Importing Information from Dialog into askSam

Operational long before the commonplace use of the Internet, Dialog was created in 1972 by Roger K. Summit and was the world's first on-line information retrieval system. Dialog is now the worldwide leader in providing on-line based information services. Dialog is estimated to be 500 times larger than the content accessible via Web search engines. Now that's a lot of information.

But the question is, what do you do with all that information once you have located it? The answer is to put it in askSam. We have created a simple process for you to be able to import Dialog search results into an askSam database so that you can better organize it. We have also created a Dialog template for askSam and a TextPipe filter for converting the data to an askSam format.

Note: Dialog contains more than 100 different databases and formats. The example included here is intended to show how easy it is to convert Dialog data into askSam. Each of the different formats will require an individual TextPipe filter and template in askSam.

1. Saving Dialog searches:

Saving Dialog searches in a tagged format gives you files that can be imported into askSam, however they lack the structure askSam needs for fields. For example, a Dialog search in tagged format will look like:

AN   2001:453052  HCAPLUS

DN   135:46212

TI   Chemokine receptor binding heterocyclic compounds

IN   Bridger, Gary J.; Boehringer, Eva Maria; Wang, Zhongren; Schols,

     Dominique; Skerlj, Renato T.; Bogucki, David E.

PA   Anormed Inc., Can.

SO   PCT Int. Appl., 60 pp.

     CODEN: PIXXD2

DT   Patent

LA   English

FAN.CNT 1

     PATENT NO.       KIND  DATE           APPLICATION NO.  DATE

     ---------------  ----  --------       ---------------  --------

PI   WO 2001044229     A1   20010621       WO 2000-CA1503   20001215

         W:  AE, AG, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, BZ, CA, CH,

             CN, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH,

             GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK,

             LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MZ, NO, NZ,

             PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, TZ,

             UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW, AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM

         RW: GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZW, AT, BE, CH,

             CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE,

             TR, BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG

PRAI US 1999-172153P   P    19991217    

OS   MARPAT 135:46212

The Dialog tagged output shows you information with tags, for example, TI for Title, IN for Inventor, etc. However, the tags are not marked with characters askSam can use as field delimiters. This is where TextPipe becomes useful.

With TextPipe, you can create a script that adds structure to the tags allowing askSam to use them as fields once they are imported into an askSam database. We have included a sample text file for you to use.

Click <a href=http://www.asksam.com/templates/downloads/TP-Patent.zip>here</a> to download the sample text file.  

2. Creating TextPipe Filters:

Creating a TextPipe filter is very easy. It is very similar to doing search and replace, but much more powerful. And if you don't want to figure out how to write a filter, we can write it for you. We have included a sample filter for importing Patent Information into an askSam. Click <a href="http://www.asksam.com/templates/downloads/Patent_fll.zip">here</a> to download the sample filter. To use this filter, you must place the "Patent.fll" file in the TextPipe program directory (C:\Program Files\TextPipe).  

3. Importing Into askSam:

Once a filter is complete, you can easily import your data into askSam. To import information into askSam simply create or open an askSam file. We have included a template for you to use. Click <a href=http://www.asksam.com/templates/downloads/TP-Patent.ask>here</a> to download it.

NOTE: To use this template download it to your C:\Program Files\askSam\askSam5\Templates folder and then select this template when you create a new file in askSam. The Dialog Template contains an entry form and a couple of basic reports. The template also defaults to COURIER NEW font - to make the information more readable.

To import a Dialog file using TextPipe:

  A. With the askSam file open - choose FILE -> IMPORT

  B. Browse to and select the file(s) to import

  C. Select the "Use Filter" option and select the TextPipe filter

  D. Select IMPORT

The TextPipe filter converts the data and imports it into the entry form contained in the askSam template:

For more information on TextPipe visit our <a href=http://www.asksam.com/textpipe.asp>website</a>.

I hope you enjoy archiving and searching your Dialog information in askSam.

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