Copyright: Copyright ©1994, Desktop Solutions


Contents
Table of Contents

Introduction:

An overview of From scratch

What is shareware?

What does registering do for me ?

Installing From Scratch

Using From Scratch

Basic navigation with the mouse and keyboard

The Speedbar

Menus

Adding new recipes

Adding ingredients to a recipe

Changing existing recipes

Printing recipes

Converting the yield of a recipe

Finding a recipe when you know its name

Searching for a recipe by ingredient, part of name,  or keywords

The Shopping list manager :

Managing the items on your shopping list

Printing your list

The conversion table:

Using the conversion table

Changing the conversion table

Tools:

The FS Nutribase module

Saving subsets of your database in different directories

The backup and restore functions.

Converting from other recipe programs

Registering information :

How do I register?

Why should I pay for this if I already have it for free?

Technical information :

Language and tools used to create From Scratch

File compatibility


Using the conversion table

An option in From Scratch will convert from one measurement unit to another while re-sizing the yield of a recipe.  Ounces might be converted to pints, for instance, when a recipe is made larger. You can turn this option on and off by using the check box in the List/Options menu screen. If it is off,  the recipe's yield will be converted when you type in the appropriate number in the print options screen; however, the measurements will not be changed to any other unit. There is another option that controls a warning message that appears during ingredient entry - it is discussed below.


Printing your list
Printing the generic shopping list

The list is printed by selecting the List/Print Shopping check list menu item. It is always printed in two columns to preserve paper, and in draft mode to accommodate the speed of dot matrix printers.

Printing the ingredient shopping list

Another shopping list can be printed that will include all the ingredients required for a number of recipes. To produce this list, first mark the recipes you are interested in by pressing SPACEBAR while the recipe is current. Next use the option to view only marked recipes (the F11 key will do this quickly). Finally, use the option to print hopping list for all displayed recipes (F12 will do this quickly). You may then clear all marks from the recipes by using the Record/Clear all marks menu option.


Managing the items on your shopping list
Managing the items on your generic shopping list

From Scratch includes special features to allow you to create a shopping list that will save  you time every trip to the grocery.  The list of ingredients for a recipe can be a big help, of course, but it will only include the things you need to buy for that recipe. The Shopping List manager will help you design a shopping list that includes everything you need buy, regardless of what menu you are preparing. Then, you simply print out that list, and manually place check marks next to the items you need. Since the list is sorted and grouped by category, the list will be in sections that correspond the sections of your supermarket. This feature of From Scratch may become one of the most valuable tasks your computer can produce for you!

Producing the list is easy. Choose the List/Shopping list menu item, and a window appears similar to the one used for adding Ingredients to a recipe. It is described in the 'Adding new recipes' section. You can also directly change the category list by choosing List/Category.


Searching for a recipe by ingredient, part of name,  or keywords
Finding a recipe by ingredient, part of name, keywords, or anything else.

If you want to locate a number of recipes that meet a certain criteria, or find one when you don't know its name, use the File/Complete search menu option or the empty magnifying glass icon on the Speedbar. A window will appear that includes the following fields:

Recipe name containing

Ingredient containing

Keywords containing

Directions containing

Origin Containing

Notes containing

Time to prepare (in minutes) less than

Let's assume you'd like to isolate all the desserts that contain chocolate. You've already included DESSERT as keyword in all the dessert recipes as you entered them. All you need to do, then, is to enter DESSERT in the KEYWORDS section of the complete search window, and CHOCOLATE in the ingredient section.  You will see a window marking the percentage complete as the search takes place. Then the displayed recipe cards will reflect the isolated list. These are all partial terms. For example, anything containing CHOCOLATE and CHOCOLATE CHIPS will match the search term CHOCOLATE.  The status bar at the bottom of the screen will show the words 'Search set active', instead of 'All records selected', and it will reflect the number of recipes that were found.

There is also a 'Nutrition' button that will allow you to search by the nutrition information. When you choose to search by this information, consider the following:

The system will perform a 'smart' search automatically. For instance, if you type in 300 calories, it will look for recipes that are equal to or less than 300 calories. On the other hand, if you search for 6 grams of protein, it will look for recipes that are equal to or more than 6 grams. The search is smart enough to know the difference between them.

Nutrition information is optional, so blanks and zeros are treated differently.  Assume you've entered zero grams of fat into a recipe. Later, when you search for anything with 5 grams or less of fat, that recipe would be found. However, if you don't enter anything at all for fat  (or all spaces), that recipe would never show up as the result of a search initiated on the amount of fat. Users who view the DBF databases under other programs will see that the empty values are actually flagged as minus one in the database.

In order to reset From Scratch to view all the recipes again, use the check box marked 'Reset to include all recipes', press the F5 key, or use the File/reset search menu option.


Finding a recipe when you know its name

If you want to locate a single recipe, the fastest way to do so is to use the File/Quick Search menu option, or the magnifying glass icon with a dot inside it. You don't have to type the entire name - just the first few letters.  You may also begin a quick search by typing any letter or number at the main screen of From Scratch.


Changing existing recipes

Changing an existing recipe can be accomplished one of two ways:

Make the recipe current,  then use File/Modify

Double Click on the recipe title with the mouse

You should see the Recipe window, which is identical to the window that appears when adding a recipe. In fact, all other operations are the same when changing a recipe as when you are adding one.

You can change an ingredient in a recipe by selecting it with the mouse, or by using TAB and selecting with the spacebar (or clicking with the mouse), then selecting the EDIT button.

You delete an ingredient from a recipe by selecting it and selecting the DELETE button.

Each recipe name in the system must be distinct. As a result, if you try to change a recipe's name to an already existing recipe, you will receive an error message.

Delete an entire recipe by making it current and then choosing the File/Delete menu option, pressing the DELETE key, or clicking on the icon with an x through it. Whenever you are deleting anything in From Scratch, you will be asked to confirm the deletion. In addition, in order to confirm, you have to explicitly select the YES button. This will avoid accidental deletion due to a fast typist 'flooding' the system with keystrokes.

The Nutrition and Notes button are drawn in a bold font when the recipe has Nutrition or Notes information, to let you know that you may press these buttons to see this data.

Options you can set

You can choose your own colors, whether to display in card file format, whether to display titles from the bottom up, and whether to display the status bar and toolbar in the List/Options section. All these options are saved and will be used automatically the next time you run the program.  You may also switch back and forth between card and list formats by pressing the rightmost toolbar icon, or pressing the F6 key.


Printing Recipes

Printing is sent to the Windows default printer. You can set this by using the File/Setup printer menu choice, or by using the Setup button in the printer options screen.

Begin printing a recipe in a number of ways:

press the printer icon on the toolbar while the recipe is current

Use the F9 function Key

press the Print button on the recipe screen

Choose the Print/Recipe menu option

In most cases, simply press the OK button to send a recipe to your printer.

The printer options screen

The following options are available from the printer options screen:

Highlighted/All  recipes	Use 'All' to print all the recipes displayed. If  you have initiated a search that brought up five matching recipes, five recipes will print.  If you have no search active, then this option will print all the recipes in the database!
Draft Mode	This option will print the recipe in a simple format suitable for Dot matrix or slower printers - it essentially ignores all settings in the font section (see below).
Titles only	This option will print a simple one line listing of every title in the current search set, or all titles, if no search set was active.
Tag Line	this text may (optionally) be printed at the bottom of the page. If you are a registered user, and have personalized this copy of From Scratch, a space and then your name will appear after this text. You may turn off the Tag line option in the fonts section (see below).
Shopping list for all displayed titles	This option will print the ingredient list, for the yield you specify, for all the recipes displayed  You may restrict which recipes are displayed by using the search or mark features.
Print to file	This option will print the draft mode recipe to a file, prompting for a filename, and allowing the user to view it when complete. It is intended to allow the user to preview the conversions before printing it out.
Yield	A number entered here will become the yield for every recipe printed in this set. Leave the yield blank to have each recipe in the set print at its original yield.
Margins	The margins will be used for the recipes printed without the draft option.  The left margin can be enlarged to force the recipe to fit on a page will have holes punched in it for use in a loose-leaf binder. Because different printers each have 'unprintable' margins themselves, you will find that these margins are approximate. Laser printers generally add about 1/4" to the margin you enter in this screen. To print the recipe in landscape, choose File/Print setup, press the setup button, and make the selection there.
OK Button	This button will print the recipe, recipes, or list of titles.
Fonts:	This button allows you to adjust fonts (and other options) for the various sections of a recipe:

The fonts window

By selecting the section in the right part of this window, you may adjust the following options for any given section:

Font

Omit

Center

Line

Press the font button to set the font using the standard Windows font selections screen. You may choose any font or size, and adjust italics, bold, underline, color, and strikeout with this screen.

The other options will cause the selected section to be omitted, centered, or cause a decorative line drawn underneath the section. There is a 'VIEW' button that approximates how the recipe will look.

The Font options have no effect on printed output if you've chosen the draft print, recipe card, or print to file option.


Adding new recipes

To add a new recipe, begin by choosing File/New or selecting the plus icon from  Speedbar. The screen you'll see next contains the following:

Recipe Name (a required field)

Servings (a required field)

Oven temp

Origin

Time to prepare

Ingredient list with Add/Edit/and delete buttons

Directions box

Okay, Cancel, Print, Nutrition, and Notes Buttons

Keywords

As you enter information, use the TAB key to move to the next item, and the Shift-TAB key to move backwards. That this is different from DOS based recipe programs you might have used.

Using ALT key combinations for buttons:

Notice that the Add, Delete, and Edit buttons have certain letters underlined. This means that you can use the keyboard short cut ALT plus the highlighted letter to choose that button. For instance, if you want to add an ingredient to the recipe, you can do it one of three ways:

Click on the ADD button with the mouse

Use the TAB/BACKTAB combination until the ADD button is highlighted, and press ENTER

Hold down ALT and press the A key, since A is underlined on the ADD button

Entering the basic information

Now that you see the empty recipe screen, type the name of the recipe (required) and press TAB. Next, enter the number of servings (or yield) of the recipe. The servings field is not required. Now press TAB to advance to the Keywords field. Enter any words that you will help you find this recipe, or place it into a group that you'd like to browse. Examples might be BREADS, DIET, DESSERTS, or VEGETARIAN.

You may also want to enter the origin of the recipe (Aunt Mable, or Good Housekeeping are examples).

The time to prepare field can contain the number of minutes (i.e. 90), or the time in HH:MM format, i.e. 1:30 or 01:30. The system will always convert either to the number of minutes when the recipe is saved to disk.

Next you'll want to begin entering ingredients.


Adding ingredients to a recipe
Adding the ingredients to a recipe

From the Recipe screen, select the ADD button. You should see the ingredient window. It contains the following fields:

Amount

Measure

Ingredient

Preparation

In the Amount field, enter the amount of the ingredient. Fractions are okay, (up to and including eighths and thirds). Type them in the following format: 1 1/4, 1 1/2,1/2, etc.. Be sure you always leave a space between the whole number and the fraction. Press TAB to advance to the Measurement field.  You may also enter decimals - 1.5, etc. There is an option to print the recipe in either decimals or fractions, regardless of how you entered it. Once you press OK, the ingredient, measure, amount, and preparation will be added to the new recipe. The only required field here is the ingredient. You may enter 'separator' or 'continuation' lines by entering in the ingredient area only:

-- Dressing --

2	tsp	Dry mustard

Dijon may be substituted.

The conversion warning message

Depending on the measurement you've added and the way the options are set, you may see a warning that the measurement will not convert properly. This message is only meaningful if you plan to make use of the measurement conversion features of From Scratch. The system can change from 'quarts' to 'pints' while converting a recipe's yield, for instance, providing that the measurements 'quarts' and 'pints' are on file, along with the numbers required to convert between them. You may choose to alter your abbreviations to match those in the system, or add your own new measurements to the system. Or, you may ignore this warning, and continue on  to the next ingredient. You may also choose to tell the system not to check the measurements at all,  by making sure the check mark in the add ingredient screen that says 'check measurement for conversion' is off. This option will be saved automatically, even the next time you run the program.

Repeat these steps for as many ingredients as there are in the recipe. Once you've pressed the ADD button to enter the first ingredient, you may repeatedly press ENTER to add the rest - the ADD button is highlighted for you automatically.

the INSERT button

You may need to insert an ingredient into the middle of the ingredient list, if you've accidentally skipped ahead in the list, or to add formatting lines. To do this, click on or highlight the ingredient below where you want the new line, and press the INSERT button.  You can also DELETE and EDIT ingredients by pressing the appropriate button with the proper line highlighted.

The INSTRUCTIONS

You type in the instructions just like you were typing them on a typewriter, with one exception. Do not press ENTER at end of every line. Instead, press ENTER at the end of a paragraph, or whenever you want to force a new line.

the NUTRITION button

This button brings up a smaller window with the following information:

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carb

Fiber

Cholesterol

Iron

Sodium

Calcium

Saturated

Poly

Mono

You may change any of this information and press OK to save it along with the recipe. If you have the snap-in FS NUTRIBASE module, a calculate button will be available. The nutrition and notes buttons are both drawn in a boldface font to indicate the presence of nutrition and note information in a recipe, respectively.  See the section below entitled the FS Nutribase module for more information.

the NOTES button

By pressing this button, you may enter notes  in the same manner as you would in the instructions box. Anything  you enter in the notes is searchable later.

When you are pleased with the information you've entered for a recipe, press OK at the Recipe screen. You should see the new recipe added to the 'stack' of recipes. Hint: Pressing the Alt-K key may be easier than moving your hand away from the keyboard to press OK with the mouse. If you previously had a search set active, the search set is automatically set to all records when you add a recipe. This is because the search set may no longer be accurate due to the addition of  the new recipe.


Menus
The Menus

Each of these procedures is also available by using the standard drop down menus. If you are unfamiliar with the use of menus, using both keyboard and mouse, stop and review these in your Windows manual now. Here is a list of every menu item:

File	Open	Opens a recipe database
	Save as	Saves displayed recipes in a sub directory
	Modify	Change current recipe.
	Delete	Delete current recipe. (like  cross icon on Speedbar)
	Quick find	Locate a recipe, quickly, by  the letters that its title begins with
	Complete search	Locate less quickly, but with a comprehensive search
	Reset search	Used after searching, allows you to view all recipes again
	View marked	Restricts the list to include only marked recipes
	Print Setup	Sets the Printer and printer options
	Exit	Complete your From Scratch session.
Record	New	Adds a new recipe to From Scratch. (like plus icon on Speedbar)
	Next	Make the next alphabetical recipe current.
	Previous	Make the prior recipe current.
	Top	Make the first recipe current.
	Bottom	Make the last recipe current
	PgUp	Move one page towards the top of the list
	PgDn	Move one page towards the bottom of the list.
	Mark	Marks the current recipe
	Clear Marks	Clears all marks from the recipe database
	Copy	Copies the current recipe to the Windows Clipboard
List	Shopping list	Maintain your generic shopping list
	Categories	Maintain the list of categories that help you organize your shopping list.
	Options	Allows the user to set options such as colors,  display in fractions, etc.
	Conversions	Allows you to adjust the list used to optionally convert measurements.
	Fix Files	Rebuilds indexes and packs databases
Print	Recipe	Prints the current recipe to the default Windows printer.
	Shopping checklist	Prints the generic shopping list, by category.
	Shopping list for all recipes	Prints the ingredient list for all recipes, the results of a recipe search, or for marked recipes
	Order form	Prints the order form to register From Scratch.
Tools	Backup	Runs a command to back up databases
	Restore	Runs a command to restore databases
Help	Index	Searches the on-line help system
	About	Indicates the version, registration, and copyright information.
On the screen, the menus indicate helpful keyboard shortcuts. Press the F7 or Up key, for instance, instead of Record/Next. You should take the time to review them now.


The Speedbar

The Speedbar is the stripe across the top of the From Scratch window. Inside it are a number of icons (small pictures), which make common operations very easy to accomplish. There is a description of what each icon does, in order, moving from left to right:

Top of File (double bar and an arrow pointing up)

Next recipe (arrow pointing down)

Prior recipe (arrow pointing up)

Bottom of file (double bar and an arrow pointing down)

New recipe (a recipe card with a plus in it)

Delete current recipe (a recipe card with a cross through it)

Locate recipe (a magnifying glass)

Locate recipe by name only (a magnifying glass with something in it)

Print current recipe (a printer with paper coming out of it)

Switch between card and list formats (A box split between cards and a list)

The current recipe is displayed in a highlighted color.  The Next, Previous, Top, and Bottom buttons can be used 'move' the card stack ,and therefore adjust which recipe is considered the 'current' one.  You may see the recipes in 'list' , rather than 'card' format, by using the rightmost icon on the toolbar, or by selecting List/Options and turning off the Use cardfile layout option. The only difference is visual - the keyboard and mouse functions are identical. There are also ways to find a recipe quickly by name (simply begin by typing the first letter of the name), and search for any recipe that meets certain criteria.

Mark a recipe by right clicking the mouse on its title or pressing the spacebar while the title is selected. You can then use the File/View marked only menu item to work with only the marked recipes.

Use the scroll bar on the right hand of the screen. By holding down the mouse button and moving the square indicator, you may quickly get to recipes that start with a certain letter.


Basic navigation with the mouse and keyboard

From Scratch can be used equally well with either the mouse or the keyboard. There are always a number of ways to do the same thing, depending on which you are most comfortable with. For instance, to modify a recipe:

double click on its title with the mouse

make it the highlighted recipe, by clicking on its title, or by using the next/previous, or search features, and then:

Use File/Modify, or select the MODIFY icon from the Speedbar.

Use the Enter shortcut key as specified in the File/Modify menu item


Installing From Scratch

If you've downloaded From Scratch from a BBS or on-line service, you will probably first have to use a decompression utility (i.e. PKUNZIP) to extract the individual files from the package you've downloaded. Check your BBS or service for details.

Insert a disk containing the From Scratch files in drive A:

Choose File/Run

Type A:Setup

Follow the directions on your screen.

You should have a new icon to launch the From Scratch program (It looks like the international sign for a restaurant). Double click on it now and examine the screens as you read over the manual. Users who have already mastered other Windows applications might want to work with the program, and only refer to this manual if questions arise. There will also be other icons for documentation other utilities.

The installation program will never overwrite any recipes during installation, even when the recipes are from a previous version of From Scratch.

From Scratch has been very well tested, and it is not likely that you will ever experience problems with your data. It is possible, however, that hardware problems and other 'computer gremlins' may cause you to lose recipes that took appreciable time to enter in your computer. For this reason, learn how to make backups and do it frequently.


What does registering do for me ?
What does Registration do for me ?

When you register From Scratch, you will receive the following:

A disk containing the newest version of From Scratch

A printed and bound version of the latest manual

Technical support (by mail and Compuserve)

A registration key that will allow you to personalize any future version of From Scratch to include your name in the About box, the tag line, and will remove the 'shareware reminder' screen at the beginning of the program.


An overview of From Scratch

Unlimited number of recipes and ingredients per recipe (limited only by disk space)

dBase compatible file format allows unlimited access to your information

Print recipes with Windows fonts, user control of size, italics, centering, etc.

Includes fields to track where recipe originated, time to prepare, and in-depth nutrition information.

Search for a recipe containing any part of ingredient, keyword, title, Origin, Time to prepare, Instructions, Notes, or nutrition information.

Shopping list manager that sorts by category, so the list will be in a logical order when you shop

A starter shopping list is included, to ease data entry.

Ingredient entries include a special field for preparation.

Up to 10,000 characters per entry can be included for instructions.

Yield conversion uses the computer to multiply the amounts of ingredients,  even for fractions!

Print recipes and shopping lists on over 700 different Windows compatible printers

Printouts include the date printed, page number, and can span unlimited pages.

Easy to use design simulates a stack of recipe cards

Speedbar allows common procedures to be performed in a single mouse click

State of the art Windows design includes bit mapped buttons and textured windows

Ability to copy a recipe to the Windows clipboard

Optional conversion of measurement units

Print to file option

List format in addition to card file format

Definable colors, display options, etc.

Draft mode designed specifically for dot matrix printers

Status bar displays number of recipes and disk space free

Ability to mark individual recipes

Ability to save results of a search or marked recipes to a separate directory

On-line backup and restore functionality

A module to convert recipes from many other recipe programs and any ASCII file is available

A module to add USDA nutrition information to a recipe is available, and included with all registrations

A shopping list can be created for one or many recipes

Recipes can include a tag line like "This recipe from the kitchen of Jim Jones"

Print recipes on standard 3X5 index cards

 System Requirements

From Scratch requires an IBM PC compatible computer with Windows 3.1 installed. A mouse and printer are recommended, but optional. Windows must be running in VGA mode or higher.


Converting the yield of a recipe

Before a recipe is printed, you may convert the yield of the recipe by entering the new yield in the space provided. Leave it blank to print the recipe as it was entered. If you change the yield, From Scratch will perform the required multiplication or division for that printout only - your original recipe remains in the system unchanged. Also, if you are printing multiple recipes, this yield will be used for all recipes that are printed .


What is shareware?
About Shareware

From Scratch is a shareware program. Shareware allows you to try software before you buy it. You may have received From Scratch from one of  many different sources, but you are licensed to use it only long enough to decide if you actually want to use it (30 days). Once you've decided to use From Scratch, and you are no longer simply 'trying it on for size', you are required to purchase it by registering it for $34.95.

To register by phone, call 800-242-4PSL  (This number for orders only.) You can any major credit card.  For questions, call 516-493-3422.

To register by mail (US bank check or money orders only)-run the program, and select the Print/Order form menu option. Fill out the form and mail, along with your check or money order in US currency. No credit card orders can be filled by mail.


File compatibility

From Scratch uses dBase IV compatible files. They can be read by many programs, including Access, dBase IV, Paradox, Excel, and Q+E. dBase IV was chosen, rather than dBase III, because of the more efficient index files. Be careful note to change any information using these programs; we can not be responsible for the results if you do. However, these tools can be invaluable to format, convert, and otherwise manipulate your recipes in any way you choose.


Language and tools used to create From Scratch

From Scratch was created in C++ using the Borland C++ compiler, the Borland 'Object Windows Library' class library, and the Codebase library by Sequitur software for dBase file access.

The designer and programmer of From Scratch has been programming micro-computers since 1982. His specialty is database,  working for one of the 3 largest Wall Street financial services firms. The From Scratch program represents his best efforts in bringing his expertise in designing business systems into the home.


Why should I pay for this if I already have it for free?

If you don't register From Scratch, you must not use it beyond a trial period of about thirty days. if You decide to use it beyond that period, you must register it for 34.95. You don't actually own the program now - you have been lent a trial version, without support, and access to upgrades. We cannot offer technical support of any kind without proof of registration.  You get the following when you register:

a disk containing the current version of the program

a bound manual

a bonus database of recipes

technical support via mail or Compuserve

a registration key that will can personalize and register any future version of From Scratch


How do I register?
What ? Only $34.95 ?

If you've purchased much software before (especially Windows software), you know that this program might cost three times as much in a store. The shareware concept, however, is dedicated to eliminating unnecessary costs, and keeping the final cost as low as possible. Instead of spending your hard earned money on fancy packaging, advertising, and store overhead, shareware allows you to pay for that parts of the software that you really use - great programming and fine manuals! We at Desktop Solutions hope that once you have a chance to try From Scratch, you'll want to register it for $34.95. Instructions for doing that, and the advantages to doing so, can be found in the next few paragraphs.

How about updates to From Scratch ?

Once you register From Scratch, you will receive a key that allows you to register all future versions of the program. You might get a future version from a friend, a BBS, on-line service, a shareware catalog service, or directly from Desktop Solutions. However you do get it, you can register any version automatically by simply entering your personalized key. Desktop Solutions will also mail a copy of the newest version with manual updates to any registered user, at any time. Simply send us a letter including your registration key, and include $5.00 for shipping and handling. As registered user you will be notified of major updates to From Scratch by mail. When possible, updates without printed manuals will provided automatically to registered users automatically at no cost.

If you have suggestions for improvements to From Scratch, or would like to see Desktop Solutions develop similar programs, please write or EMAIL us, and we'll be happy to consider your input in the design of future versions.

What about technical support?

Technical support is available a number of ways:

By mail (preferred method):

Desktop Solutions

26 Cecily Lane

Commack NY 11725

By Compuserve: send EMAIL to 74676,3314

If you have the ability to send EMAIL through the internet, use the address 74676,3314@compuserve.com. You can send compuserve mail through the internet, America On-line, Delphi, and many BBS systems. As of this writing, Prodigy has announced this feature for later in the year.

Telephone support is not guaranteed. However, our phone number at Desktop Solutions is

(516) 493-3422. If you would prefer to try calling before using one of the methods above, please do so. If you have to leave a message on our machine, we will get back to you as quickly as possible.


Converting from other recipe programs
Can I convert recipes from other programs?

Currently, the conversion program handles Meal Master, Compuchef, ASCII, and Micro Kitchen Companion files. Other conversion programs may be in the works. You can help this effort, by sending us the filled-in data files of the program you'd like to see us convert.  If the program has an Export to ASCII feature, send us the files that feature creates. We like to have a minimum of about 10 or 15 recipes to work with, to be sure we've tested with a good cross section. If you do help in this way, we'll send you the conversion program automatically once its complete. You should also write or EMAIL us first to be sure we haven't added this conversion feature already. There is a separate document, on disk, for the conversion program


Saving subsets of your database in different directories

The File/Save as and File/Open commands allow you to perform a search (or mark recipes and then use File/view marked only), and save the results into a sub directory on your disk, or to floppy. Use File/Save as to save the visible recipes, and then use File/Open to view the subset later on. This feature has been added for advanced users that have a very large number of recipes in their database, and wish to separate them into smaller pieces.  Note that the sub-directory must already exist in order to save to it.


The FS NutriBase module

FS Nutribase is a separate module that adds the ability to calculate nutrition information for any recipe using the USDA 'handbook 8'. This database contains approximately 4500 food items and their nutritional values. FS Nutribase is included to all registered users, but packaged separately in shareware versions in order to allow users who are not interested in this feature to preview From Scratch in a smaller format.

To use the NutriBase module, first enter a recipe, or select a recipe that has already been entered. Double click on the recipe's title to edit it, and choose the nutrition button. If Nutribase is installed, a calculate button will be available. Technically, the button becomes available if the FSNUTRI.DLL file is present in the same directory as the main program. Press the calculate button, and you'll see the 'ingredient match' screen.

In order to calculate nutrition for a recipe, you'll have to match each line in the recipe against the USDA database for both the ingredient and the quantity. Double click on each ingredient to match it against the USDA equivalent. Here is an example of how this would work, using the sample chicken lasagna recipe:

Press the calculate button, to bring up the 'match' window. You begin matching ingredients by double clicking on the second ingredient, skipping the first (since it is a garnish - celery leaves) which happens to be:

4	oz	mozzarella cheese

You see a screen that displays the ingredient line from the recipe for your reference, along with an area that allows you to match both the quantity and ingredient. In this case, the system will have guessed the quantity correctly, and will display Ounce, 114 grams. All you will have to provide in this case is the ingredient item. To do this, move the cursor to the space underneath the words ''Ingredient match". You can see that there are no matches on file for 'mozzarella cheese'. Type in 'cheese', and press ENTER. The system will list all of the items starting with 'cheese'  from the USDA list. Now press the down arrow (or use the mouse) to view the 'cheese, mozzarella' entries. In this example, the USDA database includes a number of types of mozzarella, from low fat to whole milk. Choose the appropriate entry, and press ENTER.  You will be returned to the list of ingredients. Continue this procedure for all the ingredients that you wish to include in the nutrition calculation.

Finally, when you are satisfied that you have matched your ingredients properly, press OK while at the 'Match nutrition items to ingredients' window, and you will see a question that asks: "Calculate nutrition information based on this list ?" Answer 'yes', and the system will fill in all the appropriate nutrition information for you!

In some cases, you may have to either set the quantity correctly and have the system calculate grams, or manually enter the amount, in grams, in order to match the USDA database correctly.


The backup and restore functions.
The Backup and restore functions

The Tools menu includes two options: Backup and Restore. In both cases, From Scratch does none of the actual work for these operations. Instead, it allows you to use external programs designed specifically to do these tasks. The first time you use these options, you should see BACKUP *.DBF A:\ in the typing area that becomes visible in the Backup menu option. Simply press OK and follow the instructions on your screen. You will be asked to insert a blank diskette into drive A:, and press enter. Most versions of BACKUP also warn you that all data on the 'non-removable' (floppy) disk will be erased. Save this diskette in a safe place. and re-run the backup step whenever you add a substantial number of records. If you should ever require to use this backup, re-install From Scratch from the original diskette, and use the RESTORE option to retrieve the data stored on floppy.

Advanced users: You can change this command to perform a ZIP, for instance: PKZIP *.DB? A:MYRECIPE. Or, you may change it to any other DOS command you wish to use to perform a backup.

Special note: Some newer versions of DOS do not include the standard BACKUP program, opting instead for a similar one (CPBACKUP, in IBM DOS 6.10 for instance). If you find that the BACKUP command does run, double check the DOS manual that came with your machine, or ask your dealer how to perform a backup using your version of DOS.


Changing the conversion table

You may add, edit or delete the items in the list of conversion measurements.

Select the List/Conversions option.

Press the Add/Edit or Delete button.

You must define how a measurement is converted to other measurements, in both the up and down direction. If either direction is a number zero, no conversion is performed. Here is a sample:

Measurement: Cup

Multiply by 2.00 to convert to pint

Divide by 16.00 to convert to Tbl

The conversions will 'cascade'. In the example above, if there is something that can convert from pints (quarts, for instance), and the number is large enough, the conversion routine will keep looking up conversions until one of the measurements has a zero in the convert to numeric field, or no match is found in the convert to field. The conversion will also choose a whole number over a fraction while reducing a recipe , or a number less than ten over one larger than ten while enlarging.

If you plan to use this conversion table, you'll want to turn on the feature that warns you if a measurement is not in the conversion table. You may switch this on by double clicking on any recipe, and then pressing the 'edit' button to begin editing any ingredient. Place a check mark in the location marked 'check measurement for conversion'.