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EVIEW.DOC
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1991-11-27
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EVIEW.DOC
EView The dBASE III+ Database Utility, Version 4.12
SYNTAX EView [d:[\path]] filename
EView *.* - DOS wildcards okay
EView - pick list of available files
EXAMPLE EView C:\DBASE\ANYFILE - .DBF extension assumed
EView MYFILE90.dbf - .DBF extension optional
EView YOURFILE.qdb - .QDB extension required
USEAGE View & edit dBASE III+ and compatable databases
INTRODUCTION TO EVIEW
Have you ever wanted to make a simple little change in a dBase file but
loading dBase itself or your database program would take more time and
effort than it was worth? Say someone listed in you mail label database
has a new phone number, for example. Maybe all you want is is to look up
someone's street number. On the other hand, perhaps you'd like to browse
around a database more easily and quickly that you can even with dBase
itself. Maybe you'd like to make an ASCII copy of your database or just
print a single record.
If you're a programmer, you'll immediately appreciate the ease and
multituted of uses of Eview, and you'll probably want to put EVIEW in your
\TOOLS directory or another directory accessed by the DOS PATH.
Feel free to share EView with your friends and collegues and to upload it
to bulletin boards. Remember, however, that EView is not free. EView is
shareware and we hope that if you find it fast, easy and useful you'll
honor the shareware moral requirement and register your copy.
STARTING EVIEW
There are three ways to start EVIEW.
1) The simplest is to simply type EVIEW. You are given a pick list of .DBF
files in the current directory.
C:\WORK\EVIEW
2) If you database is a dBase compatible file but has a different
extension, you'll have to type EVIEW plus the file name and extension.
C:\WORK\EVIEW yourfile.qdb
3) If the database is in another directory or drive, include the full path
name with the file name.
C:\WORK\EVIEW D:\LISTS\yourfile.dbf
C:\WORK\EVIEW D:\LISTS\*.*
A. USING EVIEW
EVIEW operates by pressing a single, common sense key. To LOCATE
something, for example, press the letter 'L'. To do a string SEARCH, press
'S'. And so on. A few functions require a combination of two keys
(appending a record for example uses the Alt-A combination). This is to
make it more difficult to accidently append an unwanted extra blank record.
B. BROWSING
Once your file is loaded, use the cursor, page up, page down, home, and end
keys to browse around. Jump immediately to the top by pressing the letter
'T' or bottom with B (Ctrl-PgUp and Ctrl-PgDn do the same thing).
C. SEARCHING
There are three ways to search your file.
1) Press the letter 'L' to LOCATE your object. You are presented with a
pick list of fields and asked to identify the one in which to look, and
then what to look for.
2) Here's a typical query: you want someone's address and you know the
last name ends in 'son' but you can't remember the first part. To do a
STRING SEARCH, that is to find a set of characters that may be located
anywhere within a field, use the 'S' option. You are presented with a
pick list of fields and asked to identify the one in which to look, and
then what to look for.
3) The fastest way to do a search is to use an index. This can be
hundreds of times faster than a string search. However, this also means
you have to have an index. EVIEW allows you to create INDEXes in a
flash by simply pressing the letter 'I' and selecting the field to
index. After that, any time you press the letter 'F' (for FIND) you are
given a pick list of existing indices to use.
D. EDITING.
Any time you want to change the contents of a field, simply go to the field
and press the 'TAB' key. Pressing the Esc key while editing leaves the old
contents in place. Pressing the ENTER key puts the new contents into the
database.
E: VIEW an entire record.
You can view up to 40 fields at a time by pressing the 'V' key.
F. ADDING/DELETING Records.
A sign in the bottom left corner indicates whether the SET DELETE condition
is set ON or OFF. The sign in the bottom right corner displays a 'del' if
the current record is 'deleted'; otherwise the corner is blank.
To ADD a new blank record to the end of the database, press the ALT-A key
combination. You can then add information to that record with the edit
function (press the TAB key).
To DELETE a record, go to the record and press the DEL key. This marks the
record for deletion but does not physically remove it. If you don't want
to remove it permanently but also don't want to see it in your database,
press the letter 'D' which toggles a switch on and off making records
marked for deletion either visible or not visible. After you press 'D' the
first time, the sign 'on' appears in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Pressing 'D' again changes the sign to 'off'.
To permanently remove all records marked for deletion, press the 'P' key to
PACK the database.
COPYING
You can copy your database to an ASCII text file by pressing the 'W' key
(for WRITE). The new file with have columns separated by a space. NOTE:
if the DELETE condition is ON, only visible records will be copied.
EVIEW FUNCTIONS
KEY FUNCTION
--- --------
F10 | Options menu
Esc | Return to previous screen
F3 | EXIT EView - return to DOS
TAB | EDIT current field
C | CONTINUE search/locate
D | Toggle SET DELETE on/off
F | FIND (if indexed)
G | GOTO record number
I | Create new INDEX
L | LOCATE string
P | PACK database - permanently delete record(s)
R | REINDEX
S | STRING search
V | VIEW current record
W | WRITE to disk file
Alt-A | APPEND blank record
Del | DELETE current record - mark record for deletion
KEY CURSOR MOVEMENT
--- ---------------
T | jump to TOP of file
B | jump to BOTTOM of file
PgUp | shift UP one screen
PgDn | shift DOWN one screen
End | shift to RIGHTMOST screen field
Home | shift to LEFTMOST screen field
Ctrl-PgUp | jump to TOP of file
Ctrl-PgDn | jump to BOTTOM of file
Ctrl-- | shift screen RIGHT one field
Ctrl-- | shift screen LEFT one field
Ctrl-Home | shift to LEFTMOST file field
Ctrl-End | shift to RIGHTMOST file field
If you find EView fast, easy, and convenient to use, a registration of $15
would be appreciated. If you send $25 or more you will receive, when
available, the next update of the EView program. Please state the version
of EView that you currently have. Send check or money order to:
W.E.D.C. Software
The Lauren - Suite 1004
1301 20th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Copyright (C) WEDC 1990-1991. All Rights Reserved
Washington Education Development Corporation
202 296-3205 or 202 357-5906
CompuServe (71361,3562)