Young Men Si, Old Men No

For a writer who performs their own comedy routines.

Makes notes that touch on many, seemingly unrelated topics.

Hasn’t decided whether they are accumulating material for a single show or a series of individual performances.

A sequence of separate comedy bits, say.

Suggestion

Post your notes under several different category titles.

Agenda

In this case study you will:

1. Back up your records.
2. Create a new category by importing data from a .txt document.
3. Align an import field label with a matching field.
4. Combine two categories into one category.
5. Create a project.
6. Create beats.
7. Transfer notes from a category notes list to a beat notes list.
8. Transfer notes from the top heading notes list to a beat notes list.

Background

This case study references the work of Loretta Mary Aiken.

She is best known for her comedy albums in the guise of her stage persona Moms Mabley.

One of the most popular of these was Young Men, Si, Old Men, No.

Released in 1962, it explores issues that would become mainstays of stand-up comedy: race, gender, sexuality and age.

A fictional recreation of the show’s preparatory phase may highlight a range of features in Little Acorns.

Conceit

Imagine that Aiken had no idea what would be the principal theme of what became Young Men, Si, Old Men, No when she decided to create a new show.

Jotted down notes on the disparate concerns it touches on as and when they occurred to her.

But had no idea that they would form a single show.

This freed her from restricting all that she inquired into – read about or observed first-hand – to a particular genre.

At some point, she decided on the form that would best accommodate her interests.

And bent her various, varied notes towards the presentation of it.

Had information technology been available to her, Little Acorns may have helped her in this endeavour.

Demo Records

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The records used in this case study are drawn from the demonstration set.

If you did not install these records when you opened the application for the first time, do so now.

To install demo records:

1. Click the dashboard tab at the top of the layout.
2. On the >> summary layout, click the demo tab in the middle of the layout.
3. On the >> demo layout, click the button labelled install to the right of the layout.
4. Click the button labelled yes on the panel bearing the message would you like to install demo data?

After a moment, a panel bearing the message demo data installed will confirm that you have installed demo data.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

Process

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Little Acorns organises the notes that you post to it.

Notes that you copy and paste from another source/import from a document/type into it.

But where should you situate your notes within the application?

Under one of the two top-level heading types categories and projects.

Each heading may be accessed by clicking its corresponding tab.

You will find these tabs at the top of each layout.

Think of each tab as a key that unlocks a separate cabinet in which you may file your notes.

Each of these cabinets holds a slightly different kind of note.

At a different stage in its development.

Projects

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If you know from the start what type of work your notes will be incorporated in –

that they are intended to support the creation of a series of essays, say –

you may store them under the projects heading without passing through the categories phase.

Under a project title that you create.

The title of your stand-up routine, perhaps.

So, if you knew that your notes regarding the old and young were intended for a stand-up routine, you may have proceeded directly to the projects list layout.

Created a new project –

called, say, Old-Young –

and added your first note to it.

Over time you would have added more notes to this project.

And posted them under the project sub-headings beats, chapters and characters.

Categories

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If you are unsure which form is suited to the presentation of the ideas touched on in your notes –

short story, novel, play, screenplay, poem, lyric, comedy routine, essay, article, blog post, dissertation, et cetera –

store them under the categories heading.

Under category titles that you create.

Titles that sum up their leading concerns.

So, for instance, your note

Ain’t nothin’ an old man can do for me but bring me a message from a young man.

might be stored under the category title

Old

Over time, you may add more notes to the category Old.

And/or you may add notes to the application under different category titles.

For instance, you might decide to keep a record of your fictional character’s marriage partners.

So, you create a category title

Marriage

And add the note

Jack was my first boyfriend. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you’d better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name.

to it.

Later, you add the note

Well, been with him this long, I have to stay with him just for respect. But I ain’t gonna exchange regret with respect.

To the category Marriage.

Then you might decide to jot down bit ideas on the modern world beyond marriage.

So you create the category title

Modernity

and begin adding notes to it that reflect your thoughts on the modern world.

Over time, you jot down hundreds of notes, under the category titles

Money

Young

Old

Marriage

Modernity

Formerly, you believed that the notes under these related but distinct category titles might form the basis for separate routines.

Individual shows.

Now, you decide that they will constitute a single show.

A series of related bits.

So, you convert your categories into a project.

This will enable you to organise the notes under the former category to a greater degree.

By sub-dividing them into beats, chapters and characters.

The following exercises describe how to do this.

That is, turn notes posted under several categories into a single project.

Then, transfer notes stored under the project details notes listing to notes listings under the sub-headings beats, chapters and characters.

Rest assured, wherever you decide to post a note in Little Acorns –

under the heading categories or the heading projects

or under one of the projects sub-headings beats, chapters and characters –

you will be able to find it again by performing a simple keyword search across the application.

Via the top-level heading notes.

(Its access tab will appear at the top of each layout after you have added a single note to the application.)

Backing Up Records

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Before making major changes to your records, it is wise to back up your data.

That way, should you make alterations that you later regret, you may restore a previous version of your records.

To back up your records:

1. Click the dashboard tab at the top left of the layout you are on.
2. Click the backup tab in the middle of the >> summary layout.
3. On the >> backup layout, click the button labelled backup on the far right of the layout.
4. After you see the message would you like to backup your records?, click the button labelled yes.
5. On the Browse For Folder panel, select a valid directory to receive your backup.

(e.g. your \Documents directory)

1. On the Browse For Folder panel, click the button labelled OK.

After a moment, a panel labelled Save A Copy will pop up.

Along with the message Saving Little Acorns_DDMMYYYY_HHMMSS.fmpur

(where DDMMYYYY is the current date, and HHMMSS the current time.

So, for example, a backup file created on 1 January 2030 at nine o’clock in the morning will be labelled

Little Acorns_01012030_090000.fmpur)

Creating A New Category By Importing Data From A .Txt Document Into The Application

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Now that you have backed up your records, you may update your record set.

The first thing you will do is import records from a document into the application.

The application accepts data stored in .csv, .tab, and .txt files.

To import data stored in a .txt file into the category heading:

1. Click the dashboard tab at the top left of the layout you are on.
2. Click the import tab in the middle of the >> summary layout.
3. On the >> import layout, click the button labelled import beside the heading category on the left of the layout.
4. After you see the message import destination: category would you like to import records to this heading?, click the button labelled yes.
5. On the source file panel, select the file

category_Young Men Si, Old Men No.txt

(It may be stored in your /Downloads directory,)

1. On the source file panel, click the button labelled OK.

After a moment, you will be transported to the >> import conversion layout.

The 3 records that you imported from the file category_Young Men Si, Old Men No will be listed here.

Aligning An Import Field Label With A Matching Field

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Look at the field names above the records in the import record list.

Then at the records below them.

Something about them isn’t right.

Date values appear in fields labelled category.

And the category title Sense appears in fields labelled category created date.

Why did this happen?

It cannot be assumed that fields in an import source file will have the same names as their counterparts in the application.

Or that they will appear in the same order in which they feature in the application.

However, if the fields to be imported are not in the same order on this layout as they are in the application, they will not populate the correct fields in the application after you click the button save.

Situating a field label above a column ensures that records in the column below it are imported to that field in the application.

You may align fields to the nearest matching field label using the arrows to the right and left of the corresponding field label on the >> import conversion layout.

To align the field label category with the field containing category title data:

1. Click the arrow that points right, below the label category.

This will move the field label category one position right – so it appears above the column of fields containing the category title Sense.

It will also shunt the field label category created date above the column of fields containing date values.

1. If you are sure that you have aligned field labels with matching columns of data, click the button Save to import them into the application.

Combining Two Categories Into One Category

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You will now combine two categories into one category, uniting their notes under a single category title.

When might you decide to do this?

After you realise that two separate categories are more alike than dissimilar.

That you no longer need the category Modernity, for instance.

Might combine it with the category Old, surrendering both its notes and title to the category Old.

To do this:

1. Click the categories tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> categories list layout, click the label category (situated above the list of categories).

This will sort the list of categories in alphanumerical order.

(NB, field labels on list layouts are, also, sort buttons.

Click the label above any field to sort records by that field in alphanumeric order.

Click the label again to sort records by that field in reverse alphanumeric order.)

1. On the >> categories list layout, click the button labelled combine to the far right of the category Modernity.
2. After a moment, a panel labelled select a category to combine with: Modernity will appear.

This panel facilitates the combination of the selected category with another category.

It lists all of the categories that you have created, other than the current one.

1. Click the button labelled combine to the right of the category Old on the panel labelled select a category to combine with: Modernity.
2. When you see the message Old: combine with this category, taking its title?, click the button labelled yes.

After a moment, a panel labelled combine will confirm that you have combined the category Modernity with the category Old, to form the combined category Old.

This contains all of the former category Modernity’ notes.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

Creating A Project

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Having accumulated notes under various category titles, you decide it is time to do something with them.

Use them as the basis for a stand-up show, perhaps.

Each beat in this show will help to constitute a separate bit.

The title and content of each bit will be drawn from the category title on which it is based.

To do this you will first create a project.

Then, create beats under that project.

To create a project:

1. Click the projects tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> projects list layout, click the button labelled new on the far right of the layout.
3. On the >> project edit layout, click into the field labelled project.
4. In the field labelled project, type the following text:

Young-Old

1. Click into the field labelled form.
2. Ignore the suggestions in the pop-up list by clicking into the field again.
3. Type the following text in the field labelled form:

Stand-up show

1. Click into the field labelled genre.
2. Ignore the suggestions in the pop-up list by clicking into the field again.
3. Type the following text in the field labelled genre:

Comedy

1. Go to the field labelled description, by clicking your Tab key.
2. Copy/paste the following text into the field labelled description:

Differences between young and old men and women

1. Go to the field labelled premise, by clicking your Tab key.
2. Copy/paste the following text into the field labelled premise

Clash of generations, genders.

1. Go to the field labelled theme, by clicking your Tab key.
2. Copy/paste the following text into the field labelled theme:

Ageing.

If you are happy with the values that you have entered, click the button labelled save on the far right of the layout.

Creating Beats

Now that you have created the project Young-Old, you may add beat sub-headings to it.

To add beat sub-headings to the project Young-Old:

1. Click the projects tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> projects list layout, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record Young-Old.
3. On the >> project details layout for Young-Old, click the beats tab in the middle of the layout.
4. On the >> beats list layout for Young-Old, click the button labelled new on the far right of the layout.
5. On the >> beats edit layout for Young-Old, click into the field labelled beat.
6. In the field labelled beat, copy/paste the text:

What Women Want

Do not enter text in the other two fields.

1. Click the button labelled save on the far right of the edit layout.
2. Create another beat sub-heading by clicking the button labelled new on the far right of the >> beats detail layout for the beat What Women Want.
3. On the >> beats edit layout for Young-Old, click into the field labelled beat.
4. In the field labelled beat, copy/paste the text:

What Men Want

Do not enter text in the other two fields.

1. Click the button labelled save on the far right of the edit layout.
2. Create 2 more beat sub-headings for the following 2 titles by clicking the button labelled new on the far right of the >> beats detail layout.

What The Old Want

What The Young Want

Transferring Notes From A Category Notes List To A Chapter Notes List

Now that you have created beat headings, you may transfer notes from a category notes list to them.

You will do this in two stages:

1. Transfer notes from a category to a project.
2. Transfer notes from a project to one of its beats.

Transferring Notes From A Category To A Project

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To transfer the note

Jack was my first boyfriend. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you’d better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name.

from the category Marriage to the project Young-Old:

1. Click the categories tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> categories list layout, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record called Marriage.
3. On the >> category details layout for Marriage, click the notes tab in the middle of the layout.
4. Click the button labelled transfer to the far right of the note

Jack was my first boyfriend. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you’d better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name.

After a moment, a panel labelled select the target for this note will appear.

This panel facilitates the transfer of the current note to another category or a project.

1. Click the button labelled projects on the panel labelled select the target for this note.

This will bring up a list of the projects that you have created.

1. Click the button labelled transfer to the right of the project Young-Old.
2. When you see the message Young-Old: transfer selected note to this project?, click the button labelled yes.

After a moment, a panel labelled transfer will confirm that you have transferred the selected note to the selected project.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

1 note remains in the list of notes under the category Marriage.

Transferring Notes From A Project To One Of Its Beats

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To transfer the note

Jack was my first boyfriend. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you’d better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name.

from the project detail notes listing to one of its beats:

1. Click the projects tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> projects list layout, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record called Young-Old.
3. On the >> project details layout for Young-Old, click the notes tab in the middle of the layout.
4. Click the button labelled transfer to the far right of the note

Jack was my first boyfriend. I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you’d better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name..

After a moment, a panel labelled select the target for this note will appear.

This panel facilitates the transfer of the current note to another project, or a beat, chapter, character or campaign within the current project.

1. Click the button labelled beats on the panel labelled select the target for this note.

This will bring up a list of the beats that you have created within the current project.

1. Click the button labelled transfer to the right of the beat What Women Want.
2. When you see the message What Women Want: transfer selected note to this beat?, click the button labelled yes.

After a moment, a panel labelled transfer will confirm that you have transferred the selected note to the selected beats.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

Transfer Notes From The Top Heading Notes List To A Beat Notes List

There is an alternative method to transfer notes from a category notes list to a beat heading.

This is via the top tab notes list.

The access tab to this notes list will appear at the top of each layout after you have added a single note to the application.

The top tab notes list enables you to view all notes in the application outside their category and project headings, or beat, chapter, character, campaign sub-headings.

It may be used to perform keyword searches across these boundaries.

You will use it to find 2 unrelated notes.

Then transfer them to the beat What Women Want.

To do this, you will need to isolate the 2 unrelated notes.

There are several ways to isolate records to make global changes to them.

The simplest method is to tag them.

Untagging Records

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Before tagging records in a set it is best to remove tags that you have already placed on that record set.

Otherwise, you will return previously tagged records along with recently tagged records when you click the tagged quick find button.

To remove tags from all notes in the application:

1. Click the notes tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. To ensure that you perform the following exercise on all notes in the application, click the button labelled show all at the top far left of the notes listing layout.

The label on the button will change to showing all.

(If it is already labelled showing all, don’t worry; that means that the current listing incorporates all of your notes).

1. Click the button labelled tag on the far right of the layout, just above the notes list.

After a moment, all of the individual tag buttons to the far right of each note will be labelled yes.

And the button formerly labelled tag on the far right of the layout, just above the notes list, will be labelled untag.

1. Click the button labelled untag on the far right of the layout, just above the notes list.
2. After a moment, all of the individual tag buttons to the far right of each note will be labelled no.

Now that you have cleared existing tags from your record set, you may tag the 2 records that you wish to isolate.

To facilitate this you will perform two searches.

Searching For Records Using The Find-As-You-Type Facility

To find notes that contain the string

Ain’t nothin’ an old man

perform a search as follows:

1. Click the notes tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. Click into the field at the top left of the layout that bears the placeholder text enter search string here.
3. Type or copy/paste the text

Ain’t nothin’ an old man

into this field.

This should return the following note only:

Ain’t nothin’ an old man can do for me but bring me a message from a young man.

1. Click the button labelled no below the field label tagged, on the far right of this note.

The button will now be labelled yes (meaning that the record has been tagged).

1. Now search for all notes that mention the term

Old men

1. Tag the following note only:

Old men – They can’t do nothin’. They ain’t gonna let you do nothin.

Now that you have tagged 2 notes, you will isolate them.

Isolating Records

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To isolate records that have been tagged:

1. Click the quick find button labelled tagged to the right of the field bearing the placeholder text enter search string here.

This will return the 2 records that you have tagged only.

Transferring Isolated Records

Having isolated 2 unrelated notes, you will transfer them to the beat What Women Want.

You will do this in two stages:

1. Transfer notes to the project Young-Old.
2. Transfer notes from the project Young-Old to its beat What Women Want.

Transferring Notes Via The Top Tab Notes List To A Project

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To transfer notes from the top tab notes list to the project Young-Old:

1. Click the button labelled transfer situated to the far right, above the 2 records in the notes list.

After a moment, a panel labelled select the target for these notes will appear.

This panel facilitates the transfer of the selected notes to a category or a project.

1. Click the button labelled projects on the panel labelled select the target for this note.

This will bring up a list of the projects that you have created.

1. Click the button labelled transfer to the right of the project Young-Old.
2. When you see the message Young-Old: transfer selected notes to this project?, click the button labelled yes.

After a moment, a panel labelled transfer will confirm that you have transferred the selected notes to the selected project.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

Now you will transfer the 2 tagged notes from the project notes list to a beat notes list.

Transferring Tagged Notes From The Project Notes List To A Beat Notes List

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To transfer the 2 tagged notes from the Young-Old project notes list to the What Women Want beat notes list:

1. Click the projects tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> projects list layout, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record called Young-Old.
3. On the >> project details layout for Young-Old, click the notes tab in the middle of the layout.
4. On the >> projects notes list layout for Young-Old, click the button labelled transfer to the far right of the layout, just above the notes list.

After a moment, a panel labelled select the target for these notes will appear.

This panel facilitates the transfer of the current notes to another project, or a beat, chapter, character or campaign within the current project.

1. Click the button labelled beats on the panel labelled select the target for these notes.

This will bring up a list of the beats that you have created for the current project.

1. Click the button labelled transfer to the right of the beat What Women Want.
2. When you see the message What Women Want: transfer selected notes to this beat?, click the button labelled yes.

After a moment, a panel labelled transfer will confirm that you have transferred the selected notes to the selected beat.

1. Dismiss this panel by clicking the button labelled OK.

Where are the notes that you transferred?

Viewing Transferred Notes

To see what became of the notes that you transferred from the Young-Old project notes list to the What Women Want beat notes list:

1. Click the projects tab at the top of the layout you are on.
2. On the >> projects list layout, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record called Young-Old.
3. On the >> project details layout for Young-Old, click the beats tab in the middle of the layout.
4. On the >> beats list layout for Young-Old, click the button bearing the arrowhead icon on the far left of the record What Women Want.
5. On the >> beat details layout for What Women Want, click the notes tab in the middle of the layout.

You should see the 2 notes that you transferred from the Young-Old project details notes list.

Plus the 1 note that you transferred earlier.

Conclusion

In this case study you:

1. Backed up your records.
2. Created a new category by importing data from a .txt document.
3. Aligned an import field label with a matching field.
4. Combined two categories into one category.
5. Created a project.
6. Created beats.
7. Transferred notes from a category notes list to a beat notes list.
8. Transferred notes from the top heading notes list to a beat notes list.