Library Editor

LibraryEditor is a utility application that comes free with the purchase of any version of InspectMate, whether it is the PocketPC or PC version. It is designed to give the users the ability to customize various aspects of InspectMate. Through LibraryEditor the user can add, change, or delete inspection types, categories, steps, ratings, material checklists, and comment pick lists. Data created or modified with LibraryEditor controls the entry screens that are available in InspectMate. You can use LibraryEditor to create your own inspection types right from scratch to create inspections for doing commercial inspections, mold inspections, septic inspections, certifications and any other type you want.

The template data in the LibraryEditor is organized in the following hierarchy: At the very top is the overall "Inspection type" itself, such as “General Home Inspection”. Beneath each "Inspection type" is a series of “Categories”. Beneath each “Category” is a series of “Steps”. Associated with each "Step" will be a series of “Materials” or checklist items along with it's associated "Comments".

Screenshots

Click on the thumbnail image for a larger image.

Main Screen

When you first launch LibraryEditor the application will open in the Main View. There are 4 tabs on this dialog (Templates, Ratings, Lists, Expanded Text) The "Templates" tab shows the list of current inspection type reports that are in the library. These document types can range from a general home inspection to a commercial inspection to any type of inspection you want. There is no limit to how many you can have in a template file. You can also have multiple template files that can also contain other inspection type lists.

Category List

When you double-click on an inspection type report in the Main View the LibraryEditor will bring up the corresponding list of Categories for that inspection report. The order of the Categories is controlled by the Category number so that the inspector can control the order in which they want the Categories to appear as they do their inspection. There is no limit as to how many Categories you can have.

Step List

When you double-click on a Category in the Category list the LibraryEditor will bring up the corresponding list of Steps for that Category. The order of the Steps is controlled by the Step number so that the inspector can control the order in which they want the Steps to appear as they do their inspection. There is no limit as to how many Steps you can have. You can also see that these Steps can even be questions with a Yes/No answer.

Material List

When you double-click on a Step in the Step list the LibraryEditor will bring up the corresponding list of Material checkboxes for that Step. The order of the Material checkboxes is controlled by the Material Order number and you would have the most common materials first. There is no limit as to how many Materials you can have for a Step but it is recommended to limit it to the most common materials to avoid having to scroll. You can also have a comment that is associated to a Material so that when it is checked a comment is inserted automatically for that material. A good example may be to have a disclaimer comment to automatically get inserted for a "knob and tubing" material check box.

Comment List

When you select the "Comments" tab in the Step Editor dialog a list of Comments/Boiler-Plates for that Step are shown. Each comment can consist of just one word or up to paragraphs of text. Comments can be prioritized, sorted and grouped to make it easy to find the comment you are looking for int he field when using the InspectMate software. You would have the most common comments first and group similar comments together for quick selecting. There is no limit as to how many Comments you can have for a Step but with the added feature of having drop down lists inside comments there should be no reason to have hundreds of comments per Step. You can also link the same comment to multiple Steps so that when there is a need for a change to the comment in changes in all the Steps.

Step Info

When you select the "Step Info" tab in the Step Editor dialog a scrollable text area appears in which the inspector can add Step information. The InspectMate application has the wonderful feature of having text information associated with every Step int he inspection process that can contain reference data to help in the inspection process out in the field. This information is for the inspector out in the field and can contain anything from standards of practice, to city code or even just reminders for the inspector. This text appears for this Step in InspectMate on the handheld but does not print on the actual report. It is for reference only.

Ratings List

When you select the "Ratings" tab in in the Main View of LibraryEditor a list of all the Ratings in the template library appear. Each Rating has a list of its corresponding Rating Choices. All the Ratings and Rating Choices are customizable and there are no limitations as to how many you can have. Each Step in the template can have different Ratings associated to them. These are the Rating Choices that appear as the drop down Ratings for each Step in the InspectMate application.

Lists List

When you select the "Lists" tab in the Main View of LibraryEditor a list of all the List items appear. These are picklist items that can be included in any Comment in the template. When a List is included in a comment surrounded by the "^" symbol it signifies an automatic dropdown list that will contain all of the List item choices when the Comment is selected. This avoids having to have multiple comments that contain relatively the same text except for a word or two. A good example may be something like -- "There is moisture evident at the ^location^ of the ^room^." -- where the list called ^location^ may contain many items like...East corner, West corner.... and the ^room^ list may contain items like..."dining room,living room" etc.

Expanded Text

When you select the "Expanded Text" tab in the Main View of LibraryEditor a list of all the Expanded Text items appear. These are a list of shorthand phrases then be used in any comment area of the inspection and will expand out to a sentence or many paragraphs of data. These are usually universal comments that may make sense in any area of the inspection. You just write a couple letters and select the "@" button in InspectMate and it expands to the equivalent paragraph of text.