                                                                                Byers, J.A. 1991. Cardcat: A scientific reference manager for IBM-compatible         computers. _American Entomologist_ 37:240-242.                                                                                                             ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                  Abstract  CARDCAT.EXE is a compiled BASIC program that manages references in a  computerized card catalog (database). CARDCAT.EXE and companion files operate   from the DOS command line on IBM-compatible personal computers. The program     system can add, edit, or delete references, import text files of references,    search for multiple text-strings in order to recall and list pertinent          references, and export specified references in any journal style. More than one database can be maintained. Key words, journal styles, and journal abbreviationsare maintained in permanent files, that can be updated. An on-line reference    manual, as well as context-sensitive help screens are included. Optional        features include color, sound, password, and alarm clock. The program system canbe obtained from the author, send mailer and 1 formatted 360K disk. Future      updates may be available for a minimal license fee.                                                                                                             ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                  All phases of entomological research, from the conception and design of methods and experimentation to the analysis and discussion, may benefit from literature searches of databases containing relevant references. Cataloging scientific     literature covering specialized aspects of entomological research is the        responsibility of each researcher. Card catalogues, consisting of sets of cards with references, help in this endeavor but the quality and thoroughness of      literature recall is largely dependent on the memory of the individual. With theadvent of personal computers and database programs, it becomes possible to      computerize one's personal card catalog and improve the recall efficiency of allpertinent references.                                                              The original database programs (such as dBASE) required programming to       computerize reference databases and as such, have been cumbersome and have not  been widely used. More recent programs such as Ref 11, ProCite, Get-a-Ref, and  Reference Manager are better suited to card catalog applications, but they were designed for general use and so may not be as appropriate as a program designed for entomological research. Also, these programs often are quite expensive.        Another facility that is only found in the more recent reference managing    programs is the ability to export references that have been reformatted in the  style of a specific journal. This saves time in the initial draft, as well as   time if the manuscript must be resubmitted to another journal, which usually hasa different style.                                                                 I have developed a program, CARDCAT.EXE, which runs on IBM-compatible        computers from                                                                  the DOS command line. The program is used to type in references and key words   (as well as short notes) in any number of databases. The program also can importreferences from DOS text files and automatically inserts these into the         appropriate alphabetized file. Any reference can be viewed, edited, or deleted. The reference database can be searched for any combinations of from one to threetext-strings with "OR" or "AND" type searches. Lists of key words are kept in a file for each database and can be viewed during editing. References can be      marked and then reformatted into any scientific journal style and exported to a DOS text file for use with a wordprocessor. The journal styles can be edited andstored permanently in a file. Different types of abbreviations of the journal   name also can be stored in various files for use in the journal style           reformatting facility.                                                                                                                                                                Materials and Methods                                                                                                                     The Cardcat system operates on any type of IBM-compatible personal computer     running PC-DOS or MS-DOS 2.1 or higher. A minimum of 256K RAM memory is requiredand both monochrome and color monitors are supported. The system is character-  based so it does not require a graphic card.                                       The source code for the main program, CARDCAT.EXE, was written in QuickBASIC 4.0 (MicrosoftR) and compiled in machine code with the MicrosoftR compiler      version 4.00 and overlay linker version 3.61. The size of CARDCAT.EXE is about  180K bytes and with the companion files take up about 240K bytes of disk space. This leaves only about 120K for reference files or about 250 references on a    360K byte, 5.25 inch, floppy disk. Thus, it is recommended that a 720K, 1.2 or  1.44 M disk drive be used (1000, 2000 or 2500 references, respectively) or      preferably a hard disk (up to 20,800 references in 10 M bytes). The program is  disk-intensive so searches are much faster on computers with hard disks (about  20 s per 1000 references). Extended memory (memory above the DOS 640K limit) canbe used as a RAM disk using the DOS 3.x program RAMDRIVE.SYS. This speeds       searches up by about five times.                                                                                                                                                       Results and Discussion                                                                                                                   The companion files used with the main program, CARDCAT.EXE, are listed in Table1. The name of the main program may be changed but all other files have certain restrictions on their names (Table 1).                                          ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                  Table 1.  Lists of files needed for two databases, the                          default (*.CAT) and any other extension name (*.OTH).                           __________________________________________________________                      *.CAT (default database)           *.OTH (other database)                       __________________________________________________________                        CARDCAT.EXE                         CARDCAT.EXE                                 CARDHELPa                           CARDHELPa                                   CARDCAT.TXTa                        CARDCAT.TXTa                                CARDCAT.DBDa                        CARDCAT.DBDa                                F-KEY#.FILa                         F-KEY#.FILa                                 FORMATS.JORa                        FORMATS.JORa                                LASTAREA.WKa                        LASTAREA.WKa                                JOURNAL.JABb                        BRJOUR.JABb                                 KEYWORDS.CATc                       KEYWORDS.OTHc                               NOTES.CATc                          NOTES.OTHc                                  A.CAT to Z.CATc                     A.OTH to Z.OTHc                           _________________________________________________________                       aFile name can not be changed.                                                  bFile name can be changed but not the extension.                                cOnly file name extensions can be changed.                                      ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                  Context-sensitive help can be obtained from most parts of the program by viewingthe random access file, CARDHELP. In addition, an on-line manual in the file    CARDCAT.TXT contains the text of this article and can be viewed by scrolling    either forward or backward. The CARDCAT.DBD file contains information as to the color, sound, and database currently in use, all of which are permanently storedbut can be changed at any time.                                                    The F-KEY#.FIL file contains the most recent F-key assignments that can be   used to type Greek and mathematical symbols. This file can be revised at any    time and redefines the F-keys each time the program is used. The FORMATS.JOR    file contains the coded information used to format the database references to   the particular journal style desired. Journal styles in this file can be revisedat any time, and any number of journal styles can be included. The JOURNAL.JAB  file contains the journal name abbreviations in the database and a second set ofcorresponding but alternative abbreviations (or full journal names) that are    needed by a specific journal style. Several *.JAB files can be created to match different journal styles of abbreviating journal names.                            More than one database of references can be created for different subjects   (e.g., one for bark beetles and one for grasshoppers). Table 1 shows the files  used in the default database (.CAT, all files are created automatically or with user input), and a second database (.OTH). The KEYWORDS.CAT file contains key   words appropriate for the default database, and any number of KEYWORDS.* files  are possible for each database used.  The NOTES.* file may contain a message    created by the user for each database used. Finally, the 26 files (A.CAT to     Z.CAT) contain the alphabetized references in the default database. For first   authors that begin with non-English letters such as hman, it is suggested that the most similar English letter precede the name (e.g. Ahman). This allows     searches and exportation of the reference into a wordprocessor.                    The major facilities and operation of the main program, CARDCAT.EXE, are     diagrammed in Fig. 1. The arrows between boxes indicate relationships between   program parts but do not necessarily denote program flow.                                                                                                       >      START                Password; Database; Color; Sound; in CARDCAT.DBD                                                                                             <                             Go to Last      > Add New      <> 6-line Word-   Work Area?                  Rererences     > processor      LASTAREA.WK  Ŀ        >    > and Key Word                                     > Highlighter                                                             <                                           MAIN  MENU                Enter Search                    ĳ> Text-string  ĳĳĳ> Search Data-   ADD NEW                       ĳ> base and/or    REFERENCES   <   ĳĳĳĳĳ> Display        to DATABASE                ĳĳĳ> References             > EDIT REF.    <ٳ     > Found          EDIT/DELETE  <        DELETE REF.               or MARK                     NEW SEARCH                                REFERENCES   <ĳ CONT. SEARCH <ĳĳ                                      ADD NEW REF.               KEY WORDS                   EXIT         <ĳĳĳĳ> Move within    EDITOR       <Ŀ        SHELL to DOS <ĳĳĿ       Database;                              Mark/Unmark    SEARCH FOR                                            References     REFERENCES   <Ŀ                                  Journal or   <ĳ                         CHANGE:           ĳ> Key Words                                  DATABASE/                  Editor and                                 COLOR/SOUND          > Display      <Ŀ                                  Place Refer-   IMPORT of                                     ĳĳ> ences in       DOS/WordPer- <ĳĿ                    Alphabetical   fect REFS.               Search for   <ٳ           Order within     ĳĳĳ> 1, 2, or 3             > Database       MARK/UNMARK               Strings ?    <ĳĳٳ    ALL REFS.    <ĳ      AND or OR ?                                                                            RE-FORMAT                                                                MARKED REFS. <Ŀ                                        and EXPORT       ĳ> Database     <ĳĳ                 Formatter    <ĳ       Re-Format      JOURNAL                        > according to   RE-FORMAT       ĳĿ                                 Journal        CODES EDITOR <Ŀ            > Style in                > Save to DOS  <           FORMATS.JOR    JOURNAL                    Text File;                   ABBREVIATION <ĳ     Print/View   <                          EDITOR                                                                              > View Help      RE-DEFINE                                 Screens:       F-KEYS             > Re-Format    <       CARDHELP                      Editor:                       HELP or EXIT                 Article/Book                                  from PROGRAM <Ŀ   or Chapter                   <Ŀ               > Change your                                                               Password ?    <ĳ>                Perpetual Calender          HELP SCREENS <ٳ                         PASSWORD     <                                  ALARM CLOCK            > Notes Word-       > TO MAIN MENU                 processor      Read this Text File: <> READ MANUAL                   CARDCAT.TXT                  EDIT NOTES   <                              EXIT CARDCAT >                                       Elapsed time and END                                                                                                                                          Fig. 1. Relations of program parts of CARDCAT.EXE, a reference management systemfor the IBM-compatible personal computer.                                                                                                                       One begins by typing "cardcat" at the DOS command line. The program loads and   then checks to see if a password has been set. Color, sound and database optionsare set within the CARDCAT.DBD file. The main menu displays a perpetual calenderwith the current date and day of week (e.g. Monday) as well as the time. Other  calender months, past or future, can be viewed by pressing the arrow keys. Thereare 12 options to choose from in the main menu (Fig. 1). Most of the options areself-explanatory and simple to use while other options can be learned with some experimentation.                                                                   The ADD NEW REFERENCES to DATABASE option (Fig. 1) is used to type in        references for the first time using a six-line wordprocessor. Model references  are shown to indicate the style required by the database. Italicized words or   phrases such as genus species and journal name are denoted by the underline "_" symbol before and after the phrase. Specific macros are required to convert the underlined phrases to italicized phrases in each type of commercial             wordprocessor. A unique feature of CARDCAT.EXE is that one does not have to     enter authors or date, for example, into special cells or fields as in other    database managers, but instead types the reference in a common format (Author,  date, title, journal, vol.:pages) known to entomologists.                          The EDIT/DELETE or MARK REFERENCES option requires that one enter a text-    string which will then be searched for in the database. Beginning with the A.CATfile, the reference with the first occurrence of the text-string is then        displayed along with adjacent references. The options now include editing the   reference with the six-line wordprocessor, deleting the reference, searching fora new text-string, continuing the search, adding a new reference, or moving to  other references in the database with the arrow keys. When moving within the    database one may mark or unmark any reference so that, if marked, it can be     exported to a commercial wordprocessor later.                                      The KEY WORDS EDITOR option can be used to enter new key words into the      alphabetized list, edit or delete key words, and view the list that is stored inthe file KEYWORDS.CAT. The key words editor also can be used in the six-line    wordprocessor during the editing of references. When saving an edited reference,the key words list is used to find and highlight all key words in the reference.   The SEARCH FOR REFERENCES option is used to search for references in the     database with a combination of search text-strings. Up to three text-strings    combined with Boolean logic using either "OR" or "AND" can be searched. The     program displays from 1-3 references on screen and waits for keyboard input to  continue the search, mark any of the displayed references, exit or repeat the   search, or print any part of the screen a line at a time. The fifth option,     CHANGE: DATABASE/COLOR/SOUND, has been described above and is                   self-explanatory.                                                                  The IMPORT of DOS/WordPerfect REFS. option is used to import references in   DOS text files of any width, that have been saved by wordprocessors or text     editors. This is convenient because a familiar text editor can be used. The DOS text file can be of any length but each reference should not be longer than 480 characters as it will be formatted to 6 lines by 80 characters. There also must be a blank line between references. For example, WordPerfect can save text in a DOS text file with a width of up to 240 characters, although 70-110 is the usualrange. After each reference is imported and reformatted into the database style,it can be edited further (or deleted), if necessary, before the next reference  in the DOS text file is imported. The MARK/UNMARK ALL REFS. option usually is   used to unmark all references in preparation for a new session. By marking all  references, one could obtain a reformatted print-out of all references in a     particular journal style.                                                          The JOURNAL REFORMAT CODES EDITOR is used to develop a list of journal stylesthat will help in reformatting references in the database to any selected       journal style. The style code for each journal is permanently saved in          FORMATS.JOR but can be revised if necessary. Sample references are shown        reformatted according to the current code so one must simply adjust the code    appropriately according to a menu-driven list of options. Once the code is      perfected it need never be changed. After establishing the appropriate code for a particular journal, one may REFORMAT MARKED REFS. and EXPORT. The program     requests the output form, save to text file or print or both. Assuming the      output is to go to a DOS text file, then the program requests the journal style,which must exist in the journal codes file (FORMATS.JOR), and then begins       searching for marked references in the database. Marked references are          reformatted in the appropriate journal style. Options include indentation size  (0-10 spaces), width of line (50-250 characters) and numbering of references. Onscreen viewing of the created DOS text file is finally shown before exiting to  the main menu.                                                                     The JOURNAL ABBREVIATION EDITOR option allows alternative abbreviations for  the journal names, such as the full name in capital letters. Any number of *.JABfiles can be created for any possible abbreviation style needed. The REDEFINE F-KEYS option shows the available ASCII characters that can be used in the        database to obtain Greek and mathematical symbols, among others, on screen.     However, these characters may not print with all wordprocessor and printer      combinations. The HELP or EXIT from PROGRAM option changes from one to another  menu (Fig. 1, bottom middle). Here one may view all of the context-sensitive    help screens, the text and figure of this paper, shell to DOS, change the       password, set an alarm clock, or edit the note area. A 15 line by 40 character  wordprocessor is used to create and display notes for each of the databases if  desired. Finally, one may exit the program with an elapsed time use message.       CARDCAT has proven its usefulness to the author and several colleagues and   should be helpful to entomologists and scientists in general. The program can   also be used to manage ideas, lists of things (such as slides), and other       information (Howard 1988), as long as the data begin with the English letters A-Z. Thus, for example, one could list slides as A1, A2, etc., or by subject as   Scolytidae 1, etc.                                                                                                                                              Acknowledgment                                                                                                                                                     Funding for the project was obtained in part from the Swedish Research       Councils (NFR, FRN, SJFR and STU), and Hildur and Sven Wingqvist's Stiftelse. F.Schlyter provided valuable criticism useful in the design and debugging of the  program.                                                                                                                                                        References Cited                                                                                                                                                Howard, B. 1988. Classified intelligence: Managing personal information. P. C.   Mag. 7(21):92-95.                                                              ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                  John A. Byers is a member of the Pheromone Research Group, Dept. of Plant       Protection, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-23053 Alnarp, Sweden.______________________________________________________________________________  