MyLibrary

ver 0.4.5

MyLibrary is a combination of wiki-style notes and file collection. See Concept for more details.

Features:

  1. Server-less wiki-like notes.
  2. Simple tags to render note (<b>,<i>,<link>...).
  3. Drag and drop to add files and links.
  4. Search on file attributes and meta-file in the library.
  5. Content search by Namazu
  6. Smart folder to collect notes by criterions.

User Guide

Concept

The functions mentioned below may not implemented yet

MyLibrary starts from MyWiki, which is a server-less wiki-like application to keep all my notes and files. But it fails for two reasons:

  1. I have to keep note on every file I add.
  2. There is no way to manipulate the files in the document.
Starting from my requirement for an application to handle all my notes and files, mainly literature in PDF format, MyLibrary is created based on MyWiki.

MyLibrary retains as a server-less wiki-like application. Notes can be created and linked together. The more important part is the file handling: There is no need to link every file in the library. In some wiki system, if pages or files are not linked, they are lost. MyLibrary shows all the notes and files in a table view.

Then the next question will be: How to find the files I need ? There are two ways:

  1. Write a note to link them as in wiki.
  2. Search.
The first one is solved since MyLibrary is a wiki-like application. The second one becomes tricky because the files I use: literature in PDF format.

As files, search can be done by looking for the file attributes such as file name or creation date. It is a very limited search because file names or other attributes can not well reflect the content of the files. For document, content of files can be extract for search, but for a stack of literature which discuss the same topic, searching in content is not very specific. Nevertheless, MyLibrary offers search based on file name and attribute, even content of file if it is possible.

Meta-data of each file is handy to compensate the file attributes by adding keyword with file for search. MyLibrary supports wiki-style meta-data for files in the library. Each file will come with a note as wiki page.

The problem for wiki-style meta-data is that all the data is in a text format. In general, people use auther name, published date, title of journal to search literature. These attributes can not be distinguished in wiki-style meta-data. For example, it is impossible to search the weather in the pictures you took using a digital camera. You can write "sun" in the wiki-style meta-data, but it may confusing with "sun burn" or "sun glasses" in the search.

The solution is an attributed-style meta-data for each file. Attributes can be add into MyLibrary for each file and can be searched.

To sum up, there are several ways to search in MyLibrary:

  1. Search on file name and other attributes. Content of files can be search if it is possible.
  2. Search on wiki-style meta-data. Keywords or notes can be added on files for search.
  3. Search on attributes-style meta-data. Specific attributes can be search.

Therefore, MyLibrary offers two ways to organize files.

  1. Wiki-style notes to link everything.
  2. Search on files and their meta-data.
The concept is similar to iPhoto, iTunes or Gmail. Files can be organized manually by links when needed. But search is more handy to deal with hugh amout of data. Choose the one which suits you. Hope MyLibrary help you in any way of your daily life.

This icon is taken from an ancient inscription used around 1,000 BC in China. This kind of inscription is not the oldest, but probably is the first one in the formal writing (the oldest one may be used for fortune telling). These inscriptions are in-between the modern Chinese characters which are highly abstract from their origin and the early pictorial drawing (pictograph). The one chosen here emphasizes the eye, which can be extended as "look" or "search". Most of the inscriptions can only be recognized by experts.

A Special Exhibition of Bronze Inscriptions from the Wastern Chou

Yen-Ju Chen <yjchenx at hotmail dot com>