• Thumbs down

  Review (Using Thinkpad A31 with Windows XP SP2) Although I have given Orpal the "thumbs down" this is mainly because the program just doesn't work properly at present. Something appears to be wrong with the installation file for v3.0.1. The buttons for "New" and "Manual PDF" do not work on the "Getting Started" screen that comes up immediately after the installation process is finished. After pressing "New" one receives a Runtime Package Error: "Missing Master Database File, please reinstall." The program then has to be closed down, with the following message: "Can't call method "destroy_STH on an undefined value at main.pl line 199." Further reinstallations do not sort these problems out. The prior installation file is for v2.51. Although this installed with no problems, the program was very flaky. Even pressing a menu item could on occasion crash the whole program, often making further use of the program impossible until it had been uninstalled and reinstalled. This is a pity as the program seems well-thought out and well-presented. Unlike many sourceforge projects the developer has made a number of helpful annotated screenshots available, although the pdf manual could do with a more detailed "getting started" text to go with them. Because of program instability I was unable to explore it thoroughly. The feature for parsing APA plain-text references, however, looked particularly interesting and useful. I hope the developer is able to sort out the current problems. Maybe having a forum and inviting potential users to comment would help. At the moment there seems to be little in the way of communication between developer and users despite the number of downloads.

  posted by DeeB 28 days ago

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• File released: /orpal/3.0a/ORPAL_3.0.1.exe

  posted 223 days ago

• orpal 3.0a file released: ORPAL_3.0.1.exe

  ============================================================== NEW IN THIS VERSION ============================================================== 3.0a * Code is now in an object-oriented style, using modules * Transitioned to SQLite database exclusively. * User interface improvements * Removed the linking of records, will reintroduce in a later version. * Better handling of notes associated with references. * Used a different packager to improve installation and startup times 2.9 Tags! (any old topics are now treated like tags) * As before, tags can be created on the fly just by adding it to a record * See a list of tags that are associated with the most refs by an author * Tag icons tell you whether there are a little or a lot of refs attached New Organization Features * Auto highlighting of related records (co-authors, tags, etc.) * You can now link records to each other (one-way, use tags for reciprocal) * You can easily search for records attached to more than one tag New Usability Features * More colorful interface, more consistant button interactions * A "home" button, to tag a single record and come back to it easily * Ability to "check" records allows easier handling of batch operactions * The insert tab adapts to the kind of reference you are entering Changes behind-the-scenes * Streamlined code relating to the display of buttons and record highlighting * Storing notes was merged in with the reference system as a "reference" type * A better kind of text field is being used, with unlimited undo & redo * Easier-to-read code 2.51 * More bug fixes * Relative (not fixed) paths are now stored for files in the Library * Fixed some importing and exporting issues * Easy Topic creation--adding a non-existing Topic creates it * Several improvements to topic handling * Fixed the geometry (toggling the nb and list) * Changed the code that governs the topic list * Sped up load of insert tab by using memory less, db more 2.42 * Various obvious bugs were fixed * Delete and Replace ref improved; can now delete with delete key in main view * Fixed display of journals, added display by # of refs within * Fixed error with ShellExecute * Fixed error with MySQL database connection 2.4 * Now on Sourceforge * Various bug fixes regarding author full text search, situating after move errors, and adding non-file locations on the view and edit tabs. * Fixed preferences saving and database drop down box. * Allowed ezsearch box to show on smaller screens. 2.3 * Added coloring for topic membership (ref will be purple if it is in the topic listed in the ezsearch box * Minor bug fixes for author adding and link following 2.2 * Added the ability to search by multiple authors (if a "&" or "," is in the search box) * Various bug fixes on import 2.1 * Various topic-related changes, most notably, allowing you to select all refs asociated wih a topic *or any child topic* * Minor improvements in parsing * Improved display of ref titles and parent refs * Added greying of: 1) refs with no location, 2) authors with no 1st author refs * Added option to turn off duplicate checking (not for authors or sources) [for speed] * Added option to turn off automatic search index buidling [for speed] 2.0 * Added support for SQLite * Streamlined the interface. * Improved the handling of topics. * Various Bug Fixes. 1.5 * Added History arrow to retrieve the most recently looked at references * Streamlined Insert, fixed some of the RegEx's * Modified searching, allows searching within other searches. Only allows one per type (i.e., one author, one keyword, etc.) * Various Bug Fixes 1.3 * Allows selecting the fields for full text search (click on the search icon) * Location dosen't need prefix anymore * Allows for more preferences * If the record is associated with a non-existant file, it will first look in the library directory and if it can't find the file, then it will remove the association. The file must keep the same name. * Made everything UTF-8 compatible for foreign characters * Minor bug fixes 1.0 * Everything!

  posted 224 days ago

• File released: /orpal/2.51/ORPAL_2.51.exe

  posted 785 days ago

• orpal 2.51 file released: ORPAL_2.51.exe

  ============================================================== NEW IN THIS VERSION ============================================================== 2.51 * More bug fixes * Relative (not fixed) paths are now stored for files in the Library 2.5 * Fixed some importing and exporting issues * Easy Topic creation--adding a non-existing Topic creates it * Several improvements to topic handling 2.44 * Fixed the geometry (toggling the nb and list) * Changed the code that governs the topic list * Sped up load of insert tab by using memory less, db more 2.43 * Minor bug fixes 2.42 * Various obvious bugs were fixed * Delete and Replace ref improved; can now delete with delete key in main view * Fixed display of journals, added display by # of refs within 2.41 * Fixed error with ShellExecute * Fixed error with MySQL database connection 2.4 * Name Change -> ORPAL, Open Relational Personal Academic Library Was called RefMan for personal use, but this could conflict with a commercially available software package. To avoid confusion, ORPAL was chosen. * Now on Sourceforge 2.32 * Various bug fixes regarding author full text search, situating after move errors, and adding non-file locations on the view and edit tabs. 2.31 * Fixed preferences saving and database drop down box. * Allowed ezsearch box to show on smaller screens. 2.3 * Added coloring for topic membership (ref will be purple if it is in the topic listed in the ezsearch box * Minor bug fixes for author adding and link following 2.2 * Added the ability to search by multiple authors (if a "&" or "," is in the search box) * Various bug fixes on import 2.1 * Various topic-related changes, most notably, allowing you to select all refs asociated wih a topic *or any child topic* * Minor improvements in parsing * Improved display of ref titles and parent refs * Added greying of: 1) refs with no location, 2) authors with no 1st author refs 2.01 * Added option to turn off duplicate checking (not for authors or sources) [for speed] * Added option to turn off automatic search index buidling [for speed] 2.0 * Added support for SQLite * Streamlined the interface. * Improved the handling of topics. * Various Bug Fixes. 1.5 * Added History arrow to retrieve the most recently looked at references * Streamlined Insert, fixed some of the RegEx's * Modified searching, allows searching within other searches. Only allows one per type (i.e., one author, one keyword, etc.) * Various Bug Fixes 1.3 * Allows selecting the fields for full text search (click on the search icon) * Location dosen't need prefix anymore * Allows for more preferences * If the record is associated with a non-existant file, it will first look in the library directory and if it can't find the file, then it will remove the association. The file must keep the same name. * Made everything UTF-8 compatible for foreign characters * Minor bug fixes 1.0 * Everything!

  posted 785 days ago

• File released: /orpal/2.42/ORPAL_2.42.exe

  posted 880 days ago

• orpal 2.42 file released: ORPAL_2.42.exe

  posted 880 days ago

• File released: /orpal/2.41/ORPAL_2.41.exe

  posted 929 days ago

• orpal 2.41 file released: ORPAL_2.41.exe

  posted 929 days ago