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Presents...
STATUS DATABASE MANAGER
STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop
& Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Disclaimer & Registration Information
-------------------------------------
THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO
PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH
THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS
OFFERED. GOOD DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE
THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT. THE USER MUST
ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL
BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.
If you received this program from a bulletin board, be sure to do a virus check
before using it.
The author retains all rights to the STATUS Database Manager program and this
documentation. You may not distribute the STATUS Database Manager program,
documentation, or sample database files in modified form. You must retain all
references to the author. The STATUS Database Manager program is marketed
under the shareware scheme, is NOT a public domain program, and is NOT free.
You may try out the program for up to 30 days, after which you must register it
(pay for it). If you were charged a fee when you obtained STATUS Database
Manager, you must still register the program (such fees are "copying fees" and
are not payment for the program).
You may distribute, in unmodified compressed form, the STATUS Database Manager
program, documentation, and sample database files together, not as separate
expanded files. You may not charge any fees for disk, mailers, etc., except as
noted below.
When you register you will be sent the latest version of the STATUS Database
Manager program (without that annoying introduction screen), documentation, and
sample databases. After you register, any subsequent downloads of later
releases of STATUS Database Manager from bulletin boards do not require new
registration. The non-commercial single user registration fee for STATUS
Database Manager is $25.00 US. The commercial/government and multi-system site
fee for STATUS Database Manager is $100.00 US. Please send the registration
form (ST-REG.TXT) to:
Visual Systems Workshop
2442 NW Market St., Suite 520
Seattle, WA 98107
Anyone wishing to charge people a fee for giving them a copy of STATUS Database
Manager must have written authorization of the author, without which, the
distributor is guilty of copyright violation. To receive such authorization,
send your name, your organization's name, your address, and telephone number to
the address listed above. You will receive an application for distribution of
STATUS Database Manager by mail. For distributors already recognized by the
Association of Shareware Professionals, this authorization is not necessary.
Page 2
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Table of Contents
-----------------
Description of STATUS Database Manager 4
History 4
System Requirements 4
Installation 5
DOS Command Syntax 5
Using Menus 6
Navigating Records 7
Navigating Fields 7
Dialogs & Controls 8
Basic Editing 9
Sample Session 10
File Menu 13
Edit Menu 17
Record Menu 19
List Menu 21
Define Menu 23
Please Note: STATUS Database Manager (TM) is not free. If you use it, please
pay me back for the time & effort I put into creating and developing this
product by sending me a shareware fee of $25.00. This will help ensure the
continuing development and improvement of the STATUS Database Manager. Please
see the registration information on page 2, and use the registration form
"ST-REG.TXT" to register. Your comments are welcome, but please be nice!
--Thanks.
STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop
& Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved
Page 3
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Description of STATUS DATABASE MANAGER
--------------------------------------
STATUS Database Manager (hereafter called "SDM") is a text based database for
job tracking, client & address lists, job histories, and anything else you can
dream up. A number of sample database files have been included for you to try.
An analogy is the best way to describe SDM. Think of a database file as a
notebook. Inside this notebook are many pages of identical forms, each filled
in with different information. Each page is called a "record" in SDM. The
form which appears on each page consists of up to 30 text editing rectangles,
called "fields". The text in each field may be scrolled up & down, allowing
more text than just the field's rectangle. The Sample Session presented later
will take you through building your own database fields.
History
-------
As an engineer, I needed a way to track the progress of the many jobs I work on
simultaneously. The database programs available have a significant drawback in
this area, because you are limited to a certain predetermined number of text
rows in each field. SDM, on the other hand, is a text based database, with
each field being a scrollable text area.
The original incarnation of SDM was a single use database; all the fields were
in a preset format. However I felt that the concept could be broadened to a
user definable database format which could be used for other tasks. The
current version of SDM is the result. We use this program in our office on a
regular basis to track our job progress, prepare weekly summaries of jobs, and
keep a record of all jobs worked. I'm sure you'll find SDM as invaluable as I
have.
System Requirements
-------------------
Required:
A VGA monitor (& graphics card) is required to provide enough pages of video
memory to swap between 4 video screens, and to provide 3 levels of screen size.
A hard disk is required since SDM uses disk files for some temporary storage
(note that SDM will work from a floppy, but some operations will be slow).
Recommended (not required):
A Microsoft compatible mouse makes using SDM much easier, but it is not
required (Special key combinations can do the same commands as the menus and
controls). A disk cache will speed up certain operations since SDM uses disk
files for some temporary storage.
Page 4
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Installation
------------
At the DOS prompt, type the following DOS commands:
C:
CD \
MD STATUS
CD STATUS
(place the floppy disk into disk drive A)
COPY A:*.*
You will then need to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file's PATH statement to include
a path to SDM:
PATH (other paths);C:\STATUS
Then reboot your computer (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) to establish the new path. If you
are going to use a mouse, load the mouse driver into memory before launching
SDM.
DOS Command Syntax
------------------
To launch SDM, type "STATUS [filename]" at the DOS prompt. If a filename is
specified, it will be automatically loaded. Do not include the ".DBA" file
extension in the filename (it is assumed).
Page 5
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Using Menus
-----------
File Edit Record List Define [TESTFILE.DBA] 05-01-1993 1/ 2
The text line at the very top of the screen is called the menu bar. It is used
to select commands to perform from a list of all available commands. To use a
mouse to select menu commands, simply move the mouse pointer to the menu bar,
and depress the mouse button over the menu you want to open. The menu will
stay open as long as the mouse button is held down. With the mouse button
depressed, drag down the menu to the command you want, and release.
To use the keyboard to execute commands, hold down the "Alt" key, and type the
first letter of the menu you want to open. To select a command, use the up and
down arrows to select the command, and press return to execute it. The left
and right arrows may be used to move to other menus. The "Esc" (escape) key
may be used to cancel a menu.
You will note that some menu commands have a square followed by a letter at the
right side. This is an "Alt" key command that you can use as a shortcut. For
instance, hold down the "Alt" key and type an "S" to execute the File:Save
command. Some menu commands have an "F" at the right side followed by a
number. These commands can be executed simply by pressing the corresponding
function key on your keyboard.
Some menu commands are dimmed. This means they are not available because of
the current situation. For instance, File:Save is only available if a database
is open, and it has been changed since it was last saved.
Ellipses following a command name, such as File:Save As... indicate that SDM
will ask for more information before executing the command. For instance,
File:Save As will request a new name to save the file under.
Page 6
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Navigating Records
------------------
The currently displayed record is displayed at the right end of the menu bar as
XX/YY. The current record is XX out of a total of YY records. Also shown at
the right end of the menu bar is the date that the current record was last
changed. The maximum number of records in a database is 2000.
To move to the previous record, use the Record:Previous command (or simply
press the shortcut key F5). To move to the next record, use the Record:Next
command (or simply press the shortcut key F6). Note that the record number in
the right end of the menu bar will change.
A special record called the "TEMPLATE" is implemented as record number zero.
This record is password protected, and is only available if no password has
been defined, or after you have entered the correct password. Every time you
add a new record with the Record:Add command, a new record is inserted after
the current record, and the contents of the TEMPLATE are copied to the new
record.
Navigating Fields
-----------------
To select a field to edit, click the mouse inside the border of the field you
want to edit. Its border will become a double line to indicate it has been
selected. If you are using the keyboard, pressing Tab will move forward
through the fields, and shift-Tab will move backwards through the fields.
+------------Field Title Here-------------+
|This is a test of the emergency |
|broadcast system. In the event of an |
|actual emergency, you would be notified |
|where to tune for news and important |
|information. This is only a test. |
| |
| |
+---------------A Note Here---------------+
Some fields have scroll bars at the right side, although they are only visible
if the border is large enough. Clicking the mouse on the up arrow scrolls the
screen up one row, and similarly down one row for the down arrow. The square
shows the position of the displayed text relative to all the text in the field.
You can drag this square (click on square, drag, release) to a new position and
the screen will scroll. Clicking the mouse in the scroll bar above the box
will page up one screen, and similarly clicking below the box will page down
the screen. The page Up and Page Down keys also work.
Fields can be defined with two different sizes. If the current field has an
expanded size, the Edit:Expand/Contract menu option is available (or simply
type F4).
Each field has a maximum limit of 132 lines of text (about six screens or 2
printed pages), or 10,296 characters.
Page 7
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Dialogs & Controls
------------------
A dialog is a box that is displayed when more information is needed. Inside
this box may be text, edit fields, check boxes, or buttons. Dialog edit fields
operate identically to record fields described previously (this includes
selecting them by either mouse clicking in the border, or tabbing).
A check box looks like this: [ ] Sample Check Box
These are useful for selecting between different options. To select a check
box, click the mouse between the brackets, and a check mark will appear between
them. Clicking there again will remove the check mark. To select a check box
from the keyboard, hold down the control key (may be labeled Ctrl), and type
the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case).
A button looks like this: [ Sample Button ]
Buttons will execute some immediate action such as Save or Cancel. Normally
they appear in the bottom border of the dialog. To execute a button, click the
mouse between the brackets. Pressing the Enter key will execute the button
shown in white (the default action), and the Escape key will cancel the dialog.
To execute a button from the keyboard, hold down the control key (may be
labeled Ctrl), and type the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case).
Page 8
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Basic Editing
-------------
Each field may be edited using standard editing techniques common to most word
processors. More advanced techniques are described in the Edit Menu
description. The following is a list of special keyboard keys and their
effect:
[Home] moves the cursor to the left end of the current row of text.
[End] moves the cursor to the far right end of the current row of text.
[Up Arrow] moves the cursor up one row of text & scrolls if necessary.
[Down Arrow] moves the cursor down one row of text & scrolls if necessary.
[Left Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the left.
[Right Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the right.
[Ctrl]+[Left Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the preceding word.
[Ctrl]+[Right Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
[Page Up] scrolls the text in the field up one screen.
[Page Down] scrolls the text in the field down one screen.
[Delete] deletes letter at the cursor, or deletes the current selection.
[Backspace] deletes the character to the left of the cursor.
[Ctrl]+[Y] deletes the current row of text
[Insert] toggles between insertion overwrite mode. In insertion mode, The
cursor is a flashing underscore "_", and a typed character is inserted between
existing characters. In Overwrite mode the cursor is a flashing solid box, and
typing replaces existing characters.
Page 9
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Sample Session
--------------
This session will guide you through creating a very simple database for your
addresses:
1. From the DOS prompt, type "STATUS" then press return to load the program.
The menu bar will be displayed at the top.
2. Select the File:New menu item (or press Alt+N) to create a new blank
database.
3. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create a new field. If you are not
using a mouse, a default border with instructions is presented, which allows
you to move the border around using the arrow keys. Try changing the size,
then press Enter to accept the size. If you are using a mouse, the cursor
becomes a "+", and you define a border by clicking & dragging, and release the
mouse button on the opposite corner. We will modify the border below, so it
doesn't matter what border boundaries you define now.
4. Select the Define:Modify Field menu item to display the definition of your
new field. This command affects the currently selected field, which is the one
you just created. Use your mouse to click-select dialog edit fields and
controls, or use the tab key (for a complete discussion of dialogs, see the
"Dialogs & Controls" discussion). Change the definition to match the
following:
Field Title: "Name"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 3, 3, 2, 48, 3, 3
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 1
Select the OK button when you are done making these changes. The dialog will
disappear, and the revised field will be shown.
5. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create another new field as in step
3 above. Then select the Define:Modify Field menu item to change the field
definition to that shown below:
Field Title: "Job Title"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 6, 6, 2, 48, 6, 6
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 2
Page 10
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
6. Create the following fields using the same procedure described above:
Field Title: "Company"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 9, 9, 2, 48, 9, 9
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 10
Tab Order: 3
Field Title: "Address"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 12, 14, 2, 48, 12, 14
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 10
Tab Order: 4
Field Title: "Phone Numbers"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 3, 6, 51, 79, 3, 6
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 5
Field Title: "Important Dates"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 9, 14, 51, 79, 9, 14
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 0
Tab Order: 6
Field Title: "Remarks"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 17, 24, 2, 79, 6, 24
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 0
Tab Order: 7
7. The definition is now complete. Since you don't want others to change this
definition without your permission, select the Define:Set Password menu item.
Make sure you have typed it in correctly before you select OK. The Define menu
immediately becomes inaccessible, except for the Define:Enter Password item,
which, when selected, will ask you for the password to regain access to the
rest of the Define menu.
8. Now select the File:Save menu item. Since this is a new unnamed database, a
dialog is presented allowing you to specify the file name. You are now ready
to use the database.
Page 11
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
9. You may now enter information into the fields. The record displayed is
record number one as shown in the right side of the menu bar. When you want to
add another record to the database (another person in this case since we are
building an address list), select the Record:Add menu item. The first record
will disappear, and a new blank record will appear. Fill in another persons
information. You can move around between records using the Record:Previous and
Record:Next menu commands.
10. To see a listing of all the records (people in this case), choose the
List:All menu item. You may select a record from the list with the mouse or
arrow keys, and select OK to move to that record.
This concludes this brief sample session. There are many more advanced
features in this program which are not discussed in this session. Please read
the commands discussion in the following pages for a more thorough discussion.
Page 12
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
File Menu
---------
The File menu is used to perform actions that affect an entire database file,
such as creating a new database, opening an existing database, printing,
quitting, etc.
+File-----------------+
| New N | Creates a new database
| Open... O | Opens an existing database file
|---------------------|
| Save S | Saves the current database
| Save As... | Saves the current database under a new name
| Revert to Saved | Reverts the current database to the last saved
|---------------------|
| Print Settings... | Sets the printer characteristics
| Print... P | Sends output to the printer
|---------------------|
| Close | Closes the current database
| Quit Q | Closes the current database & exits SDM
+---------------------+
File:New (Alt+N)
Creates a new blank, untitled database without any field definitions. Before
you can use a new database, you must define at least one field to write text in
(see the Define menu description).
File:Open (Alt+O)
Opens an existing database. A list of available database files is displayed.
Click the mouse on the database to open (or use the arrow keys to highlight the
appropriate database file), and click [ OK ] to open it, or [ Cancel ]. Only
files with the .DBA extension are listed. If you have a mouse, you can double
click the mouse button on a database file name to open it.
+----------Select File----------+
|HISTORY.DBA |
|JUNK.DBA |
|MLHJOBS.DBA |
|COLORTST.DBA |
|JOBS.DBA |
|ROLODEX.DBA |
|WHITE.DBA |
|ATEST.DBA |
|BTEST.DBA |
|RDHJOBS.DBA |
|TIMESHT.DBA |
+-------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----+
File:Save (Alt+S)
Saves the currently open database file to disk. Save often to avoid accidental
data loss due to power failure, etc.
Page 13
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
SDM maintains a temporary database file which is created when File:New or
File:Open is used. When you save a database file, this temporary file is
copied to the file name listed in the menu bar. This temporary file is deleted
when a File:Close or File:Quit is executed. Should your computer "crash" in
the middle of an editing session, the file "STATUS.BIN" will remain on disk.
Since it uses the same format as database files, you can rename it with the MS-
DOS "RENAME" command using the .DBA extension, and be able to read it with the
File:Open command. Note that when you execute a File:Open or File:New command,
any existing STATUS.BIN file is overwritten with new information, so this
recovery technique must be done before re-entering SDM.
File:Save As...
Same as File:Save, except you are first prompted for the file name to save
under. The file name must follow DOS naming restrictions (8 characters
maximum, etc.). SDM adds the extension ".DBA" to the name, so omit the
extension when typing a new file name. If you type the name of an existing
database file, a warning appears which allows you to cancel overwriting the
file.
+--------------Save As--------------+
| |
| Enter new file name |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| |Filename | |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| Please omit extension (.DBA) |
| |
+-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+
File:Revert to Saved
Re-reads the database file listed in the menu bar from disk. All edits since
the last File:Save or File:Save As are lost. A warning is displayed allowing
you to cancel the reversion process.
File:Print Settings
Sets information concerning your printer. The "Printer Initialization String"
is a sequence of ASCII characters which are sent to the printer prior to
printing. The "Printer Reset String" is a sequence of characters sent to the
printer after printing which resets the printer to default settings. Consult
your printer manual to determine the sequence you need to send. You can form
such a string out of any keyboard character except "\", which has a special
meaning. The sequence "\###" means send an ASCII code character equal to the
value of ###. You must fill three character positions for the code (example:
"\027" would send the Escape character. The "Page Size" is the number of rows
and columns available on your printer corresponding to the "Printer
Initialization String".
You have three choices for "Border Style". "ASCII" uses standard extended
ASCII codes (128-255) to create borders. You may need to set the printer font
using the "Printer Initialization String" to a "PC" font to use this feature,
otherwise you may get unusual characters for the borders. "Dash" uses "-",
"+", and "|" to create printer borders, but these don't look as nice as
extended ASCII borders. Your other option is "None", which simply omits
borders.
Page 14
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
The "Destination" tells SDM where to send printer output. "LPT1:" sends output
to parallel port 1, and "LPT2:" sends output to parallel port 2. The
information is sent to a disk file called "STATUS.PRN" before sending it to the
printer, which you may access later from DOS for more copies. The third option
is "Disk" which simply skips sending data to the printer, but still sends the
data to the file "STATUS.PRN".
+------------------Printer Settings-----------------+
| |
| +--Printer Initialization String--+ |
| | | |
| +------"\###"=ASCII code ###------+ |
| |
| +------Printer Reset String-------+ |
| | | |
| +---------------------------------+ |
| Page Size Border Style Destination |
| +-Rows-+ +-Cols-+ [ ] ASCII [x] X (LPT1:) |
| |60 | |80 | [x] Dash [ ] Y (LPT2:) |
| +------+ +------+ [ ] None [ ] Z (Disk) |
| |
| |
+----------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------------+
File:Print (Alt+P)
A dialog is presented which lets you set the quantity, and the record range to
print. The default record range is the current record shown in the right side
of the menu bar. When the OK button is selected, the print job is sent to a
disk file called "STATUS.PRN", which is then sent to the printer.
+------Print Record Dialog------+
| |
| +--Quantity-+ |
| |1 | |
| +-----------+ |
| |
| Record Print Range |
| +--Start--+ +---End---+ |
| |1 | |1 | |
| +---------+ +---------+ |
| |
| |
| |
+------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]------+
When you have a list displayed, the File:Print command will print the list, not
a record. This dialog is somewhat different for lists.
File:Close
The current database is closed, but you do not exit from SDM. After closing a
database, you may use File:New or File:Open to work on another database. If
you have made changes since the last time the database was saved, you will be
presented with a dialog asking if you want to save it before closing.
Page 15
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
File:Quit (Alt+Q)
If a database is open, File:Close is first executed. Then SDM exits back to
the operating system.
Page 16
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Edit Menu
---------
The edit menu contains commands which speed the editing process. It is only
active when an edit field is selected.
+Edit-------------------+
| Undo Z | Undo the changes to the current record
| Cut X | Cuts selected text to the clipboard
| Copy C | Copies selected text to the clipboard
| Paste V | Pastes the clipboard text at the cursor
| Paste Text File... | Pastes a text file at the cursor
| Clear | Deletes the selected text
|-----------------------|
| Start Selection F1 | Anchors text selection at cursor
| End Selection F2 | Completes text selection & highlights it
| Hide Selection F3 | Clears the current text selection
|-----------------------|
| Expand/Contract F4 | Enlarges or shrinks the selected field
+-----------------------+
Edit:Undo (Alt+Z)
All the changes that have been made to the current record since it was last
updated are undone. Updates occur when you move to another record, or execute
a command which requires an update to the current record, such as File:Print.
It is only active if changes have been made since the last update. A dialog is
presented which allows you to cancel the Undo.
Edit:Cut (Alt+X)
Removes the currently selected text and places it in a temporary memory area
called the "clipboard" for later pasting. It is only active if some text is
currently selected. To select text, see the Edit:Start Selection command
below.
Edit:Copy (Alt+C)
Copies the currently selected text to a temporary memory area called the
"clipboard" for later pasting. The current selection is not removed. It is
only active if some text is currently selected. To select text, see the
Edit:Start Selection command below.
Edit:Paste (Alt+V)
Places the text currently held in the "clipboard" into the field at the current
cursor position. The text is the clipboard is not deleted, you may paste the
same text over and over.
Edit:Paste Text File
Places a text file at the current cursor position. You are prompted for the
name of text file to place. Only files with the .TXT extension are listed.
During the conversion process, the [Esc] key may be used to cancel the
placement.
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STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Edit:Clear
Removes the currently selected text. It is only active if some text is
currently selected. To select text, see the Edit:Start Selection command
below.
Edit:Start Selection (F1)
A new selection range is anchored at the current cursor position.
Edit:End Selection (F2)
The selection range is extended from the starting place (see Edit:Start
Selection above) to the current cursor position. May be used to extend an
existing selection range.
Note: If you have a mouse, there is a much easier way to select text. Simply
move the mouse pointer to where you want to start the select, press the mouse
button down, drag the pointer to the end position, and release. Double
clicking the mouse pointer over a word will select the word.
Edit:Hide Selection (F3)
Unhighlights the current selection.
Edit:Expand/Contract (F4)
Some fields have an expanded size. If the current field has such a size, this
command is available. Pressing F4 will toggle between the normal and expanded
sizes.
Page 18
STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Record Menu
-----------
The record menu is used to move between records, add & delete records, etc.
+Record-----------+
| Previous F5 | Moves to the preceding record
| Next F6 | Moves to the next record
|-----------------|
| Add | Adds a new record following the current record
| Delete | Deletes the current record
|-----------------|
| Archive | Archives the current record
| Revive | Revives the current record
| Skip Archived | Toggles skipping of archived records
|-----------------|
| Find... F7 | Search all records & fields for text
| Find Again F8 | Search for same text again
|-----------------|
| Alphabetize... | Alphabetize records according to any field
+-----------------+
Record:Previous (F5)
Updates the current record if it has been changed, and moves to the preceding
record. If Record:Skip Archived has a check mark beside it, SDM will search
down through the records for the previous un-archived record. If password
protection is off, or you have entered the correct password, the TEMPLATE
record (record number 0) is accessible.
Record:Next (F6)
Updates the current record if it has been changed, and moves to the next
record. If Record:Skip Archived has a check mark beside it, SDM will search up
through the records for the next un-archived record. If password protection is
off, or you have entered the correct password, the TEMPLATE record (record
number 0) is accessible.
Record:Add
Creates a new record following the current record, and moves to it. The new
record is an exact copy of the TEMPLATE record (record number 0).
Record:Delete
Deletes the current record from the database. Since this procedure cannot be
undone, a warning dialog is presented which allows cancelling the delete.
There are always two permanent records in the database: the TEMPLATE record and
record number 1. The TEMPLATE record cannot be deleted; doing so will instead
erase all text in the TEMPLATE record. If you have only one non-TEMPLATE
record, deleting it will cause it to be replaced with a copy of the TEMPLATE
record.
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Record:Archive
Archives the current record which makes it uneditable. The text color will
change to gray to indicate it is archived. This can be undone with the
Record:Revive command.
Record:Revive
Revives the current archived record making it accessible again. The text color
is restored to normal.
Record:Skip Archived
Places a check mark next to this item in the menu. When this is selected,
Record:Previous and Record:Next will skip all archived records.
Record:Find... (F7)
Presents a dialog for you to enter the text to search for. Character case (a
or A) is ignored. Searches forward through the fields of each record for the
next occurrence of the text, moves to the record, and selects the text found.
+------------Search For-------------+
| |
| Enter search string: |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| |Find this text | |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| |
| |
+-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+
Record:Find Again (F8)
The same as Record:Find except that the dialog is skipped, and the same search
text is used as the previous Record:Find.
Record:Alphabetize...
Alphabetizes the records by the text contained in a specified field. A dialog
is presented for you to choose the field with which to alphabetize the records.
+----------Alphabetize by Field-----------+
|Name |
|Job Title |
|Company |
|Address |
|Phone Numbers |
|Important Dates |
|Remarks |
| |
| |
| |
| |
+------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+
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List Menu
---------
The list menu allows listing of records.
+List---------------+
| All... F9 | Lists all records
| All Current... | Lists only current (un-archived) records
| All Archived... | Lists only archived records
|-------------------|
| By Field F10 | Lists all records by a specified field
+-------------------+
Selected information is gathered from each record and displayed in a list.
Records are listed in order, with each record listed in a separate row. You
may then select one of the records from the list using the arrow keys.
Pressing the OK button moves you to the selected record, while pressing Cancel
returns you to the current record. If you are using a mouse, simply double
click the mouse button over the record you want to move to.
The first three items in the List menu (List:All, List:Current, and List
Archived) generate a list based on two items in the Define:Modify Field command
dialog. "Tab Order" not only determines the order in which you tab through the
fields of a record, but also the order each field is displayed in each list
row. The "List Width" determines the number of characters displayed from each
field. If you do not want a field listed, set the "List Width" to zero. See
the Define menu discussion for more information.
The File:Print Settings and the File:Print menu commands are available when a
list is displayed, allowing printing of lists.
List:All... (F9)
All the records in the database are listed, whether or not they are archived.
+Name----------Job Title-------Company---------Address------------+
|A. Aardvark Ditch digger Mammals, Inc. Africa |
|D. Dodo Out of work Extinct Birds, Island of Mauritus |
|T. Pterodactl Out of work Leather Goods, Jurassic Park |
|P. Parsec Astro physicist Light Years Alpha Centari |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
+-----------------------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]----------------------+
List:All Current...
Only those records which are not archived are listed.
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List:All Archived...
Only archived records are listed.
List:By Field... (F10)
A dialog is first presented allowing you to select the field. All records are
then listed by the text in the field you selected.
+--------------Select Field---------------+
|Name |
|Job Title |
|Company |
|Address |
|Phone Numbers |
|Important Dates |
|Remarks |
| |
| |
| |
| |
+------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+
Selecting "Name" from the field list might give you a list like this:
+Rec-Name---------------------------------+
| 1: A. Aardvark |
| 2: D. Dodo |
| 3: T. Pterodactyl |
| 4: P. Parsec |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
+----------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]-----------+
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Define Menu
-----------
The define menu commands allow you to create your own field definitions, access
the TEMPLATE record, and set the screen size.
+Define--------------+
| Enter Password... | Access to the Define menu & Template record
|--------------------|
| Add Field... | Add a new field definition
| Delete Field... | Delete the currently selected field
| Modify Field... | Modify the currently selected field
|--------------------|
| Screen Settings... | Set the number of displayed screen rows
|--------------------|
| Set Password... | Set the Define Menu access password
| Delete Password | Delete the current password
+--------------------+
When defining fields, it is best not to overlap fields. A completely obscured
field would be unselectable with the mouse, and would pop out of nowhere when
tabbing through the fields. It is best to align the tops of adjacent fields,
as this gives the best printer output. When printing, the length of the field
will be expanded downward to suit the length of the field's text. Adjacent
fields that have the same top will both be expanded to the same length. After
defining a set of fields, it is a good idea to print out a sample record to see
what it will look like.
Define:Enter Password...
If a password has been defined, this command will give you access to the rest
of the define menu and the TEMPLATE record. A dialog is presented, requesting
the password. The password is case sensitive ("sample" is not the same as
"SaMpLe").
+----Database Definition Security---+
| |
| Enter password: |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| |
| |
+-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+
Define:Add Field...
Creates a new field. Up to 30 fields may be defined. The mouse pointer
temporarily becomes a "+". Click & hold the mouse button in one corner of the
boundary, drag & release in the opposite corner.
If you are not using a mouse, a default box appears. Use the arrow keys to
move the highlighted corner, the tab key to switch back & forth between
opposite corners, and press Enter when you are done (or escape to cancel).
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Define:Delete Field...
Deletes the currently selected field from the database. Since this command
cannot be undone with Edit:Undo, a dialog is presented asking if you really
want to proceed. All text in the deleted field in all records is lost.
Define:Modify Field...
A dialog containing the current field's definition is displayed, allowing you
to change its appearance. If you make any illegal entries, SDM will correct
them when you hit OK (a sound is made for every correction made). Each dialog
item is described below:
+------------------Modify Field # 1-----------------+
| |
| +--------------Field Title---------------+ |
| |Field Title Here | |
| +----------------------------------------+ |
| +--------------Bottom Note---------------+ |
| |A Note Here | |
| +----------------------------------------+ |
| Field Boundary |
| +-Top-++Botm-++Left-++Right++xTop-++xBotm+ |
| |8 ||15 ||10 ||50 ||8 ||11 | |
| +-----++-----++-----++-----++-----++-----+ |
| Colors Field Type |
| +Text-++Bordr++Back-+ [x] Text Field |
| |3 ||6 ||0 | [ ] Decimal # Field |
| +-----++-----++-----+ [ ] Whole # Field |
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [x] Scroll Bar |
| 10 11 12 13 14 15 |
| +List Width+ +Tab Order+ |
| |0 | |1 | |
| +----------+ +---------+ |
+---------------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]---------------+
Field Title: The title centered in the top border of the field.
Bottom Note: A note centered in the bottom border of the field.
Field Boundary: The size of the inside (text portion) of the field.
Coordinates are measured from the upper left corner (1,1) to the bottom right
corner (80,25 or 80,43 or 80,50 depending on the screen setting). Horizontal
coordinates must fall in the range 2 to 79, and vertical coordinate must fall
in the range 3 to 24 (or 42 or 49) to account for the border and the menu bar.
The expanded size allows the user to expand the field vertically for easier
viewing and editing (see Edit:Expand/Contract).
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Colors: Sets the colors of a field's text, border, and background. Sample
colors are listed with their numbers (0-15). VGA graphics displays color 8
(gray) as black for backgrounds. If the border and background color are set to
the same color, the border will not be displayed (or printed) at all. It is
best not to use color 8 (gray) for the foreground, since that color is used for
archived records.
Field Type: There are 3 basic field types: "Text Field" contains any text,
"Decimal # Field" corrects all entered text to a decimal number (ex. 2.33),
and "Whole # Field" corrects all entered text to an integer number (ex. 21).
If a field is defined as one of the numeric types and has a non-zero "List
Width" (see below), the field will be summed when listed. The final option
"Scroll bar" attaches a scroll bar to the right border of the field. The
scroll bar is only shown if the field is large enough to display it, so the
user may have to expand the field with Edit:Expand/Contract to see it.
List Width: Determines the number of characters to display in a list for the
selected field. If you do not want a field listed, set the "List Width" to
zero.
Tab Order: Determines the order in which you tab through the fields of a
record, and also the order each field is displayed in a list. If you change a
field's tab order to a number already in use, the tab order is swapped between
the current field and the field using the same number.
Define:Screen Settings...
Allows changing the current database's screen size. The choices are 25 rows,
43 rows, or 50 rows. If you have fields defined which use more rows than one
of the choices, that choice will not be available.
+-------------Screen Settings-------------+
| |
| Screen Rows |
| [x] X (25 Rows) |
| [ ] Y (43 Rows) |
| [ ] Z (50 Rows) |
| |
| (Database uses 16 rows) |
| |
+-----------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----------+
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STATUS Database Manager Documentation
Define:Set Password...
Sets the password which allows access to the Define menu and the TEMPLATE
record. A dialog is displayed for entering the new password. The new password
takes effect immediately, and the Define menu is dimmed except for the
Define:Enter Password command.
+------------Set Password-----------+
| |
| Enter new password: |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
| +-----------------------------+ |
| (for access to the Define menu) |
| |
+-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+
Define:Delete Password
Removes the current password. When this is done, the Define menu & TEMPLATE
record will always be available until you define a new password.
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