Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/geneolog/bk51f_5.zip/README.DOC

Text File | 1993-06-09 | 23KB | 398 lines

Corrections or additions to the BK5 documentation through 20-May-1993.
(See the end of this file for changes from 5.1 to 5.1f.)

The printed manual says you need the line FILES=20 in your CONFIG.SYS file.
Actually, two of the programs require that you have FILES=28 in the file.  The
INSTALL program will do this for you as BK5 is installed.

Brother's Keeper starts with a batch file called BK5.BAT.  If you need to
return to a menu system on your computer, you could add a line to the bottom
of the BK5.BAT file (if your menu system does not restart automatically).

On group sheet, where is says "Print Today's Date  Yes No Age", if you answer
A for age, then it will print each person's current age, or age at death.
When it asks for the person to print, type BLANK to print a blank group sheet.

To print mailing address labels for everyone that has them, first get the
alignment of the labels correct in your printer by going to the Modify screen
and displaying a mailing address and pressing CTRL-L to print some test
labels. Then go to the main menu and pick N for names and then 2 for everyone
or 3 and then 5 for everyone in alphabetical order or just the descendants of
one person.  Then print a custom report that has only a field of 95.  In other
words, the custom report would have 95 at the top and the rest would be zeros.
Then press F1 to print the report.  It will print mailing labels for all the
selected people (if they have an address entered).  The lines that print on
the label, and the size of the label are set on option screen #3.

In the Tree routine and the Box routine, you have the option to have the
descendant's names changed to uppercase and the spouse's names changed to
lowercase.  If you answer "N" to that question, all names will print exactly
the way you entered them.  If you answer "Y", the descendant names are forced
to uppercase and the spouse names will be changed to lowercase (unless the
first part of the spouse names are already in lowercase, in which case the
spouse names are not changed.)  There are three new options for this question.
These new options may be useful to you if you have entered people's names with
the last name uppercase.  For example, if you entered names like this:
Gerald R. FORD.  The new options are to enter "3" or "4" or "5" when asked if
you want uppercase/lowercase.  If you answer "3" then the descendant name will
be forced to uppercase and the spouse name will be left as is.  If you answer
"4" then the descendant name will be left as is, but the spouse name will be
forced to lowercase (even if the first part is already lowercase.)  If you
answer "5" then the descendant name will be forced to uppercase and the spouse
name will be forced to lowercase (even if the first part is already
lowercase).  So the "5" option is just like "Y" except "Y" will not force a
spouse name to lowercase if the first part (somewhere in the first 15
characters) contains a lower case letter.

The field below marriage date and other date says "Marriage ceremony Y/N."
You may leave that field blank if you wish.  However, if you put an "N" in
that field, then the couple will be treated as not married when printing the
reports.  For example, it will not print the words "husband" and "wife" on the
group sheets, and it will not put "m." on the tree charts.  The field for
"End year" is the year the marriage ended in divorce or separation.

In the Group sheet routine, where it says "Omit blank date/location lines" if
you answer "N" then it will print all fields including the new "Marriage
ceremony" and "Divorce" and "End" fields for the marriage information.  If you
do not want to print that new line if it is blank, then answer "3" for that
qestion.  If you do not want to print that new line whether it is blank or not
blank then answer "4" and it will never print.  Answer "5" if you only want to
print the ceremony and divorce fields if they are not blank.

When printing an index for the register report or the indented report, if you
have too many names to be sorted while in the program, you can stop the
program and use the line:

    SORTF  BKINDEX1.DTA  BKINDEX2.DTA  /C  /+1,30

and then restart the program, go to the BKREP5 routine, and pick "P" to print
the sorted index.  If you have over 15,000 names to sort, you can change the
number 30 in the SORTF line above to 25 or 20 and that will let you sort more
names.

The Word search routine has a new feature added to search marriage records.

The TREE report has been modified to allow sideways printing on wide carriage
printers, and to allow faster printing on 24 pin printers.

While on the bottom line of the Modify screen, you may press P to move to the
previous person, or N to move to the next person (next code number.)

There is a new program called BKCHART5 to display or print bar charts.  To
start BKCHART5, press * while at the main BK5 menu.

There is a new program called BKTIME5 to display or print a time line of
ancestors.  To start BKTIME5, press + while at the main BK5 menu.  In addition
to the names in your BK files, the BKTIME5 program can also add names or
events that you put in a file called BKEVENTS.TXT.  The format of the
BKEVENTS.TXT file is: beginning year, an ending year, and a name or event.
For example: 1770 1827 Beethoven.  Put the most recent events at the top of
the file and the oldest events at the bottom of the file.

Version 5.1 of Brother's Keeper has a new feature that lets you display
graphics.  Versions of BK5 prior to 5.0b do not display graphics. It will
display PCX files on a computer with a VGA monitor.  You may use your scanner
to scan pictures, documents, maps, etc.  Save the graphics file as a PCX file.
If your scanner does not save in the PCX format, read your graphics file with
a program such as PC Paintbrush and then convert it to a PCX file.  In fact,
even if your scanner does save files as PCX files, you will probably have to
read the file with a program such as PC Paintbrush and then save the file.
This will place the correct information in the file as to your screen size.

After you have created the PCX files, start Brother's Keeper and use the
modify routine to call up the person you want to attach the files to.  You
attach PCX files the same way you attach word processing files.  While on the
modify screen with the person showing, press F5 to go to the message line
area.  On any message line, type $$ and then the name of the PCX file.  For
example you could type $$MYFILE.PCX if the file is in the same directory as
the BK5 programs.  If the PCX file is in different directory, then type the
directory name also, such as $$C:\DESKSCAN\MYFILE.PCX.  After the file name
has been typed on a message line, then press F5 again to display the file.
You can have up to seven PCX files for each person.  (One file name on each
line.)  If you have more than one PCX file for the same person, use the arrow
keys to highlight the file desired and press F5 while on that line.  You must
have the extension of PCX on the file name. (If you don't have .PCX at the end
of the file name, the program will assume that it is a word processing text
file and will try to read it as a text file.)

In my testing so far, I have used an HP ScanJet IIc to scan in the photographs
and maps.  I have found that a black and white photograph looks almost the
same in 16 shades of gray as it does in 256 shades of gray.  The file is about
1/2 or 1/3 the size when saved as 16 shades of gray.  If the BK program is not
able to read the file you scanned, then use a paint program to read the file
and then save it again.  Note, however, that if your video card is capable of
256 colors, the paint program may convert the file to 256 colors or shades of
gray (and therefore make the file much larger.)  To avoid this, you can
temporarily set up Windows to VGA 16 color and then read and save the file.  I
normally have Windows set up for 640 by 480 with 256 colors.  There are some
programs, such as the shareware program Paint Shop, which will read your
scanned file and save it with the same 16 shades of gray even if Windows is
set up for more than 16 colors.

If you have a color scanner, you will want to scan a color photograph as 256
colors.  If you have lots of disk space and a super VGA card capable of 1024
by 768 by 256 colors, that will give the best results (but the file will be
huge.)  In order to save the file in that format, I had to change my Windows
setup to that type of graphics and then read and save the file with either PC
Paintbrush or Publisher's Paintbrush.

My scanner uses a scanning program called Deskscan.  When I select to scan a
black and white photograph, it uses the 256 shades of gray format.  But when I
select Custom from the menu, and then select image type, I can change it to 16
shades of gray in order to save disk space.  When using Deskscan it shows the
size of the picture in inches.  I changed the default (select custom, then
image size, then units) to show it in pixels (dots) so that I could adjust the
picture to the size I wanted (such as 640 by 480).  Normally it won't come out
exactly to 640 by 480, so I make sure neither dimension exceeds the screen
limits.

Brother's Keeper should be able to display PCX files if you have one of the
following types of VGA cards.  If you have a super VGA card, you will need at
least 512K RAM or up to 1 meg RAM for the highest resolutions.

    Normal VGA    640x480x16      width x height x colors
    Normal VGA    320x200x256
    Paradise      800x600x16
    Paradise      640x400x256
    Paradise      640x480x256
    Video 7       800x600x16
    Video 7       640x400x16
    Video 7       640x480x16
    Video 7       640x480x256
    ATI           800x600x16
    ATI           640x400x256
    ATI           640x480x256
    Tseng         800x600x16
    Tseng         640x350x256
    Tseng         640x480x256
    Tseng         800x600x256
    Tseng4        1024x768x256    (SpeedStar with 1 meg)


If you have a problem displaying a picture file:

    1. If you hear a beep when you press F5, the file can not be found.  Check
    the file name to be sure it is spelled correctly, and include the
    directory name also, such as $$C:\WINDOWS\MYFILE.PCX

    2. If the screen goes blank when you press F5, the file may be in an
    improper format.  Use a paint program such as PC Paintbrush, Publisher's
    Paintbrush, or Paint Shop and read the file and then save the file.

    3. If all else fails, call John Steed at [phone] evenings 8pm to
    10pm Eastern time and describe the problem.  Tell me what brand of VGA
    card you have (if you know.)

I have put a file called STEED16.EXE on my BBS which is a scanned photograph
of my grand-parents and family.  It is 640 x 480 in 16 shades of gray, and you
should be able to display it on any VGA monitor.  After you download
STEED16.EXE, type STEED16 and enter and it will create the file STEED16.PCX.
My BBS number is [phone] (any baud rate).

Currently, the program does not print pictures.  You can use PC Paintbrush or
another program to print the pictures.

The graphics routines are from Genus Microprogramming, Inc.  Portions
Copyright Genus Microprogramming, Inc. 1988-1991.


Option screen #3 has some new lines.  One line will let you change the meaning
of the ESC key.  Normally ESC will erase or restore a field.  However, you may
change it so that ESC is the same as F7 and will not erase a field.

You may also change the F1 key.  Normally F1 or F10 mean "done".  However you
may turn off the F1 key so that it does nothing.

You may set the REF: field to right justify.  If you do so, whenever you type
something in the REF: field and press enter, the letters you typed will shift
over to the right as far as possible.  This is useful because that field is
useable as an index field.  If you are assigning your own numbers to people
using that field, then they will print in the correct order if you right
justify the numbers.  You may print people in REF: order using the "N" routine
and then "9".  If you want to right justify all REF: entries that you have
made previously, you can run the Utility program and Quality check and it will
right justify the field for all people.  You do not need to right justify the
field if your numbering system is the Henry system.  If you are not using the
REF: field for a numbering system, then don't change anything.

 do justify for normal numbers         do not justify for Henry system
         7                                  1      person 1
         8                                  11     child 1 of person 1
         9                                  12     child 2 of person 1
        10                                  121    child 1 of child 2 of 1
        11                                  122    child 2 of child 2 of 1
        12                                  13     child 3 of person 1

If most wives keep their maiden names, you can set the option and the birthday
report will not give the wives the last names of their husbands.

You can set an option to turn off the mouse.

You can set codes for printer ready and printer not ready.  These codes are
currently used in the register report.  If your printer does not print in the
register report, then look at the code displayed in the register report and
put that code here for printer is ready.  Most printers should work without
changing these codes, but you can change them if necessary to make the
register report work better.  Each printer gives a code back to the program
when it is off-line, out of paper, or turned off.  The program will attempt to
wait for the printer when one of those codes is received.

The BKSPLIT5 routine was changed on September 22, 1992 so that you can choose
to DE-select people.  The normal mode is to select people.  However, you can
select a group and then press F9 and then de-select some of the people you
have selected.  For example, you could select everyone (using the range of
numbers routine) and then press F9 and then de-select all the descendants of
one person.  Then you could copy the remaining group to the output directory.
If you have the Sept-22 version, it will say "select" or "de-select" at the
top of the screen when the split menu is showing.

The BK5MAIN program dated September 27, 1992 or later has a new feature when
you are adding children on the Add screen.  When adding a child, you can press
ALT- and it will repeat the last name of the father.  This feature only works
if you do NOT have that ALT key assigned to anything.  So if ALT- has not been
defined, then you can use it to repeat the father's last name.  When typing
a child, type the first name and middle name then hold ALT and press - and it
will add the last name from the father.  If you have assigned something to ALT
- you can erase it by going to any blank field and pressing ALT-F10 then ALT -
(also if ALT- does not work, go to a blank field and erase ALT- ).



  Function keys summary for ADD and MODIFY screen for Brother's Keeper 5.1

  F1           done with this person (same as F10 unless change option screen)
  F4           show mailing address and phone
  F5           go to message lines.  F5 again for 120 line editor
  F6           go to source lines for a date or location
  F6           when on a name to enter alternate name
  F6           when child area is blank in ADD to go to MODIFY
  F6           on bottom of MODIFY screen to go to ADD if married person
  F7           on blank wife or blank marriage to abort the ADD
  F8           search for matching name or location
  F8           on bottom of MODIFY screen to see other parents
  F9           on bottom of MODIFY screen to see other spouse
  F9           when child area is blank in ADD to list children
  F10          done with this person, go to next person

  ESC          erase a field or restore a field unless changed on options #3
  CTRL F3      erase a field or restore a field
  CTRL A       in child occupation field to set ADOPTED, STEP
  Enter        go to next field
  TAB          go to next field (or use down arrow)
  Shift TAB    go to previous field (or use up arrow)
  CTRL L       print label while address is showing (see F4)
  ALT F2       show foreign character table
  PageDown     go to bottom of MODIFY screen
  Home         go to beginning of a field
  End          go to last letter in a field

  option screen 3 lets you change some keys:

  F1   can be changed to inactive (use F10)
  ESC  can be changed to act like F7 (use CTRL F3 to erase field)



 Version 5.1f contains these additional changes from version 5.1:

 On the group sheets, you may print mailing addresses for people.

 On option screen #3 you may set up a print string to be sent before each
 printed report, and before the ancestor charts.  For HP laser printers,
 set string 13 to be sent before each report, and set string 8 before the
 ancestor charts.  For Panasonic 24 pin printers, set string 20 before each
 report.  You may send any of the strings which appear on the print string
 menu (P from the main menu.)

 The last program disk of Brother's Keeper contains FONTS6.EXE and FONTS20.EXE.
 If you have an HP laser printer, FONTS6.EXE contains a font for the last
 page of the large ancestor box chart.  (The report that is printed if you
 pick 3 from the main menu and then pick B.)  FONTS20.EXE contains fonts for
 20 characters per inch which can be used for landscape descendant box charts.
 If you are in the \BK5 subdirectory and then type A:FONTS6 and then A:FONTS20
 with the last diskette in the A: drive, it will extract the files, including
 the batch files for sending the fonts to your laser printer.  If you want to
 use these fonts, you must download them to the printer using the batch files
 before starting BK5.

 Version 5.1f includes the calendar program.  Pick N from the main menu, then
 pick 6 and then choose birthdays or anniversaries or both.  Select the people
 you want (you may combine descendants of several people.)  Then sort the file
 and then pick 8 to print a calendar.

 When printing register reports, when it asks if you want to include the
 message lines for the spouse, you may answer Y for yes, N for no, or 3 if
 you want the spouse message lines to start on a new line.

 Version 5.1f allows two new date types that European users may want to use.
 Date type 10 is in the format 1993-05-20 and date type 11 is in the format
 1993.05.20.  If you select one of those options for date types on option
 screen 1, then you would enter the dates as 19930520 and enter.

 Version 5.1f inludes the program VSORT.  Read VSORT.DOC if you have a file
 that is too big for SORTF.

 If you pick N from the main menu, then pick 0 it will print a list of all
 people that are not connected to anyone else.



If you get any error messages when first starting BK5 such as:

    open STAT=2
    person getlast STAT=2

or if you get any STAT= error messages when in any part of the program,
it usually means that there is damage to one of your data files.  The
BK5 Utility routine will NOT fix these type of errors.  A STAT error is
an indication that the data file needs to be repaired and have the indexes
rebuilt.  The best way to do that is to use BTRHELP which is a shareware
program.  You may optain a copy of this program from CompuServe, from
the BK bulletin board, or from John Steed.  The file name on the BK BBS
is BTRHLP18.ZIP.  The file FIXBK.DOC describes how to use it when fixing
Brother's Keeper data files.  There are a couple of STAT errors that you do
not need BTRHELP to fix.  If you get a STAT=4 error only for one person
when modifying, you may be able to fix that error with the BK5 Utility
program.  The STAT=4 error means a record or link is not found.  If you
get a lot of STAT=4 error messages, then do not use the BK5 Utility program.
Also, if you get a STAT=12 error when starting BK5, it means one of your
data files is missing.  You may have accidently deleted it.  The name of
the file will appear on the screen while the STAT=12 error message is
showing.  Hopefully you have backup copies of all your data files.

If you get a STAT error message, there will usually be a word or two before
it to indicate which file is damaged.  For example "person getequal STAT="
means it was reading the BKPERSON.DT5 file.  Marr indicates BKMARR.DT5.
Source indicates BKSOURCE.DT5.  Loc means BKLOCATE.  And mail means BKMAIL.DT5.

Here are descriptions of some of the STAT error messages you may see.

  STAT NUMBER

     2    Input/Output error.  File is damaged or could not be created.
     3    File not open.  If you get a STAT=2 error when opening, then
          you will get STAT=3 every time you try to read from the file.
     4    Key value not found.  The record was not found but should be there.
     5    Duplicate Key.
    12    File not found.
    14    Pre-image open error.  Disk is full or file is damaged.  This
          relates to temporary files such as BKPERSON.PRE which are used
          when updating a record.
    15    Pre-image I/O error.  Disk is full or .PRE file damaged.
    18    Disk is full.
    25    Create Input/Output error.  Disk full or root directory full.
    30    Not a Btrieve file.  Something may have been copied over the file.
    42    Incomplete accelerated access.  If you create a new set of BK5
          data files with the split routine or gedcom import, and if something
          goes wrong, the new files are damaged and should be erased.
    54    Variable page error.  Damage to a sector in the file.

    If you were running BK5 from Windows, and did not pick S to stop BK5
    it could cause STAT errors when trying to restart BK5 unless you stop
    Windows and restart, or re-boot your computer.

It is possible that a file is damaged so badly that it can not be fixed.
That is why you should always have two backup copies of your data, done on
two different days.  Then chances are, at least one of them will not be
damaged.