iData has a Datafile Settings window with
three tabs, one for each Settings category.
(Note: These
settings are made individually for
each datafile.)
General File Settings
Web Address Settings
Address Block Settings
General File Settings: (return to top)
1. With a datafile open, select Datafile Settings... from the File menu. (Or, type command-option-comma.)
2. In the dialog that comes up, select the File tab. It should look like this:
3. Once you've made your settings, click the Save button to make those changes take effect.
What the File Settings Mean
Open this datafile automatically when iData starts
Enable this checkbox to have the current datafile open each time you launch iData 2. This is most suitable for datafiles that you use all the time. For example, if you do a lot of Web surfing, you might want to have your Bookmarks datafile always available for grabbing Web addresses.
Always open as read-only (don't save changes)
This option is designed for the user who need access to the datafile, but who should not make changes to it.
Warn when opening as read-only
This option is only available if the preceding option is enabled. It is designed to remind you that any changes you make to a read-only datafile will not be saved, so that you don't waste your time editing records.
File will be shared on the network (lock on opening)
In order to make iData 2 as fast as possible, it reads all of each datafile into memory when it opens it. As a result, it is not possible to lock individual records. To make datafile sharing over a network a bit safer, you can enable this item on any machine from which the datafile will be shared. The first time a shared datafile is opened from such a machine, it will be locked. Other users who open the same datafile will see that it is locked, and will open it read-only, so they will be able to read it, but will not be able to save changes. (If it is important to save changes to a locked datafile, you can save a copy of the datafile under a different name, by selecting Save As... from the File menu. Those changes can later be extracted from the copy and added to the original datafile at a later time.)
The locking mechanism involves the creation of an empty file with the same name as the datafile, but with a .lock file name extension, instead of .idata. When the datafile that created the lock file closes, the lock file is deleted. If a power outage or system crash should leave such a lock file behind, it is a simple matter to drag it to the trash and delete it.
Note that it is necessary to close and
reopen the datafile for changes to this setting to take effect.
Save
datafile changes every time I go to a different record
When this option is enabled, iData 2 will
save any changes to the current record whenever you go to a different
record. As with any other way of saving changes, you will not be able
to revert to a previous version of the datafile once the save has been
performed.
Hide
Print Margins dialog when printing
When this option is disabled, every time
you print, you will see a dialog that lets you set the margins for your
printed page. Enable this option to keep that dialog from appearing
each time.
Zoom to printed page size
Enable this option to have the datafile window zoom to the width that the printed version would have. This lets you see where text will wrap when printing in Basic View, or which columns will be visible when printing in List View.
Zoom to screen size
Enable this option to have the datafile window fill the screen when zoomed (excluding only the area occupied by the Dock).
Name of Freeform Text Area
The default name of the Freeform Text Area is Freeform Text Area. (Clever, huh?) The one exception is that imported email datafiles will use the name Message for that area. This name appears over the last column in List View, when printing Basic View records, and when exporting a datafile as a text file. You may change it to anything you like.
Default Font for Freeform Text Area
This is the font (typeface and point size) that will be used for the Freeform Text Area of new records. Of course, you can change the font of any text in the Freeform Text Area at any time. Click the Select... button to bring up the Font Panel, and make any changes there. The changes will be reflected in the text field to the left of the Select... button.
Note that changes to this setting will not apply retroactively to existing records.
See the instructions on Set Font for Freeform Text (under the Format menu) to see another way to change this setting.
Apply This Font Setting to All New Datafiles
Click this button to have the font setting for the current datafile become the universal default for all new datafiles. Since this applies to all datafiles, it is technically a "preference" rather than a "datafile setting", but this seemed like a convenient place to add this option.
See the instructions on Set Font for Freeform Text (under the Format menu) to see another way to change this
preference without having to have a datafile open.
Web Address Settings: (return to top)
1. With a datafile open, select Datafile Settings... from the File menu. (Or, type command-option-comma.)
2. In the dialog that comes up, select the Web Address tab. It should look like this:
3. Once you've made your settings, click the Save button to make those changes take effect.
What the Web Address Settings Mean
Title
Select the field where you would like the
title of a browser page to go when using the Grab Web Address function.
Since there is no way to predict what fields, if any, a new datafile
will have, the default for this item is the Freeform Text Area.
URL
Select the field where you would like the URL (link address) of a browser page to go when using the Grab Web Address function. Since there is no way to predict what fields, As with the Title item, the default for this item is the Freeform Text Area.
Paste clipboard text and images at the end of the record.
Enable this checkbox to have iData 2 automatically paste any text and images from the clipboard at the end of the Freeform Text Area when using the Grab Web Address function. If the Title and URL are also going into the Freeform Text Area, material from the clipboard will be pasted below that.
Whichever setting you select for this, if
you hold down the option key
when selecting the Grab Web Address function, it will cause iData to do
the opposite of this
setting.
Address Block Settings: (return to top)
The Address Block settings are used to extract address data from a datafile. This address data may be used in two different ways. The most common use is in the printing of labels and envelopes from within iData 2. Another use is in the Copy Address Block function under the Edit menu.
These settings are set individually for each datafile, since the location and arrangement of the address data may vary from file to file. The default setting is to use addresses in the Freeform Text Area, starting at line number 1, and selecting text up to the first blank line.
Note: In all cases, all empty lines will be removed from the final address block text. If you wish to have a blank line appear in an address block, you must add a space character to that line.
Setting Up the Address Block:
1. With a datafile open, select Datafile Settings... from the File menu. (Or, type command-option-comma.)
2. In the dialog that comes up, select the Address Block tab.
3. Select a radio button for the part of the datafile that contains the address block. The options are Use addresses in freeform text area: and Use addresses in fields:.
4. Set up the address block details, as explained below.
Getting an Address Block from the Freeform Text Area
iData 2 can extract an address block from the Freeform Text Area. This is, of course, the only option for datafiles that have no fields. However, it may also be of use when addresses are added to the Freeform Text Area of a datafile that has fields that are not address-related.
In freeform text, the address block text is expected to be a block of contiguous lines of text. There are two options for finding the beginning of the address block, and two more for finding the end of it.
Begin by selecting the Use addresses in freeform text area: radio button.
Finding the Beginning of a Freeform Address Block
The options for finding the beginning of the address block in the Freeform Text Area are:
1. Start at line number: Pick this option if the addresses in your datafile all start on the same line. The most common case will be that each address starts on the first line of its record. A typical exception might be a datafile in which a phone number, or other data was on the first line, with the addresses all starting on line 3.
If you are just starting a freeform datafile that contains addresses, we suggest that you always start each record with the address. It will make things easier for you in the long run.
After selecting this option, type the line number in the text field at the right of the radio button.
2. Start on line after: If you have an existing datafile that has addresses located on different lines in different records, and if it is too difficult to change this, you have another option. You can place one or two special characters on the line above each address, and have iData 2 take the line following that character.
After selecting this option, type the special character(s) in the text field at the right of the radio button. You should select a character that is not used anywhere else in any of the records in that datafile. The default character is the ~% (tilde percent). If you want to use a single character, a good choice might be the  (logical NOT), which can be typed by holding down the option key and typing l (lowercase L).
Next, add the special character(s) on a separate line, immediately above each address, so that a typical record might look like this:
1/32"-walled titanium tubing is available with outer diameters of 1/2", 5/8", and 3/4"
This could be nice for whistles, since it's strong, doesn't corrode, and can be treated to produce a kind of opalescent finish.
The Delrin mouthpieces and fipples that we use with brass tubing should work just fine with titanium.
06/10/05 - talked to Bob Smith at Smith Metals, and he says we can get a 6' sample of the 1/2" stuff by sending a business
card and a brief description of our plans to:
~%
Smith Metals, Inc.
ATTN: Bob Smith
123 Main Street
Bigville, VA 54321-1234
Once we see how it works, we can make a decision about whether we want to start using it. Bob can also provide details
about what is needed to produce the opalescent finish.
Phone: \111-555-4321\
Office hours: 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-5:00 EST
The Start on line after: option lets you leave the address where it is, instead of moving it to the top of the record.
Finding the End of a Freeform Address Block
The options for finding the end of of the address block in the Freeform Text Area are:
1. Select up to first blank line: Pick this option to have iData 2 select all text up to the first blank line following the start of the address block text. This is probably the most useful option.
Note that it is not necessary to add a blank line after an address block if it is the last item in a record. The blank line is only needed to separate the address block from any following text.
2. Select only [ ] lines Use this option to have iData 2 always pick the same number of lines, regardless of what follows them. This is probably not particularly useful for actual mailing addresses, but may be useful for producing labels containing information other than addresses.
After selecting this option, type in the desired number of lines.
Note that it is okay if the address text contains fewer lines than specified.
Getting an Address Block from Fields
Begin by selecting the Use addresses in fields: radio button.
The list on the left contains field names for this datafile. Click once on a field name, and it will be inserted in the area at the left.
Type spaces, returns, and punctuation to properly format the field names into an address. If you wish, you can also type text into the address block such as "Attn: " or "For the eyes only of ". This text would appear in the same relative position in every address.
Note that any blank lines will be removed from each address block, so that in the example shown above, a record that has nothing in the Organization field will not produce an address block with a blank second line. However, a record that has nothing in the Title field will produce an address block that has a space in front of the first name, so it is best to be consistent in planning your address block layouts.(return to top)
