Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) produces a variety of chemical information in both printed and computer readable form. Although the information content of CAS computer‐readable files is quite informative, the database from which they are derived was designed primarily for producing printed products. Production of printed products involves a selection and formatting of information which carries with it certain inferences and implications that can be easily handled in context. Some concomitant disadvantages of printed products are due to the need to predetermine access points. By their very nature online files can eliminate some of these disadvantages and open otherwise inaccessible routes to the information. Processing of information in the creation of an online file offers opportunities to provide enhancements that add value and simplify the information retrieval activity. In this paper, we focus on implementation by the DIALOG system of bibliographic CA SEARCH files and chemical name dictionary CHEMNAME.