My company's trial with Daylite is going pretty darn good. Just as replacement for iCal and Address Book, it's worth it for that alone. I'm excited that I think I've finally found the contact management system that works for our company.

I do have some questions. I figured I'll post them all in one, to avoid gumming up the forum:

1. What is the sequence of steps most of you do when you get an email in the Mail inbox, and want to use that info as a future to-do? I'm big on "Zero Inbox" and always like to move emails out of the Inbox. So I'm trying to figure out way to use Daylite.


2. Is there a way to search for a word anywhere in any contact? (e.g., a word located in Details)


3. I want to put a repeating reminder on the last day of every month. How do I do that, when some months end on 28, 30 or 31?


4. Is there a way to tie birthdays to the calendar, or is this something one should do manually.


Thanks for any insights.
Scott
http://www.braintoniq.com

quote:

1. What is the sequence of steps most of you do when you get an email in the Mail inbox, and want to use that info as a future to-do? I'm big on "Zero Inbox" and always like to move emails out of the Inbox. So I'm trying to figure out way to use Daylite.


2. Is there a way to search for a word anywhere in any contact? (e.g., a word located in Details)


3. I want to put a repeating reminder on the last day of every month. How do I do that, when some months end on 28, 30 or 31?


4. Is there a way to tie birthdays to the calendar, or is this something one should do manually.

Hi Scott,

Answers:

1. Are you using the DMI? If so there is an action menu at the bottom of the DMI pane that has the option to create a New Task. If you are not using the DMI, then there is a System Service to do the same. (let me know if you need more instruction on that).

2. There is an alternate search called Global Search. You get to it with the keystrokes cmd-shift-F. That will search in details.

3. Can't yet do that. You might have to settle for the 30th (not good for Feb. obviously)

4. Right now birthdays are manually added.

Hope that helps.

quote:

1. Are you using the DMI? If so there is an action menu at the bottom of the DMI pane that has the option to create a New Task.

Hi Howard. Yes, I'm using DMI. I hadn't seen that lower new portion (most of my mail is currently not in the Address book, so this portion disappears then). Ah, and I see that whatever text I highlight in the email first will then show up in the new Task. Very nice. Next question:

A. is there a way to link this task or appt. with the email. I.e., if I make the Task, then "delete" the email into the Deletes Folder, is there a way for Daylite's task to follow/track that email's location.

I guess I'm still wondering what you power users have found is the best way to track a sequence of communications. Say, you and a vendor are talking about a project. In each new email, there are new details that should be tracked. Hotels and times and details of an agreement, and on and on. Do you copy and paste the most important info into one Note? And then what are you doing with all the emails. Do you use Mail's folder function to drag them into a custom folder?

I think this is beyond DL's system, but still curious, as this must be a common issue.

Also regarding the Find function: I created a Calendar event with the word "wedding" in the subject line. Command-F's Quick Find did not locate it (where the Global did). What are the parameters of the Quick Find? What will it locate.

quote:

I guess I'm still wondering what you power users have found is the best way to track a sequence of communications.

Well, that's basically what the DMI is all about. As each email comes in you check the link box so that it becomes linked to the contact, org, project, etc.

Now when you go to that contact, for example, you select Activity Tab in the bottom pane and you see all the emails right there. If you've done that you have the option of deleting the emails from Mail, since they are preserved in Daylite. Sometimes I keep them in Mail though for future reference. Not usually though.

QuickFind searches the following for a match in the title:

Contact, Organization, Group, Project, Opportunity.

If you want to search for tasks or appts. you need to either do that in Global Find or in the List Views for those type of objects, where ther e is the QuickFilter at the top.

quote:

Now when you go to that contact, for example, you select Activity Tab in the bottom pane and you see all the emails right there. If you've done that you have the option of deleting the emails from Mail, since they are preserved in Daylite. Sometimes I keep them in Mail though for future reference. Not usually though.

Wow. I had no idea that the emails were actually being copied INto the Daylite database. I thought they were pointing back to the Mail app's email itself. This explains why some emails I click on (that I'd already read) say "This email is already IN Daylite." I was trying to relate it to the sender somehow, and it's already saved with their contact info.

So if I get you correctly: before you delete an email in Mail, you check to see if you want it copied over to Daylite for possible future use, by clicking the checkbox next to the sender's name in the DMI window. Once you check that box, it's immediately copied to Daylite.

Also: so theoretically, you no longer need to create folders in Mail. You can simply create Projects in Daylite, and copy over any emails (and attached files if wanted) that relate to the project. No more folders and subfolders in Mail.

This is very helpful to hear how others are doing this. It helps me get my mind around the methodology that Dayliters are using.

This is probably really dumb but bear in mind I am very new to MAC and DL.

How do I rename a database, I have restored one so it has a very long name. I can't even find it but I know it is under /Library/Openbase/work

Help me please.

Thx