Re: Using XyWrite as an address book

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On 11/5/12 4:18 PM, Carl Distefano wrote:
≫ Does anyone have any suggestion for structuring the data so
≫ > that I could at least sort by last name? ...
> I suppose you could come up with some sort of structure for a text
> file, but it would be a bear to maintain and hard to read -- the
> kind of thing one uses a text file to avoid. If sorting on fields is
> what you're after, then I think you have no choice but to go over to
> a relational database.
>
> My address book has been a XyWrite file from Day One. The entries
> are separated from each other by an embedded LeaDering command
> (). Usually I just SEarch the file, but I also have a U2 frame,
> REFS, that will list all entries containing a specified string. I've
> adapted it below to work with any separator (not just LeaDering);
> plug the desired separator string into  where indicated.

I thought you might try dropping counters into your text file: ≪C1≫
for surnames, ≪C2≫ for first names, ≪C3≫ for street address, and so
on. This would be searchable and have the advantage of automatic
renumbering if you should add or delete an entry. However, if you want
the software to automatically sort alphabetically (or group postal codes
or area codes together, for example), you should be using an industrial
strength data base, as Carl suggested.

Counters can be assigned to keystrokes in the kbd file. For example, I
assigned the letter 'c' as follows:

TABLE=CTRL
46=BC,c,1,XC

TABLE=CTRL+SHIFT
46=BC,c,2,XC

and got two counters which can be placed at the cursor position.

Cheers,