Freebyte: major TreePad updates and other news

Dear Freebyte newsletter subscriber,

We are breaking a fairly long silence, to notify you of our latest
updates (since the July newsletter). Below is a fertile list of new
features and resources, which we are of course very happy to
share with you.


TreePad? software updates

We are pleased to let you know that there is an entirely new TreePad? 
generation on line, as follows:

* TreePad? Business Edition 6.0 beta 8, 
http://www.treepad.com/newfeatures/.  (Related details below)

* TreePad? SAFE 6.0 beta 8, http://www.treepad.com/newfeatures/.   (Related 
details below)

* TreePad? PLUS 6.0 beta 8, http://www.treepad.com/newfeatures/.   (Related 
details below)

In addition, the following TreePad? related product updates are currently 
on line:

* 'iTreePad', a Perl script created to display TreePad? Light files on the 
Internet, can now likewise be used to display TreePad? PLUS, SAFE and BIZ 
files on the internet.
More technically put, 'iTreePad' now supports displaying RTF articles and 
htmhjt files, in addition to txt articles (originally supported).
'iTreePad' can be accessed at http://www.treepad.com/utils.

* New photo album template, at http://www.treepad.com/templates/

* Word2TP, now converts Word documents both to TreePad? 2.x and XML files. 
This plug-in is additionally much faster now. Please find it at 
http://www.treepad.com/utils

* New: TreePad? - Palm/Progect converter. It converts TreePad? files 
to/from Palm (Progect file format).


New TreePad?-related pages and resources

* TreePad? home page, http://www.treepad.com/. Fully updated, revised and 
restructured: new features, appealing illustrations, new navigation system, 
and more.

* TreePad? awards, reviews, kudos, and opinions page, 
http://www.treepad.com/awards/. New page. Find out about TreePad?'s latest 
awards, and see what TreePad? users, software sites and experts have been 
saying about TreePad?.
If you knbow

* TreePad? site map, http://www.treepad.com/navigate/. New page.

* TreePad? search page, http://www.treepad.com/navigate/search.html. New page.

* TreePad? feature chart, http://www.treepad.com/featurechart.html. 
Compares the features in the various TreePad? versions.

* TreePad? new features page, http://www.treepad.com/newfeatures/.  Fully 
updated (beyond the contents of the current newsletter).

* TreePad? download and installation 
instructions,  http://www.treepad.com/support/install.html. New page to 
help beginning users download and install TreePad?.

* TreePad? discussion group, http://www.treepad.com/discussiongroup/, set 
up and moderated by Tomas.Drahokoupil.

* TreePad? as a Web generator, http://www.treepad.com/webgenerator/: 
examples and information on how to use TreePad? as a handy Website generator.

* TreePad? template page, http://www.treepad.com/templates/: new download 
address for all TreePad? templates -- conventional and new.
(The templates used to be available on the Utilities page, which is now 
exclusively devoted to the TreePad? related tools and add-ons ordinarily 
accessible there.)


Freebyte Website updates

* Free Games page, http://www.freebyte.com/games: fully updated and 
enhanced. This page now contains a large number of new free online games, a 
new chess game, and links to various games sites (including free 
educational games and  CD-Rom sites, as well as free chess and checkers 
software and sites). There are four new categories on this page:
Free Go
Free Card games
Free Puzzle games
Free Games CD-Rom

* Freebyte Screen Saver page: general update

* Freebyte News center, http://www.freebyte.com/news: new sections: 
environmental news, alternative energy news, electronics news. Also added: 
'the Australian news' news site.

* Freebyte Reference desk, http://www.freebyte.com/reference: new online 
dictionaries for various languages, in addition to the following new 
sections: alternative energy, electronics, ebooks

* Freebyte Office Page, http://www.freebyte.com/office: added Jarte, a free 
and simple Word processor

* Free anti-virus software page, http://www.freebyte.com/antivirus: added 
GFI Email security test, a site where you can test the safety level of your 
email program.

* New Freebyte Page, http://www.freebyte.com/technical_support/: added 
specialized page on how to receive free technical support. This page 
currently lists 14 sites or services which offer technical support to 
computer users for free. If you have a hardware or software-related 
problem, it is likely that one of the sites listed on this page can assist 
you successfully in resolving the issue.

* Freebyte Drivers page, http://www.freebyte.com/drivers/: all information 
on 'drivers, dlls and BIOS updates' has been completely updated. This page 
enables you to Locate and download your missing dll, driver or Bios upgrade 
for free.  The page now contains the following three categories:
Find DLLs
Find Drivers
Find Bios upgrades
in addition to a large number of new links in each category.

* Free Operating systems page, http://www.freebyte.com/operatingsystems: 
fully updated, many new links and articles

* Free Programming, http://www.freeyte.com/programming, added the following 
items: wxWindows multi-platform tools, Rexx procedural language compiling 
to Java bytecode, Web scripting languages PHP and Perl, CygWin cross 
platform development tool.

* Free Delphi programming, http://www.freebyte.com/programming/delphi: the 
links to the free Kylix and Delphi versions have been updated. Added: 
Delphree, a Web site devoted to Delphi open-source development, 
DelphiSearch a search engine for Delphi components and articles, 
Delphi32.com, a site with Delphi components and news.

* Free Cobol programming, http://www.freebyte.com/programming/cobol: added, 
Cobol 650 interest site. A site devoted to the free Cobol 650 compiler.

* New HJSplit compatible program:
JAxe is a Java clone of the HJSplit program. Written in Java, JAxe thus 
runs on any platform which supports this language, such as Windows, Linux, 
Mac, Solaris (and maybe even freeBSD...). Additionally, JAxe supports 
skins: its appearance can be easily changed by adding new skins to the 
program. Freeware, GPL. http://www.freebyte.com/hjsplit



New features in TreePad? Business Edition 6.0 beta 8, TreePad? SAFE 6.0 
beta 8, TreePad? PLUS 6.0 beta 8

Tree
·       Added: menu/tree/sort/subtree (all levels)
·       Added: the option to remember the node that is selected, as well as 
the node/s that is/are expanded, at the moment that TreePad? is exited. If 
this option is selected, when you restart TreePad?, the tree state will be 
the very same as when you last exited. Menu/view/options/tree


Tree checkboxes
·       Added: tree node checkboxes, which can be shown or hidden for each 
individual node and subtree
·       Added: new tab to the node properties screen 'checkboxes' -- 
menu/tree/node properties
·       Added, to the node properties screen: an option to show and hide 
the checkbox for the current node -- menu/tree/node 
properties/checkboxes/show(hide) node checkbox
·       Added, to the node properties screen: a function to show/hide all 
the checkboxes in the current subtree -- menu/tree/node 
properties/checkboxes/show(hide) all checkboxes
·       Added. to the node properties screen: a function to check/uncheck 
at once all the checkboxes in the current subtree -- menu/tree/node 
properties/checkboxes/check subtree .../uncheck subtree
·       Added: any new child node of a node exhibiting a checkbox will also 
display a checkbox by default


Import/export
·       Added: view straightaway the output of tree export to single file 
and to Web site:
1.      by checking 'view results when finished,' you can now view 
straightaway the output of tree export to single file and to Web site 
(menu/file/export/selected subtree). When enabled, this option will launch 
the associated program after export.
2.      by checking 'view results when finished,' you can now examine at 
once the output of tree export to multiple files (menu/file/export/selected 
subtree). When enabled, this option will launch an explorer window 
displaying the directory into which the files have been exported.
·       Added: limit export to checked nodes/articles:
3.      when the new feature 'checkboxes' has been enabled, export subtree 
to single .rtf, .html, .txt file can optionally be restricted to checked 
(ticked) nodes only. The intended restraint will take effect independently 
of the show/hide status of the respective 'checkboxes'. (feature unique to 
TreePad? Business Edition)
4..     when the new feature 'checkboxes' has been enabled, export subtree 
to multiple files can optionally be limited to checked (ticked) nodes only. 
The intended restraint will take effect independently of the show/hide 
status of the respective 'checkboxes'. (feature unique to TreePad? Business 
Edition)


Auto-dial
·       Added: auto-dial prefix -- useful when a fixed digit is required, 
for dialing an outside line. Menu/view/options/autodial (feature unique to 
TreePad? Business Edition)


Auto-save
·       Added: auto-save (menu/view/options/autosave) -- this feature 
causes TreePad? to save the file automatically every x minutes.
·       Added: auto-save indicator -- numerical display of the remaining 
time span before autosaving is reactivated.  It is shown on the status bar, 
right below the tree pane.


Article, editing
·       Improved: TreePad's? editor has been largely improved
·       Added: choice between all levels/one level, for the feature insert 
table of contents. Menu/insert/table of contents/all levels  (option unique 
to TreePad? Business Edition)
·       Added: insert search results -- makes it possible to paste the 
search output anywhere in the article pane (ordinary text editing area). 
Menu/insert/search results  (feature unique to TreePad? Business Edition)
·       Added: new options for the table of contents (include/exclude 
title, customize title to suit your need/taste), menu/view/options/table of 
contents
·       Added: option to copy the plain text of a hyperlink (not the URL or 
link address) menu/edit/copy special/copy link text,
·       Added: function enabling the insertion of a character, by means of 
its ascii code (up to ascii code 255). Menu/insert/character The same 
function can also be activated using alt-0.
·       Note: TreePad's? 6.x generation offers you a broadly enhanced 
text-editing environment. Given the 'beta' nature of this inaugural version 
(6.0), its overall functioning is of course undergoing fine-tuning.


Screen, article/display options
·       Added to the options screen, article/display options: the option to 
select between two distinct display modes, as follows:
* screen mode 'standard'
* screen mode '1440 dpi'
'Standard' mode is default. Should you experience any text editing related 
anomaly in 'standard' mode, try switching to '1440 dpi' mode, which might 
better suit your current display resolution.


Tables
·       Improved: table editing functions have been widely improved
·       Added: newly created tables can now be aligned left, right or center
·       Added: table width control -- the width for newly created tables 
can now be determined (i.e., x% of the width set for the page, up to 100%, 
when building the table, or else the width can later be adjusted via the ruler)
·       Added: new table creation dialog -- this dialog offers various new 
formatting possibilities, such as table width (relative to page width), 
table alignment, table border.  Menu/table/create new table
·       Added: menu option for deleting an entire table at once. 
Menu/table/delete
·       Added: table/cell shading options, along with enhanced border 
control. Menu/format/borders and shading
·

Text Boxes
·       Added: the possibility to place text into a box, the shading, 
margin, and border type of which can be optionally selected. This is a 
handy function for highlighting titles and blocks of 
text.  Menu/format/borders and shading


Spell-check
·       Added: restrict the scope of spell-check -- allows spell-checking a 
selected string (block of text or word) exclusively. Once spell-checking is 
concluded, but before the function is deactivated altogether, a dialogue 
box offers the alternative to spell-check the remaining text. (feature 
unique to TreePad? Business Edition)


Formatting
·       Added: marker/highlighter function -- When activated, this function 
enables the automatic color-marking (highlighting) of any string of text, 
just by ordinarily selecting that text with the cursor. The marking-pen 
color may be fully customized, anytime this function is activated. It is 
available on the formatting toolbar, as long as advanced mode is on. 
(feature unique to TreePad? Business Edition)
·       Added: extended paragraph formatting, such as indentation, 
line-spacing, vertical spacing before and/or after a paragraph. 
Menu/format/paragraph


Accessories Pane
·       Added: character map -- the function that the 'CharMap' tab 
activates allows the insertion of special characters (French, Scandinavian, 
German, Portuguese, Spanish, etc.). The character map is displayed in the 
CharMap Accessory Pane, below the article, and it is accessed by clicking 
on the tab 'CharMap'. (feature unique to TreePad? Business Edition)
·       Added: the 'escape' key hides the Accessories Pane, whichever 
feature in this pane is currently active (a mere mouse-click in the area 
within its boundaries selects this pane).
·       Added: search tab and pane -- replacing the conventional search 
results list screen.
·       Added: history pane -- a 'dynamic bookmark listing' of the fifty 
nodes that have last been accessed.


Shortcuts
·       Added: F11 places focus on the Tree Pane (i.e., selects it).
·       Added: F12 places focus on the Article Pane (i.e., selects it).
·        -  Note: If the article/tree is not visible, it will be 
automatically displayed, once one of these keys is pressed (F11 for the 
Tree Pane, or F12 for the Article Pane).
·       Changed: ctrl+F10 will now display both the Article and Tree Panes.
·       Changed: ctrl+F11 will now display the Tree Pane only.
·       Changed: ctrl+F12 will now display the Article Pane only.
·       Added: ctrl+shift+O as a shortcut to insert a Table of Contents
·       Added: ctrl+alt+C will copy the subtree to clipboard, provided that 
the Tree Pane is active.
·       Added: ctrl+alt+P will paste the subtree from clipboard, provided 
that the Tree Pane is active.
·       Added: shortcut ctrl+alt+B, for selecting the Bookmarks Accessory Pane
·       Added: shortcut ctrl+alt+I, for  selecting the Icons Accessory Pane
·       Added: shortcut shift+alt+T, equivalent to the following mouse 
activity:  menu/format/convert/to plain text
·       Changed: ctrl+alt+R will now reopen the latest opened file


Command-line parameters
·       Added: command-line switch /noregistry which disables ALL 
writing/reading to/from the Windows? registry.
·       Note: Using the above command-line switch results in that none of 
the settings and preferences configured while using TreePad? will be 
remembered the next time that the program is opened.


Menus

·       Added: right-clicking within the article area automatically 
activates (places focus on) the Article Pane, even before the article popup 
menu appears.
·       Added: right-clicking within the tree area automatically activates 
(places focus on) the Tree Pane, even before the tree popup menu appears .

·       Added: context-sensitive menu bar.
Regardless of whether the Tree or the Article Pane is active, a mere 
mouse-click on the menu bar now automatically places focus on either the 
Tree or the Article Pane, respectively to the menu item clicked upon.
1.      Thus, a click on menu/tree, conveniently activates (places focus 
on) the Tree Pane, automatically enabling all respective tree menu items 
and tool buttons, as well. Which Pane is currently active before you click 
on the menu bar is now irrelevant.
2.      Analogously, a click on menu/edit, menu/insert, menu/table, 
conveniently activates (places focus on) the Article Pane, automatically 
enabling all respective menu items and tool buttons, as well. Again, the 
operation is straightforward, whichever Pane is currently active (Tree, 
Article, or Accessories Pane) before you click on the menu bar.


Search
·       Moved: the search results are now exhibited in the Search Accessory 
Pane, easily accessible and readily at hand -- a mere click on the 
'SearchR' Tab (one of the Accessories Pane Tabs, located right below the 
article area) opens the Search Pane, displaying the results of the last search.
·       Added: an option in the search screen to limit search to checked 
nodes. (feature unique to TreePad? Business Edition)
·       Added: the option 'automatically hide search window after search'
·       Added: the possibility to paste the search results into any 
article. Menu/insert/search results (alternatively, right-click menu: 
insert/search results)


Article Search and Article Replace
·       Added: the wild card character '*' can now be used in the search 
for text and text to find fields.
- Note 1: If you are not an experienced user, please use this feature with 
prudence in replace operations, lest you inadvertently replace far beyond 
what you may have intended to; At any rate, we suggest that 'prompt on 
replace' be on, since hyperlinks and other hidden text attributes are 
included in Search and in Replace operations..
- Note 2: '*' stands for any number of characters, in the position where 
this wild card character has been entered.


New:  forms !

Here is an exciting addition that greatly enhances the functionality and 
power that you enjoy with TreePad?.

Introduction
TreePad? now supports the concept of forms. A form is a screen containing 
fields (special areas), which you can fill in with your own data.

A TreePad? form resides in the Article Pane, each form screen being 
associated with an individual node, just like an ordinary article. Thus, a 
number of these forms, grouped under a common parent node, yields a 
database that is easy to build and to manage.

How to use forms
You can use TreePad? forms to create simple databases, address books, card 
indexes ... and all else that your needs or creativity may call for. Forms 
come in handy whenever structured data is preferable to normal text.

In other words, forms are a very convenient asset for getting down and 
storing data that share recurring patterns or structures, such as 
addresses, collections (books, CDs, stamps, etc.), shopping lists, 
appointments, special rosters (school-related records/notes, memberships, 
sports teams, championships, etc.), recipes, patient information, product 
orders, clientele, employees, and so forth.

Forms currently available --  allowing you to create a forms-based 
database. Each form type below is followed by its related menu item(s).
·       Addressbooks: * menu/file/new/personal addressbook
                          * menu/file/new/simple addressbook
                          * menu/file/new/business addressbook
·       Music Collection: * menu/file/new/music collection
·       Password Manager: * menu/file/new/password manager (feature unique 
to TreePad? SAFE and TreePad? Business Edition, both of which offer data 
encryption and password protection.)
Other form alternatives will be added in future TreePad? updates.

The menus spelled out above enable you to create a structured database from 
scratch. Within this database, you can optionally group all your entries, 
according to whatever distinctive feature(s) or characteristic(s) that you 
see fit for organizing sets of entries in classes or categories. You can 
also alternatively add ordinary TreePad? nodes/articles anywhere within a 
forms-based database.

Thus, menu/file/new/password manager allows you to convert TreePad? into a 
password manager program, menu/file/new/music collection allows you to 
convert TreePad? into a music database, and so forth.

TreePad? new forms feature greatly increases the program's generous 
functionality as a data organizer. And, in association with TreePad's? high 
performance search engine, all information stored is always accessible in a 
blink.

You are of course able to organize, add to, rename, move, delete, etc., any 
of the 'category' or 'class' nodes mentioned above. You can handle them 
according to your needs and preference, just the way you are used to 
handling your data, regardless of the TreePad? version(s) you have used so far.

You are likewise free to add/delete 'form' entries, much the same way as 
you handle articles (with their respective nodes) within a tree structure.

TreePad? Business Edition additionally allows you to insert any of these 
forms and structures anywhere within an already existing database (a 
TreePad? file). To do so, you use menu/tree/insert special, instead of the 
menu items appearing under menu/file/new/..., as specified above. TreePad? 
Business Edition special 'template' functions are dealt with at the end of 
the current section.


Forms: Active fields
Some of the fields contained in the forms are  'active fields'. That is, 
they perform a specific action when you double click on them.
Thus, a web address field will launch your browser, whereas an email 
address field will activate your email program. A phone number field will 
likewise activate the auto-dial feature (TreePad? Business Edition only) 
when double clicked.

Forms: export
A form can be exported to an XML file, in addition to .txt, .rtf, and .html 
files, as follows:
- to XML files, as XML-structures (i.e., a similar format to the one 
appearing in the treepad article) -- Article-export only
- to HTML files, as HTML-forms -- Tree-export and Article-export
- to RTF files, as tables -- Tree-export and Article-export
- to txt files, as lines of plain text -- Tree-export and Article-export

Forms: print
A form will ordinarily be printed as a table.

The Template directory and files
TreePad's? \templates subdirectory, now default in the program directory, 
comprises two types of 'template' files, as follows:
- .tpt files (TreePad? template files), which are responsible for 
generating single node forms and managing the overall functioning of the 
templates-established databases.
- .hjt files, which create forms-based databases, and in which the data 
that you fill in is stored.


TreePad? Business Edition only:
·       menu/tree/insert special: this dialog allows you to insert the 
following into an existing database (TreePad? file):
         1.      a single node containing a form,
         2.      a single node containing a 'TreeBook' template, or
         3.      entire 'TreeBook' subtree structures.
Keyboard shortcut: alt+ins. Advanced mode
·       menu/tree/insert/repeat last insert special: this dialog replicates 
the last 'insert special' action. Keyboard shortcut: ctrl+alt+ins. Advanced 
mode
·       Future versions of TreePad? Business Edition will enable you to 
create your own forms and form-templates.

To conclude this news release covering the last three months, it is worth 
reminding you of the latest additions to the TreePad? family, the X and XL 
editions of TreePad? Enterprise. Information on both the X and the XL lines 
is available at http://www.treepad.com/treepadx/.

Should this constitute entirely fresh news to you, we can briefly advance 
that whether you use or consider using TreePad? in a more heavy duty 
fashion, in a business environment (whatever its size), or in a multi-user 
setting, a visit to the URL just provided may well result in time 
fruitfully spent.


We remain committed to quality, guided by the same zeal that has 
characterized TreePad? along its seven years of existence.  We are thus 
very busy readying the fine-tuning of the current beta 8 release 
of  TreePad? 6.0, while already developing a few more useful functions, for 
future upgrades.

We hope that you enjoy the newly born TreePad? 6.x generation, which brings 
you a large number of convenient enhancements and useful additions, along 
with exciting new features.

Yours sincerely,

The Freebyte! team

http://www.freebyte.com
http://www.treepad.com
http://www.freebyte.com/support
http://www.treepad.com/support

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