home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- ─╘╩ ─ATABASE ═ODULE ├REATOR ╓1.0 ─OCUMENTION
- --- -------- ------ ------- ---- -----------
-
- ╘HIS PROGRAM WILL LET YOU DESIGN A DATABASE MODULE FOR USE WITH REVISIONS
- 910220 AND HIGHER OF THE ─╘╩-┬┬╙.
-
- ╘HE PROGRAM ASKS YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATABASE YOU WANT TO CREATE, THEN
- IT WRITES THE DATABASE MODULE TO THE DISK.
-
- ╘HESE DATABASE MODULES ARE EXECUTED WITH THE ┼[╪]EC COMMAND OF THE ┬┬╙.
-
- ╘HE DATABASE MODULE STORES THE DATA THAT USERS ENTER INTO A RELATIVE FILE.
- ╘HIS FILE IS CREATED WHEN THE FIRST USER ENTERS INFORMATION INTO THE
- DATABASE.
-
- ╘HE DATABASE MODULE DEFINES WHAT KIND OF DATA USERS CAN ENTER INTO THE
- DATABASE AND WHAT SORT OF OPERATIONS THE USER CAN PERFORM ON THE DATABASE
- (ADD, CHANGE, LIST, ETC).
-
- ├URRENTLY, THERE IS NO WAY TO EDIT AN EXISTING DATABASE DESIGN. ╔F YOU
- WANT TO CHANGE THE DATABASE FORMAT, YOU WILL NEED TO START OVER.
-
- ╘O CREATE A DATABASE, LOAD AND RUN THE PROGRAM "DATABASE":
-
- ╠╧┴─ "─┴╘┴┬┴╙┼",8 [RETURN]
-
- ╥╒╬ [RETURN]
-
- ╘HE PROGRAM WILL ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATABASE YOU WANT
- CREATE. ┼ACH QUESTION IS DESCRIBED BELOW.
-
- ╔NSTRUCTIONS ARE DISPLAYED IN WHITE. ┼ACH ENTRY YOU MAKE IS IN BLUE.
- ═OST ENTRIES REQUIRE THAT YOU PRESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ TO ENTER THEM.
-
- ╙OME ENTRIES ALLOW YOU TO INSERT ╥┼╘╒╥╬ CODES WITHIN WHAT YOU TYPE. ╘O
- DO THIS, PRESS ╙╚╔╞╘-╥┼╘╒╥╬.
-
- ┼ACH SCREEN IS GIVEN A PAGE NUMBER. ╘O GO BACK TO A PREVIOUS PAGE, PRESS
- ╥╒╬/╙╘╧╨.
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 1 - ─ATABASE ╞ILENAME
-
- ┼NTER THE FILENAME OF THE RELATIVE FILE THAT IS TO CONTAIN THE DATA THAT
- THE USERS TYPE IN. ╘HIS IS NOT THE NAME OF THE DATABASE MODULE; THE
- MODULE FILENAME WILL BE REQUESTED JUST BEFORE THE MODULE IS CREATED.
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 2 - ─ATABASE ─RIVE ╠ETTER
-
- ┼NTER THE DRIVE LETTER (A-Z) OF THE DRIVE THAT THE DATABASE DATA FILE
- WILL BE WRITTEN TO.
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 3 - ╘ITLE AND ═ENU ╔NSTRUCTIONS
-
- ┼NTER THE TEXT THAT YOU WANT DISPLAYED AT THE DATABASE'S MAIN MENU. ╘HIS
- SHOULD INCLUDE THE NAME OF THE DATABASE AND THE MENU OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO
- THE USER.
-
- ╞OR EXAMPLE, SUPPOSE YOU ARE WRITTING A ┬┬╙ LIST DATABASE. ╔F YOU WANT
- THE TITLE AND MENU TO LOOK LIKE THIS:
-
- ┬┬╙ ─ATABASE
-
- ┼NTER YOUR SELECTION:
-
- [╒]PDATE / [╠]IST / [┼]XIT
- :
-
- ╘HEN ENTER THE FOLLOWING DATA:
-
- ┬┬╙ ─ATABASE<├╥><├╥>┼NTER YOUR SELECTION:<├╥><├╥>[╒]PDATE / [╠]IST /
- [┼]XIT<├╥>:
-
- WHERE "<├╥>" MEANS ╙╚╔╞╘-╥┼╘╒╥╬.
-
- ┘OU MAY TYPE IN UP TO 255 CHARACTERS.
-
- ╘HE MENU OPTIONS YOU MAY INCLUDE IN YOUR MENU ARE:
-
- [╒]PDATE - ┴DDS & ├HANGES RECORDS
- [─]ELETE - ─ELETES RECORDS
- [╠]IST - ┴ NON-STOP LISTING OF RECORDS
- [╙]EARCH - ┴ LISTING OF RECORDS
- [┼]XIT - ┼XIT THE DATABASE MODULE
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 4 - ╧PTIONS ┴VAILABLE
-
- ╘HE MENU YOU JUST TYPED IN WAS WHAT IS DISPLAYED TO THE USER. ╘HE
- DATABASE CAN'T USE IT TO DETERMINE WHICH OPTIONS THE USER CAN SELECT
- FROM. ╔T IS ON THIS NEXT PAGE THAT YOU TELL THE PROGRAM WHICH MENU
- OPTIONS THE USER CAN ACTUALLY SELECT.
-
- ┘OU CAN ENABLE OR DISABLE THE [╒]PDATE, [─]ELETE, [╠]IST, OR [╙]EARCH
- COMMANDS. (╘HE [┼]XIT COMMAND IS ALWAYS ACTIVE.)
-
- ╨RESS ┘ FOR EACH COMMAND YOU WANT AVAILABLE, OR ╬ IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT
- COMMAND AVAILABLE.
-
- ┴FTER YOU'VE MADE YOUR CHOICE, THE PROGRAM WILL ASK YOU IF YOU WANT USERS
- TO BE ABLE TO MODIFY OR DELETE ANY RECORD THEY CHOOSE. ╔F YOU ANSWER ╬,
- THEN ONLY THE SYSOP OR THE ORIGINAL CREATOR OF A RECORD CAN MODIFY OR
- DELETE A RECORD. (╔F YOU ANSWERED ╬ TO THE [╒]PDATE AND/OR [─]ELETE
- OPTION BEFORE, THEN THIS WON'T APPLY.)
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 5 - ╒PDATE ╔NSTRUCTIONS
-
- ╘HIS IS THE TEXT THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE USER SELECTS THE
- [╒]PDATE COMMAND. ╨RESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ TO USE THE DEFAULT TEXT OR ENTER YOUR
- OWN.
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 6 - ─ELETE ╔NSTRUCTIONS
-
- ╘HIS IS THE TEXT THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE USER SELECTS THE
- [─]ELETE COMMAND. ╨RESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ TO USE THE DEFAULT TEXT OR ENTER YOUR
- OWN.
-
- ╫HEN THE USER SELECTS THIS COMMAND, THE DATABASE MODULE IS WAITING FOR
- THE USER TO TYPE IN A SEARCH STRING. ╘HE ┬┬╙ WILL THEN DISPLAY ALL
- RECORDS THAT THE USER IS ALLOWED TO DELETE AND THAT CONTAIN THE SEARCH
- STRING.
-
- ╘HE USER WILL THEN BE ABLE TO CHOOSE IF HE WANTS TO DELETE EACH RECORD AS
- IT IS DISPLAYED.
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 7 - ╠IST ╔NSTRUCTIONS
-
- ╘HIS IS THE TEXT THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE USER SELECTS THE [╠]IST
- COMMAND. ╨RESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ TO USE THE DEFAULT TEXT OR ENTER YOUR OWN.
-
- ╫HEN THE USER SELECTS THIS COMMAND, THE DATABASE MODULE IS WAITING FOR
- THE USER TO TYPE IN A SEARCH STRING. ╘HE ┬┬╙ WILL THEN DISPLAY ALL
- RECORDS THAT CONTAIN THAT SEARCH STRING IN ONE NON-STOP LIST. (╘HE USER
- MAY [┴]BORT OR [╨]AUSE THE LIST.)
-
-
- ╙CREEN ╨AGE 8 - ╙EARCH ╔NSTRUCTIONS
-
- ╘HIS IS THE TEXT THAT WILL BE DISPLAYED WHEN THE USER SELECTS THE
- [╙]EARCH COMMAND. ╨RESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ TO USE THE DEFAULT TEXT OR ENTER YOUR
- OWN.
-
- ╫HEN THE USER SELECTS THIS COMMAND, THE DATABASE MODULE IS WAITING FOR
- THE USER TO TYPE IN A SEARCH STRING. ╘HE ┬┬╙ WILL THEN DISPLAY ALL
- RECORDS THAT CONTAIN THAT SEARCH STRING ONE AT A TIME. (╘HE USER MAY
- SELECT THE [╬]EXT RECORD OR [┴]BORT THE SEARCH AFTER EACH RECORD IS
- DISPLAYED.)
-
-
- ╬EXT, THE PROGRAM WILL ASK YOU FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE DATABASE ITSELF.
- ╘HIS IS WHERE YOU TELL THE PROGRAM WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION GOES INTO EACH
- RECORD OF THE DATABASE.
-
- ╧N EACH SCREEN, THE PROGRAM WILL ASK FOR INFORMATION ABOUT EACH FIELD OF A
- RECORD. (┴ FIELD IS ONE ENTRY THAT THE USER CAN TYPE IN. ┼ACH RECORD CAN
- HAVE ONE OR MORE FIELDS.)
-
- ╘HE FIRST FIELD IS CALLED THE "KEY" FIELD. ┼ACH RECORD IN THE DATABASE
- HAS A UNIQUE KEY FIELD. ╬O TWO RECORDS IN THE DATABASE CAN HAVE THE SAME
- INFORMATION IN THE KEY FIELD.
-
- ╞OR EXAMPLE, IN A ┬┬╙ DATABASE MODULE, THE KEY FIELD WOULD BE THE PHONE
- NUMBER BECAUSE EACH PHONE NUMBER IS UNIQUE TO EACH ┬┬╙. (╧THER FIELDS MAY
- HAVE THE SAME DATA IN MORE THAN ONE RECORD. ╞OR EXAMPLE, MORE THAN ONE ┬┬╙
- CAN HAVE THE SAME BAUDRATE.)
-
- ╘HE FIRST QUESTION FOR EACH FIELD IS THE FIELD ╨╥╧═╨╘. ╘HIS IS WHAT IS
- DISPLAYED JUST BEFORE THE USER TYPES IN THE DATA FOR THE FIELD. ╔F YOU
- WANT THE USER TO TYPE IN THE PHONE NUMBER OF A ┬┬╙, YOU MIGHT USE:
-
- ┼NTER ╨HONE ╬UMBER
-
- ─O NOT TYPE A PLUS OR ASTRISK SIGN IN THE PROMPT. ╘HEY ARE RESERVED AND
- HAVE SPECIAL MEANING TO THE DATABASE MODULE.
-
- ╬EXT, YOU MUST TELL THE PROGRAM WHAT KIND OF DATA THE USER CAN TYPE IN.
- ╘HIS IS IN THE FORM OF A "FORMAT STRING". ╫HAT YOU TYPE HERE ARE SPECIAL
- CHARACTERS THAT WILL TELL THE MODULE WHAT SORT OF THINGS THE USER CAN
- TYPE. ╘HESE SPECIAL CHARACTERS ARE:
-
- $ - ┴NY CHARACTER
- N - ┴NY CHARACTER EXCEPT A SPACE
- A - ┴NY LETTER CHARACTER
- 0-9 - ┴NY NUMBER CHARACTER NOT EXCEEDING THIS DIGIT
- ? - ┴ "┘" OR "╬" ONLY.
-
- ┼ACH OF THESE CHARACTERS YOU TYPE IN REPRESENTS THE TYPE OF CHARACTER THE
- USER CAN TYPE IN AT THAT POSITION. ┴NY OTHER FORMAT CHARACTER OTHER THAN
- THESE WILL BE ENTERED AUTOMATICALLY JUST AS IF THE USER TYPED THEM IN.
-
- ╞OR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WANT THE USER TO TYPE IN THE PHONE NUMBER OF A ┬┬╙,
- YOU CAN USE:
-
- (999) 999-9999
-
- ╔N THIS CASE, THE PARENTHESIS, SPACE, AND DASH WILL BE DISPLAYED
- AUTOMATICALLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT A SPECIAL FORMATTING CHARACTER. ╘HE
- USER CAN ONLY TYPE DIGITS WHERE THE 9'S ARE. ╘HE USER CAN TYPE IN ANY
- DIGIT FROM 0 TO 9 BECAUSE ALL DIGITS ARE LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO THE 9'S IN
- THE FORMAT STRING.
-
- ╘HE NUMBER OF CHARACTERS YOU ENTER IN THE FORMAT STRING WILL BE THE
- MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTERS THE USER CAN TYPE IN.
-
- ╔F YOU WANT THE USER TO BE ABLE TO ENTER ANY DATA, BUT YOU DON'T WANT THE
- FIRST CHARACTER TO BE A SPACE, THEN TYPE:
-
- N$$$$$$$$$$$$
-
- ╬EXT, TELL THE PROGRAM IF YOU WANT THE FIELD TO BE A MANDATORY ENTRY
- FIELD. ╔F YOU ANSWER ┘, THEN USERS MUST ENTER SOMETHING IN THIS FIELD
- WHEN THEY COME TO IT. ╘HE FIRST FIELD IS AUTOMATICALLY MANDATORY.
-
- ╬EXT, TELL THE PROGRAM IF YOU WANT THIS FIELD TO BE A PRIVATE
- SYSOP-EYES-ONLY FIELD. ╔F YOU ANSWER ┘, THEN THE DATA FOR THIS FIELD WILL
- ONLY BE DISPLAYED WHEN A SYSOP LISTS THE RECORD.
-
- ╬EXT, GIVE THE FIELD A SHORT NAME. ╫HAT YOU ENTER HERE WILL BE DISPLAYED
- AT THE TOP OF LISTINGS. ╙INCE THE FIELD NAME MUST FIT OVER THE DATA, YOU
- ARE LIMITTED TO A FIELD NAME NO LONGER THAN THE FIELD FORMAT STRING.
-
- ┴FTER YOU ENTER THIS FIELD NAME, THE PROGRAM WILL GO TO ANOTHER PAGE SO
- YOU CAN ENTER INFORMATION FOR ANOTHER FIELD. ╔F YOU'VE ENTERED ALL THE
- INFORMATION YOU WANT, JUST PRESS ╥┼╘╒╥╬ BY ITSELF AT THE FIELD PROMPT
- ENTRY.
-
- ┴FTER ALL FIELDS HAVE BEEN DEFINED, YOU WILL BE ASKED FOR THE NAME OF THE
- DATABASE MODULE FILE. ╘HIS SHOULD CONSISTS OF A LOWERCASE ╙╔╟ LETTER, A
- PERCENT SIGN, AND THE NAME OF THE MODULE IN UPPERCASE. (┴T THIS POINT,
- YOU CANNOT USE ╥╒╬/╙╘╧╨ TO GO BACK TO A PREVIOUS PAGE!) ╘HE ┬┬╙ DATABASE
- EXAMPLE COULD BE CALLED:
-
- A%┬┬╙
-
- ╬EXT, TYPE IN THE DRIVE NUMBER (8-31) THAT THE MODULE FILE IS TO BE
- LOCATED ON. ╘HIS SHOULD BE THE DRIVE THAT CONTAINS THE ╙╔╟FILES.
-
- ╞INALLY, IF THE ╙╔╟FILES ARE LOCATED IN A PARTITION ON THAT DRIVE, ENTER
- THE COMMAND USED TO CHANGE TO THAT PARTITION SO THAT THE PROGRAM CAN
- CREATE THE DATABASE MODULE IN THE CORRECT PARTITION. ╧THERWISE PRESS
- ╥┼╘╒╥╬ BY ITSELF.
-
- ╧NCE THE DATABASE DATA FILE HAS BEEN CREATED, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE
- LENGTH OF ANY FIELD OR ADD FIELDS TO THE DATABASE, YOU MUST ERASE THE
- DATABASE DATA FILE AND START OVER. ╙O, PLAN YOUR DATABASE FIRST BEFORE
- YOU START!
- , MORE THAN ONE ┬┬╙
- CAN HAVE THE SAME BAUDRATE.)
-
- ╘HE FIRST QUESTION FOR EACÇ'ôW'ô┬Çì º ┴ ├ ┼ B D F ╕ ├ ┼ ç ë ú Ñ ⌠ ┼ É Éú Ñ ╥ ╘ ±
- * ╞ ╫ ┘ º ⌠ E Ü £ ▓ ┤ ╧ P R ┴ ╓ ╪ & 1 3 ü á ó ± ┴ å ê ╥ " K K╡ ╠ ╬ ∞
- ┘ ¬ ▀ ß / Ç ╤ ∞ ε 9ô èô ┌ô
-
-
- ╘
-
- `
- R
- T
- ─
- 6 8 é ╥ █ ▌ , X ╟ ∞ ε > î î▄ + { ╩ ² ╦ F H å ¿ ¬ ≤ 9 ; V ç ë ┘ ┘τ Θ 8 ╞ ╚ Ö ╝ ╛ ╩ ╠ Ü ╠ ╬ ô [ Q S ó óñ ┴ ┘ Ω ∞ 2 4 ä » ▒ ≡ ≥ 4 6 å ╫ ╥ ¥ ¥Θ ⌠