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HISTORY.OLD
SCBA Trak History For Versions 2.0 Through 2.42
===============================================
This file contains the modification and version history for older releases
of SCBA Trak. See the file HISTORY.DOC for more recent changes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.42 Mar. 15, 1995
------------ -------------
1. Due to continuing problems with the vendor of the indexing library
(like their unannounced dropping of support for XT computers), I've
switched to another vendor. The index file extension has changed from
.NSX to .CDX
As part of this change, the structure of the maintenance notes files
has changed from the Borland dBASE .DBT style to the Microsoft FoxPro
.FPT style. This will reduce the amount of disk space needed by a large
amount, as well as improve the reliability of the files. Make sure you
update your floppy backup file from this new version. Backups created
with an earlier version of the program cannot be used with this or later
versions.
2. Added an updated version of PRINTERS.DBF. A few errors were corrected
and a few new printers were added.
3. Added a new feature to the "Update records for maintenance performed"
function. When you select it, you're now given the option of limiting
the records viewed to just those within a lead time or overdue items.
4. A few persons were experiencing conflicts between SCBA Trak's protected
mode operation and existing device drivers. This resulted in a general
protection fault (GPF) error message. These messages have the line
"BLX286 : 1313" in it. If you're experiencing this problem, you can
force SCBA Trak to run in "real" mode by setting an environment variable
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Add this line in that file:
SET SCBATRAK=/DT2000000
Those are six zeros, not six oh's. Please contact me so we can figure
out where the conflict is and get it resolved.
5. Fixed the problem in the air bottle maintenance history printout where
the "ORIG. HYDRO:" line actually had the "Last Hydro" date printed.
(applicable to v2.40 and 2.41 only)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.41 Jan. 28, 1995
------------ -------------
1. (changed by v2.42 item #1)
2. Corrected an error in the PASS unit module. If you attempted a "Search",
the search would occasionally fail when it shouldn't have.
3. Fixed a problem with the Due List "detailed" printout. Back packs that
didn't have any maintenance due or overdue were having only their serial
or I.D. numbers and locations printed on the report. They should have
been left off the report entirely.
4. Fixed a problem in the fill log where logging the filling of a bottle
that was overdue for hydro test would result in an "hydro test data is
missing" error message instead of reporting that the bottle was
actually overdue.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.40 Jan. 28, 1995
------------ -------------
1. Added mouse support. The mouse has auto-positioning. It is automatically
placed near where you need it. For example, if you have the mouse arrow
in the lower left corner of the screen, and a dialog box pops up, the
mouse cursor is automatically moved to the OK box on the dialog box.
You can click on the OK to clear the dialog box and the mouse cursor
will automatically jump back to the lower left corner. This should save
on the amount of physical movement of the mouse.
If, for some reason, the arrow mouse cursor isn't displaying properly
or movement of the mouse "tears up" the screen, your video system
isn't compatable with the mouse arrow cursor. You'll have to start the
program with the command SCBATRAK /NG . The /ng switch specifies
"no graphics mouse cursor". The mouse cursor will then display as a
"block" .Refer to the manual section for more information on using the
mouse with SCBA Trak.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you're running the program from Windows, you must
load your regular mouse driver (MOUSE.COM, MOUSE.SYS, etc.) BEFORE you
start Windows or the mouse won't work. Since Windows has it's own
mouse driver built in and doesn't need an external mouse driver loaded
to provide mouse support for Windows programs, your regular mouse
driver may not be loaded.
2. SCBA Trak is now "DOS protected mode" compatable! If your computer is
at least a 286 and has at least 512K of EXTENDED memory, the program
will now load itself into extended memory and run from there! If
you're not using a memory manager, you must have at least the
HIMEM.SYS driver loaded (supplied with the later versions of DOS).
Protected mode operation means your execution speed will be somewhat
better, but more importantly, SCBA Trak will now load and run even if
you have only 200K of conventional memory available. Many users have
not had the requisite 480K of free memory available after loading
network drivers, TSRs, etc. They've had to reconfigure their computer
to run the program. No more.
If your computer is capable of running SCBA Trak in protected mode,
it'll do so automatically. If it's not capable, SCBA Trak will run
the same as before. Unlike some other programs, there is no need for
a separate executable file for protected mode operation.
3. Added a new item to the "Options" selection to allow the end user
to tell the program what type of printer they have. A list box will
display the names and models of over 100 different printers. Use
the PageUp, PageDown, and up arrow and down arrow keys to highlight
either your printer or one that it emulates. Press the Enter key and
the proper codes will be sent to your printer. The list of printers is
stored in a new file named PRINTERS.DBF. After you've selected your
printer, the file PRINTERS.DBF can be deleted to save on disk space.
IMPORTANT NOTE: All printed reports have been reformatted from ten
characters per inch to twelve characters per inch in order to provide
a usable left margin. If you don't select the proper printer, your
reports are going to look a mite strange. The default ASCII selection
doesn't send any codes to your printer, and you'll have to manually
configure your printer to 12 CPI.
4. Added a new inventory menu selection, "Update records for maintenance
performed". This selection will bring up a tabular listing of the
equipment in the same format as used in the "Browse/edit..." selection.
But, on this screen, you can type the new "maintenance done" dates
directly into the database. Example: In the backpack section, you can
see all of the "Last Flow" test dates. To change these dates, simply
position the cursor over the date you want to change and either press
Enter or just start typing in the new date. A box will pop up with all
of the fields needed to properly record a new flow test. After filling
in all of the fields the box will disappear and the record is updated.
Pressing the Escape key before completing the entry will restore all
of the previous data. You can also tap the F2 key to pop up the
"Notes" edit window so you can add your free form notes.
You can then tap the down arrow cursor key and change the "Last Flow"
data for the next back pack, etc. If you're not using a mouse, this
should speed up your entries significantly when you need to change a
large number of dates.
5. Found that the files being copied to and from a floppy weren't having
their time and date set to the same as the original files. Fixed.
6. Added file compression to the floppy disk backup and restore functions.
When backing up, the data files will be compressed into a single file
named SCBADATA.CMP. That file will then be copied to the floppy disk.
The last two floppy backups will be maintained on the hard drive
under the file names SCBADATA.CM1 and SCBADATA.CM2, with SCBADATA.CM2
being the oldest backup. During restores, the selected files will be
decompressed from the floppy disk onto the hard drive. Depending upon
your file content, about 80% to 85% compression will be achieved. A
single 720K disk can hold around 3.5 megabytes of compressed data.
7. Added a "checksum" verification check to help assure that the
SCBADATA.CMP back up file was copied to the floppy without errors.
8. Expanded the main menu "Options" selection from one screen to three
screens to de-clutter it. Added a few more selections as noted below.
9. Because of confusion on how to enter dates (MM/DD/YY or DD/MM/YY), all
of the blank date fields will now display the letters MM DD YY in the
appropriate places. A new selection has been added to the "Options"
screen which allows the end user to select one of seven different types
of date formats from a list box. All screens and reports will reflect
the selected format. The default format is MM/DD/YY. You do not have to
modify any of your entries to change the way the dates are displayed.
10. Changed the structure of the configuration file SCBATRAK.DAT for
improved network compatability. The new file is named SCBATRAK.CFG. All
of your old option selections will be retained and the old file erased.
Changed the structure of the apparatus/personnel name listing file
NAMELIST.DAT for improved network compatability. It's been replaced
with NAMELIST.DBF and NAMELIST.NSX (the associated index file).
11. Added a new item to the "Options" selection to allow the end user
to select what port their printer is on. If you have more than one
printer, you'll be able to use them easier. The default is "PRN", as
it was in previous versions of SCBA Trak.
12. Added a new item to the "Options" selection to allow the end user to
turn off all of the warning beeps and tones.
13. Added a new item to the "Options" selection to allow the end user to
turn off the dialog box which would pop up everytime you had entered
or changed data. The dialog box would ask if you wanted to print the
maintenance history. Users with laptops and no printers in their trucks
found the dialog box a bit annoying.
14. Added a new mode of operation called the "multi-owner". Repair centers
and equipment dealers have asked for a version of SCBA Trak that would
allow them to track all of their customers' equipment. This would
enable them to quickly issue notifications of any recalls affecting
the equipment as well as allow them to notify the customer of any
upcoming repetitive maintenance. The "multi-owner mode" is turned on
and off on the main menu "Options" screens.
If you're tracking the maintenance of equipment belonging to other
departments or companies, you might find the "multi-owner mode" useful.
Each equipment "owner" has their name assigned to each of their records
(up to twenty characters). An "owner" could be a station name, another
fire department, etc. All the records will be maintained in the same
database file, but you will be able to selectively recall just the
records belonging to a particular owner. When you do so, all reports
will reflect only that owner's equipment. Refer to the section titled
"Multi-Owner Mode" in the SCBA Trak instructions (file name MANUAL.DOC).
15. Changed the operation of the Alt+N key combination. Previously, using
this from the main menu caused the list of names used in the "Last
Known To Be On" and "Assigned To" fields to be recreated by scanning
only the air bottle file. Some people weren't filling in the "Last
Known To Be On" field for air bottles. Now this function will scan
all of the inventory files. If you're on a network and someone else
is using one of the inventory files, that file will not be scanned.
16. Changed the operation of the 'Search for/edit an xxx inventory item'
menu selection to 'Search for an item by Serial No., I.D. No., or
"Last Known To Be On"' (or Assigned to) so you can pick a piece of
equipment from the list box and the program will find all items on
a particular apparatus. This should be helpful if a malfunction was
reported on equipment located on a particular truck, but the serial
or I.D. numbers weren't known.
17. On color monitors, the color of the field where the cursor is located
has been changed from bright white to cyan (light blue) to help you
locate the cursor more rapidly. The remaining fields will still display
in bright white.
18. Expanded the inventory "Notes" edit window from half screen to full
screen for improved readability. Added cursor position indicators.
19. Corrected a problem with the sorting of the equipment listings in the
inventory files and reports. If the user entered any spaces before the
actual serial number, I.D. number, or certain other fields, it would
mess up the sorting of the equipment and hence the reports. The
affected fields are now forced to the proper alignment when they are
edited. For registered users only, when your old data files are
converted to the new version, this condition is tested for and
corrected automatically.
20. By popular request, all references in the back pack files to "Last
Known To Be On" have been changed to read "Assigned To", the same as
used in the PASS Unit and Mask files. Only the air bottle inventory
and fill log will continue to use "Last Known To Be On" to refer to
the equipment location.
21. Changed the "Visual By", "Tested By", "Filled By", "Entry By" and
"Battery Changed By" fields from six characters long to eight
characters long. Changed the air bottle "Manufacturer" field from
ten characters long to fifteen characters long. Changed the "Last
Known To Be On" fields in the air bottle inventory and fill log from
twelve characters long to fifteen characters long. Changed the back
pack "Assigned To" field from twelve characters long to fifteen
characters long.
22. Changed the routine which detects duplicate serial number or I.D.
number entries. Previously this test was only done when adding a new
unit to the inventory. If someone changed the serial or I.D. number
later to one that was already being used, it wouldn't be detected. This
check is now done any time these fields are changed, as soon as the
cursor leaves the field. This way you won't enter all the information
only to be told it was a duplicate. You're also now given the option
of re-entering the number or ignoring the duplication warning, instead
of it being automatically deleted as in previous versions. In addition,
if you change either the serial number or I.D. number, you'll be given
a warning dialog box informing you of the pending change. If desired,
you can restore the original number (in case it was changed in error).
23. When upgrading a registered copy to a new version, you're now given the
option of backing up the existing data files to a floppy before
proceeding with the conversion. In any event, a backup copy of the
data files will be created on the hard drive, just in case...
24. Added two tests at program start up; one for free disk space and the
other for free memory (RAM). If the free disk space is less than 100K,
a warning message will be displayed. If the amount of free memory is
less than 40K, another warning message will be displayed. Tapping the
space bar will allow the program to continue running, if possible. Some
users had been running out of memory or disk space resulting in program
crashes. Hopefully, this will give you an early warning of impending
problems.
25. Added a new field to the fill log, "Incident Number". Several
departments are charging back their filling of air bottles on hazmat
incidents and wanted a way to log them. You can use up to fifteen
characters to record the number. A new report allows you to print out
bottles filled on a particular incident. You enter the starting and
ending dates for the report (in case you duplicate incident numbers
from year to year) and the program builds a list box of all the
different incident numbers entered between those dates. You can also
specify a "per bottle" price for the filling and the report will show
the total dollars. The departments I've talked to are charging a
slightly lower amount for filling a bottle then the local SCUBA shops
charge for filling 3000 psi tanks.
26. Fixed the problem in the entire air bottle inventory printout where the
report would be sorted on the serial number even if you had requested
that it be sorted by I.D. number.
27. Fixed a problem in the entire backpack inventory printout. If you
had selected the option to have the report grouped on the Assigned To
field, occasionally the last group printed on a page would not have
it's Assigned To field heading printed, and instead those backpacks
would show up under the previous grouping.
28. Added a new key combination, Alt+R , which is available from the main
menu only. Pressing it will cause all of the index files to be rebuilt.
A few users had been experiencing "Internal Error 1210" program crashes.
This error occurs when an index file has become corrupted. The new
key combination will allow all the index files to be recreated easily.
If you experience a crash to DOS without any warning dialog boxes, you
may have a corrupted index file. Or if you can't find data that you
are certain was entered, you may have a corrupted index file. If your
data files have gone more than sixty days without being reindexed, a
dialog box will pop up during the program start up, asking if you want
to reindex the files. The box will appear each time you start the
program until you answer YES.
PLEASE REPORT ANY OCCURENCES OF AN "INTERNAL ERROR" TO ME !
29. Added a new function to the main menu, "Name list changes and
corrections". This selection brings up a list box of every name used
in the "Assigned To" and "Last Known To Be On" fields, or in the
"Owner" field, depending on which list you select. You pick the
name you want to correct or change and then enter the new name. The
program will scan the air bottle inventory, the back pack inventory,
the mask inventory, and the PASS unit inventory and substitute the new
name for the old name every place it finds it. This is a case-sensitive
search. If you're on a network and someone else is using one of the
inventory files, it will not be scanned or changed and you will be
given a message to that effect.
30. Changed the layout of the air bottle inventory print out slightly to
swap the "Original Hydro Date" and "Last Hydro Date" columns.
31. Added an icon for Windows users. DON'T LAUGH!!! I'm not an artist!
32. Added the "Last Visual", "Visual By", "Last Tested", and "Tested By"
information to the maintenance history reports, as applicable. Changed
all references on the maintenance history report from "NEXT ... DUE"
to "LAST ... DATE" for consistency.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.30 Apr. 22, 1994
------------ -------------
1. Added fields for recording "Date Manufactured:" and "Put In Service"
(date) to all of the inventory and maintenance record modules.
2. In the backpack module, fields for recording the "Last Pressure Reducer
O/H" (overhaul), the "Last Mask Regulator O/H", and the "Last Flow Test"
dates and retest intervals were added. The "Last Certification" date
field should be used to record the last comprehensive disassembly and
inspection, which is usually done annually. Since the individual
regulator overhauls and flow tests can be done at any time, these extra
fields will allow you to record the actual dates.
The flow test has been added to the Due List. A single line for
regulator overhauls has also been added. If either regulator is due or
almost due, it will show up on the Due List. Unfortunately, because of
the need to print two extra columns on the DETAILED LIST report,
something had to be removed to make the report fit on one page. That
"something" was either the Serial Number or I.D. Number column. If you
have the main menu "Options" question about listing equipment in I.D.
Number order instead of Serial Number order answered Y , the back pack
serial number column will not be shown. If you have the question
answered N , the I.D. Number column will not be shown.
3. In the mask module, new fields were added to record the "Last Fit Test"
date and retest interval. A new report was added which will allow you
to print out a list of those masks and people who need new fit tests.
A new question, "Is mask assigned to one person?" was added. If you
answer N to the question, the fields for recording the fit test data
will be skipped. You will have to go back into each record and answer
this question for each mask. The easiest way to do this is to use the
"Browse/Edit..." function. Press the Enter key and the first mask record
will be brought up. Hold the "cursor down arrow" key and the cursor will
stop at the question. Type a Y or N as appropriate. Fill in the
data if needed and then press the Page Down (PgDn) key twice to bring
up the next record. The fit tests have been added to the Due List.
4. On registered versions only, the ability to send the reports to a disk
file instead of the printer has been added. The disk file could be used
to import the report into your word processor. When you select a report
to be printed, you'll get a list box asking where to send the report.
If you want to print it, just hit the Enter key. If you want to send
the report to a disk file, tap the D key, the space bar, or the down
arrow key once. You'll be given a dialog box asking for the path and
file name. If you specify the path to your word processor document
directory, for example, that's where the report will be sent. If a file
with the same name is detected in the specified path, you'll be given
the option of specifying a new file name, appending (adding) the new
report to the existing file, or replacing the existing file with the new
report. The path is stored in memory so the next time you need a report
during that session, you won't have to retype the path, just the new
file name.
NOTE: If you don't specify a file name extension, an extension of
.PRN will automatically be added to the file name.
EXAMPLE: If you type in a file name of REPORT , the actual
file name on the disk will be REPORT.PRN .
5. Increased the number of names which can programmed to the "F" keys for
use in the fill log from ten to twenty.
6. Added the file VENDINFO.DIZ to the shareware distribution archive. This
is a new standard that allows one file to contain the previous READ.ME,
VENDOR.DOC, WARRANTY.DOC, and FEATURES.DOC text files in one place. It
also has a special "compressed record" tacked onto the end of the file.
The compressed record contains over 750 fields of information related
to distributing the shareware file by vendors and BBSes. It allows
automated processing by these folks to assure them they have the right
to distribute the file legally and that the package is complete and has
not been tampered with. It also allows them to write their catalog and
BBS descriptions without human intervention. Take a look at it, you'll
be seeing this file a lot in the future.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.22 & 2.22a Feb. 14, 1994
-------------------- -------------
1. A few users of v2.20, 2.21, and 2.22 have experienced an occasional
problem where changing or adding information would result in the program
immediately terminating without any warning. Some users noticed an error
message at the bottom of the screen which read "dbskip(0) Internal Error
1210". This error message indicates a corrupted index file. Deleting all
of the index files (those with an extension of .NSX) and restarting the
program would correct the error. This error is far more likely to occur
if the program is installed on a network.
The manufacturer of the index file driver released a "fix" which should
correct this problem. The fix is the only change incorporated in the "a"
release of v2.22.
2. For those of you who really hate passwords, you can now disable password
checking on the inventory and maintenance records and options main menu
selections by answering N to the "Add password..." question on the
main menu Options screen. This will leave password checking on just the
Erase Records main menu selection, like it was prior to version 2.21.
The password checking is OFF be default now, not ON like it was in v2.21.
3. Added the "Restore data files from a floppy disk" main menu selection
to the list of items which can be optionally password protected.
4. Added an integrity check to the NAMELIST.DAT file. The file is now
checked for corruption the first time it's used. If it's bad, the file
and list of apparatus names is rebuilt automatically, as opposed to
aborting to DOS.
5. Changed the color of the Due List "... warning is disabled." messages
from grey on white to yellow on white.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.21 Dec. 28, 1993
------------ -------------
1. Corrected a problem in the fill log where attempting to erase a single
record by blanking out both the serial number and I.D. number would
result in an error message.
2. Corrected a problem in the fill log "Browse..." function where you could
change the name of the bottle owner on the screen, but the new name
would not be saved in the database.
3. Changed the reports named "Single page printout of one (...) maintenance
history" to "Single printout of one (...) maintenance history" to
clarify that the printed report may be multiple pages, but is for only
one particular unit.
4. Changed the operation of the fill log "Browse..." function to give the
user the ability to view the fill log sorted by either the "date of
filling" or sorted by the "owner's name." Previously it could only be
viewed sorted by the date of filling.
5. Added optional "password required" access to the air bottle inventory,
the back pack inventory, the mask inventory, the PASS unit inventory,
and the main menu Options menu selections. The fill log, due list, and
floppy backup/restore selections do not require a password. The
password is the same one as used previously when accessing the record
erasure menu.
Because password access is considered by some people to be a nuisance,
you'll get a dialog box asking if you want to disable the password
checking for the remainder of the session the very first time you enter
the password. If you answer YES, you won't have to enter the password
again. If you answer NO or press the Escape key, you'll have to enter
the password each time you make one of the above menu selections.
Access to the record erasing menu will always require password entry.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.20 Dec. 28, 1993
------------ -------------
1. The main menu "Options" screen has been redesigned so you can specify
a lead time from 0 to 998 days for the following conditions:
a. Air bottles in need of hydro, visual inspection, or the composite
bottle fifteen year ultimate life expiration ;
b. Air bottles in need of refilling. You can now specify the refill
interval (instead of a fixed "every three months" as in previous
versions) as well as the lead time in days ;
c. Back packs in need of recertification or visual inspection ;
d. PASS units in need of a new battery or a functional test, and ;
e. Masks in need of recertification or visual inspection.
The series of reports which were titled "Report on ... due or almost
due for ..." or "Find all bottles due for hydro test or refilling" now
make use of these lead times. Previously, these reports used a fixed
one or two month lead time.
2. Added a new function which warns you of any equipment which is almost
due or overdue for the above mentioned maintenance. A new data file
and a new index file will be created the first time this version
starts: EXPIRED.DBF and EXPIRED.NSX . These files contain the
expiration dates as follows:
Air bottles : Next hydro due, End of life, Next visual due, and Next
refill due
Back packs : Next certification due & Next visual due
Masks : Next certification due & Next visual due
PASS units : Next battery replacement due & Next functional test due
If any of these items are within the lead time as specified on the
"Options" screen or now overdue, a new screen will pop up just after
the program starts and display the total number of items for each
category. You can print the information by pressing the P key. After
pressing the P key, you'll get a dialog box asking if you want to
print the SUMMARY ONLY or the DETAILED LIST. The SUMMARY ONLY choice
prints just what you see on the screen. The DETAILED LIST will print a
listing of each item which is within the lead time or now overdue. The
printout will have the Serial Number, the I.D. Number, the expiration
dates, and the "Assigned To" or "Last Known To Be On" information. If
you have the air bottle "refill needed" warning enabled, you will get
the "Next Refill Due" date instead of the "Last Known To Be On"
information.
EXAMPLE: If you specify a 60 day lead time for hydro tests coming due,
the screen will pop up 60 days before the next hydro due date. If you
specify a lead time of 548 days for the air bottle "End of life"
category, you'll get an 18 month lead time on any composite bottles
coming up on their fifteen year ultimate life, so you can better
budget the replacement costs. If nothing is within it's lead time or
now overdue, you'll go right to the main menu.
If you don't want to use this feature, you can turn it off on the
"Options" screen. If there is a specific condition that you don't
care about, like "air bottles needing refilled," you can set it's
lead time to 999 days and that warning will be disabled.
A new menu item has been added to the main menu, " Due list ". This
selection will bring up the maintenance due summary screen even if
you don't have it turned on during the program start up.
WARNING: If you have left any of the dates blank and not marked the
corresponding interval as N/A (if possible), YOU CANNOT NOT BE WARNED!
If the program can't figure out the due date because you left critical
information blank, don't expect SCBA Trak to continually remind you
of this missing information.
3. The operation of the "Browse/Edit..." functions and all other tabular
type listings of equipment has changed. Previously, all overdue
equipment had their due dates blink in red and all dates which were
missing or incomplete had the word MISSING shown in solid yellow.
This hasn't changed. Now, all equipment which is not yet overdue, but
which is within the lead time as specified on the "Options" screen,
will have their due dates shown in solid yellow.
4. Added a " % copied" progress indicator to the floppy disk backup and
restore functions so users with big data files wouldn't think their
computer was locked up when copying files to or from a floppy disk.
5. Fixed a potential problem where two temporary index files of the same
name would be created if two users on a network were both trying to use
the inventory summary report from two different program modules.
6. By popular demand, the printed reports which used double spacing have
all been changed to single spacing.
7. A new field has been added to the Air Bottle data entry screen,
" Number Of Times Filled ". This field will show the number of times
each bottle has been filled IF THE FILLING WAS ENTERED IN THE FILL
LOG. If you aren't reliably recording your fills, the counter will
also be unreliable. When first running this version, you'll get the
"files need converted" message. The conversion (available only to
registered users) will add the new field and also scan your fill log
file, updating the air bottle inventory with the total number of fills
for each bottle. The number of fills will only be printed on the air
bottle maintenance history report.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.10 Oct. 28, 1993
------------ -------------
NOTE: The changes made in this version required modification of all the
inventory data files. I'm eliminating some unused fields and adding
some new ones. Depending upon which program you're upgrading from,
you may see significant changes in the size of the *.DB* data files.
Unless you're upgrading from SCBABOTL v1.21 or earlier, you should see
a reduction in the total disk space used by the data files. If you're
a registered user, your existing data files will be converted
automatically the first time you run the program. If you're not a
registered user, you won't be able to use your existing data files
with this version. MAKE CERTAIN you have all of the data files backed
up to a floppy disk in case something goes wrong !
1. Changed how the program displays certain information that uses dates.
EXAMPLE: Previously, the "Last Hydro" date was shown on the air bottle
reports. The user had to mentally add in the hydro test interval to
come up with the next due date. Now, those types of reports show the
"Next (whatever) Due" date to eliminate the mental gymnastics. Where
appropriate, the "Last <whatever>" date is still used, like on the
data entry screens. Because of this change, it is no longer possible
to leave the "Visual Every xxx Days" field blank! You must either
enter in a number from 0 to 999 or N/A . If you are upgrading from
a previous version of SCBA Trak, all of these fields that you left blank
have been marked N/A automatically. You must also enter data in the
"Certified . . ." and "Battery . . ." fields. These can no longer be
left blank, and cannot be marked NA .
2. Recompiled the program using the latest version of the language product
that SCBA Trak is written in. The earlier versions had a bug that
could cause a lockup when used with DOS 6 and the EMM386.EXE memory
manager. Briefly, the DOS 6 version of EMM386.EXE could be configured
in such a way that SCBA Trak thought expanded memory was available for
use, when it wasn't. When SCBA Trak tried to use the non-existent
memory, a lockup would occur at program startup or very shortly
thereafter.
Because of this new language product version, all of the index files
will be recreated the first time you use this version. The file
extension for the index files has changed from .NTX to .NSX .
These new type index files are called "compound, compact indexes." The
previous fourteen index files have been replaced by just five files,
and the information is stored in the index files in a compressed format,
resulting in significantly smaller index files for most users. One user,
whose index files totaled over 700K of disk space, now has index files
using just 102K of disk space. If you have just a few of each item, you
may not find much of a change in your disk space usage at all.
3. Added a "<record> of <total records>" counter to the top of the
"Browse/Edit All <whatever> Inventory Records" displays.
EXAMPLE: When paging through the air bottle inventory, the message at
the top of the display used to read "Bottle Record Inventory Browse",
regardless of which record you were looking at. The message now reads
"Bottle Record Inventory Browse - 36 of 118" (assuming you were on the
thirty sixth record of a total of one hundred eighteen bottles). This
will help you know how many records you still have to look at.
4. Changed the ordering of some of the columns of data used in the "Browse/
edit..." functions to place the more critical information on the screen
when you first select this function. Added a "wrap" feature to these
functions. If you are using the right cursor arrow key to view columns
that are off the screen, and you hit the right most column, the display
will now wrap back to the beginning column with the next right arrow key
press. Previously, you had to use the left arrow key to get back to the
beginning. Once you try it, you'll see what I mean.
5. Enhanced the operation of the "Browse/edit . . ." functions regarding
detection of bottles that are overdue for hydro test, past their
ultimate life date, or overdue for a visual check; of PASS units that
are overdue for battery changes or functional test; and of masks and
back packs that are overdue for certification or visual check. The
relevant date for these items will now blink in red (blink in black
for monochrome monitors) if the item is overdue. If information
critical to determining a due date is missing, such as the "Last
Certification" date, the "Last Battery Changed" date, the "Certified
Every xx Months" field or the "Battery Changed Every xx Months"
field etc., the word MISSING is shown in yellow to warn you that the
data is incomplete. If you have marked the "Visual Every xxx Days" field
as N/A , the column will just show two dashes ( -- ). Some
of the other reports now have coloring added to the dates if it helped
the readability.
Also, a new line has been added to the bottom of this display. If
there are bottles currently overdue for hydro testing or past their
ultimate life, if there are masks or back packs currently overdue for
certification, or if there are PASS units currently overdue for a
battery change, this new line will appear and blink a warning message.
This will alert you to items which need immediate attention, but may
not be visible on the screen you're looking at.
Remember, if the first character of the "Last Known To Be On:" or
the "Assigned To:" field is the star ( * ), those items will NOT
be flagged as needing attention, as in *Missing .
6. Enhanced detection of your air bottles that are overdue for hydrostatic
testing or past their ultimate life (fifteen years for composite air
bottles.) When adding new bottles to the inventory or browsing through
the inventory, SCBA Trak will now issue a warning if the air bottle you
are currently looking at is either overdue for hydro testing or if its'
ultimate life has expired. When adding your bottles into the fill log,
SCBA Trak will also issue a warning if either of these conditions exists.
Remember, these determinations are based on the data in the inventory.
If your inventory file has not been updated for a hydro test that was
performed, the warning will still be issued.
7. When adding or browsing through the back pack or mask records, a
warning box has been added to alert you if the "Last Certification" or
"Certified Every xx Months" fields have been left blank. When adding or
browsing through the PASS unit records, a warning box has been added to
alert you if the "Battery Last Changed" date or the "Battery Changed
Every xx Months" fields have been left blank in the PASS unit inventory.
8. Added a check to the air bottle and fill log "Last Hydro Date" fields
to assure you cannot enter a date that has not yet passed. Added the
same check to the air bottle "Original Hydro Date" field.
9. Added a new "Inventory summary by PASS unit model" report to the PASS
unit report menu. This new report shows you how many different models
of PASS units you have, and the quantity of each model.
10. Removed the "Filled By" field from the air bottle inventory data entry
screen. Added the "Last Visual", Visual By", and "Visual Every xxx
Days" fields to replace it. Many organizations are now performing
yearly internal visual inspections of their air bottles as required by
the Compressed Gas Association and some OSHA programs. Recording this
information will help them stay in compliance.
A new report, "Report on Bottles Due Or Almost Due For A Hydro Test
Or Visual Insp." has been added to the air bottle reports menu. All
bottles needing a hydro within the next two months or needing a visual
within one month from "today" will be shown here.
(The previous report "Report on bottles due or almost due for hydro
test or refilling" has been renamed to "Find all bottles due for
hydro test or refilling" for the sake of consistent useage throughout
the program.)
11. The report "List of bottles requiring a hydro test through a specified
date" has been renamed to "List of bottles requiring a hydro or visual
through a selected date". The format of this report has been changed
slightly to add a new "Visual Due By:" column. Those users performing
visual checks can now use this report to project bottles which will
be coming due for visual as well as hydro.
12. Enhanced detection of network file locks by giving the user a dialog
box whereby they can retry opening a file instead of just aborting
back to the menu. For the sake of speed, each inventory file is
opened exclusive. Since the fill log requires use of the air bottle
inventory file only when adding bottles, the air bottle file is only
locked by the fill log when adding bottles. In previous versions, the
air bottle file was locked anytime you were using the fill log module.
13. Added a new key combination, Alt+N . Using this combination from the
main menu will rebuild the list of names used in the "Last Known To
Be On" and "Assigned To" fields. Previously, after editing these fields
to correct typos or remove obsolete names, you had to quit the
program, erase the file NAMELIST.DAT, and then restart the program to
recreate the list of names.
14. Added new key combinations Alt+S & Shift+F9 . Using either of these
combinations will shell you to DOS from all menus and data entry
screens. This function actually swaps the SCBA Trak program out of
conventional memory and stores it in either extended memory, expanded
memory, or as a last resort, as a temporary file on the disk. Thus,
you will have all but around 8K of your total memory available. The
temporary file is about 600K in size and is marked with a READ ONLY
attribute to prevent accidental erasure while in the shell. If you
have sufficient extended or expanded memory, the swap usually takes
less than one second. If the file must be stored on the disk, it can
take several seconds. To return to the program, type EXIT and press
the Enter key, just like the prompt says.
15. Added the key combination Alt+F4 as an alternative to the combination
Alt+X as a way to "fast quit" the program without having to return
to the main menu.
16. Added a "help" screen to show you what key combinations are available
in SCBA Trak. The F1 key or Alt+H key combination will bring up this
screen from most places in the program.
17. Some users have bottles in the inventory file which do not belong to
them, but which they fill and maintain. When entering these bottles
into the fill log, the "last filled" information in the air bottle
inventory record would not be updated because the owner's name was not
assigned to the F1 key. Now, when entering any bottle into the fill
log, the air bottle inventory is automatically checked to see if there
is a bottle with the exact same working pressure and serial number. If
so, and the I.D. number of the fill log record exactly matches the air
bottle record OR the fill log I.D. number is blank, you'll get a dialog
box asking if you want the air bottle inventory information updated.
The "Owner:" name now appears on the maintenance history report.
18. You can now tap the space bar to cycle the cursor bar through the menu
selections, in addition to using the cursor "down arrow" key.
19. The operation of the "Find all bottles due or almost due for hydro test
or refilling" report has changed slightly. Previously, all bottles with
a duration of less than thirty minutes were excluded from the "needs
refilled" portion of the report. Since NFPA 1500 restricts firefighting
activities to SCBA systems with a duration of at least thirty minutes,
this was done to avoid nuisance warnings from the older 1800 psi and
2015 psi bottles.
With the small ten minute duration "emergency escape" systems being
used more, primarily in confined space rescue, these bottles couldn't
be flagged as needing refilled. Now, all bottles that haven't been
filled in the past two and a half months, and where the DURATION isn't
marked as N/A , will be flagged as needing refilled.
Also, previously the DURATION entry required at least two digits. That
restriction has been removed so you can enter 5 minute bottles as just
a 5 instead of 05 .
20. If you try to add an item to the inventory and the serial number or I.D.
number is already entered, the program used to beep and tell you the
entry was a duplicate, and then erase the new entry. Now, it does the
same thing, except it shows the serial number or I.D. number of the
duplicate entry so you can check it out. You also need to press the
space bar now to erase the entry and return to the menu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.01 Feb. 22, 1993
------------ -------------
1. Changed the automatic data file conversion function (applicable only
to registered users who were using my previous program SCBABOTL) to
insure proper conversion in certain network configurations. Users of
SCBA Trak v2.00 will get the "data files need conversion" message the
first time they run this version.
2. Added a new key combination option, Alt+O, which allows registered
users to print out an order form for someone else to use. This key
combination only works from the main menu.
3. Eliminated the references to the old NFPA 1500 "three month rule",
which required air cylinders to be refilled at least once every three
months, since this requirement has been removed. The reports still
remain in case anyone is using them.
4. Corrected the problem where the second and subsequent pages of a few
of the multi-page reports only had one item printed on them. (v2.01a)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2.0 Feb. 22, 1993
----------- -------------
SCBA Trak (tm) is a complete rewrite of my previous program, SCBABOTL,
which tracked air bottles and PASS units. A completely new user interface
has been added, as well as new modules for tracking back packs and masks.
Speed and reporting have been greatly improved. Since the program now
handles much more than just the air bottles, I changed the name also.
If you are now a user of SCBABOTL, your current data files can be read by
SCBA Trak, but need conversion to the new format. If you are a registered
user of SCBABOTL, the program will automatically convert your files the
first time you use SCBA Trak, after you give your permission. Automatic
conversion of data files is NOT available to unregistered users of SCBABOTL.
I suggest you read the manual completely as there have been many significant
changes and additions since the release of SCBABOTL version 1.42.
Registered users of SCBABOTL are automatically registered users of
SCBA Trak. You can use the same instructions I gave you with your SCBABOTL
registration to turn off the SCBA Trak commercial.
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