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Glossary

Clear explanations of terms used in Reading Forest

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Reading Forest Specific Reading Notes UI/Operations Files Cloud Browser Security Math Formulas Devices & Compatibility Technical Plans Other

Reading Notes

Book List
—
A screen showing all registered books in one view. Convenient for finding and managing books.
Example: Sort the book list by progress or author to display books in order.
Completion Rate
Progress Rate
A percentage showing how much of a book you've read. Calculated as pages read ÷ total pages.
Example: Read 150 pages of a 300-page book = 50% completion rate.
Memo/Quote
—
A feature to record interesting parts while reading. Write your own thoughts or save passages from the book.
Example: Record a memorable sentence as a quote to review later.
Page Range
—
The start and end pages you read in a session. Record like "50-75." For ebooks, you can use location numbers; for web pages, use chapter or article numbers—any number that shows progress.
Example: "100-125" means you read from page 100 to page 125.
Ebooks: Kindle location "1200-1500," chapters "3-5," etc.
Web pages: Article numbers "1-3," sections "2-4," etc.
Reading Record
—
A history of when, what, and how much you read. Useful for reviewing your reading habits.
Example: Check your reading records to see that you read 10 books last month.
Reading Notes
—
Book information and reading records managed in Reading Forest. Stores basic info like title, author, page count, along with reading records including dates, page ranges, and memos. Keep all your reading experiences in one place for later review.
Example: Create one reading note per book and record the date, pages read, and impressions as you go.
Tag
—
A label you can attach to books. Organize and manage books by genre or topic.
Example: Add tags like "Business," "Fiction," or "History" to organize your books.
ISBN
International Standard Book Number
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.
Example: ISBNs look like "978-4-00-000000-0" and are printed below the barcode on books.

Reading Forest Specific

Book Information
—
Basic data about a book registered in a reading note. Includes title, author, total pages, publisher, ISBN, and more. Enter an ISBN to automatically fetch information from the internet.
Example: Entering accurate book information allows you to search later and automatically calculate completion rates.
Bookshelf
—
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 note files like a real bookshelf.
Example: Open the bookshelf to quickly find recently edited reading note files.
Completion Rate
Progress Rate
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."
Example: If you've read 150 pages of a 300-page book, the completion rate shows as 50%.
ISBN
International Standard Book Number
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.
Example: ISBNs look like "978-4-00-000000-0" and are printed below the barcode on books.
Reading Forest
—
A web app for managing your reading 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.
Example: With Reading Forest, you can easily record "when, what, and how far" you read.
Reading Forest File
—
A file containing saved reading note data. Uses the ".rfnote" extension, a proprietary format for Reading Forest. Can be downloaded to your computer or saved to Google Drive.
Example: Saved with filenames like "ReadingNotes2024.rfnote" and can be opened on other computers.
Reading Note (Reading Forest Definition)
—
A collection of multiple book records managed together in Reading Forest. Each book's basic information (title, author, page count, etc.) and reading records (dates, page ranges, memos) are saved together in a single file.
Example: You can record all the books you've read or are currently reading in a single reading note file.
Reading Record
—
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 reading records to a single book. The act of recording helps you think more deeply and understand the context better.
Example: Add a reading record each day you read. Records accumulate like "2026/1/15: pages 1-30, 2026/1/16: pages 31-60."

Files

Backup
—
Creating and storing a copy of important data. Allows you to restore data if your computer breaks or you accidentally delete something.
Example: It's a good idea to export and backup your reading notes once a month.
Byte (B)
—
The smallest unit of data storage. One character equals approximately 1-4 bytes.
Example: A single letter like "A" uses about 1 byte of storage.
CSV Format
Comma-Separated Values
A file format that stores data separated by commas. Can be opened in Excel or spreadsheet apps and displayed in an organized table format.
Example: Export your reading notes in CSV format to open in Excel for analysis and statistics by book.
Export
—
Saving data to an external file. Save your reading notes as a file to use in other apps or for backup.
Example: Click the "Export" button to download your reading notes as a file.
File Size
—
The amount of storage space a file takes up, measured in MB (megabytes). Larger sizes mean more data is contained.
Example: The free plan supports files up to 1MB—enough for about 1,000 books' worth of reading notes.
Import
—
Loading data from an external file. You can import previously saved reading notes or data created in other apps.
Example: Select a previously exported file and click "Import" to restore your reading notes.
Kilobyte (KB)
—
A unit of data storage. 1KB = 1,024 bytes ≈ about 1,000 characters of text.
Example: Short reading notes can be saved in just a few KB.
Local
—
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.
Example: Choosing "Save Locally" stores your reading notes only on your computer or phone. To view them on another device, you'll need to export the file and transfer it.
Markdown Format
—
A format that uses simple symbols to format text. You can create headings, bold text, lists, and more to create readable documents.
Example: Export your reading notes in Markdown format to paste into blogs or Notion.
Megabyte (MB)
—
A unit of data storage. 1MB = 1,024KB ≈ about 1 million characters of text.
Example: Reading Forest allows files up to 1MB to be saved.
TXT Format
Text Format
The simplest text file format. Can be opened on any computer or smartphone, and has a small file size.
Example: With a paid plan, you can export reading notes in TXT format. Opens easily in Notepad or any text editor.

Cloud

Cloud
—
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.
Example: When you save to Google Drive, your data is stored "in the cloud." This means you can open reading notes saved on your phone from your computer.
Cloud Storage
—
A service that lets you store data on the internet. Store large amounts of data without using your computer or phone's storage.
Example: Google Drive and Dropbox are popular cloud storage services.
Download
—
Saving files from the internet or a server to your device. Means "bringing down" from the cloud.
Example: Download your reading notes from Google Drive to save them on your computer.
Google Drive
—
An online storage service provided by Google. Store files on the internet and access them from any device.
Example: Connect Reading Forest to Google Drive to share the same reading notes between your phone and computer.
Online/Offline
—
Online: Connected to the internet. Offline: Not connected to the internet.
Example: After logging in once, you can add and edit reading notes offline, but saving to Google Drive and ISBN search only work online.
Real-time Sync
—
A system where data changes are immediately reflected on other devices. Syncs without delay.
Example: Add a record on your phone and see the same content on your computer within seconds.
Sync
Synchronization
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.
Example: Open a file saved to Google Drive from your phone on your computer to see the same content. (Note: This is manual sync, not automatic—you need to save and load manually.)
Upload
—
Sending files from your device to the internet or a server. Means "putting up" to the cloud.
Example: Upload your reading notes to Google Drive to store them in the cloud.

Browser

Ad Blocker
—
An extension that hides website ads. Examples include AdBlock and uBlock Origin. Convenient, but may cause some site features to stop working.
Example: If Reading Forest isn't working properly, try disabling your ad blocker.
Dark Mode
—
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.
Example: When recording reading at night, dark mode is easier on the eyes.
Extension
Add-on
Features you can add to your browser. Block ads, translate pages, or add useful features. Called "Add-ons" in Firefox.
Example: Installing an ad blocker extension hides website ads. However, some Reading Forest features may stop working.
Incognito Mode / Private Mode
—
A feature that lets you browse without saving history or login information. Names vary by browser: Chrome/Edge = Incognito (InPrivate), Safari/Firefox = Private Mode.
Example: Using incognito mode means your browsing history isn't saved, but Reading Forest login state isn't saved either, requiring login each time.
JavaScript
—
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.
Example: If JavaScript is disabled, Reading Forest displays a "Please enable JavaScript" message.
localStorage
Local Storage
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.
Example: Thanks to localStorage, your settings are preserved when you reopen the browser.
Three-Dot Menu / Hamburger Menu
—
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.
Example: Click the "︙" button at the top right of Chrome to see settings, bookmarks, and other menu options.
Tracking Prevention
—
A browser feature that prevents websites from tracking your behavior. Good for privacy, but may cause some sites to not work properly.
Example: If tracking prevention is set to "Strict," Google login may fail.
Undo / Redo
—
Undo cancels the previous action and restores the previous state. Redo reverses an undo. Essential features for correcting mistakes.
Example: If you accidentally delete a reading record, press the "Undo" button or Ctrl+Z to restore it.
Version
—
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."
Example: Displays like "Chrome Version 120." Reading Forest works best with the latest browsers.

Security

Account
—
A personal access right created to use a service. Your data and settings are stored in your account.
Example: Create a Reading Forest account to access your reading notes from any device.
Authentication
—
A system that verifies you are who you say you are. Uses passwords, fingerprints, face recognition, etc.
Example: Entering your password at login is for identity authentication.
Email Address
—
Like an internet address that identifies you. Required for account registration and login.
Example: example@gmail.com format, used as your login ID.
Login
Sign In
Signing into your account to start using a service. Enter your email address and password.
Example: Log in to Reading Forest to access your reading notes.
Logout
Sign Out
Exiting a service. Log out when you're done to prevent others from seeing your data.
Example: Always log out before leaving a shared computer.
Password
—
A secret string that protects your account. Keep it private and change it regularly.
Example: Set a password with 12 or more characters combining letters, numbers, and symbols.
Session
—
The state of using a service from login to logout. Sessions may automatically expire after a period of inactivity.
Example: For security, your session expires and you're logged out after 1 hour of inactivity.
Token
—
Authentication information that maintains your login status. Allows identity verification without entering your password each time.
Example: After logging in once, a token is issued for automatic login next time.
Two-Factor Authentication
2FA
An enhanced security feature that requires a second verification method in addition to your password.
Example: After entering your password, enter a verification code sent to your phone to complete login.

Math Formulas

Display Math
—
A formula displayed prominently on its own line. Used to emphasize important equations.
Example: $$E = mc^2$$ displays the formula centered on its own line for emphasis.
Inline Math
—
A formula embedded within a line of text. Displays formulas without breaking the flow of writing.
Example: "By the Pythagorean theorem $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$, we can see..." includes the formula inline.
LaTeX Notation
—
A specialized notation for writing mathematical formulas and academic papers. Widely used in scholarly publications.
Example: The quadratic formula is written in LaTeX as \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}
MathJax
—
A technology for displaying beautiful math formulas in web browsers. Allows you to write complex mathematical expressions clearly.
Example: When reading math or physics textbooks, use the MathJax feature to accurately note formulas.
Reference: Math Formula Writing Guide
Half-Width Characters
Halfwidth
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 typically use about 1 byte of storage.
Example: The formula delimiter $ must be entered as a half-width character. Full-width ＄ won't be recognized.
Half-width: ABC123$@#
Full-width: ＡＢＣ１２３＄＠＃
Full-Width Characters
Fullwidth / Zenkaku
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.
Example: Japanese characters like "あいう" and Chinese characters like "読書" are full-width.
Note: Full-width letters (ＡＢＣ), numbers (１２３), and symbols (＄, ＠) may not be recognized by programs, so use half-width for code and formulas.
TeX Notation
—
A notation for expressing mathematical formulas. The foundation of LaTeX, allowing complex formulas to be written as text.
Example: Write \sqrt{2} to display $\sqrt{2}$.

Devices & Compatibility

Browser
—
Software for viewing websites on the internet. Examples include Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox.
Example: Reading Forest works smoothly on any modern browser.
Cache
—
Data temporarily stored by your browser. Used to speed up page loading, but old data may sometimes remain.
Example: If the display looks wrong, clearing your browser cache may fix it.
Device Limit
—
A limit on how many devices can be logged in simultaneously. The limit varies by plan.
Example: The free plan allows use on multiple devices.
Multi-Device Support
—
The ability to use a service on multiple types of devices including computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Example: Reading Forest supports multiple devices, so it works the same on phones and computers.
Operation Reference Table
—
A table summarizing how to perform the same actions on different devices (PC vs. smartphone/tablet).
Action PC Phone/Tablet
Select Click Tap
Start Editing Double-click Double-tap or Long press
Context Menu Right-click Long press
Scroll Mouse wheel or Drag Swipe
Zoom In/Out Ctrl + Mouse wheel or Ctrl + +/- Pinch in/out
Drag Drag Drag
Hover Move mouse over Tap (some features unsupported)

*When using a mouse or trackpad with a tablet, PC operations apply.

Private Mode
Incognito Mode
A browser feature that browses without saving history or cookies. Used in Safari and Firefox. Same function as Incognito mode.
Example: In private mode, cookies aren't saved properly, so you may not stay logged in.
Responsive Design
—
A design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Makes content readable on smartphones too.
Example: Menus displayed horizontally on PC are arranged vertically on phones for easier viewing.

UI/Operations

Bulk Select
—
Selecting multiple items at once. Saves the effort of selecting one at a time.
Example: Bulk select multiple books to move them to a different file at once.
Click
—
Pressing a mouse button once. The basic selection action on PC.
Example: Clicking a button executes that function. Equivalent to tap on smartphones.
Double-Click
—
Quickly pressing a mouse button twice. Used to open files or enter edit mode.
Example: Double-click a reading note row to enter edit mode. Equivalent to double-tap or long press on smartphones.
Double-Tap
—
Quickly tapping the screen twice on phones or tablets. Equivalent to double-click on PC.
Example: Double-tap a reading note row to enter edit mode.
Drag
—
Moving while holding a mouse button, or pressing and moving on a touchscreen. Used for moving items or scrolling.
Example: Drag the scrollbar to move the page up or down.
Filter
—
Narrowing down data by specifying conditions. Shows only data matching certain criteria.
Example: Filter by "90% or higher progress" to show only books you're almost done with.
Hover
—
Moving the mouse cursor over an element without clicking. Can display additional information or change appearance.
Example: Hover over a button to see it change color or show a tooltip. Hover often doesn't work on smartphones.
Long Press
—
Pressing and holding the screen on phones or tablets. Used to show context menus or enter edit mode.
Example: Long press a reading note row to enter edit mode. Similar to right-click on PC.
Modal
—
A window that appears on top of the screen. Used to request confirmation or input.
Example: "Are you sure you want to delete this?" is a modal window.
Pinch In/Pinch Out
—
Using two fingers to zoom in or out on phones or tablets. Pinch in (squeeze) to zoom out, pinch out (spread) to zoom in.
Example: Pinch out on a map or image to zoom in. Equivalent to Ctrl+mouse wheel on PC.
Right-Click
—
Pressing the right mouse button. Used to display a context menu showing available actions.
Example: Right-click a file to see options like copy or delete. Equivalent to long press on smartphones.
Search
—
Entering keywords to find specific data. Quickly find what you need from large amounts of data.
Example: Enter an author's name in the search box to quickly find their books.
Sort
—
Rearranging data in a specific order. Can sort by title, author, date, and more.
Example: Sort the book list by author to group books by the same author together.
Swipe
—
Sliding your finger across the screen on phones or tablets. Used for scrolling or switching screens.
Example: Swipe from top to bottom to scroll the page down.
Tap
—
Lightly touching the screen on phones or tablets. Equivalent to click on PC.
Example: Tapping a button executes that function.

Technical

API
Application Programming Interface
A system that allows different programs to exchange data. Used to connect with other services.
Example: Using the Google Drive API, reading notes can be synced to the cloud.
Cookie
—
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.
Example: Generally, cookies keep you logged in even after closing your browser.
Google Books
—
A book information search service provided by Google. Automatically retrieves title, author, and other information.
Example: Enter an ISBN to auto-fill the title and author from Google Books.
Keyboard Shortcut
—
Quick commands using specific key combinations. Improves work efficiency.
Example: Ctrl+Z for "Undo," Ctrl+S for "Save."
Redirect
—
Automatically transferring from one page to another. Used for forwarding from old URLs to new ones.
Example: Opening rf.html without logging in redirects you to login.html.
URL
Web Address
A website's address. A string starting with https:// shown in the browser's address bar.
Example: Reading Forest's URL is https://www.allisone.co.jp/tools/rf/

Plans

Free Plan
—
A basic plan available without payment. Some features are limited, but core functionality is available.
Example: The free plan allows up to 20 books per file and includes Google Drive saving.
Individual Plan
Personal Plan
A paid plan for individual use. Removes free plan restrictions, offering unlimited books per file, automatic database search result import, and more features.
Example: With an individual plan, you can manage a large number of books in a single file without the 20-book limit.
Group Plan
—
A plan for multiple users. Share Reading Forest with family or organization members, giving everyone access to paid features.
Example: With a group plan, all family members can use features like external database search and unlimited file size.
Paid Plan
Premium Plan
A monthly subscription plan with unlimited access to all features. Includes external database search, unlimited file size, and more.
Example: Subscribe to a paid plan to remove the 20-book limit and record unlimited reading notes.

Other

AI (Artificial Intelligence)
—
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.
Example: Take a photo of a book page with your smartphone and send it to an AI to convert it to text. It can even convert math formulas to LaTeX notation, ready to paste into Reading Forest memos.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A page compiling questions many users commonly have about a service.
Example: When you're unsure how to use something, check the FAQ page first for solutions.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
—
Technology that reads characters from camera images or scanned documents and converts them to text data. Modern AI services have highly accurate OCR capabilities.
Example: Take a photo of handwritten notes or printed book pages, use AI's OCR feature to convert to text, and easily add quotes to Reading Forest.
Privacy Policy
—
A document explaining how personal information is handled. Describes data usage purposes and protection methods.
Example: Review the Privacy Policy to see how your data is protected.
Terms of Service
—
A document defining rules to follow when using a service. Agreement is required during registration.
Example: The Terms of Service includes prohibited activities, copyright, and liability disclaimers.