Data forms / templates

DEVONthink Tips
1

Hi,

I recently switched to DEVONThink Pro Office and would like it to use it as my main database. Is there a way to use it as a free form database? I am not sure whether I use this word (“free form database”) correctly but I am looking for a “form mask” (which fields I can create by my own) where I can fill in my data. Using the templates is close to that but does not solve the problem because I cannot search the separate form fields in the template. I give an example:

There is a template for Bookends-Citations. Nearly perfect but I have some requests (maybe it’s possible, I don’t know, that’s why I posting this):
1.) I would like to create additional fields (I know this is possible over ‘creating a new template’ - but this is only a minor point, and only useful in combination with point 2 and 3)
2.) I would like that the titles of these fields (such as “Author”) could not be changed when I am filling in this form (i.e. in this case: a template)
3.) I would like - and this is the most important point - to be able to search the separate fields. For example: I would like to search the field “Author” in all similar templates. For example: I open an empty-search-mask and type in the (now empty) field of “Author” the name of the author I search and all the files for which this is true should pop up.

Is there something like that?
Thank you for your support!

Herald

2

The template creates an RTF file, and it’s not possible to make part of an RTF file read-only.

To search for Author you could search for

“Rosseau” NEAR “Author” (or whatever the correct string for Author is) in a smart group, or the find box on the tool bar, or in the Search panel.

(I get better results with NEAR than with NEXT when the terms are in an RTF table. NEXT doesn’t seem to understand table structures.)

The Help file explains how to modify a template.

3

Thank you for the answer. That clarifies the possibilities. Is there a “wish-list” (such forms, or the possibility to create such forms (masks) would be really, really great - if not essential for a real research/writing database)