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OS/2 Help File
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1995-06-25
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99KB
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534 lines
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Title page ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Filer
Copyright 1995
by Thomas Baier
Introduction
Limitations of the Shareware version
Registration
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Limitations of the Shareware version ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
As this program is distributed as Shareware, you should be informed of some
limitations of the Shareware version.
Only two data files can be opened at once.
You cannot create more than four columns (fields).
The database can only hold ten lines (records).
When printing a data file, the term unregistered version will be printed
on every page.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Obtaining the registered version ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To register, just print the registration form found in register.txt. Fill in
the form, and send it to the address stated on the form. To send the
registration fee, either send the money or an Eurocheque with your registration
form.
If possible, the registered version of Filer will be sent to you via Internet
E-Mail. If you are not able to receive Internet E-Mail, just send a disk, a
self-addressed envelope and return postage. If you are outside Austria, send an
international postage reply coupon. The registered version will then be sent to
you via snail mail.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This program, Filer is a simple database program for small amounts of data,
like phone numbers, addresses, etc.
You can easily create data files from scratch, without designing complex
databases, add records and fields at runtime, sort and print the data in
tabular form.
The data is displayed in a tabular form. Editing is just as simple as changing
the of any workplace shell object, using direct manipulation
You can use Filer to store structured data
Structured data consists of records, which are displayed each in it's own line
in the program. Each record consists of a number of fields, represented as
columns.
The structure of the fields is common for all records in a data file.
Filer can be used to store various amounts of data in a single data file. The
number of columns (fields) and lines (records) is only limited by the amount of
virtual memory available.
Starting with an empty data window, you can add records and/or columns at
runtime, not forced to define the exact structure of the records to be stored
before creating your data file.
The data is displayed in a container object -- also used by the Workplace Shell
to display the details view for folder objects -- so you should be familiar
with the way, the data is shown or how to edit the records.
Filer is capable of loading and displaying many data files at a time, exporting
the data as ASCII text, importing or exporting DBase III database files,
sorting, printing, etc.
The menu bar (the area near the top of the window, below the title bar and
above the rest of the window) contains two menus:
File
Help
These two menus contain all items concerning whole data files. To add or
delete records or columns, choose the appropriate menu items from the context
menu. This menu is normally hidden. It can be displayed by clicking the second
mouse button when the mouse pointer is in the area of the data area of the
program window.
File
From this menu, you can choose operations concerning data files
File menu
New File
Open...
Import and Export
Import DBase III File
Export ASCII File
Export DBase III File
Save File
Save as...
Save
Printing Files
Printer Setup
Print
Close File
Help
This menu contains items to provide an online help facility.
Help menu
Help for Help...
Extended Help...
Helpindex...
Product information...
The contextmenu
This menu contains the items you need to create or edit fields and
records.
The contextmenu
Add record
Delete record
Sort records
View
All records
Deselected records
Selected records
All columns
Fields
Add
Edit
Select
Select all
Deselect
Close File
Fonts and sizes
To change the font and size used to display the data and for printer
output, just see
Changing the font
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. The 'File' menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
In the menu File you can find items to create a new data file, load an old one
and save it either with the old name or a new one, import or export a file in a
different format and to print a file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. New File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
After selecting New, a new and empty data file is opened. The title of the file
is displayed in the title bar of the main window.
Directly below the menu bar, you can see the data area of the new data file. As
an empty file was created, no columns and records are displayed.
If you want to create records or fields select a menu item from the
contextmenu.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Open File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
After choosing this option a dialog is displayed.
The wildcard mask used by default is *.fil. This extension should be used when
saving data files.
As this is a standard file dialog, no further explanation is necessary. You
should already be familiar with this type of action.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. Importing and Exporting data from/into different formats ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To provide some data exchange with other programs, two different export
functions and one import function for data files were implemented.
This submenu contains the items
Import DBase III File
Export ASCII File
Export DBase III File
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.4. Import DBase III File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The program is able to import DBase III database files. Once you have imported
the file you can handle the data displayed there just like data in an ordinary
data file.
DBase III fields of type Memo field are not supported at the moment.
After editing, you are able to export the data file in DBASE III format, so the
modified data file can be read by any program capable of handling this file
type.
By default, the import dialog shows all files matching the extension *.dbf.
This extension is usually used by DBase files.
The dialog displayed is a standard open dialog
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.5. Export ASCII File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Using this option you can save your files as plain ASCII data files.
When exporting, the program tries to resemble the table structure of the
database as displayed on screen. The fields are padded with blanks.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.6. Export DBase III File ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This option allows you to export a Filer data file in DBase III file format.
The field type of each data field is set to character.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.7. Save file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If you want to save your file you can choose between two options in the menu
File.
Save as...
Save
Save stores the file under the current name of the data file, which is
updated, whenever the data file is read from disk or saved.
Save as... lets you choose a new name for the file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.7.1. Save the file using the current filename ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
By choosing Save the input data is saved using the name it was saved before or
the name it was opened with.
If the data file has no current name, i.e. it was newly created and never has
been saved before, Save as... is started automatically.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.7.2. Save to a new file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting Save as... displays a dialog window, letting you choose the drive,
directory and name of the file to be saved.
It is recommended to use the extension .fil for your data files.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.8. Printing a file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The items Printer Setup and Print enable you to print your data files.
Filer tries to resemble the table structure of the data when printing. The font
selection used for the data file is also used when printing is done.
Printer Setup lets you choose the printer to use and also to change the options
of the selected printer, Print immediately starts printing the file and always
prints the whole data file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.9. Printing a data file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
By clicking on this item the current file is printed immediately.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.10. Printer Setup ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This menu item is used to change the printer setup for a single printer and to
select the default printer used when printing a data file.
Pressing OK causes the selected printer in the listbox to become the default
printer for this application.
Job Properties displays a standard OS/2 Job Properties dialog for the selected
printer object, letting you change some settings, like resolution
Cancel closes the dialog without selecting a new default printer.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.11. Close a file ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If you have modified your data file and you choose the menu item Close you are
asked if you want to save the file before the data is discarded. If you agree
the file is automatically saved using the current filename. If no current
filename is set, the Save Data File dialog is displayed (see Save as...).
After closing the last data file the program quits automatically.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Contextmenu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The contextmenu is shown after clicking the second mouse button in the data are
of the Filer window.
The following menu items are available:
Add record
Delete records
Sort records
View
All records
Deselected records
Selected records
All columns
Fields
Add
Edit
Select
Select all
Deselect all
Close File
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Add record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
When choosing this menu item, an empty record is appended to the data file.
Initially, all fields of this record are empty. To edit one of the fields
position the pointer over the field to be edited, hold the Alt key and press
mouse button two. This causes an entry field to be displayed to enable editing.
Editing the title data of a field is accomplished similiarly.
Clicking mouse button one somewhere in the data area of the window causes the
entry field to be removed. The data is now stored in memory.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Delete a selected record ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Using this menu item, you can delete all selected records.
The selected records are deleted immediately and cannot be recovered, so be
careful, when choosing this menu item.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.3. Sort records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To sort the records, the following dialog window is displayed. Just select the
primary sort key, the records in your data file should be sorted with.
Only one field is allowed to be selected, the primary sort key. After choosing
a field and pressing the button Sort the records are sorted in ascending order.
Cancel quits the action without any changes..
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4. Showing and hiding some records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Using these menu items, you can choose the records to be displayed on screen.
Those records not shown are not deleted from the data files, they are marked as
hidden records and/or columns. You can redisplay all records by selecting
"View/all records".
All records
Deselected records
Selected records
All columns
If there are many records in the data file the program will need some time to
perform these actions.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4.1. Show all records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If there are some hidden records, choosing this menu item displays them again,
positioning them where they were before they were hidden.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4.2. Show all records currently not selected ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This item hides all selected records. Only those records currently not selected
are displayed.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4.3. Show selected records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting this item causes all selected records to be displayed. All records
currently not selected are hidden.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.4.4. Show all columns ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This menu item redisplays all columns, including those currently hidden. To
hide a column select Edit in the menu Fields (see Fields).
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5. Adding new fields and editing field data. ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The two items in this submenu are used either to create a new field by
selecting Add or to edit title and field data of already existing fields by
selecting Edit.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5.1. Add a new field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting this menu item causes a new field to be appended to the field list. A
new column is displayed. Editing the title data is accomplished the same way as
editing field data (see Create a record).
The new field is named new Field The field data of the new column just added is
empty for all records already existing in the data file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.5.2. Edit a field ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
After choosing this menu item, the dialog Column editor is displayed. There you
can change the attributes of the columns.
In the field Column you can choose the column by name, for which data should be
changed.
On the bottom, four buttons are displayed:
Help causes this help panel to be displayed.
Close close the dialog without any changes.
Delete deletes the selected column immediately.
Change changes the attributes of the chosen column.
In the middle of the dialog-window you can see radio buttons to change the
appearance of the column title (right) and the data (left).
Each of the boxes displayed there is divided into a section titled horizontal
and vertical To change the position of the title or data, just select the
appropriate radio buttons.
Below these radio buttons, a checkbox is displayed to enable a read-only
attribute for the data or title. If this item is checked, no editing of
data/title text is allowed.
The checkbox visible controls the visibility state of the selected column. If
checked, the column is visible (displayed), if not, the column is hidden.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6. Select records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selection of records can be accomplished either by standard PM mechanisms, like
just clicking the first button on a record to select one record, or clicking
the first button and dragging to select a range of records.
This menu provides two items to select all records or to remove the selection
from all records
See:
Select all
Deselect all
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6.1. Select all ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
All records in the current file are selected (even hidden records). Be careful
when using Delete record because this causes all selected records to be deleted
- even those currently hidden.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.6.2. Deselect selected records ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Remove selection from all records currently selected.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Changing the font and size ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
To change the font and size currently used for displaying the records, just
start the OS/2 font palette. By dragging a font while depressing the second
mouse button and dropping it on the data area of a data window, this font is
chosen for display and also for printing later on.
The font palette object can be found in the System setup folder.
The above picture shows the icon of the font palette, the picture below an
example of a font palette, as existing on standard OS/2 systems.
Clicking the second mouse button on one of the font entries shown there and
dragging and dropping this entry to the data window, causes the chosen font to
be used for display and printing.
The selected font and size is saved with the data file.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. The 'Help' menu ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
This menu provides access to the online help facility of OS/2 in general and
this program.
The available menu items are:
Help for Help...
Extended Help...
Helpindex...
Product information...
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Help for Help... ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Selecting this menu item causes general help on using the help facility to be
displayed.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2. Extended Help... ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Choosing this menu item displays the title page of the online help facility of
Filer
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3. Helpindex... ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
If you are searching for information concerning a single action, use the help
index to find the corresponding help panel of your interest.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.4. Product information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The product information panel, as shown below, can give you information on the
version of Filer you are using.
If the string unregistered version is shown, feel free to send some money ;-)