Shareware Overload/ShartewareOverload.cdr/database/srinfo14.zip/FASTART.DOC

Text File | 1990-09-06 | 9KB | 184 lines

So you want to get down to business...
Good idea!!

We suggest that you print out this file. It's only a few pages long.

SR-Info can be run from floppy drives. Only the files SRI.EXE and SRI.MSG
are required. However this guide will assume a hard disk and drive C: as
an example.

Create a directory off the root and switch to that directory.
These DOS commands will do the job:
    CD \
    MD SRI
    CD SRI

Unzip the files SRI.ZIP, SRIHELP.ZIP, and DEMOPRGS.ZIP. The manual can be
unzipped later.

Enter SRI
   The signon screen will stay on until you press Function key 10. We
   want you to read about us.

When you see the cursor on the line following "1>" you are 'at the one prompt'
and ready to key in commands. Press the ENTER key after each command.

Try some. These assume you have unzipped the demo programs disk.

    USE COMDESC   this opens a file with one line about each command
                  and function
    USE#2 MEMBERS  this is a fictional membership list opened in select area 2
                   SR-Info allows six data files to be opened at one time.

    STAT           The status display show information about open data files,
                   memory variables, and more.

    Keep pressing the RETURN or ENTER key until you again see the 'one prompt'.

    SELECT 2       We want to view the member file before we do anything as
                 serious as looking at commands. Note that the 'one prompt'
                 should now be a 'two prompt'.

    EDIT           The EDIT command displays one record at a time. Take time to
             study the HELP window. The notation is concise.
             ^<HOME> means press down the CTRL key and the HOME key
             together (CTRL first,keep it down and press HOME).

             Try pressing ^<PgDn>
             This will add a record and take you into the APPEND mode--
             same as EDIT but adds new records. Why not add a few of your
             own 'members'. Back up with PgUp to return to edit mode.
             Press the END key to return to the two prompt.



    SELECT 1 Now lets look at the brief command reference.

    BROWSE   You now see a screen full of records, one line for each.
             The HELP window is almost the same as in EDIT. We have
             tried to keep the keystrokes the same for both commands.
                In fact, you can build many applications, with these as
             your 'work horse' commands. Learn the variations
             BROWSE TEXT and EDIT TEXT and your applications will
             become more customized and sophisticated.

             Experiment with the keystrokes. PgUp and PgDn move you
             between records. The Up and Dn arrows move you between
             fields of the same record. (so do the TAB and shift TAB
             keys - a new feature added since the HELP screens were last
             edited. CAUTION!-don't edit the SRI.MSG file. There are
             trailing blanks on many lines that affect screen layout.
             Make changes at your own risk!

             Press the END key or one of the other keys to end the BROWSE
             session. Most special keys (e.g. the function keys) will
             cause SR-Info to exit BROWSE or EDIT. The exit key is saved
             in a system variable :KEY and may be read by your programs.
                You can decide your next action based on the key used. (See
             the MENU demo program for an example.)

    MODIFY    We are getting serious here! Don't modify important files
              without first backing up! A power or system failure could
              result in lost data.
                 We are going to add two new fields to the COMDESC file.
              PgDn to a blank field and create a new field called USED.
                 Choose type C (character) and width 1.
                 Add a second field NOTES, also type C, but width 60.
              Press the END key. The last blank field will be ignored.
                 Type 3 is OK, so press the enter key and watch the
              modification occur.

    EDIT      -to look at modified records one at a time.

    Return to the command line or one prompt and enter

    BROW      Note that commands can be shortened to four characters. This
              will not work with functions.
                You new fields will not fit on the screen. To see them,
              press ^L. Of course, they are all blank filled until you
              add something. Go back to EDIT, find the EDIT and BROWSE
              commands and fill in the new fields. You want to keep doing
              this as you try new commands and functions.



   You say you don't like the order of presentation! Good!

   INDEX ON COMMAND TO COMDESC
              Go back to BROWSE. The order should be better. Of course
              you could modify the file again and add a new field to
              distinguish between commands and functions, say FUNCORCOM
              and index on FUNCORCOM+COMMAND. Or you could index on ...

    Let's run one of the demo programs.

    DO MENU        Note that DO launches a program from the command line.
               After a few seconds you should see a menu.
                  You can select in two ways. Move the 'light bar' up
               and down with the Up and Down keys. Press the ENTER key
               when the light bar is on your choice. Many other special
               keys (like the function keys) will also work. Note that
               option zero cannot be chosen this way.
                  The second selection method is the press a number key. This
               works for options 0 through 9. Options greater than 9
               must be selected by moving the light bar.
                  Experiment with the menu choices, and work your way back to
               the command line (the one prompt).

    QUIT       This gets you out of SR-Info

    SRI        The lesson is almost over. Get back to the command line.

    COMPILE MENU
               This creates a file MENU.CPL which SR-Info can read and
               execute very quickly. If there is no CPL file, we build
               one when a program is started (the few second delay
               mentioned above) and throw it away.

    DO MENU        You should see the program begin much more quickly.
               Back to the command line ...

    WRITE MENU
               You are now looking at the MENU.PRG file with the SR-Info
               built in editor. Note how to get help.
                  The editor is not designed to persuade you to throw away
               your word processor or text editor. It is a modest editor
               with some special strengths.
                  It is internal to SR-Info. So it is always available.
               Thus it can be invoked in your programs to allow users
               to create memos, etc. It can be used when programming
               to make corrections. In fact, when errors are detected
               and WRITE is invoked, the file opens positioned near the
               error.
                  The Alt-F combination can be used to format program
               files with regular indentations. We strongly advise
               use of this feature. It will help solve nesting and
               unmatched structure statement problems (e.g. a
               missing ENDIF to go with an IF)
                  The ^P combination provides program printouts with
               headers and form feeds skipping over perforations.
               Leave WRITE - the END key will exit saving changes.
               ^Q will exit without saving.


    HELP!
               VP-Info has on-line help. To get help from the command
               line just enter HELP. If you are clear on the topic
               you want help with specify that as well.
               e.g. HELP BROWSE

               If VP-Info recognizes the the first four characters
               of what you key in, that's the help you will get.
               Note that VP-Info looks for commands before functions.
               e.g. HELP REPL will get you help on the REPLACE command.
               You must key in HELP REPLACE( to get help with the replace
               function.

    That's it! Try the sample programs. Read the sample programs. Call us
    at [phone]. We can also be reached via Compuserve - 72010,1323.
    (We will answer 'quickies' without registration. - but full support
    is part of what you buy when you register.)
       Good luck!
                                Sid Bursten and Bernie Melman