LinksMan 2.0 Readme File

Contents

1. Program Purpose
2. System Requirements
3. Installation/Removal
4. Working with Links
   1. Adding New Links
   2. Browsing the Internet
   3. Searching the Database
   4. Working with Duplicates
   5. Easy Access to...
      1. Most Visited
      2. Recently Visited
   6. Moving Links
   7. Colour Highlighting
5. Working with Folders
6. Importing Data from Other Applications
7. Exporting Data
8. Working with Newsfeeds
9. How to Buy the Program

1. Program Purpose

LinksMan is an internet bookmarks (or links) manager that allows to keep all your links in a single place. Of course, such programs like Internet Explorer or Mozilla/Mozilla Firefox can also keep your links, but they do this in a way that never seemed handy to me (though Mozilla bookmarks are far better than Internet Explorer Favourites, because they're in a single file that can be easily moved or saved).

Another LinksMan's feature is a built-in RSS aggregator. It understands newsfeeds in RSS 0.91/1.0/2.0 formats. News are displayed just like regular bookmarks and can be stored in the database permanently.

2. System Requirements

The program was tested (so far) under Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP2. I think that it should work good with earlier versions of these systems, but not with Windows 95/98/Me - at least, without the latest versions of MS Internet Explorer.

3. Installation/Removal

LinksMan needs no installation at all. You may place it in any directory on your hard drive, but do not forget that the two DLLs (dynamic loading libraries) that it depends on should be placed in the same directory as the main program file. By the way, LinksMan keeps its database in your home folder (C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR_USERNAME\My Documents\LinksMan Data), so it cannot be deleted where you reinstall Windows (like all data and settings that some other programs keep in the System Registry).

4. Working with Links

4.1. Adding New Links

There are three ways of adding links to the database. The first, and the easiest one, is to add link using the menu: select Link, then New. The following dialogue will appear:

Another way to add a new link is the Drop Target window, that is displayed on top of all other windows (menu item View | Show Drop Target):

Drag any link from your browser to this window, and you will see how it works. :-)

The last way of adding links is importing. LinksMan can import data from different sources.

4.2. Browsing the Internet

By default, LinksMan uses the browser program registered in your system. In most cases that would be MS Internet Explorer (though in my system it's Mozilla Firefox). Double-click an item in the list, and it will be passed to your browser. In the case you want to be able opening links in more than one program (for example, if some web page doesn't look good in your primary browser), you may add additional browsers.

Right-click on any item in the list, and you will see a menu:

After choosing Edit Application List you'll see an application list editor:

This editor allows to add an unlimited number of applications and to remove the unneeded ones. I think that it doesn't require much explanations.

4.3. Searching the Database

When some number of links is added, it may become difficult to find the necessary ones. The search tool helps us in this case.

You may enter any number of search terms delimited with a blank space. For example, a search for "3d stereo anaglyph" will return all the links about different kinds of the 3D photography. There is also an interesting search option: look into the parent folder's names. What does it means? Let's say, we have a directory structure like this:

3D Photography
	Anaglyphs
	Viewmaster Images
	Lenticular Images
	Barrier Screen
	Other Stereo

Looking for "3D", we'll see only those links that belongs to the "3D Photography" folder, and nothing else. But when "Use parent folder's titles" option is on, the search will return the links from all the child folders of the topmost one: "Anaglyphs", "Viewmaster Images", "Lenticular Images", "Barrier Screen", "Other Stereo".

Simple queries aren't the only LinksMan search tool understands. On the screen shot you can see one of the complex queries. I think, though, that most of the times you'll need the easy ones. :-)

All queries are stored in the database ans can be recalled later using the Data | Recent Queries menu. This rule has one exception: if you perform a search on some part of the database only (from the current folder or in the current folder), such query isn't saved.

4.4. Searching for Duplicates

There are usually duplicate items in a large database. LinksMan sees such links and shows them in a different colour:

If you right-click on such an item, you'll see that the usually inactive menu item "Show Duplicates" is now accessible. When selected, it opens a duplicate items editor where you may select unneeded duplicates and delete them.

4.5. Easy Access to...

4.5.1. Most Visited

LinksMan tries to guess your favourites links, and places them in a special folder (Most Visited). This guessing is done using some mathematics and should become more accurate with time. In the beginning, the program just hasn't enough data to make a good guess, so all the links that have been visited more than 0 times would be listed in Favourites. You may also adjust the way the program selects Most Visited links:

4.5.2. Recently Visited

LinksMan also keeps track of the recenly visited links and collects them in a special folder. The way this folder works may be adjusted, too:

4.6. Moving Links

Any link, group of link or a folder can be moved to another location. Select Move in the link's context menu, and you will see the following dialogue window:

4.7. Colour Highlighting

LinksMan displays links using different colours, depending on their kind. Here are the meanings of these colours:

5. Working with Folders

Use the "Folder Properties" dialogue window to rename a folder or "protect" its child links from inclusion into the special folders (Most Visited and Recently Visited):

This protection may be useful for the links that are visited too often, like the page of my internet provider. "Protected" folders are displayed with a little shield sign:

6. Importing Data From Other Applications

LinksMan has good import capabilities. It can read data from its own previous version, from the Mozilla Bookmarks file (tested with Mozilla/Mozilla Firefox), from the Internet Explorer Favourites, etc. If the "Ignore directory structure" option is selected, the program places all the imported links in a single folder. It may be useful in combination with "Ignore existing links", if you want to update some previously imported data (e. g. Mozilla bookmarks).

7. Exporting Data

The one and only export format is HTML. LinksMan exports its data in a structured HTML file resembling the Mozilla Bookmarks, using the international UTF-8 encoding. You may export the entire database or any subdirectory (recursively).

8. Working with newsfeeds

You may add a newsfeed using the menu (Newsfeeds | Add) or via the Drop Target window. In the first case you need to enter a newsfeed's title and its location (e.&nsbp;g. http://news.bbc.co.uk/rss/russian/news/rss.xml). To use the second way, you need to "drop" a link to a newsfeed from the browser window onto the Drop Target. You can also use the Editor to add and delete newsfeeds (Newsfeeds | Editor):

Newsfeeds are updated every 5 minutes, of course, if you are online. Supported formats: RSS 0.91/1.0/2.0.

9. How to Buy the Program

LinksMan is a shareware application. You may buy it for 30 USD, or continue to use the demo-version. Such a version has the only (but serious) limitation: its import/export capabilities are disabled. Also, there cannot be more than 2 newsfeeds. If you like LinksMan and want to support its development, that is, if you want to buy it, please, contact the author.

The latest demo-version of LinksMan can be found here: http://tim.3dmix.com/.

Timofey Sherudilo