How to Use Records:

To Add, Edit, Delete or Save Records:
To Add a record to the current Tab'n Dex file:
Select "Add Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-R) and a blank record will open. Enter the information desired. Click the Update Button (or type ⌘-S) to save the record. 

To Delete a record from the current Tab'n Dex file:
Select "Delete Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-D) and the record will be deleted. If a record is no longer wanted, you can also select the unwanted record and use it to enter a new record by typing over the previous information and then updating.

To save a new or updated record in the currently open file:
Select "Save" from the File Menu or "Update Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-S). The information in the currently displayed record will be saved to the currently open Tab'n Dex file. An existing record is updated by typing in the desired new information over the previous information and then updating the record.

To create a new Tab'n Dex file from the currently open file:
Select "Save As..." from the File Menu and name the file. The currently open file will be duplicated and the new file will be opened.

To merge another Tab'n Dex file with the currently open file:
Select "Merge..." from the File Menu (or type ⌘-M). The information in the selected file will be added to the currently open file. The selected file will not be changed or deleted. If you want the currently open file to also be left unchanged, first select "Save As..." and then "Merge...". This menu item is only active after you have registered your copy of Tab'n Dex.

To move between the Records:
To go to the first record:
Select "First Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-[). The first record, based on the sort order, will display. If the preferences item is checked, the first record will be for the current tab rather than for the entire file. If the first record is already displayed, a beep will sound. The "First" (I<<) or "First for Tab" (I<) buttons will also move you to the first record (in the file or for the tab respectively).

To go to the previous record:
Select "Previous Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘--). The previous record, based on the sort order, will display. If the first record in the file is already displayed, a beep will sound. The "Previous" (<) button will also move you to the previous record in the file.

To go to the next record:
Select "Next Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-=). The next record, based on the sort order, will display. If the last record in the file is already displayed, a beep will sound. The "Next" (>) button will also move you to the next record in the file.

To go to the last record:
Select "Last Record" from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-]). The last record, based on the sort order, will display. If the preferences item is checked, the last record will be for the current tab rather than for the entire file. If the last record is already displayed, a beep will sound. The "Last" (>>I) or "Last for Tab" (>I) buttons will also move you to the last record (in the file or for the tab respectively).

To search for a specific Record:
To find a specific record in the currently open file:
Select "Find..." from the File Menu or "Find Record..." from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-F). The "Find" window will open and you can specify which field to search by selecting it in the pop-up menu and then entering the letter, number or phrase to search for in the specified field. You also can choose how to match the record in the second pop-up menu. You can select from "starts with", "contains" (only choice for searches of the Comments field) or "matches". The first matching record will automatically display if one is found. If no matching records are found, a beep will sound and the "Find" window will display again so you can change the search information. 

Searches of the Comment field are case sensitive, all other searches are not. The individual field in a record containing the text found in any search will be selected for easier identification. When searching the Comments field, if the search term is found, it will be selected and will scroll to the top of the field (if the scroll bar is active).

You can also search all fields at once by selecting the "Search All" check box. "Search All" searches are case sensitive. The fields for each record will be searched first. After each field of each record is searched the search will start over at the comments for the first record and then search all record comments.

To search again for a specific record in the currently open file:
Select "Find Again" from the File Menu (or type ⌘-G). The next record matching the search information last entered in the "Find" window will automatically display if one is found. If no matching records are found, a beep will sound and the "Find" window will display again so you can change the search information.

To print the Records:
To print a single record:
Select "Print Record..." from the File Menu (or type ⌘-E). All of the information for the currently displayed record will print on one page. The name of the current Tab'n Dex file and the date will print as a header (page must be set to portrait, US letter size). If the "Help" tab is in front and the Help text displayed, this menu item will print the currently selected Help item.

To print a selected range of records:
Select "Print..." from the File Menu (or type ⌘-P). A "Print Selected Records window" will open where you select the field to sort the records by and the range of records to print. Enter the starting phrase in the first field ("In the range starting with") and the ending phrase in the other field ("And ending with"). Any record that matches either phrase or is between the phrases will print. If the sort order for the selected filed is Numeric, you must enter the number range to print, if the sort order is by Address, you must enter the Street Name range to print and if the sort order is by Date you must enter the names of the month(s) range to print. Full or condensed records can print or you can select phone, fax & e-mail, phone and fax, or 3 types of address labels (page must be set to portrait, US letter size). See the "Printing Records" section of help for more information. If the "Help" tab is in front and the Help text displayed, this menu will print all of the Help items. The page number now prints on each page when the Help files are printed. The page numbers start over for each section.

If the first field is left empty, you will print from the first record to the ending phrase record. If the second field is empty you will print from the starting phrase to the last record. If both are empty, you will print all records in the file. To print only records where the sort by field is empty, leave the first field blank and put a "space" (spacebar) into the second field. To print only records matching a single alpha-numeric character or phrase, enter that character or phrase into both fields. The records will print alphabetically by Last Name within the chosen Sort Order. 

The check box labeled "Print Field Names", if checked, will print all of the field names in the header. Unchecking this box will leave the field names off of the page, giving room for an extra record per page to print.

To preview on screen a selected range of records:
Select "Print Preview..." from the File Menu (or type ⌘-J). A "Preview Selected Records" window will open where you select the field to sort the records by and the range of records to list. Enter the starting phrase in the first field ("In the range starting with") and the ending phrase in the other field ("And ending with"). Any record that matches either phrase or is between the phrases will list. If the sort order for the selected filed is Numeric, you must enter the number range to list, if the sort order is by Address, you must enter the Street Name range to list and if the sort order is by Date you must enter the names of the month(s) range to list. All record information or just phone numbers and/or e-mail can be selected to display.

If the first field is left empty, you will list from the first record to the ending phrase record. If the second field is empty you will list from the starting phrase to the last record. If both are empty, you will list all records in the file. If the range contains a large number of records (more than 50 to 200 depending on the list format chosen), you may have to use a smaller range to get all of the records in the range to display. To list only records where the "List By" field is empty, leave the first field blank and put a "space" (spacebar) into the second field. To list only records for a single alpha-numeric character or phrase, enter that character or phrase into both fields. The records will list alphabetically by Last Name, First Name within the chosen Sort Order.

The check box labeled "Display Field Names", if checked, will display all of the field names in the header. Unchecking this box will leave the field names off of the display page, giving room for an extra record per page to display.

The records displayed may be edited, copied or dragged and dropped into another application, document or e-mail, allowing easy transfer of complete record information from Tab'n Dex without using the Export function. Editing in this window will not in any way affect the contents of the records themselves. The contents of the "Print Preview" window (except the header) can also be saved to a "Preview" text file (that can be opened with SimpleText©).

To view a list of Records:
To view on screen a selected range of records:
Select "List Records..." from the Records Menu (or type ⌘-L). A "List Selected Records" window will open where you select the field to sort the records by and the range of records to list. Enter the starting phrase in the first field ("In the range starting with") and the ending phrase in the other field ("And ending with"). Any record that matches either phrase or is between the phrases will list. If the sort order for the selected filed is Numeric, you must enter the number range to list, if the sort order is by Address, you must enter the Street Name range to list and if the sort order is by Date you must enter the names of the month(s) range to list. All record information will display in a scrolling list. Selecting and double-clicking a record will display it in the records window.

If the first field is left empty, you will list from the first record to the ending phrase record. If the second field is empty you will list from the starting phrase to the last record. If both are empty, you will list all records in the file. If the range contains a large number of records (more than about 100), you may have to use a smaller range to get all of the records in the range to display correctly. To list only records where the "List By" field is empty, leave the first field blank and put a "space" (spacebar) into the second field. To list only records for a single alpha-numeric character or phrase, enter that character or phrase into both fields. The records will list alphabetically by Last Name, First Name within the chosen Sort Order.

To sort the Records:
To sort the records:
The Sort By Menu items allow you to sort the records in alpha-numerical order based on the contents of the selected field. This is very useful when you want to view records in an order other than by last name such as when you need to find someone who works for a certain company but you can not remember the persons last name. You can sort by any of the fields listed in the Sort By Menu. The records are sorted immediately after the menu item is selected. The sort order is indicated by a check mark next to the menu selection and also in the title bar of the application. 

You can sort by the "Last Name" (or type ⌘-1), "First Name", "Company" (or type ⌘-2), "Address" (or type ⌘-3), "City" (or type ⌘-4), "State" (or type ⌘-5), "Zip Code" (or type ⌘-6), "Phone" (or type ⌘-7), "Fax" (or type ⌘-8), "E-mail" (or type ⌘-9), "Pager" (or type ⌘-0), "Other" or "Last Updated" fields. 

Five types of sorts are available:
1) Alphabetical -(The tabs will be the letters of the alphabet). If the first character is not a letter, the record will sort under "A" (numbers or empty field) or "Z" (almost anything else). 

2) Numerical -(The tabs will be the numbers). If the first character is not a number, the field will be scanned until a number is found. The field will sort under the first number found. If no number is found in the field, the record will sort under "Empty" (an empty field) or "Other" (almost anything else). 

3) Alpha-Numeric or Both - (The tabs will be the numbers and letters, 2 letters per tab). If the character is not a letter or number, the record will sort under "Empty" (an empty field) or "Other" (almost anything else). 

4) Address - (The tabs will be the numbers and letters, 2 letters per tab). If the first character in the field is not a letter, the first character of the second word in the field will be used when sorting. (That is, if "123 Main Street" is entered into the field, that record will sort under the letter "M").

5) Date - (The tabs will be the months of the year). The field entry must contain a date in the one of the following formats: "Wed, Apr 15, 1998"; Apr 15, 1998; 15 Apr 1998; 4/15/98; 4-15-98; 04/15/1998; or 04-15-1998 or the records will not sort correctly. The same format should be used throughout in each file or the dates will not sort, list or print as expected.

The default sorts are:
The fields "Last Name", "First Name", "Company", "City" and "State" sort alphabetically. 

The fields "Zip Code", "E-mail" and "Other" sort alpha-numerically.

The "Address" field sorts by address.

The fields "Phone", "Fax" and "Pager" sort numerically. 

The "Last Updated" field sorts by date. Since this field can not be edited, if a tab is clicked that does not contain a record, an alert message will display.