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| Newtechnical features |
Union of International Associations
KG Saur Verlag
1. New/Improved infobase structure
One hit = One record = One organization:
Each organization is now structured into one Folio record so the actualnumber of search hits is the number of organizations corresponding to agiven query.
This permits a more user-friendly and logical approach to searchingthan in version 1.0
This also offers a more useful approach to the creation of groups ofrecords on which repeated searches are to be made (see below)
Database structured by type of organization:
Organizations now appear in the database in alphabetical order withinType. This ensures that national and secondary bodies are not clusteredwith more international bodies, although they remain equally accessible.This allows fuller use of the Folio Contents feature.
Note: The previous version of the Yearbook CD had a more complicateddata structure. The organizations were composed of more than one data recordwhich caused a given query to have a number of hits (number of recordsfound per query) which was higher then the actual number of organizationscorresponding to the query result.
2. Ability to print organizationmailing addresses
Following a search, addresses can be printed in label format. It isnow possible to print the mailing addresses of the organizations that youhave searched for. A macro (accessible from the first screen) has beenadded to facilitate that task (Note: the number of address labels thatyou can print in one operation is limited).
Formatted addresses are normally "hidden" in the organizationrecord. If "unhidden", they can also be cut and pasted into otherdocuments.
3. Pre-defined groups
Folio permits users to identify/create groups of records on which repeatedsearches are to be made. In Version 2.0, there are now pre-defined groupsthat will allow the user to search three categories of groups.
These are:
Subject groups (ca. 6,000): These correspond to the subject groupsin thehardcopy version of the Yearbook (Volume 3). Clustered under 91 principalsubject groups (Medicine, Agriculture, etc) are some 1,200 detailedtopics (Medicine / Physiology, etc) with ca. 1,200 regional topics (Africa+ Medicine, etc), in both cases based primarily on title keywords.In addition there are a further 4,100 subject combination groups (Agriculture+ Medicine).
Regional groups (ca. 250): These are made up of 37 regionalgroupings (Arab, Developing countries, etc) within each of which maybe nested any of 218 countries and territories (each defined withseparate groups) on the basis of organizations having principal or secondaryoffices there. They correspond to groupings in Volume 2 of the hardcopyedition.
Organizational groups (# 41): These cover special forms of organization(clubs, networks, banks, etc)
Selection of any group can be made through nested popups. This can thenlimit any subsequent search. Groups can also be inserted into search templateswith other criteria.
Of course, the usual UIA search template is available for more structuredqueries.
4. Pre-defined macros
Two buttons on the first page enable the novice user to benefit fromsome pwoerful features of Folio BoundViews.
Document + Contents index (tiled): One of the most convenientways to consult the infobases is by using the Folio Contents feature combinedwith the Windows Vertical Tiling feature. The first macro opens the currentinfobase table of contents then tiles horizontally the windows currentlyopen. This introduces the user to one of the many different way of displayingthe windows on the screen. This enables users to click back and forth betweena name index and the corresponding record.
Fast template access: Access to the query template is now possibleby macro from the first screen. This simple macro also informs the userthat this template is available by pressing F1.
5. Interface oriented towardinexperienced users
Infobase icon: The infobase icon located on the toolbar is nowused as a fast way to go back to the first sceen. That icon allows usersto go back to the first screen where the pre-defined groups are located(Note: this icon removes the current query).
Search from the first screen: There was a welcome screen in thefirst version of the Yearbook; the user had to go through that screen toaccess the different infobases. In the new version the user will go directlyto the first screen of the International Organizations infobase and willhave the possibility to start to search right away.
6. Multi-lingual content andaccess:
French language version: With the support of the Agence pourla Cooperation Culturelle et Technique (ACCT), organization profilesfrom the last French edition (1980) of the Yearbook have been extensivelyupdated from the 1996 English text with the aid of a variety of computer-assistedtranslation techniques. Users have the option of installing the French-languageversion of Folio BoundViews which offers extensive Folio Help facilitiesin French. Total entries: ca 34,000.
German and Spanish sample versions: A limited number of organizationdescriptions has been translated into these languages in separate infobases.For other organizations with official names in these languages, their nameand address information has been integrated with the samples in the orderof the language in question. Total entries: German 3,158; Spanish 4,719.
Other languages: For those organizations with official namesin Italian (ca 1,168), Dutch (ca1,100), Portugese (ca 320), Russian (ca300), Nordic (Swedish, Danish... ca. 1,100), Latin (ca. 400) or Esperanto(ca. 150), their name and address information has been presented in separateinfobases in the order of the language in question.
Hyperlinks: In addition to being able to navigate via hyperlinkwithin an infobase for a particular language version, users can move freelyfrom the description of an organization in one language to the descriptionin another (if present). This is done by clicking, where possible, on any"foreign" language title in the description. Using the Windowstiling facility, descriptions in different languages can be viewed in parallel.
Access: Search templates are provided in different languagesfor each of the above databases. The UIA's 100,000 term multilingual thesaurusenables users to access English descriptions using subject terms from otherlanguages, whether or not descriptors appear in that language in the organizationdescription. Even though an infobase may contain very few organizations(eg Portugese), searches uses the "Apply To All" function ofthe search template will locate hits in many more organizations locatedin other infobases, if open.
Biographies: Although the Who's Who biographical database isin English only, organization entries in any language offer hyperlinksto biographical descriptions.
Bibliographies: A fourth bibliographical volume has been addedto the hardcopy Yearbook. The contents appear for the first time as a separateinfobase on this CD.
7. Popups and Notes
National member organizations: As an experiment, and to illustratethe possibility of extending the database in this way, users can clickon those member countries highlighted in some organizational descriptionsin order to have the national contact address displayed in a popup. Searchescan be conducted on the contents of all such popups.
Unofficial title translations: Where unofficial title translationshave been made, these are signalled by special note icons.
8. Platforms
In addition to Windows 3.x and 95 platforms (English and French), supportcontinues to be given to a DOS version (English only). The Macintoshplatform has been discontinued.