Mathieu VILLEGAS
gtktalog@caramail.com

When you email, please tell me what computer and OS you are using!

For instructions on how to compile and install GTKtalog, read the INSTALL file.

Here, you will find some informations on how to use GTKtalog.

Now the help you are looking for.
GTKtalog is a GTK Disk Catalog program. It means you can create a database of all your CD's or other disks, and browse it or search specific files or folders. It's really usefull when you have many CD's and you want to know in which CD something is.


I. How to use and edit a catalog?
=================================
To begin, you have to edit the GTKtalog configuration by using the "Setup" function in the "Edit" list of the menubar.
At this time, you must config plugins (softwares) you want to use and the CD-rom config informations to use the fast add disk function.

To add a disk to the curent catalog, go in the Edit menu and choose the "Add disk" function. You will see a dialog for choosing the directory location of the disk.
You have to input a disk label at this time, but will be able to change it.

The other solution is to use the "fast add" button, and set the disk label while gtktalog mount, scan, umount and eject  your CD.

To see files informations loaded by plugins, you just have to double click on the file.
To edit the information, click on the file with the right button and choose edit informations.

To edit disk, folder or file data, select it with the left mouse button, then right click and choose the edit option. 
Alternatively, a middle mouse button click accomplishes the same thing.
When you edit a disk or a folder, you can propagate category and desciption informations in subfolders and directory without changing the catalog size!

To add a category, go to Edit->Edit_category menu, or if you are editing a disk, file, or folder, click on the button to the right of the "Change category" frame.

To edit the description information, just type in the entry field or use an old description with using the combo box.


II. How to save and load catalogs in gz and bz2 format?
====================================================== 
It's really simple, to save in gzip or bzip2 format, the filename must finish with .gz or .bz2, the program test the filename extensions and save in the good format.
To load there is nothing special to do, GTKtalog test if there is a .gz or .bz2 extension and decompress with gzip or bzip2 if necessary.
IMPORTANT: gzip and bzip2 must be in your path to work!


III. How to create my own button bar?
====================================
To create you own buttonbar, you have to create the file: ~/.gtktalog/buttonbar.conf 
"~" is your home directory.
If you have install GTKtalog withe "make install", you can find an example of buttonbar config file in /usr/locale/share/gtktalog .
The file must begin with:
	- "use_text" to use only text buttons
	- "use_pixmap" to use only pixmap buttons
	- "use_pixtext" to use pixmap and text in each button
 
for each button, you muset begin with the action the button will do. This actions are:
	- "find" to open the search dialog box.
	- "add_disk" to open the add disk dialog box.
	- "create_report" to open the report generator dialog box.
	- "load_catalog" to open the open file dialog box.
	- "fast_load" to open quickly a catalog. The file to open is specified at the end of the button's configuration.
	- "fast_save" It's the common "save" function.
	- "save_as" The save as function
	- "edit_categories" to open the categories editor window.
	- "clean_descriptions" to remove useless description entries.
	- "exit" to leave GTKtalog.
	- "new_catalog" the same function as "New".

For each command you have to do:
	- if you have choose "use_pixtext" the line after the command must be the full path of the pixmap. And the line after the the pixmap must be the button label.
	- if you have choose "use_pixmap", just write the full pixmap path  on the line under the command, and no text.
	- if you have choose the "use_text" option, just write the button label under the command line.

If you have choose the fast_load command, you must write the catalog file path on the line just under the button options like, for example, for a "use_pixtext" button bar:

fast_load
/usr/local/share/gtktalog/menubar/cat.xpm
Apps
/home/dupont/appscat


If you want to put a vertical separator, you just have to write "vertical_separator".

IMPORTANT: Each information must be on a new line. When you begin a button configuration, you have to write each information on a different line, in the good order, without leaving blank line.

If you don't want a button bar, leave the button bar config file blank!


IV. What are categories for? 
=============================
Each catalog can have many categories. For example, if you have CD's with MP3's you can have folders with techno music, and another with rock or rap. So, you can give the category techno for the first, rap for the second, and rock for the third. With it, you can do more powerful searchs.


V. What use is the "Clean descriptions" function?
==================================================
When you edit your database a few times, you can have descriptions entries which are not used, or some descriptions with the same information. You should use the "Clean descriptions" to remove useless descriptions and have a smaller database.


VI. How do I search for a file?
==============================
Click on "Find file" for the find file dialog.
You can choose the category in which one you want to search. You can search folders or files, with case sensitive or not..

In the result windows, if you double click on a file or folder the parent folder or the folder itself will be opened in the main window (the browser catalog window). 
You can sort files by name, disk, path, size, date, category or description by pressing on buttons on the top of each column.


VII. How to change or add icons
=============================
HAAA! that is the question! ;o)
It's really simple. You can change it for everybody or just change yours.
To change for every user, you make the changes in /usr/local/share/gtktalog/icons or if you want to change a single user, copy all files in /usr/local/share/gtktalog/icons/ in ~/.gtktalog/icons  (~ is the home directory of that user)

To add an icon, you need a 16x16 pixels pixmap (XPM file). The name of this file is pouet.xpm (for example). The end of the filename must be `.xpm'. The name of the pixmap is pouet.xpm, so we will create the file `pouet'. In this file, i will write all the file extensions for this icon like that:

*.so
*.o
*.out
*.a

Each extension must begin with `*.' . Don't forget to add one or two carriage returns at the end of the file. If you add an extension, verify that it's not already in an other file


VIII. Why some folder names have -> at the end and an adress after?
=================================================================
This means that the folder is a symbolic link. If you go in this folder, the list of files it will appear are the file of the target. You can remove the -> and the adress in the name without destroying the link! If you mail me you need an option to edit the symbolic link, maybe i will enable it.



IX. Why have I create GTKtalog?
===============================
Because other disk catalog don't do what i want them to do! That's a good reason. ;o)
I've try to do the smaller database as possible.



Mail: gtktalog@caramail.com
When you email, please tell me what computer and OS you are using!
