Logbook Pro Newsletter - June/July 2002

NC Software, Inc. is proud to announce the immediate availability of Logbook Pro version 1.7. This is a free update to all of our existing customers bringing you high-quality software at no extra charge. This version brings the all new Palm Companion allowing you to leave your PC behind and take your favorite Palm OS PDA handheld computer on the road and keep up-to-date while you travel. Upon return, synchronize your PDA with your computer and voila, your entries are added to your Logbook Pro data file and you can spend your time at home relaxing. Version 1.7 brings yet more to you as we listen to our customers suggestions. For example, the powerful Import Wizard now accepts time formats in HH:mm and will automatically recognize and convert this format to the hours.tenths that Logbook Pro uses. Many bug fixes including report fixes with page setup settings, block time entry compatibility with International formats, Import Wizard optimizations, etc. Uninstall your old version of Logbook Pro and install the new and you'll be up-to-date. Uninstalling Logbook Pro from the Windows Control Panel does not remove your registration or your Logbook Pro data. Only core application files are removed and immediately updated on the new installation. Download your copy of Logbook Pro 1.7 including the Palm Companion from http://download.logbookpro.com today.

Shipping with version 1.7 is the new exciting Palm Companion of Logbook Pro. The Palm Companion is a flight log system designed to work with the PC version providing the ability to add certificates, ratings, history, and logbook information while away from your PC. HotSync your PDA device and data will be transferred right into Logbook Pro saving you time and ensuring accuracy. Data is also downloaded to your PDA allowing you to refer to information such as your Lookback data, Summary Bar information, Flight Log Stats, and Currency status.

Installation is accomplished by adding the .PRC file located in the Logbook Pro\Palm Companion folder using the Palm Install tool. HotSync will automatically install the software at the next synchronization. Follow the steps in the Logbook Pro PC documentation by clicking Help...Contents and reading the PDA Companions\Palm Companion topic for creating the connection between your PDA and Logbook Pro.

Logbook Pro Companion is a separate license which must be purchased from https://secure.nc-software.com. The cost of the Logbook Pro Palm Companion is only $29.95 and can be used with any edition of Logbook Pro.

FlightCentral’s Route Browser is a fun utility add-on for Logbook Pro. Using the data you’ve already entered and complemented by a complete U.S. airports database, Route Browser makes it simple through maps, charts and reports to display your flights and see distances flown. Tightly integrated with Logbook Pro, Route Browser is as simple to use as it is powerful. Complete customization and easy to use filters let you map just the flights you want in the colors you want. For more information, a free demo version and some free aviation wallpaper visit the FlightCentral web site at: www.flightcentral.com.

Don't miss this special offer from MGOent with the opportunity to save up to $30 on the fine leather binders custom made for Logbook Pro. Visit the MGOent store at http://mgoent.logbookpro.com and purchase a fine binder to professionally present and store your hard earned flight logbook data. For the most flexibility, we suggest the full-sized binder allowing you to put any 8 1/2 x 11 page in this finely crafted binder. Use the heavy bond perforated pre-hole punched paper for the Old World and Premier binders and get 10 extra pages per 50 pack ordered for this limited time offer. Pricing information for this hot sale is as shown below:

Many pilots keep their flight data in spreadsheet programs, other PDA programs, or have been wanting to move from other Logbook applications to Logbook Pro. Logbook Pro comes with a powerful system that can import just about any data, as long as the data is saved in a formatted style, either COMMA or TAB delimited. Most database programs such as other Logbook applications, PDA applications, etc. are easily converted to a spreadsheet format, such as that can be viewed in Microsoft Excel - a popular spreadsheet program, or it's less powerful brother Microsoft Works.

First let's discuss the pros/cons of the two accepted formats, comma versus tab delimited. When choosing the delimiting method (comma or tab) when saving your data from either Excel, or whichever data source, it's important to understand what a delimited data file really is. Notice how in Excel you have a series of columns running from left to right across the screen. When you save your data as a delimited text file, you are telling the program to put either a comma or tab character between each column. This usually won't make a difference unless you have punctuation in fields such as remarks, whereas is you have commas, the import engine will break each comma into it's own column of data. The other issue is international formats where the comma is used like a decimal in the US format. The safest method is to use a TAB delimited option to avoid any possible conflicts between saving your delimited data and the delimiter interpretation when importing.

For best results, study the layout of the Spreadsheet Style logbook entry area. If you can use the same captions for your column headings of your data to be imported, remove columns of data Logbook Pro doesn't need, such as Category and Class times, and ensure the data is in the proper format, i.e. not trying to put a text value into a column requiring numeric data. For those Excel experts out there, make sure any areas where you may have summary (totals) or graphs that these are stripped and you have nothing but running data just like the Spreadsheet Style log area. Aircraft data is not required for importing, only flight log data can be imported. The Import Wizard will note all of the aircraft types you've flown and make the entries in the Options...Aircraft area for you to configure after import completion.

The Import Wizard is only functional in a registered copy of Logbook Pro as the evaluation edition is limited to 50 log entries, something that could be violated with a data import. Once registered, launch the Import Wizard from the File menu. Select the single delimited data file that contains your data and select the proper delimiter. Logbook Pro knows files ending in .CSV are typically comma delimited and those ending in .TXT are TAB delimited, so it will attempt to determine the proper setting for you. If you are importing to a data file you've already been using, it is imperative to backup your data PRIOR to importing in the event you've had a long day and choose to map data to a wrong column. Not to worry, the Import Wizard backup prior to import option is set as a default to help protect you. The other option on the main configuration page is to determine if this import contains all of your data or you are adding data to your existing logbook. If you choose the replace option, Logbook Pro will remove all logbook entries (not aircraft) and prepare for the new data just prior to executing the import. If you choose to ADD the imported data to your existing data file, choose the APPEND option.

Clicking next will take you to the screen where you can preview your data. Click the checkbox at the top if the first row contains the column titles for each column. You can scroll down and preview the data that will be imported and if any rows should be removed, click the far left column with an "x" in it and that row will be immediately purged. Once you are sure the data looks as it should, it's time to map your columns of data into Logbook Pro's existing data fields. If you have data that is going to one of the 50 available custom data fields it is best to stop the import wizard process and go to the Options...Custom area and define the custom fields BEFORE running the import wizard. This will allow you to target your fields for custom fields as only defined custom fields will be available as a target for data.

The last screen prior to import is the screen to map the columns of data to the target data field. In version 1.7, Logbook Pro now can take time formats in HH:mm and convert them to Logbook Pro's format of hours.tenths. At the bottom of each column, select the target field from the drop down list and scroll across all columns that has data you desire to import. If you have a column with data you want to skip over, don't select a target field and Logbook Pro will ignore this column. Logbook Pro will help you out and prevent two like targets being selected in the mapping process. Lastly, the minimum required fields of date, ident, type, route, and duration (or simulator) must be target fields or the import wizard will not continue with the process for final importing. Click next from this point and Logbook Pro will take it from here, backing up your data file "prior" to importing if optioned and presenting the final mapping in a format you can print should you need to reaccomplish the import at a later time.

As you can see, Logbook Pro comes with significant power limited only by the users imagination. Saving duplication of effort is one of our goals, and moving from one logbook application falls under the same rule, you've already entered your data, we want to get you into Logbook Pro as simply and accurately as possible.

As we have just released version 1.7 shipping with the Palm Companion, we are excited to continue development with the much more powerful Pocket PC PDA. We will send out announcements via our Logbook Pro mailing list as soon as we have a definitive timeline and pricing information for the Pocket PC Companion. As of this writing, we are targeting a release date near the end of August, early September. Functionality will be very close to the Palm Companion. We apologize for the delay and wish we could have released the two companions together but decided to get version 1.7 and the complete Palm companion on the street and follow-up with the Pocket PC companion upon completion.

Logbook Pro has an automated link download system allowing you to advertise your business under the Favorites links within the Logbook Pro browser. If you want to advertise or do a link exchange with Logbook Pro, please e-mail sales@nc-software.com for pricing or exchange agreement information.