Programs Untangle Thicket of Data
One of the most tedious, time-consuming and frustrating tasks on personal computers equipped with hard disks is keeping track of all the programs and files that get stored on them.
It is amazing how quickly one can put 10 million bytes of information on a disk--and how quickly files can get lost in a thicket of subdirectories and cryptic file names.
The two programs I’m reviewing this week will make organizational tasks much easier for those using an IBM or compatible computer. One is Micro-Z’s The Direc-Tree and the other is IBM’s Document Retrieval Assistant. In each case, the name pretty much describes what the programs do.
The Direc-Tree creates a graphic depiction of the directories and subdirectories on a hard disk, sorting the files into lists by name, extension, size or date created. Commands such as viewing, copying, moving and deleting are executed on groups of files. Without the Direc-Tree, one must perform those tasks one file at a time using the standard disk operating system commands.
The concept of subdirectories can be confusing, even for experienced users of hard disks. Directories and subdirectories are where the vital statistics of the disk’s files are kept. If you use floppy disks, you are limited to 110 files per disk on an IBM or compatible computer. (Other computers have similar limitations.)
But when you have a hard disk you can have thousands of files. If you kept all those files in the same directory, it would quickly become unmanageable. Thus, the operating systems PC-DOS and MS-DOS allow you to create subdirectories, sub-subdirectories, sub-sub-subdirectories and so on to help you store similar files together away from the rest of your files. For instance, a subdirectory named WP (for word processing) could have sub-subdirectories called letters, memos, reports and novel.
The Direc-Tree starts by displaying the branches and sub-branches coming off the main (root) directory. Then you merely move the cursor to the branch you want to work on and press the appropriate function key.
Run at a Keystroke
The program also allows you to set 11 “macros” that will execute a series of commands. One of them acts automatically when the program is opened, while each of the other 10 executes at the press of a single key. You can also name up to 100 programs on a menu, each of which can be run at a keystroke.
The Direc-Tree, which has been on the market about a year, is not yet widely distributed in computer stores. It is available for $49.50 plus $5 shipping and handling from the publisher--Micro-Z Co., P.O. Box 2426, Rolling Hills, Calif. 90274 (213-377-1640).
IBM’s Document Retrieval Assistant is an indispensable tool for everyone who works with words. If you use a word-processing program it can understand (more on that in a minute), it will scan all your text files, determine their content, store that information in a summary file and allow you to retrieve the file you’re after simply by typing a few key words describing the content you seek. (It also works with some spreadsheet files.)
A crucial distinction between the Document Retrieval Assistant and other text-oriented filing programs is that you don’t have to identify key words in your text in any way. All you do is instruct Document Retrieval Assistant to scan your standard text files. It determines what the key words are.
The program even has a built-in dictionary to let it search for synonyms of words used in your description. Files are then ranked according to how closely they match the description sought.
When the list appears, touch the enter key and you instantly get a choice of viewing, printing, deleting the top file on the list or updating its summary. Thus you can discard stale files, read half-forgotten reports or print old memos, all without leaving the Document Retrieval Assistant. (The print margins may not be the same as when printed with your word-processing software, however.)
Quick Results
The search is nearly instantaneous, even on large collections of files. It can be narrowed in a couple of ways. Adding a “not” in front of a word will eliminate files containing that word. Typing a word twice, as in “camping in national parks Yosemite Yosemite,” will give a higher score to all files containing Yosemite. You can write descriptions as sentences or a series of words, with a maximum of 128 characters.
The most time-consuming part of running the program is creating the summary files. For instance, creating a summary of five memo files containing a total of 4,461 words took five minutes. Making a summary of all 107 files in one of my subdirectories, totaling 639,000 bytes of data (including both program and text files), took 22 minutes. The resulting summary file was 69,000 bytes long.
It doesn’t hurt to let the Document Retrieval Assistant include program files in its summary scans.
The program works best on a hard disk system, but it will run on a floppy disk machine, although it won’t be able to use its synonym dictionary. One valuable use is to create summaries of files being “archived” on floppy disks. If you give each floppy a different directory label or subdirectory name, the summary will identify which disk contains the file you seek.
The only limitation of Document Retrieval Assistant is that it has to be able to recognize the file format in which your word-processing and spreadsheet files are stored. It understands files created by other members of IBM’s Assistant series (filing, graphing, planning and reporting), WordStar, EasyWriter, PC Writer, Peach Text, Word Proof, DisplayWrite 1, 2 and 3 and Professional Editor. It also recognizes VisiCalc and other so-called DIF files and Multiplan SYLK files. And, of course, it handles simple ASCII files as well.
Long as that list is, it still leaves out the standard files created by many popular word-processing programs, such as MultiMate, Word Perfect, Samna, Leading Edge and others.
Document Retrieval Assistant lists for $149 and is available at IBM Product Centers and through dealers.
The Computer File welcomes readers’ comments but regrets that the authors cannot respond individually to letters. Write to Richard O’Reilly, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.
