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New on STN

October 2013

Impacts of U.S. Government Shutdown on STN Databases

September 2013

Application Numbers for U.S. Patents in CA/CAplus and USPATFULL/USPAT2 Enhanced with U.S. Series Code Information

September 2013

Emtree Thesaurus Updated in Embase

Meet us at

ICIC - International Conference on Trends for Scientific Information Professionals, Vienna, Oct. 13.-16.

EPOPIC - EPO Patent Information Conference, Bologna, 22.-24.Oct

STN User Meetings

Frankfurt am Main, 08.10.2013
Hamburg, 29.10.2013
Wien, 12.11.2013

STN Express FAQ

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fold faq How do I move my STN Express files and settings to a new computer?

If you've been using STN Express for a while, you don't want to lose your logon setups, queries, or transcripts when you get a new computer. Here's what to do.

Step A: Organize the information on your current computer

If your current computer is running STN Express V8.2 or earlier, install the current version of STN Express. This will copy the important files to the locations used by the current version of STN Express, which will make it much easier to copy them to your new PC.

You can skip this step if your current computer is already running STN Express V8.3 or later.

Step B: Install the current version of STN Express on your new computer

This will give you the most current features of STN Express.

Step C: Copy the important files to your new computer

1. On your current computer, find the folder in My Document (Documents on Vista) containing the STN Express files. It will be named for the version of STN Express – for example, “V8.3”. This folder contains several files and several folders. Select all of these files and folders.
2. On your new computer, find the folder in My Document (Documents on Vista)
containing the STN Express files. It will be named for the version of STN Express – for example, “V8.4”. Copy the files and folders selected in Step 1 to this folder, replacing any duplicates.

If you cannot copy files + folders directly from your current computer to your new computer, copy them to an intermediate location (network storage, CD, or DVD) first. Then copy them to your new computer.

fold faq How can I get transcripts and structure diagrams into a single file?

Exporting transcripts with structures To get a transcript and the associated structure diagrams into a single file, use the STN Express Save As feature to save the transcript as an RTF (Rich Text Format) file. This will allow you to view and edit the transcript, with structure diagrams, in your word processor.

Step A
Select Browse Transcript

1. On the main STN Express toolbar, click the Browse Transcript button. STN Online and Results opens with the Choose File dialog inside it. Alternatively, click Results | Browse Transcript.

Step B
Select the transcript of interest.

1. The name of the most recently-used transcript is automatically selected. If it's the transcript in question, just click Open.
2. If you do not want to use the most recent transcript, navigate to the folder that contains the transcript, if necessary.
3. Select the transcript.
4. Click Open.

Step C
Review the contents of the transcript.

1. Make sure the transcript contains the expected information and that structure diagrams are present.

Step D
Create the new document.

1. Go to the File menu...
2. and select Save As.

3. If desired, navigate to the folder that will hold the new document.
4. Type the name of the new document in the File name box, or accept the default name.
5. Click Save. When the transcript is exported successfully, your word processor opens or a message is displayed, depending on your preference ('Launch Word when saving as RTF' on the Postprocessing tab).

6. If the message appears, click OK to dismiss the message and then open the new .rtf document in the word processor or program of your choice.

What if there are still no structures in the transcript?

  • Are structure diagrams displayed when Browse Transcript is used to view the .trn version of the transcript? If they are not, see the FAQ on what to do if structure diagrams are missing from your transcripts.
  • Were there error messages from the export transcript process?
  • In Microsoft Word 97, there is a preference that replaces images with placeholders. Go to the Tools menu and choose Options. On the View tab, there is a checkbox labeled Picture placeholders. If it is checked, uncheck it.

If you have any questions about viewing chemical structure diagrams in an STN Express transcript, contact STN HelpDesk.

fold faq How can I save my answers for import into Endnote, Reference Manager, or ProCite?

Answers with bibliographic information obtained within STN Express may be saved into a text formatted file that may be used as a source for importing bibliographic and other information into the most frequently used bibliographic management programs.
Answers must be saved in a particular format of a text file known as Tagged Text. That format has the field names in a left “column” in the file followed by a space or a tab character and then the field information.
Example:


Figure 1 - Example Tagged Text File – 2-Letter Field Codes Figure


Figure 2 - Example - Tagged Text File - Full Field Codes

The bibliographic information managers all have import filters that can perform field mapping of the data, using that file type, from the tagged text file into the bibliographic program database.

 

  • Filters for STN – CAS are supplied with each of the three cited programs.
  • Each program has a built-in filter editor that may be used to customize the field mapping.
  • EndNote, ProCite and Reference Manager technical support will provide assistance with using, creating and editing filters for their respective software programs.

This guide provides a method for generating a suitable Tagged Text import file from STN Express.

 

Choose Transcript Type

When prompted for a transcript file, use the STN Express, native *.trn file format. You may capture a transcript from the beginning of the session or toggle capture ON later.

Display

There are several display formats that lend themselves to conversion into Tagged Text files. For example:

 

  • BIB or BIB ABS, if you want the abstract: This format uses 2-letter field identifiers. See Figure 1.
  • IBIB or IBIB ABS: this format uses the full field identifiers, such as TITLE:, AUTHOR(S): See Figure 2
  • DALL: This is the ALL format, delimited for post- processing

None of the compressed formats, e.g., CBIB will work. Field codes must start each line and each line must be a separate unit:

Field Code – separator – Field Data

Most STN bibliographic import filters are constructed using the Two-Letter field codes, but you can edit the filter to use full fields or create a new filter for Full Field Names.

Browse Transcript and Apply Filter

STN Express has several transcript file filters; the ANS (Answers) filter will process a raw transcript file and strip out non-answer data. The output of the filter process will be a “clean” file (see Figure 1, for example), yielding a file that is ideal for import processing

See the following page for detailed steps

 

FILTERING TRANSCRIPTS:

1. Open your transcript file using Browse Transcript
2. In the STN Online and Results window menu, select File | Transcript filters and enter a new na me for the filtered file that will be created.

 

Figure 3 - Name Filter File

Click the Save button.

3. Use the following Specify Filter settings:


Figure 4 - Specify Filter Settings

4. Click OK to run the filter process and save the filtered file. You should see:

5. Click the OK button to complete.
You may now Browse Transcript or Edit Transcript within STN Express to view or edit the new filtered file.

Figure 5 - Filtered File

6. This file needs to be converted to a TEXT file extension: There are two methods:

VIA EDIT TRANSCRIPT:

The filtered transcript file will still contain a header line,
$%^STN;HighlightOn= ***;HighlightOff=*** ;Version = STN Express 8.2;
The import filter will generally ignore that line; however, it can be removed using Edit Transcript.

  • Open the file in Edit Transcript
  • Perform any desired edits
  • From the STNedit window menu, choose File | Save As
  • In the Save File As window, pick the folder for saving (Save in:) assign a File name: and select Save as type: Text Files (*.txt).


Figure 6 - Edit Transcript - File Save As

  • Click on Save


VIA BROWSE TRANSCRIPT:

  • If you have the file open in STN Express, save the file and close the Browse Transcript window.
  • Using Windows Explorer, locate the saved file.
  • Edit the file extension from .trn (Transcript) to .txt (plain ASCII text).

The file is now ready for use as an import file in:

EndNote
ProCite
Reference Manager

At this juncture the file may be opened and edited in any text based program, such as WordPad, NotePad, Word or WordStar if further editing or refinement is needed.

If you experience problems during the import process or if you need assistance with import filter editing, please contact the technical support team for your bibliographic management program.

EndNote: www.endnote.com/support/
ProCite: www.procite.com/support/pcsupport.asp
Reference Manager: www.refman.com/support/rmsupport.asp

fold faq How can I update STN Express support files manually?

How are STN Express support files updated?
Starting with STN Express 8.3, by default, STN Express at login will check for updated support files. When updates are found, STN Express will download and install the new support files. If automatic updating has been disabled, you have two methods to manually update support files.


Using the EXE Method:
If you have taken the default settings for user file location as My Documents, then the EXE (executable) file method is recommended. The installer will perform the update for you.
1. Exit STN Express.
2. Download the EXE file from the STN Express support site.
3. Run the executable file and respond to the prompts.
4. Restart STN Express. Support files will be updated at the first restart of STN Express.

Using the ZIP file Method:
This method requires a “hands-on” user and may be best for those with non-default locations for user file folders.

1. Download the ZIP file from the STN Express support site.
2. The contents of the ZIP file need to be placed in the \Data folder of your STN Express installation. For versions 8.3 and newer, that is generally in your “My Documents” folder in Windows XP or in “Documents” folder in Vista or newer.
a. Finding the exact path:

The path in the User Scripts: field can be used to navigate to your \Data folder.
Exit from STN Express after finding the path.
b. Unzipping:
. 1. Use WinZip or any other file extraction tool compatible with WinZip files.
. 2. Unzip to the \Data folder and accept over-writing files with the same name.
. 3. Restart STN Express.
. 4. Start STN Express, click on the Prefs button and then from the menu choose “General…”

What about STN Express 8.2 or earlier versions?
Versions prior to STN Express 8.3 do not have automatic updates. We strongly recommend that you update to the latest version of STN Express.

fold faq What special features does the Table/Report Tool have for Patent Information?

The STN Express Table/Report tools will format fields from any STN File. Several fields containing patent information have special formatting options.
Patent Information Fields
Several fields contain information about patents displayed in a table format. The columns of each table contain specific data values, such as Patent Number, Kind Code, and Date. The rows in each table represent individual documents, such as patents or patent applications.
Formatting Options
The Table/Report tool will format these fields either as a table or as the individual data items extracted from the table. The field name you choose in the Fields section of the Table/Report tool determines how the data is formatted:
 

Field Label in Display

Select This Field Name To . . .

Format as Table

Format Individual Items

 

AI

 Application Information

 Individual AI

PI

 Patent Information

 Individual PI

PRAI

 Priority Application Information

 Individual PRAI

 

When any of these fields is moved to the Selected Fields column and highlighted, two additional tabs appear in the formatting options section. These tabs allow you to select the data (rows and columns) to be included in the table or report.
1) Columns (data values) are chosen on the Subfields tab.
2) Rows (documents) are chosen on the Other tab.

Choosing Documents on the Other Tab
On the Other tab, you specify the maximum number of rows to display in each answer. Within that limit, you select the specific countries to include.
1) Maximum number of rows per answer
The Only first nn or Maximum…rows per answer options will set an upper limit on the number of documents to be included in each answer.
The All option (when available) will include all of the documents (no upper limit)
2) Selected countries lets you select the countries for which patent information will be included. The list will contain all countries included in the current transcript.
Selecting “All Countries” will include all countries in the list
To select individual countries, hold down the Control (Ctrl) key while clicking on the countries to include.

General Rule
Before using an STN Express report template, we recommend that you review the options selected to insure they are appropriate for the task.
Still have questions?
If you need assistance, contact CAS Customer Care.

 

fold faq How can I save a query as a mol file?

The STN Express structure drawing tool will save structure queries in a variety of formats:
*.cxf - Chemical Exchange Format
*.drc – DARC Format
*.mol – MDL Molfine
*.rxn – MDL Reaction
*.smd – SMD Format
*.smi – SMILES Format
*.wmf – Windows Metafile

Select File -> Save As to open the file chooser. Select the desired format from the list in Save as type.

Type in the file name and select Save.

Because of differing conventions, information may be lost in converting from one file type to another. Always verify the results of the conversion.
 

fold faq How can I preserve formatting of my table or report for future use?

The STN Table and Report tool allows you to customize a table or report to look just the way you want. Now that you’ve done that, how can you save the format for future use? Use the Save template feature.
After you have set the combination of fields, formatting, and features that you want, click on the Save Template button at the bottom left of the Report Tool or Table Tool window. A file chooser will open to let you name the template before saving it.

To use the template when creating a new report, select the Template button on the Report Tool or Table Tool window, click on the desired template, then click Choose Template.

fold faq What can I do if structure diagrams don’t appear in my transcripts?

What can I do if structure diagrams don’t appear in my transcripts?


Depending on your preference, STN Express captures transcripts in its native .trn format or in Rich Text Format (.rtf). This document applies to .trn transcripts. If chemical structure diagrams are missing from a transcript that was captured as RTF, contact CAS Customer Care.
STN Express transcripts that contain structure diagrams are stored in two files. One file, with a .trn extension, contains the text of the transcript. The other file, with a .gra extension, contains the graphic (structure diagrams) part of the transcript. You provide the name for the files when the transcript is created. For example, if you name the transcript registry.trn, then registry.trn contains the text part of the transcript, and the file registry.gra contains the structure diagrams for the transcript.

View and print structures in Browse Transcript
The STN Express Browse Transcript feature knows how to combine the text and graphics transcript files and display them as one. If there are structure diagrams in your transcript, you'll be able to see them using Browse Transcript. Also, if you see structures while browsing, they'll be printed when you print from Browse Transcript.

Structures in STN Edit
If you edit a transcript using the built-in STN Express text editor or any other text editor, no structures are visible. Instead, in the place where a structure diagram should appear, there is a reference to the .gra file. For example,


=> d l1
L1 ANSWER 1 REGISTRY COPYRIGHT 1998 ACS RN 168023-31-2
REGISTRY
/ Structure 1 in file .gra / Do not modify this line!

The text editor does not know how to combine the two transcript files, and only the text is displayed. Because no structures are visible, if you print the transcript from STN Edit no structures will be printed.

Why might the chemical structure diagrams be missing from STN Express .trn transcripts?
The chemical structure diagrams will not show up in the .trn transcript if:
The text and graphics files do not have the same name (except for the .trn and .gra extensions)
The text (.trn) and graphics (.gra) files are not in the same folder
The references to the .gra file were changed in the .trn file
 

fold faq How can I modify an STN Express logon setup?

The STN Setup Wizard is a great tool for creating new logon setups, but what if you want to change a setup that you've already made? Use the STN Setup program to modify (or create) a logon setup for any online host, including STN.

How to open any setup to see its details.


1. Click the Setup icon on the main toolbar or click the Setup menu and choose Connections.

Highlight the name of the setup to modify. Click the Modify button.

 

 

How to modify a Winsock/Internet setup


1. You can change the name of your setup. The name can be up to 20 characters long, including spaces.
2. If you saved your STN password in your setup and changed your password while online on STN, be sure to save the new one in your setup.
3. Click the Host Settings tab to set online host-specific information, including the STN port letter.
4. If you cannot connect to STN-Columbus by the Host Name (stnc.cas.org), try the IP Addressinstead (134.243.5.32). Both the Host Name and IP Address are in the pop-up list.
5. Use the Advanced button to update firewall or gateway information.
6. Click OK to accept the changes or Cancel to discard them.

Advanced Dialogue: Gateway Configuration

For this example, the gateway login and connect-to-STN Columbus procedure is as follows. The gateway's prompts are shown in a regular font, and your responses are shown in italic.

User: PDittmar

Password:telnet> stnc.cas.org

Welcome to STN International! Enter x:

1. If your gateway asks for a login ID, type the login prompt in the Login box. Upper and lower case are important here.
2. If your gateway asks for a password, type the password prompt in the Password: box. Upper and lower case are important here.
3. If your gateway displays a prompt when it's ready to accept a command, type the prompt in the Command box. Upper and lower case are important. If your gateway does not display a prompt, type an x in the box.
4. If you must give a login ID to the telnet gateway, type it in the Gateway Login ID box. If you do not enter it, STN Express will ask for it when needed.
5. If you must provide a password to log on to the gateway, type it in the (Optional) Password box. If you do not enter it, STN Express will ask for them each time you log in. If you do type it here, it is saved encrypted on your hard drive.
6. In the first Execute at command prompt box, type the command that connects you to STN. In this example, the command is simply the STN Columbus host name, stnc.cas.org. The equivalent IP address, 134.243.5.32, would also work.
7. Click OK to save your changes or Cancel to discard them.

 

1. Uncheck Close Window at logoff if you'd like the session window to stay open after you finish your online session.

2. Check Command Window if you want STN Online and Results to open a command window each time you log on.

 

How to change Host Settings (STN port letter)


1. The default STN port letter x is suitable for most accounts. If you have been instructed to use a different port, type its letter in the STN Port box. Customers in the CAS academic program can also use the port for their North American time zone:

2. Click OK to accept the changes or Cancel to discard them.

Time Zone
STN Port Letter
Eastern
I
Central
C
Mountain
M
Pacific
Z
 

 

fold faq How can I import a mol file?

The STN Express structure drawing tool will open structure files in a variety of formats:
*.cxf - Chemical Exchange Format
*.drc – DARC Format
*.mol – MDL Molfile
*.rxn – MDL Reaction
*.smd – SMD Format
*.alc – Alchemy Molfile

Select File -> Open to open the file chooser. Select the desired input format from the list in Files of type, and then select the file of interest. Choose the desired target format from the Convert to radio buttons and select Open. The converted structure will be opened in a new Untitled window. The original structure file will not be changed.

Because of differing conventions, information may be lost in converting from one file type to another. Always verify the results of the conversion.

fold faq What can I do if automatic updating of support files does not work?

What is automatic updating?
STN Express support files may be updated between STN Express software releases. The support files contain information used by the STN Express wizards, search aids, and post-processing tools. The information includes:
The list of STN files and their characteristics
The company name thesaurus used in the Analyze Plus Wizard
The terms in the CA Lexicon used by the CA Lexicon Search Aid
Information to identify fields in transcripts for the Table and Report tools

The updated control files are made available to STN Express V8.3 and V8.4 via Automatic File Updates. The first time STN Express is run each day, it checks for updates to the support files. If new support files are found:
In V8.3, any updated control files are downloaded and installed immediately.
In V8.4, a pop-up dialog provides the option of downloading and installing the files now or when STN Express closes.

Automatic updates may take from 15 seconds to several minutes depending upon:
Your Internet connection speed (bandwidth)
Your computer processing speed
The number of files available for automatic update

What can I do if automatic updating does not work?


Express uses the HTTP protocol to check for updates and to download the updated support files. If automatic updating fails on your PC, it may be because of the proxy settings for your system or in STN Express.


Step 1: Check Your Proxy Configuration
From the Start menu, select Control Panel, then Internet Options. (You may have to select Network and Internet Connections before you will see Internet Options.) Then select the Connections tab.

Click on the LAN settings button.

 

Look at the two options in the Automatic configuration section.
If neither of these options is checked, continue with Step 3.
If one or both of these options are checked, contact your IT group to determine if they can both be unchecked. If the answer is:
• Yes: Make the change.
o If automatic updating works, congratulations! You’re done.
o If automatic updating doesn’t work, keep the change and continue with Step 3.
No: Ask your IT group if you can specify a proxy server and port in STN Express. If so, ask for the values to use and continue with Step 2

If one of the Automatic configuration options must be checked and you cannot specify a proxy server and port, automatic updating will not work. Follow the steps in Turning Off Automatic Updating below to prevent STN Express from attempting to do automatic updating.
 

Step 2: Change STN Express HTTP Proxy Settings
This option works only in STN Express, V8.4.
In STN Express V8.4, the HTTP Proxy Settings defined in the BLAST tab of the User Preferences overrides the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings.
Start STN Express, select Preferences from the Setup menu, and then select STN Online and Results. Select the BLAST tab and set Select type of firewall to HTTP.

Fill in the Host-name and Server port fields with values provided by your IT group. The Host-name field can contain a name or an IP address. Click OK to save the new values.
If automatic updating works, congratulations! You’re done. If not, continue with Step 4.


Step 3: Turn off BLAST Proxy Settings
This is only relevant in STN Express V8.4.
STN Express, V8.4 uses the BLAST HTTP Proxy Settings for automatic updating even if Select type of firewall is set to None or Socks. If either of these is selected, the Host-name and Server port fields will not be displayed.
Do the following to make sure that the Proxy Settings values are blank:
1. Set the type of firewall to HTTP
2. Delete the values in the Host-name and Server port fields
3. Click OK to save these changes
4. Open the user preferences to the BLAST tab again
5. Set the type of firewall to None
6. Click OK to save this value.


If automatic updating works, congratulations! You’re done. If not, continue with Step 4.

Step 4: Use of HTTP 1.1
If the proxy settings are correct and automatic updating still does not work, the version of HTTP used by your system may not be supported by the proxy server. HTTP 1.1 is preferred, but may not be supported by the proxy. Or, the proxy may require HTTP 1.1.
The version of HTTP is set in the Internet Options control panel. From the Start menu, select Control Panel, then Internet Options. (You may have to select Network and Internet Connections before you will see Internet Options.) Then select the Advanced tab. Scroll down to HTTP 1.1 Settings.

Click in the selection box to change the value of Use HTTP 1.1 through proxy connections, select OK, and try automatic updating again.
If automatic updating works, congratulations! You’re done.
If automatic updating still does not work, you can turn off automatic updating by following the steps below, or contact CAS Customer Care for additional assistance

Turning off automatic updating
Even after trying all of the above steps, STN Express may still present a message saying that automatic updating could not be completed. In that case, you can turn off the automatic updating:
1. Start STN Express 8.3 or 8.4
2. Click on the Prefs button in the main toolbar
3. Choose STN Online and Results from the drop-down menu
4. Choose the Other tab
5. Check the option Shut off automatic updating of support files.

fold faq How can I find the exact version of STN Express?

Help Desk staff or Software Support Team members might ask for your exact version of STN Express.  How do you know your exact version?  Here's how.  

The screen captures are from version 8.0, but the process is the same for subsequent versions.

Step A

1. The main STN Express toolbar shows the major version number of STN Express, but not the exact version.
2. To see the exact version, go to the Help menu.
3. Select About STN Express. The About STN Express dialog box opens.

Step B

1. The first line of text in the box states the version of STN Express, including any Maintenance Upgrades. In this example, it is version 8.0. This means you have the original STN Express 8.0 with no maintenance upgrades. A maintenance upgrade may show as 8.0.1 or 8.0.1c.
2. Click OK to close the dialog box.
 

fold faq How do I create an STN logon setup?

An STN Express logon setup contains the information needed to connect to a host computer and begin a session. The easiest way to create a logon setup for STN is to use the STN Setup Wizard. Connections to other hosts must be defined manually.

Start the STN Setup Wizard by selecting that option from the Setup menu of the STN Express main toolbar.

The wizard starts by asking which STN Service Center and Logon Port you want to use.



Select the STN Service Center that you want to connect to.

Most customers use “X” for the “Logon Port”. Your STN startup kit will tell you if you should use another port. Click Next.

The next question is about how you will connect to STN.

This is what these choices mean:

• Constant Internet Connection -- Local Area Network, Cable Modem, etc.
This is the most common type of connection. It connects through your Local Area Network (LAN) and relies on being able to make a telnet connection (via port 23) to the selected STN Service Center.

If you are connected to a corporate network, more information may be needed to connect through a gateway, firewall, or proxy. If you select this option, the wizard will ask you about this in the next step.

• Dial-up Networking
This uses the Dial-up Networking feature of Microsoft Windows to establish a dial-up connection to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider. This is becoming less common.

When you click Next, the wizard will locate the Dial-up Networking connections defined on your computer and ask you to select one from a drop-down menu. (That step is not illustrated here.)

• SSL-VPN
The option uses HTTP over an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection to create a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to STN. It assumes that you have a Constant Internet Connection, as described above.

The SSL-VPN connection will be established between your web browser and the STN Service Center. This has two advantages over a Constant Internet connection:

o The connection is encrypted
o An HTTPS connection is less like to be blocked by a corporate firewall than a telnet connection.


Make your selection and click Next.

If you selected Dial-up Networking or SSL-VPN, you will be taken to the final window (“Naming the STN Logon Setup”).
 

If you selected Constant Internet Connection, you will first be asked whether you are required to log in to a Gateway, Firewall, or Proxy Server.

Ask your local IT group whether this is necessary. If it is not, select No and click Next. You will be taken to the final window (“Naming the STN Logon Setup”).

If you must connect through a firewall, gateway, or proxy server, your IT group will provide the information (system prompts and responses) that you need. Select Yes, use the Host name or IP address supplied by Express and click Next. You will then be asked to enter the system prompts and corresponding responses provided by your IT group.

Click Next when you have filled in these fields.

Naming the STN Logon Setup

The last step is to name the STN logon setup and optionally include your STN login ID and password.

• Setup Name
This is the name used to identify the Logon setup. Use something descriptive, such as “STNC – SSL/VPN”.
• STN Login ID
Enter your STN login ID if you want it to be used automatically when logging on. If you leave this field blank, you will be prompted to enter it during the logon process.
• STN Password
Enter your STN password if you want it to be used automatically when logging on. If you leave this field blank, you will be prompted to enter it during the logon process. (Your password will be encrypted when it is saved.)

Click Finish to create the logon setup.

fold faq Why can’t I login to CAS Registry BLAST?

If you are not able to log on to CAS Registry BLAST, or if your computer cannot connect to the BLAST server, an error message appears: 

The problem can often be corrected by setting proxy server preferences in CAS Registry BLAST.

A. Determine the Proxy Server
Your IT department or internal help desk is best-equipped to tell you if you should use a proxy server and, if so, which proxy server you should use. However, if your web browser is configured with a proxy server, you can try using the same information in CAS Registry BLAST.
We are interested in these aspects of the proxy server:
the proxy server's name or address
the proxy server's port
whether the proxy server is an HTTP proxy or a SOCKS proxy.

Information on how to check your web browser for proxy server information is provided in:
How to locate proxy information in Microsoft Internet Explorer
 

Use the information from this step to change preferences, as shown below.

 B.  Configure CAS Registry BLAST


1. In the STN Express main menu bar, click Setup, then Preferences, then STN Online and Results.

2. Click the BLAST tab.

V 8.4

3. In the BLAST tab:
Select the type of firewall / proxy server being used, HTTP (including HTTPS or secure) or SOCKS. Note: SOCKS 5 authentication is not supported. SOCKS 4 or SOCKS 5 without authentication should work.
Type the proxy server's host-name or IP address.
Type the proxy server's communication port number.
Click OK to close the Preferences dialog and save the settings.

After changing the BLAST proxy server preferences,
. Exit STN Express
. Open STN Express
. Try again to log in to CAS Registry BLAST.

 

fold faq What are STN Express support files?

The support files are used by STN Express functions such as display, reports and tables, dictionaries and more. Support file updates are issued to match changes in STN databases, including addition or removal of databases or enhancements to display formats. Updating to current support files ensures that you have the best STN Express experience and value.

ABBREVE.INI

Controls expanding of abbreviations in the Online Window and transcripts in the following fields: Abstract, Title, Supplementary Terms, Controlled or Index Terms.  

cn.bt

cn.ff

Updates to Company Name Thesaurus.

discover.fil

List of STN Files and their features for the STN Database Selection Wizard. List of valid STN AnaVist Files and their DISPLAY cost estimates. 

FIELD.COD

Field details for Tables and Reports.  Contains one entry for every DISPLAY field name and field heading, e.g., TITLE, TI. 

Journals.txt

List of Journals for the SDI TOC Wizard

lexicon.bt

lexicon.mp

lexicon.st

Updates to CA Lexicon.

Links.txt

Parsing rules for all hyperlinked DISPLAY fields such as patent information fields.

SGML.INI

For display of Tables and Reports.

SUFFIXES

Used for company name groupings

URL.INI

URLs used by STN Express

fold faq Change between STN Express and STN on the Web after "Log off hold"

You can only continue a session using the interface with which it was started (STN Express, STN on the Web, STN Easy). This means it is not possible to change, for example,  from STN Express to STN on the Web or vice versa after a “Log off hold”.

fold faq Is it possible to automate a Gateway or Firewall Setup using STN Express?

Please refer to our software support page!

fold faq What do I have to do to connect to STN International?

Please refer to our software support page

fold faq What kind of manuals are currently available?

These STN Express Manuals are currently available in PDF Format:

fold faq How to Send Structure Queries Via STNmail

First, the sender and the receiver both need to have or setup STNmail IDs if they don't already have them. To do this type "file stnmail" and at the prompt type "set mailid" Follow the instructions.

fold faq Receiving garbled structures or missing text data?

Please refer to our software support page

fold faq How can I reduce Online Time?

Reduce online time with command files and scripts. Many types of searches can require long online sessions - for example, searching for multiple accession or Registry Numbers, or very lengthy search strategies. These types of searches are also prone to typing errors, which can lead to even longer online time or incorrect results. With STN Express, you can create command files and scripts off-line that can help reduce online time and can be reused for similar searches/strategies.

fold faq What are the prices for STN Software Products?

The software products offered by STN (STN Express, STN AnaVist and STN Viewer) are free of charge. However, by using these charges occur.