AMOS PD CD/amospdcd.iso/351-375/apd358/bookbase.doc

Text File | 1991-10-06 | 5KB | 105 lines

       Documentation for BOOKBASE.AMOS - Written by Kevin E.A. Hall
       ============================================================

This was written because I have a horror book collection numbering well into
the three hundreds and wanted a program that I could put the details into!
Some people have asked me why I write these specific Database type programs
in AMOS. (As well as this one I have an address book program too) And not a
user definable Database program. Well in fact that is exactly what Irrelevant
Software is currently doing (And have been for a while now) I just took
pieces of code from our main development program and made them into one off
Databases that I needed. I later decided to put them out into PD as a warning
of how not to write software in AMOS to any potential programmers!

I also wanted to distribute something that could be easily changed by the AMOS
beginner to suit a particular requirement of theirs. For the most part all you
need to do is a search in AMOS for the button titles and replace them with
your own.
For instance in this BookBase program you might want to replace Author with
Group, Title of Book for Album, change publisher to record company, keep price
in, and you have your own record collection Database.

This program is PD, all I ask is the usual waffle of 'Leave my name in as
original author if you change the program' and also leave the documentation
complete if you should upload this program into a BBS.

How to use it
=============

I've implemented mouse use as much as possible. The only essential keyboard
input needed is for the actual data entry and the need to press a key after
using the mouse to select a record to jump to. This program also has my
extended keyboard option (EKO) in it.

I have written the data entry so that moving the mouse off a button will
automatically end your input (But will retain input so far - not clear it)
There is no need to hit return, but you can if you want.
When you've finished filling up a field you can move the mouse pointer onto
the next field to finish input and press the left mouse button to select that
new field. The current selected field will also automatically cut input if
you have filled it with the maximum allowed number of characters.
EKO is brought in by selecting a field with the mouse, and then using purely
the keyboard to enter records. You hit either the RETURN key or fill the field
with data and the program will automatically select the next field and 'move'
the cursor into it ready for data input.
The option to move the mouse off the field and enter data into other fields
first is always available for data entry. (As is EKO)

After you have filled all the fields you want to on a record, you must click
on the ADD button at the bottom of the screen, unless you are using EKO
whereas ADD will be selected for you when you finish with the last field.
The first field of the next record will now become active.

Using the mouse on the ADD button also applies if you are altering a record,
only more so. A very quick and dirty way I found to stop a bug that kept
happening when altering records was to turn off both the menus and EKO until
ADD had been selected. Therefore if you select ALTER from the menu, you have
to click the mouse on each field you wish to change. (Sorry, but i've always
been a hacker and no doubt always will!)

If you totally fill up the database (Set to 300) a window will open telling
you so and then the save data file requester will come up.
After the file has saved, the program will give you the choice to reset,
to continue with a new book, or to leave it, enabling you to look through
your book. Data can be typed into record 301's fields but it cannot be added
to the database. After each field in record 301 is filled it will revert
back to record 300.
If you need to change entries in a full database, it can be loaded as normal
and you will have access to everything except the option to ADD to it.
(Unless you are either using ALTER then add will work for those records only
 or if you first delete records - You can then add back upto 300 again)

The records menu allows full control over selecting or changing records.
You can also, by using the left and right arrow keys, quickly advance
or go back a record. By keeping the key pressed you can rapidly skip
though a database.
(And I really like my LIST option - Use it and then agree with me!)

The search option will tell you the record number of any matched strings and
after pressing the left mouse button will go to the first record matched.
All future left mouse button presses will advance to the next record found
until all records have been shown, or if you select a menu option to do
something else it will cancel the search display option.

Do not include commas in your data. The program will get very confused by
commas in a file it tries to load.

I can be contacted at this address:

127 Buckingham Road
Norwich, Norfolk
NR4 7DF

Or by Email on CIX :  kevinhall

Kevin Eric Anthony Hall (Laugh and die!)
Irrelevant Software
(We're not just irrelevant - We're useless too.)
23rd September 1991

Irrelevant Software - Writers of all things irrelevant on :
DEC VAX, IBM PC, C= Amiga, Sinclair Spectrum, Amstrad CPC.

Yes Ken, I know the Oric was a nice computer, now please shut up....