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<preface id="introduction">
<!-- =============Introduction ============================= -->
<title>Introduction</title>
<sect1 id="what">
<title>What is Evolution, and What Can It Do for Me?</title>
<para>
Information is useless unless it's organized and accessible;
it's hardly even worth the name if you can't look at it and be
<emphasis>informed</emphasis>.
<application>Evolution</application>'s goal is to make the
tasks of storing, organizing, and retrieving your personal
information easier, so you can work and communicate with
others. That is, it's a highly evolved <glossterm
linkend="groupware">groupware</glossterm> program, an integral
part of the Internet-connected desktop. On the inside, it's a
powerful database; on the outside, it's a tool to help you get
your work done.
</para>
<para>
Because it's part of the GNOME project,
<application>Evolution</application> is Free Software. The
program and its source code are released under the terms of
the GNU <ulink type="help" url="gnome-help:gpl"><citetitle>General
Public License (GPL)</citetitle></ulink>, and the
documentation falls under the <ulink type="help"
url="gnome-help:fdl"><citetitle>Free Documentation
License</citetitle></ulink> (FDL). For more information about
the GPL and the FDL, visit the Free Software Foundation's
website at <ulink
url="http://www.fsf.org">http://www.fsf.org</ulink>.
</para>
<para>
<note>
<title>This is a preview release</title>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> is not complete, and
still has a lot of flaws. Please help improve it by
letting us know about them. You should do this by
submitting bug reports with the GNOME <application>Bug
Report Tool</application> (known as
<command>bug-buddy</command> at the command line).
</para>
</note>
</para>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> can help you work in a
group by handling email, address and other contact
information, and one or more calendars. It can do that on one
or several computers, connected directly or over a network,
for one person or for large groups.
</para>
<para>
The <application>Evolution</application> project has four
central goals:
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
The application must be <emphasis>both powerful and easy
to use</emphasis>. In other words, it needs a familiar
and intuitive interface that users can customize to their
liking, and users should have access to shortcuts for
complex tasks.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> must meet and
exceed the standards set by other groupware products.
It must include support for major network <glossterm
linkend="protocol">protocols</glossterm> so that it can
integrate seamlessly with existing hardware and network
environments.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
The project must support open standards and be open to
expansion, so that it can become a development platform
as well as an application. From the simplest scripting
to the most complex network and component programming,
<application>Evolution</application> must offer
developers an environment for cutting-edge application
development.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
Data must be safe: <application>Evolution</application>
must not lose mail, corrupt mailbox files or other
data, execute arbitrary <glossterm linkend="script">scripts</glossterm>,
or delete files from your hard disk.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>
<para>
<application>Evolution</application> is designed to make most
daily tasks faster. For example, it takes only one or two
clicks to enter an appointment or an address card sent to you
by email, or to send email to a contact or appointment.
<application>Evolution</application> makes displays faster and
more efficient, so searches are faster and memory usage is
lower. People who get lots of mail will appreciate advanced
features like <link
linkend="usage-mail-organize-vFolders">Virtual Folders</link>,
which let you save searches as though they were ordinary mail
folders.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="aboutbook">
<title>About This Book</title>
<!-- ************** FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH FOR DRAFT ONLY ************* -->
<para>
This version of the <application>Evolution</application>
User's Guide is a <emphasis>draft</emphasis>. Please send
comments on the guide to <email>aaron@ximian.com</email>. The
first person to send me some good constructive criticism wins
a free Ximian t-shirt. Include preferred shirt size and postal
address. If you would like to work on the guide please contact
me or see the GNOME Documentation project <ulink
url="http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gdp">web
site</ulink>.
</para>
<!-- ************* END DRAFT ONLY PARAGRAPH ************** -->
<para>
This book is divided into two parts, with several
appendices. The first part is a <link linkend="usage">guided
tour</link>— it will explain how to use
<application>Evolution</application>. If you are new to
<application>Evolution</application> or to groupware in
general, this section is for you. The second section, covering
<link linkend="config">configuration</link>, is targeted at
more advanced users, but anyone who wants to change the way
<application>Evolution</application> looks or acts can benefit
from reading it. In addition, there is a comprehensive <link
linkend="menuref">menu reference</link> which describes nearly
every capability that <application>Evolution</application> has
to offer.
</para>
<formalpara>
<title>Typographical conventions</title>
<para>
Some kinds of words are marked off with special typography:
<simplelist>
<member><application>Applications</application></member>
<member><command>Commands</command> typed at the command line</member>
<member><guilabel>Labels</guilabel> for interface items</member>
<member> Menu selections look like this:
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Menu</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Submenu</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Menu Item</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
</member>
<member><guibutton>Buttons</guibutton> you can
click</member> <member><userinput>Anything you type
in</userinput></member> <member><computeroutput>Text
output from a computer</computeroutput></member>
<member><glossterm linkend="apx-gloss">Words</glossterm>
that are defined in the <xref linkend="apx-gloss">.</member>
</simplelist>
</para>
</formalpara>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="commontasks">
<title>Quick Reference for Common Tasks</title>
<para>
You might want to copy this section and tape it to the wall
next to your computer: it's a very short summary of most of
the things you'll want to do with
<application>Evolution</application>. Read <xref
linkend="menuref"> if you would like a complete list of
keyboard shortcuts for menu commands.
</para>
<sect2 id="quickref-newthings">
<title>Opening or Creating Anything</title>
<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create a new folder</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift </keycap>
<keycap>F</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create a new Shortcut in the Evolution Bar</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Evolution Bar Shortcut</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>S</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create a new email message:</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Use
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu><guimenuitem>Mail
Message</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift </keycap>
<keycap>M</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create a new Appointment</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Appointment</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>A</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Enter a new Contact</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Contact</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>C</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create a new Task</term>
<listitem>
<para>
<menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>New</guisubmenu>
<guimenuitem>Task</guimenuitem> </menuchoice> or
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>T</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="quickref-mail">
<title>Mail Tasks</title>
<para>
Here are the most frequent email tasks, and shortcuts for
navigating your mailbox with the keyboard instead of the
mouse:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>Check Mail</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Click <guibutton>Get Mail</guibutton> in the
toolbar. There is no keyboard shortcut for this task,
but you can ask <application>Evolution</application>
to check for new mail periodically in the
<guilabel>Mail Settings</guilabel> dialog.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Reply to a Message</term>
<listitem>
<para>
To reply to the sender of the message only:
click <guibutton>Reply</guibutton> in the
toolbar, or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>R</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
<para>
To reply to the sender and all the other visible
recipients of the message, click <guibutton>Reply to
All</guibutton> or select the message and press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Shift</keycap>
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>R</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Forward a Message</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Select the message or messages you want to forward,
and click <guibutton>Forward</guibutton> in the
toolbar, or press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>J</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Open a Message in a New Window</term>
<listitem>
<para>
Double-click the message you want to view, or select
it and press
<keycombo action="simul">
<keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
<keycap>O</keycap>
</keycombo>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Create Filters and Virtual Folders</term>
<listitem>
<para>
You can create filters and Virtual Folders based on
specific message attributes from the message's
right-click menu. Alternately, select a message, and
then choose <menuchoice> <guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Mail Filters</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>
or <menuchoice> <guimenu>Settings</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Virtual Folder Editor</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>. Filters are discussed in <xref
linkend="usage-mail-organize-filters">, and Virtual
Folders in <xref
linkend="usage-mail-organize-vfolders">.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="quickref-cal">
<title>Calendar</title>
<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term></term>
<listitem>
<para>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="quickref-contact">
<title>Contact Manager</title>
<para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term></term>
<listitem>
<para>
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
</preface>