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 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 on the
             Ximian GNOME bug report page at <ulink
             url="http://bugzilla.ximian.com">bugzilla.ximian.com</ulink>. There
             are detailed bug reporting instructions in <xref
             linkend="evolution-faq">.
          </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>&mdash; 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>