TheKBase Web is a multi-hierarchical information manager. It's particulary good for information that is not easily stored using dedicated programs (e.g., contact managers, todo lists, etc.).

What Is TheKBase

TheKBase is a multiple-hierarchical information manager. What? First, TheKBase lets you organize information via a simple Windows Explorer-type interface with a text editor, and saves everything online. Each bit of information or “snippet” may contain other snippets, just like folders in a file system can contain other folders.

Second, the problem TheKBase really solves: many times, a snippet should be contained within more than one snippet. For instance, is a dog a carnivore or a mammal? Is a program a utility or shareware? Is that snippet a calendar item or a task? TheKBase lets you sidestep this problem to allow for multiple classification . Snippets can not only contain multiple snippets (children), but may also be contained by multiple snippets (parents). Then, of course, you can “discover” your information with searches like, “all the change-requests that are urgent and done in version 6 .”

Other features include search, massive snippet creation, diferent icons, and a properties pane for rapid snippet classification. Users may share their kbases with other users and edit kbases simultaneously.

User Interface

TheKbase Web is currently accessible here, and general information may be found at www.kbaseweb.com.

The Snippet Pane

To accomplish most tasks, use the context menus (right clicking).

Creating Snippets

• To create a new root snippet, right click anywhere in the pane.

• To create a new snippet underneath a snippet, right click on the snippet you want to create the snippet under.

Selecting Snippets

To work with a snippet, you must select it. You can select multiple snippets by using control and shift keys (like most Windows programs).

Under More Than One Parent

To have a snippet reside in two places at once

• Use Copy and Paste from the context menu OR
• Use Copy and Paste via keyboard shortcuts CTRL-C, CTRL-V.

The copy is a twin, meaning that it is really the same snippet. Twins share text, title, and children, but exist "under" different parents.

Twins – if visible – are highlighted in light blue.

To Move A Snippet

If you move a snippet it changes parents. To do this:

• Use Cut and Paste from the context menu OR
• Use Cut and Paste via keyboard shortcuts CTRL-X, CTRL-V.

Massive Snippet Creation

If you have a lot of Snippets that you want to create, use "New Snippets" from the right click menu. A special text box appears in which you can type (or paste using control-V) one name per line. A new snippet will be created for each line under the snippet you right-clicked (or as root level snippets if you did not click any snippet).

Undo

Undo is not yet supported.

Hotkeys (Snippet Pane)

• Items can be moved up and down using shift-alt-up and shift-alt-down.
• Select snippets using shift-up and shift-down.
• The Insert Key inserts a new snippet.
• The Delete Key deletes a snippet or group of snippets.
• F2 will rename a snippet.

Parent Pane

The Parent Pane is way to view the various locations of a snippet. Here the hierarchy seen in the Snippet Pane is reversed: parents of the Snippet are shown, and expanding these parents, the parents' parents and so forth. This pane is also clickable to change location.

Text Pane

You can type snippet text in the Text Pane (see the location pane to make sure you're editing the right snippet) and use the toolbar buttons.

The Properties Pane

The Properties Pane is useful in cases where snippets can be assigned exclusive categories on some dimension.

Example of Properties Pane

Set up a KBase with 5 Snippets like this:

Then drag the snippet Status from the Snippet Pane to the Properties window. In the Properties Pane, you'll see a drop-down box that represents One's Status (Blank, To Do, or Finished).

A change in the Status drop-down changes whether One is a child of Finished or To Do. If the Status is changed to blank, One ceases to be a child of a Status snippet.

Remove Properties

You can remove a property by double clicking on its name.

Multiple Properties and Multiple Selections

You can have multiple properties: just drag them to the Properties Pane.

The property pane works with multiple selections. If your nodes do not all have the same value for a particular property, *** multiple values *** is shown.

Searching and Finding

Find (from the Text Pane menu) finds text in the Text Pane, but if it's not found, it can continue on to other snippets.

Search (from the Tools menu) does a more complete search with many more options. The results are places under a new snippet called Search Results.

Contact

If you have any comments or questions for the authors of TheKBase, please contact us.