Start - 18:07
Questions and
Answers
Entourage: way to send emails at a specific time?
-- Should be way to specify this.
-- Haven't gotten it to work.
Entourage: alert when you receive email from specific user?
-- Rules can do this.
-- Rule can fire an Applescript that beeps system or whatever.
G4 Tower (Mac OS X): date and time keeps resetting to 1969.
-- Changed battery? Yes, still doesn't work.
-- System Preferences: Date and Time --> Network Time
Mac Speech?
-- iListen? Yes.
-- Sorry, not much experience in that area.
How to take ownership of a file?
-- Need admin privileges.
-- Use Get Info and do it there.
-- If Get Info doesn't work, Terminal: login/sudo as root and use chown.
Convert addresses from Address Book into documents for backup.
-- Select addresses to backup then File-->Export vCard...
G5 with Mac OS X 10.3. Transferring emails. Crash. Lost data. Now there
are two Library folders, how to get old email?
-- Try Import function of Mail.
-- Apple Mail not recommended for thousands of messages.
How about restoring Sounds folder from old Library folder?
-- Try dragging Sounds folder to new Library folder.
Mac OS X: Put in Zip disk, shows up in left panel bar.
-- Drag original items (only) to left panel bar.
G3 iMac: Can't get microphone to run in Pro Tools 3 in Classic mode
-- Try reinstalling app. System Preferences-->Classic to rebuild
desktop.
Method to clear system clipboard in Mac OS X.
-- Applescript? Tried but can't seem to do it.
-- Try asking at Macintouch
Burn photo CD, Windows doesn't open it because I didn't "close it".
-- Toast: Disc It Once
-- Burn: Close Session
-- In CD burning program: burn in ISO format for Windows.
Reading IMAP email?
-- Entourage is an excellent email program, then Mail, then Eudora.
-- Pine for Unix-type users.
Huge photo files (from photo CD). How do I email them?
-- Drag pictures to iPhoto. File-->Export-->Scale Images
-- Set to something reasonably small like 640 wide or 320 wide.
-- Email smaller images.
Netscape Navigator 7.1: Where are bookmarks/address book for export?
-- ~/Library/Preferences/Mozilla has all the Navigator settings.
-- Might be in ~Library/Mozilla instead.
Using Finder to search in a hidden folder?
-- Finder: Go-->Go to folder : enter hidden folder path (e.g.
/usr/local )
Get unknown file, Finder asks to choose an application for opening.
-- Depends on file extension.
-- Choose appropriate application if you know extension.
-- Try Preview or QuickTime Player for media formats (video, image).
Place to find extension to application mappings?
-- http://www.filext.com/
Netscape says there is an update available but automatic update fails.
-- Have to see this ourselves.
MS Word v.X: When you choose a font it picks the one two down.
-- Try updating to 10.1.6 of MS Office (released this week).
-- Try from another user account to see if it's corrupt preferences.
Email forwarding. All addresses for domain forwarded to same mailbox.
Is there a way to sort mail at user end?
-- Use email program rules/filters to sort based on "To:" line of email.
Apps of the Month
Find these applications on VersionTracker
or MacUpdate. Please pay the
shareware fees (if any).
Desktop Manager
(free, donations accepted)
-- Multiple desktops. Icons on the menu bar to switch between desktops.
-- Very quick, has same animation as switching users.
-- Stays in same user space (does not switch users).
MorphX
(free)
-- Take two pictures. Draw points on each picture.
-- Program outputs a QuickTime movie of morph.
Sproing
(free, donations accepted)
-- Create an object with elastic springs.
-- Throw object around and program simulates bouncing.
-- Amusing diversion. Perhaps educational.
TinkerTool
System (shareware, € 7 [EU dollars])
-- Apple has lots of hidden settings in various applications.
-- TinkerTool gives an interface to change these settings.
Tip or Trick:
Changing Default Helper Applications
Pre-Mac OS X 10.3 you could change default helper applications for Web
and Email in a control panel in System Preferences. These are the
applications that launch when you click on a web or email link in a
document. In Mac OS X 10.3 these settings were moved to the
corresponding applications.
-- Safari: Preferences-->General-->Default Web Browser
-- Mail: Preferences-->General-->Default Email Reader
ebMUG Intro
http://www.ebMUG.org/
Lots of things that are repeated every month...
-- Looking for new board member
-- Join the Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebmug/
-- CD Exchange: new CD coming soon
-- ebMUG logo contest
-- This Month: 4D
-- Next Month: Not sure, guest has not confirmed.
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Main Presentation: 4th Dimension
2004 (Database)
Sati Hillyer, 4D Evangelist
http://www.4d.com/
The Spreadsheet
-- table of values arranged in rows and columns
-- data analysis application
-- examples: Excel, Open Office, AppleWorks spreadsheet module
-- user friendly: easy to resort, reformat data, enter data, add
calculations
-- create charts and graphs
Spreadsheet Advantages
-- quick and easy to use
-- good charting
-- formulas and sorting
-- accessible
Spreadsheet Disadvantages
-- data stored in memory, if system crashes you lose data
-- inefficient: hard to combine multiple spreadsheets
-- insufficient reporting
-- hard to collaborate: two people can't use same file at same time
-- when business grows, then what?
-- Spreadsheets have comparatively low max amount of information.
The Database
-- way to organize and store data
-- data manipulation
-- Flat File: data stored in a single table
-- Relational: data stored in multiple tables that are related
4D Demonstration
-- move data from spreadsheet to database
-- scenario: customer and orders tracking system
4th Dimension
-- relational database application
-- Design environment: create tables and relate them
-- User environment: enter and edit data
-- Custom environment: create custom applications
Design Environment
-- blank canvas where you can visually place tables
-- double-click to bring up form for creating fields (rows)
-- rows shown visually on canvas
User Environment
-- Default form shows table in a columnar view
-- New Record to add a record (row)
-- Import information from Excel file: choose fields to map, select
range
-- Order By: re-sort view, choose columns to sort by
-- Query: find records, can query using only records from last query
-- Label editor to create mailing labels, save label settings
-- Import new table: 4D automatically creates table to hold information.
-- Formula editor to do global changes to table
-- Save queries and rerun them later
Create a Form
-- in Design Environment
-- Select table, select fields to display
-- Style sheets: show form with appropriate OS style: Windows, Mac.
-- Add buttons for form navigation or form actions
-- Form Editor: edit form graphically (like a Draw program)
-- Change display and format properties for each form element
-- Create different forms for different uses: data entry form, output
form.
Relate Tables
-- in Design Environment:
-- Click on row of one table, drag to row of another table
-- Dialog box to change properties
-- Move tables around on canvas and join link adjusts automatically
-- Explorer: shows all objects in database (tables, forms, etc)
-- Drag and drop Explorer elements into a form to create Master-Detail
forms. Example: show customer info on top and all customer orders on
bottom.
Programming Language
-- add new functions and capabilities to 4D
-- custom forms that auto-fill entries
-- Form Method: code that runs for a form element or action
Charts and Graphs
-- choose columns and run it
-- customize graph labels, value formats
Database Advantages
-- more efficient
-- easy to collaborate
-- increased security
-- better reporting
-- reduce redundancy: relate tables so you don't have duplicate data
-- improved data entry
-- intelligent searching
-- easy to grow with company
Database Disadvantages
-- difficult
-- overwhelming and intimidating
-- expensive
Special Offer for Mac User Groups
-- 4D 2004 Standard Edition
-- Jumpstart 4D book
-- Training Guide v6.8 book
-- $99 for all 3, until end of 2004 --> http://www.4d.com/offers/mug/
-- 4D Templates: http://www.4d.com/2004/templates.html
-- 4D Examples: http://www.4d.com/2004/examples.html
-- 4D How Do I?: http://www.4d.com/2004/howdoi/
-- There is also an almost fully-functioning demo to try out 4D.
Custom Application
-- Quicken-like application (personal finance program)
-- Real Estate database with pictures --> generate Keynote
presentation
Questions
-- Compare to Filemaker:
Filemaker is relatively inflexible: FM scripts are limited.
4D is faster.
Filemaker security: everything in one file which is more fragile.
Filemaker upgrades affect everything, 4D databases are unchanged.
Raffle
-- Metallic CD holder
-- Take Control: Word 2004 (Basic and Advanced), Entourage 2004
-- Mac OS X Panther (O'Reilly book)
-- Freeware on CDs (x2)
-- Apple T-Shirt
-- 4D Standard
End - 20:30
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