Araucaria - AraucariaDB menu

Introduction - registration and logging in

Part of the Araucaria project is the creation and maintenance of a database of arguments. To access this database, you will need to register with the server by providing a username, along with your (real) name, address and email address. None of this information is released to third parties. To register, select the Register command from this menu.

Once you have registered, you will need to login each time you wish to access the database. Select the Login command, and enter your username (there is no password) in the dialog. If login is successful, you will see a message to that effect in the status bar at the bottom of the main Araucaria window. If you are unable to login, this could be because you have not yet registered, you have not spelled your username correctly, your internet connection is not working, or the server in Dundee is down temporarily. If you are certain you have entered your username correctly, try later and the server should be back up and running.

Save to database (Ctrl + B)

The current argument, along with a JPEG image of the diagram, will be saved to the database. You must be registered and logged in for this command to succeed. Note that you cannot delete items from the database yourself, so please be certain you really want to save the argument before selecting this command. Remember that saved arguments are accessible to all users of the database.

Search database (Ctrl + V)

Opens the "Search argument database" dialog box. You may search the database in three ways:

1. By text - select the 'Text' tab. Enter a word or phrase and the text associated with each argument will be searched.
2. By structure - select the 'Structure' tab. Create an argument tree in the same way as on the main Araucaria window (except that you do not need to select any text to associate with each node - just click in the empty space on the diagram window to create a node). Any database entry containing the given structure as part of its own structure will be returned.
3. By schemeset - select the 'Schemeset' tab. Type in the name of the scheme. Any arguments containing that scheme will be returned.

The results of the search will be displayed as a table in the Search dialog box, and also in the drop-down combo box near the right-hand side of the toolbar in the main Araucaria window. Selecting one of these arguments with the mouse (either in the Search dialog box or in the main window) will retrieve it from the database and load it into the main Araucaria window. You can then edit the argument further, and save it to disk on your local machine, or save it to the database as a new entry.

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