home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Precision Software Appli…tions Silver Collection 4
/
Precision Software Applications Silver Collection Volume 4 (1993).iso
/
database
/
badge.exe
/
BADGE.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1989-05-11
|
54KB
|
1,158 lines
Badge-O-Magic 1.1 User's Guide
Copyright (c) Ward Mundy, 1989.
All Rights Reserved.
Ward Mundy Software
4160 Club Drive
Atlanta, GA 30319 USA
Chapter 1 Preliminaries
1.1 What Is Badge-O-Magic Anyway?
Badge-O-Magic is a dBASE-compatible, badge and nametag
generator designed for use with an IBM PC-compatible computer and
an HP LaserJet II or 100% compatible laser.
Using any dBASE III or IV data base (one is included with the
software), Badge-O-Magic generates one to four line badges with an
optional header and footer line. The badges can be printed using
type styles of 20 to 40 points. Five fonts are included with the
program. Each badge is 3" x 4" with six badges being printed on
each 8-1/2 x 11 inch page. Badge-O-Magic also includes the
necessary software to download the soft fonts to your laser
printer and to print a perforation template suitable for ordering
perforated name tag stock from your local printer. The perforated
paper and badge holders also are available from us when you
register. Please request pricing information when you register.
Badge-O-Magic also includes powerful file management
utilities which permit you to edit and add data to any dBASE file
without leaving Badge-O-Magic.
Typical uses for this software would be to prepare name
badges for participants at a conference, convention, family
meeting, social event, etc. The major difference in Badge-O-Magic
and commercial badge-making systems is cost. This program is
distributed as ShareWare, which means you can "try before you
buy." We aren't worried. Typical badge-making software costs
from $500 to $1000. Commercial badge-making houses usually charge
more than $1 per badge to do what you now can do yourself ... with
equivalent quality in the end-product plus CONVENIENCE.
You are licensed to use the ShareWare version of Badge-O-
Magic for up to 90 days to determine whether it meets your needs.
Once you are satisfied with the software, you need to obtain a
license before continuing to use Badge-O-Magic. The fee is modest
to say the least: $45 per single-user PC or $95 per network (with
unlimited users) plus $5 shipping ($10 foreign). Payment of this
license fee plus the applicable shipping charge entitles you to
your choice of one of the latest versions of Badge-O-Magic. You
may request either Clipper-compatible or dBASE III-compatible
indexes. In addition, registered users receive free technical
support for one year, access to our computer bulletin board, and a
complimentary copy of the ShareWare version of our powerful data
base manager, WAMPUM.
1
1.2 Legal Stuff
The world is not a simple place any more, so we have to tell
you a few things you need to know before you start using Badge-O-
Magic. First, a few disclaimers are in order. We provide the
same, fine software warranty that all the big-boys do: NONE! In
short, you use Badge-O-Magic at your own risk. We make no
representations regarding its fitness for any particular purpose
or its merchantability. Nor do we provide any warranties, express
or implied, that the software will work. That is solely for you
to decide! The good news is that the price is definitely right!
You do not have to shell out $500 only to find that the software
doesn't meet your needs. You can use Badge-O-Magic for up to 90
days without charge and make up your own mind. Once you are
satisfied that it works and meets your requirements, then you must
register. You will receive all sorts of additional goodies as
explained above.
Finally, for all you honest people out there, please bear
with us. You may have heard that there still are a few good crooks
who live amongst us. They try to take other people's work and
pass it off as their own. This is a no-no in most parts of the
world for which people get put in jail. If someone other than
Ward Mundy has asked you to pay them a license fee for using
Badge-O-Magic, then we'd like to know about it. Some suggest that
you pay them, and they will pay us. Guess what gang? We don't
have any distributors of this variety. And, we will take the
necessary legal steps to curtail their activities. The reason
this all matters to you honest folks is that if we don't receive
some compensation for writing good software in the ShareWare
market then guess who won't be writing any more software for the
ShareWare market.
Let us hasten to add that we do receive support from
thousands of ShareWare distributors around the globe who charge a
modest "copying fee" for distributing ShareWare. This fee should
never exceed $10 in Yankee dollars, and Badge-O-Magic should
always be distributed on a single diskette. If not, let us know.
1.3 A Word About ShareWare
ShareWare is a unique marketing concept which permits you to
"try before you buy." It doesn't mean FreeWare! Badge-O-Magic is
a copyrighted work for which we retain all rights. You or your
company are licensed to use it up to 90 days to determine whether
Badge-O-Magic meets your requirements. If it does, then you need
to register and obtain a license if you intend to continue to use
the software. If it doesn't meet your needs, then give it to a
friend, your local User's Group, or your friendly trash can!
You may pass Badge-O-Magic along to others so long as you
distribute it exactly in the form it was received. The next
2
section describes the files which should have been on the
distribution diskette or in the archive file if you downloaded the
program from a bulletin board. If your copy doesn't match the
list, do yourself a big favor: DON'T USE IT or you may be
VERRRRRRY SORRRRRRY! There are also some folks who pride
themselves in design of CrippleWare.
If there is any doubt in your mind about the reliability of
your copy of Badge-O-Magic, please drop us a note. We also will
be glad to send you a home-grown copy of Badge-O-Magic if you
include five yankee dollars. Please let us know where any
questionable copy came from.
1.4 Files on Distribution Diskette
What follows is a list of files which are included on the
Badge-O-Magic 1.1 ShareWare distribution diskette or archive.
FILE NAME FILE SIZE FILE FUNCTION
------------ --------- ------------------------------
BADGE.EXE 229488 Badge-O-Magic program
BADGE.DOC 54090 Badge-O-Magic documentation
FONT1.POR 78020 Soft Font #1 for Badge-O-Magic
FONT2.POR 52620 Soft Font #2 for Badge-O-Magic
FONT3.POR 37350 Soft Font #3 for Badge-O-Magic
FONT4.POR 33897 Soft Font #4 for Badge-O-Magic
FONT5.POR 12073 Soft Font #5 for Badge-O-Magic
BADGES.DBF 483 Badge-O-Magic Sample Data Base
LASTNAME.NTX 2048 Last Name index for Data Base
BADGES.BOM 6612 Default Configuration File
BHELP.DBF 155 Badge-O-Magic HELP File
BHELP.DBT 9432 Badge-O-Magic HELP File Text
1.5 Registration
The terms of Badge-O-Magic's ShareWare license already have
been outlined. An order and invoice form is included in this
documentation for your convenience. We do not accept credit cards
or purchase orders (without advance approval). We do accept
personal checks drawn on U.S. banks in U.S. dollars, money orders,
and cash in U.S. currency.
1.6 Credits
Names of computer hardware, software, and computer companies
are used solely for the purpose of identification. With the
exception of Badge-O-Magic, dLITE and WAMPUM, all remaining
references to products and companies are trademarked by their
respective companies.
3
Badge-O-Magic, dLITE and WAMPUM are trademarks of Ward Mundy.
PKXARC and PKUNZIP are trademarks of PKWARE, Inc.
IBM, IBM-PC, and PC/AT are trademarks of IBM Corporation.
dBASE, dBASE III, dBASE IV, RunTime and Ashton-Tate are
trademarks of Ashton-Tate.
HP LaserJet II and LaserJet+ are trademarks of Hewlett-
Packard Corporation.
MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Chapter 2 Getting Started
2.1 System Requirements
Badge-O-Magic is designed to run on an IBM-compatible PC,
PC/AT, or PC/386. It requires DOS 2.1 or higher and approximately
350K of memory. While the software can be run without a laser
printer, name badges cannot be printed without an HP LaserJet II
or compatible printer. The original LaserJet will not suffice
since fonts cannot be downloaded to this printer. A LaserJet+ can
be used; however, soft font 1 will not work due to its font size.
2.2 Installing the Software
If you received Badge-O-Magic on diskette, then type
A:INSTALL for instructions on installation of the software. If
you received Badge-O-Magic from a BBS, then follow the steps
outlined below.
Badge-O-Magic is distributed in compressed form to better
protect the integrity of its various program and data files.
These archives come in three flavors: a file with an extension of
.ARC, a file with an extension of .ZIP, or a file with an
extension of .EXE. The .EXE variety is self-unarchiving. The
.ARC variety requires that you use a program such as PKXARC from
PKWare to unarchive the files. The .ZIP variety requires that you
use a program such as PKUNZIP from PKWare to unarchive the files.
STEP 1. Creating A Directory
Regardless of which version of the archive you have, you will
need to first create a directory on your hard disk to store the
software. For floppy disk users, you will need to format a
diskette. If you plan to use data bases other than the one
included with the software, then this directory must be part of
your DOS PATH to get the most out of Badge-O-Magic.
4
For hard disk users, type MD C:\BADGE at the DOS prompt to
create a new directory on your hard disk. Add the following
command to the top of your AUTOEXEC.BAT startup file using any
editor: PATH=C:\BADGE. If you already have a PATH command in your
startup file, then add C:\BADGE to it.
For floppy disk users, format a system floppy with the
command FORMAT A:/S. Type the following commands exactly as they
appear to create the startup file:
COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT
A:BADGE
Now press CTRL-Z and <ENTER> to save the file.
STEP 2. Loading the Software from .EXE archive
If you have the .EXE archive variety, then list the directory
and write down the name of the Badge-O-Magic archive. It should
be named BADGE11.EXE unless the name was changed. If the file
name is BADGE11.ARC or BADGE11.ZIP then go to Step 3.
If you have a hard disk, move to the \BADGE directory by
typing CD \BADGE at the C> prompt. Insert the floppy with the
archive file in Drive A and type A:BADGE11 to unarchive the
software and copy it to your C:\BADGE directory.
If you have a floppy disk system, insert your new system disk
in Drive B and insert the floppy with the archive file in Drive A.
Now type B: <ENTER> to position to Drive B. Then type A:BADGE11
to unarchive the software and copy it to your B: floppy.
STEP 3. Loading the Software from other archive
If you have the .ARC or .ZIP archive variety, then list the
directory and write down the name of the Badge-O-Magic archive.
It should be named BADGE11.ARC or BADGE11.ZIP unless the name was
changed. If the file name is BADGE11.EXE then go to Step 2.
If you have a hard disk, move to the \BADGE directory by
typing CD \BADGE at the C> prompt. Insert the floppy with the
archive file in Drive A and copy PKXARC.COM onto this floppy if
the archive file extension is .ARC. If the file extension is
.ZIP, then copy PKUNZIP.COM onto this floppy. Now type one of the
following to unarchive the files:
A:PKXARC A:BADGE11 (if you have BADGE11.ARC)
A:PKUNZIP A:BADGE11 (if you have BADGE11.ZIP)
5
If you have a floppy disk system, insert your new system disk
in Drive B and insert the floppy with the archive file in Drive A.
Copy PKXARC.COM to the floppy in Drive A if you have BADGE11.ARC.
Or copy PKUNZIP.COM to the floppy in Drive A if you have .ZIP.
Now type B: <ENTER> to position to Drive B. Then type one of
the following:
A:PKXARC A:BADGE11 (if you have BADGE11.ARC)
A:PKUNZIP A:BADGE11 (if you have BADGE11.ZIP)
STEP 4. Checking Your PATH
Before you attempt to load Badge-O-Magic into memory, check
your DOS PATH by typing PATH at the DOS prompt. Make certain that
C:\BADGE is included in the path if you have a hard disk. If not,
reread STEP 1 above and create the necessary PATH command in your
startup file.
2.2 Loading the Software into Memory
Badge-O-Magic can be loaded into memory by typing BADGE and
pressing <ENTER> at the DOS prompt. If you receive a message
"File Not Found" then you have not created the necessary PATH for
DOS to find the program. Reread the steps in section 2.1 above.
If you want to use the sample data base, then move to the \BADGE
directory on your hard disk before typing BADGE. This is
accomplished by typing CD \BADGE and pressing <ENTER>.
If you are using a color adaptor with a monochrome monitor,
you will improve the readability of the program by starting it
with the following command: BADGE MONO <ENTER>.
Chapter 3 Badge-O-Magic Tutorial
3.1 Overview
Badge-O-Magic is completely menu-driven. It also has
context-sensitive HELP which is available by highlighting the
option with which you need help and pressing the F1 function key.
This chapter walks you through every function on Badge-O-
Magic's menus using the sample data base included with the
software. After completing this tutorial, you probably can set
the User's Guide aside and master the software simply by reading
the menus and pressing F1 if you get stumped.
6
3.2 Loading Badge-O-Magic
If you are using a hard disk, move to the \BADGE directory by
typing CD \BADGE <ENTER>. Then run the Badge-O-Magic program by
typing either BADGE or BADGE MONO and pressing <ENTER>. The Main
Menu will display shortly.
3.3 File Management Preliminaries
Badge-O-Magic is structured to permit you to use virtually
any dBASE-compatible data base which you may already have. If you
don't use dBASE data bases, then you may use the data base which
is included with the software. Using the included data base will
enable you to generate virtually any kind of name badges desired.
Because of its flexibility, Badge-O-Magic necessarily needs
to know a few things before it can print your name badges. These
are listed below in the order you would typically enter them. Once
the information has been entered, you can save all your choices as
a "configuration" which can be recalled with just a couple of
keystrokes. Even though the system already is configured, let's
walk through the process once just to familiarize you with the
necessary steps.
First, move to the File Management Menu by typing F when the
Main Menu displays. Note that on the Main Menu, you do not have
to press <ENTER> after typing the first letter of your choice. On
sub-menus (such as the File Management Menu), you must type the
first letter of your choice or highlight your choice using the
<Up> and <Dn> cursor keys AND then press <ENTER>. Now execute the
following steps in the order listed.
1. Choose FILE CHANGE to pick the data base to be used in
generating your name badges. Highlight the file named BADGES
using the <Up> and <Dn> cursor keys, then press <ENTER> to make
the choice.
2. Choose INDEX CHANGE to pick an index file. For those new
to dBASE, these files are used to sort your data base and hence
your name badges. If you haven't already built an index for the
file you selected, then you would first choose CREATE NEW INDEX,
highlight the field to be used for sorting, and press <ENTER>.
Otherwise, choose INDEX CHANGE, highlight the index desired and
press <ENTER>. Since an index file already exists to sort the
BADGE file on LASTNAME, simply highlight LASTNAME and press
<ENTER>. Notice the bottom of the File Management Menu shows the
name of the file and index currently in use. The Main Menu also
does.
3. If you need to ADD new records to the file or change
information on any records already in the file, this can be done
by choosing ADD or EDIT records, respectively. If you just want
7
to look at the records in the file, choose BROWSE. Use the <ESC>
key to exit from any function at any time. If you choose to EDIT
or BROWSE, you will get a sub-menu allowing you to select your
starting position in the file. This could be the first or last
record in the file, a particular record number in the file (if you
know it), or you can move to any index key in the file by entering
all or part of a LASTNAME to find. Badge-O-Magic is designed to
find the closest match to what you enter. You then can move
through the file records by pressing <PgDn> or <PgUp>. Pressing
the <ESC>ape key lets you exit without resaving the currently
displayed record.
4. Now you must decide whether you want a name badge printed
for every entry in your file. If so, skip the rest of this step.
If not, you must SET DATA FILTER to narrow down the group of
records which will be used to print name badges. A filter allows
you to create a sub-set of your data base. Choose the SET DATA
FILTER option and read the instructions which display on the
screen. Pressing <ESC>ape while in the FILTER menu cancels any
FILTER! If you enter a filter which is not syntatically correct,
Badge-O-Magic will notify you and give you another chance.
This completes the steps for getting your data base ready for
use in printing name badges. Now press the <ESC>ape key to exit
to the Main Menu or highlight RETURN MAIN MENU and press the
<ENTER> key.
3.4 Badge Making Preliminaries
Now, of course, Badge-O-Magic needs to know what information
from each record in your file should be printed on each name
badge. Choose the REVISE SETTINGS option by typing R. As
distributed, Badge-O-Magic is set up to print a three-line name
badge with a header and footer for each entry in the file. It
also prints a two-line name badge with header and footer for every
spouse entry in the file. Within the SYSTEM SETTINGS screen, you
define which fields or pieces of information should be printed on
which lines of the name badges. You also tell Badge-O-Magic what
size type to use for each line of the name badges.
For now, just examine the entries which already appear on the
screen. Notice that the entries on LINE1 through LINE4 are dBASE
character expressions. This means that these expressions define
printed output which will be character data as opposed to a
number, a date, or a logical expression.
If you are new to dBASE, defining a character expression is
as simple as typing the name of any character field (designated by
C) from your data base. All the fields in the current data base
can be displayed by pressing the F10 function key. You can also
link more than one character expression together. This is known
as concatenating and is accomplished by typing the names of two
8
character fields separated with a + sign, e.g. FIRSTMI+LASTNAME.
Normally, you probably would want to trim off trailing spaces of
fields to be concatenated so that a badge doesn't print like the
following: JOHN SMITH. You also would want to add a space
between the words once the spaces were trimmed off. To trim
spaces, you use a function called TRIM(). The syntax would be as
follows in our example: TRIM(FIRSTMI)+" "+LASTNAME.
The final step is defining your badge output is to choose the
appropriate size for the type on each line of the badge. The
lower the number, the bigger the type style. Size 1 is 40 point
type while size 4 is 24 point. With Badge-O-Magic, you need not
worry about getting a type style small enough to match your
longest entry on each line since the software automatically
adjusts the fonts downward where necessary to make certain a full
name prints on the badge. Leave the type styles the way they are
for now and press <PgDn> to return to the Main Menu.
3.5 Getting Your Laser Printer Ready
Each time you turn off your laser printer, you will need to
DOWNLOAD FONTS by typing D on the Main Menu. This copies the
necessary soft fonts distributed with Badge-O-Magic to your laser
printer. If you forget this step, you will get another chance to
do it when you choose BADGE GENERATOR.
After making certain that your LaserJet is turned on and is
on line, choose the DOWNLOAD FONTS option and type Y to download
the soft fonts. When asked whether to print a perforation
template, type Y. This template will show you how to order
perforated paper for use with the Badge-O-Magic software.
Once the fonts have been loaded into your LaserJet, the Main
Menu will reappear.
3.6 Printing the Badges
Now choose BADGE GENERATOR by typing B. If asked whether to
download fonts, type N if you did so above. When prompted whether
to print the name badges, type Y to proceed. That's all there is
to it!
If you enjoy technical manuals, then read through the
remainder of this documentation several times. It will acquaint
you with all the magic that Badge-O-Magic offers. Then use the
software for up to 90 days to evaluate the simplicity and ease of
use of this great new software tool. We hope you'll elect to
register and that you'll pass a ShareWare copy of Badge-O-Magic
along to your friends.
9
Chapter 4 Using Badge-O-Magic
4.1 Navigation Keys for Badge-O-Magic
Once you load Badge-O-Magic into memory, a light bar menu
appears known as the Main Menu. You can highlight the option
desired by using the <Dn> or <Up> cursor keys on the numeric
keypad. Then press <ENTER> to execute your choice. Alternatively,
you may simply type the first letter of the choice desired. In
this case you do NOT need to press <ENTER>.
While positioned on the Main Menu, you can highlight any
option on the Main Menu and press the F1 function key for HELP on
the highlighted topic. This is known as context-sensitive HELP,
and is available on every screen of the program.
The <HOME> key moves the light bar to the first option on the
menu. The <END> key moves the light bar to the last option on the
menu.
The all-purpose, get-out-of-trouble key is <ESC>ape.
Pressing <ESC> always moves you backwards one level in the menu
system of Badge-O-Magic except when you are positioned on the Main
Menu. TO exit from the Main Menu, type an E.
Within the file management system, Badge-O-Magic uses the
same conventions as dBASE for most data entry. The <ENTER> or
<Dn> cursor key moves you to the next field. The <Up> cursor key
moves you to the previous field. The <PgDn> key moves you to the
next record in the file. And the <PgUp> key moves you to the
previous record in the file. Both <PgDn> and <PgUp> save any
changes you have made to the data for the displayed record. To
exit back to the File Management Menu, press <ESC> AFTER saving
your changes by pressing either <PgDn> or <PgUp>.
In the BROWSE mode, <PgDn> displays the next 20 records in
the file while <PgUp> displays the previous 20. <Ctrl-Home> moves
you to the first fields of the record while <Ctrl-End> moves you
to the last. You can scan the fields horizontally by pressing the
<Right> and <Left> cursor keys on the numeric keypad. <ESC> gets
you back to the File Management Menu.
10
4.2 File Management Menu
The File Management Menu provides the basic file management
functions necessary to manipulate dBASE-compatible data bases. You
can use virtually any existing dBASE III or dBASE IV data base
with Badge-O-Magic. If you need to create a new one, we recommend
you try our full-featured data base manager, WAMPUM, which is
available through most ShareWare distributors and BBS's. Insist
upon version 3.3 or later. If you can't find it, send us $5 and
we will be happy to send you a ShareWare copy with a 90 day
evaluation license. The ShareWare version is fully-functional and
will work with any 512K PC-compatible with dual floppies or a hard
disk. The following functions are supported on Badge-O-Magic's
File Management Menu.
a. ADD records to file. Permits you to add new data to any
existing data base. Make certain you are using the
proper data base before adding records to the file.
b. EDIT records in file. Allows you to revise existing
data in your data base. When this option is chosen, you
can position the system to a starting point in the file
in several different ways:
1. Top of file. Moves you to the first record in
the file UNLESS a filter is in use. Then it
moves you to the first record matching the
filter's conditions.
2. Bottom of file. Moves you to the last record
in the file UNLESS a filter is in use. Then
it moves you to the last record matching the
filter's conditions.
3. Pick record number. Moves you to the record
number matching the number you enter UNLESS a
filter is in use. Then it moves you to the
specified record number ONLY IF that record
matches your filter expression.
4. Matching key. If an index is in use, you can
move to the closest entry in the index which
matches the value you type for the key UNLESS
a filter is in use. Then it moves you to the
closest entry matching your filter.
Note that filters come in handy when you need to edit
the contents of a particular group of records such as
all those persons from a particular city. When you
<PgDn> through the records with a FILTER in use, the
next record displayed will always be one matching the
specified filter expression.
11
While in EDIT mode, you can mark a record as DELETED by
pressing CTRL-U. This doesn't really delete the record
until you PACK the file. It does keep the record from
printing a name badge. Before choosing PACK, you can
undelete a record by pressing CTRL-U again while the
deleted record is displayed.
c. BROWSE records. This function allows you to examine
data in your file 20 records at a time. See the
discussion above regarding the navigation keys for use
with the BROWSE option. As with EDIT, you can position
the system to a particular starting point for browsing.
And you can set up a FILTER to narrow down the group of
records displayed when you choose the BROWSE option.
d. FILE change. When chosen, this function displays a
light bar menu with all existing data bases in the
default directory. Highlight the file desired using the
<Dn> or <Up> cursor keys. Then press <ENTER> to pick
the file.
e. INDEX change. When chosen, this function displays a
light bar menu with all existing indexes in the default
directory. Make certain that you know which indexes go
with which files or you will get a mess. If you are
unsure whether an index goes with a particular file,
create a new index to be on the safe side. Highlight
the index file desired and press <ENTER> to pick it.
f. PACK INDEX/FILE. This option allows you to rebuild your
data base and the associated index. It permanently
deletes all records marked for deletion and reindexes
the data base.
g. ZAP DATA BASE. This option should be used with EXTREME
caution. It PERMANENTLY deletes ALL records in the file
but not the file itself. In short, it EMPTIES your data
base to allow you to reenter new data. Always make a
backup of your work BEFORE choosing this option.
h. CREATE NEW INDEX. Choosing this option displays a list
of all the fields in the current data base. Highlight
the field on which you wish to create an alphabetical
index and press <ENTER> to create the index.
For those unfamiliar with dBASE indexes, a word of
explanation is in order. dBASE indexes take the place
of the sorting step which typically is used on larger
computer systems to order a file in a certain way. The
advantages of indexes are many. First, they are
automatically updated whenever a new record is added to
a file or an existing record is changed. Thus, the end-
user need do nothing to assure that the data base is
12
properly sorted. Second, because indexes are always
current, any output can be produced in the order of any
existing index without the need to sort the data base.
This saves a tremendous amount of time with large data
bases. Third, indexes permit retrieval of information
in many different ways almost instantaneously.
i. SET DATA FILTER. If you want to narrow down the group
of records with which to work in a particular file, you
can specify a filter expression. When you choose this
option, detailed HELP is provided on screen to assist in
specifying a filter. You can cancel a filter by choosing
this option and then pressing <ESC>ape. If you type an
incorrect filter, a warning will display after which you
can revise your filter expression.
4.3 FILTER Tutorial
For those that have forgotten college Algebra and Boolean
logic, here is a brief refresher course. If you need more, visit
your local library.
Typically a dBASE filter consists of three parts:
(1) Field name
(2) Relational operator
(3) Value
The FIELD NAME is the exact name of the field from your data
base, i.e. it is one of the field names displayed at the top of
the screen.
The RELATIONAL OPERATOR is one of the following:
(1) = (EQUALS)
(2) <> (NOT EQUALS)
(3) > (GREATER THAN)
(4) < (LESS THAN)
(5) >= (AT LEAST)
(6) <= (AT MOST)
(7) $ (CONTAINED IN)
(8) .NOT. $ (NOT CONTAINED IN)
13
The VALUE is just that, the value to find for the field
specified by field name.
Here are some examples to get you started.
English: FIND ALL THE RECORDS IN ZIP CODE 30319.
Expression: ZIP="30319"
Comments: Notice that the zip code is in quotes since
ZIP is a character field.
English: FIND ALL THE ENTRIES WITH AUGUST 1988 CONTACT DATE
Expression: CONTACTDT >= CTOD("08/01/88") .AND.
CONTACTDT <= CTOD("08/31/88")
Comments: More than one expression can be joined with
.AND. This means BOTH expression must be TRUE for a
record to be output. Notice that spacing doesn't
matter.
English: FIND ALL THE CODE1'S CONTAINING THE WORD "CLONE"
Expression: "CLONE"$UPPER(CODE1)
Comments: Since clone could be in upper, lower, or mixed
case, we want to find them all. By using the dBASE
function UPPER(), we can convert the CODE1 entries
temporarily to upper case and then search for entries
containing the word "CLONE." Since CODE1 is a character
field, the value must be enclosed in quotes.
English: FIND ALL THE ENTRIES WITH NO CONTACT DATE
Expression: DOW(CONTACTDT)=0
Comments: The easiest way to check for a blank data
field is to search for those where the day of the week
is 0. In dBASE, a 0 day of the week is a blank date.
The DOW() function returns a number corresponding to the
day of the week of a date field.
English: FIND ALL ENTRIES WHERE CATEGORY CONTAINS THE
WORD dBASE OR THE IDCODE IS dLITE
Expression: "dBASE"$CATEGORY .OR. "dLITE"$IDCODE
14
Comments: Here we were looking for terms which could
have appeared anywhere within the two fields. Thus, the
CONTAINS operator is better than EQUALS. Notice that
when two expressions are joined with .OR., a record will
qualify for output when EITHER expression is True.
4.4 Badge Settings
Name badges generated by Badge-O-Magic are laid out as 3 inch
by 4 inch rectangles in two columns on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper.
Three rows of two name badges are printed per page. A typical
badge looks like the following:
Badge Header Line
JOHN CAMERON SWANKY, JR.
U.S. FREQUENT FLYER
AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Badge Footer Line
The header and footer lines are free-form text which appears
as is on each name badge. Graphics macros numbered 1-9 also are
supported as headers or footers. Both may be omitted if desired.
The other four lines of the badge are dBASE character expressions.
This means each line may consist of one or more fields from your
data base. As the records in your data base are scanned, the
contents for each name badge line will be extracted from the data
in the current record.
Let's assume your data base file structure looked something
like the following:
FIELDNAME TYPE LENGTH DECIMALS
---------- --------- --------- --------
FIRSTMI Character 15 0
LASTNAME Character 15 0
TITLE Character 25 0
SPOUSE Character 25 0
ADDRESS Character 30 0
CITY Character 18 0
STATE Character 15 0
15
Let's assume you wanted to generate name badges of the format
displayed above. For the HEADER field, you would enter BADGE
HEADER LINE and for the FOOTER enter BADGE FOOTER LINE. The
expressions for the Main Badge would be as follows:
LINE1: TRIM(FIRSTMI)+" "+LASTNAME
LINE2: TITLE
LINE3: ADDRESS
LINE4: TRIM(CITY)+", "+STATE
For typical name badges, we recommend font size 1 for LINE 1
and font size 4 for the remaining lines. You can experiment with
this to find the combination that best meets your needs.
Badge-O-Magic also lets you generate a second name badge for
each record in your data base. This is called the SPOUSE badge
although it could be any combination of fields and information
desired. It also could be a duplicate of the first badge. A
typical spouse badge could be generated with the following
expressions for the Spouse Badge:
LINE1: SPOUSE
LINE2: ADDRESS
LINE3: TRIM(CITY)+", "+STATE
LINE4: leave it blank
The font sizes would correspond to those designated for the
Main Badge.
A filter also can be specified on the MODIFY SETTINGS screen
although we recommend you do this from the FILE MANAGEMENT MENU
since it provides helpful hints for correct syntax. If you are a
dBASE guru, feel free to enter the FILTER on this screen.
Once you have completed all of the entries on the MODIFY
SETTINGS screen, press <PgDn> to return to the Main Menu.
4.5 SAVE Badge Settings
Obviously, if you had to pick your file, index, filter, and
enter all of the badge-specific data each time you wanted name
tags, you probably would want to look elsewhere for your badges.
Therefore, Badge-O-Magic allows you to save all of your work in a
configuration file using any file name you want.
Once you have completed all the steps outlined above, choose
SAVE SETTINGS from the Main Menu. You will be prompted to enter a
file name for your new configuration file. Type a legal DOS file
name (i.e. no embedded spaces) and press <ENTER>. If the file
already exists, you will be asked whether you want to overwrite
the existing file. If so, type Y. Otherwise, type N and enter a
new file name.
16
You may find it desirable to create a number of configuration
files with the only difference in the configurations being the
FILTER. Or you may want one configuration file which prints
badges for participants and spouses while another prints badges
only for participants. Similarly, if you use multiple data bases,
you may want a number of different configurations for each file.
4.6 RESTORE Badge Settings
Choosing the RESTORE BADGE SETTINGS option will display a
listing of all your configuration files which have been saved.
Use the <Dn> or <Up> cursor keys to highlight the configuration
file desired. Then press <ENTER> to execute your choice. All of
the settings from the configuration file will be loaded into the
memory of Badge-O-Magic. Unless you need to change something, you
can print the badges without further effort.
4.7 EXIT to DOS
When you finish using Badge-O-Magic, highlight the last entry
on the Main Menu and press <ENTER> to return to DOS. Should you
have problems with the software, the closing screen will display
the version number of the software you are running. Make a note
of this version number before calling for help.
4.8 When All Else Fails
If you get an error which appears strange or confusing,
please give us a call any weekday evening between 6 and 9 p.m.
EASTERN time. The number is 404/237-9420. Please note that the
phone number is being provided to assist in detection of errors
not as an offer to provide unlimited free technical support to
unregistered users. We are more than happy to assist anyone with
any problem AFTER you have read the User's Guide! You are welcome
to explore all of the features of Badge-O-Magic and are encouraged
to register if you enjoy the program and continue to use it after
your 90-day evaluation license expires.
17
Chapter 5 Other Product Offerings
We have developed a number of reasonably-priced, ShareWare
products which we think you will find are comparable to commercial
products except in one respect: price. A brief summary of these
offerings follows.
WAMPUM is a full-featured, menu-driven, dBASE-compatible data
base management system. It permits even novices to develop
powerful applications in minutes instead of months. Virtually
every dBASE command and function is supported using easy-to-use
menus. Versions are available for stand-alone PCs or NetBIOS-
compatible networks. In addition, users may choose between
Clipper, dBASE III+, and FoxBASE+ compatible indexes. The FoxBASE
version also supports a simulated dot prompt which permits a user
to enter virtually any dBASE command. Simple programs up to 500
lines also can be written and executed using the FoxBASE version.
Requirements: 512K PC, DOS 2.X or higher, dual floppies or hard
disk. Network version requires 640K plus DOS 3.1 or higher.
dLITE is a pop-up desktop file manager which permits a user
to access up to 10 different dBASE-compatible data base appli-
cations from within almost any text-based application. In
addition to powerful file management functions, it also includes a
unique PASTE function permitting users to extract data from any
data base and stuff it into a word processing document,
spreadsheet, or any other foreground application. Requirements:
160K or 100K with 3.2 or 4.0 EMS memory, DOS 2.1 or higher, and
dual floppies or hard disk.
MenuMaker is a data entry screen generator for use with
WAMPUM or dLITE. The developer draws the data entry screen as it
should appear to end users. Then MenuMaker writes the necessary
code to support either WAMPUM or dLITE applications.
WAMPUM Form Letter Editor provides an easy-to-use editor for
use in developing form letter applications.
An order form to simplify ordering and registering our
software is included on the next page. Please feel free to make
as many copies as you need.
Custom logos can be included on your name badges using the
macro option for either a badge header or footer. One good source
for these is Orbit Enterprises, PO Box 2875, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138.
Their phone number is 312/469-3405. Typical pricing for a digi-
tized logo is about $150. This is a one-time charge.
18
WARD MUNDY SOFTWARE, 4160 CLUB DRIVE, ATLANTA, GA 30319
C U S T O M E R I N V O I C E
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|Customer: |Order Date: |
| |---------------------------|
| |Shipped Dt: |
| |---------------------------|
| |Invoice No: |
| |---------------------------|
| |P.O. Number |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|QUANTITY |DESCRIPTION |UNIT PRICE| AMOUNT |
|---------|------------------------------|----------|-----------|
| |*Badge-O-Magic License per PC | 45.00 | |
| | | | |
| |*Badge-O-Magic Network License| 95.00 | |
| | | | |
| | dLITE ShareWare Disk | 5.00 | |
| | | | |
| | dLITE Single User License | 25.00 | |
| | | | |
| | MenuMaker for dLITE/WAMPUM | 20.00 | |
| | | | |
| | WAMPUM ShareWare Disk | 5.00 | |
| | | | |
| |*WAMPUM Single User License | 25.00 | |
| | | | |
| |*WAMPUM Network License | 75.00 | |
| | | | |
| | WAMPUM Form Letter Editor | 20.00 | |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|*Specify INDEX: Clipper ( ) dBASE III+ ( ) FoxBASE+ ( ) |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Foreign Shipping Surcharge | 5.00 | |
| | | | |
| | Shipping & Handling Charges | 5.00 | 5.00 |
| | |----------|-----------|
| | | TOTAL | |
+---------------------- Thank You! -----------------------------+
TERMS: Please make check payable to Ward Mundy, 4160 Club Drive,
Atlanta, GA 30319. Checks drawn on U.S. banks only!