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OS/2 Help File
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1994-11-19
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43KB
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1,032 lines
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 is a personal home inventory program. It's
capable of keeping track of individual items by serial number, purchase price,
replacement cost, date of purchase, place of purchase, manufacturer, warranty,
insurance company insured with, and policy number. There is a comments field
which allows you to give verbose description of the item, and there is a "hook"
for a best of breed picture viewer (not provided, but any Presentation Manager
viewer should work if it accepts command line arguements). The picture viewer
can be useful to view scanned-in images of the item for safekeeping. It will
allow you to group your possessions into categories such as electronics,
antiques (pictures can be especially useful here), etc. This program should
assist you determining the amount of insurance coverage you need (by making you
think about what you own), and it should aid in gathering critical information
should a catastrophic disaster occur. It can also be used to keep track of
warranty information for your purchases (did that 1GB hardrive have a 1 year or
5 year warranty?). Nonetheless, it should be useful in tracking your
possessions. However, Please, keep copies of both the program and data,
including pictures, at 2 or more trusted OFFSITE locations. It just wouldn't
due for a fire to destroy your property (including your records) and have no
way of accounting for it, or to have a burglar steal your computer (with your
only copy of your inventory on it).
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 is provided "as is" without any warranties (or
conditions), expressed or implied with respect to the software, including the
implied warranties (or conditions) of merchantability and fitness for a
particular purpose. The entire risk arising out of use or performance of the
program remains with you. In no event will the copyright holder be liable for
any lost profits, lost savings, incidental or indirect damages or other
economic consequential damages, even if I have been advised of the possibility
of such damages. In addition, I will not be liable for any damages claimed by
you based on any third party claim.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Tips for using Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
o Please make backup copies of both the program and data (including picture
files) and store them at 2 trusted OFFSITE (close friend, safe deposit box,
etc) locations to ensure that you have the information when you need it (fire
or theft destroys or eliminates computer data!).
o To copy data into the clipboard (COPY)
Highlight the data to be copied and press <CTRL><INSERT>
o To copy data from the clipboard (PASTE)
Click on the region where the data is to be pasted and press <SHIFT><INSERT>
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Icon Bar ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Open a database
Save current database to disk
Add a record
Delete a record
Change a record
Search for something
Repeat search (up)
Repeat search (down)
View a photo
Print highlighted record
Copy highlighted record to clipboard
Show total price and replacement cost of assets
Help
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The File menu contains commands that allow you to create, open, and save data
files. The following commands appear in the File menu:
New Creates a new untitled file
Open Opens an existing file
Import Brings data into Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 from an external
source
Export Transfers data out of Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 into another
format
Save Saves any changes to the current file
Save As Saves the current file under a different title
Quit Exits Personal Inventory Gatherer/2
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. File New ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can create a new inventory database by using the File New command. To
create a new inventory database, do the following:
o Select the File menu item and choose the New command.
The word "Untitled" will then appear in the title bar of the Personal Inventory
Gatherer/2 window.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. File Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can open an inventory database that exists on any drive in any directory by
using the File Open command. To open a file, do the following:
1. Select the File menu item and choose the Open command.
2. A dialog box will then appear showing you a list of files in the current
directory.
3. Select the file to be opened by clicking on the appropriate directory and
file names.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. File Save ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You use the File Save command to save changes you've made to your inventory
database. To save changes to the current file, do the following:
o Select the File menu item and choose the Save command.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.4. File Save As ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You use the File Save As command to name and save your database in a new file.
To do this, perform the following:
1. Select the File menu item and choose the Save As command.
2. A dialog box will then appear showing you a list of files in the current
directory.
3. Select the appropriate directory folder and then type in the new file name.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.5. Quit ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To exit Personal Inventory Gatherer/2, do the following:
o Double Click on the Icon in the upper left-hand corner of the Personal
Inventory Gatherer/2 screen.
o Or, Select File Quit from the menu bar.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
1. Select the down arrow to the right of the Drive list to display all the
drives on your system.
2. Select a drive from the Drive list.
3. Select a directory from the Directory list.
4. Select a file name from the File list or type in a file name and select the
Open pushbutton to display the file you want to edit.
For specific help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> List of Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
File name Type of file
Drive File
Directory Open pushbutton
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Type the name of the file you want to open in the File name field and select
the Open pushbutton.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> List of Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
File name Type of file
Drive File
Directory Open pushbutton
General help
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Type of file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Type of file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Select the down arrow to the right of the Type of file field to display the
available file types. The sample has set this field for all file types.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Drive list displays the drives on your system. Select the drive that
contains the files you want to edit.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The File list displays all the files in the directory you selected from the
Directory list. Select the file you want to open.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Directory ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Directory ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Directory list displays the directories on the selected drive. Select a
directory to display the list of files from that directory in the File list
box.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Open ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Select the Open pushbutton to display the file you want to edit.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use Save to store the file you are editing. After the file is saved, the text
remains in the window so that you can continue editing it.
Note: If you are editing a new file, select the Save or Save as choices to
display the Save as pop-up so that you can name the file you are
editing. A file must have a title to be saved.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save as ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Use Save as to name and save a new file or to save an existing file under a
different name, in a different directory, or on a different disk.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save as ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save as ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
1. Select the down arrow to the right of the Drive list to display all the
drives on your system.
2. Select a drive from the Drive list.
3. Select a directory from the Directory list.
4. Type the name of the file you want to save in the File name field and
select the Save pushbutton.
For specific help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> List of Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
File name Type of file
Drive File
Directory Save pushbutton
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File name ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Type the name of the file you want to save in the File name field and select
the Save pushbutton.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> List of Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
File name Type of file
Drive File
Directory Save pushbutton
General help
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Type of file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Type of file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Select the down arrow to the right of the Type of file field to display the
available file types. The sample has set this field for all file types.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Drive ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Drive list displays the drives on your system. Select the drive that
contains the files you want to save.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The File list displays all the files in the directory you selected from the
Directory list. Select the file you want to rename and save.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Directory ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Directory ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Directory list displays the directories on the selected drive. Select a
directory to display the list of files from that directory in the File list
box.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ <hidden> Help for Save ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Select the Save pushbutton to save the file to the drive and directory you
selected and with the file name you specified.
For more help, select a topic below.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Update ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Update menu has commands which allow you to create new records, delete
unneeded records, and change existing records. The following commands appear
in the Update menu:
Add a record Creates a new entry in the database
Delete a record Removes an unneeded entry in the database
Change a record Changes an existing record in the database
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Add a record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can create a new entry in the database by using Add a record. To do so,
perform the following steps:
1. Select the Update menu item and choose the Add a record command.
2. Fill-in the record as appropriate
3. Select whatever group the person is a member of.
4. Press Add to update the database or press Cancel to abort the procedure.
5. If you do not want the data which is selected in any of the pull-down entry
fields simply press the <DELETE> key while it is highlighted.
6. You may continue adding records until all items are entered, press Add
after you have entered the data for each record (including the last) and
then press Cancel to take you back to the main menu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Delete a record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can permanently remove an entry from the database by using Delete a record.
To do so, perform the following steps:
1. Select the record you wish to delete by highlighting it with the horizontal
scroll bar.
2. Select the Update menu item and choose the Delete a record command.
Warning: Once a record is deleted there is no method of retrieving it.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Change a record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can change the contents of a record by using the Change a record command.
To do so, perform the following steps:
1. Select the record you wish to change by highlighting it with the horizontal
scroll bar.
2. Select the Update menu item and choose the Update a record command.
3. Change the data as appropriate
4. If you do not want the data which is selected in any of the pull-down entry
fields simply press the <DELETE> key while it is highlighted.
5. Press Change to update the database or press Cancel to abort the procedure.
6. You may continue changing records until you have made all desired changes,
press Change after each record is changed (including the last) and then
press Cancel to take you back to the main menu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Search ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Search menu has commands which allow you to locate a record which has as
any field or substring within any field the string specified.
Find Specify a substring to search for, and locate the next occurance
within the database.
Find Prev Locate the substring specified by the Find command closest to the
current pointer in the reverse direction.
Find Next Locate the substring specified by the Find command closest to the
current pointer in the forwards direction.
Find First Locate the first occurance in the database of the substring
specified by the Find command.
Find Last Locate the last occurance in the database of the substring
specified by the Find command.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Find ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Specify a substring to search for, and locate the next occurance within the
database.
o The substring is initially set to a blank value on program initiation,
however, once it is entered the program will remember that value until it is
either changed or the program is terminated.
o The default value for searches is case insensitive, for example the search
string abc will match the string This is a test of our ABC's.
o Case sensitive searches may be turned on by placing a check mark in the Case
Sensitive block. In this case the prior example would NOT produce a match.
o Only the group currently displayed on the screen is searched, data which does
not belong to this group is not searched.
o All records within a database entry are searched for a match, not just those
displayed on the screen. Searches should not be made which span more than
one record within a database entry, said searches will produce unreliable
results.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Find Prev ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Locate the substring specified by the Find command closest to the current
pointer in the reverse direction.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Find Next ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Locate the substring specified by the Find command closest to the current
pointer in the forwards direction.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Find First ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Locate the first occurance in the database of the substring specified by the
Find command.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. Find Last ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Locate the last occurance in the database of the substring specified by the
Find command.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. Print ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Print menu allows you to print either the currently highlighted entry or
all entries in the currently displayed group.
All Records Prints all records using specifications determined by the Setup
Printing function.
All Records to Clipboard Copies all records using specifications determined by
Setup Printing function to the Clipboard where the data can be copied into
other applications.
Individual Record Prints the entry currently highlighted using specifications
determined by the Setup Printing function to the printer.
Individual Record to Clipboard Copies the entry currently highlighted using
specifications determined by the Setup Printing function to the Clipboard
where the data can be copied into other applications.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. Print All Records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Prints all records using specifications determined by the Setup Printing
function.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. Print All Records to Clipboard ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Copies all records using specifications determined by Setup Printing function
to the Clipboard where the data can be copied into other applications.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 18. Print Individual Record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Prints the entry currently highlighted using specifications determined by the
Setup Printing function to the printer.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 19. Print Individual Record to Clipboard ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Copies the entry currently highlighted using specifications determined by the
Setup Printing function to the Clipboard where the data can be copied into
other applications.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 20. Setup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Setup function is responsible for how information is displayed on the
screen and how information is printed.
Display Determine record types (and their sequence) displayed, set group
names, and determine which group(s) is displayed.
Printing Determine printing parameters and set printer port.
Sort Order Determine display, printing, exporting order of the database.
Photo Viewing Set photo viewing parameters and directory path for photo files
Register Software Load key provided to registered users which enables telephone
support and disables program termination messages. This feature
is grayed-out once a key has been successfully loaded as it is no
longer needed.
Print Registration Form Print a registration form to be mailed in for payment
for software.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 21. Setup Display ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Determine field types displayed, set group names, and determine which group(s)
is displayed.
o Select the order that you wish to see a field displayed in the Display
Sequence section. If you do not want a certain field displayed (such as
Manufacturer) place a 0 by it and it will not be shown on screen. This is
for the quick display view only, you may still use this field to hold data.
It does not affect the data, searches upon the data, or printing.
o The Printing/Viewing Categories section allows you to create separate,
logical groups within the database for assigning people. These groups may
have names such as Antiques, Electronics, or Appliances. Items may be
assigned to zero or more (up to 5) groups for display. This feature is
intended to help you keep your data organized, and to allow you to do mass
printing for any one group.
o The Group to View section allows you to specify which group is curently the
active one for viewing. You may of course, select All to see all items
regardless of their group membership.
o In the event that you need more groups than 5, Personal Inventory Gatherer/2
fully recognizes the ability to have more than 1 database file. The database
filename is of the format *.PIG with its associated configuration in the form
*.cnf (please do not attempt to modify the *.cnf file with an editor, if it
somehow becomes corrupted just delete it, you will lose no data, just your
preference settings).
o Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 remembers the last database you were working on
the last time you were in the program, and opens the most recently used
database the next time the program is run. To swap to a different database
file use the File Open command to open a new database file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 22. Setup Printing ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This is an extemely powerful feature of Personal Inventory Gatherer/2. It
enables you to print out a database on paper which has the field placement and
size of your choosing. It does NO ERROR CHECKING. In order to get it right
you will usually have to do this several times (don't get frustrated), this is
because of its total flexibility which enables you complete control over your
output.
o The Line # column is used to establish multi-line records (or you can put
just the fields you want on a single line).
o The Column column is used to set where on each line you would like a specific
field to begin printing, however it says nothing as to where a field ends
(you must know your own data, this is what is sometimes frustrating).
o If you do not want a specific field(s) printed, just leave a 0 in its Line #
column, it will subsequently be ignored.
o Lines Per Page establishes how many lines are on each page before a formfeed
is sent to your printer. If you a blank page occassionally on your printer
then reduce this number by 1, sometimes printers and software disagree on
somethings...
o Lines Between Records sets the number of blank lines printed between records
when printed.
o The Print Labels At Top option adds column titles at the top of each page.
o The Autowrap Description feature is useful for when long descriptions are
used. This option is recommended to be checked because it also better control
over what is printed.
o The port selection feature effects where everything is printed.
Suggestions:
o Setup Sort Order before you print, otherwise you could get some very wierd
results in the order that things are printed.
o Setup Display before you print and select the group for display, it will be
the same one printed, else you might find that your printed book is missing
some people.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 23. Setup Sort Order ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Changing the sort order for your data is easily accomplished by selecting Setup
Sort Order. In this window simply click on the the primary, secondary, and
tertiary keys (that is the most important sort criteria to least important) in
the window, and then select Accept.
As an example, if you want to organize your good by Item, Serial Number, and
Price select the following:
o Select Item as your Primary key
o Select Serial as your Secondary key
o Select Price as your Tertiary key
Normally, Item would be selected as the primary key, usually the other keys
don't matter in this case because Items tend to be unique.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 24. Setup Photo Viewing ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
You can store and view photos of your goods in Personal Inventory Gatherer/2.
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 does NOT provide any multimedia tools, rather, it
is MultiMedia Aware. What this means is that it relies on other applications
to perform the task required. This also means a high degree of flexibility,
you can choose the best of breed of the application you wish to use (be it
sound or video), and Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 can feed that application
the data to produce the desired effect. Only native OS/2 Presentation Manager
applications can be spawned as a child process and used by this program for
MultiMedia effects.
The Video File Directory entry should contain the full pathname of the
directory where pictures are stored, it may contain up to 255 characters.
NOTE 1 If you use the Find button for this field you must click on a file name
within the desired directory to select that directory.
NOTE 2 When you specify the video file in the data entry/update screen it can
only contain 32 characters. This limit does not apply to the directory, just
the filename. This only works if the pathname is specified in the above
fields. If it is not then you are limited to 32 characters total for the path
and filename.
Following this is a set of 4 entry fields which allow you to associate
multimedia players with filename extensions. The extension should be exactly 3
characters and be something like BMP, ICO or other multimedia type. The full
pathname of the player including the extension should be included to the left
of the appropriate multimedia extension. The Full Pathname of the multimedia
player may be 255 characters long.
NOTE 3 If you use a single asterisk * in an extension field then all
unrecognized file types will default to the viewer with the asterisk. This
means that if you have an exceptionally good photo viewer which can view any
type of file simply use that viewer and an asterisk in the extension field and
it will work with all file types (that it can handle of course).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 25. Setup Register Software ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Registration Data Setup is only used to register a paid user of Personal
Inventory Gatherer/2. Once the software is registered the feature is
grayed-out and no longer reachable. This is so you can't accidentally destroy
your key.
To register the software merely type in your name EXACTLY as written in the
license provided and type in the checksum EXACTLY as written. Ensure there are
no trailing spaces or it may give you an error message.
For registration information see Help Register.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 26. Setup Print Registration Form ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This feature is designed to make it easier to register the software. Merely
select this from the menu and fill it out.
The Name field is the name to mail the license to.
The Name software should be registered in field can be a person's name or a
company name, This is the name that will appear on the license
The Company name field is useful if needed as part of the address.
The Address field can contain up to 256 characters and can be multiple lines,
what you type (exactly) is what you get (exactly).
The Phone Number, FAX Number, and E-Mail Address fields are useful in the event
I need to contact you in response to a question that you may have.
The Where did you obtain this copy of PIG/2? field helps me to ensure that the
latest version of the software is available where people such as yourself can
find it.
The # of copies field (1 to whatever) determines the number of licenses
desired.
The Floppy check box determines whether a copy of the software and license(s)
is desired on floppy, or whether just the key should be sent (via letter).
When everything is filled out the way you want it merely select Print to LPT1,
Print to LPT2, or Print to Clipboard. The clipboard feature is useful if you
wish to put the letter into a word-processor for some reason.
Thank-you for registering!
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 27. Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Internet: jjohnson@us.net
Fidonet: James Johnson@1:109/347
Registered users may request help at a phone number provided by selecting Help
Telephone Support.
Note: This feature is enabled upon software registration, it is the only
disabled feature within Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 (If someone is to
cheap/dishonest to pay for inexpensive good-quality shareware, then I am to
cheap/busy to talk to them about it).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 28. Product information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2
Version 1.1
Copyright (C) 1994
All Rights Reserved.
by
James E. Johnson Jr.
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 is shareware
and must be registered for continued use.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 29. Mail-In Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 may be registered by mailing a check for $15 to:
James E. Johnson Jr.
6924 Vancouver Road
Springfield, VA 22152
Upon registration you will receive a registration key which is your license to
use both the current and all future versions of Personal Inventory Gatherer/2
software. This key turns off the encouragement to register when you exit
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 and turns on the Telephone Support switch. The
$15 registration does NOT include the software, just the license, the
assumption is that you have downloaded the software previously from a BBS or
other source.
In the event you would like to receive the current version on floppy (and not
just the key), please send $20 to the above address. Future versions of the
software must be downloaded from your favorite BBS at your own expense.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 30. Online Registration ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 may be registered by using your VISA or
Mastercard online at the OS/2 Shareware BBS.
The price is $15 and includes a single-user license for all future versions of
this software, however no floppy is provided.
Pete Norloff's OS/2 Shareware BBS contains a comprehensive collection of OS/2
programs and information. All the latest operating system patches from IBM as
well as freeware and shareware programs from around the globe may be downloaded
from the BBS 24 hours a day. The system is connected to five computer networks
offering conference areas on a large variety of OS/2 topics. Currently the
system has 18 telephone lines all operating on a single OS/2 PC. The OS/2
Shareware BBS is freely available to the public within limits. Subscriber
access is also available. The BBS can be reached at 703-385-4325.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 31. Shareware Concept ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Shareware is the try it before you buy it concept of software marketing. It is
freely available by downloading it from various BBS's or one can easily and
legally give a copy to a friend. If you like the software and intend on
continuing to use it after the trial period of typically 30 - 45 days, you are
expected to register the software with the author. Shareware is not freeware.
It's continued use implies that it is a viable and needed tool. Registration
encourages the author to enhance the software's features, making it a better
tool for you the user, and also to create new software in the future.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 32. Telephone Support ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Telephone Support is available to registered users. The panel and phone number
are grayed-out if the software is unregistered. This is the only feature
within Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 which is not available unless you are
registered.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 33. Fields ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Fields have a maximum length of 32 characters*.
They may contain any combination of upper or lower case alphabetic characters,
numbers or other printable characters such as #, *, %, etc. What you type is
what you get, there is no character conversion.
Fields are larger than the box they are in on screen, the box size is
irrelevant. All fields within Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 are 32 characters
regardless of the size allocated on screen.
*The 1 exception to this is the description field which has a maximum of 256
characters.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 34. Records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Records are a conglomeration of fields.
o They are made up of Item name, serial number, and other information about
about the goods being inventoried.
o When Adding or Modifying a record the Photo field should contain the filename
of the multimedia effect desired. It may be a BMP, ICO or whatever other type
of multimedia file for which you have an appropriate player. The field is
only 32 characters wide and is intended only for the filename of the
multimedia file. Use Setup Photo Viewing to establish the proper
relationships between file types and players.
o If there is no information for a given field within a record, leave it blank,
there is no harm in doing so.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 35. Groups ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
A Group is a logical entity which is used to designate a subcategory within
your Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 database.
o A group would be such entities as Electronics, Antiques, Furniture,
Appliances, etc.
o The purpose of using groups is to limit what is displayed on screen to a
single category of goods to simply the database's usage.
o You may select the All groups displayed feature to deal with the database as
a whole.
o Both the group name and the active group may be set by using the Display
Setup function.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 36. Trademarks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The following are trademarks of their respective corporations:
o IBM, OS/2 and Presentation Manager are trademarks of the International
Business Machines Corporation.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 37. Import ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Import function is responsible for bringing data into your Personal
Inventory Gatherer/2 database from an outside source. The outside source may be
either in a plain text ASCII format where the data is aligned in columns with
no embedded special characters, or the data may be in a comma-delimitted (again
straight ASCII) format.
Import Comma Delimitted
Import Column Formatted
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 38. Import Comma Delimited ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Import Comma Delimitted feature is useful for bring data into your Personal
Inventory Gatherer/2 database from another database. This is easily done by
exporting your other database in comma delimitted format, and then having this
application read that data in. The field order of the file to be imported is
unimportant to this program so long as you know what it is, merely give the
field order of the file to be imported to the corresponding field in the import
procedure. For example, if ITEM was your first record element in the file to
be imported, put a 1 by ITEM, if it were the fifth item in the record then put
a 5. Fields that are not used by Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 are just
ignored in the file being imported. If a field in PIG/2 is not present in the
file being imported, then leave the corresponding value by it as 0 and it will
receive blank values in your new database.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 39. Import Data in Columns (ASCII) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Importing data from a file where the data is in columns is a little more
difficult than importing it Comma Delimitted and that method should be used if
your data is available in that format.
To import columns of data, first determine the character starting position of
each element type (e.g. ITEM, SERIAL NUMBER, etc), and the number of characters
that field is wide (not the ending column). Then fill in the blanks on the
form and select IMPORT, this will allow you to choose the appropriate file. If
the data does not align properly there may be unprintable characters in your
file being imported such as <TAB>s, just remove them with your favorite editor
and try again.
Fields in Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 which are not present in your file to
be imported should be left with 0 in their starting position and also in their
width field, they will then be ignored during the import.
Fields which are present in your file being imported but not in Personal
Inventory Gatherer/2 are harmless and will be ignored during the import
procedure.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 40. Export ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Export function is useful for transfering data from your Personal Inventory
Gatherer/2 database to an outside source. The outside source may be either in a
plain text ASCII format where the data is aligned in columns in tabular format,
or the data may be in a comma-delimitted format suitable to be transported to
another database.
Export Comma Delimitted
Export Column Formatted
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 41. Export Comma Delimited ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Export Comma Delimitted feature is useful for transfering the contents of
your Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 database to another database. This is easily
done by selecting Export Comma Delimited and then selecting the export order
from your database to the new database format.
For example, if ITEM was your first record element in the file to be exported,
put a 1 by ITEM, if it were the fifth item in the record then put a 5. If you
do not wish to export a data element then put a 0 in it's field.
In the event that any of the data fields you are exporting contains comma's ","
they will be converted to semicolons ";" for export purposes. This is necessary
so as not to create mal-aligned data in the program which will later import
this data file (extra comma's would screw up the data).
Please note that both Setup Display and Setup Sort Order will affect both what
is exported and it's order.
Warning: When you select EXPORT be careful not to select an existing file
unless you wish to overwrite it, because once you select EXPORT (within the
file select box), everything is exported and the existing file (which you
selected) is overwritten (if it exists), if it does not exist then it is
created.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 42. Export Columns of Data ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Export Columns of Data feature is useful for transfering the contents of
your Personal Inventory Gatherer/2 database to either a spreadsheet, a document
to be imported by a word processor, or even just printed for an easily readable
report. This is easily done by selecting Export Columns of Data and then
filling in the blanks on the form. First determine the order of the data
elements and fill that in on the left column on the form (if a data element is
not desired in the output file then put a 0 in it's column), then fill-in the
right column stating the data element's width (including spaces). Then select
Export, you'll be prompted for a data file name, after you enter it your
exporting will be accomplished.
If you leave the column width set to 0, then the computer will decide the
minimum width needed to display all of your data in that field. Therefore,
unless you have a special requirement, leave the width field set to 0 on all
columns and the computer will determine all field widths, this will produce the
most aestetically pleasing report.
If the column width which you specify is not wide enough to hold the elements
in a given field then that element will be truncated at the specified character
count.
Please note that both Setup Display and Setup Sort Order will affect both what
is exported and it's order.
Warning: When you select EXPORT be careful not to select an existing file
unless you wish to overwrite it, because once you select EXPORT (within the
file select box), everything is exported and the existing file (which you
selected) is overwritten (if it exists), if it does not exist then it is
created.