Sonny Software

I'd like to request a couple of functions that might improve the already superb integration of database searching and reference management in Bookends.

The ability to mark individual references in Search Results the same way they can marked in List View. This would make full-text retrieval and transfer to Lists more convenient.

Highlighting for newly-trasferred references in List View.

The ability to display and sort by reference number in List View, so that most recent references can be identified.

A separate column in List View for attachment indicator, so that all references with attached files can be found quickly.

The ability to see the abstract in List View, perhaps as an alternative to "View formatted" drawer.

A contextual menu for items in List and Reference views that allows for immediate internet searching. For example, an author's name, a keyword, or part of an article title might then be used to perform a standard internet search.

A more advanced, but incredibly useful feature would allow the user to highlight text within an attached pdf file (using the built-in file viewer) and perform a search using that text. This would make it possible to retrieve references cited in the full-text articles.

Currently, Bookends seems to interpret pdf links (even ones that end with .pdf) as text when an attempt is made to drag and drop them onto a reference. The only way I've found to attach a pdf file to a reference is to download the file first, then to drag its icon. Automated downloading/attachment would be very helpful.

A final point on attaching files to references: When a document is dragged onto a list of references, it can only be attached to a previously highlighted reference. The ability to choose any reference from the list simply by dragging the document over it might work better.

Thanks for a great program!

bvz wrote: The ability to mark individual references in Search Results the same way they can marked in List View. This would make full-text retrieval and transfer to Lists more convenient.

This has been discussed before, and the problem is that the same kind of checkbox used for marking would be confusing, because in one case you add the ref to the hits, in another you do, well, not quite sure.

In 8.0.5 will add this feature, which may help:

"Remove references from the Internet Search window list by pressing Delete or using the Edit -> Clear menu."

Highlighting for newly-trasferred references in List View.

Solution: when transferring, specify that they be made hits. Then click on the Hits group (or click on it *before* the transfer) in the List View and you will see them all (hold the Shift key down during transfer and they will be *added* to the hits).

The ability to display and sort by reference number in List View, so that most recent references can be identified.

You can -- turn off "sort list" in Preferences and you'll see them in the order they were entered in the database.

A separate column in List View for attachment indicator, so that all references with attached files can be found quickly.

Well, there is an "indicate attachment" option in Preferences. It's not a separate column, but it let's you see if there is an attachment or not.

If you want to see only references with attachments, you can always do a Find for references that have '•' in Keywords (character search).

The ability to see the abstract in List View, perhaps as an alternative to "View formatted" drawer.

Why? Just use a format that asks for the abstract displayed and use View Formatted. We provide one (that you can modify if you like): Ref with abstract.

A contextual menu for items in List and Reference views that allows for immediate internet searching. For example, an author's name, a keyword, or part of an article title might then be used to perform a standard internet search.

Interesting.

A more advanced, but incredibly useful feature would allow the user to highlight text within an attached pdf file (using the built-in file viewer) and perform a search using that text. This would make it possible to retrieve references cited in the full-text articles.

Again interesting, but not do-able at the moment -- Bookends does not understand the contents of the pdf, it's just an image. But maybe with Spotlight...

Currently, Bookends seems to interpret pdf links (even ones that end with .pdf) as text when an attempt is made to drag and drop them onto a reference. The only way I've found to attach a pdf file to a reference is to download the file first, then to drag its icon. Automated downloading/attachment would be very helpful.

Agreed. This is something we are thinking about.

A final point on attaching files to references: When a document is dragged onto a list of references, it can only be attached to a previously highlighted reference. The ability to choose any reference from the list simply by dragging the document over it might work better.

Maybe. I can see this as causing other problems, though, with the accuracy off the drops.

Jon
Sonny Software

bvz wrote: The ability to mark individual references in Search Results the same way they can marked in List View. This would make full-text retrieval and transfer to Lists more convenient.

Jon wrote:This has been discussed before, and the problem is that the same kind of checkbox used for marking would be confusing, because in one case you add the ref to the hits, in another you do, well, not quite sure.

In 8.0.5 will add this feature, which may help:

"Remove references from the Internet Search window list by pressing Delete or using the Edit -> Clear menu."

I still like the checkbox idea, as I think most users add a reference to the hits when importing after an internet search (the easier to make attachments). Adding a delete feature to the internet search results window would be fine too. Either change would make managing imports of internet results much easier!

Jon wrote:

bvz wrote: The ability to mark individual references in Search Results the same way they can marked in List View. This would make full-text retrieval and transfer to Lists more convenient.

This has been discussed before, and the problem is that the same kind of checkbox used for marking would be confusing, because in one case you add the ref to the hits, in another you do, well, not quite sure.

Jon, I just realized that in the resulting window of an automated search you have checkboxes...so why not in a manual search window (I mean this is confusing)
tom

Those checkboxes are used to mean that you do not want to have that reference shown again when the automated search is run next time (you uncheck it if you want it to be found again).

Yes, the checkbox there is probably not the most felicitous choice. Probably some icon instead.

Jon
Sonny Software

bvz wrote:A contextual menu for items in List and Reference views that allows for immediate internet searching. For example, an author's name, a keyword, or part of an article title might then be used to perform a standard internet search.

While not as convenient as a contextual menu entry... there are 'Services' available that can do this already. Have a look at the following:

http://rixstep.com/4/0/aws/

'ACP Web Services' allow you to define and access as many internet searches as you like.