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ShareWare OnLine 2
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ShareWare OnLine Volume 2 (CMS Software)(1993).iso
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GUNDB.HLP
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1993-03-26
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The gun database will allow the user to enter
relevant data about any gun, then the data
can be retrieved at any time. Records can be
inserted, deleted, and edited. Once the record
has been selected, the user can show a picture
tied to the gun data, find another record,
browse the database or quit the database.
The database files are located in the GUN \ DB
directory. The data record has the following
format:
Manufacturer:
Address:
Type:
Caliber:
Model:
Model2:
Picture:
100 %: (value)
98 %:
95 %:
90 %:
80 %:
70 %:
60 %:
50 %:
Notes: (3 lines)
As you may have surmised, the database will be
PARTIALLY filled with existing pictures but any
number of pictures and or gun records can be
added. When you want to add or delete pictures
to view, simply edit the "Pic" field. This is
the user's database. It will be as good as the
user makes it by enhancing the data. Arren-San
Software will continue to upgrade all included
databases and make regular updates available.
The gun database currently has about 7000
entries. The actual upper limit for any Gun Data
Manager database is about one billion records.
While in the existing database, you can request
to access another database, while closing the
current db. The commands can be invoked by moving
the arrow keys to the desired selection and
pressing <Enter>. To exit the database, simply
choose Quit, or enter q <Enter> and y for yes at
the prompt.
The database one person keeps can be read and
used by anyone using this db. Utilities also
transform files into and out of *.dbf format
(dBase files) ( See tools below). Finally, just
about any format picture file can be input and
viewed by the included computer graphics viewer.
The actual database functions are as follows:
Use database - the program starts up in GUN1
Use index - default is manuf., type, model
Create database - for new databases
Create index - sort records in a different ways
Head - first database record
Tail - last database record
Browse - search database forward - summary
Next - next record
Curr - current record
Prev - previous record
Find - search by sort criteria
Add - add a new record
Edit - change an existing record
Delete - delete an existing record
Show - displays the image in the PIC field.
Print - Print Inventory, Purchases or Sales.
Show field names
Show index names
Show index definition
Quit
The SHOW function has a limitation that must be
adhered to. For viewing images from within the
database, GDS will only allow approximately 10
images per session. After 10 showings of any
combination of images, the viewer stops working.
Simply exit the database, re-enter the database,
FIND where you were previously and continue. The
database SHOW function is for limited quick
reference, not viewing the entire picture base.
The suggestion is to use PICTURES (and LIB???
pictures) to take in the beauty of the pictures.
This is a viewer limitation and beyond the
control of Arren-San Software.
DATABASE TOOLS
See Texts for additional database tools tips
This set of procedures is applicable to any Gun
Data Manager database.
Any database needs basic maintenence procedures,
and Gun Data Manager is no exception. Five
different tools are included, but only pressdb
can be invoked from within the application. These
procedures will be so little used that direct
access is a waste of program memory. To use these
tools, simply go to the database directory,
GUN \ DB and enter the tool desired.
These procedures, in order of relative
importance, and the necessary parameters are as
follows:
DATABASE COMPRESSION
PRESSDB.EXE
This tool will compress and rewrite ( clean up )
the database. This is usually only necessary when
heavy alterations have been made to a database.
One instance where this is not true is when the
database can only be accessed up to a certain
point, but more data definitely exists. At that
point, possibly a record has been corrupted or an
index pointer is set incorrectly. A good rule of
thumb is to run pressdb.exe after the addition or
deletion of about 200 records, when a database is
obviously not functioning properly, or when the
database is performing noticeably slower than it
has previously.
This can be accomplished from within the
application by selecting "Compress" from the
Database menu. All four included databases will
be rewritten with the proper index for each.
Pressdb can be run stand-alone for an individual
database, or for a database added by the user.
To run pressdb.exe first go to the GUN \ DB
subdirectory. Simply type "pressdb db", where db
is the database desired. For example, "pressdb
invent" will rewrite the inventory database. If
the user simply types "pressdb", the program will
prompt for the database desired.
As with any utility, ALWAYS MAKE A BACKUP OF
THE FILE BEING MANIPULATED BEFORE MANIPULATING.
For sensitive databases, make floppy backups, as
the data manager can always be restored; the
user's data, in the event of some disk malady,
cannot.
DATABASE EXTRACT
DUMPDATA.EXE
Dumpdata will extract all data from the database
and display to the screen or redirect to a disk
file. This is a raw dump where all that comes out
is each database record, with fields listed in
database order, delimited by a "|". A dump of the
gun database would look like this:
Stk # | Manuf | Model | Year | Serial # | etc.
The dump will use any database and index desired.
The syntax is as follows:
Dumpdata database index [>outfile].
For example, if the user simply types "dumpdata"
the program will prompt for the database desired,
then the index desired ( the default is the
physical index, or how the data was entered ).
For example, "dumpdata gun1 manumod >gundb" would
dump the Gun database using the manumod index and
create a file named gundb.
DATABASE IMPORT AND EXPORT
DBTODBF.EXE
DBFTODB.EXE
If the user currently uses dBase, or something
compatible, these utilities will convert data
from dBase to Gun Data Manager (dbftodb) or vice
versa (dbtodbf). The syntax is "dbftodb" or
"dbtodbf". Both have extensive prompts due to the
information required ( file from, file to, how to
handle data, etc ). These functions are included
but not supported by Arren-San, and added as an
accomodation only.