Frequently asked questions
Is ArchiView free?
Yes, and it is open source under the MIT licence: you can use, copy and modify it freely, for work too. There are no subscriptions or paid features.
Do I need an internet connection?
No. ArchiView is designed to work offline, even in a reading room without a network. The internet is needed only if you enable synchronisation or download an update.
Windows says the file is not safe. Is it a virus?
No. It is the warning Windows shows for every program not signed with a commercial certificate. See Installation.
Do my documents end up on a server?
Only if you enable synchronisation yourself. In local mode, which is the default, data stays on your disk and nobody can access it.
Can two people work on the same archive?
Yes, with a shared archive: see Synchronisation. If two people edit the same record, the program shows both versions and lets you choose.
Can I use ArchiView on two computers without collaborating with anyone?
Yes, in two ways: by converting the archive to personal (synchronised, with automatic backup), or by copying the working folder by hand from one machine to the other, provided you never work on both at the same time.
I deleted a record by mistake.
Ctrl+Z straight away undoes it. Later on, you will find it in the trash, where deleted records stay for 30 days: see Trash, snapshots and history. If the trash has already been emptied, local snapshots remain and, for synchronised archives, the History.
Can I change the fields of a model after cataloguing hundreds of documents?
Yes, models can be changed at any time. Make a backup first, though: see Document models.
How many records can an archive hold?
There is no fixed limit.
Can I print or export a record?
Yes: export entries are in the right-click menu on archive items and in the commands above the list. See Backup, export and transfer.
How do I change the language?
From the settings. The interface is available in Italian and English.
Can I add a field to a single record only?
Yes: these are record-specific fields. The model stays clean and the record carries its exceptional case. If you later find you always need it, you promote it to the model.
Does the program recognise the text in scans?
Yes, with OCR, which runs on your computer. It works well on print and on later, regular hands; on a fourteenth-century notarial minuscule it does not. It is mainly for finding the right folio, not for replacing transcription.
How do I put records in chronological order?
Just write dates as you would in a calendar (c. 1340, ante 1350, sec. XIV in.): ArchiView interprets them and sorts them chronologically. See Historical dates.
I wrote the same name in three different ways. Do I have to fix every record?
No. The authority list of people and places unifies spellings in a single operation. For tags there is tag management, with rename and merge.
Can I import my list from Excel?
Yes, with a preview telling you row by row what will be added. See Importing from CSV. The import can be undone with Ctrl+Z.
Can I cite records in Zotero or LaTeX?
Yes: the export also produces BibTeX and RIS. See Transcriptions and citations.
Who can see my shared archive?
Only the people you invited, and you can revoke each of them individually. Attachments travel encrypted. See Sharing with others.
What is the difference between "archive" and "folder"?
The archive is the complete container you choose from the switcher at the bottom left; folders are the internal subdivisions of an archive. See Folders and archives.
I found a problem, or I would like a feature that does not exist.
Open a report in the GitHub issues: it is the right channel for both bugs and proposals.