Turning Legislative Text into a Searchable Database

We've had a lot of people ask how we turn legislative texts (like Sarbanes-Oxley) into searchable askSam databases. This Tech Tip details how we took the text from Sarbanes-Oxley (found on the Internet) and brought it into askSam. It works similarly for other legislative text and information.

The following steps were used to create the askSam Sarbanes-Oxley database:

1.     Create a text file with the Sarbanes-Oxley text

          - Locate Sarbanes-Oxley text on the web:

               http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.3763.ENR:%20

               (Between THOMAS and the Gov't Printing Office, you can find most U.S.

               government information).

          - Click the "Printer Friendly Display" link.

          - Copy the text to the clipboard

          - Paste the text in Notepad (or any other text editor) and save the text on your computer.

2.     Import the Sarbanes-Oxley text into askSam

          - Create an askSam file using the EBOOK template

               The EBOOK template has links, standard instructions, reports, fonts, etc.

               Click here to download the EBOOK Template.

          - Choose FILE -> IMPORT

          - Select the TEXT file type from the "FILES OF TYPE" pull-down list

          - Locate the file with the text you saved and select it

          - Click "DOCUMENT DELIMITER" and set the delimiter to SEC.

Note - This text is case sensitive. Each time askSam locates this term it will start a new document. This automatically divides the download text into sections. In legislative texts, each section is often delimited by SEC.

          - Click the IMPORT button.

3.     Creating a Table of Contents

     - Locate the Table of Contents from the imported legislative text. It's probably in document #4, and copy it to the first document of the askSam database using PASTE UNFORMATTED. Then return to the text you copied (probably in document #4) and delete the  document (DOCUMENT -> DELETE).

     - Name each document in the database using DOCUMENT -> PROPERTIES.

Note - This process can be automated using a macro or keyboard capture utility such as MacroExpress (http://www.macroexpress.com/)  or Workspace Macro Pro (http://www.tethyssolutions.com/product.htm)

     - Set links on Table of Contents by highlighting the table of contents item and choosing DOCUMENT -> SET HYPERTEXT LINK -> DOCUMENT NAMES and selecting the document name for each item.

     Note: You can use CTRL+K or F4 as a shortcut to the Hypertext Link Menu.

4.     Adding Navigation

     - Footer

     Choose DOCUMENT -> INSERT ENTRY FORM

     Choose the FOOTER entry form

     Select BOTTOM OF DOCUMENT from INSERT LOCATION

     Choose ALL DOCUMENT in the DOCUMENT SELECTION pull-down

     Click OK

     - Header

     Note: In order for the search results to display correctly the title of each document should be the first line of the document. Since some titles can be multiple lines there is no consistent place to insert the header links. So adding the header links is a manual process. If all document titles are one line in length, repeat the steps above for inserting a FOOTER and change the INSERT LOCATION to LINE NUMBER 2

     - Go to the first document

     - Place the cursor on the line below the title of the document

     - Choose DOCUMENT -> INSERT ENTRY FORM

     - Be sure that LINKS is selected under ENTRY FORM TO INSERT

     - Be sure that CURSOR POSITION is selected under INSERT LOCATION

     - Repeat for each document in the file

5.     Clean-up

     Note: Some documents may need minor editing. Some documents may be divided improperly and need to be cut and pasted into their proper location. Use the askSam editor to clean-up and correct problem areas.

6.     Instructions and About

     - Go to the ABOUT document - Type or paste information about the database

     - Go to the INSTRUCTIONS document - Modify, add or delete instructions

     - Go to the CONTENTS page and add document title and short description.

7.     Pack the database (Choose FILE - PACK)

The first time you create your own eBook, it'll take some time. Once you're familiar with the process, you'll find shortcuts that reduce the time. It took us a couple hours to put the Sarbanes-Oxley Act into askSam.

We'll continue to put information into askSam databases and make it available to our users. We'd also like to encourage the askSam community to make available any information that they think would interest other users. If you have a database that you think would be useful to others, contact us at info@askSam.com.