The primary reason you keep a logbook is that you plan to refer back to the information
in it. The biggest drawback to most computerized database systems is the difficulty in
retrieving information. Some logging databases require that you know the call of the QSO
you want to retrieve. Even if you may retrieve on items other than call, you cannot page
through your data as easily as you can a paper logbook.
LOGic 5 was designed for ease in viewing your data. You will not feel that you are
separated from your logging info by a computer. The multi-record browse window, which is
on the logging screen, displays QSOs in chronological order, just as they would appear in
a manual logbook.
You may page forward or backward through this display. The selected QSO is displayed on
the logging screen. This is a great way to locate a recent QSO or quickly move from QSO to
QSO when in a roundtable or net. You can also use the multi-record mode to display your
QSOs alphabetically by call. You may instantly view the last page of your logbook, or page
backward to older QSOs at any time, even while in the middle of entering a QSO. You may
move quickly to the next or previous QSO with a single keystroke.
Thanks to LOGic 5's state of the art indexing techniques, you may instantly retrieve a
QSO by specifying callsign or date/time no matter how big your database gets! When
retrieving by call or date/time you may enter only the first few characters of the value
to be found.
Searching on call will rearrange the database alphabetically by call. Searching on
date/time will arrange the database chronologically. This is done instantaneously.
You may also change the order of your data by clicking the appropriate header in the
Browse window. Additionally, you may perform incremental search in the browse window. For
example, as you type a callsign, the closest match appears. Advanced users may add their
own indexes to permit additional ordering options or additional fields which can use
incremental search. User-defined fields may be indexed also!
You are not limited to searching by call and
date/time. With the Filter feature, you may search by any field or combination of fields,
including notes and addresses! For instance, you can find all QSOs with California
stations on 10 meters FM. You may search for a value within the middle of a field. For
instance, you may look for “QUAD” anywhere in the comment field. When a filter
is in effect, the Browse window and log form display only matching records. You may also
use the filter feature to count records matching a specified criterion.
When filtering,, any indexes that exist will be used to speed search. In some cases
(for example, when the only criterion is a search for a value in the middle of a field),
the computer must read your entire database and look for matching records. The time
required to do this varies depending on your hardware, complexity of the search, and field
sizes used. 2500 records per second is typical on a minimal system.
