Importing from a Custom Format Text File

Personal Knowbase has the ability to import many types of formatted text files. This is done in two steps. First, you need to define the structure of the text file you want to import. Then, you import the file, specifying to use the custom format you have defined. Because the custom format is saved, you can then use the format to import any number of similarly formatted files.

To define a custom format:

Because the possible formats that you can define is virtually limitless, a step-by-step procedure would not be possible for defining any custom format. This will get you started, and the Custom Import Wizard will guide you through the steps of defining your format.

For extensive information for each step of the wizard, select the Help button at the bottom of the dialog box.

•	Select the Import command from the File menu.

The Import dialog box is displayed.

•	Select the Manage Custom Formats button.

The Mange Custom Formats dialog box is displayed.

•	Select the New button to define a completely new format.

To edit an existing format, use the Edit button. To use an existing format as the basis for a new format, use the Copy button.

The first step of the Custom Import Wizard is displayed: the Setup Format step.

•	If you have a file which uses this format, use the Browse button to select this file as your Sample File.

Your Sample File is displayed in the Sample File Preview pane at the bottom of each step in the wizard. You can use this file as a reference for defining your custom format.

•	Follow each step of the wizard, selecting the options that most closely describe your file format. Some options vary depending on your selections in earlier steps. Select the Next buttons to proceed to the next step of the wizard.

At any time, if you need to change a previous selection, simply select the Back button.

•	From the final step of the wizard, select the Finish button when you are satisfied with your selections.

For new formats, the Save Format As dialog box is displayed.

•	Type in a unique descriptive name for this custom format.

•	Select the Save button.

You return to the Manage Custom Formats dialog box.

•	Select the Close button.

You return to the Import dialog box.

To use your custom format to import a file into an open data file:

•	If you have left the Import dialog box, select the Import command from the File menu.

The Import dialog box is displayed.

•	Select the Custom Format Text Files option from the Files of Type box.

All files in the current folder are displayed in the files list.

•	Use the dialog box to select the folder and name of the file you want to import.

•	From the Use Format menu, select the name of the custom format you created.

•	If you want to immediately open the imported articles in Article Windows, check the Open Imported Articles option.

Turn off the Open Imported Articles option if you don't want to open the newly imported articles now. If your file contains many articles, we recommend turning off this option. Opening large numbers of Article Windows at once may strain your Windows System resources.

•	Select the Open button.

OR Double-click on the file name in the files list.

The Keywords for Imported Articles dialog box is displayed.

•	To assign one or more keywords to each new article (in addition to any keywords being imported from the file itself), type each keyword you want assigned into the New Keyword edit box and press Enter.

OR Double-click on the desired keyword in the Available Keywords list.

Each keyword selected is moved to the Assigned Keywords list.

•	When all keywords that you want to assign are listed in the Assigned Keywords list, select the OK button.

The file is now imported. A Personal Knowbase article is created for each article found in your custom format file. If you checked the Open Imported Articles option, each article is displayed in an Article Window as it is created.

•	If the Article Windows opened, you can modify the articles now.

You may make any changes you want to the new articles.

•	Close each Article Window by clicking on the window's close box.

OR Close all the Article Windows by selecting the Close All command from the Window menu.

If you made changes to any article, Personal Knowbase asks you to verify that you want to save the changes. Select the Yes button.

If you are not satisfied with the results of your custom import, selecting the Undo Import command immediately from the Edit menu removes the newly imported articles from your data file. You can then return to the Import dialog box, select the Manage Custom Formats button, and then select the Edit button to make any changes you need to your format. Then simply import your file again using the amended custom format.

For a List of Other Procedures for Importing, See:

About Importing