CatBase Features
CatBase is a database publishing application that simplifies the job of publishing a catalogue, directory, or other database-based publication. It works with a variety of publishing destination, and it also offers lots of other useful features.
CatBase Works with all the Major Publishing Solutions
Publish your data to a variety of publishing destinations:
For more info about publishing, see the Publishing Style Sheets Tutorial.
Importing Data
You can import data from just about any other source:
- tab-delimited text files
- comma-delimited (csv) files
- fixed-length text files
- text files with custom delimiters
- XML files
- MySql databases
- Microsoft Sql Server database
- any ODBC-compliant data source
- DBF files
For more information about importing data, see the Importing Data tutorial.
Communicating
If you have data that contains contact details, you can communicate with those contacts via CatBase:
Automation
CatBase offers a number of ways that you can be more efficient through automation:
- Define Sets that can be automatically updated
- Create Publishing Projects so you don;t have to remember which Set of data to use, or which Publishing Style Sheet, or which publishing destination, for a particular project
- Create Scheduled Events to automatically perform functions such as import or publishing data or retrieving emails at specified intervals
- Automatic updating of data in the page layout program after it has been published - for example, for last-minute pricing updates. This works with QuarkXPress and InDesign CS - see the Round-Tripping Tutorial.
- Set up an automated backup schedule to ensure the safety of your database
Reporting
- Quickly create columnar reports using the Quick Report Editor
- Create graphs and charts
Customisation
CatBase is highly customisable:
- name your tables
- add fields of various types
- set properties for each field
- design your data entry and list view forms
- we can write scripts to perform special functions
What to do next ...