The File submenu on the main menu bar provides the following options (professional level):

• New collection - create a new empty collection. To create the collection, type in its name and press Enter
• Open collection - open a new collection for use with SuperMemo
• Copy collection - copy the currently opened collection to a new location. If the destination collection already exists, it will be deleted before proceeding with copying. Note that Copy collection is equivalent to Save As (the different name is used to indicate that the collection is not kept in computer memory but on the hard disk)
• Delete collection - delete the currently opened collection after double confirmation
• Repair collection - test the integrity of the collection and recover from integrity problems (e.g. resulting from physical damage to collection files). In various documents related to SuperMemo, the term recovery is often used in reference to using Repair collection
• Tools
  • Import - import external files in various formats
    • Q&A text - import a standard Q&A text file exported by various versions of SuperMemo or created manually. The Q&A format is simple and is best illustrated by example:

      q: river
      a: rivero

      q: school
      a: lernejo

      q: hope
      a: esperanto

      You will find this option particularly useful when using speech recognition software to quickly create question-and-answer collection (e.g. with Dragon Naturally Speaking). Make sure you save the file as plain text (i.e. as with Notepad, not as rtf, doc, etc.). 

      You can also import Multiple Choice Test material. Add wrong answers with a1:, a2:, a3: tags. For example:

      q: What country borders with Nigeria?
      a: Niger
      a1: Tanzania
      a2: Mozambique
      a3: Iraq
      a4: Somalia

      If you would like to import Q&A text files produced by SuperMemo for DOS, SuperMemo 7 for Windows, SuperMemo for Windows CE, Palm Pilot, Mac or Amiga, you may at times prefer Other SuperMemos option (below), which uses a different method of interpreting end-of-line characters as well as a slightly different algorithm for creating import folders 

    • Learning process - restore the learning process backed up with File : Tools : Export : Learning process (see below). If the files with the extension lr1 or lr2 are missing, you can still use this option; however, user profile and repetition history will be lost. For example, if you export your learning process to file my knowledge.txt it will be accompanied by files my knowledge.lr1 (user memory profile) and my knowledge.lr2 (repetition history). You can import the learning process even if the files lr1 and lr2 are missing
    • Text - import a text file previously generated with File : Tools : Export : As text, File : Tools : Export : Subset as text, Export as text on the contents pop-up menu or on the browser's pop-up menu
    • Translation - import a file with the translation of the text registry to a selected language
    • Repetition history - import repetition history exported with File : Tools : Export : Repetition history
    • SuperMemo 6 or 7 - import collections created with SuperMemo 6 or SuperMemo 7. This options was reinstated in 32-bit SuperMemo upon multiple requests from SuperMemo freeware users; however, note that you need an external file sm7imprt.exe in your bin subfolder to make this option work
    • Other SuperMemos - import Q&A text exported by various versions of SuperMemo including SuperMemo for DOS, SuperMemo 7 for Windows, SuperMemo for Windows CE, Palm Pilot, Mac or Amiga
    • Multimedia files - import BMP, GIF or WAV, MP3 files generated by SuperMemo for Amiga or Macintosh (or by other tools). Filenames are 1.BMP, 2.BMP, etc. and are imported to the first encountered image or sound component in subsequent elements starting with the currently displayed element. 1.BMP will be imported to the current element, 2.BMP to the element with the next element number (i.e. current element number plus one), etc.
    • Edit import filter - edit and import filter for Import : Q&A text or Import : From SuperMemo 7. The filter can be used to quickly classify imported items into branches of the knowledge tree (in the contents window) on the basis of particular substrings (e.g. domain labels such as math: biol: chem:, etc.). In SuperMemo 2000, you are more likely to use branch and subset processing tools to efficiently build a knowledge tree structure. Alternatively, you can also build a rough filter and only then use those tools to refine the structure and correct classification errors
  • Export
    • Learning process - store the learning process in a text file. This way, you do not have to back up large systems such as Advanced English. It is enough to save the learning process and restore it if necessary. The original collection (e.g. Advanced English) can be taken and provided with learning data restored from the text file. Along the text file, this procedure will also produce two files with the same name as the text file and with extensions lr1 and lr2. These are the user learning profile (copy of info/sm8opt.dat) and the repetition history (copy of info/reps.dat) respectively. These files (lr1 and lr2) are optional. Deleting them will deprive the learning process backup of information about the user profile and repetition history; however, it will not prevent restoring the learning process (user profile will have to be built anew)
    • Repetition history - export repetition history to a text file. This file can be re-exported with File : Tools : Import : Repetition history (NB: currently, this is the only way to reduce the size of repetition history file: info/reps.dat)
    • As text - export the entire collection as a text file (elements, their position in the knowledge tree and all components). Note that the user profile nor unused registry entries will not be transferred. This file can later be imported to an another system with File : Tools : Import : Text
    • Subset as text - export a subset as text. This option is the same as File : Tools : Export : As text with this exception that only the elements belonging to a selected subset are exported. Read more: Using subsets
    • Q&A text - export SuperMemo Q&A files by using first question and first answer component of each element (if any)
    • HTML - export the collection to HTML files ready to be published on the web. SuperMemo converts individual items to portions of HTML file. Currently only text and image components are exported. Spelling drills, scripts, binary components, videos, shapes, etc. will not be included in the resulting files. Use File : Export : HTML to quickly produce a web-preview for your collection. Your preview may include URLs to locations with further information about the collection or collection download. You can also use any HTML file as a template that will determine the looks of your exported collection. All you need to do to create a complete template is to insert any or all of the following tags in the text of the HTML file: #Content#, #Element#, #Pages#, #SuperMemo#, #Author#, #Download#. SuperMemo will place relevant information in the place of these tags
    • Translation - export translation file that, after being modified, can be imported back with File : Tools : Import : Translation
    • Lexicon - export the lexicon in the Q&A format for import to SuperMemo. For example, Cross Country�s Words collection has been generated using this option in conjunction with File : Tools : Import : Q&A text
  • View as HTML - view the collection as HTML. If HTML files are not available, they will be created first 
  • View report - view any text file, esp. a SuperMemo report file (by default: text files with extension txt from the reports folder such as recover.txt, mercy.txt, etc.)
  • Reset collection - delete all repetition spacing data from the collection. In other words, make it look as it has not been used in the learning process. File : Tools : Reset collection is useful if you would like to pass your collection to another user, or even distribute it commercially. File : Tools : Reset collection will remove all data pertaining to your learning process, and leave all items in the pending (or dismissed) state. At the end of this procedure you will be asked if you want to set the sequence of the pending queue along the position of elements in the knowledge tree (yes to Do you want to sort the pending queue by hierarchy?) or along the increasing ordinal number of elements (yes to Do you want to sort the pending queue by ordinals?)
  • Reset parameters
    • Repetition history - delete the file reps.dat that contains the history of repetitions of all individual elements. Note that this file is not used by Algorithm SM-8 and is optional. Important! You should not delete this file manually. Apart from deleting the file, SuperMemo needs to reset all pointers to this file from the entire collection
    • Optimization matrices - reset only the optimization matrices used in the learning process (RF, OF, etc.)
    • Forgetting index record - reset the record of repetition grades used in computing the measured forgetting index
    • Average response time - reset the record of the average time it takes to respond to questions in your collection
  • Sort pending by ordinal - sort the pending queue for ordinals (lower ordinals first)
  • Sort pending by contents - sort the pending queue for the position of individual elements in the knowledge tree (in the contents window). You can determine the shape of the knowledge tree with drag-and-drop operations. After sorting, the first child of the first child of the first child ... will be put first in the pending queue. The last child of the last child of the last child ... of the master node will be last
  • Semi-copy - copy the currently opened collection without its elements subfolder. This subfolder contains multimedia objects such as video files, sound files, bitmaps, etc. In multimedia collections, these files make up over 95% of the collection size. Semi-copy can be used for fast back-ups of large collections whose multimedia objects have already been backed up, or have not changed much since the last back-up. Additionally, you can use Semi-copy to create a copy for another family member using the same collection on the same computer (or over the same local network)
  • Move collection - copy the currently opened collection to a new location and delete the original
  • Rename collection - rename the collection. Rename collection quickly produces the same end effect as Move collection but is less safe! Instead of copying individual files, SuperMemo renames them (which is much faster). However, a mishap such as a power failure, will leave your collection in two pieces. Unless you know how to reassemble such a split collection, you should not use Rename collection, or use it only on low-value or well-backed-up material 
  • Quick backup - make a quick backup of the current collection in the backup subfolder (you can also manually determine a new backup folder). The backed-up collection includes the date stamping in its name for easy review of your backups. The naming makes it easy to sort your backups for the date of creation. Important! Quick backup does not backup files that are do not take part in the learning process (e.g. reports). To back up all files, use File : Copy collection
  • Garbage - delete selected files to reduce the size of the collection (the saving might be the greatest in case you recorded lots of own recordings in the course of training pronunciation)
• Installation
  • Request password - open dialog box that makes it possible to send an e-mail to SuperMemo World with your registration data. In response you will immediately receive payment instructions
  • Input password - provide registration password. This option is active only in unregistered SuperMemo and should be used to supply the registration password received from SuperMemo World upon registration. See: Registering SuperMemo
  • Install icons - install SuperMemo icons on your Windows desktop and on the Start menu
  • Unregister - remove registration data from the currently used collection. You must use this option before redistributing your own collections! Redistributing registered collections violates your user license and spreads your registration data to other users
• Level - makes it possible to choose between beginner, basic, middle and professional levels of difficulty. You can start using SuperMemo on the basic level and gradually jump to higher levels as soon as you master the functionality of a given level. This will make sure you learn SuperMemo starting with most essential functions:
  • Beginner - the difficulty level recommended for complete beginners. It focuses on adding new material with Add new and learning with Learn
  • Basic - the difficulty level that builds upon the beginner level and introduces learning management functions such as Forget, Remember and Dismiss. It also introduces functions for editing the knowledge tree: Add, Sibling, Insert, etc.
  • Middle - the level that introduces collection management functions (Delete collection, Copy collection, etc.), editing components, advanced search functions and browsing functions, Options, Mercy and layout management
  • Professional - the level that comprises full functionality of SuperMemo with all advanced functions such as: import-export, reading list management, tasklists, etc.
  • Next level - jump to a higher level (Ctrl+Alt+F12). Note that this function is circular and will let you jump back from Professional to Beginner level
  • Previous level - jump to a lower level (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F12)
• Exit - exit SuperMemo
• 1-10 - open one of the ten most recently opened collections

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep your collections in one piece
Question-answer format is universal to all versions of SuperMemo
Use template tags to export collections with an HTML template

Keep your collections in one piece
(David Mckenzie, New Zealand, Apr 8, 1998)
Question:
Is there any point in keeping collections separate?
Answer:
No. Once you master contents categories and templates, there is no point. You gain global search, global registries, global repetitions, global optimization, etc. This would not be advisable back in SuperMemo 7 as item difficulty measure (E-factor) was dependent on the average difficulty of items in the collection. Presently, the item difficulty measure (A-Factor, or absolute difficulty factor) is absolute and does not depend on the context in which an item is placed (see: Algorithm SM-8). Only the length of the first interval will significantly be affected by the average difficulty of items in the collection. However, this shall not bear dramatically on the speed of learning. Especially that variable forgetting index for individual items makes it possible to set different first intervals for whole contents categories or branches of the knowledge tree

Use template tags to export collections with an HTML template
(Piotr M., Poland, Sep 23, 2000)
Question:
I use HTML export template but only one page gets exported and it does not include any collection material
Answer:
You need to use template tags such as #Pages#, #Element#, #Content#, #SuperMemo#, #Author#, #Download# to insert collection components. Insert all those tags in different places and see what happens

Question-answer format is universal to all versions of SuperMemo
(Mark Yang, Saturday, August 25, 2001 12:33 AM)
Question:
How can I import a text-based file in to one collection? For instance, if I've already created a tab-delimited file (compatible with SuperMemo Palm version), how can it be imported?
Answer:
You need to convert your file to question-and-answer format acceptable by all versions. See: File menu for more. You will find many examples of such files in SuperMemo Library:

• http://super-memory.com/ftp/sm2000.txt 
• http://super-memory.com/ftp/ecomm.txt 
• http://super-memory.com/ftp/sierra.txt 
• http://super-memory.com/ftp/pharm.txt