The Sailplan Database Web site allows visitors to register as members and then log in. Members have specific privileges defined by roles such as administrator or guest. The following table describes what features are available to visitors in different roles.

Any user can open the site and have access to all of the data. But he will not be able to change anything nor will he be able to add anything until he registers. Once registered, the user can login and post any entries that he thinks would be helpful. He will also be able to review and edit any entries that he has made earlier. He will not be able to modify the entries of others. Note that users who login will be able to post entries that are "private", that is, accessible only to them through their personal listings page. They will also be able to make up their own "catalog" of "bookmarked" listings that they might use frequently on a repeated basis. Users can bookmark the postings of others as well as their own.

If an error is discovered in a posting not your own, the proper response is to post the sailplan again noting the correction in the description box. If there is uncertainty about which posting is correct, both will be left in place and users will be responsible for taking measurements as appropriate. In many cases, the same boats from the same factory will have rather different measurements due to changing manufacturing techniques and changing sources of spar and other hardware suppliers.

Anyone can use the database to find sailplan data. There are two ways to conduct a search. First, any part of the boat's name can be entered. Thus, "PY" could be entered to find a Paceship Yachts boat as long as "PY" appeared somewhere in the name, e.g., "Paceship Yachts PY23". There can be some confusion concerning names like "O'Day". Capitalization does not matter, but the use of the apostrophy can be confusing. It is best in such cases to simply enter "Day". Note that searches work for strings of characters that do not initiate a word as well as those that do. Unsure how to spell a word like "Abbott"? Just enter "abbo". A list of all the boats with those characters in their names will be displayed from which the proper one can be selected.

It is also possible to use two strings of characters to perform a search. Thus, the search just above could be entered "abbo% 27" to reduce the length of the list of boat names returned (the "%" serves as a wildcard for any number of characters). But note that the two strings must be found in just the order entered. If Abbott and 27 were separated by another word or in reverse order, that entry would not be found.

It is also possible to find boats produced by a particular manufacturer or designed by a given individual. A list will be displayed from which a selection can be made. This kind of search can be helpful but it is not perfect since the same boat can be produced by several different manufacturers over time and, in any case, manufacturers and designers are not always known by those who post.

When the desired boat is selected from a list of choices in alphabetical order, all the information on that boat will be displayed on one page.

As a registered (and logged in) user of the Sailrite Sailplan Site you can post a boat's data for public consumption or for your private use (do be aware that Sailrite will have access to private postings). Registered and unregistered users can browse all postings and respond to them. When you post a boat, you can specify its name, its manufacturer/designer, its length, a link to a source of additional information on the web, the key boat measurements that determine sailplan dimensions (i.e., the I, J, P, E, P2, and E2) as well as those dimensions themselves for any number of sails. Of course, users are also entitled to know the source for these data and there is a place to indicate that. Some information may not be available -- if so, it can be left blank.  Additionally, photos or line drawings can be added (up to five for each boat). These can be helpful in designing sails even if they are quite small and rough.

The dimensions you enter can be in three formats. First, you can enter decimal feet (or decimal inches when called for). If the dimension is available in feet and inches, you can enter the feet and inches separated by an apostrophe mark ('). Finally (and third), if measurements are in meters, enter that followed by an "m". When the page is saved, your entries will be converted to decimal feet followed by milimeters in parentheses.  If I, J, P, E, P2, and E2 data are entered, the site will calculate all sides of each sail requested. These "calculated" dimensions will have an asterisk following the decimal feet (or inches) figure. Use the "Edit" button to modify these dimensions. Again, all three modes of entry listed above are acceptable. Your entered values will not have the asterisk. These figures are assumed to be "real".

To create an sailplan listing

1.       Log in to the site as an registered user.

2.       In the top navigation bar, click on the Post a Sailplan link.

3.       Select the manufacturer/designer of the boat.

4.       Click on the Next button.

5.       Enter the relevant boat data and indicate whether the listing should be public or private. The only required field is Name .

6.       Click the Save button when you are ready to submit this first page. Then go on to select sails from the pull down list. Each time one is added, dimensions will be calculated based on the I, J, P, E, P2, and E2 data entered on that first screen. Correct these calculated dimensions or add them as necessary by editing the individual sail detail boxes.

To upload a line drawing or photo for a boat immediately after creating it

1.       After you clicked the Finish button for an ad click the Upload Photos for your Ad now link.

2.       In the Manage Photos section, click Browse to select the image to upload.

3.       Click Upload.

4.       Repeat steps 2 through 3 for any additional photos you wish to upload.

To upload a photo for an existing ad

1.       Log in to the site as a registered user.

2.       In the top navigation bar, click My Ads & Profile.

3.       In the My Current Ads section, click the Edit link of the ad you wish to upload pictures to.

4.       Click the Manage Photos link in the Actions section of the page.

5.       In the Manage Photos section, click Browse to select the image to upload.

6.       Click Upload.

7.       Repeat steps 5 through 6 for any additional photos you wish to upload.

Ordering a Kit  

Once you have defined the sail needed, an order can be "initiated." The actual order process requires some interaction between you and the Sailrite staff. We want to review your selection and option choices and go over everything with you either on the phone or via email before we actually create a sales order. Once we are sure that the sail kit will meet your needs, we will post the sales order as a quote just for you on the web. After final approval that quote can be transformed into an actual order -- this can be done by the customer on the web or by sailrite staff in phone conference with the customer.

The Sailrite Site allows you to manage your public and private postings, your saved bookmarks, and your profile characteristics. Profile characteristics include your first name, last name, description, email and password.

To change your profile

1.       Login to the site as a registered user.

2.       In the top navigation bar click on the My Postings & Profile link.

3.       Click on the My Profile link.

4.       Your profile information consists of:

a.       First name, last name, description and email.

b.       Password.

5.       To change your first name, last name, description, or email

a.       Change the appropriate text box.

b.       Click the Save button to commit the changes.

6.       To change your password

a.       Enter your existing password, new password, and confirmation in the appropriate text boxes.

b.       Click the Change Password button to change the password.

To remove bookmarks

1.       Login to the site as a registered user.

2.       In the top navigation bar click on the My Postings & Profile link.

3.       Click on the Saved Bookmarks link.

4.       Click the Remove link of a bookmarked posting you wish to remove from the bookmark list.

This part of the site is only accessible by those with "Administrator" rights -- and that should be just Sailrite staff. The tasks users with this role are administrative including:

·          modify any postings in the site

·          manage posting placements and deletions

·          create, modify, and delete manufacturer/designer listings

·          manage site settings

The site settings are the business logic of the site. The settings are managed using the Web form Settings.aspx page and stored in the site-config.xml file in the App_Data folder. The site settings include:

·          whether postings require validation before appearing on the site

·          number of days a posting remains active (set to unlimited by default)

·          whether users are allowed to edit their ads

·          how ads are treated when a user removes an ad

·          maximum number of photos that can be associated with an ad

·          whether to notify the administrative contact email when new ads are posted and at what frequency

·          whether to store photos in a database or in a directory

·          name of the site that hosts email activity

·          site contact email

·          SMTP host name

To create a Manufacturer/Designer listing

1.       Log in to the site as an administrator.

2.       In the top navigation bar, click the Site Administration link.

3.       Click the Manage Manufacturer/Designer link.

4.       Select the listing that will be the parent of the new one. Click a listing in the Sub-Categories list box to drill down into that listing.

5.       Type in a name for the new listing in the Add Sub-Lising text box.

6.       Click the Add button to add the new listing.

To manage site settings

1.       Log in to the site as an Administrator.

2.       In the top navigation bar, click the Site Administration link.

3.       Click the Manage Settings link.

4.       Change settings as needed.

5.       Click the Update button. The site-config.xml file is updated as well as the copy of the settings stored as an application object.

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