Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/database/manage1.zip/README.1ST

Text File | 1986-08-09 | 6KB | 112 lines

                             M E M O R A N D U M

                                                         June 1, 1986

FROM:   STEPHEN M. LEON
        200 Winston Drive - 1707
        Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
        [phone] (eves)



        One of the nice things about contributing software to the public
domain rather than selling it, is the fact that one does not have to go
through the hassle of doing documentation.

        Property Manager for dBASEII worked.  We have not really changed
it (other than to use the features of dBASE3 and Clipper).  It seems to
work. There are always bugs and we would appreciate your help in locating
same before we officially release the version in the Fall.  (For example,
we had to recompile the final version when we found a bug in Clipper.
Seems as if Clipper moves the screen over on a SET MARGIN TO command and
it was messing up the screen displays. The fix was to reset the margin to
the default.)

        The program assumes that you know something about property manage-
ment, accounting and computing. There are help screens at every menu, but
some things we just assume.  For example - you are in the real estate
business.  We assume that you will have enough sense to open your journals
with your opening asset and liability picture.  We keep a check on your
debits and credits - but after you get the feel of the program, you have to
wipe out the sample data and put in the real stuff.

        On a hard disk, set up the program in its own directory. If you
are using dBASE3 set the path to where ever you dBASE is. On the Clipper
version, it makes no difference. (I tested it only on Plus which means it
will run on Plus and 1.2 (Developers Release.  It should run on 1.1 - but
you should upgrade to Plus if you have any sense.)

        On a floppy, put the *.PRG files and dBASE on 'A' and the .DBF
files on 'B'. For Clipper, put the .EXE file on 'A' and the .DBF files
on 'B'.

        The program will ask you for the Company name and default drive
(I didn't give you room for a path command to the default - I though it
might cause more problems than it solved.)  It will then reindex all of
the files. If you are in Clipper, it will create Clipper index files. If
in dBASE, you will get dBASE index files.  If you shift - it will always
create a new index files.

        We have noticed on startup with some machines (HP for example)
that there will be a Clipper index error on initial startup. (Clipper
has had a lot of problems with index files on high performance drives,
notwithstanding their repeated assertions that the problems have been
solved. If you do, tell the program to ignore the error, go to the
Maintenance Menu, and reindex.)

        After you startup the first time, play around with the data we
have provided.  When you think you have the feel of it, go to the mainten-
ance menu and run the First Initialization module. Then do the same thing
on the accounting maintenance menu. At that point you are on your own.

        If you have not used Clipper, try the Clipper version.  l have a
fear of Clipper index files and in some of the accounting modules we use
the command 'CLOSE INDEX.'  If you run into index problems with Clipper,
(they show up as as error message in the upper corner with the cryptic
prompt 'Q/A/I' (Quit, Abort or Ignore).  NEVER ABORT (it does not close
index files). If Ignore doesn't work - hit Quit and go into maintenance
and reindex. (With all its problems - Clipper is the greatest improve-
ment to dBASE since dBASEIII. Unless you are multi-user, use the Clipper
version.)

        If you have bugs or suggested changes, please drop me a note. I
will put it out in the PC/BLUE library officially in the Fall of 1986,
and intend to do what I did with the DB2 version - continually update
it with minor modifications, but not reissue the version in the library.
When someone asks me for an updated version, I send it to them.

        If you recompile with Clipper, you will note that the codes
that create the lines on the screens and the browse command (the
Clipper version does not allow browse - the workaround from the
Clipper people has too many bugs) will cause compiler errors. Just
ignore them since the Clipper version cannot reach those errors. If
you decide to make custom changes, and don't have Clipper - send me
the changes, a disk and return postage and I will compile them for
you.

        This version is going to the people who wrote me or called and
indicated they were interested in the dBASE3 version I had promised. I
thank you all for your patience - and hope you enjoy the program.

                                                      Aug. 8, 1986

        We discovered that Clipper sets the screen margins when you
set the print margin - so we set all margins to 0 after printing in
the report menu.  Had a complaint that we did not talk about the
CONFIG.SYS file. You should have a file in your root directory called
CONFIG.SYS.  It should contain these two lines:

                             files = 20
                             buffers = 15

        You can't run dBASE, Clipper, Newword and most good things
without this file. It was also pointed out that Control 'Q' is not
an exit out of Clipper - only Control 'W'. Control 'Q' is the normal
dBASE exit - hence both.