CardFile Utility Help

Cardfile Utility Help Index

Introduction:

General Introduction

How To:

Paste to the MS-Windows Clipboard

Copy from the MS-Windows Clipboard

Merge two Cardfiles

Extract Cards from a Cardfile

Create a New Directory Cardfile

Update a Directory Cardfile

Convert a Text file to a Cardfile

Convert a HP95 PhoneBook file to a Cardfile

Convert a DBF file to a Cardfile

Convert a Cardfile to an ASCII text file

Reference:

Running Windows Cardfile

Using the clipboard

Merging Cardfiles

Merging Options

Extracting Cardfiles

Extraction Options

Converting to Cardfiles

Converting from Cardfiles

Conversion Types

Directory Utility

Directory Utility Options

Registration


General Introduction

CardUtil is a utility for the MS-Windows Cardfile which enhances the useability of Cardfile by providing conversion and related utilities.

CardUtil has the capability to:

1. Merge two Cardfiles

2. Extract information from a Cardfile into another Cardfile.

3. Place Directory information into Cardfiles

4. Convert three type of files to a Cardfile. Convert from a Cardfile to a text file.


Cut and Paste to and from the Clipboard

CardUtil can Copy a Cardfile to the MS-Windows clipboard or  Paste tab delimited text from the clipboard. These operations operate on the entire Cardfile, providing an easy conversion mechanism for many MS-Windows applications.


Copy to the Clipboard

CardUtil copies the contents of a Cardfile to the Clipboard as tab delimited text. The Cardfile information can then be easily pasted to a word processor or a spreadsheet file.

Each card in the Cardfile is copied as a single line of text. The tab character is used to delimit the title from the body in the card, and to separate individual lines in the body of the card.

How to:

Copy to Clipboard

See Also:

Paste from Clipboard


Paste from the Clipboard

CardUtil will paste tab delimited text from the MS-Windows Clipboard to a Cardfile. Each line of text from the clipboard is pasted as a single card. The text from the start of the line to the first tab is taken as the card title. The remaining text on the line is taken as the card body with each tab defining the start of a new line in the card body.

Suggestion:

A range from a spreadsheet or a table from a word processor can be copied on to the clipboard and converted to a Cardfile.

How to:

Paste from Clipboard

See Also:

Copy to Clipboard


Merging Cardfiles

The Merge command merges two Windows Cardfiles into a single Cardfile. The difference between this command and the one built into Windows Cardfile is that you may selectively eliminate duplicate cards.

A card is considered a duplicate when the title text, the first line, or all of the text in the cards match. The exact criteria for determining duplication is set in the merge options under the Merge menu.

How To:

Merge two Cardfiles

Note:

When duplicate cards are found, the card that contains the greater amount of text is saved.


Extracting Cardfiles

CardUtil will selectively extract cards from one Cardfile into a second Cardfile based on user defined criteria.

How To:

Extract Cards from a Cardfile

See Also:

Setting Extraction Options


Setting Extraction Criteria

To set the extraction criteria:

1.	Enter a title and/or text string in the text box.

2.	Select do or do not match,

3.	Select a comparison criteria.

Title string:	The title of the cards to extract.

Text string:	Any text in the body of the card to extract.

Do : 	Extract cards that contain the string

Do Not:  	Extract all the cards that do not contain the string

Match string:	Search for cards that exactly match the string

Start with string:	Search for cards that start with the string

Contain string:	Search for cards that contain the string.

If Ignore Caseis checked all comparisons will be case insensitive (ie. 'StRiNg' will match 'string').

How To:

Extract a card from a Cardfile


Converting Files to Cardfiles

CardUtil will convert standard ASCII text, .dbf database files and HP95 PhoneBook files to a Cardfile. The exact behavior of CardUtil depends on the type of file you are converting from.

See Also:

Conversion Types


Conversion Types

CardUtil will convert the following file types to a Cardfile.

1.	ASCII text files

2.	HP95 PhoneBook files

3.	.dbf database files

How To:

Convert a Text file to a Cardfile

Convert a PhoneBook file to a Cardfile

Convert a DBF file to a Cardfile

See Also:

Text Conversion Options

PhoneBook Conversion Options

DBF Conversion Options


Converting From Cardfiles

CardUtil can convert a Windows Cardfile to an ASCII text, delimited file. Each card in the Cardfile is converted into a single line of text, with the delimiter (as set in Text Conversion Options) separating the title from the first line of the card body and subsequent lines in the card body. Normally the delimiter is specified as a tab character (ASCII 9).

Note:

Before converting you may want to change the Text Conversion Options

How To:

Convert a Cardfile to an ASCII text file


Merging Options

CardUtil will optionally remove duplicate Cards when merging two Cardfiles. If a card is considered a duplicate or not is based on the comparison options selected.

Title:  	Compares the title of the cards

Title and first line: 	Compares the title and the first line of the card.

Title and text: 	Compares the entire card.

If Ignore Caseis checked all comparisons will be case insensitive (ie. 'StRiNg' will match 'string').

How To:

Merge two Cardfiles

Note:

If a match is found, the card with the greater amount of text is saved.


Text Conversion Options

The file delimiter may be set to accommodate various types of delimited text files. The ASCII code of that character must be entered, i.e. 9 for tab delimited files.


PhoneBook Conversion Options

The HP95 PhoneBook files can be converted such that either the name, or the name followed by the number will be used as the card title. If the name alone is used as the title the number will appear as the first line on the card.

Note:

If you select to place both the name and the number on the title line of the card the number will be truncated if the combined length of the name and number exceed 40 characters.


DBF Conversion Options

Conversion of DBF files is based on the database field names selected. Simply select which field names should be converted to the Cardfile.

If when a conversion is done, a field name is specified which is not in the .dbf file, an error will occur.

Not all fields need to be specified and fields may be specified more than once (to repeat the title in the body of the card for instance).


Directory Utility

The directory utility scans a directory (and optionally its sub directories) and selectively copies file names and related information into a Cardfile. The resulting Cardfile can be edited to add additional information.

How To:

Create a New Cardfile with directory information

Update an existing Cardfile directory

See Also:

Create a New Cardfile

Update an Existing Cardfile Directory

Directory Options

Directory Options Requirements

Cardfile Limits


Directory Options

Directory Options control:

1.	The types of files to be included in the Cardfile

2.	The file information to be placed on the card.

The resulting Cardfile will contain cards which match the wild card specifications in the 'Include List' and those which are NOT specified in the 'Exclude List'. Note: Path names are not allowed in these lists, ie. 'C:\DOS\*.COM' is not allowed while '*.COM' is.

The Include List contains the files to be included in the cards.

The Exclude List contains the files that you do not want in the Cardfile.

The checkboxes control the information to be placed in the title and the first two lines of the card.

How To:

To Add a File wildcard to a list:

1.	Select the Add Button

2.	Enter the file name. (DOS wild cards can be used)

3.	Select OK

The file should now be listed in the list box.

To Delete a File wildcard from a list

1.	Select the File to remove by clicking on the name in the list box

2.	Select Delete

The file is now removed from the list box

Note:

Selecting more text than what will fit on the title line will cause the card title to be truncated.

Selecting more than will fit on a single line in the card body will result in wrapped text.

Warning:

If you change the options you may not be able to use the Update Utility in CardUtil. See Directory Options Requirements for more information.

Suggestion:

Exclude files containing *.bak, *.bkp, *.exe, *.com

See Also:

Cardfile Limits


New Directory Cardfile

CardUtil will selectively copy file information for files in a directory into a Cardfile. The resulting Cardfile may contain such data as the directory path, file name, date and size of the files in the directory. The exact data is set in the Options dialog box under the main menu item Directory.

Note:

The default options must be used in order to use CardUtil's Update feature for future revisions, if you do not have these specified and you go to generate a new directory Cardfile you will be prompted with a warning and given the option of setting them to the defaults.

How To:

Create a new directory Cardfile

See Also:

Directory Options

Directory Options Requirements

Update Existing Directory Cardfile


Update Existing Directory Cardfile

This operation is used to update file information as you add, delete, or modify files. All new files will be added to the Cardfile and all existing files will have the date, time, and size information updated. Any comments added to the file body are of course saved.

Cards referring to files which have been deleted from the disk are NOT deleted from the Cardfile, the information in the Cardfile is left intact.

Warnings:

The Cardfile must have been created using the default directory options for this feature to work properly.

The title is reserved for the filename, any text which has added to the title will result in the utility not being able to identify the card correctly and will result in duplicate cards in the Cardfile.

See Also:

Directory Options

Directory Options Requirements

Creating a New Directory Cardfile


Set Directory to Convert

This dialog box sets the directory and the path of the files to convert.

Enter the directory and/or path of the files to convert.

Select the include Sub-directories to include information in all sub-directories of the specified path.


Cardfile Limits

Windows Cardfile has a limit of 1260 cards per file.

If the output of the CardUtil program exceeds 1260 cards, you will be asked if you wish to continue saving cards in another file.  If this file would require more than 1260 cards CardUtil will continue prompting for additional files until all of the data has been output.

If more than one file is output and you ask it to run MS Windows Cardfile only the first file will be loaded.


Directory Options Requirements

In order to use CardUtil's directory update feature the directory options must be specified as follows:

Title:	File name (no path)

First Line:	Drive and path

Second Line:	Size, Date, and Time.

If the options are not set accordingly when you go to generate a new directory file you will be asked if you wish to force them to the above options. You should of course answer YES if you plan on using the directory update feature later.  If you choose not to use the default options you will not be able to update directory information in the future.


Run Windows Cardfile

After generating a Cardfile through one of the utilities, you will be asked if you wish to run MS Windows Cardfile.

If you select YES the Windows Cardfile will run with the Cardfile just created.


Pasting from the Clipboard (Examples)

Example 1:

You have a list of names and phone numbers in an Excel spreadsheet with the names in one column and the numbers in the next column and you wish to convert that information into a Cardfile.

1.	Select the names and numbers in Excel.

2.	Copy to the clipboard.

3.	Run CardUtil

4.	Select Paste to Cardfile


Copy to the Clipboard (Examples)

Example 1:

You have a Cardfile of names and addresses and you wish to pass them along to another colleague as an Excel spreadsheet.

1.	Run CardUtil.

2.	Select Copy to Clipboard.

3.	Select the file to copy.

4.	Run Excel.

5.	Select Paste.

Example 2:

You have a Cardfile of names and phone numbers which you would like to print out, but you would like to customize the output to print out the card title, followed by the card information indented from the left margin.

1.	Run CardUtil.

2.	Select Copy to Clipboard.

3.	Select the file to copy.

4.	Run MS Windows Write.

5.	Set the paragraph format for a hanging indent.

6.	Select Paste.


How to Merge two Cardfiles

To Merge two files and remove duplicate cards that have the same title and text:

1.	Pull down the main menu item Merge/Extract

2.	Select Options to set the merge criteria (optional)

a.	   Select Remove Matching Cards

b.	   Select the card title and card text.

3.	Pull down the main menu item Merge/Extract

4.	Select Merge

5.	Select the 1st Cardfile to be merged

6.	Select OK

7.	Select the 2nd Cardfile to be merged

8.	Select OK

9.	Enter the name of the Cardfile to be created

10.	Select OK


How to Extract cards from a Cardfile

To extract all the cards from a Cardfile that contains a title string and does not contain any part of text string:

1.	Pull down the main menu item Merge/Extract.

2.	Select Options

3.	Type in a string in the tittle text box

4.	Select the Do radio button

5.	Select the Match string radio button

6.	Type in a string in the text box

7.	Select the Do Not radio button

8.	Select the Contain String

9.	Select OK

10.	Pull down the main menu item Merge/Extract

11.	Select Extract.

12.	Open the cardfile you wish to extract information from.

13.	When prompted enter a name for a new file to be created, this file will consist of all matching cards from the first Cardfile.

Note:

Mark Ignore Case if you want the search not to be case sensitive


Create a New Directory Cardfile

Example 1:

Create a Cardfile with a name of dirdos.crd that contains information on the files in your c:\dos directory:

1.	Pull down the main menu item Directory

2.	Select New

3.	Enter c:\dos\

4.	Select OK

5.	Enter dirdos

6.	Select OK

Example 2:

Create a Cardfile with the name of the file as the title, the name and path of the file on the first line and the size and date on the second line.

1.	Pull down the main menu item Directory

2.	Select Options

3.	Check Name under the Title options

4.	Check Name under the 1st Line options

5.	Check Path under the 1st Line options

6.	Check Size under the 2nd Line options

7.	Check Date under the 2nd Line options

8.	Select OK


Update and Existing Cardfiel Directory

Update an Existing Cardfile Directory

Update a Cardfile with the name of dirdos.crd

1.	Pull down the main menu item Directory

2.	Select Update

3.	Enter dirdos.crd in the text box

4.	Select OK

5.	Enter the directory in which dirdos.crd is located

6.	Select OK

7.	Enter dirdos.crd

8.	Select OK

9.	Select OK to overwrite existing file

10.	Select Yes to running Windows Cardfile


How to Convert a Text file to a Cardfile

1.	Pull down the main menu item Convert

2.	Select To Cardfile

3.	Mark Delimited ASCII Text

4.	Select OK

5.	Enter or Select the Text File Name to Convert

6.	Select OK

7.	Type or Select the new Cardfile name

8.	Select OK

9.	Select Yes to run the Windows Cardfile

See Also:

Setting Text Options


How to Convert a HP95 PhoneBook file to a Cardfile

1.	Pull down the main menu item Convert

2.	Select To Cardfile

3.	Mark HP-95 PhoneBook

4.	Select OK

5.	Enter or Select the PhoneBook File Name to Convert

6.	Select OK

7.	Type or Select the new Cardfile name

8.	Select OK

9.	Select Yes to run the Windows Cardfile

See Also:

Setting PhoneBook Options


How To Convert a  DBF file to a Cardfile

1.	Pull down the main menu item Convert

2.	Select To Cardfile

3.	Mark DBF file

4.	Select OK

5.	Enter or Select the DBF File Name to Convert

6.	Select OK

7.	Type or Select the new Cardfile name

8.	Select OK

9.	Select Yes to run the Windows Cardfile

See Also:

Setting DBF Options


How to Convert a Cardfile to an ACSII Text File

How to Convert a Cardfile to an ASCII Text File

1.	Pull down the main menu item Convert

2.	Select From Cardfile

3.	Type or Select the Cardfile Name to Convert

4.	Select OK

5.	Type or Select the Text File Name

6.	Select OK

See Also:

Setting Text Options


ShareWare Registration

This program is distributed as ShareWare, meaning if you wish to use this software beyond a trail period of 30 days you are required to register it with the author. The registration fee is $25.00 and covers the current and all subsequent ShareWare versions of the program.

You may register this program by mailing $25.00 to the following address:

Richard C. Haw

2207 Aspen

Champaign IL 61821

See also:

Technical Support

Disclaimer


Technical Support

Technical support is available for registered users through Compuserve by Email to [73527,2642] or by calling the support BBS at (217) 356-2055. The support BBS for CardUtil is free and open to all users, however only registered users will be provided support. The latest version of the program will be found on this BBS as well as on Compuserve.

See also:

Registration

Disclaimer


Disclaimer

This program is supplied 'as-is', there are no warranties, express or implied, by statute or otherwise, regarding the program and related information, their fitness for any purpose, their quality, their merchantability, or otherwise.

MS-Windows and MS-Cardfile are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

See also:

Registration

Technical Support