Breeze is made up of 2 complementary programs - the Translator and the Database.
the Translator translates the contents of Eudora (in and Out files), NetScape Mail (InBox and Sent Mail files), MacCIM (In Basket and Filing Cabinet folders) and the Navigator (Session and Archive files) into a standard format that can be readily imported into database programs and the Database.
The tab-delimited data produced by the Translator has been tested with FileMaker Pro and Panorama II. In principle, there is no reason why this cannot be done for other products (4th Dimension, Helix Express, Microsoft FoxPro, Omnis 7, Oracle and others). Products such as Claris Works and MicroSoft Works cannot handle long text and so cannot be used. Spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 are also unsuitable. A custom database application - the Database - is provided and may be used instead of a general database product. the Database also provides you with faster searches and the possibility to follow threads in their logical order.
Having your Internet and CompuServe data in a database allows you to rapidly locate all information received and sent - even many months later. the Database has been tested successfully with over 100,000 messages.
This is not only very helpful, but it will also reduce greatly your need to connect and to try "fishing" for information that you seem to remember having seen somewhere - your searches will be more focused. It will reduce your telephone and connect charges while making email more useful.
If you use the Navigator, you may ignore its archiving possibilities - a tricky business - as everything is archived with the Translator. However, during the switchover, the Translator also permits you to import your existing archives so that their contents are not lost.
the Translator, when used with a database-program, allows you to select a thread and to sort the messages so as to read them in their natural order - another perennial problem. It reminds you of what you downloaded and when. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
If you use MacCIM regularly, Breeze will help you organize and store your messages in a much more helpful way than is the case at present - you will be able to delete your bulky folders and speed-up MacCIM. If you use the Navigator often, you will wonder how you survived without Breeze.
The average user receives between 1 and 5 million characters of data per month - very little of this data is read and even less is remembered. Now, this data is still available for searches - your own personalized and miniature version of the CIS databases.
This version of Breeze includes templates for 2 typical database products - FileMaker Pro and Panorama II. The templates are perfectly usable in their present form, however, you may wish to modify them to reflect your own preferences and your screen-size. Read the "Importing" explanation for hints.
Users of database products other than FileMaker can look at the file "the Translator File Formats" so as to see the format of the data produced by the Translator - they will need to prepare their own applications. Anyone producing an application that he is happy to share can upload it to the appropriate forum (Oracle to GO ORACLE and so on) so that others may use it.
If you wish to print this information - paste it into your word-processor and then print it - it is already in your clipboard. The same applies to all the other windows.
