ACT 2.0 MAC:  Using Library Files in ACT! for the Macintosh

By TechSupport

Support Question:  Using Library Files in ACT! for the Macintosh

Support for ACT! 2.8 - MAC ACT! 2.5 - MAC ACT! 2.0 - MAC*

The contents of articles are Copyright (c) Sage Software 2007.

This document covers how to use library files in ACT! for Macintosh (ACT!).

Disclaimer:
This article was written about products for which Sage Software, Inc. no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered “as is” and will no longer be updated. If you need assistance with issues pertaining to an unsupported product, please refer your questions to the ACT! Online Community or to an ACT! Certified Consultant. For more information regarding currently supported versions of ACT!, please see our Obsolescence Policy

Note: The process of using Library files in ACT! for the Macintosh is not to be confused with the new Library tab feature in ACT! 6.0.

Files can be conveniently linked to one or many contacts in your ACT! database with the Library field. The Library field holds the filenames of ACT! word processing documents you are linking to a contact. You can then access the documents using the Reference Library.

To Select a Default Library Document
Select a default library document if you get this error message: "The File Does Not Exist." This error message appears when the Library field does not have a filename when you open the Reference Library.

Use the following steps to select a default library document:

Open ACT!
Choose, Edit, Preferences, Startup.
Choose Library from Default File. choose Browse. The Choose Reference Library dialog box appears.
Select the filename of your default Reference Library document from the list. Choose Open. The filename you selected now appears in the Default File path.
Click OK to close the Preferences dialog box.

To Assign a Library Document Filename to Multiple Contacts
Assign a library document filename to multiple contacts with the following steps:

Create a Lookup containing the contacts to which you are assigning a Reference Library file.
Choose View, click Layout, and choose Contact 2.
Choose Edit, and click Current Lookup.
Position the cursor in the Library field.
Enter the filename you are linking to the lookup.
Click OK. This message appears: "This function modifies all contacts in the lookup. Do you want to continue?"
Click Yes. The filename is now in the Library field for all contacts in the current lookup.

To Create a Reference Library Icon
You can create a Reference Library icon to instantly retrieve your Reference Library files by following these steps:

Choose Edit, click Preferences, and select Custom Icons.
Select the Library Icon, and choose Add. The ‘Choose Macro’ dialog box appears.
Select the ‘View Reference Library’ macro.
Click OK. The Library icon is now added to the icon bar.
Click OK to close the Preferences.
Click the Library icon. Your document now appears.
To Create an Auto-Pop-up Menu for the Library Field

To Create an Auto-Pop-up Menu for the Library Field

Choose View, click Layout, and select Contact 2.
Position the cursor in the Library field.
Choose Edit, and click Field Attributes.
Check the Pop-up checkbox.
Check the Auto Pop-up checkbox. Click OK.

To Select a Reference Library Document

Go to the Library field of the current contact. The pop-up menu automatically appears.
Select a document from the list (or add a document to the list, then select it). The name of the document appears in the Library field.
Click the Library icon to open the Library file (or press Alt+F3).

To Add a Library Document Filename to the History of a Contact
You may want to add a filename to the history of a contact. This addition causes ACT! to create a History record whenever the Library field is modified. Do so with the following steps:

Position your cursor in the Library field.
Choose Edit, and click Field Attributes.
Check the History Record box.
Click OK. Use the database as you normally would, including making changes to the Library field.
Click the History icon on the icon bar to view the History of a contact. Records of the changes to the Library field appear in the History records.

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