Adlib User guide Introduction
6.5.2 user guide
Note for beginners:
See chapter 3
for a quick start
in Adlib.
Adlib Information Systems
Copyright © 1992-2010 Adlib Information Systems B.V.® All rights reserved. Adlib® is a product of Adlib Information Systems B.V.®
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by Adlib Information Systems. Adlib assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The software described in this document is furnished under a licence and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such a licence.
Though we are making every effort to ensure the accuracy of this document, products are continually being improved. As a result, later versions of the products may vary from those described here. Under no circumstances may this document be regarded as a part of any contractual obligation to supply software, or as a definitive product description.
A-3 9-4-2010
Contents
1. Introduction 1
1.1. What is Adlib? 1
1.2. About this user guide 2
2. Starting an Adlib application 5
3. Basic tasks 7
3.1. Searching with the Search wizard 7
3.2. Navigating through Adlib 13
3.3. Creating, editing or deleting a record 13
n Creating a record, and saving it 13
n Editing an existing record 14
n Deleting a record 15
3.4. Other possibilities in Adlib 16
4. The user interface 17
4.1. Window elements 17
4.2. Working with menus, buttons and keyboard 18
n Menus 18
n Buttons (icons) 18
n Shortcuts (key combinations) 19
n Choose your favourite method 20
4.3. Making a selection from a list 20
4.4. Entering text 20
n Moving the cursor with the mouse 21
n Moving the cursor with the keyboard 21
4.5. Contextual help 22
4.6. Language switch 23
4.7. Messages in Adlib 23
5. Choosing databases and procedures 25
5.1. An alternative start screen for database selection 26
6. Search methods 29
6.1. Access points 29
6.1.1. Submitting a search key 30
6.1.2. Indexing on term 32
n Truncation 32
n Switching off hierarchical searching in Adlib (SQL and Oracle) 33
n Searching for key values 34
n Substituting terms (see also chapter 11.7.2) 35
n Counter and limit 35
n Interrupting a search 36
n Retrieving records 36
6.1.3. Word indexes: free text 37
6.1.4. Numeric, date or period 38
6.1.5. Phonetic indexes 38
6.2. Query by form 39
6.3. Expert search system 41
6.3.1. Fields 43
6.3.2. ‘=‘ operator 46
n Searching on multiple terms 48
6.3.3. Other relational operators 49
n Contains 49
n >, <, >=, <= 50
n Dates 50
n Numericals 51
n Narrower 51
n Generic 52
n Related 53
n Topterm 53
n Parents 54
6.3.4. Tags 55
6.3.5. Word and term indexes or whole record 55
6.3.6. Domains 56
6.3.7. Sets and pointer files 57
n Sets 57
n Pointer files 57
n Saving empty pointer files 59
n Adding records to existing pointer files 60
n Removing records from existing pointer files 61
6.3.8. Combined searches 61
n Sets 62
n + - , 62
n AND NOT (NAND) 63
n Nesting queries 63
6.3.9. Special syntax 63
n Today 63
n All 64
n Record 64
n %0 64
6.3.10. Searches in repeated and grouped fields 64
n Combined searches in repeated fields 65
n Combined searches in grouped fields 65
n WHEN NOT 66
6.3.11. Language specific searching 66
6.3.12. Sorting in the Search Statement 67
n Ascending or descending 67
n Sort types 67
6.3.13. Sampling search results 68
6.3.14. Using an adapl 69
6.3.15. Printing 70
6.3.16. Reserved words 70
7. Combined searches 71
7.1. Combining via the Search wizard 71
7.2. Combining in a Query by form 72
7.3. Combining in the search language 73
7.4. Combining through different search methods 73
8. Presentation screens and buttons 75
8.1. List screen (Brief display) 75
n Buttons for the Brief display screen 76
n Editing a record 78
n Marking records 78
n Sorting records 78
n Automatically replacing data 78
n Combining searches 79
8.2. Detailed presentation 79
8.2.1. Underlined values in display mode 80
8.2.2. Buttons in the detailed presentation 81
8.2.3. Hiding unused screens 83
8.2.4. Images, movies and music in the Media Viewer 84
n Screen tabs and basic functionality 85
n More zoom options 86
n Place, size and visibility of the Media Viewer 88
n Image properties 89
9. Entering, editing or removing records 93
9.1. Entering a record 93
9.1.1. Special buttons for entering or editing data 94
9.1.2. Working with occurrences 95
n Changing the order of occurrences 96
9.1.3. Copying and pasting fields 97
9.1.4. Checking spelling 98
n Checking the spelling of field contents 98
n Limitations of the spell-checker 100
n If Microsoft Office automatically wants to install a function… 100
9.1.5. Entering special characters 100
9.1.6. Ending entry 102
9.2. Editing an existing record 102
9.3. Copying records 102
9.4. Deleting one or more records 103
n From the Brief display 103
n From the detailed display 104
9.5. ADAPL procedures 105
10. Extra functionality for data entry 107
10.1. Linked fields 107
10.1.1. Automatic term validation 107
n The functions of the buttons 108
n The screen tabs 110
n Replacing non-preferred terms by preferred terms 111
n Truncated searching for preferred terms 112
10.1.2. Status management of authority records 113
10.1.3. Linking multiple records at once 114
n Alternative methods 116
10.1.4. Favorite linked terms per field in pop-up menu 117
10.1.5. Automatically retrieved fields (merged fields) 118
10.2. Adding images, movies or music 118
10.2.1. Linking to the image itself 120
n Adding images through drag and drop 120
n Adding images yet to be created, through WIA 122
n File names without path information 125
n Multiple images per record 125
10.2.2. Image formats 126
10.3. Multi-lingual data entry and searching 127
n Merge terms 131
10.4. Replacing data automatically 131
10.4.1. Replacing in linked fields 133
n Search-and-replace checks for multiple preferred terms 134
10.5. Deriving records 135
10.6. Filling in Rich text fields 136
10.7. Inserting bulk occurrences for dates 138
10.8. Conditional fields 138
11. Authority files 139
11.1. Entering data 140
11.1.1. Fields and their relations 140
n Term/Name 140
n Term type/Name type/domain 140
n Use 140
n Used for 141
n Broader term/Narrower term 141
n Related term 142
n Equivalent term 142
n Semantic factors 143
n Source 144
n Number 144
n Scope note 144
11.2. Domains (term type and name type) 144
n Searching on domains 145
n Domains in mirrored records 145
11.2.2. Field validation 145
11.3. Switching to linked records 146
11.4. Display the hierarchy of internal links in a tree structure 146
11.5. Deleting records 148
11.6. Printing 148
11.7. Thesaurus use from the catalogue 149
11.7.1. Input 150
11.7.2. Term replacement when submitting a search key 150
11.7.3. Automatic searching for equivalents 151
11.7.4. Generic search 151
11.8. Using multiple thesauri 152
12. Sorting 157
12.1. The fast method 157
12.2. The extensive method 158
12.2.1. Sort field parameters 159
n Field 159
n Occurrences 159
n Type 160
n Order 160
12.2.2. Sort adapl 161
13. Marking records 163
n Printing marked records 164
n Exporting marked records 164
n Deleting marked records 164
14. Printing 167
14.1. Print wizard 167
n Page 1 168
n Page 2 (for Create a report with the Print wizard) 170
n Page 3 171
n Page 4 173
n Page 5 173
n Page 6 175
n Page 7 177
14.2. Windows settings for printing 178
n Printer and Properties 178
n Print to file 179
n Send by e-mail 180
n MS-DOS text 182
n Number of copies 182
n Preview 182
15. Output to Word templates 183
15.1. Creating a Word template 183
15.2. Name conventions for templates 184
15.3. Creating standard letters 185
15.4. Placing data from several records into a list 187
15.5. Creating standard texts in tables 188
15.6. Exporting images 188
n Printing thumbnails 189
15.7. Using Text boxes 190
15.8. Creating a label template 191
15.9. Extra functionality through parameters 193
15.10. Exporting records to a Word template 194
16. Importing and exporting 197
16.1. The Export wizard 198
n Page 1 198
n Page 2 201
n Page 3 202
16.2. The Import wizard 203
17. SDI 209
17.1. Creating a search profile 209
18. Access rights for users 213
18.1. Record owner and access rights per record 213
19. Appendix 1: Adlib Museum features 215
19.1. Museum Basis 215
19.1.1. Choosing a database 215
19.2. Museum (standard) 216
19.2.1. Databases and relations 216
n Creating linked records 217
19.2.2. Relations between objects themselves 218
19.3. Deriving records 219
19.4. Change locations efficiently 219
20. Appendix 2: Adlib Library features 223
20.1. Choosing a database 223
20.2. Relations (analytical cataloguing) 225
20.3. Deriving records 226
n Deriving from external sources 226
20.4. Printing accessions lists 227
21. Appendix 3: Adlib Archive features 229
21.1. Standards 229
21.1.1. Relevant standards 229
21.1.2. ISAD-(G) applied in Adlib Archive 230
n Areas of information 230
n Hierarchical levels 231
21.2. Archives 233
21.2.1. Accessions and the catalogue 233
21.2.2. Working with description levels in the catalogue 234
n Setting the description level per unit 234
n Building the hierarchy of the digital archive 235
n Using reference codes 236
n Searching on description level 236
n Quickly finding level information in an opened record 237
n Showing and/or editing the hierarchy of the entire archive 237
21.2.3. Remarks 239
22. Appendix 4: buttons and shortkeys 241
n Function keys and key combinations 246
23. Appendix 5: customizing your toolbar 251
24. Appendix 6: device properties 253
25. Index 254
Adlib User Guide Index
1. Introduction
1.1. What is Adlib?
Adlib is not only the name of our company but we also use it to denote our computer programs, with which you are able to manage large quantities of information in a structured manner.
There is a difference between the Adlib software (programs) and the applications. The software contains all code that deals with reading and writing in databases, and all accompanying functionality, and is executed in files with the extension .exe and/or .dll (and some peripheral functionality in bin files). This software has been designed especially for the management of data from libraries, museums, archives and similar institutions.
The Adlib applications consist of databases and user interfaces (tab sheets with fields, for instance) – really only a collection of data – of which the software creates a usable program.
This structure makes it possible for you to install new software regularly, which contains new functionality, with nothing being changed in your application (which you may have customized yourself). That is why your software can be upgraded regularly to a new version number (e.g. 6.5.0) when you install a new release, whilst your application version always remains the same (e.g. Museum Plus 3.4).
Adlib is structured much like a card tray, with related data (e.g. from a magazine) being stored together. In Adlib however, the equivalents of cards are called records. A collection of records is referred to as a database rather than a card tray, and a subset (partial collection) of a database a dataset. In an application you can fill or edit such a database or dataset.
Data is entered and per subject presented on forms or tab sheets (screens), but is part of one and the same record.
Indexes are used so that data can be retrieved as quickly as possible; indexes are alphabetical or numerical lists of terms with a link to the record in which such a term occurs. You can search and sort, display, print and/or store the results in different ways.
Adlib has an exceptionally flexible structure. With Adlib Designer, the system can easily be adapted to meet customers’ wishes and requirements. For example, customers can choose what data is to be stored, and how the data is to be displayed. You can also choose for which data indexes are to be made, and in what way these indexes are to be made accessible. (For Designer, separate documentation is available in the form of online Help.)
When you buy Adlib software, you’ll also get one or more applications, dependent on your licence. An application is sometimes subdivided into various modules, each of which represents a separate aspect of the activities in your library, museum or archive.
Adlib Museum for example, is sold as a standardized application. Each application minimally contains a module to register objects from the collection in and to retrieve them again. Extra modules might be added, for instance to manage books or periodicals, or to be able to search the collection via the internet.
And for Adlib Library there is a module for serials management, and a module that visitors to the library can use to search the catalogue.
These and similar modules are extra, and have to be purchased separately to the catalogue or collection module.
1.2. About this user guide
The manual before you focuses on the functionality of the Adlib software that is mainly concentrated in the adlwin.exe file. It’s this software that is the basis of your Library, Museum, Serials, Acquisitions, Archive and/or Loans Management application. The functionality in all these applications is the same and therefore one user guide is sufficient.
For some application-specific aspects of Adlib Library, Adlib Museum and Adlib Archive, see the appendices at the back of this user guide. For specific aspects of the other applications and modules, see the relevant application or module guides, if available.
So, in this user guide you will find examples from all the above mentioned applications to illustrate the software functionality, but in your application based on adlwin.exe you can find that same functionality too; databases and tab sheets might be different, but not what you can do with them.
To distinguish between descriptive text and text that you see on screen, different typefaces have been used.
· Text that is displayed on screen and used in menu titles and on buttons is in italic type, e.g.:
Full catalogue
Combine
Search
· Text that you type in yourself is printed in monospace type, like that produced with a typewriter, e.g.:
You typed this yourself...
· Keys on your keyboard are indicated with a narrow, bold font, corresponding with what is printed on the keyboard, e.g.:
Enter
Page Down
F1 (Help)
Sometimes, you have to press two keys. This is indicated by a plus character (or hyphen) between the two key names. In this case, you should press the first key and then the second key, keeping the first key pressed down, e.g.:
Ctrl+C
Remarks and warnings are printed in a frame like this, or just as an indented paragraph.
The way screen shots in this manual are displayed might differ from the display on your own monitor, for instance being dependent upon your Windows version and your monitor screen resolution.
263
Adlib User Guide Index
2. Starting an Adlib application
Provided the Adlib software and the application have been correctly installed, you can start Adlib from Windows. The system administrator will probably have created shortcuts on your desktop that you can double-click to start the application.
Or you’ll find several Adlib icons in the Programs group of the Windows Start menu; click the desired icon once, to start the relevant application. If you have questions about this, please consult your system administrator.
After start-up the Adlib logo is displayed briefly, after which you enter the database menu directly (see Figure 3.2). Dependent on the application, this menu offers several options.