Magnum One/Magnum One (Mid-American Digital) (Disc Manufacturing).iso/d26/features.arc/FEATURES.DP

Text File | 1990-07-27 | 13KB | 346 lines

This is a compilation of some helpful information about a few of the features in
DataPerfect.  Listed are page numbers from the DataPerfect manual and 3rd party
books where you can find additional information about these topics.


AUTO HELP

Page numbers in reference manual:

Pages 243, and 356 to turn auto help on
Pages 118, and 243 creating custom help screens

Lesson numbers and pages in workbook:

Pages 143, and 144

Third party books:

Perfecting Dataperfect 89, 110

Key strokes to invoke auto help:

Ctrl - F3 to invoke auto - help
Shift - F3 for custom help messages

Examples of how feature works:

The help screens are displayed in the upper portion of your screen.
After creating a help screen, you'll probably want to turn auto-
help on so that the help message will appear automatically.  Help
screens are specific to each field.  You can block and copy help
messages from field to field.


SHELL MACROS

Page numbers in reference manual:

Shell, pages 379 - 384

Lesson numbers and pages in workbook:

Lesson 12, pages 303 - 310

Third party books:

Perfecting Dataperfect 121 - 123

Error messages and solutions when using clipboard and shell macros:

Shell not running.  Shell must be resident before using any of the
clipboard and macro functions.

Key strokes to invoke shell macro and how feature works:

Alt - Shift F10, begins shell macro.
Ctrl - Alt F10, ends shell macro.
Alt - Ctrl F10 defines shell macro and can be used in Dataperfect.
Alt - Shift F10 runs shell macro (macros are not 100% compatible
with Dataperfect.  May hang when macro is being executed.)  Shell
must be resident.

Key strokes to invoke shell clipboard feature and how feature
works:

Alt - F1, get record.
Alt - F10, put record.
Shift - F1, get field.
Shift - F10, put field.
Ctrl - F10, put panel.
Alt - F10 in a panel puts the record on the screen to clipboard.
Alt - F1 in a panel retrieves the information from clipboard.

Knowing how to run Dataperfect through shell and having a basic
knowledge of how to create a macro is required.  Macros aren't 100%
compatible with Dataperfect and can lock up when running certain
types of macros.  (ie...reports, generating an index...)  DP21 and
office 3.0 are supposed to be the most compatible combination.
Shell must be resident.

USING CLIPBOARD/SHELL AND SHELL MACROS WITH DATAPERFECT 2.0 - 2.1


┌────Shell Options─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                                              │
│        1 - Go to Shell                 4 - Clear/Append With Each Put        │
│        2 - Clear Clipboard             5 - Use Clipboard for Report/Import   │
│        3 - Text/WordPerfect Merge      6 - Retrieve from Clipboard           │
│                                        0 - Exit                              │
│                                                                              │
└────Selection:  0─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  WP Merge          Append to Clipboard


The Shell Options Menu vary depending on the menu in DataPerfect
you are currently in.  Option 6 - Retrieve from Clipboard is
available when you are in the following menus:

        *      Edit Report Form
        *      Edit Help Screen
        *      Define Panel Mode
        *      Edit Text Field

DataPerfect 2.0 4/4/88 and earlier used to display the contents in
the clipboard when pressing ctrl - F1.  DataPerfect 2.0 2/8/89 and
later do not have this display.  To see what is in the clipboard in
a more current release press:  ctrl F1, 1 (go to shell), 2
(clipboard).

To retrieve data from the
clipboard:

Alt - F1               Get Record
Retrieves data from clipboard
into a record.

Shft- F1               Get Field
Retrieves data from clipboard
into a field.

* Data in the clipboard must be
in a WordPerfect merge format.

TO SEND DATA TO THE CLIPBOARD:


Alt - F10 Put record Puts data from the record into the clipboard.
Shft- F10 Put Field Puts data from a field into the clipboard.
Ctl - F10 Put Panel Puts the entire panel to the clipboard.

* Data from Put Panel option cannot be retrieved back into DataPefect.
  Using Shell Macros within DataPerfect:

  Shell macros can be used within DataPerfect if shell is resident
  while using DataPerfect.

Ctrl-Shft-F10  Define Shell Macro
Shft-Alt-F10   Run Shell Macro

Self executing macros can be defined by using Shft-Alt-n when
naming the macro.

DataPerfect 2.0 and Library 2.0 aren't completely compatible.
Certain functions will stop a macro such as:

        *      Reports
        *      Indexing
        *      Put Record/Field/Panel
        *      Get Record/Field/Panel

DataPerfect 2.1 and Office 3.0 work together better without
stopping the previous functions.
INDEX EXCEPTION LIST


Page numbers in the reference manual:

Page 177

Third party books:

Perfecting Dataperfect 48

Key strokes to invoke index exception list:

Ctrl - F8, option #3, use up and down arrows to move through the
indexes and use F4 to select the index to make the list for.
Select fields to be included in the exception list.  Use F7 to exit
out of index screen.  Do not use an exception list on index #1!

EXAMPLE OF HOW FEATURE WORKS:


An index exception list is a list of fields that is checked by DataPerfect each
time a record is created or edited.  If any of the specified fields are empty, or
contain only zeros when the record is saved, DataPerfect will not store the record
in the index which contains the exception list.  This action not only prevents
these records from being seen as duplicates, it also causes them to be skipped
when doing lookups or reports that are sorted by this index.

One reason for using an exception list would be in making a report for labels.
You don't want to create a label for the people who have their address field left
blank in your database.  By selecting an index which contains the address field
as an exception, you will cause all records with blank addresses to be skipped.

Another example could be shown in doing an end of month billing.  You are sending
out monthly statements to all customers that have a balance greater than zero.
You don't want to send them a bill if they don't owe anything, so you create an
exception list which contains the amount due field.  By selecting this index to
sort your report, you will cause all records with a zero balance to be skipped.




┌────Define Index Exception Field List─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│        Move the cursor to the next field you want added to the field         │
│        list, then press Select (F4).                                         │
├────Or press──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│        1 - Delete List                                                       │
│        2 - Delete Last Entry in List                                         │
│        0 - Exit                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘



                  ┌─CAR.DAT─6─────────────────────────────┐
                  │Customer ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
                  │Phone    ░░░░░░░░                      │
                  │City     ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░               │
                  │Contact  ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░               │
                  │Date     ░░░░░░░░  Time ░░░░░          │
                  ├───────────────────────────────────────┤
                  │Amount Due:  1░░░░░░░░  Miles: ░░░░░░  │
                  ├───────────────────────────────────────┤
                  │Notes :  ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
                  │         ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
                  │         ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│
                  └───────────────────────────────────────┘


1.   Press Ctrl-F8 (Define Index) on the panel which contains the index that you
     want to make the exception list for.

2.   Choose option #3 (Create/Edit Exception List)

3.   Press F4 to select the index that you want to work with.

4.   Now use the F4 key to select the fields that you would like to include in
     the exception list.

5.   Press the F7 to exit when finished defining the list.


Note:          It is not a good idea to use index number 1 for your exception
               list.  This index is used by default for lookups and reports,
               unless otherwise specified.  This can result in confusion by
               people who don't realize why certain records won't show up in
               their database.
RUNNING DATAPERFECT ON A NETWORK

Page numbers in the reference manual:

Pages 27, 450

Third party books:

Perfecting Dataperfect 100 - 101.

Error messages and solutions associated with subject:


DP ERROR 113, 122, 200 (no memo number - under networks section)

What other features do you need to be familiar with?:

Basic understanding of Network systems.  Knowledge of how to flag,
and attrib files is necessary.

Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips:

A couple of areas of concern when running DataPerfect on a network.

Incompatibility
There are small incompatibilities between each of the releases of
DataPerfect.  In essence, when you use different releases on the
same database, you are confusing the database.  You may tell it to
do something, and it tries to, but the database doesn't understand.
Most of the time it will do what you request, but it may still
corrupt the database structure.  User who have a release date of
DataPerfect on a local drive which is different from the date on
the network should not use the local version to access a network
database.  The incompatibility between the dates can cause serious
problems for the user.


PRINTER MAPPPING


Page number in reference manual:

Pages 361

Third party books:

Perfecting Dataperfect 112

Key strokes to invoke printer mapping:

Ctrl - F3, 6

Examples of how feature works:

Printer mapping allows you to send characters to the printer that
are normally not mapped (ie. letters with accents or other special
characters).

What other features do you need to be familiar with?

You need to be familiar with how to set the printer.  The printer
needs to use the correct ASCII format.

Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips:

One common problem when printing is the mapped character does not
print, or a blank space is left where the character should have
printed.  When this occurs the printer is set incorrectly.  To
determine if your printer is set correctly, or incorrectly use the
print screen test.  In place of where lines should print you get
ASCII characters your printer is set incorrectly.
SEARCHING IN SUBREPORTS



Page numbers in the reference manual:

Subreports - page 298,  Report variables - 287.

Key strokes to invoke feature:

The subreport will need to be created first, in the main reports
report body, Ctrl - F7, 1, 6 use the F4 key on the appropriate
link.  Once the subreport is created move to the report body of the
subreport and create report variable number 1, Ctrl - F7, 1, 4, 1
(or appropriate variable number).  Create search condition using an
If then else 0 endif statement.  This first subreport must be left
empty except for the Report Variable.  Move the cursor outside of
the subreport and create a skip report variable if false statement,
Ctrl - F7, 9, enter in the RV#.  At this point you are free to
select field from the main panel.

EXAMPLE OF HOW FEATURE WORKS:

The example described above is used when you need to set search
criteria on a field in the second panel.  The report comes from the
main panel.

What other features do you need to be familiar with?:

Subreports and report variables

Common problems, possible causes, and troubleshooting tips:

When a one to many relationship exists in a database, it is
necessary to use subreports to search in the subpanel.  If the link
is not defined correctly, searching in a subpanel cannot take
place.