PhoneBook is a multi-featured DA with many niceties for handling that long list of names and addresses usually managed by a Rolodex, Hypercard, or some other clumsy tool. It sports the slickest interface around, extensive phone dialing features, envelope printing, and a robust phone call timer. For those of you who never found the perfect phone DA, this may be it!
PhoneBook DA is NOT free, it’s Shareware. Feel free to give it to whomever you want as long as you include this text file, but you may not sell it by itself or as part of any package. If you like it and use it, please support shareware and pay your dues. I’ll send you the latest version and any other nifty stuff I have on hand. See the end of this text file for prices.
PhoneBook has a utility program called PhoneBook Plus which is also distributed on the bulletin boards as a separate download (in an attempt to keep the download time manageable). Those of you who have PhoneBook 2.1.2 will notice that most of the printing features are missing. That’s because they are now in PhoneBook Plus.
New Features Since 2.1.2
The menu is now in the menu bar and not in a popup menu
There is a Special Keys item that shows you what the special shift and option sequences are.
You can print the currently selected record out as an envelope. See the Special Keys dialog box for some important tips here. Another important tip is that you’ll get best results if you set up your page for Landscape (wide) printing and feed the envelope through the long way through the center of the printer’s ‘throat.’
There is a Phone Log feature that can be turned on automatically each time you make a call, or can be turned on ‘manually’ by you. If you turn on the timer by dialing, PhoneBook displays a Start button which you should click when you actually connect. PhoneBook will time the call until you click Stop. For each call, PhoneBook records the vital information plus the Long Distance Access Code and an optional Log Code (see the Dialing Options box). This information is stored in a file in your System Folder called ‘PhoneBook Log.’ You’ll need PhoneBook Plus to read and display this information. Again, see the Special Keys dialog box for some important information about using the phone timer.
Some new special key sequences have been added.
There is a new PhoneBook Plus program that you can get as a separate download. As mentioned before, PhoneBook Plus lets you print out reports from a PhoneBook file or a PhoneBook Log file of phone call records. For phonebooks, you can print all the fields, with or without the notes field, or just the names and phone numbers. Reports for the phone timer log are extremely flexible, and you can send them to the printer, a text file, or just a display window. PhoneBook Plus also lets you import tab-delimited text files, again with extreme flexibility.
Update Notes:
2.3.1: Fixed a bug in Print Envelopes which resulted in both envelope styles appearing as the same thing.
2.3.2: Fixed a bug in Dialing Options which caused the DA to bomb if you clicked on the popup menu. Added left and right arrow keys which switch between letters in the main window.
2.3.3: Fixed a bug in the edit window which meant that changes made to existing records weren’t saved.
2.3.4: Fixed yet another bug in the edit window. The file was not being marked as changed when a record was added or changed. Unless you changed preferences, the file wasn’t being saved.
2.4: Adjusted the way PhoneBook hangs up the modem to force some models to behave. Also fixed a bug that resulted in a crash when you pressed the return or enter keys when no name was selected (i.e., the list was blank). Fixed a bug that resulted in envelopes not printing on ImageWriters. Fixed a bug that prevented you from entering returns into the return address field. And lastly, fixed a very persistent bug that caused the Find to bomb on some machines.
Also added another popup menu to Envelope Options that lets you specify how the envelope is fed through the printer. If you use the old LaserWriter, which feeds through the center, you won’t have to adjust this (the default is center). If you use a Personal LaserWriter or an ImageWriter, which feed best from the bottom and top sides respectively, you can take your pick. If you use an ImageWriter, you will have better luck printing if you set your Page Setup orientation to A4 Envelope Tall and set your Printer Alignment to Top. If you select Top or Bottom, PhoneBook DOES use the Vertical Height parameter, contrary to what some versions of the printed documentation say.
2.4.1: Fixed a bug in Envelope Printing. Envelope Height was being used for the indent and vice versa.
2.4.2: Fixed a long-standing bug that caused the General Options dialog box to bomb when invoked.
2.4.3: Fixed a bug that caused files to be corrupted if you removed information from the phonebook.
2.4.4 was never released.
2.4.5: Cmd-Q was not working. Added a feature so that if you hold down the option
key while typing Cmd-Q (Cmd-Opt-Q), PhoneBook will quit without saving changes EVEN IF YOU MADE CHANGES. This is handy if you are just fiddling around, for instance, you typed in an address that you don’t want to save because you wanted to print an envelope.
2.5: Added the ability to change the display font (the font used in the list and in the edit window) from the General Preferences dialog box. This option is mainly for users of KanjiTalk, but anyone else who prefers another font to Geneva can use it too. For best readability, use a font for which you have a 9-point font installed.
Other tips
PhoneBook is pretty easy except for the new Phone Timer stuff. The only feature that mandates a special tip is that when you first open PhoneBook, it looks for a file in your System Folder called Main PhoneBook and opens that one by default if it finds one. When you save a new PhoneBook, the default name and folder are where you want to be, so just click Save.
For everything else, you’ll have to send in your shareware fee and get the documentation.
Pricing
PhoneBook DA: $20.00
PhoneBook Plus: $10.00
PhoneBook DA and PhoneBook Plus: $25.00
If you registered and paid for PhoneBook DA 2.1.2 or earlier, consider the upgrade and PhoneBook plus a freebie.
