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Hyperbole User Manual

8.1 Rolo Concepts

The rolodex manages and searches rolodex files. A rolodex file consists of an optional header which starts and ends with a line of equal signs (at least three equal signs starting at the beginning of a line), followed by any non-negative number of rolodex records. You must manually add a header to any rolodex file if you want it to have one.

Here is an example of a simple rolodex file.

================================================================== PERSONAL ROLODEX <Last-Name>, <First> <Email> W<Work#> F<Fax#> ================================================================== * Smith, John <js@hiho.com> W708-555-2001 F708-321-1492 Chief Ether Maintainer, HiHo Industries 10/24/95

We call rolodex records, entries. Entries begin with a delimiter, some number of `*' characters at the beginning of a line. Entries may be arranged in a hierarchy, where child entries begin with one more `*' characters than do their parents. Top level entries begin with a single `*'.

Beyond this initial delimiter, entries are completely free-form text. It is best to use a "lastname, firstname" format, however, when adding contact entries into a rolodex. Then the rolodex system will automatically keep your entries alphabetized as you enter them. You'll also be able to sort them whenever you desire.

Any search done on the rolodex scans the full text of each entry. During a search, the rolodex file header separator lines and anything in between are appended to the buffer of matched entries before any entries are retrieved from the file. Whenever an entry is matched, it and all of its descendant entries are retrieved. If your Emacs version supports textual highlighting, each search match is highlighted for quick, visual location.

For example, a search on "Company" could retrieve the following:

================================================================== COMPANY ROLODEX ================================================================== * Company ** Manager *** Underlings

Thus, searching for Company retrieves all listed employees. Searching for Manager turns up all Underlings.