EXCLUSIVES

iList Studio 1.2
By the Lead Developer, David Hutchison
January 2004

As a contributing reviewer for MacDirectory I am grateful for the opportunity to write about a Mac OS X application that I played a lead role in developing. Published by Lakewood Studios (www.lakewoodstudios.com), iList Studio ($79.95) is a single-user relational database tool that supports a number of features not found in more expensive database applications.

Designed from the ground up to provide users with an alternative way of working with text, number, date, time, calculation, file path, URL, and image data, iList Studio features a unique user interface that includes integrated graphing and user-customizable record editor windows.

Some Benefits

Several features make iList Studio unique. The software supports eleven different ways of searching for data, including user-customizable find windows, direct SQL editing, find extend and constrain and relational finds. We are particularly proud of the find-by-value feature, which searches for unique field values, perfect for uncovering value patterns, ranges and prevalences. iList Studio's find advanced window features built-in help so novices can use the software to quickly learn SQL from the ground up.

Once a search has been performed, it is automatically added to the history menu for later recall. Favorite searches can also be bookmarked, similar to a Web browser.

In addition to its search features, iList Studio also supports the batch editing of records. Multiple records can be auto-numbered and edited at the same time. And iList Studio's powerful conditional editor can be used to perform multiple edits across multiple record sets with one click. Preface, append, and trim text. Apply numerical functions and generate random numbers. Move data across fields. Apply a set of operations to the same record set in sequence. Save up to five sets of conditional edit operations for repeated use.

iList Studio adopts a unique approach to the creation of user customizable windows, useful when creating, browsing, editing, batch editing, and finding records. Rather than laying out a window manually, users set a number of options and then let iList Studio auto generate the custom window, placing and aligning controls automatically. Custom windows in iList Studio use genuine Mac OS X interface elements including text and paragraph fields, pop-up menus, list boxes, numerical/time sliders, and calendar widgets to create great-looking record editors.

One of the choices that we made with iList Studio was not to include advanced reporting tools for the outputting of form letters, mailing labels, and other mail merges. (Basic reporting tools are included, however.) Instead, iList Studio works closely with Microsoft Office. Record lists can be sent to Microsoft Excel and Word with one click, and iList Studio supports Word's data merge manager, leveraging the benefits of Word's layout capabilities and iList Studio's data management features.

Multiple Uses

Our long-term goal with iList Studio is to build a database application that is feature-laden enough to serve multiple purposes: multimedia asset cataloging, bibliographic management, sales tracking, scheduling and more. We believe the inclusion of a calendar widget in the first version makes iList Studio an ideal choice for Mac users wishing to build a customized scheduling database. (For such users, the development of a multi-user version of iList Studio is a logical next goal.)

This first version of the software also targets those wishing to catalog images and other multimedia files. iList Studio competes with iView Media, supporting most (but not yet all) of this respected tool's feature set, plus a few extra benefits of its own (like calculations). iList Studio features integrated support for file paths, in-line thumbnails, a built-in image viewer and basic slide show support.

Files can also be renamed and commented on-the-fly using set text or embedded field references. We believe that this feature alone makes iList Studio one of the most powerful batch file renamer applications available for the Mac.

In terms of multimedia asset cataloging, one area for improvement concerns the importing of file paths and related properties. This is currently a multi-step process and should ideally be streamlined in subsequent releases. Also there is currently no thumbnail-only view in iList Studio, although thumbnails can be viewed inline with associated asset data.

A Third Party Opinion

We recently hired an outside consulting firm to conduct an arms-length review of iList Studio. The results were generally positive, but it was noted that the lack of indices can slow down iList Studio when searching through thousands of records, particularly if one or more on-the-fly calculations are being performed. It was also suggested that the software would benefit from an introductory tutorial (a 75+ page manual is included), more templates with sample data, and improved on-line help. As subsequent releases of iList Studio grow in features, it is critical that we heed this advice. More templates, the addition of a database creation wizard and expanded on-line support should help.

So what's next for iList Studio? Our plans for the next major upgrade (targeted for mid-2004) include multi-user support with password protection, indices, and faster on-the-fly calculations. Cross-platform Windows support is also planned.
www.lakewoodstudios.com/iliststudio/download.html