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1989-10-20
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Version 7.0
Serial Number CISIBMAPPV70-1.
+------------------------------+
| VIDEOCAT Registration Form |
+------------------------------+
Registration fee: $20.00.
You may try out this program free of charge for a reasonably
brief evaluation period. If you decide that you want to continue
to use it on a regular basis, please fill out this form and
return it with your check for $20.00 payable to W. A. Jackson to:
W. A. Jackson
6529 Matilija Avenue
Van Nuys, California 91401
Registration entitles you to use the program, get technical
support and receive future upgrades, all in accordance with the
terms and conditions set forth in the User Manual. The
registration fee is refundable if you are dissatisfied with the
program for any reason within 90 days after registration.
Name: ________________________________________
Company:* ________________________________________
Street Address: ________________________________________
City/State/ZIP ________________________________________
Telephone:* ________________________________________
Preferred Disk Format: _____ 5.25" _____ 3.5"
Do you want to receive the source code?* _____Yes _____No
(If you are not experienced in C Language programming, the source
code will be of no interest or value to you.)
Are you interested in being a "Beta" tester?* _____Yes _____No
(Beta testers are users who try out new versions prior to general
release and report problems and suggestions).
Where did you obtain your copy of VIDEOCAT?*___________________
_______________________________________________________________
Comments/Suggestions:* ________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
* Optional entries.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT
Videocassette Catalog Program
Version 7.0
DOS - OS/2 Bound (FAPI) Program
USER MANUAL
_______
____|__ | (tm)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
William A. Jackson
6529 Matilija Avenue
Van Nuys, California 91401
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page i
_________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What this Program Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Minimal Instructions for the New User in a Hurry . . . . 2
Minimal Change Summary for the Old User in a Hurry . . . 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Known System Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Compatibility with Prior Versions . . . . . . . . . . . 5
License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Warranties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ASP Ombudsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
General Tips on Running VIDEOCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
If You Have Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Source Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Development History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
FUNCTION DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A - Add a record to the catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Star 1 LAST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Star 1 FIRST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Star 2 LAST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Star 2 FIRST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Star 3 LAST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Star 3 FIRST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Director LAST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Director FIRST name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Subject Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Form Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
MPAA Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Rating Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Color Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Format Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cassette No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Index No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Comment Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Verification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
C - Change a record in the catalog . . . . . . . . . . . 19
D - Delete a record from the catalog . . . . . . . . . . 20
F - File Conversion from Prior Versions . . . . . . . . 21
G - Configuration Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Color/Mono Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Form Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Subject Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Disk Paths for Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Printer Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
L - Label Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
R - Review Current Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page ii
_________________________________________________________________
S - Search Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
T - Tally Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
U - Update Data Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
W - Whole Catalog Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
E - Exit from program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
WHAT IS SHAREWARE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
ASP MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ASP Software Support Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
ASP Registration Payment Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
ASP Policy on No Crippling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
ASP Ombudsman Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
ASP Misc. Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 1
_________________________________________________________________
GENERAL INFORMATION
What this Program Does
______________________
VIDEOCAT is a specialized database program designed for
cataloging a collection of movies or similar materials stored on
videocassettes. Each record contains the following information:
- title
- year of release
- subject type
- form type
- quality rating
- MPAA audience rating code
- actors (maximum 3 names)
- director
- cassette number
- index number on cassette
- color/black & white
- sound type
- running time
- video/film format
- free-form user comments (3 lines)
Using the program's Add function you build a data file of
records containing this information for items in your video
collection. Other functions permit you to Change or Delete
records previously entered.
While the program is on-line you can use the Search function
to get a screen or printed listing of records which match search
criteria which you specify. For example, you can get a listing
of all comedies, or all movies with John Wayne, or all movies
released in 1939. You can also cause the program to print a hard
copy complete catalog to use when the program is off-line.
There is also a label-printing utility which can print
labels for your videocassettes. A variety of standard and
special label formats are supported.
Configuration routines allow you to specify the paths where
your files are located, force monochrome operation on a color
display, set up special control sequences for your printer,
change the subject and form descriptions, and display system
data.
Other utilities perform an analysis of your collection and
convert data files created under Version 5 or Version 6 of this
program so that they can be used under Version 7.
This program has been designed with large collections in
mind. Theoretically the program could handle date files with up
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 2
_________________________________________________________________
to 65,535 records. For all practical purposes the number of
records is limited only by available disk space, with each record
taking up 384 bytes.
Note that this program is for cataloging YOUR collection.
The small demo file included with the distribution package is for
demonstration purposes only. A surprising number of users assume
that this is a database of all videos available for rental and
write complaining that I haven't included enough videos.
When I first released VIDEOCAT, I think it was the only
program of its type. Others have come along since, some of which
are very good. I think that there are four things advantages
which distinguish VIDEOCAT from some of the alternatives: (1) the
size of the data file is limited only by the availability of disk
space; (2) no special labels or other supplies need to be
purchased from the publisher; (3) the program can be run in
either real mode (DOS or the OS/2 compatibility box) or OS/2
protected mode; and (4) source code is available. As of October,
1989 I believe that VIDEOCAT is the most fully-featured program
available; however that advantage can evaporate quickly as other
programs are enhanced.
Minimal Instructions for the New User in a Hurry
________________________________________________
Okay, you just downloaded this program and you want to see
what it can do right away without reading a lot of documentation.
For a quick demo, put the files VIDEOCAT.EXE and VCATDEMO.DAT on
the current path and type VIDEOCAT <return>. The instructions
which appear on the screen should be sufficiently informative to
permit you to fool around for a while and check out the various
features. You will see the message "No previous setup found - use
demo data file? (Y/N) -> ". Enter Y if you want to run a demo
with the sample demo data file.
If you decide you want to use the program to catalog your
own videocassette collection, you can either enter the
Configuration Menu (choice G on the Main Menu) or exit the
program and run it again, this time entering N when asked if you
want to use the demo data file. You might also read the rest of
this manual.
Minimal Change Summary for the Old User in a Hurry
__________________________________________________
Okay, you've used Videocat before and you don't want to read
the whole manual to try to figure out what's new. Here's a quick
summary:
- The new demo routine uses the special file
VCATDEMO.DAT to avoid any danger that you
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 3
_________________________________________________________________
will overwrite your own data file when
installing an update with sample data file.
- If the program finds an existing
configuration file, it uses it automatically
without asking you to verify the path
configuration. If you do want to change the
paths for your data and work files, you can
do so through the Configuration Menu (select
G from the Main Menu).
- The Configuration Menu also gives access to
new features to custom configure the subject
and form descriptions, force monochrome
operation even though you have a color
display, install custom codes to control your
particular brand of printer, and display a
variety of system data.
- The label printing function has many new
options for different label stocks and label
formats.
- You can now use lower case letters in data
entries if you want. The Update function has
options for case conversion for existing
records. The search function is case-
insensitive, so the use of upper and lower
case letters is significant for readability
only.
- Both the Search and Whole Catalog functions
give you an expanded choice of screen and
printer report formats.
- The Search function now permits a search for
a conjunctive combination of multiple search
keys.
- There are several new data fields in the
record structure, most significantly room for
three 60-character free-form comment lines.
System Requirements
___________________
Version 7.0 is a "bound" or "family applications program
interface" (FAPI) program; it will run under either DOS or OS/2.
Although the compiler guarantees compatibility only with DOS
Version 3.x, it appears to run correctly under DOS 2.10. and DOS
4.0.
I have not attempted to determine the minimum memory
requirement, since it seems as though just about everybody has at
least 640k installed, which is adequate. If you have a whole
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 4
_________________________________________________________________
bunch of device drivers, virtual disks and terminate-and-stay-
resident programs installed and reducing available memory, you
might have trouble.
This program has been tested on the IBM PC, XT, AT and PS/2
series of computers and a variety of clones. It should work on
close compatibles; however experience with user comments
suggests that some clones are not as compatible as claimed.
Although all testing has been on machines with color displays,
the program is intended to run on monochrome displays as well. I
have found that different brands of video adapters and monitors
render colors differently. Color combinations which look great
on my system sometimes appear dim and lacking in contrast on
other systems. Thus I have included a Configuration option to
force monochrome operation on a color system for those who find
the color rendition unsatisfactory.
The program could run with as little as one floppy drive;
however this would limit the size of the data file which could be
created. Dual drives or a hard drive will greatly increase
capacity, as will high density drives. A RAMDISK (VDISK) can be
used for temporary files to speed processing. The size of your
data file will be approximately equal to the number of records
multiplied by 384 bytes. You need to have enough disk space
available for your data file and a temporary work file of the
same size.
A printer is required if printed output is selected. You
can get along without a printer if you never select a printed
output option. Almost any standard printer should work
successfully for most routines. There is a Configuration option
which allows you to specify special control sequences to
initialize and restore your printer state and to turn an
emphasized print mode on and off. To use this option you will
have to dig into your printer manual to find out what to enter.
Those output options which offer special features for the Hewlett
Packard Laserjet II have not been tested on any other machine.
I have no idea whether they will produce satisfactory results on
laser printers which claim to be HP compatible.
Known System Incompatibilities
------------------------------
VIDEOCAT is rather memory-intensive and may not run
correctly if you have a small amount of memory installed or if
have little memory free because you have loaded numerous device
drivers and gadget programs that use up memory. One user reports
apparent conflict with TSR's (terminate-and-stay-resident
programs, such as Sidekick) which disappear when VIDEOCAT is run
without TSR's loaded. Several users have reported problems
running VIDEOCAT from program selector shells and menu utilities.
I suspect these are also TSR's. If VIDEOCAT does not load or
freezes after loadingrun correctly from a program selector, try
booting with fewer TSR's and device drivers and run VIDEOCAT
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 5
_________________________________________________________________
directly from the DOS prompt rather than from menu or program
selector shells.
These incompatibilities have only been reported when running
under DOS. No incompatibilities have been reported when running
under OS/2 protected mode.
Compatibility with Prior Versions
_________________________________
If you created a data file under a version of VIDEOCAT in
the 5.x or 6.x series, you must convert your existing
BASEFIL5.DAT to the current format in a file named VCATDATA.DAT,
which can be processed by Version 7.0. Use the command for File
Conversion in the main menu of the program. Note that if your
data file was created or converted under Version 4.x, you must
first use Version 5.x or 6.x to convert from BASEFILE.DAT to
BASEFIL5.DAT.
There are several new fields in the new record format. When
you perform a file conversion these additional fields will be
initialized in an empty state. Since they are all optional
entries, the program will work fine if you don't bother to add
these entries to your old records. You can, if you wish, use the
Change function to add data in the new fields.
If you were a "Beta" tester and have installed the test
version 7.0B, the good news is that the final release uses the
same data file format and you can continue to any data file you
created or converted under the Beta version. The bad news is
that there has been a change in the printer configuration file
organization, so if you exercised the option to custom configure
for your printer, you should do that over again or you may get
strange results.
License
_______
This is "user supported software", or "shareware". It is
NOT in the public domain but is protected under the copyright
laws of the United States. You are granted a limited license to
use, copy and distribute VIDEOCAT subject to the following
conditions:
1. You may make personal, non-commercial use of VIDEOCAT
during a reasonably brief trial period; if you become a
registered user (see Registration below), your license for
personal use becomes perpetual;
2. You may distribute copies to others who may also make
royalty-free use during a relatively brief trial period and may
obtain a perpetual license by becoming registered users;
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 6
_________________________________________________________________
3. You may upload copies of the applications package
(executable file and manual, but NOT source code) to electronic
bulletin boards and information services;
4. You may make a modified version of the program for your
own use only;
5. You may not modify the program or its documentation or
source code in versions you distribute to others;
6. You may not charge any fee for copying and distribution
of VIDEOCAT other than reasonable costs of copying, information
service online charges, shareware disk distribution charges, and
similar nominal costs not exceeding $10 for this program,
provided that you clearly disclose that the program is shareware
and that payment of your distribution charge does not excuse the
obligation to pay a registration fee to the author.
Registration
____________
VIDEOCAT is shareware. It is NOT free software. If you are
not familiar with shareware, read the "What is Shareware" section
towards the end of this manual. The author depends upon your
integrity in becoming a registered user if you choose to continue
using the program after a brief trial period.
The shareware concept is based upon the expectation that
users who test a program and decide they want to continue using
it will register with the author and send in a registration fee.
Electronic bulletin boards and disk vendors charge only for their
distribution services and do not pay any royalties to shareware
authors. Honest vendors explain this system clearly; shady
operators obscure it. If you did not understand that
registration and payment of a fee to the author was expected,
complain to the vendor you dealt with and any magazine in which
it advertises. Do not sent me a letter saying that you "bought"
VIDEOCAT from some disk distributor and now expect full support
without compensating the author.
Since this is essentially an honor system, your voluntary
compliance is fundamental to the continued viability of the
shareware concept which enables the economical distribution of
professional quality programs for special applications which do
not represent a large enough market to justify marketing through
conventional retail channels. VIDEOCAT would never have reached
its current stage of development without the support and
encouragement of registered users.
Aside from the appeal to your itegrity, there are several
practical advantages which I would suggest make it worthwhile for
you to become a registered user:
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 7
_________________________________________________________________
- The version you have may not be the most
current version; if it is not current, you
will immediately receive the most current
version by mail on disk as soon as your
registration is received.
- Registered users always get reasonably prompt
responses to questions and requests for help.
(Frankly, I do not have a lot of patience or
motivation in dealing with questions from
non-registered users.)
- Registered users always get the next
significant upgrade free of charge by mail on
disk shortly after it is ready for general
distribution.
- After the first significant upgrade,
additional upgrades will be made available to
registered users at a nominal handling charge
(currently estimated at $5).
- Registered users sometimes get an advance
peek at new features through interim editions
sent to them for "Beta" testing.
- Registered users often see their suggestions
reflected in changes to the program.
- Registered users are provided with complete
source code on request without additional
charge.
VIDEOCAT is not "crippleware" or "ransomware". The same
version is distributed to all and you do not have to pay extra to
get a version that really works.
Registration is accomplished by simply mailing the
registration form which is included in the documentation file
with a check for $20 to
William A. Jackson
6529 Matilija Avenue
Van Nuys, California 91401
$20 is a bargain. I have seen authors of clearly inferior
programs request two, three or four times as much.
This is a one-time royalty, although additional upgrades
beyond the first after registration may be subject to a nominal
handling charge. I make no guarantees as to how long or how
often future upgrades will be released and I reserve the right to
discontinue development and support of VIDEOCAT at any time.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 8
_________________________________________________________________
Warranties
__________
Did you seriously expect warranties with user-supported
software? Just to make sure that everything is perfectly clear,
this software comes without any warranties, express or implied,
including warranties of merchantability or suitability for
intended purpose. It is distributed to you "as is" and "with
faults". Under no circumstances shall the author be liable for
any consequential damages.
I do have a liberal refund policy (although no one has yet
asked for a refund). If for any reason you are dissatisfied with
VIDEOCAT within 90 days after registration, I will cheerfully
refund your royalty payment on request.
ASP Ombudsman
-------------
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006
or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536"
Installation
____________
VIDEOCAT.EXE is the only file you need to get started.
Paths are supported, so you can install it on any disk and
directory or subdirectory you want. When the program is run, it
will look in the currently active directory for the configuration
file VIDEOCAT.CFG and create a new configuration file if none is
found. The program will also create the data file VCATDATA.DAT
and the work file VCATDATA.TMP if these do not already exist. The
currently logged path is the default for these two files, but the
program will ask you if you would like to use different paths for
these two files and your choices will be recorded in the
configuration file. You can change these paths later from the
Configuration menu. If you have a data file which was created
under VIDEOCAT Version 5.x or 6.x, you should first convert it
using the File Conversion option from the Main Menu.
I will insert a brief description of paths, since this
subject is a mystery to some users new to computing. You can
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 9
_________________________________________________________________
organize a disk to have a multi-level file structure with
subdirectories to keep your root directory from becoming
cluttered with a large number of unrelated file names. You
create a subdirectory with the DOS command MD (Make Directory)
and the name of the subdirectory you want to create. You can
make a subdirectory the current directory with the DOS command CD
(Change Directory) and the name of the subdirectory you want.
The path is the complete specification of the path DOS must
follow to find a directory or subdirectory, with levels separated
by backslashes (\). If you want to make a subdirectory for this
program, then from the C> prompt on your hard drive enter MD
VIDEOCAT; to make it the current directory, enter CD VIDEOCAT.
Copy your VIDEOCAT files into that subdirectory. When asked by
the program to enter the path for your data file, enter
C:\VIDEOCAT. To return to your root directory enter CD C:\.
Note that the program distribution package comes with a
small data file VCATDEMO.DAT. This is for demonstration purposes
only. If the program finds this file and no preexisting
configuration files, it will ask if you want to run with the demo
file. If you answer Y, the demo file will be used and no
configuration files will be set up.
You can put the work file on a RAM disk (VDISK) if you want,
although recording it on permanent media provides a sort of
automatic back-up in case of damage to the base data file, as the
content of the two files is always identical except when an
update is in active progress. In the event of a power failure or
other mechanical error during an update, one of the two files
should be readable, as they are never both open for writing at
the same time.
Several features give a choice between printer and screen
output. When printed output is called for, the program directs
it to PRN:. If you have a parallel printer (most common type),
just turn it on and be sure it is connected and ready. If you
have a serial printer (typical of daisy wheel type printers), you
will need to run the appropriate DOS commands or OS/2 setup to
initialize your serial port and redirect PRN: to COM1: (or COM2:,
as appropriate) BEFORE running VIDEOCAT. See your DOS manual or
printer manual for details. VIDEOCAT has no built-in routines
for selecting and initializing a serial printer. Note: most
users have a parallel printer, and all you have to do is be sure
it is turned on and ready to print. If your printer is not ready
or properly connected, any of a number of things will happen: (1)
you will get a warning message either from the program or the
operating system telling you that there is a problem with the
printer; (2) the program will hang up; or (3) you will find that
output is being sent into the Twilight Zone. Also note that if
you do not have a printer, the program will work fine as long as
you never select printer output.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 10
_________________________________________________________________
General Tips on Running VIDEOCAT
________________________________
VIDEOCAT is run by simply entering VIDEOCAT from the prompt.
This version adds a quick-start option which can be used to
bypass the three opening title and information screens and go
directly to the main menu. To use the quick-start option, add
the command line argument Q after the program name, i.e. type
VIDEOCAT Q and then hit return. The Q argument should be
separated by one or more spaces from the program name and can be
either upper case or lower case (or, for that matter, can be any
word beginning with an upper or lower case letter Q). I
recommend that you not use the quick-start option until you are
comfortable with the program and its installation.
The program is menu-driven. Each menu option is described
in detail in this Manual. Brief descriptions appear on the
screen which may be enough if you are fairly intuitive and don't
like reading manuals. Remember that new data adding, changing or
deleting records in the data file will not be reflected in the
disk file until the Update function is invoked. If you exit from
the program without updating, all new data you have entered will
be lost and the disk data file will remain unchanged.
All items of input data can be any combination of letters
and numbers. If your entry is not legal for the particular
response requested, you will be prompted to enter it again. All
entries are buffered, meaning that they are not acted upon until
you hit the Return (or Enter) key. Before hitting that key, you
can backspace and change your entry. Leading and trailing blanks
are always ignored; however blanks between non-blank characters
are treated as significant. Letters can be upper or lower case.
The menus and Search functions ignore the case of letters. Thus
if a particular menu choice you want to select is code 'A',
entering either 'A' or 'a' will have the same result. Only
certain entries are mandatory (title and year); others can be
omitted by simply hitting return. If, for example, there is only
one actor in a film, you do not have to enter any additional
names when prompted for the second and third actor names.
It is prudent to make a backup copy of at least the data
file on another diskette. If your collection is large, you will
spend many hours building your data file. Physical damage to the
disk or abnormal termination during an update could result in
loss of your entire data file. If you have a backup, you will
not have to reconstruct the entire data file but only the items
added since the last time you made a backup copy. BACKUP DATA
FILES FREQUENTLY! If you have a casualty to your data file and
your workfile, VCATDATA.TMP, is undamaged, you may be able to
replace the damaged base file by simply using the DOS commands
COPY or RENAME to generate a new VCATDATA.DAT.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 11
_________________________________________________________________
If You Have Trouble
___________________
My experience with users has convinced me that most
questions can be answered and problems solved by simply reading
and following the Manual carefully.
Next to failure to read and follow the Manual, the most
common cause of trouble is a not-so-compatible compatible. I do
not have either the time or the opportunity to test this program
on every kind of clone produced in the garage workshops of
Taiwan. I have eliminated all direct calls to the BIOS, which
should reduce compatibility problems. The most common
manifestation of compatibility problems is a messed-up screen
display: either very strange color combinations or characters out
of place. In most cases these problems do not prevent the
program from being functional. Try using the configuration
routine to force monochrome operation and see if that cures your
problems.
VIDEOCAT is rather memory-intensive and may conflict with
other programs which stay resident in memory. See the note on
known system incompatibilities above.
Some user problems do indeed uncover bugs in the program. I
encourage you to report suspected bugs with a fairly complete
description of the problem, the circumstances under which it
occurs, and relevant information about the computer system you
are running it on. If you discover a bug due to my programming
error, I will fix it as soon as possible.
You can send questions, complaints, comments and suggestions
by regular mail to the address given above. If you are a
Compuserve subscriber, you can send E-mail to me at account
number 71571,1234. Users who provide PARTICULARLY VALUABLE bug
reports or suggestions for improvement MAY be placed on my
subscriber list even if they made no voluntary royalty
contribution payment. That is the only reward for contributing
ideas.
Source Code
___________
Registered users will be provided with the complete C
language source code for the current version of VIDEOCAT on
request. Previously I uploaded some earlier versions on bulletin
boards. More recently I have decided that access to the source
code should be one of the privileges of registered users, so I
will not be making the source code available by any means other
than diskette in response to a registered user request.
Version 7.0 calls OS/2 functions, so at the moment the
Microsoft C Compiler, Version 5.1, is the only compiler which I
am sure can handle it. There are some other OS/2 C compilers
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 12
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coming onto the market, but I have not tested any other than
Microsoft. If you are a programmer but use a different compiler
or are not running OS/2, you might want to send me a note that
you want the source code for VIDEOCAT Version 5.0; that version
was written to compile successfully under either Microsoft C,
Borland Turbo C, or Computer Innovations C86PLUS.
The source code is extensively commented. I have gone to
great lengths to use mnemonic data names and make program logic
clear.
Users who are not programmers will not find the source code
useful.
Development History
___________________
I first wrote VIDEOCAT to catalog my own video collection.
Friends started asking me for copies, so I spruced it up a bit
and started distributing it as shareware.
Versions 1 and 2 were written in UCSD Pascal for the Apple
II series of computers. Versions 3 and 4 were written in C and
complied with the Computer Innovations C86 compiler for the IBM
PC family of computers. Version 4.0 was the first to be
published. Version 4.1 quickly followed to correct a user-
reported bug. Version 4.2 added support for multiple drives to
permit the creation of larger data files and also added printed
output options.
Version 5.0 added support for paths and the current
configuration routine. It was also developed so as to compile
successfully under three widely used compilers: Microsoft C;
Borland Turbo C; and Computer Innovations C86PLUS. Because of
differences in the way that these compilers implement data
structures, the only way to get all three to produce identical
data files was to change the record structure to fit on even
word boundaries. This necessitated a file conversion routine for
data files created under the Version 4.x series. Versions 5.1
and 5.2 incorporated a number of convenience and aesthetic
changes.
There were two major changes in Version 6.0. Most
significantly, it was developed under OS/2 as a "bound" or
"family" program. It should run under either DOS or OS/2 without
any apparent difference. The second major change was adding a
label making facility.
There were several interim 6.x versions which were
distributed for "Beta" testing only.
Version 7.0 made a number of additions to the record format,
including a free-form comment field, enabled the use of lower
case letters, added new display and printer configuration
options, added new output options for video and printer output
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 13
_________________________________________________________________
(including support for labels specially designed for
videocassettes), permitted search by multiple search keys, and
made a number of cosmetic improvements, as well as numerous
programming changes not visible to the user.
Reports from Beta testers of Version 7.0 showed an
interesting change from prior correspondence: instead of
suggesting new features to be added, most suggested relatively
minor adjustments to make existing features smoother and more
convenient. One even complained that the program now has too
many features!
Future changes will probably involve acting on a number of
user suggestions that I just haven't gotten around to. Now that
the Presentation Manager version of OS/2 is available, I may
start working on a PM version. Mouse support is a possibility.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 14
_________________________________________________________________
FUNCTION DESCRIPTIONS
A - Add a record to the catalog
_______________________________
This is the basic function for adding a record to the
catalog. It can be a video item other than a motion picture, but
in general the formats used in this program are primarily adapted
to theatrical motion pictures. Note that records created by the
Add function are temporarily stored in RAM and not actually
placed in the data file until the Update function is performed.
The Add function is invoked by entering A <cr> while you are
in the main menu. [note: either 'A' or 'a' can be entered; '<cr>'
indicates a carriage return, a key which may be labeled either
"Return" or "Enter" on your computer] The initial response will
be a message telling you to get ready to enter data for a movie
record and to hit <cr> when you are ready to continue. Then
various items of data will be requested.
Title ->
________
Enter the title of the movie or other item. The maximum
size is 40 characters; the program will not permit you to enter
more. It is suggested that the words "A", "An" or "The" at the
beginning of a title be appended to the rear after a comma. For
example, instead of entering "THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI",
enter "BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE". This keeps the
alphabetical sequence a little more meaningful. For an episode in
a series, it is suggested that the series title be entered first,
then the episode title. For example: "STAR TREK: GAMESTERS OF
TRISKELION" and "STAR TREK: SPOCK'S BRAIN".
Note that since the program sorts the titles in ASCII
(American Standard Code for Information Interchange) sequence,
titles beginning with punctuation marks or numeric characters
will come before titles beginning with alphabetical characters.
Thus the movie "1941" will be placed near the beginning of the
catalog before titles beginning with letters and not in the N's
as is common in the organization of published movie guides.
The title is a mandatory entry; the program will not accept
a record lacking a title. More than one record can have the same
title (thus allowing for remakes), but the program will not
permit two records to have both the exact same title and year of
release. Minor variations in the title field will allow
cataloging of several versions of the same film. For example:
"TOPPER" and "TOPPER [COLORIZED]"; "A STAR IS BORN [EDITED FOR
TV]" and "A STAR IS BORN [UNCUT]"; "CITIZEN KANE [COPY 1]" and
"CITIZEN KANE [COPY 2]"; etc.. Likewise you can indicate when a
title continues over more than one cassette, e.g. "GONE WITH THE
WIND [PART 1]" and "GONE WITH THE WIND [PART 2]".
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 15
_________________________________________________________________
The title field can also be used to keep track of blank tape
segments. For example, if you decide that "PORKY'S" isn't worth
keeping, just use the Change function to change the title field
to read "BLANK - 94 MINUTES". You can then use the Search
function to find all listings which have the word "BLANK" as part
of the title field, then use Change again when something new is
recorded in the same space.
Year ->
_______
Year is intended to be the year of release of a production,
normally expressed as 4 numeric digits, e.g. "1939". The program
treats the year as a 4-byte character string, so non-numeric
characters will not be rejected.
Year is also a mandatory entry, as the combination of title
and year constitutes the "key" for identifying and sorting
records. If you don't know the year for sure, either look it up
in a published movie guide or make a reasonable guess. You must
enter something.
Star 1 LAST name ->
___________________
The program allows for recording the names of up to three
actors and one director. The first prompt asks for the LAST name
of the first of the three actors. The maximum combined length of
the first and last names is 30 characters; any excess length will
be truncated from the first name. In response to the LAST name
prompt, enter the actor's last name, including prefixes and
suffixes which are properly part of the last name. For example:
"VON STROHEIM" and "FAIRBANKS, JR.".
Note that you could use the name fields to enter some other
type of descriptive data which is meaningful to you. One user
who catalogs educational material uses the name fields for the
names of courses in which the tape is used rather than actor
names. The addition of the comment filed in Version 7.0 is
intended to make it unnecessary in the future to bootleg comments
in the name fields.
Star 1 FIRST name ->
____________________
Now enter the first name. For example, "ERIC" and
"DOUGLASS". If middle names or initials are important, they
should be appended to the FIRST name. For example: "LESLIE ANN"
and "GEORGE C.".
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 16
_________________________________________________________________
Star 2 LAST name ->
Star 2 FIRST name ->
Star 3 LAST name ->
Star 3 FIRST name ->
Director LAST name ->
Director FIRST name ->
______________________
Respond to these in the same manner described above. Note
that these entries are all optional and can be omitted by simply
hitting <cr>.
Subject Code ->
_______________
A list of character codes corresponding to 42 enumerated
subject categories will be displayed on the screen. Pick the one
which seems most appropriate and enter the corresponding single
character. If you enter an illegal code, the query will recycle
until you enter a legal code. This is an optional entry, so
simply hitting return without having entered any code is a legal
response, and the record simply will not have a subject code. If
you don't like the selection of subject descriptions, you can use
one of the configuration routines to change them, but do so
cautiously.
Form Code ->
____________
A list of character codes corresponding to 24 enumerated
form descriptions will be displayed on the screen. As in the
case of subject code, you must enter a legal code or the request
will recycle. It is also an optional entry and you can skip it
by simply hitting <cr> with no code entered. You can also custom
configure the form descriptions.
MPAA Code ->
____________
A list of character codes representing the audience
suitability ratings of the Motion Picture Association of America
will be displayed. Once again, selection of an illegal code will
cause the menu to recycle, but skipping this entry by simply
hitting <cr> is permitted.
Rating Code ->
______________
A list of character codes will be displayed corresponding to
8 enumerated rating descriptions. The rating system is one
commonly used in movie guides and TV schedule listings. Whether
you rate a movie based on your personal opinion or that of
professional critics is up to you. This entry is optional.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 17
_________________________________________________________________
Color Code ->
_____________
A list of character codes corresponding to 4 types of color
characteristics will be displayed. You can pick one or skip this
item by simply hitting return without a code.
Format Code ->
______________
A list of character codes corresponding to 14 types of film
and video formats. You can pick one or skip this item by simply
hitting return without a code.
Minutes Length ->
_________________
This entry may be up to 3 characters long and may be any
combination of numbers and letters, although it is recommended
that the characters be numeric and represent the running time in
number of minutes.
Cassette No. ->
_______________
This entry may be up to 4 characters long and may be any
combination of numbers and letters. It is recommended that you
use numeric characters only. It can be omitted, although in the
cataloging of a large collection this is the most useful single
piece of information. So far only one user has complained that
this is not a large enough field. Perhaps some day there will
be a more powerful version of this program for collections
exceeding 9999 cassettes. If you include non-numeric characters,
you may cause unintended effects on range selection aspect of the
label printing utility.
Index No. ->
____________
This entry may also be any combination of letters and
numbers up to 4 characters in length. It is recommended that you
use numeric characters only. If you have multiple items on the
same cassette you may either place the tape counter number or the
sequence number. By sequence number, I mean coding the first
movie "1", the second "2", and so on. Fanatics may prefer to use
tape counter numbers. This entry is optional, but I strongly
recommend that you use it. When the Label function prints a
label for a cassette it will print multiple items in Index Number
sequence. Using non-numeric characters in this field may produce
unintended effects on the sorting sequence for label printing.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 18
_________________________________________________________________
Comment Lines
_____________
The program will next display a small text editor window in
which you can write free-form comments in 3 lines of 60
characters each. The cursor can be moved using the arrow keys,
Home, End, and the Enter/Return key. Text can be deleted using
the Delete or Backspace keys. Text entry is in typeover mode.
Hit the Esc key when finished. NOTE: if you find that the
operation of the backspace or delete keys does not seem correct,
avoid using these keys.
This field can be used to store any other data (e.g. Oscars
and other awards) or a short plot summary, or any other
information you might want to file with the record. Since you
can search your data file for information contained in the
comment lines, this is an easy way to add new kinds of search
keys, such as names of script writers, musical score composers,
production studios, etc.
Verification
____________
After all the items of data have been entered, the complete
record will be displayed on the screen for verification. You
will have three action options: accept the record as is; change
the record (in which case you will see a display like that
discussed below under the Change function); or discard the record
without attempting to change it.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 19
_________________________________________________________________
C - Change a record in the catalog
__________________________________
The purpose of the Change function is to change the data
recorded for a record already in the catalog. Any item can be
changed. To invoke Change, enter C <ret> when in the main menu.
You will be asked to enter the title and year of the record to be
changed and warned that unless they exactly match an existing
record the change procedure will be aborted.
After you have entered the title and year of the record to
be changed, the program searches for it and displays it if found.
You will be prompted to indicate which data field you want to
change. Items which are currently empty can also be filled in at
this time. After selecting an item and entering a change, the
record will be redisplayed with changes. You can continue to
make additional changes to the same record until you enter the
code indicating that you are finished making changes.
Note that the Change function searches the base file and not
pending transactions for a record to be changed. Thus you cannot
change a record which you have just entered as an add but have
not yet processed to the base file through an Update. Changes
are not effected in the base file until after an update. If you
Exit before Updating, your changes will be lost.
Note also that the Change function actually generates two
transactions: a delete transaction for the existing record and an
add transaction for the changed version. This will become
visible to you if you use the Review function to inspect pending
transactions.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 20
_________________________________________________________________
D - Delete a record from the catalog
____________________________________
The purpose of this procedure is to delete a record which
already exists in the catalog disk file. It will not delete a
record which is merely in the current work batch awaiting an
update.
To invoke delete, enter D <ret> when in the main menu. You
will be warned that you must enter the title and year of an
existing record; if there is not an exact match, the delete
transaction will be discarded. Note that the match must be
EXACT, character for character (including all embedded spaces and
punctuation). These data items are entered in the same way as
described under the section on the add procedure. The program
will search for a matching record and display it if found and ask
you to confirm that this is the record you wish to delete.
Deletes, like adds and changes, are not effectuated
immediately but are stored in RAM until you invoke the update
function. If you exit without updating, the transactions will be
lost and the disk file unchanged.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 21
_________________________________________________________________
F - File Conversion from Prior Versions
_______________________________________
A data file (named BASEFIL5.DAT) which was created under a
version of VIDEOCAT in the 5.x series or 6.x series must be
converted to a new format before it can be used with Version 7.0
of the program. There was no change in format from the Version
5.x series to Version 6.x. If you have a data file created under
Version 4.x (named BASEFILE.DAT), you will need to first use
Version 5.x or 6.x to convert to the file format used in those
versions (BASEFIL5.DAT), then use Version 7.0 to convert to the
latest format (VCATDATA.DAT). If you have never used a previous
version of VIDEOCAT, you do not need to be concerned about file
conversion at all.
If you have a data file created under Version 5.x or 6.x, it
is named BASEFIL5.DAT. It must be accessible for file
conversion, but need not be on the same drive or path as the
program. Enter F <ret> from the main menu and follow the
instructions displayed. Your old file will not be changed, but a
new version in the new format will be created under the name
VCATDATA.DAT. Because the record format has been made larger,
your new data file will be larger than your old one, even though
the new data fields will be empty until you change them. You
should make sure that you have free disk space available for a
new data file about twice the size of your old one.
Note that you only need to perform file conversion once. It
is suggested that you keep a copy of the old BASEFIL5.DAT as a
backup just in case of some problem, but all future additions and
changes should be made to VCATDATA.DAT. No provision has been
made for conversion from the new format back to the old, as it
would seem to serve no useful purpose.
File conversion is a nuisance, but is necessary when the
record size is changed. A few bytes of the space I added this
time has been reserved for future use, so it may be possible to
avoid another file conversion in the next upgrade.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 22
_________________________________________________________________
G - Configuration Changes
_________________________
This is a collection of new features added in Version 7.0 to
respond to users who wanted more options to custom configure
VIDEOCAT for their needs
Color/Mono Display
__________________
A few users have had problems with readability of displays
because of the color rendition on their systems. If you have
this problem, chances are you would be better off with VIDEOCAT
operating in a monochrome mode. This choice on the configuration
menu allows you to do that. If you choose monochrome operation,
a file will be created to save this choice so that the program
will automatically start in that mode in the future. You can
change back and forth as many times as you wish.
Form Descriptions
_________________
Subject Descriptions
____________________
These two options permit you to re-define the subject and/or
form descriptions which are used in the program. Although the
descriptions written into the program ar adequate for collections
composed of a variety of theatrical motion pictures, some users
have very specialized collections (educational, adult, etc.) and
would like to change the set of subject and form descriptions to
permit a more detailed classification scheme particularly adapted
to their material.
These changes are recorded in configuration files created
when you use this option. I caution you to plan carefully before
using this feature, as frequent changes in subject and form code
definitions may introduce hopeless confusion in your data file.
If you play with this feature and then decide that you would like
to go back to the original definitions, just erase the files
VCFORMS.CFG and VCSUBJS.CFG and things will go back to normal.
Disk Paths for Files
____________________
The first time you run VIDEOCAT (other than in the demo
mode) you will be automatically asked if you want to specify
paths for your data and work files. Once these paths are stored
in a configuration file, VIDEOCAT will not ask you to set or
change them unless the configuration file cannot be found or
contains invalid path information. This option in the
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 23
_________________________________________________________________
Configuration Menu allows you to change the paths specified for
your data and work files. Before running the program you should
make sure that you have created any new subdirectories you plan
to use and have copied the appropriate files to the paths you
intend to specify.
The program is intended to give you the opportunity to
correct errors in path specification from within the program.
If, however, things seem to have become hopelessly messed up, you
can return to the initial installation routine by erasing the
file VIDEOCAT.CFG and starting the program again.
Note that if you have installed the program or its data
files on removable media (floppy disk or removable hard drive)
and change the slot in which the media is inserted, the drive
identifier may change, causing your previously verified path
configuration to become invalid and confuse the program.
Printer Configuration
_____________________
This option allows you to specify control sequences to be
sent to your printer and the beginning of a print job, at the end
of a print job, to turn emphasized printing on and off, and to
select a special print mode for label printing. If you use this
option, these codes will be sent to your printer during each
print job and the titles in printed output will appear in
emphasized type; labels will be printed in whatever mode you have
chosen (e.g., condensed print).
In order to use this option you will have to dig into your
printer manual (or possibly a technical reference manual which
must be ordered separately) to find out what control sequences
can be used for special effects on your printer. You will be
asked to enter those codes in decimal ASCII values by this
configuration option. The form of the codes you enter must be a
series of DECIMAL NUMBERS separated by spaces. Do not enter
hexidecimal numbers! If your printer manual lists these control
sequences in non-numeric form (e.g. "Esc E") you must use an
ASCII conversion table (which seems to be an appendix in
virtually every computer programming book) to convert to decimal
ASCII numbers (e.g. "Esc E" = 27 69). If you have a Hewlett-
Packard LaserJet, note that when Hewlet-Packard Printer Control
Language calls for a number to be inserted in a command string,
it is the ASCII character representation of the number. For
example, a pitch value of "16.66" characters per inch has the
ASCII representation 49 54 46 54 54. Multiple control strings
can usually be concatenated; you printer will probably recognize
that each Escape character (ASCII 27) signals the beginning of a
new command.
If none of this makes any sense to you, don't try to use the
printer configuration option; just use your printer in plain
vanilla mode or invoke special features through switch settings
rather than software control.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 24
_________________________________________________________________
Note that if you used this feature in the Beta test version
7.0B, you should run the printer configuration option again as
the organization of the printer configuration file was changed in
the final release version.
If you run the printer configuration routine and then
experience strange printer behavior and wish you hadn't tinkered
with this option, you can simply erase the file VCATPRNT.CFG and
reset your printer to its normal state to get back to the way
things were originally.
System Information
__________________
This feature enables you to view a lot of information about
your computer's hardware and operating system configuration. It
provides information only.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 25
_________________________________________________________________
L - Label Maker
_______________
The label maker is invoked by entering L <ret> from the main
menu. You will be asked to enter the range (lowest, then
highest) of cassette numbers for which you wish to produce
labels. This function uses a great deal of memory to sort the
titles out by cassette and index numbers, so there is a limit to
how many labels you can process in a single run. This will vary
according to the amount of memory available in your computer and
under your operating system. As a rough rule of thumb, I would
suggest that you not print labels for more than 200 cassettes at
a time. If you get a "running out of memory" message, try again
with a smaller number. The very first time you use this
function, I would suggest that you limit the range to 10 or 12
cassettes just to be sure that your printer setup is working
properly.
If you have followed my recommendation to use only numeric
characters in cassette numbering, the sequence will be pretty
predictable. If you include alphabetic characters, you may have
to give more thought to how you would designate ranges. All
entries are right-justified and padded with leading blanks; the
sequence is ASCII.
Before the labels are printed, you will be asked to chose
among various output options depending on the type of printer and
labels you are using. These choices make a considerable
difference in the format of the labels.
If you used the printer configuration option under the the
Configuration menu, the control code you specified will be sent
to the printer before labels are printed and the normal control
code will be sent to the printer after the labels are printed.
This enables you to set your printer to condensed printing mode
in order to get more information on small labels, if you know how
to specify the right control sequence.
You can get acceptable results using the option for
continuous form 3.5 x 15/16 inch labels. This is the size most
commonly used for address labels and is readily available. I
recommend you use tractor-feed if you have it, as friction-feed
is less precise. Load the label strip so that the first printing
position for the print head would be just within the upper left
corner of the first label to be printed. The program will ask
for your printing pitch (pica, elite or condensed) and print as
much information as can be squeezed on the label. Some
information may be truncated (cut off) because of space
limitations. Titles will be printed in index number sequence
(i.e.in the order the movies are recorded). Titles without index
numbers will be printed in alphabetical order. If there are
more movies than can be printed on a single label, additional
labels will be printed for the same cassette number to continue
the listing. Make sure that your printer is ready before
commencing printing operations.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 26
_________________________________________________________________
For purists who never record more than one film per
cassette, there is an option to print only one record per label
and include more information.
There are some additional output options which require
special VHS or Beta spine label stocks probably not available at
your local computer store. Suggested sources of supply (I get no
commissions) are:
Virginia Specialty Products
P.O. Box 985
Vienna, Va 22180
[No telephone number available]
United Ad Label Co.
650 Columbia Street
P.O. Box 2216
Brea, Ca 92622
[(800) 423-4643]
There is also an especially elegant option for the Hewlett
Packard Laserjet II. I have not tested this on other brands
which claim to be HP compatible, so I don't know how serious
compatibility problems might be. The program uses HP printer
control language for this option which may cause unpredictable
results on other types of printers. The HP special option
requires the use of uncut (1 label per page) label paper designed
for use in laser printers. I use Hewlett Packard Laserjet
Labels, Reorder no. 92285W. You can mail order direct from HP if
you can't find them in stock locally. Avery produces a similar
product (get the uncut sheet, not the video labels). You can
also try a test run on plain paper before buying label paper.
Note that using labels not specially designed for laser printers
may cause damage. Note also that HP recommends that you open the
back "Face-Up" door of the HPLJ II to minimize paper jams and
internal wear when printing labels. If you want to try this on
any brand or model of laser printer other than the HP LaserJet
Series II, please read your manual carefully to be certain that
you are following all procedures prescribed for label printing.
The program will print up to 13 labels on a sheet in a size
custom designed to fit the label area on the spine of a VHS
cassette. After printing, you will have to cut your labels out
using scissors or a paper cutter. The print font used is one of
the standard internal fonts, so you don't need any font
cartridges or soft fonts. The font is selected by the program
and your own default settings will be restored after the program
finishes printing labels.
As in the case of all printer output, VIDEOCAT uses the
device PRN:, which is normally the primary parallel port (LPT1:).
This is the usual and most common printer interface. If your
printer is connected to a secondary parallel port (LPT2:, etc) or
to a serial port (COM1:, COM2:, etc.) you must use the
appropriate DOS or OS/2 commands to initialize your port and
redirect PRN: before running VIDEOCAT. If you are trying to run
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 27
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a serial printer under OS/2, good luck! [If you didn't
understand anything in this paragraph, don't worry; chances are
you have a common printer setup which will work fine.]
R - Review Current Changes
__________________________
The purpose of this procedure is to review changes, adds and
deletes which have been entered but not yet processed to the disk
file through an update.
To invoke the Review function, enter R <cr> from the main
menu. The transactions awaiting posting will be displayed on the
screen. This is useful to remind yourself of what you have
already entered and to confirm that you want to process the
changes to the disk file before doing so. There is no provision
for editing these pending transactions. If you find that you
have made errors, your choices are: (1) update anyway and correct
the errors in a subsequent batch; or (2) exit without updating
and discard the entire batch of pending transactions.
Note that there are two kinds of transactions displayed:
adds and deletes. The Change procedure actually generates two
transactions: one to delete the old record and a second to add a
new record reflecting the changes.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 28
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S - Search Catalog
__________________
The purpose of the Search function is to search through the
data file for those records which match some specified search
criteria and display or print out the matching records.
To invoke the Search function, enter S <cr> from the main
menu. The search menu will then appear giving you a choice of
search keys. You can specify as many as you want. The keys are
used conjunctively, so if you choose the subject Western and the
name John Wayne, only entries which satisfy both criteria will be
displayed.
Note that when you search by title or by comment, the search
is for any record which contains the key you enter as a
substring. Thus entering "WAR", for example, would match with
"WAR AND PEACE", "WAR GAMES", "WARRIORS", "WARM HEARTS, COLD
FEET", and "PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR BENSON, THE", all of which
contain the "WAR" character sequence somewhere within the title.
When you are not sure of the exact title of a movie, this makes
it possible for you to search by entering only as much of the
title as you are sure of. Similarly, this permits searching the
comment field for fragments of information, such as "Oscar". The
search is not case-sensitive, so "Oscar" will match with "Oscar",
"OSCAR", "oscar", "OsCaR", etc..
For name searches, no distinction is made between the Star1,
Star2, Star3 and Director fields. If the name you enter matches
any of these fields, the record will be considered a match.
You will be given a variety of screen and printed output
options to choose from. If your collection is large, you may
find that it really speeds things along to use one of the short
output options (1 line per record showing only title, year,
cassette and index). The usual advice applies to printed output
options.
Note that if the search finds no matching items, there will
be no output at all before you are returned to the main menu.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 29
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T - Tally Statistics
____________________
The purpose of the Tally function is to compile and display
certain statistics about the composition of your entire video
collection. The statistics shown include tables of numbers and
percentages for subject, form, and rating. Tables are also
displayed listing names of actors and directors and years of
release in order of frequency. In a large collection, these
tables can occupy many screens, so you will be prompted to
indicate whether you want to continue to the next screen of the
current table or quit and proceed to the next statistical
routine.
The algorithm used to construct a list of names or years
sorted in frequency order uses a great deal of memory. In the
event that available memory is exhausted, the routine will
continue, but will only be able to increment the count for names
and years already encountered. Thus if your collection is large
and available memory limited by your computer or operating
system, the name and year tables may not be entirely complete.
The algorithm also has a "Big Oh" in excess of 1, which is fancy
computer science lingo for a program whose processing time
increases more than proportionally as the volume of data
increases. This happens because each time another record is
analyzed, the lists of names and years to be searched and
rearranged is larger than before. Those of you who are
programmers may be interested to know that the algorithm involves
doubly linked lists with continuous bubble sorting. If anyone
has a more efficient solution, I'd like to hear about it. You
will find this function really slows down after processing a few
hundred records. I have designed the function to display the
title from the record it is currently working on so that you will
see something happening on the screen and know that progress is
being made, rather than wondering if your computer has died.
The Tally function does not give you a built-in choice of
printer output, but it does pause each time the screen is full
and you can use Shift-Print Screen to print the screen content
before continuing if you want to keep a hard copy.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 30
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U - Update Data Base
____________________
The purpose of the Update function is to update the disk
data file with the adds, changes and deletes entered during the
current session. These transactions are held in memory for batch
update to the disk file in the interest of efficiency. As the
disk data file grows larger, the time consumed by a file update
increases significantly. Batch updating minimizes the amount of
physical reading and writing of disk files. Do not forget to
Update before exiting from the program, however, as the current
change transactions are in volatile memory and are not
permanently recorded until an Update is performed.
To perform an Update, enter U <ret> from the main menu.
Update uses a temporary data file to merge the old base file with
the new transactions, then writes the temporary file back to the
base file. At this point you will have the opportunity to select
case conversion options to be performed during the update. If
you have a converted data file created under a previous version,
you can change either the titles or the actor/director names or
both converted from the previous all-uppercase to lowercase with
leading characters capitalized. In most cases this will result
in correct capitalization (although the capitalization algorithm
cannot recognize that some words -- such as Roman numerals -- are
intended to be all caps). If you don't like the result, you can
change back the next time you perform an Update.
While the Update is in progress the screen will display the
number of the record currently being read from or written to the
base file so that you will know what is going on and that
progress is being made. If there should not be enough room to
create the temporary file, the function should abort without
altering the base file. If there should not be enough room to
write the entire temporary file back to the base file, the base
file will be incomplete, but the temporary file will be complete
and you can copy VCATDATA.TMP to VCATDATA.DAT after making some
room. An abnormal termination (e.g. a power loss) during the
update may result in making one of the files unreadable
(whichever one was open for writing at the time).
I have rarely had an error resulting in data loss; however
this is a good time to repeat the warning that making frequent
backups of your base file is a good way to minimize the
consequences if it should happen. The most common error I make
is neglecting to be sure that there is enough room for the
creation of the workfile on a VDISK which I also use for editor
backup files. This is when the multitasking capability of OS/2
really comes in handy, because I can invoke the session manager
to change to another screen group without terminating VIDEOCAT,
clean up the file space problem, and then return to VIDEOCAT
exactly where I left off. Under DOS I would have to exit from
VIDEOCAT and lose the current transactions in order to clear out
space on the VDISK.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 31
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W - Whole Catalog Listing
_________________________
The purpose of this function is to list all the records in
the entire catalog in title sequence. A variety of screen and
printer output options are available (the same options as in the
Search function). Note that if your collection is large, the
display of complete data, and especially the printing of a hard
copy catalog with complete data, can take quite a while. You may
find it more efficient to use the short format options unless you
really need all of the data displayed. During a long print-out I
recommend that you not leave your printer unattended in case of a
paper jam or ribbon break, events which seem to happen, in
accordance with Murphy's law, only when you decide to step out
for a coffee break during a long print job.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 32
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E - Exit from program
_____________________
The purpose of this function is to terminate the VIDEOCAT
program and return to DOS or OS/2. If you have entered any adds,
changes or deletes during the current session, be sure to Update
before Exiting. If you can't remember whether you have pending
transactions, use Review to check. If the program detects that
you have unprocessed changes pending, it will ask if you want to
update before exiting. An Update is not performed automatically
because you may make a deliberate choice not to update because of
errors in data you have entered.
To Exit, enter E <cr> from the main menu. The Exit function
does give you one chance for second thoughts if it detects
unprocessed changes; otherwise it proceeds directly to terminate
the program. If you indicate that you do wish to update files,
the update function will be called and the program will terminate
when it is completed.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 33
_________________________________________________________________
WHAT IS SHAREWARE?
[Reproduced from a Publication of the
Association of Shareware Professionals]
This file will help you understand what shareware is and how
the "shareware system" works. It was written by the Association
of Shareware Professionals (ASP -- a professional association of
shareware authors) at the request of the Shareware Distribution
Network (SDN -- an association of BBS Sysops providing reliable
distribution of shareware around the world), for the express
purpose of giving BBS users a better understanding of shareware.
You've probably heard the terms "public domain", "freeware",
"shareware", and others like them. Your favorite board probably
has many programs described by one or more of these words.
There's a lot of confusion about and between these terms, but
they actually have specific meanings and implications. Once you
understand them you will have a much easier time navigating the
maze of programs available to you, and understanding what your
obligations are, or aren't, with each type of program.
Let's start with some basic definitions.
"Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning. It means
that the creator of a work (in this case, a piece of software)
who had legal ownership of that work, has given up ownership and
dedicated the work "to the public domain". Once something is in
the public domain, anyone can use it in any way they choose, and
the author has no control over the use and cannot demand payment
for it.
If you find a program which the author has explicitly put
into the public domain you are free to use it however you see
fit, without paying for the right to use it. But use care -- due
to the confusion over the meaning of the words, programs are
often described by others as being "public domain" when in fact
they are shareware or free, copyrighted software. To be sure a
program is public domain you should look for an explicit
statement from the author to that effect.
"Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain. A
copyrighted program is one where the author has asserted his or
her legal right to control the program's use and distribution by
placing the legally required copyright notices in the program and
documentation. The law gives copyright owners broad rights to
restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for
penalties for those who violate these restrictions.
When you find a program which is copyrighted you must use it
in accordance with the copyright owner's restrictions on
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 34
_________________________________________________________________
distribution and payment. Usually these are clearly stated in
the program documentation.
Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging
a fee, so it is perfectly possible and legal to have copyrighted
programs which are distributed free of charge. Such programs are
sometimes termed "freeware", though this term was in fact
trademarked by the late Andrew Flugelman and the legality of its
use by others could be questioned. In any case, the fact that a
program is free does not mean that it is in the public domain --
though this is a common confusion.
"Shareware" is copyrighted software which is distributed by
authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors,
and copies passed among friends. It is commercial software which
you are allowed to try out before you pay for it.
Shareware authors use a variety of licensing restrictions on
their copyrighted works, but most authors who support their
software require you to pay a "registration fee" -- the purchase
price of the software -- if you continue to use the product after
a trial period. Some authors indicate a specific trial period
after which you must pay this fee; others leave the time period
open and rely on you to judge when you have decided to use the
program, and therefore should pay for it. Occasionally a
shareware author requires registration but does not require
payment -- this is so-called "$0 shareware".
The shareware system and the continued availability of
quality shareware products depend on your willingness to register
and pay for the shareware you use. The registration fees you pay
allow authors to support and continue to develop their products.
As a software user you benefit from this system because you
get to try the software and determine whether it meets your needs
before you pay for it. Authors also benefit because we are able
to get our products into your hands with little or no expense for
advertising and promotion. As a result it is not unusual to find
shareware products which rival retail software that costs several
times the amount of the shareware registration fee.
ASP members' shareware meets additional quality standards
beyond ordinary shareware. Our members' programs must be fully
functional (not crippled, demonstration, or out of date
versions); program documentation must be complete and must
clearly state the registration fee and the benefits received when
registering; members must provide free mail or telephone support
for a minimum of three months after registration; and members
must meet other guidelines which help to insure that you as a
user receive good value for your money and are dealt with
professionally. We also provide an Ombudsman program to assist
in resolving disputes between authors and users. For more
information on the ASP or to contact the ASP Ombudsman, write to
ASP, P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006. You can also contact the
Ombudsman on CompuServe via an EasyPlex (electronic mail) message
to 70007,3536.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 35
_________________________________________________________________
ASP MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
[Reproduced from a Publication of the
Association of Shareware Professionals]
The following are the general standards that ALL ASP authors
(full members) have agreed to follow. Each was passed by at
east a 2/3 vote of those members voting and is binding on all
authors. They consist of a support policy, a policy on payments,
a policy on no crippled software, an Ombudsman policy and some
miscelleaneous items:
**** ASP Software Support Policy ****
1. All ASP members' shareware products must provide
support (included in the purchase price) for a minimum
of three months from the date of registration. If the
support is by telephone, there may be a limitation on
BOTH the total connect time and the period after
purchase during which it is available without
additional cost so long as the connect time is at least
30 minutes during the required three months. Support
may be provided for a fee after this initial period has
elapsed. The support policy must be clearly stated in
the shareware documentation.
2. Support during the initial period may be one or more of
the following:
- mail support
- telephone support (if this is the only
support provided, at a minimum an answering
machine must be available 4 hours per day;
this support may be limited to thirty
minutes of connect time at the option of the
author)
- for communications products, or ones
associated to a communication product by BBS
or major communications service
- by any alternate method approved by the Board
of Directors by a two thirds vote (of those
directors voting)
3. The minimum level of support required by this policy
involves answering questions and fixing serious bugs
during the minimum three month period. For problems
involving a specific hardware or software environment
or feature, the author may choose not to modify the
program. In that case, if the report is within three
months after purchase, then the author shall offer to
refund the user's purchase price.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 36
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4. Any money sent to an author to register an unsupported
product shall be promptly returned with an explanation
that the product in question is no longer supported.
5. Known incompatibilities with other software or hardware
and major or unusual program limitations are noted in
the documentation that comes with the shareware
(evaluation) program.
**** ASP Registration Payment Policy *****
1. The Documentation must clerly describe how to register
the product and what goods and/or services the user
will receive for registering.
2. Fees must be expressed in fixed monetary amounts.
Voluntary payments or contributions may not be
solicited, although phrasing such as "if you use and
like this product, please register" is allowed.
3. Muliple levels of registration may be set, as long as
each level individually satisfies the above two
requirements.
**** ASP Policy on No Crippling ****
The principle behind shareware is "try before you buy." ASP
believes that users have a right to try a fully functioning
sharewre program in their regular computing environment.
Accordingly, ASP authors agree that:
(1) The executable files (and/or items linked in
with executables) in their shareware and
registered versions will be the same (with
the exceptions noted below)
(2) All the program's features will be fully
documented.
(3) Registration encouragement procedures which
in the judgment of the Board are either
unreasonable or unprofessional are not
allowed.
Exceptions to a strict intepretation of this policy are as
follows:
- to save disk space, tutorial and additional
explanatory material may be left out of the
shareware documentation.
- the shareware version may have registration
encouragement procedures absent from the
registered version (or which can be
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 37
_________________________________________________________________
disabled with a code only provided to
registerted users).
- the registered version may include sample
files not included in the shareware version.
- if source code is offered with the registered
version, it may be withheld from the
shareware version.
- the author may provide two shareware
versions: one a small version which the
author designates the distributed version
in normal circumstances (e.g. language tools
in C only available in one model) so long as
the full shareware version is available from
some public source (possibly for a small
distribution fee) and may be copied for trial
purposes. The small version's documentation
must clearly describe how users may obtain
the full shareware version.
- the author may provide an enhanced retail
version of the program so long as it is not
(in the opinion of 60% of the BoD) merely an
attempt to circumvent this no crippling
policy.
- registered users may be provided bonus
utilities unrelated to (and which do not
change) the basic functionality of the
program.
- registered users may be given utilities which
provide a convenience but which are not
essential.
- exceptions approved by the ASP board of
directors by a 60% vote of those voting.
**** ASP Ombudsman Policy ****
1. The board shall set up the office of Ombudsman and
appoint someone to that position. The Ombudsman's sole
role shall be to mediate disputes between ASP members
and their customers. The Ombudsman shall report to the
board situations where he feels board action or
knowledge is appropriate.
2. All ASP members and vendor associate members are
required to cooperate with the Ombudsman when
approached by him/her.
3. If the ASP logo or name is used by any full member in
any ads/docs etc in connection with any shareware
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 38
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program, then that member shall include the following
statement with their shareware programs:
"This program is produced by a member of the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP
wants to make sure that the shareware principle works
for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-
related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP
Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem
with an ASP member, but does not provide technical
support for members' products. Please write to the ASP
Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send
a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536"
4. This statement is only required if the ASP name is
otherwise used by the author and it is only required in
programs and/or versions distributed as shareware. It
can be in any file provided with the shareware version
of the program. In additon, members are free to
include it in printed docs, ads and other mailings if
they wish.
5. The first sentence may be replaced by "<Member's name>
is a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP)." If an author's company is a
company member, then the company name may be used
instead of <member's name> if the policy applies.
6. If the ASP logo or name is used by any ASP approved
vendor in any ads/catalogs etc , then that vendor must
include the following statement with their catalogs and
newletters and is encouraged to include it with all
disks sold:
"Company X is an approved vendor and associate
member of the Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware
principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a
shareware-related problem with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute
or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide
technical support for members' products. Please write
to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA
98006 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP
Ombudsman 70007,3536"
**** ASP Misc. Standards ****
The program has been thoroughly tested by the author and
should not be harmful to other files or hardware if used
properly.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson
VIDEOCAT Version 7.0 Page 39
_________________________________________________________________
Any discussion of the shareware concept and of registration
requirements is done in a professional and positive manner.
The program author will respond to people who send
registration payments, as promised in the program's
documentation. At a minimum, the author will acknowledge receipt
of all payments.
The author will keep the ASP apprised of changes in mailing
address and of any changes in the status of his programs.
Copyright (C) 1986-1989 W. A. Jackson