Copyright: Helpfile Generated by VB HelpWriter!


PMC Disc Player Database
PMC's Disc Player Database ©1995

    OVERVIEW

Main Menu Commands

FILE

EDIT

VIEW

FONT

LOCATE

OPTIONS

PLAYER

INI File

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


FILE

Menu Commands

Create

Open

Print

Delete Print File

DiscDB

Exit

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


EDIT

Menu Commands

New

Modify

Cancel

Save

Restore

Delete

Copy To Clipboard

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


VIEW

Menu Commands

First

Previous

Next

Last

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


LOCATE

Menu Commands

First

Next

Previous

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


FONT

Menu Commands

SansSerif

Available in preset small or large

Arial

Available in preset small or large

CourierNew

Available in preset small or large

System

This command sets the text to the system default text format

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


OPTIONS

Menu Commands

Select Play

Shuffle Play

Continuous Play

Music Timer

Format Edit

Audio Mixer

Window Size

    Always On Top

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


PLAYER

Menu Commands

Stop

Eject Disc

Play

Pause

Skip Forward

Skip Back

Track Up

Track Down

Set Player #

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


INI File

The INI file is always found in the Windows(tm)

base directory with the name DiscDBxx.INI and it

applies to all versions from Windows 3.x, Win95,

or Windows NT.

The program INI file is used to store program

variables and can be modified by using Windows

(tm) Notepad or your own word processor, with the

file being saved in text mode.

The INI file is divided into segments and each of these segments has a label or section name. The

values given to items in the sections are read and used when the program first starts.

If DiscDBxx.EXE is executed and no INI file is found then a

new file is created on the first time the program is exited.

Changes are usually onlyrequired to set up a choice of a word processor name and the name of the audio mixer provided by your sound card manufacturer.

The DiscDBxx manual, under the heading of INI file, has the details on what the variables mean and how they relate to

program operation.

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


OVERVIEW

DiscDB16.exe will function in Windows(tm) 3.x, Win95(tm) and Windows NT(tm). It is the 16 bit version.

DiscDB32.exe is the better version that is made to take advantage of the features in Win95(tm) and Windows NT(tm). It is a 32 bit version.

DiscDBxx refers to DiscDB16.exe or DiscDB32.exe

DiscDBxx is a Windows(tm) software product that will create/use a database for compact music discs. The software will play the music disc selections is various methods or order.

Button and menu commands are available for CD player use.

Database commands provide easy use, including a search of the records that is directional and can be exact or near in function.

A Format Edit function is also provided to give a feature of forcing a capital or uppercase letter of each single word. This causes the end view of being the same as provided on the jewel box disc cover.

Database records can be sent to the Windows(tm) clipboard and then retrieved with the paste function of another program.

DiscDBxx requires the use of an INI file that is located in the base Windows directory. This INI file can be modified with a text edit such as the Windows(tm) Notepad.exe program.

DiscDBxx will automaticly create and maintain a data backup file that is always located in the  directory of the original data file.

If an original data record is deleted, it can be Restore 'd from the backup file. This recovery however does not apply to records that have been modified and then saved.

By selecting any of the enhanced words in the DiscDBxx help file, more detail can be found on the program menu commands or sub menu commands.

1995 (c) PMC Systems Software - Helpfile generated by VB HelpWriter.


Glossary

A

Always On Top

Arial

Artist

Audio Mixer

C

Cancel

Catalog

Continuous Play

Copy To Clipboard

CourierNew

Create

D

Delete

Delete Print File

DiscDB

DiscDBxx.INI

E

EDIT

Eject

Exit

F

FILE

First Find

First Record

FONT

Format Edit

I

INI File

L

Last Record

LOCATE

M

Modify

Music Timer

N

New

Next Find

Next Record

O

Open

OPTIONS

P

Pause

Play

Play Window

PLAYER

PMC Systems Software

Previous Find

Previous Record

Print

Product

R

Record

Restore

Run Window

S

SansSerif

Save

Select Play

Set Player

Shuffle Play

Skip Back

Skip Forward

Stop

T

Time

Title

Track

Track Down

Track Up

Tracks

V

VIEW

W

Window Size


Always On Top

Option Menu Command

Turning this on, and showing a check mark, will force the

program window to always be visible on top of all other

windows.

It is best to use this feature when the window has been set

to its' small or minimum size. It can be used for the full window

if the screen resolution is 1024x768 or higher. A resolution

that is smaller will block other windows from being seen.

This feature will not stop the window from being closed and

placed into a background process. This setting is not saved

to the INI file, if the program is shut down.


Arial

A font format for viewing text


Artist

For data entry of the name of the artist(s) that

are on the CD.


Audio Mixer

A command to call the audio mixer that is for

your specific sound card. The name of the

called program can be changed in the disc

player INI file located in the WIndows base

directory


Cancel

Stop a current database record edit


Catalog

For data entry of the type of CD music format


Continuous Play

When a disc play is requested, all tracks are

played in sequential order. It can be from #1

to the disc track total.

If Continuous Play is turned on with a check

mark, and a single track play is selected,

then when the track is finished, the next

track(s) will be played.

To have only numbered button single track

play, turn off the Continuous Play with no

check mark on the menu.


Copy To Clipboard

The current record can be sent to the windows

clipboard and then other Windows(tm) programs

can access the copied record. See the Paste

in your other application.

When the record is copied, it is formatted as it

would be for a print to a file.


CourierNew

A font format for viewing text


Create

Create a new disc player database file


Delete

Erase the current database record

Use the Restore command to replace

the record if a record has been erased

in error. This feature only applies to

deleted records and not records

that have been modified and saved.


Delete Print File

Delete the print file after finished printing or use

The Print file is created by using the Print command


DiscDB

DiscDB is a Windows(tm) software product

that is developed in a 16 and 32 bit processor

design.

Contact     PMC Systems Software

                     134-17th Ave. N.E.

                       Calgary, Alberta,

                      Canada, T2E-1L6

or phone (403) 230-2700


DiscDBxx.INI

The DiscDBxx.INI file is always located in the Windows(tm)

directory. This applies to Windows 3.x, Win95 or NT.

Program settings can be changed by editing the file with

Notepad.exe and then saved.

See the INI file for specific details on the settings.


EDIT

Main Menu Command


Eject

Menu command to eject the CD from the player

if the player supports such a command. There

is no response if the command is not supported

by the player.


Exit

Shut down the Disc database software.

If the program is playing a CD music disc

you are asked if you want to turn off the

player. The player should shut itself off

if you let it continue to play.


FILE

Main Menu Command


First Find

Start the LOCATE search process.

A search dialog is presented with several

choices of what and how to search.

All items can be searched for in forward

or reverse order.

Use the near value for general searches

or if you are not sure of exactly what you

are looking for.


First Record

View the first record in the database


FONT

Main Menu Command


Format Edit

When turned on and showing a check mark

any new or modified records will have the

text formatted for each word with the first

letter set as an uppercase letter.

If using quote marks, place a space after a

quote to have the first letter in uppercase.

When Format Edit is turned off, what you see

and type is what you get for an end result.


INI File

A specific program file used to keep variables

that are required by the program operation.

See the topic INI for more details and for any

modification information.


Last Record

View the last or end record in the database


LOCATE

Main Menu Command


Modify

Edit the details of a music database record


Music Timer

View the current running time of the disc track

and the total running time of all the music disc

tracks combined to the current time


New

Create a new music CD database record


Next Find

Continue the search process in a forward direction.


Next Record

View the next record in the database


Open

Open an existing disc player database file


OPTIONS

Main Menu Command


Pause

Menu command to pause and hold the position

of play in a CD. Use Pause or Play again to then

restart the play of the current disc track


Play

Menu command to play a CD music disc.

The same command will also restart a Pause

that was set.

If the player is operating, pressing the Play

button or menu command, will restart the

current track.


Play Window

Program window showing the accumulated

time of the currently playing track number


PLAYER

Main Menu Command


PMC Systems Software

Copyright notice of PMC's DiscDB software


Previous Find

Locate sub command to search for an item

that was previously found


Previous Record

View the previous record in the database


Print

3 Options of printing record(s)

 Current - the record that is visible

 Number - records in a sequence order of x to y

 All - every record from # 1 to x

 The result is sent to a file and your word processor is

 loaded for modification if neccessary and then to

 Print using the word processor features

 The default word processor is Notepad, but it can

 changed by modifing the value in the  INI file with

  your word processor program name.


Product

For data entry of the CD bar code


Record

The basic function of a database. Records

contain fields. A series of connected fields

make the total record. A series of records

then make the total database.


Restore

Using the backup file to recover a main file record

that has been deleted in error. See Delete for more

detail.


Run Window

Program window showing the total time of

all tracks to the currently playing track time


SansSerif

A font format for viewing text


Save

Store to the disk file the current new or modified

database record. Automatic backup occurs on

all new or modified records.


Select Play

Specific disc track numbers to be played.

Type in the track numbers with a space

between each requested track number.

Select the Play dialog button to play the

tracks in the order typed. When the last

track is played, the player will shut off.


Set Player

A specific CD player number can be selected for use.

This option sets from player #1 to #8.

An error message results from trying to connect to a

non existant player. On exit from the dialog, the

program will select the original player number, if an

error occurs in the selection process.


Shuffle Play

Disc play command that will set the automatic

selection of random tracks. This is in contrast

to Continuous Play which plays tracks from

1 to the track total.

Shuffle Play is a totally random selection of

the tracks on the disc. After all tracks have

been played, the player shuts off.

Shuffle Play can also be started by using a

command line value of Shuffle. When the

DiscDB software is started, it will then play

the current CD that is loaded in the player.

The Main Window will also be automaticly

minimized.


Skip Back

#_BackMove the disc track reader back 10 seconds

and continue the track play from there


Skip Forward

Move the disc reader 10 seconds further into

the track playing


Stop

Menu command to stop the playing of a CD.

Use the Eject Disc menu command to open

a player door, if your player has this function.


Time

Program window showing either the total play

time of the CD and the total play time of the

current track


Title

For data entry of the name of the CD


Track

Program window showing the playing track number


Track Down

Move to the previous track and play. If the

current track is the first, then a wrap around

occurs and the last track is played


Track Up

Play the next disc track. If on the last track

a wrap around occurs and the first track is

then played.


Tracks

Program Window showing the total number of

tracks on the playing CD.


VIEW

Main Menu Command


Window Size

Option Menu Command

The program window can be switched from full

view to mini view, which only shows four fields

of the data base.

When the window is in mini view, then clicking

the menu command expands the window to the

normal full view.

The program default is to always have full view

when start up occurs.