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A catalog is a self-contained file in which you can store a hierarchy of records. You can have multiple different types or "classes" of records in the catalog, which store different types of information.
You can copy a spreadsheet table into a catalog - each row becomes a record, and the set of column headings defines a new class of data. You can import a folder of data files into a catalog - you get a record for each data file and folder, with links pointing at the actual data, and thumbnails for images. You can create your own classes of information in a catalog - essentially setting up your own data entry forms with menus and buttons for gathering structured information. You can add in the links between different records - e.g. to connect the data files to analysis files, or to documents detailing exact versions of protocols used.
The unique feature of catalyzer is that it will cope with any mix of information - links to data files, information from spreadsheets and databases. It is also simple enough for anyone to be able to set up and use - you don't have to be a programmer. But programmers like Catalyzer too - as Catalogs are saved in a standard format ("XML"), they are simple to integrate with existing systems and databases.
Catalogs are simply saved as files, which you can move around on your file system and email as attachments just as you can with spreadsheets or documents. In this respect a catalog is more like a document than a database.