2.1 THE HOME SCREEN
BookHound always starts at the home screen. The main area is divided into three
sections: INVENTORY, CUSTOMERS, and INVOICES — each with buttons for basic actions.
Key home screen buttons:
- NEW (blue) in each section — creates a new record in that section
- SEARCH (gray) in each section — searches that section
- UPLOADS (blue, bottom left) — creates files for online marketplace uploads
- REPORTS (bottom right) — accesses invoice-based reports
To access secondary features (consignors, preferences, lots), use the "Go" menu at
the top of your screen.
Tip: Every other screen has a HOME button at lower right, and clicking the
BookHound 8 logo at top left of any screen also returns you home.
2.2 THE NAVIGATION BAR
A navigation bar at the bottom of most screens lets you jump directly to another
section (Inventory, Customers, Invoices, Catalogs).
- BACK button (far left): toggles between the current and previous screen
(does not step backward indefinitely)
- HOME button (far right): returns directly to the home screen
Tip: If you search for 17 inventory records, those same 17 records remain in the
list view when you return to that screen via the Navigation Bar.
Context-sensitive menus appear at the top of your screen at all times:
- Go menu: replicates the Navigation Bar and also includes Lots, Consignors,
Preferences, and the Uploads screen
- Actions menu: replicates the home screen buttons (New Item, Find Item,
New Customer, Find Customer, etc.) — accessible from any screen
- Special menu (inventory & customer screens): text cleanup, web searching,
hit lists, add item to invoice, and more
- Records menu (inventory & customer screens): value reports, upload options,
maintenance, global edits, import/export
Menus also display keyboard shortcuts for quick access without navigating away.
2.4 ENTRY SCREEN vs. LIST VIEW
There are two ways to view your data:
ENTRY SCREEN (Details):
- Shows all fields for a single record
- Data can only be entered here (not in list view)
- Access list view by clicking the LIST button
LIST VIEW:
- Shows multiple records in a summary-style vertical list
- Click any row to open that record's detail screen
- The records shown are determined by your last search result
- Click LIST ALL to display every record
- Click LIST STOCK (inventory) to show only items with quantity ≥ 1
- Sort by clicking any column heading; Shift-click to reverse sort order
- Record count shown at top right (e.g., "viewing 12 of 1,200")
To temporarily remove a record from the list (without deleting it), click the
blue "omit" link at the right of that record. This does NOT delete it — it only
removes it from the current group.
Tip: To add a new record without leaving list view, use the Actions menu.
2.5 THE LIST VIEW — ADDITIONAL FEATURES
- Click the MAGNIFYING-GLASS icon in front of an item's ID number to preview
its full description at the bottom of the screen without leaving list view
- Click the "bar-chart" icon (leftmost position in list view header) to
perform a "smart" sort — items without an author are sorted by title's
first letter rather than grouped at the top
- BookHound ignores leading articles (a, an, the) when alphabetizing titles
List view buttons by section:
Inventory: search | list stock | list all | copy list | print list | save list
Customers: search | list active | list all | email list | print list | print labels
Invoices: search | list today | list all
2.6 THE ENTRY SCREEN — NAVIGATION BUTTONS
At the top right of any entry screen are four circular navigation buttons:
- Inner right triangle: move to the NEXT record in the group
- Inner left triangle: move to the PREVIOUS record
- Outer left triangle: move to the FIRST record in the group
- Outer right triangle: move to the LAST record in the group
Note: If only one record is in your list, these buttons appear to do nothing.
Alternatively, click the LIST button and scroll to the desired record.
2.7 THE SUB NAVIGATION BAR
Located at the top of any detail screen, the Sub Navigation Bar navigates within
that particular record's section — not between sections.
- Click a button to reveal additional screens for that record (extra data fields,
private notes, sales history, wants lists, etc.)
- The currently active screen's button appears in orange
- Buttons shown in italics indicate important information exists there
- Click "details" to return to the main detail screen for that record
- All screens have a LIST button at right for direct access to list view
Note: Buttons at the top of the invoice screen perform actions, not navigation.
2.8 SEARCHING FOR RECORDS
To search: click the gray SEARCH button on the home screen or on any detail/list
view screen. You can also use the Actions menu from any screen.
Basic search steps:
1. Type your criteria in one or more fields on the search screen
2. Click GET RESULTS (or press Enter)
3. If one record matches → that record's detail screen is shown
4. If multiple records match → the list view screen is shown with results
To cancel a search: click GET RESULTS without entering criteria.
Search symbols:
= Finds records with NOTHING in that field (empty field search)
> Greater than (e.g., >345 in ITEM ID finds all IDs 346 and above)
< Less than
* Anything in that field (e.g., * in COUNTRY finds all international customers)
... Range for prices or dates (e.g., 01/31/16...03/25/16 finds entries in that range)
Complex searches:
- Enter criteria in multiple fields to narrow results (AND logic)
- Click the small blue PLUS-SIGN button at top right to add a second search
screen for OR logic (e.g., first editions over $45 OR second editions over $99)
After getting results, use the list view buttons to sort, print, save, or email the list.