Glossary

A feature that displays all books registered in the currently open reading log file (paid plan only). Convenient for finding and managing books. Combined with the bookshelf feature, you can also view all books from all reading log files.

A feature for managing multiple reading log files together (paid plan only). By registering reading logs to a bookshelf, you can search across and display all books from all the reading log files in that bookshelf. Useful when you organize reading logs by year or genre.

A percentage showing how much of a book you've read. Calculated as pages read ÷ total pages.

A place to record interesting parts while reading. Write your own thoughts or save passages from the book.

The start and end pages you read in a session. Record like "50-75." You can also enter a single page like "100." For ebooks, you can use location numbers; for web pages, use chapter or article numbers—any number that shows progress.

A history of when, what, and how much you read. Useful for reviewing the contents of books you've read.

A file that stores book information and records managed in Reading Forest. A reading log file can contain multiple books (works) (up to 20 on the free plan, unlimited on paid plans), with each book storing basic info like title, author, page count, along with records including dates, page ranges, and memos.

A label you can attach to books. Organize and manage books by genre or topic.

A unique number assigned to every book. It's a 13-digit (or 10-digit) number printed on the back cover or jacket. Enter the ISBN in Reading Forest to automatically retrieve the title and author.

Basic data about a book registered in a reading log. Includes title, author, total pages, publisher, ISBN, and more. Enter an ISBN to automatically fetch information from the internet.

A feature in Reading Forest that displays recently used files in a list. Quickly access frequently used files and organize them by folder. Manage your reading log files like a real bookshelf.

A percentage showing how much of a book you've read. In Reading Forest, it's automatically calculated as pages read ÷ total pages. At 100%, the book is marked as "completed."

A unique number assigned to every book. It's a 13-digit (or 10-digit) number printed on the back cover or jacket. Enter the ISBN in Reading Forest to automatically retrieve the title and author.

A web app for managing your records. Track the dates you read, page numbers, and impressions to visualize your reading progress. Works on both computers and smartphones, and can save data to Google Drive. Available in free and paid plans, with more features in the paid plans.

A file containing saved reading log data. Uses the ".rfnote" extension, a proprietary format for Reading Forest. Can be downloaded to your computer or saved to Google Drive.

A collection of multiple book records managed together in Reading Forest. Each book's basic information (title, author, page count, etc.) and records (dates, page ranges, memos) are saved together in a single file.

A record of when and what pages you read in Reading Forest. Record the date and page range (e.g., 50-75 or just 50), and you can also add quotes and memos. You can add multiple records to a single book. The act of recording helps you think more deeply and understand the context better.

Creating and storing a copy of important data. Allows you to restore data if your computer breaks or you accidentally delete something.

A unit of data storage. One character equals approximately 1-4 bytes.

A file format that stores data separated by commas. Can be opened in Excel or spreadsheet apps and displayed in an organized table format.

Saving your reading log in a format other than rfnote. You can use the exported file in other apps or for backup.
Free plan: .txt, .csv
Paid plans: .txt, .csv, .md, .html, .xlsx, .bib

The amount of storage space a file takes up, measured in MB (megabytes). Larger sizes mean more data is contained.

A unit of data storage. 1KB = 1,024 bytes ≈ about 1,000 ASCII characters or about 340 Japanese characters.

Your personal device—the computer or smartphone you're currently using. Data saved locally exists only on that device and is never sent to the internet. Unlike the cloud, local data can't be accessed from other devices, but it works even without an internet connection.

A format that uses simple symbols to format text. You can create headings, bold text, lists, and more to create readable documents.

A format used to create web pages. Can be opened directly in browsers, displaying content with formatted layout and colors preserved.

A spreadsheet format used by Microsoft Excel. Supports more advanced features than CSV, including complex formatting, formulas, and charts. Can contain multiple worksheets.

A format for managing academic papers and references. Often used with LaTeX, storing citation information in a structured format. Records book bibliography information (title, author, publisher, publication year, etc.) in a standardized format.

A unit of data storage. 1MB = 1,024KB ≈ about 1 million ASCII characters or about 350,000 Japanese characters.

The simplest text file format. Can be opened on any computer or smartphone, and has a small file size.

Servers (large computers) located on the internet. When you save data to the cloud, it's stored in a secure location online rather than on your own computer or phone. Unlike local storage (your personal device), cloud data can be accessed from any device via the internet.

A service that lets you store data on the internet. Store large amounts of data without using your computer or phone's storage.

Saving files from the internet or a server to your device. Means "bringing down" from the cloud.

An online storage service provided by Google. Store files on the internet and access them from any device.

Online: Connected to the internet. Offline: Not connected to the internet.

Keeping data consistent across multiple devices. In Reading Forest, you can access the same data by opening files saved to Google Drive from another device.

Sending files from your device to the internet or a server. Means "putting up" to the cloud.

An extension that hides website ads. Examples include AdBlock and uBlock Origin. Convenient, but may cause some site features to stop working.

A display mode with dark backgrounds and light text. Reduces eye strain and is easier to view in dark environments. Reading Forest can be switched to dark mode in settings.

Features you can add to your browser. Block ads, translate pages, or add useful features. Called "Add-ons" in Firefox.

A feature that lets you browse without saving history or login information. Names vary by browser: Chrome/Edge = Incognito (InPrivate), Safari/Firefox = Private Mode.

A programming language that makes websites work. Controls actions when buttons are pressed, data saving, and website behavior. JavaScript must be enabled to use Reading Forest.

A way for browsers to save data on your computer or phone. Similar to cookies, but can store more data and has no expiration. Reading Forest uses it to save settings and login information.

A small window that suddenly opens while viewing a website. Used for ads, notifications, and login screens. Can be blocked (hidden) in browser settings.

Cookies set by companies other than the website you're viewing. Used for advertising and analytics. Modern browsers increasingly block these for privacy.

Buttons that look like "︙", "…", or "≡" that open menus when clicked. "︙" is called three vertical dots, "≡" is called hamburger menu (three horizontal lines). Used to open browser settings and options.

A browser feature that prevents websites from tracking your behavior. Good for privacy, but may cause some sites to not work properly.

Undo cancels the previous action and restores the previous state. Redo reverses an undo. Essential features for correcting mistakes.

The release number of software or apps. Newer versions have more features and bug fixes. Check your browser version in settings under "Help" or "About this browser."

A personal access right created to use a service. Your authentication information such as email and password is stored.

A system that verifies you are who you say you are. Uses passwords, fingerprints, face recognition, etc.

Like an internet address that identifies you. Required for account registration and login.

Signing into your account to start using a service. Enter your email address and password, or log in with your Google account.

Exiting a service. Log out when you're done to prevent others from seeing your data.

A secret string that protects your account. Keep it private and change it regularly.

The state of using a service from login to logout. Sessions may automatically expire after a certain period of time.

Authentication information that maintains your login status. Allows identity verification without entering your password each time. For security, tokens have an expiration time—in Reading Forest, tokens expire after 24 hours.

A security mechanism that requires a second verification method in addition to your password.

A formula displayed prominently on its own line. Used to emphasize important equations.

A formula embedded within a line of text. Written by enclosing with $.

A specialized notation for writing mathematical formulas and academic papers. Widely used in scholarly publications.

A technology for displaying beautiful math formulas in web browsers. Allows you to write complex mathematical expressions clearly.

Software for viewing websites on the internet. Examples include Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox.

Data temporarily stored by your browser. Used to speed up page loading, but old data may sometimes remain.

A piece of hardware used to access apps or websites, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

A limit on how many devices can be logged in simultaneously. The limit varies by plan.

A browser feature that browses without saving history or cookies. Used in Chrome and Edge. Same function as Private mode.

The ability to use a service on multiple types of devices including computers, smartphones, and tablets.

A browser feature that browses without saving history or cookies. Used in Safari and Firefox. Same function as Incognito mode.

A design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Makes content readable on smartphones too.

Selecting multiple items at once. Saves the effort of selecting one at a time.

Pressing a mouse button once. The basic selection action on PC.

Quickly pressing a mouse button twice. Used to open files or enter edit mode.

Quickly tapping the screen twice on phones or tablets. Equivalent to double-click on PC.

Moving while holding a mouse button, or pressing and moving on a touchscreen. Used for moving items or scrolling.

Moving the mouse cursor over an element without clicking. Can display additional information or change appearance.

Pressing and holding the screen on phones or tablets. Used for text selection.

A window that appears on top of the screen. Used to request confirmation or input.

Using two fingers to zoom in or out on phones or tablets. Pinch in (squeeze) to zoom out, pinch out (spread) to zoom in.

Pressing the right mouse button. Generally used to display context menus, but disabled in Reading Forest.

Entering keywords to find specific data. Quickly find what you need from large amounts of data.

Rearranging data in a specific order. Can sort by title, author, date, and more.

Sliding your finger across the screen on phones or tablets. Used for scrolling or switching screens.

Lightly touching the screen on phones or tablets. Equivalent to click on PC.

A system that allows different programs to exchange data. Used to connect with other services.

Small pieces of data websites store in your browser. Used to maintain login status. Reading Forest uses cookies only for Google Analytics; everything else uses localStorage.

A premium feature of Reading Forest. Search book information from multiple external databases such as the National Diet Library and OpenBD, and automatically import results into your reading log. Find books that aren't available through Google Books alone.

Narrowing down data by specifying conditions. Shows only data matching certain criteria.

A book information search service provided by Google. Automatically retrieves title, author, and other information.

Quick commands using specific key combinations. Improves work efficiency.

Automatically transferring from one page to another. Used for forwarding from old URLs to new ones.

A website's address. A string starting with https:// shown in the browser's address bar.

A technology that allows websites to be installed on smartphones and computers like native apps. Can be launched from the home screen and some features work offline. Reading Forest supports PWA, allowing you to use it like an app without opening a browser.

A basic plan available without payment. Some features are limited, but core functionality is available.

A paid plan for individual use. Removes free plan restrictions, offering unlimited books (works) per file, automatic database search result import, and more features.

A plan for multiple users. Share Reading Forest with family or organization members, giving everyone access to paid features.

A monthly subscription plan with unlimited access to all features. Includes external database search, unlimited file size, and more.

Computer programs that can think and make decisions like humans. Popular AI services include ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Many have OCR capabilities to read text from images, which is useful for inputting long quotes.

A page compiling questions many users commonly have about a service.

Characters that occupy twice the width of half-width characters. CJK characters (Chinese hanzi, Japanese kanji/hiragana/katakana, Korean hangul) are full-width, displayed within square-shaped character cells. This concept is primarily used in CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) computing, where full-width characters typically use 2-4 bytes of storage.

Characters that occupy half the width of full-width characters. Standard ASCII characters like letters, numbers, and symbols ($, @, #) are half-width. This concept is used in CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) computing, where half-width characters use 1 byte of storage.

Technology that reads characters from camera images or scanned documents and converts them to text data. Modern AI services have highly accurate OCR capabilities.

A document explaining how personal information is handled. Describes data usage purposes and protection methods.

A document defining rules to follow when using a service. Agreement is required during registration.