports Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Netscape 6, Mozilla and Opera.

•	Open internet shortcuts in any installed browser.

•	Import internet shortcuts from any HTML file or URLBase data file (versions 3 & 4).

•	Flexible export of internet shortcuts to HTML with CSS customization.

•	Integrated verification of internet shortcuts.

•	Quickly find and remove duplicate URL’s

•	Extended search capabilities

•	Send your URLBase data file via e-mail with any MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface) compatible e-mail client.

•	Fully integrated help.


URLBase 4.0 - System requirements
URLBase 4.0

System requirements

Windows 95/98/Millennium Edition or higher

•	PC with a Pentium 100 MHz or higher processor

•	32 MB of RAM

•	10 MB of free hard disk space

•	Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher

Windows NT 4.0/2000 or higher

•	PC with a Pentium 100 MHz or higher processor

•	32 MB of RAM

•	10 MB of free hard disk space

•	Windows NT 4.0: Service pack 3 or higher

•	Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher

Some Internet functionality may require Internet access and payment of a separate fee to a service provider.


URLBase 4.0

License agreement

URLBase 4.0 is provided "as is" at no cost to the user, however, it is neither shareware, nor freeware. Please review the software license below.

END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR URLBase 4.0, herein referred to as the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

Copyright © 1999 - 2001 by Damage Inc. Software referred to herein as the DEVELOPER.

IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY: This End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and the DEVELOPER of the software product(s) identified above ("SOFTWARE PRODUCT" or "SOFTWARE"). The SOFTWARE PRODUCT includes computer software, the associated media, any printed materials, and any "online" or electronic documentation. By installing, copying or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, the DEVELOPER is unwilling to license the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to you. In such event, you may not use or copy the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

SOFTWARE PRODUCT LICENSE: The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold.

1.	GRANT OF LICENSE. This EULA grants you the following rights:

You may install and use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on one computer for personal use, evaluation, review, and test purposes.

2.	DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS.

Limitations on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation and Disassembly: You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.

Separation of Components: The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed as a single product. Its component parts may not be separated for use.

Rental: The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed to you only for your personal use and enjoyment and may not be used for any commercial purpose whatsoever. You may not loan, rent, lease, sell, offer for sale, sublicense or otherwise transfer the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, or any portion of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or anything incorporated therein, including any screen display, sound or accompanying documentation, to any third party, nor may you permit any other person to use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT in exchange for remuneration.

Distribution: Distribution of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT without written authorization of the DEVELOPER prohibited.

Termination: Without prejudice to any other rights, the DEVELOPER may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and all of its component parts.

3.	UPGRADES.

If the SOFTWARE PRODUCT is an upgrade, you now may use that upgraded product only in accordance with this EULA.

4.	OEM COPYRIGHT.

All title and copyrights in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT (including but not limited to any images, photographs, animations, video, audio, music, text and "applets," incorporated into the SOFTWARE PRODUCT), the accompanying printed materials, and any copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, are owned by DEVELOPER. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international treaty provisions. You may not copy the printed materials accompanying the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

5.	OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT.

The DEVELOPER is under no obligation to provide technical support under the terms of this license.

6.	THE DEVELOPER HEREBY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE. THIS DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY EXTENDS TO ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT WILL THE DEVELOPER OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE, PROFIT OR DATA, OR FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, RELATING TO THE USE, DOWNLOAD, DISTRIBUTION OF OR INABILITY TO USE SOFTWARE, EVEN IF THE DEVELOPER OR ITS LICENSORS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS."


URLBase 4.0 - Getting started
URLBase 4.0

Getting started

These topics will guide you through the basics of URLBase. Please consult the relevant topics in this help file for futher assistance.

Creating a new URLBase data file

Adding categories and internet shortcuts

Importing internet shortcuts

Exporting internet shortcuts


Creating a new URLBase data file
URLBase 4.0

Creating a new URLBase data file

•	From the File-menu, select New datafile

•	In the New URLBase datafile dialog, select a folder in which you wish to save the file. Next, type a filename for the file and click the Save-button.

•	URLBase will display a single category called My Internet Shortcuts. This category is the root of the data file.

Related topics:

Adding categories and internet shortcuts

Importing internet shortcuts

Exporting internet shortcuts


Adding categories and internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Adding categories and internet shortcuts

•	To add a new category, right-click on the category list and select Category from the New-menu.

•	In the New category dialog, type a name and description (optional) for the category. If neccesarry add one or more keywords. Keywords do not have a fixed meaning in URLBase. They are most commonly used to link a set of categories together, so you can quickly locate them when searching the file. They can also serve as an addition to the description.

•	Click the OK-button to add the category to the file.

•	To add a internet shortcut to the selected category, right-click on the category list and select Internet shortcut from the New-menu.

•	In the New internet shortcut dialog, type a name and the full URL for the internet shortcut. Optionally you can select another category for the internet shortcut by selecting a new one from the list. On the Additional-tab you can type a description and one or more keywords. The Details-tab can be used after the internet shortcut has been saved to view information about its creation date, number of visits and the verification status.

•	Click the OK-button to add the internet shortcut to the file.

Related topics:

Importing internet shortcuts

Exporting internet shortcuts

Creating a new URLBase data file


Importing internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Importing internet shortcuts

•	New in URLBase 4.0 is the ability to import URL’s from HTML-files and internet shortcuts from URLBase data files (versions 3 and 4). To import URL’s from a file, select Import and Export from the File-menu.

•	The Import and Export dialog presents a list of actions you can perform. Click on the Import from file action.

•	In the Import from file dialog, select the folder which contains the file you wish to import. If you cannot find the file, make sure you have selected the right file type (*.html, *.htm, *.udb or *.ubx).

•	Click the Open-button to import the file.

•	If URLBase finds any URL’s in the file, it will display the Confirm import dialog. Here you can indicate which URL’s you want to import and which URLBase should ignore. By default, URLBase will select all URL’s for import. To keep an URL from being imported, simply remove the check mark in front of the URL by clicking on its check box.

•	Click the Import-button to import the selected URL’s.

•	To import internet shortcuts from a browser, select Import and Export from the File-menu.

•	In the Import and Export dialog, click on the Import from browser action.

•	In the Import browser libraries dialog, click the Add-button to add a new browser library.

•	Select a library type to indicate from what browser you want to import internet shortcuts. Click the Browse-button to select the path and/or filename to use with the browser library.

•	Click the OK-button to add the browser library.

•	Optionally you can add more browser libraries by repeating the steps above.

•	To import a browser library, simply put a check mark in front of the browser library by clicking on its check box.

•	Click the Import-button to import the selected browser libraries.

Related topics:

Exporting internet shortcuts

Creating a new URLBase data file

Adding categories and internet shortcuts


Exporting internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Exporting internet shortcuts

•	From the File-menu, select Import and Export. To export just the selected category, click on the Export category to HTML action. Otherwise click on Export file to HTML.

•	In the Export to HTML dialog, select a folder where you want the HTML to be created. Type a filename in the Filename-edit box (without extension) and select the File type for the file.

•	On the Customize-tab, type a title for the HTML file and specify whether or not you want URLBase to include a Table of contents.

•	To customize the appearance of the HTML file, you can select a predefined style sheet or use your own CSS file.

•	When everything’s set, click the Export-button to export the current data file.

Related topics:

Creating a new URLBase data file

Adding categories and internet shortcuts

Importing internet shortcuts


Looking for assistance
URLBase 4.0

Looking for assistance

If you’re in need of some information about URLBase, here are some tips on where to look for assistance:

•	Look in the lower left corner of the screen for information about buttons and menu-items, as well as the progress of a command being executed.

•	To view a Screen Tip for a dialog box option, click the question mark button in the dialog box, and then click the option.

•	Read the topics in this help file. If you’re having problems with URLBase, please read the Known issues topic first. To scroll through a table of contents for Help, click the Contents tab. When you want to search for specific words or phrases, click the Index tab.

•	Visit the URLBase website for all the latest information about known issues, bug fixes and upgrades.

•	Don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions and/or suggestions.


Credits
URLBase 4.0

Credits

URLBase 4.0 and all related files

Copyright © 1999 – 2001 Damage Inc Software

In association with Metalusions

All rights reserved

URLBase website

http://www.metalusions.com/urlbase

E-mail address

urlbase@euronet.nl

Concept and design

Arjan Haringa

Martin Visser

Program development

Martin Visser

Documentation

Martin Visser

Website and logos

Metalusions

URLBase beta testers

Arjan Haringa

Marie VanDeCarr

André Bosma

Ervins Strauhmanis

Israel Quiroz

Jason Shen

Johan B. Kooistra

John “JustJohn”

Leo van Leyen

Lewis Smith

Ming Gho

Morten Hanasand

Naomi Martinson

Peter Nijenhuis

Renee “RizZe”

Roman Kral

Sandy Metzing

Todd Baldridge

Ulysses Ashton

Thanks to everyone who supported the URLBase project. You know who you are!

They say empty cans rattle the most. . .

Shallow are words from those who starve

For a dream not their own to slash and scar


Library

A library (or browser library) in this context is a collection of internet shortcuts. Example libraries: Netscape bookmarks, Internet Explorer Favorites, Opera hotlist and your URLBase data file.


Version history
URLBase 4.0

History

URLBase 1.0

The first URLBase project was started on June 15, 1999. Though its main focus was research, we did intend to release this version to the public. But all source code was lost when the hard disk it resided on decided to crash. Consequently the project was abandoned.

URLBase 2.0

After some more brainstorm sessions, the project was revived on December 1, 1999. As the program was completly rewritten, we decided to name it URLBase 2.0. No hard disks crashed this time (although we were prepared) and the program was released on January 29, 2000.

URLBase 3.0

Some of the users of URLBase 2.0 pointed out the program’s weaknesses and gave some suggestions for improvements. So in April 2000 we started brainstorming again, giving the program a new look and a whole set of new features. The first release of URLBase 3.0 was on June 6, 2000.

We learned a lot from this release, mostly because the project took off in a way we’ve never expected. Even 6 months after its introduction, URLBase 3.0 is, on average, downloaded a 1000 times per month from the US site alone.

URLBase 4.0

With a rapidly growing user base, we also received more feedback from our users. Although all users appreciated the program, it was obvious from their feedback something was missing. After a careful review of the URLBase source code, it became clear that many of the program’s limitations could not be overcome without rewriting the whole program. Research for the URLBase 4 project started in September 2000 and on October 23, 2000 the first line of source code was written. On January 21, 2001 the URLBase Beta sign-up was posted on the website and within a few days more then 20 people were testing the program. Thanks to the enthusiasm and creativity of the beta team URLBase has become more reliable, easier to use and simply fun to develop and support.

Looking back on all those URLBase projects, I guess its fair to say its been quite a rollercoaster ride. What started out as a simple idea grew into a (dare I say it?) successfull project, enjoyed by people all over the world. So what is it that keeps us working on this project? First of all I think its the fun of creating a challenge which pushes the limits of our knowledge and experience. Seeing an idea, a concept slowly grow into a full featured project is simply amazing. The program, the website, the documentation. A tremendous amount of work but once its done and operates as a whole it was well worth the effort.

But to see so many people enjoying URLBase makes it all the more special and definitly worth the many hours of coding, designing, debugging, desperation, isolation and frustration. So on behalf of everyone who contributed to the URLBase project: thank you for the experience!


Version history
URLBase 4.0

Version history

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 1
version 3.9.1.146

Internal preview release

December 24, 2000

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 1A
version 3.9.1.162

Internal release

January 5, 2001

First serious beta test.

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 1B
version 3.9.1.169

Internal release

January 7, 2001

Update to the Beta 1A release.

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 2
version 3.9.2.190

Internal release

January 16, 2001

Feature complete.

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 2
version 3.9.2.195

Public release

January 21, 2001

•	URLBase 4.0 Beta 3
version 3.9.3.206

Public release

February 02, 2001

•	URLBase 4.0 First release
version 4.0.0.250

Released on March 01, 2001

Related topics:

URLBase history


URLBase 4.0

Bug fixes

This topic will contain information about bugfixes and changes in future releases of URLBase 4.0


Keyboard shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+C	Copy the selected internet shortcut’s URL to clipboard
CTRL+F	Search the data file
CTRL+H	Copy the selected internet shortcut’s URL to clipboard as HTML
CTRL+N	Create a new URLBase data file
CTRL+O	Open a URLBase data file
CTRL+S	Save changes made to the data file
CTRL+W	Close the current URLBase data file
CTRL+F1	Expand the category list
CTRL+F2	Collapse the category list
F1	Display the URLBase help file
F2	Rename the selected category or internet shortcut
F3	Repeat the last search
F4	Scan the data file for duplicate URL’s
F5	Resort the display
F6	Exclude or include the selected category
F7	Display the Synchronize-dialog
F8	Verify all internet shortcuts in the data file
F9	Verify all internet shortcuts in the selected category
F10	Verify the selected internet shortcut(s)
F11	Skip verification of the current internet shortcut
F12	Abort the verification
DEL	Delete the selected category or internet shortcut(s)
INS	Create a new internet shortcut
CTRL+INS	Create a new category
ALT+ENTER	Display the properties of the selected category or internet shortcut


Adding categories
URLBase 4.0

Adding categories

•	To add a new category, right-click on the category list and select Category from the New-menu.

•	In the New category dialog, type a name and description (optional) for the category. If neccesarry add one or more keywords. Keywords do not have a fixed meaning in URLBase. They are most commonly used to link a set of categories together, so you can quickly locate them when searching the file. They can also serve as an addition to the description.

•	Click the OK-button to add the category to the file.

Related topics:

Editing categories

Excluding categories


Editing categories
URLBase 4.0

Editing categories

To edit the properties of a category, select the category in the list and select Properties from the Edit-menu. You can also right-click on the category and select Properties from its context menu.

If you just want to change the name of the category, right-click on the category and select Rename from the context menu (or press F2).

Drag and drop the category to move it to another location within the list:

•	Click on the category and keep the left mouse-button pressed

•	While keeping the left mouse-button pressed, move the mouse pointer to the new location

•	To move the category, release the left mouse-button on the new location. To cancel the drag operation either move the mouse pointer out of the category list or return to the category’s original location, then release the left mouse-button

Related topics:

Adding categories

Excluding categories


Adding internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Adding internet shortcuts

•	To add a internet shortcut to the selected category, right-click on the category list and select Internet shortcut from the New-menu.

•	In the New internet shortcut dialog, type a name and the full URL for the internet shortcut. Optionally you can select another category for the internet shortcut by selecting a new one from the list. On the Additional-tab you can type a description and one or more keywords. The Details-tab can be used after the internet shortcut has been saved to view information about its creation date, number of visits and the verification status.

•	Click the OK-button to add the internet shortcut to the file.

You can also add internet shortcuts by dragging the currently opened URL from Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator:

•	Startup URLBase, open a data file and minimize URLBase to the Windows taskbar

•	Startup Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator and browse to the URL you want to add

•	Once the browser finished loading the URL, drag the URL to the URLBase button on the Windows taskbar

•	Once URLBase has been restored, move towards the internet shortcut list and drop the URL

Related topics:

Editing internet shortcuts


Editing internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Editing internet shortcuts

To edit the properties of a internet shortcut, select the internet shortcut in the list and select Properties from the Edit-menu. You can also right-click on the internet shortcut and select Properties from its context menu.

If you just want to change the name of the internet shortcut, right-click on the internet shortcut and select Rename from the context menu (or press F2).

Use drag and drop to move the selected internet shortcut(s) to another category:

•	Select one or more internet shortcuts, click on the internet shortcut(s) and keep the left mouse-button pressed

•	While keeping the left mouse-button pressed, move the mouse pointer to the category you want to move the selected internet shortcuts to

•	To move the internet shortcuts, release the left mouse-button on the target category. To cancel the drag operation, move the mouse pointer back to the internet shortcut list and release the left mouse-button.

Related topics:

Adding internet shortcuts


Selecting an edit mode
URLBase 4.0

Selecting a storage mode

By default, URLBase is set to work in Automatic storage mode. This means that any changes made to the file are saved as they occur. If, for example, you add a new internet shortcut, it is directly saved to file. The same goes for deleting categories and internet shortcuts. Once you’ve confirmed the removal operation, the items you selected to delete are directly removed from the file. The advantage of Automatic storage mode is that you don’t have to worry about saving the changes you make, as URLBase takes care of it. The disadvantage is that there’s no way to revert a change made to the file.

Because the Automatic storage mode may not be the way you are used to work, we’ve included the User control storage mode. All changes are buffered in a temporary file and are only written to the data file if you save the changes via File | Save.

The only difference you will see between the two edit modes in URLBase is that the Save-command (File-menu) is not available in Automatic storage mode.

You can configure the storage mode by selecting Options from the Tools-menu.

Related topics:

Customizing URLBase


Excluding / Including categories
URLBase 4.0

Excluding / Including categories

The URLBase exclusion system is used to quickly export a set of categories instead of the entire file, without making permanent changes to the data file. URLBase will not export any excluded categories.

To exclude a category simply select the category you want to exclude and press F6 (or right-click on the category and select Exclude from the context-menu). Repeat this procedure if you want to include the category again. Sub-categories will be excluded/included automatically.

Previous versions of URLBase also allowed you to use the exclusion system to create a new URLBase data file via File | Save as. With URLBase 4.0, the exclusion system only applies when exporting internet shortcuts to HTML or to a browser library.

Note that the exclusion of categories is only temporary. In other words: URLBase doesn’t save the exclusion status of a category to file.

Related topics:

Adding categories

Editing categories


Verify internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Verify internet shortcuts

Too keep your internet shortcuts up to date, you can let URLBase verify the existence of one or more internet shortcuts. This verification of internet shortcuts has been completely integrated with the interface of URLBase, allowing you to continue with your work. During verification, you can access all categories and internet shortcuts as usual, except you cannot delete internet shortcuts which are being (or about to be) verified. The same goes for the categories, which contain these shortcuts. If necessary you can minimize URLBase to the taskbar and work in a different program.

To allow you to keep track of the verification process, URLBase changes the appearance of internet shortcuts during the stages of verification.

	Indicates the internet shortcut is being verified.
	Indicates an error occured while verifying the internet shortcut. For details about the error, open the internet shortcut’s Properties and select the Details-tab.
	Internet shortcuts that are about to be verified will be displayed with a dimmed icon.
	One or more internet shortcuts within this category are being (or are about to be) verified.

If no error occurred during verification, the internet shortcut's icon is restored back to default. URLBase automatically saves the date, time and results of the last verification.

To verify all internet shortcuts in the selected category, press F9 or select Tools | Verify | Category. To verify just the selected internet shortcut(s), press F10 or select Tools | Verify | Shortcut. You can also access these options via the category- and internet shortcut context-menu (right-click on a category or internet shortcut).

URLBase also allows you to quickly re-verify internet shortcuts which generated an error during the last verification. By selecting Tools | Re-verify errors URLBase scans the data file and re-verifies these internet shortcuts.

Pressing F11 (or selecting Tools | Verify | Skip shortcut) aborts the verification of the selected internet shortcut. URLBase will continue with the next internet shortcut if available. Press F12 to abort the complete verification (or select Tools | Verify | Abort).


Scan for duplicates
URLBase 4.0

Scan for duplicates

To prevent URL’s from being stored more than once, you can scan your data file for duplicates. URLBase will check each URL for any duplicates entries. Once the scan has completed, URLBase will notify you of its findings.

URLBase will display all duplicate entries in the Duplicate URL’s dialog. Here you can delete individual internet shortcuts, URL’s or all duplicates. Use the Actions-menu for the following options:

•	Delete selection
Deletes the selected internet shortcut or URL. When you delete an URL, all internet shortcuts with that URL will be removed.

•	Delete all but first
For each URL listed, URLBase will delete each internet shortcut except the first.


Synchronize
URLBase 4.0

Sychronize

By synchronizing you can make sure two or more libraries use the same set of internet shortcuts. URLBase performs synchronization in the following steps:

•	If one or more libraries have been selected for import, URLBase first clears the currently opened data file and then imports the selected libraries.

•	If one or more libraries have been selected for export, URLBase first clears the selected libraries and then exports the contents of the currently opened data file.

It's important to realize that synchronizing always overwrites a library! If you wish to import internet shortcuts from a different library without overwriting the contents of the current data file, use Import from browser via File | Import and Export instead. This is also the way to export to a library without overwriting its contents: first import from Browser via File | Import and Export, then export using synchronize.

You can exclude categories in URLBase to keep them from being exported to a browser library. For more information see the Excluding categories topic.


Library

A library (or browser library) in this context is a collection of internet shortcuts. Example libraries: Netscape bookmarks, Internet Explorer Favorites and Opera hotlist.


Options
URLBase 4.0

Options

Use the Options-dialog to customize URLBase.

General

Display

Interface

Browsers

Proxy

Advanced


Options - Display-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] Display

Internet shortcut display

Set the columns you want to be visible in the internet shortcut list when working in the Details view mode.

Miscellaneous

•	Center in screen
Select this option to center URLBase's main-screen on the desktop. If not selected, URLBase will use the last known position.

•	Use desktop font
URLBase will use the desktop's font for the category- and internet shortcut-views when you select this option. Otherwise it will use the default font MS Sans Serif.

•	Flat toolbuttons
Select this option to display flat buttons on the toolbar, or de-select to display standard buttons.

•	Show toolbar tooltips
Controls whether or not the toolbar should display tooltips. Tooltips appear when you place the mouse pointer over a button in the toolbar and contain a short description of the button's function.

•	Show toolbar
Show or hide the toolbar. You can also set this option via the View-menu.

•	Show header
Show or hide the header. You can also set this option via the View-menu.

•	New item color
URLBase marks new items added to the file with the specified color. These items will also be marked in the HTML file generated via Export to HTML. Note that the color you specify here will only be used in the internet shortcut list, not in the HTML file.

Related topics:

Interface

Browsers

Proxy

Advanced

General


General-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] General

•	Storage mode
Allows you to set the storage mode for URLBase. When working in Automatic storage mode, changes are saved automatically to the file as they occur. In User control storage mode, changes are written to a temporary file and only saved to the data file when you save the changes via File | Save (CTRL+S).

•	Reopen
Allows you to set the maximum number of entries on the Reopen-menu (File | Reopen). Use the Clear menu-button to remove all current items. At start-up URLBase automatically removes entries which are no longer available.

Select the Open last used file at startup-option to open the last used file automatically when URLBase starts up.

Miscellaneous

•	Launch URLBase at Windows startup
Select this option to launch URLBase at Windows startup. Launch minimized controls whether or not URLBase should be minimized to the taskbar during Windows startup.

•	Auto-expand category list
Select this option to automatically expand the Category-list when you open a URLBase data file.

Related topics:

Display

Interface

Browsers

Proxy

Advanced


Interface-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] Interface

Interface styles

Interfaces styles control the way URLBase displays items and handles mouse clicks. See the Options dialog for a description of each interface style.

Related topics:

Browsers

Proxy server

Advanced

General

Display


Browsers-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] Browsers

URLBase allows you to open internet shortcuts in the system default browser or in any other browser you have installed on your system. To add a browser other than the system default:

•	Select Options from the Tools-menu and select the Browsers-tab. In this screen you can add, modify and remove custom browser configurations.

•	To add a new browser configuration click the Add-button.

•	Use the Browse-button to select the browser's executable.

•	URLBase will detect the browser's version and will suggest a Display name. The display name will be used to add the browser to the internet shortcut's context menu. Enter any Commandline arguments for the browser in the Commandline-editbox. Some browsers need additional commandline arguments in order to browse to the given URL. For example: Internet Explorer uses the "-nohome" argument (without quotes), while Netscape and Opera only need the specific URL.

TIP: You can leave the Commandline-editbox empty if the browser only needs the URL as a commandline argument ("%1"). URLBase will automatically pass the URL to the browser.

•	Click OK to save the browser configuration.

You can also use the Auto-detect-button to have URLBase attempt to detect all supported browsers on your system.

Note: You cannot modify or remove the default browser configuration. If you wish to have another browser to be your system's default browser then please consult the browser's documentation on how to proceed.

Unlike any other option in the Options-screen, pressing the Cancel-button does not undo the changes you've made to the Browser list.

Related topics:

Proxy

Advanced

General

Display

Interface


Proxy server-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] Proxy

Select the option Use a HTTP proxy if you connect to the internet using a proxy server or firewall. Enter the proxy server's Address and Port and, if required, your Username and Password. Contact your network administrator for assistance.

To use the default Windows Internet settings you can leave these options off.

Related topics:

Advanced

General

Display

Interface

Browsers


Advanced-tab
URLBase 4.0

Options [image] Advanced

CSS editor

Allows you to configure the CSS editor to use in the Export to HTML dialog. You can select one of the following options:

•	Use default editor

URLBase will use the editor associated with *.css files. If this file association does not exist on your system, URLBase will disable this option.

•	Use Notepad

Open the CSS file in Notepad. Please check your Windows installation to see if Notepad has been installed.

•	Use a custom editor

Use the Browse-button to select a custom CSS editor.

Miscellaneous

•	Use English date format
Specifies whether or not URLBase should use the English date format. This controls the way how dates are displayed throughout the program. When selected URLBase will use the English month and day names. Otherwise URLBase uses your Windows locale settings.

Related topics:

General

Display

Interface

Browsers

Proxy


Exporting to HTML
URLBase 4.0

Exporting to HTML

By exporting your internet shortcuts to HTML, you can quickly create a links-page for your website. You can customize the layout of the HTML file by selecting a Cascading Style sheet (CSS) and indicate whether or not URLBase should generate a Table of contents.

You can exclude categories to keep them from being exported to HTML. For more information see the Excluding categories topic.

Browse-tab

•	Select path

Shows the available drives and folders on your system so you can select a folder where you want URLBase to create the HTML file

•	Filename

Type the filename for the HTML file without the extension. URLBase will automatically add the extension you select. If the file already exists at the specified location, URLBase will automatically overwrite it.

•	File type

Select the extension to use for the HTML file. This will be added to the filename you typed.

Customize-tab

•	Page title

Type the title of the HTML page, which will appear on the browser’s title bar.

•	Include Table of contents

Check this option to include a Table of contents in the HTML file. URLBase will generate a set of internal bookmarks so you can easily navigate the file.

•	Select CSS

Customize the appearance of the HTML file by selecting a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS).

Standard CSS

Collection of predefined Cascading Style Sheets, which will be used as an internal style sheet for the HTML file.

Custom CSS

Select your own custom CSS file by clicking on the Browse-button. URLBase will put a reference to the Cascading Style Sheet in the HTML file (external CSS). URLBase will copy the CSS file if its location does not match the location of the HTML file. Click the Edit-button to edit the CSS file in the editor you specified in the Options-dialog.

Tip: to quickly select another CSS editor, select the Customize-tab and press F2.

URLBase does not perform any validation on custom style sheets.


Importing internet shortcuts
URLBase 4.0

Importing internet shortcuts

•	New in URLBase 4.0 is the ability to import URL’s from HTML-files and internet shortcuts from URLBase data files (versions 3 and 4). To import URL’s from a file, select Import and Export from the File-menu.

•	The Import and Export dialog presents a list of actions you can perform. Click on the action Import from file.

•	In the Import from file dialog, select the folder which contains the file you wish to import. If you cannot find the file, make sure you have selected the right file type (*.html, *.htm, *.udb or *.ubx).

•	Click the Open-button to import the file.

•	If URLBase finds any URL’s in the file, it will display the Confirm import dialog. Here you can indicate which URL’s you want to import and which URLBase should ignore. By default, URLBase will select all URL’s for import. To keep an URL from being imported, simply remove the check mark in front of the URL by clicking on its check box.

•	Click the Import-button to import the selected URL’s.

•	To import internet shortcuts from a browser, select Import and Export from the File-menu.

•	In the Import and Export dialog, click on the Import from browser action.

•	In the Import browser libraries dialog, click the Add-button to add a new browser library.

•	Select a library type to indicate from what browser you want to import internet shortcuts. Click the Browse-button to select the path and/or filename to use with the browser library.

•	Click the OK-button to add the browser library.

•	Optionally you can add more browser libraries by repeating the steps above.

•	To import a browser library, simply put a check mark in front of the browser library by clicking on its check box.

•	Click the Import-button to import the selected browser libraries.

Unlike the import from file, importing browser libraries does not display a confirmation-dialog. All categories and internet shortcuts are added to the current data file.


Customizing the display
URLBase 4.0

Customizing the display

URLBase allows you to customize the display in many ways:

•	Internet shortcuts list

You can change the display of internet shortcuts by selecting a View-style from the View-menu. You can also access this menu by right clicking on the internet shortcut list. By default URLBase uses the Details view style.

To change to columns displayed in the Details view style, open the Options dialog and select the Display-category.

To sort the display of internet shortcuts, right click on the internet shortcut list and select Arrange from the context menu.

•	Category list

You can also change the sorting order of the category list. Just like the internet shortcut list, right click on the category list and select Arrange from the context menu.

•	Toolbar

To customize the toolbar’s layout, right click on the toolbar and select Customize from the context menu. In the Customize toolbar dialog you can add, remove and arrange buttons to your own needs.

•	Other customizations

On the View-menu you can hide/show the toolbar and header. You can also set these options via the Options-dialog.

Related topics:

Options