Online Searching
Data Crow can save you time by retrieving information about an item from an online database such as Amazon, IMDb, or freedb.
Starting a search
The online search is available from the item form (to update an existing item), from the menubar and the toolbar.
Before you can find the item you want, make sure you have selected the correct server. Each server comes with its own options.
For example; when you select an Amazon server you can select the location of the server you want to use. The server located in Germany will deliver you with descriptions in German, etc.
By default Data Crow searches on keywords. If there are other search modes available these will be displayed behind the keywords field. You can simply select another search mode to search on (for example) ISBN, Amazon ID (ASIN) or barcodes.
To stop a search press "stop". The search is then stopped and you can start a new search. To clear previous found results, press "clear".
Options
There are several options for you to consider.
Retrieved information
When searching for new items you can specify for which fields values should be retrieved. To do this click the settings button and select
all the fields for which you want Data Crow to find values for. When updating an item an almost identical option exists. This time however
you select the fields for which the values of the existing item should should be overwritten (if at all).
Retrieve additional information on persons & companies
Data Crow can retrieve (in most cases) additional information on persons like actors and companies like software development organisations.
By default this option is disabled as this option slows down the online search. When disabled persons and companies are still created but without any additonal information. Such a company or person will only have a name and nothing else. When this option is enabled Data Crow will try and retrieve images and a description. Note that at any point in time you can decide to update all persons and companies using the "Mass Update" feature (more about this) of Data Crow or one by one by using the online search functionality of the specific module.
Automatically create properties
When enabled Data Crow will automatically create properties like genres and categories not yet present.
Adding the results to Data Crow
When you have found the result you were looking for select the item(s) and press "Add item(s)". The items are then added to the new item tab. The items are not yet saved to the database. The new item tab is a holding place for items eligible to be added to the database. You can, if you want, modify them here before saving them to database (by pressing "save").
To update an existing item. Press "Update". The values in the item form will be updated with the values from the selected result. Before you update check if you want to overwrite existing values. If so, check the "overwrite existing values" (unchecked by default). This setting will be remembered.