FIGURE A

Here's the MegaWiki Basic Preference configuration form.

Links that use only Super Tags characters will only jump to items in the Memo Pad. To jump to items in another application, an additional tag is inserted inside the leftmost Super Tag. These additional tag characters allow you to jump to items in the Date Book, To Do List, and Address Book applications. MegaWiki links can also be configured to start up any application on your Palm handheld, or even any Preference panel.

What additional functions can MegaWiki perform?
Let me now tell you a little about some of the more advanced functions available from this hack. Just remember that you can take your time mastering them.

MegaWiki can be configured to allow each application to use its own pair of tag characters, and not just Super Tags. You can also use WikiNames, which follow special formatting rules, as links to Memo Pad items that don't require any tag characters. In addition, bookmark tags can be utilized not only to jump to a specific Memo Pad document, but also to a specified location within the document.

MegaWiki can also support links that jump to third-party Palm OS applications. There are actually two types of these links: one that jumps to an item within an application, and one that opens specific databases within an application. Support for third-party applications is provided by optional "plug-ins" that can be installed along with MegaWiki. These plug-ins are small Palm OS files that provide information needed by MegaWiki for such actions as creating a new record within the application. You only need to install the plug-ins required for those applications on your Palm handheld that you want to link to using MegaWiki. At this time 36 plug-ins are part of the MegaWiki package.

MegaWiki also supports "wildcard" linking, i.e., links containing only partial information on the linked item. The asterisk (*) character is used to find items with variations possible on the letters at the end of a word. For example, you could specify an Address Book link with "Fred*" to find items that have a first name of Fred, Frederick, or Freddy.

Finally, MegaWiki comes with a bunch of very handy desk accessories that increase the usefulness of this hack. Desk accessories are specially written Palm OS applications that can be run while a normal Palm OS application is still running. For example, the Linki desk accessory allows you to select some text and automatically turn it into any type of MegaWiki link you want.

Should I Install MegaWiki?
Based on my description alone, this hack may sound so complicated that you may feel intimidated about installing it on you Palm handheld. However, as complex and sophisticated as it may seem, it's also very easy to use in its most basic configuration. I actually use very little of its capabilities, but I'd miss it very much if it was removed from my Palm handheld.

I mainly use the basic Memo Pad and Address Book linking functionality. This allows me to cross-reference Memos with each other, to refer to saved Memo Pad versions of important email messages, and to link to Address Book entries to allow me to quickly access phone numbers from the Memo Pad and Date Book applications. I only use one plug-in, and that's for the peditPro program (at http://home.columbus.rr.com/nevai/palm/) I use as a text editor on my Palm handheld. I've never even used the wildcard feature of MegaWiki. Nevertheless, I find MegaWiki to be an invaluable addition to my Palm handheld.