path: root/help/C/preface.sgml

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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 information
        easier, so you can work and communicate with others.  That is,
        it's a more 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 <ulink type="help" url="gnome-help:gpl"><citetitle>GNU
        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.
        <application>Evolution</application> can handle almost all
        your communications and information management tasks with the
        power and flexibility of the GNOME desktop environment.
      </para>
      <para>
        The developers of <application>Evolution</application> had
        four major goals for their project:

        <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>
             The application must be <emphasis>both powerful and easy
             to use</emphasis>. That means a familiar and intuitive
             interface that users could customize to their liking, and
             the development of 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 most 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 scripts, 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">vFolders</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>. It describes
        version 0.5.1 of the software.  It is missing huge
        chunks of information, and many of the features it describes
        are unimplemented.  All the content is subject to change,
        especially if you help.  Please send comments on the guide to
        <email>aaron@helixcode.com</email>. 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>.  This paragraph will be removed in later
        versions of the manual.
      </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>&mdash; it will explain how to use
        <application>Evolution</application>.  If you are new to
        <application>Evolution</application> or to groupware in
        general, this is the section 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 <xref linkend="apx-gloss">.</member>
      </simplelist>
        </para>
      </formalpara>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="commontasks">
    <title>Quick Reference for Common Tasks</title>
    <para>
        You might want to get a copy of 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>, and pointers to the
        sections of the book where you'll find more in-depth
        description of those tasks.
    </para>
    <sect2 id="quickref-newthings">
      <title>Opening or Creating Anything</title>
      <para>
         Here are the keyboard shortcuts and menu items you're most
         likely to use: (Please note that the shortcuts listed are
         probably wrong at this point).
         
          <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>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>

      <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>
    </variablelist>
      </para>
    </sect2> 
    <sect2 id="quickref-mail">
      <title>Mail Tasks</title>
      <para>
        Here are the most frequent email tasks:
         <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Check Mail</term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
                Click <guibutton>Get Mail</guibutton> in the toolbar, or press 
                <keycombo action="simul">
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
                </keycombo>
                </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

          <varlistentry>
        <term>Reply to a Message</term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
                Select the message to which you want to reply, and
                click <guibutton>Reply</guibutton> in the
                toolbar, or press
                <keycombo action="simul">
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
                </keycombo>
                </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      
          <varlistentry>
        <term>Forward a Message</term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
                Select the message you want to forward, and
                click <guibutton>Forward</guibutton> in the
                toolbar, or press
                <keycombo action="simul">
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</keycap>
          <keycap>FIXME</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 press
                <keycombo action="simul">
          <keycap>Ctrl</keycap>
          <keycap>O</keycap>
                </keycombo>
                </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

          <varlistentry>
        <term>Create Filters and vFolders</term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
                You can create filters and vFolders based on specific
                message attributes by right-clicking on a message or
                by selecting <menuchoice> <guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
                <guimenuitem>Mail Filters</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>
                or <menuchoice> <guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
                <guimenuitem>vFolder Editor</guimenuitem>
                </menuchoice>.  Filters are discussed in <xref
                linkend="usage-mail-organize-filters">, and vFolders
                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>