How to Search for Files Online

                            Anatomy of a File Description 

                                          or

                            How to Search for Files Online 

                                          by 

                                  Thomas L. Quindry 

                          (Forum Leader, PC Software Center) 

          In Computing and Software all Forum Staff take special pains to 

          create a file description for each program and file online which 

          will be (1) informative; (2) provide version information; (3) 

          convey special considerations for its use; and (4) facilitate 

          easy searching using the online File Search Utility.  We try to 

          provide sufficient information so that you will know whether you 

          may like to use the program or file and also give you the version 

          number when appropriate so that you do not download something you 

          already have.  When installation is tricky, we include special 

          notes on how to install the program, and also include the special 

          hardware that you may need to run the program. 

          Of course, none of this counts unless you can become aware of the 

          program.  Each Forum has a Top Picks or Featured File library 

          where noteworthy programs are placed periodically.  You can 

          easily browse those libraries in your favorite Forums. We also 

          have a File Search Utility that lets you use search words and 

          select categories to find programs and files you like.  To get to 

          the general File Search Utility, you can use the keyword, 

          QUICKFIND.  Each Forum also has their own File Search Utility 

          that searches only for files specific to their Forum. 

          I'd like to offer some tips on using the File Searches and 

          finally show you how you can use information in a file 

          description to get ideas on what search words to include when you 

          search for similar programs.  The scenarios I use when searching 

          for files online depend on what I expect to accomplish: 

          1. SCENARIO 1:  WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK? THIS MONTH? 

          Once a week when I'm just browsing, I go to the general File 

          Search Utility and select PAST WEEK from the search form and then 

          select LIST MATCHING FILES.  This gives me a list of all of the 

          programs in the last 7 days.  If I only want to look at Games, I 

          also select the category GAMES or if I want to look at items from 

          more than one category, I simply select all of the categories 

          that I'm interested in.  If you make no selection of categories, 

          the default is to show all new files for the past week.  

          Likewise, you can select "PAST MONTH" if you want to look at a 

          month's worth of files.  You can also add any of the other 

          options from scenarios given below. 

          Anatomy of a File Description                              Page 2

          2. SCENARIO 2:  LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC PROGRAM IN A FORUM. 

          Let's suppose I want to find a specific program in the DOS Forum. 

          Rather than use the general File Search Utility, I would probably 

          want to go to the DOS Forum and select their File Search Utility. 

          That limits my search to only DOS specific and related programs; 

          i.e., it would also include some "cross-over" libraries like 

          perhaps related Hardware Forum libraries.  I would then select 

          the specific categories on the File Search Utility form that 

          relates to the topic I'm interested in.  For example, if I'm 

          interested in a backup program, I'd select the category, HARDWARE 

          UTILITIES and enter the search word of BACKUP.  Then, I may look 

          at just what is new in the PAST WEEK or PAST MONTH as in Scenario 

          1 above. 

          3. SCENARIO 3:  HAS MY UPLOAD BEEN MADE AVAILABLE? 

          Supposed you uploaded your favorite program and you want to see 

          if it has been checked out by the Forum and released.  Your 

          online screen ID, as the Uploader can be searched.  Select "Last 

          Week" or "Last Month" and enter your screen ID.  That will list 

          all recent uploads that you have made that are live in the 

          Forums.  Be aware that some Featured Files/Top Picks libraries 

          are not in the file search.  So, if you don't see your upload in 

          the file search, check there for the Forum you uploaded your file 

          to.  You may be surprised. :) 

          4. SCENARIO 4:  GETTING DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY! 

          In most cases, the general scenarios 1 and 2, described above 

          will give you too much information, especially if you didn't 

          limit your search to the past month or week.  Here is were 

          knowing the anatomy of a file description helps.  Each File 

          Description has several searchable fields, The SUBJECT line, the 

          UPLOADER name (the FROM line), the FILENAME, and the KEYWORDS 

          line.  Any words on those lines in a file description can be 

          searched.  As an example, let's use a partial file description 

          for AOLDBF, an Offline Searchable Database program that is 

          available in the PC Software Center.  It seems like an 

          appropriate choice for an example because you can do similar 

          things with AOLDBF offline that you can do with the File Search 

          Utility online.... its just not as sophisticated a search 

          algorithm as online! :) 

          Note:  While the term, KEYWORDS, is used in the File Description, 

          it should not be confused with the GOTO term of KEYWORDS used for 

          navigating quickly online.  Rather, KEYWORDS, in this sense is a 

          library term which gives SEARCH WORDS for use in your searching 

          for files using the File Search Utility. 

          Anatomy of a File Description                              Page 3

          ======================================= 

          Subj:  AOLDBF: V2.0 Searchable Database

          Date:  August 4, 1993

          From:  PC Tom

          File:  AOLDBF20.ZIP (132399 bytes)

          DL time (2400 baud): < 15 minutes

          Download count: 784

          Uploaded on: America Online

           

          AUTHOR:    Joe Nuvolini (Docs by Thomas L. Quindry) 

          EQUIPMENT: Hard drive recommended 

          NEEDS:     AOLDBF or compatible database program and template 

          Keywords:  Nuvolini, Quindry, America Online, Forum Listing, AOL 

          Type:      Public Domain 

          AOLDBF, The PC Software Center Database 

          The PC Software Center Database, AOLDBF, is a program to read and 

          search through dBase formatted file listings provided for all of 

          the Computing and Software Forum libraries. This program is 

          provided so you can view the database listings at your leisure 

          while offline. Thus, you can save online time charges while 

          browsing the files we have available. This can be a very powerful 

          tool for you to find exactly what you want to download. 

             

          Database file listings, at least one file per Forum, will be 

          created for all files from the PC Forum libraries and maintained 

          in the PC Software Center files library. ....

           

          etc.

          ====================== 

          In case you haven't noticed, most file descriptions in Computing 

          and Software have a word in all caps at the beginning of each 

          subject line.  This word is what I call a GENERIC LABEL.  In your 

          file searches, if you use this label as a search word, you should 

          be able to find this file by just entering that word, AOLDBF. You 

          will also find other related files, so sometimes it is good to 

          add other qualifying words.  

          The File Search Utility online offers a hierarchy of logical 

          operators of AND, OR, and NOT that you can use to further qualify 

          your search.  Add another search word, and you limit your search 

          further to file descriptions that only include both words (the 

          AND is not needed because it is the default condition when more 

          than one word exists for the search).  If you try searching on 

          just AOLDBF, you get not only this program, but associated 

          databases that are needed with the program.  The Keywords line 

          Anatomy of a File Description                              Page 4

          can give you clues on what to search on.  We always include the 

          author's names at the beginning of the Keywords line.  In this 

          case, Nuvolini and Quindry.  So, if you search on AOLDBF 

          NUVOLINI, you will get just those files related to AOLDBF that 

          have been authored by Nuvolini.  See how simple it is?  

          To take this one step further, supposed you have a favorite 

          shareware program and you want to make sure that you have the 

          latest version.  If you remember the GENERIC LABEL from when you 

          first downloaded the program, that same GENERIC LABEL should also 

          be on the file description for the latest version of what is 

          available online.  You can search on that GENERIC LABEL and 

          better yet, include the author's name to limit your search to 

          just that file or related file by the same author. If you don't 

          know what the GENERIC LABEL is, use the common name for the 

          program.  We try to use that common name as our GENERIC LABEL or 

          at least have that common name in the Keywords line. 

          The Keywords line is your clue to good searches.  If you are 

          browsing for files, and find something that interests you, but is 

          NOT QUITE WHAT YOU WANT, take a look at the Keywords line. It 

          will give you ideas of the type of things to search for.  We try 

          to be very consistent with words we use, so related files should 

          have some of the same keywords. 

          5.  SCENARIO 5:  SEARCHING BY FILENAME. 

          All I can recommend is JUST DON'T DO THAT!!! :) 

          Using the Filename as a search word is the absolute worst thing 

          to search on.  Even though it is part of the search algorithm, 

          unless you are absolutely sure of the filename for the last 

          version of the program, this doesn't give you a reliable search.  

          When version numbers change, so does the file name.  For example, 

          before February 24, 1993, AOLDBF1B.ZIP was the name for the 

          AOLDBF file. But, on February 24th, AOLDBF11.ZIP was uploaded.  

          Note the change in the filename to signify the new version 

          update.  If you searched for AOLDBF1B on February 25th, you 

          wouldn't have found AOLDBF though a newer version was there at 

          that time. 

          6.  SCENARIO 6:  TOO MANY/TOO FEW FILES DISPLAYED IN SEARCH! 

          If you have too many or two few files listed in a search, here's 

          were the logical operators of AND, OR, and NOT are most helpful. 

          If your search is too general, adding another qualifying word can 

          shorten the list.  While I have nothing against graphics files, 

          all too many times a topical search will bring up some graphics 

          files that may cover that topic.  Adding NOT GRAPHICS at the end 

          of your search word string will keep them from displaying.  Or, 

          if you are searching for Graphics topics and you want only GIF 

          files, adding GIF at the end of your search word string will 

          limit your search to only those types of files desired.  If you 

          want graphics files that are not GIF displayed, include NOT GIF 

          at the end of your search string. 

          Anatomy of a File Description                              Page 5

          The logical operator, OR, is a neat one. Suppose you have a list 

          of files that you want, and they are not even related in topic to 

          each other.  If those files can be searched by a single search 

          word each, you can search for them all at once by placing the 

          word, OR between each word.  Sometimes I'm looking for a number 

          of files to place in a promotional library in the PC Software 

          Center.  I may have a list of the subject lines.  So, I just 

          enter three or four of the GENERIC LABELS at a time with OR in 

          between them.  You can even eliminate a file type by tacking a 

          NOT operator at the end; such as XXXX OR YYYY OR ZZZZ NOT GIF. 

          7.  SCENARIO 7:  WHEN A GENERIC LABEL ISN'T! 

          While most file descriptions have a GENERIC LABEL at the 

          beginning of the subject line, there are times when that just 

          didn't make sense.  So, that all caps word at the beginning of 

          the subject line may indicate a type of file for some libraries. 

          To give examples, the Graphics Forum and Music and Sound Forums 

          make heavy use of a FILETYPE LABEL.  In Graphics, you may have 

          GIF, PCX, ANSI, 24BIT, and many other labels to show the types of 

          files they are.  In Music and Sound, you have a FILETYPE LABEL 

          for each of the different libraries depending on the hardware 

          needed to play the music.  You may have BLASTER, MIDI, ADLIB, 

          CAKEWALK, and many other types that identify those types of 

          files.  Libraries shared by the Windows Forum with Music and 

          Sound and the OS/2 Forum are the WAV sound file libraries. 

          8.  SCENARIO 8:  OTHER CLUES! 

          In closing, there are other clues you can get from the Keywords 

          line that can help you use the File Search Utility effectively. 

          There are several things that different Forums add to the 

          Keywords line to help you.  The Graphics Forum, for example, adds 

          a keyword that tells what type of graphics display you need, CGA, 

          EGA, VGA, SVGA, etc.  The Windows Forum usually adds WIN3 to 

          their keywords.  Most forums add PD for Public Domain, FD for 

          Freely Distributed, Top Value or Top Pick to noteworthy programs, 

          and other things which may be of help to you.  There are also 

          embedded search words for many of the libraries that you may 

          learn just by trial and error.  They don't show in the file 

          descriptions but can be used to search for specific libraries of 

          programs. 

          If I can put in a plug for AOLDBF.... Its a program to let you 

          view your possible program sections offline and thus save on 

          connect charges.  You can use AOLDBF to browse and search through 

          all of the fields mentioned in this article.  You can only do 

          simple searches not using the AND, OR, and NOT logical operators, 

          but with AOLDBF, you CAN hone your skills for searching online 

          and also save some money in the process.  Use the File Search 

          Utility and use the search words, AOLDBF FORUM LISTING, to find 

          the program and its associated databases.