Records Wizard John Woodward Introduction Records Wizard is a secure file manager that allows you to collect important records (such as bank statements, credit card statements investment records, bills or receipts) in a database and allow for: easy addition of new files (importing), organization of files in hierarchical folders, optional organization of files by date, AutoFile: the ability to automatically file imported files in the proper folder and by date, easy access to existing files (browsing, finding, smart folders exporting, printing, emailing) the ability to associate notes with files or folders, the ability to associate attributes with files (e.g., cost) and produce reports based on those attributes, the ability to associate tags with files and use them to find files quickly, reminders to download or scan in recurring records such as financial statements, (including an integrated website password manager with advanced features to make it easy for you to go to websites to download the records), and an integrated web browser to make importing PDF statements quick and easy, encrypting the database, and automatic or manual backup of the database. Think of it as a replacement for a file cabinet but with easier filing and retrieval. You can also use it just to keep any files together...especially useful for PDFs. A trend today with financial institutions and utilities is to stop sending paper copies of bills and statements, and instead make them available online. However, this information is not available online forever, and is inconvenient to access across all of your financial institutions because you have to login to multiple web sites. If you wanted to review all your statements for December of 2017, you would have a lot of work to do. Though the online statements are often available for downloading, you have problem of organizing the information. Records Wizard addresses this problem by providing a database customized for storing and accessing such records in a single database file. If you still get some statements only in paper form and you have a scanner, then you might find it more convenient to scan the statements and store them in Records Wizard rather than maintaining a paper file system. You could also scan and organize receipts, instructions, etc. Also, MacOS X allows you to print anything to PDF, which you could then save in Records Wizard. Even though Records Wizard was motivated by the problem of managing large amounts of bills and statements, it could be used to organize any files on your computer.

Contents Features Quickstart The Database Window Date Folders Adjusting The Window Sorting Importing Integrated Web Browser Import Folder AutoFile: Automatic Filing Date Formats Import Logs File Attributes Date Attributes Custom Attributes Tag Attributes Folder Attributes AutoFile Attributes Reminders Attributes Website Attributes (Password Manager) Finding Files or Folders Smart Folders With Find Command With Button Select Producing Reports Exporting Printing Database Backup Preferences General Backup Importing User ID/Password Web Browser Reminders Security Features Read-Only Databases Reliability Features FAQs Macintosh Requirements Version History How To Pay

Records Wizard Features

Records Wizard allows you to create multiple database files, each of which can contain any number of other files. Adding a file to a database is called importing.  Once imported, the following types of files can be viewed in Records Wizard: Microsoft Word files, most RTF and HTML files, plain text files, image files, PDF files, and Quicktime video and audio (which can be played). Other types of files can be imported, and you can open them with their default application from within Records Wizard, or export them.

Files and folders can be imported in many ways, see Importing.  Note that you can scan or print to PDF to import anything into the database.

Records Wizard allows you to create hierarchical folders into which your records are filed. The contents of the folders can be sorted as you specify. Imported files can be automatically filed in folders based on either their content (for text files only) or their filename. You can optionally associate notes and attributes (including tags) with each file (such as a start date and an end date), which can be used to make it easier to find the file later.

You can access your records in several ways. You can browse the folders, where you will find files organized by date ( if you associated dates with the files). You can also use the Find command to find records by folder/file name or path, by notes,  by date, by attribute, by tag, or by content. You can also create Smart Folders--folders that are continuously updated to contain files that match the find criteria associated with the Smart Folder, or via the Button Select feature.

You can produce reports or graphs based on the attributes of files in Smart Folders.

You can export files, print them or email them using Mail.

You can associate reminders with folders to remind you when to download or scan in records that go in that folder.

Because Records Wizard stores important records, it can be configured to automatically make backup copies your data, and to encrypt your records with 128-bit AES encryption to keep them secure. You can also backup your database manually.

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Quickstart

• When you first start Records Wizard it will prompt you to create a database file.
• The newly-created database will come with one folder, Unfiled, which you cannot delete or rename.
• You can then import files into Unfiled, or create other folders and import files into them.
• If you assign an end date to a file, it will automatically be filed by year and month within its folder (except when in the Unfiled folder).
• The database file is updated whenever you make a change. There is no need (or ability) to explicitly save changes.

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The Database Window

When you first start the program, you will be prompted to create a database file. After choosing a name and location for your database, the database window will appear. An example database window with several folders created and files imported is shown at the right. At the upper left of the window appears the Browser panel, which contains the folder and file names, with triangles to allow you to expand folders (show their contents). This Browser looks and works very much like the Finder. At the right of the window is the file display area, which displays the selected file. Note that:

• Folders are hierarchical.
• Clicking on a triangle expands or collapses the associated folder. Option-clicking expands or collapses the associated folder and its contents.
• The folder with the icon is a Smart Folder.
• The "Unfiled" folder is reserved to hold imported files, and cannot be deleted or renamed, and cannot have folders within it.  It has a red icon () to indicate that it is used specially by Records Wizard.
  
• You can double-click a name to edit it (unless you change the meaning of double-click in the Preferences).
• You can drag multiple folders and/or files to rearrange them within the same database. You cannot drag anything into "Unfiled" or a Smart Folder or put "Unfiled" or a Smart Folder in any other folder.  Dragging with the Option key held down copies folders or files within the database.
  
• You can drag multiple folders and/or files between browsers in different databases to copy them from one database to another.
• You can drag files to a Finder window or the Desktop to export them.
• You can drag files to the Trash to delete them.
  
• You can drag and drop folders between a database and a PW Master/Password Wizard file.  When you drag folders from a Records Wizard database to a PW Master/Password Wizard file, each folder with password data specified will create an entry in the file.  When you drag entries from PW Master/Password Wizard to Records Wizard, folders are created for each entry.
• "Year" and "Month" folders (with the  icon) appear at the bottom of a folder to organize files with dates associated. These date folders are automatically created and deleted as needed. They cannot be  renamed. For more on information on these date folders, click here. To change the date associated with a file, use the Attributes Panel.
• If a "month" folder contains a single file, it is not normally expanded because operating on the folder operates on the file. This is to avoid visual clutter. You would need to expand the folder only to rename the file, or if there are multiple files for the same date (which would be rare in the same folder).
• The small blank area below the Browser is for Notes you can optionally associate with each folder or file. You might use file notes to indicate why you saved a particular file, or where you got it. You might use folder notes to record how to download the information that goes in the folder.You can drag the bar above it to change the note's size. 
  

Records Wizard keeps a history of files and folders you have selected in the Browser in much the same way as any internet browser. You move backward and forward in the history using the and buttons above the file display area (or command-[ for back, or command-] for forward). The history is also used to allow you to see file or folder you have imported if you import multiple at once. After importing, say three files, all three will be selected in the browser, and hence none will be displayed. By clicking the back button three times you can see each file imported.

Below the file display area is an area that displays reminders. Two reminders are shown at the right, but if you have no reminders, the panel will be collapsed and take up no space. You can drag the line above the reminders to manually adjust the size of the reminders panel.

The buttons below the Browser panel allow you to operate on folders and files as follows:

• Create folder (command-shift-N). If an unexpanded folder is selected, the new folder is created below (though the folder names might be automatically alphabetized depending on the sorting options. If an expanded folder (other than "Unfiled" or a Smart Folder) is selected, the new folder is created in the selected folder. You can create a folder only if a single non-date folder (or nothing) is selected. The newly-created folder will be selected and its name will be in edit mode, so you can conveniently name it whatever you would like.
• Delete selected folders or files (delete key).
• Expand all folders (command-shift-X).
• Collapse all folders (command-shift-C).
• Sort selected folders alphabetically (command-shift-S). If you have not specified in the sorting menu that files and folders be alphabetized, you can manually sort them with this button.
• Rename selected folder or file name (command-shift-R) This is the same as double-clicking a name unless you set the Preference to have double-clicking a file open the file.
• Create a Smart Folder containing the files selected in the browser, and/or files in selected folders.
• Show or hide the Attributes Panel (command-shift-A). The panel opens below the notes area, and allows you to view or edit the attributes associated with the selected folder, the displayed file, or its folder. See Adjusting The Window for more information on how the Attributes Panel appears in the window.
• Create a Smart Folder containing the files with selected ending date month and/or year (Button Select). 
• Toggle between showing only current reminders or all reminders.

If you select a file or a date folder that contains only one file, the file will be displayed as shown at the right. Microsoft Word, most RTF and HTML, plain text, image files, PDF files, and Quicktime video and audio (which can be played) can be displayed in Records Wizard.

If your are viewing an image (including PDF), these buttons below the image display allow you to adjust the zoom and rotation of the image as follows:

• Zoom In; Make image larger by 20%.
• Zoom Out; Make image smaller by 10%.
• Rotate Right; by 90 degrees.
• Rotate Left; by 90 degrees.
• Reset: Restore image size and rotation to their original values.

Note that these image changes are remembered the next time you view the image, but that the image file itself is not changed. These size and rotation changes do not effect the file when printed.

These buttons below the file display allow you to operate on the displayed file as follows:

• Open file with Finder . This will cause the file to opened with its default application. This button is enabled for all files. This feature is intended for viewing files only. If the default application is an editor such as TextEdit, note that you will not be able to save any changes to files in a Records Wizard database because they are write protected.
  
• Open file with Preview . This button is enabled only for image and PDF files. 
• Open file with Adobe. This button is enabled only for PDF files. It is unfortunate that some web sites produce PDF that will display correctly only in an Adobe product. The first time you click this button you will be asked to find an Adobe product on your hard drive. If you want to change Adobe products later, option-click the button.

You can also duplicate the displayed file using the Duplicate File command in the File menu (command-D). A duplicate allows you to file the same file in multiple places at the same time, for example, to file a receipt for oil burner repair under "Receipts" and under "Oil". Duplicates are created in the Unfiled folder. After you make the duplicate, you can drag it to the folder of your choice. Note that Duplicate File does not make an extra copy of the file itself (just its attributes), and thus does not use much extra disk space.

You can copy anything displayed in the file display into the clipboard in the standard way. If text is displayed, text will be copied; otherwise an image will be copied.

Date Folders

Date Folders are automatically created and deleted as needed to hold files with which you associate starting and ending dates. Date folders are not used to file by modified date. Date folders can be years, such as "2006", or months, for which three-letter abbreviations are used. Date Folders have a special icon in the Browser: . You cannot rename Date Folders, but you can delete them. If you do delete them, you delete the files they contain as well. To remove a file from a date folder, you just clear or change the dates associated with the file.

What happens, you might ask, if you create your own folders with same name as Date Folders? This is not recommended because confusion can occur. If you create yours after a date folder has been created, yours will get a unique name by appending a number to the end of the name, so "Jan" would become "Jan2". But if you create yours before Records Wizard tries to automatically create one with the same name, yours will be used, and no additional folder will be created. In this case: 1) your date folder will not have the special icon, and 2) it will never be automatically deleted when it is emptied, because Records Wizard knows it did not create it.

Adjusting The Window

When the Attributes Panel is displayed the window appears as at the right, by clicking the show/hide Attributes button ().

You can adjust the sizes of the Browser, and Notes panels in the window at any time by dragging the divider between them. The height you set for the notes will be maintained if you resize the window or adjust the width of the left-hand areas.

The width of the Browser,  Notes and Attributes is fixed.

If the database is Encrypted, a lock icon () will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the window.

Sorting

As specified above, you can use the button below the Browser to manually sort the selected folder(s), or you can specify automatic sorting. The Sorting menu, shown at the right, controls how files and folders in the Browser are automatically sorted. By default, files and folders are not automatically sorted, allowing you to arrange them as you wish by dragging them, unless you turn on Keep non-date files and folders sorted.

Year and month folders, which are automatically created to organize files with associated ending dates, are always kept at the bottom of each folder. You can also control how the year and month folders are arranged at the bottom of each folder.

These sorting options are stored per-database, so you can sort different databases differently.

Importing

Files can be imported in five ways:

1. by using the Import... command under the File menu, which allows you to specify files or folders to import;
2. by dropping files or folders on the Records Wizard icon in the Finder or in the Dock;
3. by dragging files or folders from the Finder directly into the Browser; by
4. Using the integrated web browser to import a PDF directly, or
   
5. by moving files or saving files into a folder you designate as the Import Folder for the database and then bringing the database window forward (or just starting Records Wizard). Files imported via the Import Folder are automatically deleted after they are imported.

Folders can be imported in three ways:

1. by using the Import... command under the File menu, which allows you to specify folders to import;
2. by dropping folders on the Records Wizard icon in the Finder or in the Dock; or
3. by dragging folders from the finder directly into the Browser.

The contents of the clipboard can be imported as a file using the Import From Clipboard command under the File menu. The type of the file created is based on the type of data in the clipboard. If Records Wizard does not recognize the type of data, you will be prompted to provide the proper extension (e.g., .doc) for the file.

Note that folders can be imported via the Import... command, or by dropping them on the Records Wizard icon, or by dragging them into the Browser, but NOT by placing them in the Import Folder.  If you import a folder:

• by dragging it as a top-level folder in the Browser, the folder and its contents will be imported as a hierarchy, because individual files cannot be at the top level.
  
• by dragging it to Unfiled, only the files it contains are imported, because folders cannot be in Unfiled.
  
• in any other way, Records Wizard will prompt you as shown at the right.

If you choose "Import Files Only", all of the files in the folder and in any folders it contains will be imported as if each file had been individually imported.

However, if you choose "Import As Hierarchy", the folder and its contents are imported together into the selected folder or as a top-level folder if the Unfiled folder or nothing is selected.   Any folders within the imported folder are also imported as folders.  Files within the imported folder or its subfolders are not automatically filed.

When you use the Import... command with a non-date folder selected, the specified files will be imported into the selected folder or the containing non-date folder if a file or date folder was selected. If the Unfiled folder or nothing is selected, the imported files are automatically filed if possible or filed in Unfiled by default.

When you drop files on the Records Wizard icon in the Finder or in the Dock, they are automatically filed if possible or filed in Unfiled by default.

Files dragged into the Browser are automatically filed by date only.

Whenever Records Wizard is brought forward (e.g. when it is started), any files in the database's Import Folder are automatically filed if possible or filed in Unfiled by default. Files imported via the Import Folder are automatically deleted from the Import Folder after they are imported.

Note that you cannot import Records Wizard databases.

Files and folders imported are selected after importation so you can easily see where they were filed. Each individual file and folder imported is put into the Browser History so you can see each individual file and folder imported by successively hitting the Back arrow above the file display area ().

Integrated Web Browser

1. Faster.  With an external web browser, artificially long page load delays (specified in the preferences) must be used to assure that pages are loaded before automatically entering userIDs and passwords.  The integrated web browser knows when a page has loaded, so the delays are shorter.
2. Easier to import PDFs.  Once you navigate in the web browser to a PDF you want to import, you need only click a button to import it.
3. Easier to download PDFs.  If your website downloads PDFs (as opposed to allowing you to view them in the browser), they will be automatically imported.
   
4. Easier to print to PDF and Import.  For websites that do not provide PDFs, the Print function automatically converts the web content to PDF and imports it.

• When a PDF is viewed in the browser, you have the option to import it with a name you choose by clicking a button.
• If your website forces PDFs to be downloaded (as opposed to viewed in the browser), they will be imported with a name that you choose.
  
• Printing automatically converts the page to PDF and imports it with a name you choose.
• There is a button to set the URL in the folder Website Attributes (Password Manager) to the URL being displayed.
  
• You cannot enter arbitrary URLs in the browser...it uses URLs specified in the Website Attributes (Password Manager) associated with Records Wizard folders.
• It has no tabs, history, or bookmarks.
• It does not remember form data, passwords, etc.
• It has a limited set of preferences compared to Safari.

Import Folder

You can also specify (via the Edit menu's Import Folder Specification command) that files placed in a certain folder on your disk (a Records Wizard folder is not meant here) will be imported automatically whenever a database window is brought forward (e.g. when Records Wizard is started). Files will be deleted from the Import Folder after they are imported.

As shown at the right you can browse to select an existing folder as the import folder or you can create a new folder. If you select an existing folder, it must be empty, to prevent you from accidentally importing and deleting files in an existing folder.

AutoFile: Automatic Filing

When files are imported via dropping on the Records Wizard icon or via the Import Folder, or via the Import... command, or within a folder not imported as a hierarchy, the files are automatically filed if possible. The folder imported into is determined by a setting in the Importing Preferences, with default as follows:

• If a reminder is selected, the reminder's folder is used; otherwise,
• If a folder in the browser other than Unfiled is selected, it is used; otherwise
• If the filename matches a folder, it is used; otherwise
• If the text in a file matches a folder, it is used; otherwise
• The folder Unfiled is used.

You can change the order of the first 4 in the Preferences. When you import files by dragging them into the Browser, you are specifying the folder you want them in, so a folder is not automatically chosen as described above, but they will be automatically filed by date as described in this section.

After finding a folder, Records Wizard then tries to automatically associate starting and ending dates with each file by 1) trying to match the filename or 2) trying to match the text of a text or PDF file, in that order.

If only an ending date is found the starting date is defaulted to one month before. If only a starting date is found, the ending date is defaulted to one month after. If neither is found no dates are associated with the file.

Matching Filenames

If the filename in total (not including the extension), or that portion of the filename up to the first "+" matches a folder name, that folder is used. You can specify what "matches" means via the Importing Preferences.

If a "+" appears in the filename, that portion of the filename after the first "+", up to the second "+" (if present), if interpretable as a date, is used as the ending date if only one "+" appears in the filename, else as the starting date. If two "+"s appear in the filename, that portion after the second "+" is interpreted as the ending date.

Thus, filenames can have any the following four formats:

FolderMatch
FolderMatch+EndingDate	( in this case the starting date is defaulted to the number of months indicated by the Reminder interval (if any), with a default of 1 month before the ending date; use for monthly or periodic statements)
FolderMatch+StartingDate+	( in this case the ending date is defaulted to the starting date; use for receipt)
FolderMatch+StartingDate+EndingDate
FolderMatch+Q1	to specify a quarter (or Q2 or Q3 or Q4 or q1 or q2 or q3 or q4--uses quarter prior to current date)
FolderMatch+1Q	to specify a quarter (or 2Q or 3Q or 4Q or 1q or 2q or 3q or 4q--uses quarter prior to current date)
FolderMatch+2006Q1	to specify a quarter in a particular 2 or 4 digit year (or Q2 or Q3 or Q4 or q1 or q2 or q3 or q4
FolderMatch+1Q2009	to specify a quarter in a particular 2 or 4 digit year (or 2Q or 3Q or 4Q or q1 or 2q or 3q or 4q

A number of date formats are supported.

Matching Text

If the filename cannot be matched and the file is a text file or a PDF file that contains searchable text (Mac OS X 10.4 or later), Records Wizard tries to match the text using AutoFile Attributes associated with folders.

If no dates are found in the filename and the file is a text file or a PDF file that contains searchable text (Mac OS X 10.4 or later), Records Wizard tries to find dates in the text using AutoFile Attributes associated with folders.

PDFs can represent many types of information. Sometimes they represent an image, such as when a scanner produces a PDF file. Other times, such as when Mac OS X produces a PDF by printing to PDF, the PDF can contain text that is searchable. In this case, the PDF can be searched as text and automatically filed. Records Wizard supports searchable text in PDFs only on Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Date Formats

The following date formats are supported in text files when trying to match a date in a file with folder attributes for automatic filing:

m/d/y
m-d-y
yyyy/m/d
yyyy-m-d
yyyymmdd
Month d, y
d Month y
d-Month-y

where: m is a 1 or 2 digit month, d is a 1 or 2 digit day, y is a 2 or 4 digit year, yyyy is a 4 digit year and Month is an English month or abbreviation The year in the above is optional, and will be defaulted to the current year if not present.

The following additional date formats are supported in filenames or as file date attributes:

m/d
m-d
Month d
d Month
d-Month

with these formats the current year is used.

If you have a date format that is not supported, feel free to contact the author to add support for the date format.

Import Logs

You can enable in the preferences that an import log be created for each import. Import Log files are named with the date and time of the import, and are filed in the folder "Import Logs" if it exists, else in the folder "Unfiled

File Attributes

Files can have attributes associated with them. Files can have starting and ending dates, just like bank and credit card statements. A file with date attributes associated will be organized by year and month of the ending date in its folder. The dates can also be matched by the Find command. 

Files can also have custom attributes associated with them.  These are attributes that you create, associate with specific files, and assign values to.  Custom attributes can be used to find files with the Find command or to produce reports or graphs.

Finally, files can have tags associated with them, to be used for finding files.

You use the Attributes Panel to view or edit attributes, which you can open or close with the button or shift-A. The Attributes Panel allows you to view or edit the attributes associated with the selected folder, the displayed file, or its folder. The attributes panel appears in the lower left of the database window as shown above.

Date Attributes

Files can have starting and ending dates, just like bank and credit card statements. A file with date attributes associated will be organized by year and month of the ending date in its folder. The dates can also be matched by the Find command. 

If you opened the attributes panel with the Feb 2018 Oil bill selected in the above example window, the attributes panel would appear as at the right. You can edit the date attributes for the selected file or its folder, "Visa Card". Note that attributes can be associated only with real folders, not date folders or Smart Folders.

In addition to entering starting and ending dates directly, you can, as a shorthand, enter a specification of the quarter and optionally year, which automatically sets both the starting and ending dates.  The Quarter/Year specification should be one of the following formats: 1q, q1, 2q, q2, 3q, q3, 4q, q4, 1qyy, 2qyy, 2qyy, 4qyy, yyq1,yyq2, yyq3, yyq4.  You can also enter Q instead of q, and yy can be a 2 digit or 4 digit year.  If no year is entered the current year is assumed.

A number of date formats are supported.

Custom Attributes

Files can also have custom attributes associated with them.  These are attributes that you create, associate with specific files, and assign values to.  Custom attributes can be used to find files with the Find command or to produce reports or graphs.

If you click on the Custom tab of the file attributes panel, the panel appears as at the right. Here you can add custom attributes to the selected file.

Before you can add a custom attribute to a file, you must first create the name (type) for the attribute. This is done by clicking on the "Edit Attribute Names" button or by selecting "Custom Attribute Names" under the Edit menu. When you do this the window below appears. In this example, two custom attribute names (types) have already been defined: price and gallons.

To add a custom attribute to the file, click on the button in the attributes panel. Shown at the right is the attributes panel with two custom attributes added to the file. In this example, we are keeping track of the total price for each oil delivery, along with the number of gallons used. You cannot add the same attribute type to a file more than once.

Tag Attributes

Files can also have tags associated with them.  Tags can be specified in the Find command to find files easily.  You can also select files by tag using the button select feature.  Tags are specified manually as shown at the right. 

Auto Tagging

Tags can be automatically assigned to files by scanning them looking for tags.  This auto tagging works well for journal articles that specify keywords that you would like to use as tags.  Furthermore, if you use MailTags, you can file email messages saved as PDF and those tags can be automatically associated with the files.

Auto tagging is specified under the Tags menu, which is shown above.  If you select Specify Auto Tagging..., you will get the dialog shown at the right.

Folder Attributes

Folders can have attributes associated with them. Folder attributes are used to automatically associate text files with folders and its starting and ending dates (AutoFile), to set reminders that you should download or scan files to go in the folder, or to specify the website, user ID and password to make downloading easier (Password Manager).

You use the Attributes Panel to view or edit attributes, which you can open or close with the button or shift-A. The Attributes Panel allows you to view or edit the attributes associated with the selected folder, the displayed file, or its folder. The attributes panel appears in the lower left of the database window as shown above.

If you click on the Folder tab you can edit the attributes associated with the folder, as shown at the right. There are three types of folder attributes: those specifying reminders, those specifying the website from which contents of the folder is downloaded, and those specifying automatic filing. Shown at the right are the Filing attributes, which are used to automatically file imported text and searchable PDF files. If an imported file contains the specified "Folder Match" string, it will automatically be filed in the folder. If an imported file contains the specified "Starting Date Match" string, and a date follows that string in the file, the date will automatically be associated with the file as its starting date. Similarly, if an imported file contains the specified "Ending Date Match" string following the starting date (if specified), and a date follows that string in the file, the date will automatically be associated with the file as its ending date.

The best way to specify the match strings is to select them in the file display area, then click one of the "Use Selected Text" buttons. In Mac OS X 10.4 or later you can select text in searchable PDFs. If a PDF is searchable, turning on "Show selected PDF as text to select it" will display the searchable text in the PDF in the file display area, where you can then select the text and click on "Use Selected Text" to use it.

The "Show selected PDF as text to select it" switch will not appear on systems prior to 10.4.

A number of date formats are supported.

Note that folder attributes are not the only mechanism to automatically file imported files.

Reminders Attributes

If you select the Reminders tab in the folder attributes, the reminder attributes appear, as shown at the right. Reminders are useful for records that must be downloaded or are received on a set schedule. You can specify monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or yearly reminders. For yearly reminders you can specify the month and the day of the month. For others you specify just the day of the month.

You can also specify the text of the reminder. This can be used to specify complex instructions for downloading, like "display in Safari then print to PDF".

In the Preferences, you can specify to be notified at the Reminder date using the Mac OS notification center.

Reminders that are due are automatically shown below the file display, as shown here:

The check box indicates that the reminder is due. Once you have downloaded and imported the information, you check off the reminder, as shown here:

If you double-click a reminder, the Browser will select the folder for the reminder. And display the website attributes (if you have the attributes panel open).  If you hold down the "option" key while double-clicking, you will go to the associated website (if specified). The selected reminder is automatically checked off when a file is imported into the reminder's folder. Thus, if you double-click a reminder (leaving it selected), then go to its website and download a file and import it into the folder, the reminder is automatically checked off.

Checked-off reminders will be shown as checked off until the next time you open the database or bring it forward, at which time they will be set in the future.

Note that when you first specify a reminder it will never show as due, because the reminder will be set for the next matching date in the future. Thus, if you set the reminder at the right on 10/5, it will not appear as due until 10/7. If you set it on 10/8, it will not appear as due until 11/7.

If you want to see all of your reminders, including those that are not yet due, you can click on the button. This will show all reminders, with a maximum number shown as specified in the Preferences (default 5) as shown here:

From this list you can determine which reminders are due (because they have the check box), and which are not.

If you click on the button again, only due reminders are shown.

Note that you can drag the dot above the reminders to adjust the size of the reminders panel.

Website Attributes (Password Manager)

Records Wizard includes an integrated password manager that facilitates downloading records from web sites.  This password manager incorporates several advanced features not commonly found in other password managers, including:

• the ability to specify two-part user IDs that must be entered into two fields on the web page,
• the ability to automatically enter the password on a different page than the user ID,
• support for passwords that must be entered by clicking on the screen (e.g. with an on-screen numeric pad), and
  
• the ability to associate a different browser with each website (if the site works properly only with a particular browser).
  

As shown at the right, you can associate a website URL, user ID, and password with a folder. You can then go to the website in your default browser with the Go To URL button (command-shift-U), and, once there, enter the user ID and/or password using hot keys specified in the preferences.

Websites are constantly improving their security and, frankly, trying to defeat automatic user ID and password entry functions built into browsers. Therefore Records Wizard supports many options for user ID and password entry. User IDs can be in 2 parts, as required by some websites. If your user ID has only one part, just use the first field only.

You have several options for when/how the user ID will be entered. The default is to enter the user ID when you type the hot key, but you can also specify that the user ID be entered automatically after going to the web page. If your URL loads with the cursor not in the user ID field, then you can also choose to have a variable number of TABs entered before the user ID. When going to a URL, Records Wizard will wait a number of seconds to make sure the page has loaded before entering the user ID. You can configure the number of seconds to wait in the preferences.

You have four options for when/how the password is entered, as shown at the right. For "normal" websites that prompt for the user ID and password in adjacent fields on the same page, the default is to automatically enter the password in the next field after the user ID is entered. For websites (such as www.virtualbank.com) that prompt for user ID on one page and password on the next page, choose the Automatically in field on next page option for password entry, In this case, Records Wizard will wait the number of seconds specified in the preferences for the next page to load.

If you need finer control than the automatic options, choose the when its hot key is typed option for password entry. You can also specify how many TABs must be entered before the password.

For websites (such as www.ingdirect.com) that require that the password be entered on-screen via a keypad that randomly changes each time it is displayed, choose the Manually, w/ password in floating window option for password entry, In this case, Records Wizard will display the password in a semi-transparent floating window, allowing you to view it while entering the password via the keypad. The password will remain visible for 10 seconds, or until you close its window.

For security reasons, you can hide the user ID and password using the Hide ID/Password button (command-b) (b for bullets). Also, when you navigate to website attributes you have previously set, the user ID and password are automatically hidden, as shown below.

Note: Use of the user ID and/or password hot keys will result in the clipboard being cleared for security reasons.

You can generate a random password with the Generate Password button, which displays the dialog at the right. The default length of the password generated is specified in the preferences, but you can easily change that in the dialog.  Generated passwords are guaranteed to have at least one lowercase letter, uppercase letter, and number, and at least one special character if specified in the dialog.  When you generate a new password, the old password is saved in the notes along with the date and time.  Generated passwords do not contain the capital letters: IOU or the special character: | to avoid your confusing:

• lower case "l" with capital "I" or special character "|",
  
• capital "U" with capital "V", or
  
• capital "O" with the number "0".

You can also specify what browser to use when displaying the URL via the menu at the bottom of the attributes.  This menu lists the "Default Browser" (whatever is set for your system), other browsers found on your system, and the Records Wizard integrated browser.  You might want to choose a browser other than the default for websites that work properly only in a particular browser.

If yo choose "Records Wizard", the integrated web browser is used.  Use of the integrated web browser is recommended for several reasons:

1. Faster.  With external browsers, artificially long page load delays (specified in the preferences) must be used to assure that pages are loaded before automatically entering userIDs and passwords.  The integrated web browser knows when a page has loaded, so the delays are shorter.
2. Easier to import PDFs.  Once you navigate in the browser to a pdf you want to import, you need only click a button to import it.
3. Easier to print to PDF and Import. For websites that do not provide PDFs, the Print function automatically converts the web content to PDF and imports it.
   

You can quickly go to one of the last 20 websites you have visited with the "Go To Recent Website" in the "File" menu.

If you encounter websites for which the above options for how userIDs and passwords are entered do not work, please email the author, and I will try to add support.

Importing Password Data From Other Programs

• tabs separating fields in each line
• CSV (comma-separated values)
• SSV (semicolon-separated values)
• multiple blanks separating fields

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Finding Files or Folders

You can use the Find... command under the Edit menu (command-F) to find files or folders by

• name or 
• pathname 

• date,
• notes,
• tags, 
• custom attribute value, or
• content.

You can choose to search forwards or backwards from the current selection, finding the next file or folder that matches the criteria you specify, or you can choose to have all of files or folders matching your conditions selected in the browser panel or all the files matching your conditions referenced in a Smart Folder. When you select the Find... command the following dialog will appear:

This dialog allows you to specify whether you want to find one item a time (forward or backward), or whether you want the results selected in the browser panel or in a Smart Folder.

Specifying Find Criteria

You can specify multiple find criteria, using the + button to add a new criterion and the - button to remove one. You can specify that all or any of the criteria must be matched. The different types of criteria you can specify are shown at the right.

Matching a file or folder name refers to the name as it appears in the Browser (which does not include the file extension). Matching a file or folder path refers to the full path of the file or folder, which includes the folder(s) containing it as well as its extension if a file. Note that for name and path matches you can specify that case be ignored. Thus to search for all PDF files you could specify:

and to find all Utilities files you could specify:

You can also find files (not folders) by starting/ending dates, modified date, or custom attribute. If you choose "Custom Attribute...", the find dialog expands to allow you to specify the custom attribute you want to find:

Finding Files By Content

This feature is extremely useful.  For example, you could use it to search multiple credit card statements to find when and how much you paid a particular vendor.

However, you should be aware that finding by content can be slow, especially in encrypted databases, because each file must be decrypted to be searched.

Only certain files can be searched by content.  Generally, non-image files that can be displayed by Records Wizard can be searched.  PDFs are generally but not always searchable.  PDFs can be constructed to be searchable, but some contain just  images and are not searchable.

When a file found by content is displayed as the result of a forward or backward find, all text matched in the file is highlighted in Mac OS 10.5+ or just the first instance is highlighted in Mac OS 10.4.  Similarly, if you save the results of your find by content in a Smart Folder, when you select a file in that folder its contents are highlighted as described above.  If you specify that all found files found by content be selected, there will be no highlighting.

Finding Forwards or Backwards

If you specify finding one file or folder at-a-time forward or backward. The next file or folder found in the direction you specify is selected in the Browser. If a filename in a date folder is found, and it is the only file in the date folder, then the date folder will be selected and the file will be displayed. You can optionally specify that any folder found should be expanded. If your previous Find... was directional, the Find Again command, also under the Edit menu (command-G), repeats the previous find in whatever direction was specified.  The Find Previous command under the Edit menu (command-shift-G) repeats the previous directional find but in the opposite direction.

Selecting Files and Folders in the Browser Panel

If you specify "Select all matching files or folders in the browser panel" each file or folder that matches the conditions you specify will be selected in the browser panel. Their folder will be expanded as needed so they are shown.

Each individual file and folder found is put into the Browser History so you can see each individual file and folder found by successively hitting the Back arrow above the file display area ( ).

If you then decide you want a Smart Folder with these results, you can then click on the button below the Browser to create one, as explained here.

Creating a Smart Folder with Find Results

You can also put the results of your find in a Smart Folder. See Using Smart Folders for more information.

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Smart Folders

Smart Folders can be created in three ways: 1) with the Find... command, 2) with the Create Smart Folder With Selected Files button () or 3) with the Button Select feature ().  The names of Smart Folders can be edited using the Rename Item button ().

Smart Folders look different than regular folders in the Browser, as shown at the right. The files that appear in a Smart Folder are actually references to the real files. Because they are shown without the context of the folder(s) that contain them, they are shown with their full path in the Smart Folder. If you hover your mouse over a file name in a Smart Folder, the full path will appear.

Files in Smart Folders can be viewed, printed, opened with applications, or exported, but they cannot be renamed or deleted nor can their attributes or notes be edited. However, if you double-click a file in a Smart Folder the real file will be exposed and selected in the Browser, and you can then rename it, delete it, or edit its attributes or notes.

Smart Folders are updated to contain all files that match their criteria when expanded. As files are imported, renamed, rearranged in the Browser, or have their attributes changed, they will be referenced in all Smart Folders they match, and removed from all Smart Folders they no longer match. Similarly, any deleted files are removed from any Smart Folders that referenced them.

You can rearrange the location of Smart Folders in the Browser, but you cannot drag them into another folder, nor can you rearrange the files in a Smart Folder. Also, you cannot drag anything into a Smart Folder.  Smart Folders can be deleted even though the files in them cannot.

Creating Smart Folders With the Find Command

If you specify that the results of your Find... should be referenced in a Smart Folder, the Find dialog will appear as follows, requiring you to specify a name for the smart folder:

When you click the Find button, the Smart Folder is created at the bottom of the Browser, selected, and expanded. To edit the name or criteria associated with a Smart Folder created with the Find... command, double-click the folder. The result will be a dialog similar to the find dialog:

This dialog allows you to changed the name of the Smart Folder or edit its criteria. It does not perform another Find.  Note that you can also rename a Smart Folder with the   button.

Creating Smart Folders With Selected Files

Creating Smart Folders With the Button Select Feature

Producing Reports

You can create reports based on the files in a Smart Folder. When you select the "Oil" Smart Folder created in the above example in the Browser, the attributes panel appears as shown at the right. This panel allows you to create a text report  based on the custom attributes associated with the files in the Smart Folder.

The report shows the specified values for each date in the files. You can specify all dates in the database, the last year, or the last two years via the Dates: popup. You can specify three different date formats, as shown at the right. You can specify up to four values to be shown in the report. Each value can be a single custom attribute value or a simple mathematical function involving two custom attribute values. The functions are +, -, *, and /. Finally, you can specify the precision you want used for the values.

Shown at the right is the database window after specifying the single value of  gallon .

Because there is a file in the Smart Folder that contain the value specified (in other words, have a gal custom attribute), the "Specified values not found among files in Smart Folder" message is gone.

When you have specified valid values in the attributes panel, the text report  appears in the file display panel at the right of the database window. Note that the filename is shown as "Last Year.csv". That is because the report can be exported into a comma-separated values file if you choose the "Export..." command under the "File" menu.

Note that you can click on the title in the file display area to edit it.

You can also print the report.

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Exporting

Using the Export command in the File menu (command-shift-E), you can export the selected files, folders, Smart Folders, or their associated report. If you have selected any Smart Folders with associated reports, you will be asked whether you want to export the report as a comma-separated-values file (.csv) or the files in the Smart Folder, as shown at the right. Exporting a folder exports the folder and its contents. If a single file, report or folder is being exported, you choose its name and location to export to. If you select multiple items to export, you choose the name and location of a new folder to hold all of he exported items. Exported files and folders remain in the database.

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Emailing

Using the Send With Mail command in the File menu (command-shift-M) you can mail the selected files or reports using Mail. Selecting a folder will email all files contained in the folder or its subfolders. If you select a smart folder with an associated report,, you will be asked whether you want to email the files in the smart folder or the comma-separated-values file (.csv) of the report, as shown at the right.

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Printing

Using the Print command in the File menu (command-P), you can print the selected files, folders, Smart Folders, or their associated report. If you have selected any Smart Folders with associated reports, you will be asked whether you want to print the report or the files in the Smart Folder, as shown at the right. Records Wizard can print only those files that it can display.

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Database Backup

Because your database likely contains important documents, you will probably want to back it up periodically. To do so, use the backup preferences to specify a folder to hold the backups. Then you can backup the database manually using the Backup Database command under the File menu. You can also use the preferences to specify that the database should be backed up automatically.

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Preferences

You can view and edit the preferences by selecting the Preferences... command under the Records Wizard menu (command-,). There are six types of preferences, General, Backup, Importing, UserID/Password,  Web Browser, and Reminders.

The General preferences include the ability to automatically check for Records Wizard updates whenever Records Wizard is started. If there is an update, you will be prompted to download it.  Also, upon startup, you have to option to restore the last file you were viewing and your file browser history.

You specify the behavior of double-clicking a file in the Browser. The default is to edit the file name, but you can optionally request that files be opened when double-clicked. In this case the rename button would still edit the name, and double-clicking a folder still edits the folder name.  You can also specify whether or not you want to be able to confirm deletes of files and folders.

Finally, You can also specify how dates are displayed in the program as well as the interpretation of dates entered as file attributes and dates in imported filenames . The default is to have month/day/year, but you can specify that days appear before months.

Note that the format of dates that appear in a text file are not controlled by this preference, but rather by the folder filing attributes of the folder the text file matches. This is because text files from different web sites could have different date formats.

Note also that this preference will not change the value of dates you have already entered...it will only change how they are displayed.

The Backup preferences are shown at the right, and control how database files are backed up. To backup database files you must specify a folder to hold the backups, and the number of backups to keep. You can then backup manually by selecting Backup Database from the File menu. You can also specify that your databases should be backed up whenever they are closed (assuming they had been changed since the last backup). If your database file is named Example then the most recent backup will be named 1Example, then next most recent 2Example, etc.

The Importing preferences are shown at the right.

The AutoFile section specifies the order in which folders are automatically selected based on the file name or contents being imported. You can also specify how the names of files being imported are matched against folder names. There are four types of filename matching, which you can select via the pull-down menu. An Exact Match matches the folder name exactly. A Prefix Match matches the beginning of a folder. A Contains Match matches any portion of a folder name. A Whole Word Match matches whole words in folder names.  A complete description of filename matches appears above. You can also specify that case should be ignored when matching filenames.

The Last Import section allows you to specify that Records Wizard maintain a smart folder named "Last Import" that contains the last item(s) imported.

The Log section allows you to specify that an import log file be created for each import. Import Log files are named with the date and time of the import, and are filed in the folder "Import Logs" if it exists, else in the folder "Unfiled".  If you turn on this preference and create the folder "Import Logs", it's browser icon will be red to indicate that the folder is maintained by Records Wizard.

The User ID/Password preferences are shown at the right. These allow you to specify the hot keys for entering user IDs and passwords specified in the Website attributes of folders.

You can also specify whether User IDs and Passwords are typed or pasted.  Some websites disable pasting passwords, so you may find that the typing option overcomes that limitation.  However, typing can be impacted by other third-party utilities.  You can adjust the typing speed in case that works better if you have any conflicts.

You can also specify the default length of generated passwords, from 8 to 24 characters.  When you generate a password you can change the length from this default.

The Web Browser preferences are shown at the right. These allow you to specify the settings for the integrated web browser and  the number of seconds that Records Wizard should wait for a page to load in an external browser before automatically typing a user ID or password.  The default settings are shown at the right.

If you find that certain websites do not allow themselves to be loaded because of your browser, you might find that setting a different User Agent string (which identifies the browser) might allow the sites to work.  You could try the User Agent String for the latest version of Safari or some other browser, which you can find by visiting this site in the browser:

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Security Features

Records Wizard has the ability to encrypt a database ,  specified from the Security menu, as shown at the right.

Encrypting A Database

If you want your database encrypted using 128-bit AES based on a password you supply, you can select Encrypt Database. When you select this option you will be prompted for a password to protect the database. After you enter the password (twice), all files in the database are encrypted (which may take a while). Thereafter, files imported will be encrypted, and files are decrypted as needed for displaying, printing, and exporting. As each file is encrypted, it is also verified to be decryptable with the same password. When you open an encrypted database, you are prompted to enter its password.

Once a password is chosen for a database, it cannot be changed without decrypting the database and encrypting it with another password. To decrypt the database, select Encrypt Database again to remove check mark. All files will be immediately decrypted, which may take a while.

When you request to encrypt the database, you are warned that your data will be lost if you forget your password and advised to keep frequent unencrypted backups (e.g. on CD) in a locked place away from your computer--just in case you forget your password. To do this, select Make Unencrypted Database Copy from the File menu. This function is available only for encrypted databases.

An encrypted database has a lock icon ()in the upper right-hand corner of its window

Read-Only Databases

If you open a read-only database (as specified in the database file permissions or because the database is on read-only media), a read-only icon () will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the window. Of course, you can make no changes to a read-only database. You can change the zoom and orientation of images (including PDFs), but these changes are not saved as they would be in a writable database.  You can also changes the colors used in graphs, but these changes are not saved as they would be in a writable database. 

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Reliability Features

Records Wizard contains many features to help keep your important data safe, including the provision for automatic backup. Most of the other reliability features are invisible, and have to do with the way that files and Browser information are written to disk. One reliability feature that you do see is the progress bar when opening a database. The progress bar is displayed while the consistency of the Browser information is checked against the files actually in your database. These might not match in rare cases where your system has crashed or frozen with a database open. This consistency check allows you to recover or delete files in your database that do not appear in the Browser.

Of course, it is impossible to protect against disk errors, or against other programs that clobber your database file. That is why backing up your databases is important.

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FAQs

1. Why do I need Records Wizard? Why can't I just use folders on my disk to organize my records? You can, but it will be a lot more work to organize and find your records by date, view their contents, print them, and back them up.
2. My database is large. Why does it take so long to open my database? In order to keep your data safe, the internal consistency of your database is checked each time it is opened. See Reliability Features for more information.
3. How can I use Records Wizard to easily file monthly statements that my financial institution produces in PDF format in the right folder by date? First, set up an Import Folder. In Preview or Adobe Reader you can save the PDF you are viewing in the Import Folder. When you save it, specify a name that denotes the folder to file in and the ending date. For example, if the filename is "Visa Card+4-15-05", the statement will be filed in the "Visa Card" folder with an ending date of 4/15/05 and a starting date defaulted to 3/16/05. then when you start Records Wizard or bring it forward the imported statement will be in the folder "Apr" in the folder "2005" in the folder "Visa Card", and will be selected.
4. What if my financial institution does not produce PDF? If you want to store PDF files in Records Wizard, then you can display your statement or bill in your browser and then print it, but choose the Save As PDF... button in the print dialog, and save the PDF in your Import Folder. You can choose the name to automatically file the PDF as in the above example, or if running on Mac OS X 10.4 or later the PDF may contain searchable text to allow for automatic filing.
5. What if my financial institution produces HTML statements? You can always print these to PDF as described above, but you might also find that you can save the HTML directly into your database's Import Folder with acceptable results. You might have to experiment with different browsers. If you save the HTML in the format "Web Page, complete" (as Firefox and Camino allow you), an HTML file and a folder of supporting files will be saved. Records Wizard cannot import folders, so it will just import the HTML file. The result depends on your web site, but is often the text portion of your statement without graphics.
6. Can I use Records Wizard to organize the bills and statements I get only in paper form? Yes, if you have a scanner. You just save the scanned file in your Import Folder. You can choose the name to automatically file the scanned document as in the above example.
7. Does the IRS accept electronic copies of records? Yes, as described in Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 97-22. In fact, a company called Neat Receipts sells a scanner bundled with software for PCs only that is specifically designed for those who want to go paper-free.
8. What kind of encryption is used?  128-bit AES.
9. I cannot get your program to run because it was not downloaded from the app store (the OS complains about an unidentified developer). What do I do now?  Just right-click on the program and choose "Open". Then answer the dialog saying you want to open the application.  This will run the program and allow you to run it in the future just by double-clicking it.

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Macintosh Requirements

Records Wizard runs on MacOS 10.12 or later.

Version History

1.0 - Initial Release

• Fixed bug with automatic database backup.
• Fixed bug relating to having multiple databases open at the same time.
  

How to Pay for Records Wizard

Records Wizard is shareware. You can try it out for 30 days, but if you still use it thereafter, you must register it. The price is very reasonable--$24. After 30 days, Records Wizard will not work unless you have registered it.

Registration includes future updates. 

To purchase Records Wizard, select Registration... under the Records Wizard Menu, and click on the Purchase Registration Code button. You will be taken to a web site where you can choose among the above options, then to a payment web site where you can pay by credit card. Once you have paid, you will receive a registration code via email.  You can enter this code into Records Wizard Registration... dialog.

You may distribute Records Wizard unmodified via any media, as long as you keep it together with its Read Me file.