Copyright (c) 1991-1993 Borland International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. THE CATALOG SYSTEM ------------------ Bladerunner has a catalog system that serves the same purpose as the one in dBASE IV, which is to identify and make readily available those files you want to associate with a particular application or use. Contents -------- I. Overview II. Using the File Viewer III. Viewing Files IV. Creating Catalogs V. Opening Catalogs VI. Adding Files to Catalogs VII. Opening Tables VIII. Viewing Non-dBASE Databases IX. Implementation Status Overview -------- The Bladerunner catalog system has two main parts: the File Viewer window, and one or more Catalog windows. The File Viewer shows icons for the major Bladerunner-related files in the current directory. A Catalog window shows icons for files in a specified catalog. A catalog can contain only dBASE files. (Catalog windows are not implemented yet.) Using the File Viewer --------------------- There is only one File Viewer and you can close or open it with standard Windows menu commands. The File Viewer is permanent; you can’t create or delete it. The Search Path at the top of the File Viewer is a text field in which you can type the path to search; it also displays the path you’ve specified in the Command window with the SET PATH command. The Current Directory, below the Search Path, is another text field in which you can type the current directory; it also displays the directory you’ve specified in the Command window with the SET DIR or CD commands. Viewing Files ------------- In both the File Viewer and Catalog windows you can choose to see all files or categories of files. Catalog windows show the major types of files you can create in Bladerunner such as .DBFs and .PRGs (but not supporting files such as .NDXs or .TXTs). The File Viewer shows major Bladerunner files, plus related files not created in Bladerunner, such as .WAV sound files and .BMP bitmap files. (Final File Viewer icons are not implemented yet.) Creating Catalogs ----------------- You can create a catalog in these ways: - Choose File | New | Catalog - Double-click the Catalog icon on the SpeedBar - Double-click the Untitled catalog icon in the File Viewer - Right-click the Untitled catalog icon to open a local menu and choose the Create Catalog command - Drag the Untitled icon to the Bladerunner desktop (Some menu commands, some mouse actions, and the drag-and-drop capabilities of Blade Runner are not implemented yet.) You can add a description of the catalog at the time you create it. (This feature is not implemented yet.) To delete a catalog file, enter the ERASE command in the Command window, or use a file management program. Note that the above creation methods apply to only those files in the File Viewer or Catalog windows that Bladerunner can create. Opening Catalogs ---------------- You open and close Catalog windows with standard Windows menu commands and mouse actions. You can open multiple Catalog windows. (Catalog windows are not implemented yet.) Adding Files to a Catalog ------------------------- You can add a file to a Catalog window in two ways: by creating a file while a Catalog window is open and selected, or by dragging an icon from the File Viewer to a Catalog window. You can move a file from one catalog to another by dragging its icon, or copy the file by dragging its icon while pressing the Ctrl key. To remove a file from a Catalog window, select its icon and press the Delete key. (Dragging and deleting are not implemented yet.) The Bladerunner files you create are recorded in the Catalog window that is open and currently active. To switch recording to a different Catalog window, just select that window. You can disengage a catalog from recording by closing its window, or by selecting a different window. Opening Tables -------------- When you use a Catalog window to open tables, Bladerunner handles all work area and alias assignments automatically. The DISPLAY STATUS command can show you the state of all current assignments. Viewing Non-dBASE Databases --------------------------- Files you create with Bladerunner appear in the Catalog window; any other files you might use appear only in the File Viewer. To see non-dBASE databases (collections of tables and associated files) from products such as Interbase, Oracle, or Sybase, you need to make appropriate settings with the ODAPI Configuration utility (included with Bladerunner). You also need to click the Database category selection in the File Viewer. (The Database category is not implemented yet.) The ODAPI Configuration utility has primary control over access to non-dBASE databases, including paths, and drivers. Selecting the Database category in the File Viewer is equivalent to using the OPEN DATABASE command. Each database icon in the File Viewer represents a collection of tables and associated files, such as queries and reports. The files associated with a database are displayed in the appropriate categories of the File Viewer when you click a database icon. The File Viewer continues to show ODAPI-connected, non-dBASE database files until you restore it to viewing the current dBASE directory. (The restoration method is not implemented yet.) Implementation Status --------------------- Catalog windows are not available yet. Catalog functionality, however, is available through the SET CATALOG and SET CATALOG TO commands in the Command window. The "drag and drop" feature for icons hasn’t been enabled yet. Not all mouse-click, keyboard, menu, and local menu options are determined or installed yet. The Catalog menu’s Add and Delete (and other) commands are not yet finalized. The catalog description mechanism hasn’t been added yet. The ability to automatically reopen the catalog you were using when you last closed Bladerunner hasn’t been enabled yet. The "Databases" category hasn’t been added to the File Viewer yet. The icon designs aren’t final. The term "File Viewer" is subject to change. The possibility of displaying lists of file names in File Viewer or Catalog windows, as an alternative to icons, is not yet determined. Comboboxes, or a similar mechanism, may be added to the File Viewer to replace the text fields for Search Path and Current Directory. The method for restoring the File Viewer to the dBASE path, after viewing non-dBASE databases, is not yet determined. The SpeedBar isn’t fully implemented.