3.716 Sonar? Notebook II (75)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@vm.epas.utoronto.ca)
Wed, 8 Nov 89 18:50:16 EST
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 716. Wednesday, 8 Nov 1989.
(1) Date: Wed, 8 Nov 89 09:25:55 EST (23 lines)
From: David.A.Bantz@mac.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Sonar?
(2) Date: Tue, 07 Nov 89 20:44:16 EST (32 lines)
From: Norman Zacour <ZACOUR@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Bibliographies
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Nov 89 09:25:55 EST
From: David.A.Bantz@mac.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Sonar?
Several discussions and queries concerning text retrieval software have
been posted on the net. I just received a demo version of "Sonar
Professional" for Macintosh which claims to search 10,000 pages of
formatted text files/second with a variety of options for boolean
searches, indices, and links between documents.
Has anyone reviewed the product? (If already posted, please mail rather
than post).
Is there interest in a posted review if I get a chance to work with this
demo?
[Editor's note. Sonar was reviewed on Humanist, 24 Nov 87, by Chuck
Bush. Since two years is a long time in the life of a program, it would
seem to me that a reassessment is in order. In fact, it would be of
great interest, I think, to have a good discussion of text retrieval
and analysis software for the Mac. Perhaps someone associated with
the WordCruncher people would make a rash statement about when a
version of WCr will be ready for the Mac? --W.M.]
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------38----
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 89 20:44:16 EST
From: Norman Zacour <ZACOUR@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Bibliographies
Having read the recent responses to the enquiry about data bases for
a bibliography, I am all the more confirmed in my opinion of the
merits of the simple but yet quite flexible NOTEBOOK II. One
creates records for all kinds of items: books, articles, chapters of
books, volumes in series, including all publication data: places,
dates, page numbers, number of volumes, publishers; as well as fields
for notes, criticism, key-word searches, other peculiar needs (I have
one for library call number, and another for the century to which the
work applies), and so on. All fields are elastic, not fixed in size.
The record can be arranged on screen in whatever order suits the user's
convenience, yet the user can prepare one or more format files or
templates to print the records, or any of the fields of the records,
to accomodate whatever manual of style one wishes - including order
of items, punctuation, spacing.
The program produces ASCII files, of course, as do other database
programs. This causes no problem when moving from data base to word
processor. The real problem comes when you want to underline all the
titles of books and periodicals. NOTEBOOK addresses the problem in
connection with the specific steps one must take depending on the
word processor that is being used - WordStar, Microsoft Word,
and WordPerfect certainly, possibly others - each of which requires
a slightly different touch.
Incidentally, dumping a NOTEBOOK (ASCII) file into WordPerfect,
as into any of the major word processors, and then running a macro
to underline those things which ought to be done and leave undone
those things which ought not to be done, is a piece of cake.