improvement requests for internet search

[Reiner]

hi jon,

the internet search is very nice but there are some things which could be improved:

1. searching for isbn doesn't allow numbers containing dashes or spaces (e. g. 3-925798-92-7). while it is absolutely usual to write isbn with dashes (or spaces instead) in germany you can find lots of numbers everywhere which do not work for easy copy-paste within bookends. you always have to delete the dashes or spaces before bookends' internet search can process them.

i think it would be very nice for lots of users if bookends would 1. ignore dashes and spaces while searching for isbn on the internet but 2. does not delete the dashes the isbn while importing but the other way round add dashes if user has entered them.

2. the "Copy to" command should have a shortcut which always should copy the enty to the frontmost bibliography. also I would find it very intuitive if double clicking would copy the entry to the database instead of opening the url.

best yours, reiner

[Jon]

i think it would be very nice for lots of users if bookends would 1. ignore dashes and spaces while searching for isbn on the internet but 2. does not delete the dashes the isbn while importing but the other way round add dashes if user has entered them.

That's not up to Bookends -- it's a function of the library's search engine.

2. the "Copy to" command should have a shortcut which always should copy the enty to the frontmost bibliography. also I would find it very intuitive if double clicking would copy the entry to the database instead of opening the url.

Sorry, but I disagree with you on this. Double-clicking "open" things (that is, provide more information in the context of a list). Importing is an irreversible modification of the database, and should not be done with a double-click. You can drag and drop (which you will agree is very intuitive) or use Copy To if your screen is too small to make that convenient.

Jon
Sonny Software

[Reiner]

i think it would be very nice for lots of users if bookends would 1. ignore dashes and spaces while searching for isbn on the internet but 2. does not delete the dashes the isbn while importing but the other way round add dashes if user has entered them.

That's not up to Bookends -- it's a function of the library's search engine.

which is not part of Bookends? Who is coding the search engine then? I will suggest this improvement to him/her.

2. the "Copy to" command should have a shortcut which always should copy the enty to the frontmost bibliography. also I would find it very intuitive if double clicking would copy the entry to the database instead of opening the url.

Sorry, but I disagree with you on this. Double-clicking "open" things (that is, provide more information in the context of a list). Importing is an irreversible modification of the database, and should not be done with a double-click. You can drag and drop (which you will agree is very intuitive) or use Copy To if your screen is too small to make that convenient.

OK, you're right with double-clicking (though it could be another way in this context imho). But what about a keyboard-shortcut? What is not optimal imho is, that I have to do to much action to add an entry to the database.

Another things:
using "copying to" and having selected "Import to hits list" deselects all entries which are in the hits list before copying the new entry to the database. This behaviour is annoying imho. I would appreciate it if this behaviour would be changed to "add to hits list" -- or if there are good arguments against this if an additional option "add to hits list" would be introduced.

all the best, reiner

[Jon]

This is the way that z39.50 searches work, as I understand it.

The problem with a keyboard shortcut is that there is then no control over which database you are importing to. Bookends could of course default to the "topmost" database window, but that might not be what you want.

Finally, it's six of one and half-a-dozen of the other whether the behavior is add to or replace. I can see where either could be what you want. I don't think the interface needs another checkbox/popup menu, so I selected what I thought was most useful. What do others think? That is, given the choice of ony one option, what would you prefer?

Jon
Sonny Software

[Reiner]

The problem with a keyboard shortcut is that there is then no control over which database you are importing to. Bookends could of course default to the "topmost" database window, but that might not be what you want.

hm. what about a warning dialog that indicates the addition of an entry to the topmost database? the dialog should contain the two checkboxes "deactivate shortcut key" (which could be reactivated via the prefs) and "never show warning again".

I think I'm old enough to live with the risk of adding an entry to the wrong database even if I'm explicitely warned.

Another possiblity would be an additional pref to set shortcuts for existing databases like e. g. command-1 -> literature, command-2 -> dissertation ... command-0. (I guess up to ten shortcuts would be more than enough for most users)

Don't know which one is better -- just thinking loud (and imho a way to use shortcuts would be definitely an valuable improvement of Bookends).

Finally, it's six of one and half-a-dozen of the other whether the behavior is add to or replace. I can see where either could be what you want. I don't think the interface needs another checkbox/popup menu, so I selected what I thought was most useful. What do others think? That is, given the choice of ony one option, what would you prefer?

I agree that adding another checkbox to the internet-search-dialog would not be the best solution. But what about adding a setting for the behaviour of the chekcbox to the preferences?

all the best, reiner

[Jon]

I agree that adding another checkbox to the internet-search-dialog would not be the best solution. But what about adding a setting for the behaviour of the chekcbox to the preferences?

I've implemented the following: if "Import to Hits List" is checked the Hits List will be replaced (current behavior). If the Option key is held down when doing the import, the references will be added to the existing Hits List.

What does everyone (who is interested in this issue) think?

Jon
Sonny Software

[Reiner]

I personally like this solution very much. Thanks.

But I don't know if this kind of feature isn't kind of hidden for lots of users?