Getting started

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Welcome to SoftCAT!

SoftCAT is a database program designed to help you organize your software. Not only will SoftCAT help you know what you have and where it is, but it will also help you keep track of important information like serial number, registration name, and other registration information. You never know when you NEED this information!

The first time you start SoftCAT, you see the "Welcome" screen. To open the sample database (Sample.mdb) click Open Sample Database. This database contains a few program records to help you familiarize yourself with SoftCAT. Before you can start cataloging your software, you must create your own database.

The main SoftCAT window is divided into three parts:

1.The menu/toolbar at the top of the window.
2.The view bar to the left.
3.The rest of the window is occupied by the active view. There are a total of 3 different views: Explorer View, Program View, and Lookup View.

Here is the Explorer View:

When you open a database, SoftCAT opens the Program View by default. To activate another view, click the view you want to activate in the view bar, select from the View button on the toolbar, or use the View menu.

For example, to activate the Explorer View, open the View menu and choose Explorer View (you can also press the Ctrl+1 shortcut). The Explorer is a fully featured browser integrated into the main window that allows you to search/browse your database.

You will use the Program View the most. This is the view you use when you want to add new programs to the database. To active the Program View, choose Program View from the View menu (or simply press the Ctrl+2 shortcut).

All views, except the Explorer view, utilize the same layout.

The main part of the view is occupied by the browse list, with the explorer pane below the list.

To the left of the browse list you see the grouping list, and above this, the drop-down list with available grouping definitions. The grouping feature is used to determine which programs that are displayed in the browse list, and makes it possible to work with a subset of the database.

Above the browse list, you see three drop-down lists:

The drop-down list to the left includes available list layouts. A list layout contains information about which fields to display in the program list. You can create as many list layouts as you want.
The drop-down list in the middle includes available sort orders. A sort order defines the order in which programs are displayed. The data in the database remains the same; only the way data is being displayed changes. Note: You can also change the sort order by clicking the header of the column you want to sort on.
The drop-down list to the right includes available filters. A filter is used to determine which programs that are displayed in the browse list, and makes it possible to work with a subset of the database.

To add a new program and manually enter the data, choose Add from the Program menu (or press the Ctrl+N shortcut).

To auto-catalog programs installed on your computer, choose Add - Auto-Catalog from the Program menu (Not included in SoftCAT Free). This will search your computer for installed programs and auto-catalog these programs (title, version, publisher, icon, installation folder, installation date and program file). 

To edit a program, simply double-click the program you want to edit in the browse list. This opens the 'Program Edit' window.

To close the data entry window, click the OK button (or choose Close Window from the File menu). All changes are automatically saved.

If you need support, don't hesitate to contact us. If you want to order SoftCAT, please see our web site.

We hope you enjoy using SoftCAT!




Do you have question? E-mail us at support@fnprg.com.