To be safe, exit all other programs before installing. Create a temporary folder (directory) and unpack the self-extracting file (That is, run IMagicxx.exe or IMagicUp.exe.) in this directory. Since you're reading this, you've probably already unpacked. (If you got the program on 2 floppies, copy all files from both disks into this directory.) Using whatever method you prefer for installing new software, run the Setup.exe program you'll find in this directory. If you have no preferred method, just double-click on the Setup.exe file.
START UP:
Unless you've used a similar memory aid before, it may be hard to immediately see the value of this tool. It's worthless the first day you install it and, virtually useless for the first few weeks-- until you've collected stuff in it for a while. It only becomes valuable AFTER you've collected bits, facts and stuff, and had time to forget them. The longer you use it the more valuable it becomes. The first time you run InfoMagic it may be a little puzzling. Because you haven't yet entered anything, you face an essentially empty screen with nothing telling you what to do next. Trying to help with this, I start you with a folder named æA First Folder' and include a copy of this Readme document in it. I suggest you create your own folder and delete this one, but it's the only way I could think of to help get past the blank screen stare.
Since I wrote it for myself, it mostly contains features I want but, since first release, I've added a few features users have requested--the ability to search across folders, for example.
ABOUT InfoMagic:
I wrote this application for myself--I'm an old guy with a bad memory. I started to name it Haltzheimer's. For me, it's the most straightforward way to keep track of the flurry of bits and pieces of facts, data, information that are constantly sweeping over me.
Credit card numbers.
Organization/clubs names and contacts.
The product I used to clean the rust off the driveway.
My son's latest girlfriend's name.
To do lists.
The brands, types and tints of paint we used when repainting.
Time of day the various mailboxes in my area are picked up.
Library hours.
A list of area codes and time zones for major cities.
Names & numbers of recommended handymen, doctors, lawyers, books, etc.
People who have special knowledge and are willing to share it. E.g., Judy Fox--growing roses
Various lists
Dates of purchase, warranty period, serial & model numbers and company 800
numbers for TV, dryer, dishwasher, tools, etc.
The name of the good waiter at Fulondo's Restaurant.
Bank account numbers.
Interest rates paid at various local banks.
The names, prescription #, and dosages of my medicines.
An inventory of where items are stored. E.g., paint brushes - Box 44 - hall closet
Driver's license numbers, car license plate & VIN (motor) numbers.
When were services/repairs (e.g. lawn fertilized) last done, by whom.
Names and numbers of city councilmen, other elected officials.
The names & numbers of people contacted, plus a running record of attempts to
correct erroneous VISA charges, health insurance claims, mailorder fiascos, etc.
The list is endless. I hope this illustrates the idea.
I also use it to store text files from various sources, such as:
How-to instructions.
A list of friends, their phone numbers, addresses, etc.
Short histories.
Web pages captured in text.
The book of Genesis.
Jokes received e-mail.
Text articles from the web (Newsweek, USNews, etc.)
Any text file can be stored in, and searched for using, InfoMagic.
You can quickly locate any fact you have saved by searching for a word or words it contains -- see Eckerds illustration below. You'll get a list of search results (hits, matches). Just click on the item you were looking for and InfoMagic will take you to it instantly. Note: Some people are confused by the black vertical bars that often appear in the Hits (search results) list. They look sort of like this || , but fatter. They represent the end of a line (carriage return).
InfoMagic is based on the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) method. It's partly modeled on a DOS Personal Information Manager (PIM) I used for many years that finally became too obsolete and clumsy to use in Windows. When I looked for a replacement I discovered modern PIMs (e.g., Sidekick) have dropped their information management function, and evolved into desktop calendars with flip-files. These are useful and necessary, but they're not information managers if you define information like Webster and I do--"facts and data." Also, moving my all my stuff to a new PIM is a real project so, I wanted this to be the last time I have to go through that transfer process. To do this, I used the most universal file format for InfoMagic's data storage files.
InfoMagic is completely freeform. There's no trying to conform to somebody else's idea of how to layout or organize information or trying to fit your data into their forms. Everything is put/written in plain documents which are kept in folders. That's it -- documents kept in folders. Novel, aye?
You can have as many folders as you want, and each folder will hold as many documents as you want, but I discourage this kind of proliferation as you will see below.
I suggest you use InfoMagic like you use junk drawer storage. Begin with one to, maybe, four documents. Paste everything you want to remember into one of these. I started with a single folder named NOTES containing the following three documents:
Facts
Names
Organizations
I didn't expand beyond this for a long time, except for putting text documents, like articles, in a folder named STORAGE.
The ultimate KISS is a single storage unit (junk drawer). That is, one document named æEverything' in a folder named æNotes'. This will work great and may be the best approach. You'll never spend time deciding where to put a æName' that has to do with an æOrganization'.
The real trick to InfoMagic is, NOT organizing. You just throw everything into it like you do the junk drawer, then find it using the search tool. Over time you'll probably develop a habit of adding extra key words that might come to mind when trying to search for a fact. For example, I spell Eckerds, Ekards and sometime Eckards so all 3 spellings are included with the note. I didn't have the foresight to add these when I first made the original Eckerds entry, I added the wrong spellings after unsuccessful searches using these spellings. I did it so they'd hit next time. These extra keywords are only a minor enhancement, the concept works amazingly well without them. That's because YOU write the original notes in YOUR WORDS so, when you want to find something these are the words most likely to come to your mind.
RENAMING DOCUMENTS:
In addition to using the Edit dropdown menu, you can change the current document's name in the box where it's displayed above the editor window. Just edit the name and, press ENTER. You can create a new document this way too, if no document is selected--that is, if this space is empty.
SEARCHER:
Finding forgotten facts is the essence of InfoMagic so, I've tried to make searching as flexible as possible.
There are 4 ways to start a search--by selecting New Search from the Search dropdown, by pressing F2, by clicking the binocular icon on the toolbar or, you can simply enter key/search words in the entry blank at the top right of the screen, above the document edit screen--then press Enter/Return.
If more than one key word is entered the words are treated as an AND search. This means all words entered must occur in a document for it to appear in the Hits List. If you enter light bulb the documents in the Hits list will contain both words, light and bulb, somewhere in them. Whichever word you put first (in this case, light ) is the word that will be flagged in the Hits list. If you are searching for an exact phrase, put it in quotes. Example, "light bulb" will only return documents the have these words together exactly that way.
Another searching tip: if you search for 'off' you may get office, officer, official, offend, offer, Roffman, cutoff, tradeoff, etc. but if you put a space after or before the word æ off æ, you can avoid these.
In Preferences, you can set the way you want searches to work--globally, that is, in all documents in all folders or, just the documents in the currently selected folder. You can override this setting by right clicking your mouse and selecting a search scope from the popup menu (or, select Other Choices in the Search dropdown menu). Using this temporary override does not alter your setting in preferences.
AUTODIALER:
If you have a phone at your computer and your modem's connected to the same line, InfoMagic will dial any number your cursor is resting on. Just put the cursor on any number you want to dial, then click the Phone icon on the toolbar. In addition to clicking the DIAL and STOP buttons, pressing ENTER (Carriage Return) once starts the dialing--pressing it again stops the dialing. You can use the dialer feature to tone in account numbers on phone banking services, or prescription numbers on automated pharmacy refill systems, etc. Because it's designed around phone numbers, initially it will only automatically dial numbers that are from 7 to 14 digits long but, you can change this by selecting "Accept Long Numbers" in the Options | Phone Dialer dropdown.
If you use brackets [ ] in your phone numbers ( for example, [213] 555-5505 ) you will need to go into Phone Dialer Options and tell it to accept brackets in numbers.
TABBING:
In the Preferences menu you can choose to use two kinds of tabs (Or, no tabs at all--which is what happens if you do nothing). For those not familiar with the ASCII tab character it's a little hard to explain but, if you choose to insert æreal' tabs the text/cursor will move to fixed locations on a line in your document. If you choose to have the tab key insert spaces it will insert the number of spaces you specify just like you had entered the spaces using the space bar. If you're still unclear about the difference, play around with the choices and you'll see how it works.
MORE KISS-ING:
InfoMagic stores everything in plain ASCII text (*.txt) files. Most PIMs use proprietary file formats, forcing you go through a painful process if your ever want to change. ASCII files are the most basic and universal computer files, so any information you save using InfoMagic is as flexible and transportable as you can get in the computer world. Because it's the universal file format, you can incorporate existing *.txt files into InfoMagic. Just use Windows Explorer to drop the files into the appropriate InfoMagic directory (folder). Also, you can view, edit or create InfoMagic data files using Notepad, WordPad or any ASCII editor. You can also use your word processor--just remember to æSave As' a DOS, ASCII, *.txt or TEXT file.
YOU'RE WELCOME:
I enjoy thank-you's. I'd like to hear if you're using the program, and any novel uses you've found for it. If you send me your email address I'll send you a note when I post any updates.
UPDATES & CORRECTIONS:
Updates and bug fixes are available for download at:
http://members.xoom.com/InfoMagic/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Thanks to all the following Beta testers.
"Outstanding Bug Finder" awards go to:
Randy Scott
Maryann Foster
Michael R. Irwin
They not only reported glitches but, worked with me until they were resolved.
Thanks also to:
F. Xavier Noria
Jim Rammel
Stephenson Verle
Tom Stevens
Wendy Jacobs
Charles Reeder
Paul Teale
for running my raw issues and giving helpful suggestions, comments and problem reports.
COPYRIGHT:
This program is free, but it is Copyrighted. Pass it around at will, but you mustn't alter the credits, the copyright information, the executable files, or this readme file.
jim evans
infomagic@iname.com
CHANGES/ADDITIONS SINCE LAST RELEASE:
Prints documents or selected text
Display can be resized for different screen resolutions
Searches across folders
Can search the current document only
Right click search menu
Call timer and other dialer options
Editor support for tabs
Cut, copy, paste added to æEdit' dropdown menu
Undo last document save or deletion
Toggle between proportional and fixed pitch font (Courier) in document editor
Ability to move document to different folder
Help facility, thanks to Michael Irwin
Ability to rename folder
Ability to delete folder
Dialer option for dialing long numbers like prescription and VISA numbers
A couple of bug fixes
Numerous minor refinements and fine tuning
POSSIBLE FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS.
Emphasis on the word possible -- Stuff like:
Expanded search options:
case senditivity,
whole words only,
boolean OR.
Date-time stamp
Maybe a daily reminder
Maybe a facility to let user create personalized entry forms/checklists
Fix bugs brought to my attention.
Appendix:
This use takes a too much explanation to include in my list of illustrated uses above.
A few years ago we moved into a house that was much smaller and also had seriously inadequate storage. We came up with this system to optimize storage of low use items.
Empty copy-machine paper boxes are readily available in our area. They're rugged and a nice size for miscellaneous storage & handling--about 18" x 12" x 10" high. [NOTE: if some items make a box too heavy, e.g., books, cut the box in half so they're easier to handle.] We put almost everything we don't use weekly into these boxes. Each box has a unique number written on all sides, so you can see it no matter how the box is stacked. Each box number, where the box is located/stored and an inventory of the items in that box are recorded in a document named BOXES. Anytime we need to find anything--no matter how long it's been since we last used it-- we just search on it's name and, viola, we find it immediately.
We store the boxes anywhere a bit of extra space can be found. I can get about 50 full-size boxes in one relatively small guest bedroom closet. We have about 150 of these boxes. You do have to pull off the boxes on top to get to the lower ones so, always put the last one used back on top of its stack (LIFO). You'll find that, over time, boxes with rarely used items drift to the bottom and regularly used items to the top.
Disclaimer
Jim Evans and Let's Reason Together (LRT) hereby disclaim all
warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied,
including without limitation any implied warranties of merchant-
ability or fitness for a particular purpose. LRT will not be liable
for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar
damages due to use of this software, even if LRT or an agent of LRT
has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The person
using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of
