Figure 6. Incremental Name Search tab

The third tab, Names, is used for the NIST signature Incremental name search (INS) (Figure 6). The INS can only be performed against one database at a time. The database to be searched is selected by use of the “library select” drop-down list box next to the a–z button. If the a–z button is selected, the only input taken is that of letters a–z. If the a–z button has not been selected, you can type numbers as well as letters. You can also paste Greek symbols. Typed dashes and other punctuation characters will not be used.

The drop-down list box just to the right of the a–z button is used to select the library to be searched. This search only allows the use of one library at a time. The second list box is used to display replicate spectra for the NIST 05 mainlib library

The fourth tab, Compare, allows the display of a sample spectrum and multiple spectra from the Hit List. Other spectra can also be put into the Compare display (Figure 7). A selected spectrum in the lower part of the Compare tab can be displayed as various types of comparisons with the spectrum in the upper part of the display.

The fifth tab, Librarian (not shown), is used to deal with spectra that are in user libraries or that are to be added to user libraries. The layout of this tab is the same as the tab used for the Incremental Name Search. The Librarian tab allows for the editing or creating of spectra. This editing not only allows m/z intensity pairs to be edited, deleted, or added; but also allows CAS registry numbers, elemental compositions, structures, names, synonyms, and structures to be edited, added, or deleted.

Additional information on the Librarian tab is explained later in this manual under User Libraries.