.. _introduction:

Introduction
============

PortaBase is a small database program for creating, browsing, and editing custom tables of data.  Typical uses are media inventories, reference charts, TODO lists, shopping lists, etc.  Notable features include:

* String, Integer, Decimal, Boolean, Note (multi-line text), Date, Time, Calculation, Sequence, Image, and Enum column types

* Custom data views (subsets of the columns in any order)

* Filter the displayed rows using sets of conditions

* Sort the rows by any combination of columns, each in ascending or descending order

* Good performance even when browsing large tables; the display only loads data as needed

* Optional page navigation buttons, with custom number of rows per page

* Add, delete, rearrange, and rename columns at any time

* Specify default values for columns

* View summary statistics for columns (total, average, min, max, etc.)

* Import data from CSV, XML, and MobileDB files

* Export data to CSV, HTML, and XML files

* Command-line format conversions (to and from XML, to and from CSV, from MobileDB, to HTML)

* Print the data grid with view, sorting, and filter applied (not supported on Maemo)

* Fullscreen mode option

* Optional data file encryption

* Unicode support

* Pick any available font to use throughout the application (not supported on Mac OS X)

* User-specified alternating row background colors (Maemo Fremantle uses colors from the system theme instead)

* Simple calculator widget for entering numeric data
