In this series of in-depth blog posts, we have been looking at the major new and redesigned features coming in Leasey 11.5.
This time, we come to a feature which may sound more serious than some of the others.
Leasey Database Manager.
The word database can make some people hesitate.
It can sound like something technical. It can sound like something used by businesses, programmers or people who enjoy complicated software. It can suggest rows, columns, relationships, queries and other words which may be useful in some settings, but are not exactly inviting when all you want to do is keep a clear list of information.
But a database does not need to be frightening.
For many everyday purposes, a database is simply a collection of cards or forms.
Each card contains the same kind of information.
That is all.
If you create a database for books, each book might have a title, an author, a year, a genre, a reading status, and some notes.
If you create a database for contacts, each person might have a first name, last name, phone number, email address and notes.
If you create a database for board games, each game might have a name, publisher, number of players, average playing time, rules web site, whether an expansion is owned, and whether the game has been Brailled.
Leasey Database Manager is designed to make this kind of information easier to create, browse, search, sort and export.
It is not trying to turn every Leasey user into a database specialist.
It is trying to give people a friendly way to build organised lists which are more powerful than plain notes, but easier to understand than traditional database programs.
That is the important distinction.
LeaseyNotes is excellent when you want to capture thoughts, organise text, attach files, connect related notes, or use fields inside a note.
But sometimes you want something more regular.
Suppose you are keeping a list of books. You do not want every book to be a completely different note with information placed wherever you happened to type it. You want each book to have the same pieces of information, so you can compare them and search them properly.
Book title.
Author.
Reading status.
Format.
Finished date.
Notes.
That is where a database becomes useful.
The same applies to many other areas. Recipes, accessible products, equipment, medical information, shopping lists, music collections, movies, contacts, training resources, board games or anything else where each item needs the same structure.
The structure is what gives the database its value.
Once the information is stored consistently, you can search for it, sort it, browse it by columns, export it to a spreadsheet or text file, and manage it in ways which would be much harder if everything were held in one long note.
To open Leasey Database Manager, press the Leasey Key followed by Windows+D.
When the program opens, focus is placed on the Results list for the current database. The window title tells you which database is currently open, so Insert+T in JAWS gives you a quick confirmation.
If you have not yet created a database, the program opens directly in the Create Database screen.
That is a sensible beginning. If there is already information to browse, you land in the place where browsing happens. If there is no database yet, the program takes you to the place where you can create one.
Leasey Database Manager includes Where Am I with Control+Shift+I.
This gives a brief reminder about the screen you are on and the most useful keys for that screen.
For example, in the Results list it can remind you that Up and Down Arrow move through records, Left and Right Arrow move by columns, Alt+Down Arrow and Alt+Up Arrow browse the current column, Enter reads the record, and Alt+E edits the record.
In other screens, Where Am I gives a short clue about what you can do there.
This is very important in a feature like this.
Databases can involve several screens: creating the database, adding fields, adding entries, searching, filtering, sorting, exporting and managing databases. A user should not have to remember everything before beginning. They should be able to ask, in effect, "Where am I, and what can I do here?"
Leasey Command Centre is also available with Control+Shift+C.
This opens a searchable list of useful commands. You can type words such as search, export, settings, database, sort, find, preferences or spreadsheet, then choose from matching commands. If you leave the command edit field blank and press Tab, the list shows all available commands.
Again, this makes the feature more approachable. You can learn as you go.
The most important idea in Leasey Database Manager is the field.
A field is a piece of information you want each entry to contain.
For a contacts database, fields might be First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, Email Address and Notes.
For a books database, fields might be Book title, Author, Reading status, Format, Year published, Started date, Finished date, Web page and Notes.
For a board games database, fields might be Game name, Publisher, Number of players, Average playing time, Rules web site, Expansion owned and Brailled.
The field name is the label.
It is the text JAWS will speak when you are entering information later.
That is worth pausing on.
If you create a field called Average time to play, then later, when you are adding a game, that field label tells you what to enter. If you add help text saying Enter minutes only, JAWS can speak that reminder too.
This is how the database becomes less abstract.
You are not filling in mysterious boxes. You are moving through named pieces of information which you chose.
Leasey Database Manager includes several field types.
An Edit Field is for short pieces of text, such as name, town, publisher, phone number or email address.
A Link field is for web sites, email addresses, files or folders. If you type a web address without https or http, Leasey Database Manager can add https automatically.
A Whole Number field is for numbers without decimal points, such as year, age, page count, quantity or number of players.
A Decimal Number field is for numbers which may contain decimal points, such as price, average score, weight or average playing time.
A Date field is for dates. You can type dates manually, and Leasey Database Manager accepts both UK-style and US-style numeric dates where possible. If a date could mean more than one thing, it uses the date order for your Windows region where possible.
A Combo Box is for choosing from a list of options. For example, a Status field might contain Not Started, In Progress and Completed. A Format field for books might contain Print, Braille, Audio, Kindle, EPUB, PDF and Other.
A Check Box is for information which is either Yes or No, such as Finished, Brailled, Favourite or Expansion owned.
These field types matter because they let the database understand what kind of information is being stored.
That helps when entering information, because the controls are appropriate for the data.
It also helps later when sorting and filtering. Whole numbers, decimal numbers and dates can sort correctly using their actual values.
Before you can add entries, you create the database itself.
The Create Database screen is deliberately simple. At first, it contains the database name, Add Field, Create Database and Cancel. The Items of Information list is not shown until you have added at least one field.
You type the name of the database, such as Contacts, Books, Recipes or Board Games.
Then you add fields.
When adding a field, you type the field name and choose the field type. You can also choose optional settings. For example, you can say that the field must contain information, that it should be shown in the Results list, or that JAWS should speak or Braille help text when the user enters information.
You cannot create a database until at least one field has been added.
As soon as the first field is added, the Items of Information list appears and shows the fields you have created. A Remove Field button also appears after at least one field has been added.
When all the fields are ready, you activate Create Database.
The process is step by step. You are not expected to understand everything in advance. You can start with a few fields and later change the database if you need to.
The optional field settings are more useful than they may first sound.
This field must contain information means the entry cannot be saved unless something has been entered into that field.
For example, in a contacts database you may want First Name to be required. In a books database you may want Book title to be required. This helps prevent incomplete entries.
Show this field in results decides whether the field appears in the Results list.
That is a very practical setting for JAWS users.
If a record contains ten fields, you may not want all ten spoken or sent to Braille every time you move through the list. You might only want the identifying fields. In a books database, perhaps Book title and Author. In a contacts database, perhaps First Name, Last Name and Phone Number.
If no fields are marked to show in results, Leasey Database Manager shows the first two fields automatically.
Help Text for JAWS to say is also valuable. It reminds the user what kind of information should be entered.
For example, a field called Average time to play might have help text saying Enter minutes only. A Year published field might say Type the year as four digits, for example 2024. A Date started field might remind the user how to type the date.
This is especially useful if you are building a database for someone else, or if you return to a database after not using it for a while.
Once the database has been created, you can begin adding entries.
An entry is one item in the database.
One contact.
One recipe.
One book.
One board game.
The main screen contains the Results list, Add Entry, Edit Entry, Delete Entry and Close.
Press Control+N to add an entry. The Add Entry screen opens, and you type or choose information in each field. You have already defined the fields so you should know the information the database expects. Press Tab to move through the fields.
If a required field is empty, Leasey Database Manager tells you which field needs attention.
If a Whole Number, Decimal Number or Date field contains invalid information, the entry cannot be saved. For example, typing the word seven as a word into a Whole Number field would not be allowed.
If the first field matches an existing entry, the program warns you that a similar entry already exists. You can still save the entry if you want to.
These checks are helpful because they reduce mistakes without taking control away from the user.
Editing an entry is done from the Results list with Alt+E. Deleting an entry is done with Delete, with confirmation.
The Results list is where the database becomes useful day to day.
It shows the entries currently stored in the database. By default, it shows the first two fields for each entry, but this can be customised with Show this field in results when creating or editing fields.
The Results list is arranged in columns. Each column is one field.
You can move through entries with Up and Down Arrow. You can move through columns with Right and Left Arrow. Home moves to the first column in the current row. End moves to the last column.
Leasey Database Manager speaks the field name and value.
For example:
Author: Richard Osman
That format is important. You are not only hearing a value. You are hearing what that value means.
If you move to the last column, Leasey Database Manager says End of columns and repeats the current field name and value. If you move to the first column, it says Start of columns and repeats the current field name and value.
This keeps orientation clear.
One of the most useful features in the Results list is column browsing.
Sometimes you do not want to hear whole records. You want to hear one type of information.
For example, in a books database, you may want to browse only the Author column.
Move to the Author column with Left or Right Arrow, then press Alt+Down Arrow. Leasey Database Manager moves down through that column and speaks only the field name and value.
For example:
Author: Richard Osman
Author: Agatha Christie
Author: Val McDermid
Press Alt+Up Arrow to move back up through the same column.
This does not immediately move the visible row in the list. That is deliberate, because it avoids JAWS speaking the entire row while you are trying to listen to one column.
If you press Enter or Alt+E after using Alt+Up Arrow or Alt+Down Arrow, Leasey Database Manager uses the last record it spoke.
We hope this is a very thoughtful accessibility feature. It recognises that listening to a table is not the same as looking at a table. Sometimes the user needs a way to move through one stream of information without hearing everything else.
The Results list may only show a few columns, because those are the fields you chose for quick browsing.
But sometimes you want the whole record.
Press Enter on a record, and a read only view opens showing all the fields and values for that record.
This is useful when you want to review everything before deciding what to do. From the read only view, you can edit the record or close the view.
This gives you both experiences: a compact Results list for scanning, and a complete record view for detail.
Leasey Database Manager can search through your information quickly.
Press Control+F to open Search.
You type the text you want to find, such as Smith, Fantasy, Nintendo or 2025.
The field check boxes let you decide where the search should look. If all fields are checked, the whole database is searched. If no fields are checked, the whole database is also searched. If only some fields are checked, only those fields are searched.
This is a friendly approach because it avoids a common problem. If someone accidentally unchecks everything, the program does not return nothing and leave the user confused. It searches everything.
If the database contains date fields, Search can also narrow results by date. You can choose any date field or one specific date field, then enter Date from and Date to.
You can type a full date, or just a year. For example, if you want books read in 2026, you can choose Date finished, type 2026 in Date from, type 2026 in Date to, and search. Leasey Database Manager treats the first 2026 as 1 January 2026 and the second as 31 December 2026.
After searching, the Results list shows only matching entries. Press Escape from the Results list to clear the search and return to the full database.
Search is excellent when you want to find one piece of text.
Advanced Filter is for more specific questions.
For example:
Genre is Fantasy and Rating is at least 4.
State is Unread and Date added to list is between 2026 and 2026.
To open Advanced Filter, press Alt+Comma and choose Advanced Filter.
The Advanced Filter screen lets you choose a field, choose a condition, enter a value, add the condition, and repeat the process for each condition you need.
The available conditions depend on the field type.
Text fields can use conditions such as contains, is, is not, is blank and is not blank.
Combo box fields can use is, is not, is blank and is not blank.
Check box fields use Yes or No.
Number fields can use is, is at least, is at most, is greater than and is less than.
Date fields can use is, is on or after, is on or before and is between.
When you apply the filter, the Results list shows only records which match all conditions.
This is where the database becomes especially powerful.
You are no longer just finding a word. You are asking a question about your information.
Sorting changes the order in which entries appear.
You might sort books by author, games by year, contacts by surname, recipes by category, equipment by purchase date, or medical information by date.
Press Control+Shift+S to open Sort Entries.
Choose the field to sort by, then choose Ascending or Descending. Ascending usually means A to Z or lowest to highest. Descending usually means Z to A or highest to lowest.
Whole Number, Decimal Number and Date fields sort correctly using their actual values.
This is another benefit of using field types. A date field can sort as a date. A number field can sort as a number. The database understands what kind of information it is handling.
Leasey Database Manager can export the current database.
Exporting means saving a copy of the database in a format which can be used outside Leasey Database Manager.
This is useful if you want to open the information in a spreadsheet, send it to someone else, keep a readable backup, print it, or check the information outside the program.
Export does not remove anything from Leasey Database Manager. It simply creates a separate copy.
To export, open the Tools menu with Alt+Comma and choose Export Database.
You can export to CSV or text.
CSV is useful if you want to open the database in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc or another spreadsheet or database program. The first row contains the field names. Each record appears on its own row. Each field appears in its own column. Check boxes are exported as Yes or No.
Text export is useful if you want a plain readable copy. This is often easiest to review with a screen reader. The text file is arranged record by record, with each field name followed by its value.
At this stage, export is one way. Leasey Database Manager does not import CSV or text files back into the database. Your original database remains unchanged after export.
You can have more than one database.
Press Control+D to choose a different database. The selected database becomes the default database the next time the program starts.
Press Control+M to manage databases.
The Manage Databases screen includes Add Database, Change Fields, Delete, Set Default and OK.
Deleting a database removes the database and all entries stored inside it, so confirmation is required.
Changing fields lets you add new fields, rename fields, delete fields and change the order of fields. In the Change Fields screen, Add opens the Add Field screen. Edit opens the Edit Field screen for the selected field. Alt+U and Alt+D move fields up and down, and JAWS announces what happened.
This is useful because a database may evolve.
You might create a books database and later decide to add Series name, Book number in series, Rating, Borrowed from, Loaned to someone or Would recommend.
You do not have to know everything on day one.
The documentation includes a detailed example of creating a books database from beginning to end. It is worth summarising here because it shows the purpose of the feature very clearly.
Imagine you want to keep track of books you have read, are reading, or plan to read.
The database might include:
Book title.
Author.
Reading status.
Whether you own the book.
Whether you have finished reading it.
Format.
Year published.
Started date.
Finished date.
Web page.
Notes.
This example uses several field types. Book title and Author are edit fields. Reading status and Format are combo boxes. Own this book and Finished reading are check boxes. Year published is a whole number. Started date and Finished date are date fields. Web page is a link. Notes is an edit field.
Once the database exists, you can add a book such as The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. You can mark the reading status as Finished, choose Audio as the format, enter the year published, record the dates you started and finished reading, add a web page, and write notes such as Enjoyable mystery with short chapters.
Because Book title and Author can be marked to show in results, the Results list can speak those values as you move through books. You can press Right Arrow to move from Book title to Author. You can press Alt+Down Arrow while in the Author column to browse through authors without hearing the whole row each time.
After adding several books, you can search for Finished, Audio or Richard Osman. You can sort by book title, author, year published or started date. You can export the database as CSV or text. You can later add more fields if your needs grow.
This is a good example because it shows the journey.
At first, the database is simply a list of books.
Then it becomes a way of asking questions.
Which books have I finished?
Which books were in audio format?
Which books by this author have I read?
Which books did I start in 2026?
That is the point of a database.
Leasey Database Manager matters because it makes structured information feel less intimidating.
Many people need databases without thinking of them as databases.
They need a list of contacts. A list of books. A list of recipes. A list of equipment. A list of music. A list of accessible products. A list of medical details. A list of anything where each item needs the same kind of information.
Leasey Database Manager gives them a way to build those lists with JAWS-friendly labels, field types, help text, clear navigation, search, advanced filtering, sorting and export.
It explains what fields are by using them. It lets the user decide what appears in results. It speaks field names and values together. It lets the user browse one column at a time. It provides Where Am I and Command Centre support. It allows databases to grow and change after they are created.
The feature is powerful, but its purpose is simple.
It helps people put information into a shape they can use.
And once information has a clear shape, it becomes much easier to find, compare, sort, share and understand.
For users who have always felt that databases were for someone else, Leasey Database Manager may be the feature which changes that.