[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Looking for TSR DB...

robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) (06/23/88)

I was just sitting here today talking (well, listening, mostly) to someone
on the phone today, and meanwhile furiosly scribling notes onto my blotter.
Needless to day that never again will I be able to find these 'notes' since
A)  Every conversation I have ever had is ingraved in that blotter, plus
    doodles, ink spots, rings left from sweating glasses (by the way, how do
    glasses sweat??) etc, etc...
B)  I don't write, I scrible.  You know, that wonderfull thing everone calls
    shorthand and is only readable by the author...Well, this author can't
    even read his own!

Anyways, what I am looking for is a TSR Database type program which will 
allow me to keep notes and stuff all in one file in a Btree type format.
I want to be able to type in a subject line then type all sorts of info
on that subject, then be able to FIND it again!  I need something that
will access all records with so and so in them (grep, anyone?) and search
by titles, etc, etc...  Does such a beat exist in the public domain 
(shareware, freeware, <insert your own damned name>ware, etc, etc..)?  
If so, where can I get it (preferably a BBS in the Dallas area, though I
can handle floppynet).  If there isn't one in PD, then I guess leads
on comercial stuff will be appreciated too....(grudgingly<sp??>)
 
    Anyways, thanks in advance,
                           Robert Lord

mobo@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Samuel Wilson) (06/23/88)

In article <4553@killer.UUCP> robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) writes:
>Anyways, what I am looking for is a TSR Database type program which will 
>allow me to keep notes and stuff all in one file in a Btree type format.
>I want to be able to type in a subject line then type all sorts of info
>on that subject, then be able to FIND it again!  I need something that
>will access all records with so and so in them (grep, anyone?) and search
>                           Robert Lord

I can strongly recommend MemoryMate for this kind of thing.  What you
described [telephone converstation notes] is exactly what I use it for.
Hit Alt-Z and it comes up with a screen in the middle of any program.
You can search for a string of text (Ctrl-F) and it looks (very quickly)
through its (up to 2 Mbyte) database for any notes that use that word
or string.  Boolean expressions like crazy -- this and this and this but
not that....  
I have not connection with the company, but did pay my $69 ($46 discounted)
and am more than satisfied.
-- 
Samuel Wilson         ..ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!mobo
                          mobo@sphinx.uchicago.edu
University of Chicago, Division of Social Sciences

wcf@psuhcx.psu.edu (Bill Fenner) (06/24/88)

|In article <4553@killer.UUCP> robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) writes:
|>Anyways, what I am looking for is a TSR Database type program which will 
|>allow me to keep notes and stuff all in one file in a Btree type format.
|>I want to be able to type in a subject line then type all sorts of info
|>on that subject, then be able to FIND it again!  I need something that
|>will access all records with so and so in them (grep, anyone?) and search
|>                           Robert Lord

I like Tornado Notes for this.  You can just pop up a note, type something, and
hide it again.  It has an amazingly fast search, also.  Just type in what
you want to search for and it finds all the notes with that word in it (FAST)
and then lets you go through those.  It also lets you do screen cuts and
pastes.  The one problem with it is that it's not PD... I don't remember how
much it was... but it's a really nice program.

-- 
    Bitnet: wcf@psuhcx.bitnet     Bill Fenner     | "How can we dance
   Internet: wcf@hcx.psu.edu                      |  When the beds are burning"
  UUCP: {gatech,cmcl2,rutgers}!psuvax1!psuhcx!wcf |
 Fido: Sysop at 263/42                            | Now wait a second . . .

jkr@pyr.gatech.EDU (J. Kenneth Riviere (JoKeR)) (06/24/88)

The program I use for this type of thing is Reference File from Reference
Software (the people who make Grammatik II).  It allows you to have multiple
files with different types of data in them.  It supports boolean operations
or quick & dirty global searches as well as indexed searches if you have a
field that you know you will be retrieving data on.  Lists for $89, I found
it for $60.  Cut & paste, variable length text fields, even Dewey Decimal
fields if you like those call numbers (I usually work with LC call nums
myself).


J. Kenneth Riviere    (JoKeR)    ISA, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA  30332
Internet:  jkr@pyr.gatech.edu                  Bitnet:  iadt1kr@gitvm1
uucp: ...!{decvax,linus,rutgers,ihnp4,hplabs,seismo}!gatech!gitpyr!jkr
Fidonet: JoKeR's BBS, 133/103, (404)894-5784, 5:30pm-8:00am M-F,24hrs weekends

wampler@unmvax.unm.edu (Bruce Wampler) (06/26/88)

|In article <4553@killer.UUCP> robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) writes:
|>Anyways, what I am looking for is a TSR Database type program which will 
|>allow me to keep notes and stuff all in one file in a Btree type format.
|>I want to be able to type in a subject line then type all sorts of info
|>on that subject, then be able to FIND it again!  I need something that
|>will access all records with so and so in them (grep, anyone?) and search
|>                           Robert Lord

	Try Reference File from Reference Software. It is TSR, allows
all kinds of fields, easy to define, no limits on record size, nice
report printing facilites, several different ways to sort. It was
designed as a Text database, and is good at stuff like bibliographies,
rolodex, etc. You can insert and paste into your text.

	Reference File	- about $89

from	Reference Software, Inc
	330 Townsend St., Suite 123
	San Francisco, CA 94107
	(415) 541-0222    (800) 872-9933

Bruce Wampler, ...!unmvax!wampler

isaac@gethen.UUCP (Isaac Rabinovitch) (06/27/88)

In article <4553@killer.UUCP>, robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) writes:
> I don't write, I scrible.  You know, that wonderfull thing everone calls
> shorthand and is only readable by the author...Well, this author can't
> even read his own!
> 
> Anyways, what I am looking for is a TSR Database type program which will 
> allow me to keep notes and stuff all in one file in a Btree type format.
> I want to be able to type in a subject line then type all sorts of info
> on that subject, then be able to FIND it again.

You should try to find a copy of the shareware TSR Instant Recall.
I don't use it myself because I need something more structured, but I
played with it a while and I'll bet it's exactly what you need.  The
database consists of a series of notecard-like records, with no
formatting or fields of any sort.  The indexing mechanism knows about
*every* word in every record, and you can do complicated boolean
searches if you need to -- but the search mechanism is deliberately
fuzzy so you don't have to be too precise about what you're looking
for.

The one problem with Instant Recall is that the author seems to have
left the shareware business, and there's no one to send a registration
fee to to get the limitations on the evalualtion version removed.  But
Brodurbrund has been selling something called MemoryMate which looks
suspiciously similar to Instant Recall -- perhaps they bought it from
the original author.  I've seen it in various Software stores (list
$70), or you can get it direct from Broderbrund by calling 800-527-6263.
They also have a demo version for $6.

jamesd@percival.UUCP (James Deibele) (06/30/88)

>In article <4553@killer.UUCP>, robertl@killer.UUCP (Robert Lord) writes:
>You should try to find a copy of the shareware TSR Instant Recall.
>Brodurbrund has been selling something called MemoryMate which looks
>suspiciously similar to Instant Recall -- perhaps they bought it from
>the original author.  I've seen it in various Software stores (list
>$70), or you can get it direct from Broderbrund by calling 800-527-6263.

My copy says "MemoryMate was previously self-published by Precept and called
Instant Recall" on the back.  It takes up 82K of RAM when resident, but can
be run from the DOS prompt.  Also on the back are clips from glowing reviews
in Byte and PC Week.  It exports and imports ASCII files, but no other kinds
of files.  I wish I had more to say about it, but I'm so disorganized I haven't
had time to sit down and organize myself ...  

-- 
James S. Deibele   jamesd@qiclab or jamesd@percival
TECHbooks: The Computer Book Specialists   (800) TECH-BKS
3646 SE Division  Portland, OR  97202      (503) 238-1005
TECHbooks One BBS (#1:105/4.0); 3/12/24    (503) 760-1473

gas@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (Guerry A. Semones) (06/30/88)

     Instant Recall is a memory resident free-form database (it can
be ran from the DOS prompt and not be made resident).  By free-form,
I mean that the DB has no structure.  When you load IR, you get an
empty window or record.  There is also a menu line at the top or bottom,
of the screen (I can't recall).  The empty window/record is very much
like a word processor.  You enter information in whatever way you like.
It is not structured like a regular database.  You could in essence
call it a "hyperdata" type of system.  Each free-form record stands
alone and you create a database of these free-form records and can 
search for text throughout the database.  Pop in a line on a record
that says "Change oil in car in June 1988" and later search the 
database for "oil" and "car" and you get all records that have those
words in them.  It received numerous reviews in the PC Mags, most 
principally the series on databases from PC Magazine.  A friend of 
mine uses it in his department to manage textual histories of various
artists and works of art (I believe thats the application).
     If a free-form database that's memory resident is what you need,
this might bear looking at.

-- 
 Guerry A. Semones              BITNET: drogo@tucc.BITNET
 Information Services           USENET: gas@ecsvax.UUCP, semones@dukeac.UUCP
 Duke University                My views are despairingly mine only.
 Talent Identification Program  "We ain't gifted, we just work here."