CP/M/CPM_CDROM.iso/cpm/dbaseii/doz.ark/DOZ.DOC

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                           DOCUMENTATION FOR DOP.PRG
                            DBASE II  &  DBASE III

     BY: Gary C. Arey
         1030 Holland Dr.
         Garland, Texas  75040

          DOP.PRG is a front end program written to make DBASE II and
     DBASE III easy to use and effective for simple file management.  All
     options are effected from the main menu of DOP and upon completion of
     each option the user is taken back to the main menu.  Exit options are
     provided for exiting to the DBASE dot prompt or to DOS.

          The program is written in two slightly different versions one for
     DBASE II and the other for DBASE III.  The DBASE III version supports
     additional features in DBASE III such as sorting without leaving DBASE,
     obtaining a DIR of files on the default drive and some differences in
     the way the Report Forms are handled.

Section 1:  THE MAIN MENU

          The DOP.PRG menu for DBASE II is shown below:

                          DBASE II OPERATIONS MENU

              The Current .DBF File Now in Use is :  ________

         1> List
         2> Browse                           <S> Save Current Data File
         3> Edit Record                      <I> Initialize Data File
         4> Search Character Field           <E> Erase Data File
         5> Search Numeric Field             <C> Create .DBF
         6> Append (Add Records)             <N> Change Database
         7> Mark to Delete                   <D> Delete (Pack)
         8> Report to Screen                 <P> Report Print
         9> View Structure                   <F> View Files
         X> Exit to DBASE . Prompt           <Q> Quit to DOS


          The DOP.PRG menu for DBASE III is as follows:

                         DBASE III OPERATIONS MENU

              The Current .DBF File Now in Use is :  ________

         1> List                             <C> Create .DBF
         2> Browse                           <S> Sort File
         3> Edit Record                      <E> Erase File
         4> Search Character Field           <L> DIR Files on Drive
         5> Search Numeric Field             <R> Create/Modify Report
         6> Append (Add Records)             <N> Change Database
         7> Mark to Delete                   <D> Delete (Pack)
         8> Report to Screen                 <P> Report Print
         9> View Structure                   <F> View Files
         X> Exit to DBASE . Prompt           <Q> Quit to DOS
è     To select your option from the main menu simply enter the letter or
     number of your choice, do not enter a return, you will be taken to
     your selection by pressing the letter or number key on the main menu.

          DOP is started from inside DBASE, at the dot prompt type: DO DOP
     and you will be presented with a list of the database files on the
     default drive and asked to select one for current use.  After you make
     your selection, the main menu will appear.  When the DOP files are
     extracted from the DOP Library, they are named as follows:

              DOP.DOC - Documentation for DOP

              DOP2.PRG - The DOP Program for DBASE II

              DOP3.PRG - The DOP Program for DBASE III

          You may rename either DOP2 or DOP3 to DOP.PRG for use with the
     version of DBASE that you have.  Once that is done the program will
     start with the command:  DO DOP

Section 2:  DOP COMMAND FUNCTIONS

          LIST:  This option is the DBASE List option; select the beginning
     record number at the prompt and your records will list in order on the
     screen until the last record in the file is listed.

          BROWSE:  Allows you to Browse the records from the beginning record
     number which you select.  You may modify and edit the records as allowed
     in DBASE and all the same DBASE commands for the BROWSE function apply.

          EDIT:  Places you in Edit mode at the beginning record number you
     select and all DBASE Edit commands apply.

          APPEND:  Allows records to be added to the database in use.

          MARK TO DELETE:  Marks the selected record number for deletion.

          DELETE:  Deletes marked records from the database.

          VIEW STRUCTURE:  Places the field information and record information
     for the current database in use on the screen.

          VIEW FILES:  Allows the names of all files of a particular type to
     be viewed on the screen.  Just select the file type such as .PRG  .DBF
     .FRM  or any other listed file type and DOP will display all files of
     the selected type that are on the default drive to the screen.

          CREATE .DBF:  Places DBASE in the Create mode to allow a new
     database to be created and then used.

          CHANGE DATABASE:  With this function you may change from the current
     database to use another .DBF file and again all .DBF files on the default
     drive are listed so the choice may be made.

          ERASE FILE:  Allows files to be erased from the default drive.
è          EXIT TO DBASE . PROMPT:  Takes you out of DOP, closes all files
     in use and clears all memory variables and presents you with the DBASE
     dot prompt.

          QUIT TO DOS:  Takes you out of DOP, closes all files in use and
     clears all memory variables and ends the DBASE run by quitting DBASE.


SECTION 3:  SEARCHES

          Options 4 and 5 are the Search Options in DOP.  Option 4 conducts
     a search of a CHARACTER field.  The search is a Character String Search
     and will find any stated character string.  For example, suppose your
     database used the field heading NAME and one of the records contained
     the name  GARY AREY.  You would select option 4 and DOP would ask for
     the field name you wished to search on after it showed you the field
     names in the database.  You would enter NAME for the field name and
     DOP would ask for the search characters.  You could enter  GARY,
     GARY AREY, AREY, or even ARE and DOP would find the record or records
     that match the search string.  As you can see, this search method is
     very flexible.

          DOP also searches on more than one field at a time and will print
     the results of a search if you answer the appropriate questions to
     cause that to occur.


SECTION 4:  REPORT FUNCTIONS

          These functions vary slightly in the DBASE II and DBASE III versions
     of DOP.

          DBASE II:  Option 8  Report to Screen executes the standard Report
     function of DBASE II and allows for the creation of reports if none exist.
     Option P  Report Print will print the selected number of Report Form
     reports that have already been created by Option 8.

          DBASE III:  Option R allows the Creation or Modifying of DBASE
     Report Forms, Option 8 allows the Reports to be displayed on the screen
     and Option P provides for the printing of Reports that have been created.


Section 5:  DBASE II OPTIONS

          Option S  Save Current Data File - saves the database in use to a
     name that you choose to give it thus allowing copies of the database
     to be made with different names.

          Option I  Initialize Data File - executes the DBASE Modify Structure
     command so that a file may be Initialized or emptied of all records.
     WARNING!!  THIS COMMAND ERASES ALL RECORDS IN A FILE; the user is warned
     of this and given an opportunity to abort the command and return to the
     main menu.  Of course the structure of a file may be modified with this
     command also but the file is nevertheless purged of all records.

è          The above two options may be used in conjunction with each other to
     save a file of records to another name and then initialize the original
     file purging it of all records to allow for the entry of a different group
     of records into the same file.  This would provide a method of keeping
     data for different clients separate where the structure of the client
     files is the same.


Section 6:  DBASE III OPTIONS

          Option L  DIR Files on DRIVE - this option executes the DBASE III
     DIR Command to list files on a drive as specified.

          Option S  SORT File - executes the DBASE III SORT option and sorts
     the current database in use to a temporary, copies the temporary back
     onto the original file, and erases the temporary leaving only the original
     database but in the new sorted order.  The SORT option for DBASE II was
     not placed in DOP2 since the DBASE II program DSORT under DBASE VER. 2.41
     will not execute while DBASE is running.


SECTION 7:  MODIFICATIONS OF DOP

          I believe that DOP provides some good and useful examples of DBASE
     PROGRAM FILES and it is possible to modify DOP and add new features to
     either version.  DOP can also be used on CPM machines running DBASE II.

          I do request that anyone modifying DOP rename it with a name that
     shows it has been modified such as  DOPM____.PRG so that later versions
     may be distinguished from my originals, and further that my name and
     the heading not be removed from DOP under any circumstance.


Section 8:  RIGHT TO USE OF DOP - PUBLIC DOMAIN

         I have written DOP to aid users of DBASE II and III by providing
                      a useful example of DBASE programming.
         I HEREBY PLACE DOP2.PRG AND DOP3.PRG IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AS TEXT
            FILES WHICH MAY BE USED AND PASSED ON TO OTHERS AS NECESSARY.

        If you find DOP useful or helpful, any contributions you deem it
           proper to make will be accepted for expenses incurred in
                    production and distribution of DOP.

                           Gary C. Arey
                           1030 Holland Dr.
                           Garland, Tx.  75040

          September 2, 1984