 Earlier
this
year we developed a contact management software application. We
knew that it had to be designed to offer more power and
flexibility than most other contact management systems. In the
end, we wanted the application to be used as a personal or small
office database capable of storing and retrieving information on
a wide range of subject matter. To that end, here yet is another
example of the power and flexibility of which we speak.
In this tutorial, we're going to show you exactly how easy
Thunder Books can be set up to manage all your software
submissions and demonstrate how to automate the software
submission process.
In the screenshot below, you'll notice that (on the left)
we've renamed the field categories - yes, you can do that
- to fulfill the intended purpose for this particular data book
(as we call them). A larger image follows if you can't make them
out right here. Those field categories have been renamed:
1. Website - The Home Page of the Software Submission Site
2. Pad File Location - Our Pad File URL
3. Description Location - Our Description URL
4. Screenshot Location - Our Screenshot URL
5. Download Address - Our Download URL
6. Software Title
7. Software Version
8. Submission Date
9. Email Address - The Email Address on record in their Database
10. User Name
11. Password
12. Other Possible User Name and/or Password - In case we've
changed it or are unsure
13. Submission/Login Link
14. Notes - This is where we keep track of past submissions and
comments about the website - good and bad.
Another thing that we've added is a screenshot of the
Submission Web Page in the picture area. This enables us to get
a heads up on the info we need before we navigate to the
website. Cont'd below...
So you know... we can provide you with the skeleton database
of the software submission websites we use - just send us an
email requesting it - there's no cost. It contains about 40 or
so download sites. Once you have that, all you need do is enter
your own information in the remaining fields. We've made that
process very easy as we'll explain:
One of the features we've included in Thunder Books is the
ability to copy several fields from one record so they can be
pasted in several other records. This is especially useful in
this case, because the information in several of the fields will
be the same for every record; i.e., Pad File Location,
Description Location, etc.
Populating the First Record: Click on the first record in the
record list to display it - in this case it would be http://www.123-free-download.com.
Enter your program information in all appropriate fields. After
you've completed your entries, save the record (CTRL + S). Now
you're ready to copy them so they can be inserted into the
remaining records.
To copy those fields, click on the appropriate Field Category
Labels. When selected, the label turns blue (click again to
de-select). Once you've selected all your desired categories,
select "Copy Selected Fields" under "Edit".
Bring up the next record in the database by either clicking on
it - or, as we prefer - simply press the down arrow key. Now
you're ready to paste the copied fields and you accomplish that
by simply pressing F4. Press CTRL + S to save the record and
press the down arrow key again to bring up the next record...
and so on and so forth.
After all of your records have been populated, you can begin
submitting your information to the various software download
websites and we'll show you how easy that process can be. Cont'd
below...
In the image above, you'll note that many of the fields
contain a website URL. Any field that contains a valid URL
allows for instant navigation by: Clicking in the field and
pressing CTRL + W. This is true not only for this data book, but
for any data book you create. Getting off the subject just for a
second, knowing that the software has this capability, you may
want to create a data book just for keeping track of the
websites you visit often and the related information regarding
them.
OK, now we're ready to begin the submission process. Our
method of continuing this process is as follows:
1. Click on the first record to display the fields
2. Double Click in the Pad File field so that the URL becomes
highlighted
3. Hit CTRL + C to copy the URL to memory
4. Navigate to the Pad File Submission URL by clicking in the
field and pressing CTRL + W
5. Paste your Pad File URL (CTRL + V) and click Submit
And that how easy submitting your Freeware and Shareware can
be.
Using the process described above, it takes me personally
about 20 seconds per website - IF they accept Pad Files. If they
don't, then I use the Help File to store other info they may
request. Oh yes, you can do that... the Help File is user
editable.
Additionally, we like to have a printed record for the
software we submit and we use the built in Label Wizard for that
purpose, as shown below. You can find out more by downloading The
Thunder Books Tutorial.
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