Rapportbook User Guide

Welcome to the Rapportbook user guide!

Rapportbook is a desktop app for managing client information for your financial advising needs, optimized for use via a Command Line Interface (CLI) while still having the benefits of a Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Rapportbook provides functionality for your whole financial advising workflow, which includes searching for, prospecting, and meeting up with clients.

Rapportbook is built for tech savvy financial advisors who type fast. A concise set of syntax and command aliasing makes navigating Rapportbook’s functionality a breeze.

Mockup

Using this guide

If this is the first time you are using this user guide, it is highly recommended for you to read the section on Rapportbook 101. Otherwise,

  • If you are just setting up, please take a look at our quick start guide.
  • If you are unsure of how to use Rapportbook, the command summary table is a good starting point, additionally, there is a command aliases table for abbreviated commands.
  • If you are a developer and want to help out, please take a look at the developer guide.

The following is the table of contents for Rapportbook.

Rapportbook 101: Everything you need to know

Whether you’re new to Rapportbook, or just want to learn more about the details – this section has you covered. This section will provide an overview of Rapporbook and explain key concepts in simple terms.

What is Rapportbook?

Rapportbook is a free, and open-source application designed for financial advisors for client information management.

If you’re working with a lot of people, you’ll eventually have too much information to stay on top of. For example, what appointments do you have tomorrow? Which client should you prioritize? How should you approach this client? What are his contacts?

Rapportbook is designed specifically to improve your workflow, and helps you manage all this information and “understand” your clients better. It can be used to offload information, categorize them more meaningfully, and set reminders so you don’t ever miss an appointment.

Glossary

In the user guide, you might come across some terms you might not understand. The following table provides clarification of the terms commonly used in Rapportbook.

Term Description
Client / contact A client or a contact is an information entry Rapportbook. You can add a client with the add command.
Command A command is a specific instruction you can give to Rapportbook to perform an action.
Command box The command box is the text box on the bottom left of Rapportbook for you to enter your commands in.
Panel Rapportbook is split into a left and right panel. The left panel contains information about clients, and the right panel contains auxiliary information based on the command issued
Filter A filter is a search condition you are looking for.
Tag A tag is a label that can be assigned to clients.
Integer An integer is a round, whole number. For example, 1 and 9 are integers but 1.5 and hello are not.
Open-source This means that the source code is made freely available online. If you are interested in contributing to Rapportbook, you can take a look at our code repository and developer guide.

Quick start

  1. Ensure you have Java 11 or above installed in your Computer.

    • If you are unable to launch the application because you do not have Java 11 or above installed, install it from this page.

  2. Download the latest rapportbook.jar from here.

  3. Copy the file to the folder you want to use as the home folder for your copy of Rapportbook.

  4. Double-click the file to start the app. You should see a GUI similar to the screenshot below appear in a few seconds. Since it is your first time launching the app, Rapportbook will automatically be populated with sample data for you to test its features out.
    Ui

  5. Refer to the Features below for details of each command.

The GUI

Here are the brief descriptions of each section of the GUI.

annotated

Different sections of the GUI highlighted.

  • i: Your list of clients. This will update when you make changes to your list of client information, or filter based on clients’ names or tags.

  • ii: Home screen. This home screen will be changed if you view the details of a client, or display all your message templates with message list.

  • iii: Command output. Any command that you executed will have feedback displayed in here.

  • iv: Command input field. This is where you type your commands.

Features

:information_source: Notes about the command format:

  • Words in UPPER_CASE are the parameters to be supplied by the user.
    e.g. in add n=NAME, NAME is a parameter which can be used as add n=Homer.

  • Items in square brackets are optional.
    e.g tag create TAG1 [TAG2] can be used as tag create potential or as tag create potential highPriority.

  • Parameters can be in any order.
    e.g. if the command specifies n=NAME p=PHONE_NUMBER, p=PHONE_NUMBER n=NAME is also acceptable.

  • If a parameter is expected only once in the command but you specified it multiple times, only the last occurrence of the parameter will be taken.
    e.g. if you specify p=12341234 p=56785678, only p=56785678 will be taken.

  • Extraneous parameters for commands that do not take in parameters (such as help, list, exit and clear) will be ignored.
    e.g. if the command specifies help 123, it will be interpreted as help.

Viewing help : help

Shows a message explaning how to access the help page. Can also be acessed with the F1 hotkey.

help message

The help window.

Format: help

You can then either click on the link to open it in your default browser, or click on the Copy URL button to copy the link to your clipboard.

Adding a client : add

Adds the information of a client to Rapportbook.

Format: add n=NAME p=PHONE_NUMBER e=EMAIL a=ADDRESS [r=REMARKS] [t=TAG]​

:bulb: Recap: Fields in square brackets [] (i.e. [r=REMARKS]) is an optional field.

Examples:

  • add n=Bob p=95788172 e=bob@gmail.com a=Jurong East Jejantas r=Janitor
  • add n=Laufey p=98980184 e=laufey@u.nus.edu a=123,Clementi t=friend
  • add n=Laufey p=98980184 e=laufey@u.nus.edu a=123,Clementi

Deleting of a client : delete

Deletes a client within Rapportbook.

  • Deletes the client at the specified INDEX, the number shown in the displayed client list.

Format: delete INDEX

Example:

  • delete 1

Viewing of client information : show

Displays information of a client at the specified INDEX in a separate panel. This feature allows faster modification to the client information as other commands such as edit, tag and reminder do not have to specify an INDEX.

Format: show INDEX​

Example:

  • show 1

Show

Showing information of client index 1.

Editing of client information : edit

Edits the information of a client within Rapportbook.

  • Edits the client at the specified INDEX, the number shown in the displayed client list.
  • The index can be left out if the client to edit is the target client from the show command.

Format: edit [INDEX] [n=NAME] [p=PHONE] [e=EMAIL] [a=ADDRESS] [r=REMARKS] [t=TAG]

  • Edits the person at the specified INDEX. The index refers to the index number shown in the displayed person list. The index must be a positive integer (i.e. 1, 2, 3, …​)
  • At least one of the optional fields must be provided.
  • Existing values will be updated to the input values.
:exclamation: Caution: If you choose to edit the tag, note that all tags the client had previously will be replaced.

Examples:

  • edit 1 n=Laufey p=0162626003 r=Bluebirds in the spring Edits the first client entry to have the name Laufey, have the phone number 0162626003 and have the remarks Bluebirds in the spring.
  • edit 2 n=Homer e=homer@simp.com a=742 Evergreen Terrace Edits the second client entry to have the name Homer, have the email address homer@simp.com and sets the address to 742 Evergreen Terrace.

Creating a tag : tag create

Creates a tag to categorise client entries. Creation of a tag must happen first before the usage of tags.

Format: tag create TAG [TAG2] [TAG3] … [TAGN]

:bulb: Tip: You can create multiple tags at once by just separating the different tag names with spaces.

Examples:

  • tag create potential Creates a tag called potential
  • tag create potential highPriority lowPriority Creates 3 tags called potential, highPriority and lowPriority.

Tag creation

Creating a tag "bff"

Tagging clients : tag

Tags a client entry for categorising purposes.

  • Tags the client at the specified INDEX, the number shown in the displayed client list.
  • The index can be left out if the client to tag is the target client from the show command.
  • The tag name must be specified.

Format: tag [INDEX] TAG [TAG2] [TAG3] … [TAGN]

:bulb: Tip: You can assign multiple tags to a client at once by separating the different tag names with spaces after the client index.

Examples:

  • tag 5 potential Assigns the potential tag to the client entry at index 5.
  • tag 5 potential highPriority Assigns the potential and highPriority tags to the client entry at index 5.

Tagging a client

Tagging client index 3 with "bff" tag.

Listing tags : tag list

View all available tags.

Format: tag list

Listing available tags

Listing all the available tags.

Removing tags from a client : tag remove

Removes tag(s) from a client entry if required.

Format: tag remove [INDEX] TAG [TAG2] [TAG3] … [TAGN]

:bulb: Tip: Like assignment of tags, you can also remove multiple tags from a client at once by separating the different tag names with spaces after the client index.

Examples:

  • tag remove 5 potential Removes the potential tag from the client entry at index 5.
  • tag remove 5 potential highPriority Removes the potential and highPriority tags from the client entry at index 5.

Removing a tag from client

Removing the "bff" tag from client index 3.

Deleting tags : tag delete

Deletes tag(s) from the address book.

Format: tag delete TAG [TAG2] [TAG3] … [TAGN]

:bulb: Tip: Again, you can delete multiple tags.

Example:

  • tag delete potential Deletes the potential tag from the address book.
  • tag delete potential highPriority Deletes the potential and highPriority tags from address book.

Deletion of tag

Deleting the tag "bff".

Filtering client entries : filter

Filter clients by their name or the tags assigned to client entries.

Format: filter [n=NAME] [t=TAG]

  • The name search is case-insensitive. (e.g n=laufey will match Laufey)
  • Multiple names or tags can be searched by separating the different names/tags with commas (i.e. n=homer,laufey to search for both homer and laufey)
  • Search results will fulfill both of the search parameters. (e.g. searching n=homer,laufey t=potential,highPrirority will bring up client entries with names homer or laufey, with tags potential or highPrirority)

Examples:

  • filter n=Laufey Shows clients with Laufey as name.
  • filter n=Homer,Laufey Shows all clients with Homer or Laufey as name.
  • filter t=highPriority Shows clients with the highPriority tag.
  • filter t=highPriority,potential Shows all clients with the highPriority tag or potential tag.
  • filter n=Homer t=potential Shows all clients with the name Homer and the potential tag.
  • filter n=Homer,Laufey t=potential,highPotential Shows all clients with names, Homer or Laufey, and with either the potential or highPrirority tags.

Filter list

Filter clients with the "friend" tag.

Clearing filters : filter clear

Clear filters that are currently in effect.

Format: filter clear [n=NAME] [t=TAG]

Example:

  • filter clear Clear ALL filters.
  • filter clear t=potential Remove the potential tag filter.
  • filter clear n=homer,laufey t=potential,friend Remove homer and laufey name filters and the potential and friend tag filters.

Lists the filter parameters : filter list

Shows the list of filters (name and tags) that are currently applied.

Format: filter list

Filter list result

Listing down all the filters that is currently applied.

Creating reminders : reminder

Creates a reminder for a specific client. The description, date and time of the reminder must be specified. The index can be left out if the reminder is meant for the target client from the show command.

Format: reminder [INDEX] d=description dt=YY-M-D H:m

Example:

  • reminder 5 d=Zoom meeting dt=22-11-20 11:00 Creates a reminder for the client entry at index 5, with a description of Zoom meeting, a date of 20 November 2022 and time of 11:00 AM.

Possible date time formats:

  • Date of 20 November 2022 and time of 3:00 PM
    • dt=2022-11-20 3:00PM
    • dt=22-11-20 15:00
    • dt=2022-Nov-20 3:00 PM
  • Date of 8 November 2022 and time of 12:00 AM
    • dt=22-11-8 0:00
    • dt=2022-11-8 12:00AM
    • dt=22-nov-08 00:00

Creating Reminders

Creating a reminder with the description "Promote Product".

Deleting reminders : reminder delete

Deletes a reminder from the displayed reminder list using the reminder index.

Format: reminder delete INDEX

Example:

  • reminder delete 3 deletes a reminder at index 3 of the reminder list on display.
:bulb: Tip: Clear reminders only for a specific client by using show INDEX then reminder clear.

Clearing reminders : reminder clear

Clears all reminders from the displayed reminder list.

Format: reminder clear

:exclamation: Do take note that expired reminders will be marked as red and will not be automatically deleted You will have to delete them manually.

Creating a message template : message create

Creates a message template, which can then be used to generate personalized messages for clients.

Format: message create MESSAGE

:bulb: Tip: All instances of {name} will be replaced with the client’s name.

Examples:

  • message create Hello {name}, would you like to meet up with me for coffee tomorrow?
  • message create Long time no see {name}! I have something exciting to share with you!

Listing message templates : message list

Lists your message templates.

Format: message list

Listing available Messages

Displaying all the message templates.

Generating a message from template : message generate

Generates a message using the message template and the person’s name.

  • All instances of {name} in the message template will be replaced with the person’s name.
  • The person and message indicated by PERSON_INDEX and MESSAGE_INDEX must exist.

Format: message generate PERSON_INDEX MESSAGE_INDEX

Example:

  • message generate 1 4 Generates a personalized message for the 1st client using the 4th message template

Generating Messages

Generating a message from a template for client index 1.

Deleting message templates : message delete

Delete a message template

Format: message delete INDEX

Example:

  • message delete 1

Deleting Message

Deleting of a message template.

Return home : home

Resets the view back to the homepage, where quote of the day and all reminders will be shown.

Format: home

Exiting the program : exit

Exits the program.

Format: exit

Saving the data

Rapportbook data is saved in the hard disk automatically after any command that changes the data. There is no need to save manually.

Editing the data file

Rapportbook data is saved as a JSON file [JAR file location]/data/rapportbook.json. Advanced users are welcome to update data directly by editing that data file.

:exclamation: Caution: If your changes to the data file makes its format invalid, Rapportbook will discard all data and start with an empty data file at the next run.

Command aliases

Frequently used commands have aliases that are short so that you can perform actions quickly.

Action Command Alias
Home home h
Show show s
Add add a
Delete delete d
Edit edit e
Tag tag t
Tag creation tag create t c
Tag list tag list t l
Untag tag remove t r
Tag deletion tag delete t d
Filter filter f
Filter clear filter clear f c
Filter list filter list f l
Reminder creation reminder r
Reminder deletion reminder delete r d
Reminder clear reminder clear r c
Message creation message create m c
Message list message list m l
Message generation message generate m g
Message deletion message delete m d

FAQ

Q: How do I transfer my data to another Computer?
A: Install the app in the other computer and overwrite the empty data file it creates with the file that contains the data of your previous Rapportbook home folder.

Command summary

Action Format
Home home
Show show INDEX
Add add n=NAME p=PHONE e=EMAIL a=ADDRESS [r=REMARKS] [t=TAGS]
Delete delete INDEX
Edit edit [INDEX] [n=NAME] [p=PHONE] [e=EMAIL] [a=ADDRESS] [r=REMARKS]
Tag tag [INDEX] TAG
Tag creation tag create TAG1 [TAG2] … [TAGN]
Tag list tag list
Untag tag remove [INDEX] TAG1 [TAG2] … [TAGN]
Tag deletion tag delete TAG1 [TAG2] … [TAGN]
Filter filter n=NAME1,[NAME2],…,[NAMEN] [t=TAG1,[TAG2],…,[TAGN]]
filter [n=NAME1,[NAME2],…,[NAMEN]] t=TAG1,[TAG2],…,[TAGN]
Filter clear filter clear [n=NAME1,[NAME2],…,[NAMEN]] [t=TAG1,[TAG2],…,[TAGN]]
Filter list filter list
Reminder creation reminder [INDEX] d=DESCRIPTION dt=YY-M-D H:m
Reminder deletion reminder delete INDEX
Reminder clear reminder clear
Message creation message create MESSAGE
Message list message list
Message generation message generate PERSON_INDEX MESSAGE_INDEX
Message deletion message delete INDEX
Help help
Exit exit