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  1. GETTING STARTED                                                            
  2.                                                                            
  3. This chapter describes how to install Flexbase on your computer.           
  4.                                                                            
  5.                                                                            
  6.                                                                            
  7. EQUIPMENT                                                                  
  8.                                                                            
  9.     Flexbase will work on the IBM PC, IBM XT, IBM AT, and fully IBM PC     
  10. compatible computers.                                                      
  11.                                                                            
  12.     Your computer must have at least 256K of main memory (RAM) and be      
  13. equipped to use double-sided diskettes with 360K bytes of storage (as a    
  14. minimum).                                                                  
  15.                                                                            
  16.     Flexbase does not require a graphics card.                             
  17.                                                                            
  18.     Your Operating System (DOS) must be version 2.1 or later.              
  19.                                                                            
  20.                                                                            
  21.                                                                            
  22. FLEXBASE DISKETTES                                                         
  23.                                                                            
  24.     Your Flexbase package includes two diskettes.  Diskette number 1       
  25. contains the Create, Access and Utilities systems.  Diskette number 2      
  26. contains the Sort and Report Generation systems.                           
  27.                                                                            
  28.     Follow the instructions in this chapter to make the Flexbase system    
  29. bootable, i.e. you can put either diskette into drive A: and start the     
  30. computer.  Which diskette you actually use at any given time will depend   
  31. on which Flexbase facility you wish to use.                                
  32.                                                                            
  33.     If you have a hard disk, you can copy both diskettes to the hard disk  
  34. and have all the Flexbase facilities available at once.                    
  35.                                                                            
  36.     In addition to the Flexbase diskettes, you will need a few blank       
  37. diskettes.  These must be formatted before you work with Flexbase.  You    
  38. will use these diskettes to save the work you do with Flexbase.            
  39.                                                                            
  40.                                                                            
  41.                                                                            
  42. CARE AND HANDLING OF YOUR DISKETTES                                        
  43.                                                                            
  44.     Diskettes are sensitive storage devices.  If they aren't handled       
  45. properly, they can be damaged, losing the information stored on them.  In  
  46. general, if you treat them carefully and keep backup copies, you can count 
  47. on overcoming any mishaps that may occur.                                  
  48.                                                                            
  49.     Always handle a diskette by the edge.  Never touch any part of the     
  50. recording surfaces.  Store diskettes in the envelopes they come in.  This  
  51. will keep dust, smoke and anything else off the recording surface.         
  52.                                                                            
  53.     Always make backup copies of any diskette containing important data.   
  54.                                                                            
  55.                                                                            
  56.                                                                            
  57. FORMATTING DISKETTES                                                       
  58.                                                                            
  59.     Before you can use a diskette to store Flexbase information on, it must
  60. be formatted.  Use the following procedure to format a blank diskette.     
  61.                                                                            
  62.                                                                            
  63. Two Diskette System                                                        
  64.                                                                            
  65.         1.  Place your DOS diskette into drive A.                          
  66.                                                                            
  67.         2.  Type Format B: and press Enter.                                
  68.                                                                            
  69.             Note: DOS prompts you to insert a blank diskette               
  70.                   into drive B.                                            
  71.                                                                            
  72.         3.  Place a blank diskette into drive B and press Enter.           
  73.                                                                            
  74.     Formatting takes several minutes.  When it is finished, DOS will prompt
  75. you to format another diskette.  If you wish to format another diskette,   
  76. press Y and at the prompt, repeat step 3, otherwise, press N.              
  77.                                                                            
  78.                                                                            
  79. Hard Disk System                                                           
  80.                                                                            
  81.         1.  Be sure that the hard disk is the default drive and            
  82.             that you are located at the directory on the hard              
  83.             drive that contains the DOS format program.                    
  84.                                                                            
  85.         2.  Type Format A: and press Enter.                                
  86.                                                                            
  87.             Note: DOS prompts you to insert a blank diskette               
  88.                   into drive A.                                            
  89.                                                                            
  90.         3.  Place a blank diskette into drive A and press Enter.           
  91.                                                                            
  92.     Formatting takes several minutes.  When it is finished, DOS will prompt
  93. you to format another diskette.  If you wish to format another diskette,   
  94. press Y and at the prompt, repeat step 3, otherwise, press N.              
  95.                                                                            
  96.                                                                            
  97.                                                                            
  98. MAKING BACKUP COPIES OF THE FLEXBASE DISKETTES                             
  99.                                                                            
  100.     Flexbase is not copy-protected.  You should make backup copies of the  
  101. diskettes before using them.  If anything should happen to your original   
  102. diskettes, you will have your backup copies to depend on.  If you are      
  103. using a hard disk system, your original Flexbase diskettes can serve as    
  104. your backup copies.                                                        
  105.                                                                            
  106.                                                                            
  107. Two Diskette System                                                        
  108.                                                                            
  109.     Use the following procedure to backup your two Flexbase diskettes.     
  110.                                                                            
  111.         1.  Place your DOS diskette in drive A.                            
  112.                                                                            
  113.         2.  Type format b:/s and press Enter.                              
  114.                                                                            
  115.             Note: You will be prompted to insert a blank diskette          
  116.                   into drive B.                                            
  117.                                                                            
  118.         3.  Place a blank diskette into drive B and press Enter.           
  119.                                                                            
  120.             Formatting takes several minutes.  When it is finished,        
  121.             you will be prompted to format another diskette.  Type N       
  122.             for no and the A:> prompt will appear.                         
  123.                                                                            
  124.         4.  Remove the DOS diskette from drive A and replace it            
  125.             with Flexbase disk number 1.                                   
  126.                                                                            
  127.         5.  Type copy *.* b: and press Enter.                              
  128.                                                                            
  129.             DOS will display a listing of the files as they are            
  130.             copied from the diskette in drive A to the diskette            
  131.             in drive B.                                                    
  132.                                                                            
  133.         6.  Remove the diskette in drive B and label it.                   
  134.                                                                            
  135.         7.  Remove the Flexbase distribution diskette from drive A         
  136.             and repeat steps 1 thru 6 for the other Flexbase               
  137.             distribution diskette.                                         
  138.                                                                            
  139.                                                                            
  140.                                                                            
  141. INSTALLATION                                                               
  142.                                                                            
  143.     For a hard disk system, place the Flexbase distribution diskette       
  144. (number 1) into drive A and at the DOS prompt type CINSTALL and press      
  145. Enter.  The installation program will make a directory on your hard disk   
  146. (named FLEXBASE), and move the files from the floppy diskettes to the hard 
  147. disk.                                                                      
  148.                                                                            
  149.     At the completion of the file transfers, the installation program will 
  150. ask you if you wish to append the ΘCONFIG.SYSΘ file at the root directory. 
  151. If you do not have a CONFIG.SYS file, or if your CONFIG.SYS file does not  
  152. contain the following statements                                           
  153.                                                                            
  154.         FILES = 20                                                         
  155.                                                                            
  156.         BUFFERS = 24                                                       
  157.                                                                            
  158. as a minimum, then type Y, otherwise type N.                               
  159.                                                                            
  160.                                                                            
  161.     For a two diskette system, use the following procedure to generate a   
  162. CONFIG.SYS file.  This file should be copied to each diskette that you may 
  163. possibly boot up the computer with.                                        
  164.                                                                            
  165.         1.  Place the DOS diskette into drive A.                           
  166.                                                                            
  167.         2.  Place the Flexbase diskette number 1 (working copy)            
  168.             into drive B.                                                  
  169.                                                                            
  170.         3.  Type COPY CON B:CONFIG.SYS and press Enter.                    
  171.                                                                            
  172.         4.  Type FILES = 20 and press Enter.                               
  173.                                                                            
  174.         5.  Type BUFFERS = 24 and press Enter.                             
  175.                                                                            
  176.         6.  Press the F6 function key and then press Enter.                
  177.                                                                            
  178.         7.  Remove the diskette from drive B and repeat steps              
  179.             1 thru 6 for each Flexbase diskette that you may               
  180.             possibly boot up the computer with.                            
  181.                                                                            
  182.                                                                            
  183.                                                                            
  184. STARTING FLEXBASE                                                          
  185.                                                                            
  186.     To start Flexbase, simply place diskette number 1 (for two diskette    
  187. systems) into drive A, or go to the directory where Flexbase is located    
  188. (for hard disk systems), and type FB, then press Enter.                    
  189.                                                                            
  190.     To start the report generator or sort programs, follow the general rule
  191. above for two diskette and hard disk systems, but, type FBR or FBS and then
  192. press Enter.                                                               
  193.                                                                            
  194. Note: The FB stands for FlexBase, FBR stands for FlexBaseReport, and FBS   
  195. stands for FlexBaseSort.                                                   
  196.                                                                            
  197. Flexbase system modules can also be started from the command line.  This   
  198. means that you can create or access a database without using the main menu.
  199. You can also print a report (if the report format file exist), with a      
  200. minimum of keystrokes.                                                     
  201.                                                                            
  202. The following formats display the inputs required at the command line.     
  203.                                                                            
  204.                                                                            
  205. To create a new database from the command line input                       
  206.                                                                            
  207.      FBC filename  or  FBC \subdir\filename                                
  208.                                                                            
  209.                                                                            
  210. To access an existing database from the command line input                 
  211.                                                                            
  212.      FBA filename  or  FBA \subdir\filename                                
  213.                                                                            
  214.                                                                            
  215. To print a report automatically from the command line input                
  216.                                                                            
  217.      FBR database filename,report format filename                          
  218.                                                                            
  219.                   or                                                       
  220.                                                                            
  221.      FBR \subdir\database filename,\subdir\report format filename          
  222.                                                                            
  223.                                                                            
  224.                                                                            
  225. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION                                            
  226.                                                                            
  227.                                                                            
  228. Graphics Hardware                                                          
  229.                                                                            
  230.     Flexbase does not require a graphics card.  It has been designed to    
  231. bring you the best non-graphical screen displays possible.                 
  232.                                                                            
  233.                                                                            
  234. Activating The Print Screen Key                                            
  235.                                                                            
  236.     Many times, you will want to get a ßsnap-shotß of the current screen   
  237. display and print it on your printer.  Flexbase does not interfere with    
  238. the DOS PrtSc capability.  Anytime that you wish to print the current      
  239. screen contents, follow the procedures prescribed in your DOS manual for   
  240. activating the PrtSc key.                                                  
  241.                                                                            
  242.                                                                            
  243. Using a Serial Printer                                                     
  244.                                                                            
  245.     If you plan to use a serial printer with Flexbase, there is some setup 
  246. necessary to ensure that no program interruptions will occur.  Refer to    
  247. Appendix D for details.                                                    
  248.