Last month we promised that upcoming newsletters would emphasize 'just the basics.' Here is our second in the series. For those who may have missed it, here is the link to Part I.
Instant Database Tips:
Sharing Records: If you have multiple licenses for Pathagoras, you may want to share your Instant Database records with others. That is quite easy to accomplish. Here are the steps: - Press Alt-D to activate the Instant Database screen.
- Look for the text box at the very bottom of the screen. That box displays the current storage location. It probably reads 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Pathagoras\IDBs'.
- Right click on the text box. Select 'Repoint IDB Folder.' Follow the prompts and navigate to and lock in a new location, one that others can access. (We recommend, but don't require, that the new folder be named "IDBs" -- for Instant Databases. It may make it easier for others in your group to find.)
See this page in the Manual for screen-shots and additional instructions and tips.
Delete Blank Variables: If you have variables in your document that you want Pathagoras to excise if they have been left blank (e.g., '[Address Line 2]' in a salutation when no such value exists), check the 'Delete if Blank' box near the top of the IDB screen. (It's just below the 'Existing Records' list.)
Double-click formatting: When you double-click on certain values that appear in your Instant Database screen, some (hopefully) helpful events will occur. For example, if you double-click on a variable (left column), a copy of that variable, minus the brackets, will be placed into the right column. If you double-click on a value (right column) and that value is a date, it will cycle through various iterations of that date (short form, fully expanded, etc.). If it was a Social Security Number (as prompted by the variable that contains the text 'SSN' or 'Social Security'), Pathagoras will properly format the number for you, dashes and all. Read more about these double-click tools at this link.
Multiple-choice Default Value: Placing a hashtag in front of one of your multiple-choice values will cause Pathagoras to place that value in the right column by default. So, if you are a Rocky Road fan, [chocolate/vanilla/#rocky road] will cause 'rocky road' to automatically appear as the initial choice. Not to worry, vanilla aficionados. You can still drop down the selection list and choose any other flavor.
--------------------------------------- DropDown List Tips:
Refreshing: A DropDown List reflects the content of a target folder. But if you have manually added more documents to that folder (or deleted items from it), the List may not reflect the folder's most recent content. Not a problem: just press the 'Refresh' button at the foot of the List and it will be rebuilt.
Adding snippets to List: You can add any text to the folder represented by a DropDown List. It is incredibly easy to do so. Just follow these steps: - Highlight a block of text of any size. We'll call this a 'snippet,' but there is no limit as to its size.
- Select the DropDown List representing the folder into which you want to add the text; scroll down to the entry called 'Add Text to List'.
- Name the snippet. Since it's going to be a document, it must be a legal Word name (no slashes, dollar signs, ampersands, etc.). Optionally, provide a subject. Click the green 'Add' button.
- Blink of an eye fast the selected text is now a new document. (Note the last sentence. Not 'text' is added to the list. A new Word document is created which houses that selected text. This is why we also call this feature 'document disassembly.') The new item is not just a new element in the DropDown List, but the document can be seen in the in the DropDown List's target folder. (Click the 'Display Folder' element at the foot of the DropDown List to confirm that, if you wish.)
Calling-in text: You can call in items from a DropDown List by pointing and clicking to the desired item. But you can also call in text from your keyboard. Type the name of any item in a DropDown List onto an editing screen and press Alt-G (for 'g'et), Pathagoras will find the item and insert in in place of the called text. Pretty cool. --------------------------------------- Simple Optional Text
The absolute easiest way offered by any product anywhere to make take 'optional' is to enclose it within curly braces: '{' and '}'. {So, this is optional text.}
When Pathagoras sees text within curly braces, it highlights the text and asks if you want to keep it. Answer 'Yes' or 'No' as appropriate. Pathagoras complies with your request, and if 'delete' is the choice, will close-up extra spaces and effect paragraph renumbering (assuming APN was already in place). The optional text block can be one or more characters, one or more words, complete sentences, or one or more paragraphs. In other words, anything. If you have text you sometime want to keep, and sometimes don't, give this easy-to-implement tip a whirl.
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A few new things: I have written a piece entitled 'So you are new to a Pathagorized office'. The goal of this piece is to gently introduce a new employee to a Pathagorized document . . . how to read it and how to get it to run (both the processing of <<*Options/Optional*>> text blocks and personalizing the [variables] it contains. It's still a work in progress, and I would love comments from you and your new users before I formally publish it. If you would be willing to assist (and perhaps share it with one of your new users), let me know. A simple response to this Newsletter will suffice.
<<*Options and Optionals*>> in headers: Pathagoras' previous iterations could not process <<*Options/Optional*>> text blocks that you may have placed in headers and footers. There was a workaround we came up with, but it was clunky. I have (finally) found the holy grail for processing <<*Options/Optional*>> blocks in headers and footers. Yay!! But it is not yet released. It needs a bit more testing. I'd like to have a few more test documents from the 'field' to prove out the routine. If you have a document or two that you have tried to set up with <<*Options*>> blocks in a header or footer, I'd appreciate your sending them over for me to test. Thanks. (You can attach them as a reply to this Newsletter.)
Thanks.
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