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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>— 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>