This option allows you to open a database for use. Apart from choosing Open on the File menu, it may also be chosen by pressing F3. Upon calling Open, a standard file dialog box appears on the screen.

The dialog box contains fields which allow you to select the drive, path, and filename of the database that is to be open. You can move between the fields by means of the mouse or by pressing Tab or Shift+Tab. The File name combo box displays the currently available files determined by the file selection template and the current directory specified at Directories. To pick a file to open double-click its name. To quit Open without choosing any file press Esc or click the Cancel button. When changing the filename template, remember that you should not change the INF extension (unless you just want to use Open to see the files available in the database directory). By trying to open a non-database file you can damage its content!

As an example of a useful modification to the filename template imagine that, in your database directory, you have a number of databases on mathematics and physics such as A_MATH, B_MATH, C_MATH, ... , A_PHYS, B_PHYS, C_PHYS, etc., In such a situation, you might wish to work with MATH databases first. To do so you could successively (1) define the template ?_MATH.INF, (2) click the list box File name (not its edit control), (3) select a given MATH database by pressing A, B, C, etc. and (3) choosing OK. If SuperMemo displays a message Cannot open <filename> then probably one of the database files is missing. Upon choosing a database, it is open for use, and all its learning parameters are displayed in the movable learning parameters window.

After completing your work with SuperMemo, you should always close the database in use, otherwise its content may become inconsistent. You can close the database in one of the following way:

* choosing Files : Save (or pressing F2),

* opening another database (e.g. by pressing F3),

* quitting SuperMemo (e.g. by pressing Alt+F4 or double-clicking the control-menu box).

SuperMemo does not close databases when you switch to another Windows application; therefore, it is recommended that you press F2 before you press Alt+Esc or Ctrl+Esc (unless you want to simultaneously use more than one database using a few instances of SuperMemo).