TreeBase v2.0 - © 2006 Gerolf Peeters

User manual

Contents:

• Introduction: What is Treebase? - Why Treebase? - Tree structure - System requirements - Freeware
• The display
• The menu: File-menu - Edit-menu - GoTo-menu - Help-menu
• File types TreeBaseData - backup - TreeBase.ini
• Key-shortcuts summary

Inleiding:

What is TreeBase?

TreeBase is a program to create and mantain small text data in a specific, hiërarchical database. The database elements are short textual descriptions, connected with eachother following a tree structure.
This way, Treebase helps you to build a database, starting with the main property of a token, specifying the properties until you finaly reach the desired token. The tree structure is explained a bit further.

Why TreeBase?

TreeBase was written for my own needs. Through the years, I have aquired a lot of books and magazines. After a while it became impossible to knowwhich item was described in what book. I use a paper filesystem with indexing cards first, but this became far too small after a while. I needed help from my computer. A classis database didn't exist (back then) to get me a suitable indexing system. I didn't have any choice but to develop my own program.
After a lot of trial and error, Treebase v1.0 was ready. A hiërarchical database seemed the best sollution for my needs. Up to a depth of 7 specification levels, items could be catalogued. This went well for a while, but even those 7 levels became insufficient. The 16-character limitation on the text input side was a problem, too. Some program bugs existed as weel so it was time to develop version Treebase v2.0. This allows for a specification depth of 12 levels, item strings can have a character length of 20, and quite a few utilities were added.

Tree structure

TreeBase manages data hiërachicaly, using a tree structure. This way of handling data is used on most computers: on your harddisk, there are a number of folders including subfolders, each of these subfolder have some more subfolders,....
This is an interesting way to catalogue data. When we implement these thoughts on model railroading articles in magazines:

• model railroading - technique - wheathering - materials - chalc
• model railroading - technique - tools - workspace - tool rack - portable
• model railroading - technique - tools - electric - electronics - soldering iron

This way, each branch of the tree has a final leaf, containing the lower level of information. This 'leaf' can be a book/page reference, but also a phonenumber, a model part serial number, a refernce to a law, ...

System requirements

TreeBase doesn't need a lot. Windows 98, and propably even '95 is OK. Disc space: 20Mb is plenty, 50Mhz clock speed is too. Some Mb's of free RAM garantee trouble-free using.

FreeWare

TreeBase is free to use. It is available for dodnloading without any restrictions. The sourcecode, however, is mine and remains mine. Reverse engeneering is prohibited, any use of it is allowed.

The display :

As you can see illustrated, the main windows has 15 fields or cells. Each field has its own parental name, following a child list.

The window title shows the name of the currently opened database. Notice there is no 'maximize' button. The dimensions of the main Treebase window can't be altered. The top of the Treebase window has a menu bar.

The left upper field contains the root item, its title name being the name of the database. As soon as some data is entered, this field is coloured green. Any fields with a window-like coulour are not active. A light-green field shows theactive field, a dark-green field shows the hiërchical line towards the upper-left field and the active one. When using the maximum property depth of 12, the "information line" starts left up, goes down at right to end at the bootom left corner. I didn't think more then 12 levels would be nescessary.

At the bottom of the window, a status bar shows the number of items used and a progress bar when files are loaded or saved, or printing isin progress.

The menu:

The File-Menu

• New (shortcut: CTRL+N) To start an entire new Treebase-database. You might be prompted to save a previous one. Treebase can open just one database at once, but you can run several instances of Treebase at your desktop. On making a new database, a window appears to name the top parent cel, the name for your database.
• Open (shortcut: CTRL+O) To open an existing Treebase-database. You might be prompted to save a previous one.
• Save (shortcut: CTRL+S) To save your Treebase-database. Treebase makes a bakup of your last saved version. This way, even if you've saved data, you can alwaysgo back one step and load the previous saved version. (see file types)
• Save As (no shortcut) To make a copy of the current database at a different location. From now on, Treebase continues with this version.
• Options (shortcut: CTRL+T) To change different options of the program to your own taste:
  • general settings: the number of filenames (of other Treebase-databases) in the menu-list, auto-save settings, whether or not to make backups.
  • print settings: The number of columns on a page, the font ype, how data is printed.
• Exit (shortcut: Alt+F4) To shut down Treebase. You might be prompted to save your data.
• Page setup (no shortcut) Shows the Windows-screen for printer settings.
• Print Preview (no shortcut) Shows a sample of a printed database. You can preview a paper version af your data, and change settings if desired.
• Print (shortcut: CTRL+P) Prints the entire database. ATTENTION: this can mean a lot of paper on a large Treebase-database! Mostly, it's more convenient to print search results of a search.
• Bestandslijst (no shortcuts) shows a list of the last used TreeBase-databases, de last opend at the top. This way one can easily go to a previously saved database. The number of TreeBase-databases in this list can be set using the general options.

The Edit-menu

• Undo (shortcut: CTRL+Z) Thsi resets the database to the last editing. TreeBase is limited in this case: one can only go back one single step. When you have bigger problems, there's always thebackup-file.
• Add (shortcut: CTRL+A) Adds an item in the active (light green) list. A window as shown at the right appears, and one can add a name, containng a maximium of 20 characters.
  In order to read the text properly afterwards, this text is converted to upper case characters. The "parent" of the new item is shown in the window. This action can be reset using "Undo".
• Delete (shortcut: CTRL+D) To delete the active Treebase item, that is an item with a coloured background in the current active (light green) list. If this item has children, these will be erased too. This action can be reset using "Undo".
• Rename (shortcut: CTRL+R) To rename the active Treebase item, that is an item with a coloured background in the current active (light green) list. This action can NOT be reset using "Undo", but you can, of course, rename it again.
• Cut (shortcut: CTRL+X) To cut the active Treebase item, that is an item with a coloured background in the current active (light green) list. If this item has children, these will be cut too. The difference with "delete" is, that the cut part is saved to memory, so you can "paste" it at another place. This action can be reset using "Undo".
• Copy (shortcut: CTRL+C) To copy the active Treebase item, that is an item with a coloured background in the current active (light green) list. If this item has children, these will be copied too. The copied part is saved to memory, so you can "paste" it at another place. This action can NOT be reset using "Undo".
• Paste (shortcut: CTRL+V) To put a copy of a previously copied or cut item (with its children) at a specific place. This action can be reset using "Undo". This can be done repeatedly. Treebase holds the last copied item(group) in memory until a new one is cut or copied, or until Treebase itself is closed.

The GoTo-Menu

• Find (shortcut: CTRL+F) This is a powerful function of the Treebase program. Treebase can search part of, or even the whole database for a specific item. The serach start at the currently active item. The screenshot of the find-window at right shows its features:
  • Search for: the search-string to be found.
  • In item: This shows a list of the start-item. All child items (and its child's children) will be searched. Using the "UP"-button, one can move up a step in the hiërarchy, to widen the search.
  • Search Style has 3 possibilities:
    • search for the exacte name
    • string in item: your (shorter) search-string must appear in the item name.
    • item in string: the item name must appear in the (longer) search-string.
  • Search starts the search, after which the found results are shown in the filed below.
  • Print List: if the search was succesful, one can print them using this button.
• Bookmark This (shortcut: CTRL+B) To mark a specific item in the Treebase database. By using this pointer afterwards, one can easily navigate toward that item afterwards. The most recent bookmark is placed on top, 8 marks can be remembered. These bookmarks are saved in the .ini-file after closing Treebase.
• Edit Bookmarks (shortcut: CTRL+E) To edit the marked items. You can delete bookmarks and change their order.
• Bookmarks-list shows the list of TreeBase-bookmarks for this database. One can put a maximum of 8 bookmarks in this list. The last used bookmark is on top of the list.

The Help-Menu This menuis rather short: one can show an "about the program"-window and some system information.

File types :

• TreeBase Datafiles: end with .tbd. contain all information on the content of the database. It might be useful to set the map-options of your PC to have .tbd- files assigned to Treebase.
• TreeBase Backupfiles: end with .tbb. a copy of the database, is made after every "save". It might be useful to set the map-options of your PC to have .tbb- files assigned to Treebase.
• TreeBase Showfiles: end with .tbs. this contains screen info of the assigned database.
• TreeBase Configuratiefile: treebase.ini. This file is located at the directory Treebase.exe (the actual program) is in. It contains general information, like the last screen position, the file-list, but also any user options (see the file-menu) en de lists of bookmarks of every Treebase database.
  In order to allow Treebase to function well: NEVER change this file!

Key-shortcuts:

• Ctrl+A: Add Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+B: Bookmark This (Goto menu)
• Ctrl+C: Copy Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+D: Delete Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+E: Edit Bookmarks (Goto menu)
• Ctrl+F: Find Item (Goto menu)
• Ctrl+N: New database (File menu)
• Ctrl+O: Open database (File menu)
• Ctrl+P: Print database (File menu)
• Ctrl+R: Rename Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+S: Save database (File menu)
• Ctrl+T: Options (File menu)
• Ctrl+V: Paste Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+X: Cut Item (Edit menu)
• Ctrl+Z: Undo (Edit menu)