CardFile PS .Net Online Help

FAQs, info and items that may have been overlooked in the Help files.

It is recommended that you download and install version 5.0. Free for registered users.

After downloading CardFile PS Net, run the setup program. The setup program will then overwrite your older version or prompt you to delete the older program through the Windows Control Panel before installing the new version.

Whatever the case, only those files that were installed will be deleted. Any files you have added to the directory, to include the database (cardfileps.mdb), will not be deleted. None of your data will go missing.

It is important to reinstall the program into the old directory. You will then be updated to the current version and will be able to work with the data you have been working with.

Example: The default install path on most machines is: "C:\Program Files\PinderSoft\Cardfile Ps Net." If you installed an earlier version into this path, then install the current version into this path also so you can continue working with your data. If you install the current version into any other path, then you will not be able to work with your prior data until you locate it and copy it into the directory you installed the current version into.

GETTING STARTED

CardFile PS Net is a general purpose database application for storing all your personal and professional data, be it CD keys, phone numbers, business contacts, web sites, passwords, or whatever. The type of data you can store is limited only by your imagination. If you have data you want to keep in a safe place for easy retrieval, then use CardFile PS Net.

CardFile PS Net is built around the ‘Key’ and ‘Subject’ principle. To save a piece of data, such as a telephone number, in the Key field enter 'Telephone', and then in the Subject field enter the name. You can enter other data into the link and note fields. After clicking the Save button, the data you have saved will appear in the treeview to the left.

To enter another telephone number, click on the Add New button on the toolbar. After entering the Subject and Note, click on Save. The telephone number will then be added to the treeview underneath the 'Telephone' key.

To add a new Key, enter the text into the combobox. When you save the data that Key word is added to the keys that appear in the dropdown portion of the combobox. When you delete all data pertaining to a certain keyword, that keyword will no longer appear in the combobox.

When you delete data, the delete process removes only the selected subject from the database. When the last subject from a specific Key is deleted, that Key is then removed from the database.

To change the Key for a piece of data, open the file, change the Key name, and then click on Save. That’s all there is to it. It is that easy.

WHITEBOARDS

New to version 5.0. Two Whiteboards have been added. Both use Rich Text File formatting. The Whiteboard serving as the Notes field on the main page is limited to an input of 7500 characters. The main Whiteboard has a much larger limit. The latter saves its file to the hard drive and not to the database, and there is only one instance of it, compared to the Notes, which is mated to every Key/Subject piece of data.

PASSWORD PROTECTION

Before you can use the password protection you must enter a password. Once you have entered a password, this password is logged into the database whether you use it or not. If you lose your password and are using Password Protection, then you are locked out of the program. There is no chance for password recovery, so keep your password in a safe place.

When using Password Protection, the ‘IMMEDIATE LOCKOUT’ function is active. This allows you to lock down your program and clear the fields you are working with. Any data you have been working with is not saved beforehand. This function has been added to prevent people from looking over your shoulder.

 To return to working with your data, you must enter your password. You can do this by going to the menu and clicking on ‘Options\Enter Password’, or by pressing F8.

 SEARCHES

The search function lets you search through all your data for a specific word, or string of words. You can search through Key, Subject or Text. There are three ways to change the search criteria. The first way is through the ‘Options’ menu. The second way is by clicking with the right mouse button on the search text above the search field where you enter the word, or words, you are searching for. When doing this a popup menu will appear. A third way is by double clicking on the search field where you enter the word or phrase you are searching for. The program will then rotate the search conditions and display the possible fields you can search through.

Once you have established your search criteria, enter the word, or phrase, into the search textbox. Then, to carry out the search, press the ‘Return/Enter’ key, or click on the binoculars on the toolbar at the top of the screen. All matches will then be listed in the treeview.

The Search condition is a ‘LIKE *.*’ type of search.

RETRIEVING YOUR DATA.

Perform a Search, or click on one of the letter buttons above the Key, Text, Subject fields. The data you have searched for will then appear in the treeview. To access the data, open the treeview node by clicking on it.

When you leave the Search field blank and press the return key on your keyboard or click the File Cabinet button, all your Key fields will appear in the treeview.

EXPORT AND IMPORT

You can export your data by opening it as described above. Then click on the export button. That file will be written as an XML file into the Export directory of CardFile PS .Net.

To import a CardFile PS .Net XML file, click on the Import button and navigate to the import folder, usually the Import subdirectory of CardFile PS Net. Click on the file and it will appear in the program. Click on the Save button and it will be saved to the database.

The purpose of Import/Export id to make it easy for you to transfer your data from one machine to the other if you are working with two or more licenses.

DATABASE BACKUP & RECOVERY

You can back up the database to a directory of your choice through the commands on the ‘Options\Database\Backup’ menu. When the window opens, choose the directory where you want to backup the database to, and click OK. A copy of the current database will be placed in that directory.

To Restore a database, use the ‘Options\Database\Recover’ menu. Navigate to the directory where you have the backed up database, click on it, and it will be copied to the CardFile PS .Net directory. The current database will be overwritten and all data lost, so be careful.

TRIAL VERSION

 CardFile PS .Net is a try-before-you-buy program. You have a 30 day evaluation period. If you do not register before the 30 day trial period has ended the program will be disabled until you do register. None of your data will be lost. Upon registering, you can again work with your data.

Register once. Run forever.

If you do not register after 30 days you are required to delete this program and all dependant files from your machine.

HOW TO REGISTER

To register, click on the ‘BUY’ button on the splash screen, or on the menu ‘Help\Register Online’. You will then be taken to a secure server site where you can purchase a license. Afterwards, you will be sent the registration number; this usually takes about two minutes.

Once you have the registration number, you have to enter the number by clicking on the ‘Help\Enter Registration Code’. Enter this number and click ‘OK’. If the number is correct, your program will be registered and you will never have to register it again, or purchase another license.

If you have the number and are restarting the program, click on ‘TRY’ when the splash screen appears, and then carry out the process stated above.

That’s about all there is to it. The power of CardFile PS .Net lies in its simplicity.