ADS Abstracts What's New Service

We have enhanced the ADS Abstract Service with the capability of searching the database for new entries. This service allows the user to conduct searches of the abstract database for all new abstracts which fulfill his or her favorite query. The service can be used through the WWW or through email, and can be automated to return all new entries within a specified period (such as the last month).

To use this service:

1. Build the query:

Use the WWW interface to build a query by repeatedly executing it until the desired result is returned. If you do not have WWW access, you can request the query form by email to "adsquery@cfa.harvard.edu". A message body containing "help" will provide assistance with email access to forms. To set up a query, the message body should include:

     action=https://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html
     method=get
     return=form

This returns the form with hyperlinks surrounded by "@" signs. To follow a hyperlink, uncomment the appropriate one in the section which begins "Start of hyperlinks". To submit the form, fill out the form in the section which begins "Begin of Form 1" by filling in search criteria after the "=" signs.

2. Save the query form:

Request that the query form be returned for this query by selecting "Return Form" in the Build Query Form section below the send button. A negative number in the "Entry Date" day field determines how far back the query goes. For example, to get any entries in the last month, use -31.

3. Use the form:

This form can be used either through the WWW by opening it in the browser (or saving it in your hotlist) with the syntax:

     file:/directory/filename

or it can be used to execute an e-mail query by typing:

     mail adsquery@cfa.harvard.edu < /directory/filename

If you are on a Unix machine, you can set up a crontab file which will automatically send this email message at specified intervals. To enable this feature, edit your crontab file by issuing the command "crontab -e" and entering the following:

  0 24 1 * * mail adsquery@cfa.harvard.edu < /directory/filename >/dev/null

where /directory/filename is the name of your saved query file.

This will execute the query on the first of every month and query back for 31 days (if the day field contains -31).