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+--------------------------------------+ | VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN Registration Form | | Version 7.2 & 7.2W | +--------------------------------------+ Registration fee: $20.00 (one fee covers both programs). You may try out these programs free of charge for a reasonably brief evaluation period. If you decide that you want to continue to use them on a regular basis, please fill out this form and return it with your check for $20.00 payable to W. A. Jackson to: W. A. Jackson 6529 Matilija Avenue Van Nuys, California 91401 Registration entitles you to use the programs, get technical support and receive future upgrades, all in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the User Manual. The registration fee is refundable if you are dissatisfied with the program for any reason within 90 days after registration. Name: ________________________________________ Company:* ________________________________________ Street Address: ________________________________________ City/State/ZIP ________________________________________ Telephone:* ________________________________________ Preferred Disk Format: _____ 5.25" _____ 3.5" Do you run under (check all that apply): DOS?____ Windows?____ OS/2?____ Do you want to receive the source code?* _____Yes _____No (VIDEOCAT only; VCATWIN source code is not currently being released. If you are not experienced in C Language programming, the source code will be of no interest or value to you.) Where did you obtain your copy of VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN*____________ _______________________________________________________________ Comments/Suggestions:* ________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ * Optional entries. VIDEOCAT Windows Version (VCATWIN) Videocassette Catalog Program Version 7.2W USER MANUAL _______ ____|__ | (tm) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Copyright 1991 William A. Jackson 6529 Matilija Avenue Van Nuys, California 91401 VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page i Table of Contents GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What this Program Does . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Special Note About Version 7.2W . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Minimal Instructions for the User in a Hurry . . . . . . 2 Tips for VIDEOCAT Standard Edition Users . . . . . . . . 3 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Known System Incompatibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Compatibility with Prior Versions . . . . . . . . . . . 4 License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Disk Vendors, Bulletin Boards, etc. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Warranties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 ASP Ombudsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 If You Have Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Source Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Primary Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Save As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Whole Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Labels Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 About Videocat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Author Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 System Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 DATA DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page ii Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 MPAA Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Minutes Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Cassette Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Index Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 * * * * "You have all your videotapes alphabetized on index cards." -- Billy Crystal to Meg Ryan in "WHEN HARRY MET SALLY..." (1989). VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 1 GENERAL INFORMATION What this Program Does ---------------------- VCATWIN is a Windows version of VIDEOCAT, a specialized database program designed for cataloging a collection of movies or similar materials stored on videocassettes. Each record contains the following information: - title - year of release - subject type - form type - quality rating - MPAA audience rating code - actors (maximum 3 names) - director - cassette number - index number on cassette - color/black & white - sound type - running time - video/film format - free-form user comments (3 lines) Using the program's Edit functions you can build and modify a data file of records containing this information for items in your video collection. This program was designed for collections of theatrical motion pictures; however custom configuration options permit adaptation to other specialized types of collections. Using the program's View functions you can display the data file in a variety of formats and sequences. You can also use the Search option to display only those records having particular characteristics (e.g. westerns with John Wayne). Using the program's File functions you can print a hard copy listing. Using the program's Label functions you can print labels on a variety of commercially available label stocks. This program has been designed with large collections in mind. Theoretically the program could handle data files with up to 65,535 records. For all practical purposes the number of records is limited only by available disk space, with each record taking up 384 bytes. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 2 Note that this program is for cataloging YOUR collection. The small demo file included with the distribution package is for demonstration purposes only. A surprising number of users assume that this is a database of all videos available for rental and write complaining that I haven't included enough videos. A Special Note About Version 7.2W --------------------------------- This is the first Windows version to be released. It is numbered 7.2W to indicate that it is generally comparable to and compatible with Version 7.2 of the standard edition of Videocat. This program has undergone limited beta testing. I fully expect that bugs will be discovered when the program is in wider use. If you find one, let me know and I will work on it. Minimal Instructions for the User in a Hurry -------------------------------------------- To load and run the program, you must have Microsoft Windows, Version 3.0 or later, installed in your system. Make sure that your program diskette has the files VCATWIN.EXE and VCATDEMO.DAT. Insert the diskette in a floppy drive, log it as the active drive, and at the prompt enter win vcatwin and you will be off and running. If you install the program on your hard drive it will run faster The user interface for this program generally follows the "Common User Access" principles of IBM's System Application Architecture. That means it will look and feel a lot like other Windows applications which follow the same principles. Some people think this approach makes Windows applications boring. The positive benefit is that if you have used a lot of other Windows applications you will find that much of what you have already learned is transferrable. Use your experience and your intuition to take a test drive. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 3 Tips for VIDEOCAT Standard Edition Users ---------------------------------------- The data file format for VCATWIN is entirely compatible with VIDEOCAT Version 7.0, 7.1 or 7.2. You can use your existing data file. I recommend that you initially make a copy of your data file for testing VCATWIN and install it in a different drive or directory. When you feel comfortable with VCATWIN you may choose to use the same directory and a single data file for both versions. There are some features of the standard edition which have not yet been implemented in VCATWIN. Most significant are the conversion routines for data files from older versions of VIDEOCAT and the update option which permits changing existing text data back and forth between upper and lower case letters. You can continue to use the standard edition of VIDEOCAT when you need to use these features. VCATWIN permits the creation of multiple data files with different names and will permit you to open a different data file while running. The standard edition of VIDEOCAT continues to support only a single data file. Some of the label formats supported in the standard edition of VIDEOCAT are not yet supported in VCATWIN. This is because the standard edition directly controls the printer while VCATWIN does its printing through the Windows Print Manager, a mixed blessing which makes some things easier and some things harder. System Requirements ------------------- The primary requirements for VCATWIN are an IBM-compatible PC with Microsoft Windows, Version 3.0 or later, installed, an EGA or VGA display, and a mouse. It may run on a lesser configuration (CGA or no mouse), but operation will not be satisfactory. Known System Incompatibilities ------------------------------ None are known at this time. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 4 Compatibility with Prior Versions --------------------------------- Data files are completely compatible with the standard edition of VIDEOCAT, Versions 7.0, 7.1 and 7.2. The record format in these editions reserved space for future development and some of this space may be used to add new features to VCATWIN; however this will be done in such a way that data files can be ported back and forth between the standard and Windows versions without adverse effect. It should be noted that the standard edition of VIDEOCAT supports only a single data file which must be named either VCATDATA.DAT or VCATDEMO.DAT. The Windows version supports multiple data files which can have different names. VCATWIN uses some, but not all, of the custom configuration files created under the standard edition of VIDEOCAT. If you created any of the following custom configuration files under the standard edition, you can copy and use them directly with VCATWIN: VCATCOLR.CFG custom color type descriptions VCATFMAT.CFG custom format descriptions VCATFORM.CFG custom form descriptions VCATMPAA.CFG custom MPAA rating descriptions VCATRATG.CFG custom quality rating descriptions VCATSOUN.CFG custom sound type descriptions VCATSUBJ.CFG custom subject descriptions The present version of VCATWIN does not convert files from Versions 5.x and 6.x, produce statistical reports, or change the case of data text; however you can use the standard edition of VIDEOCAT to perform these services. License ------- This is "user supported software", or "shareware". It is NOT in the public domain but is protected under the copyright laws of the United States. You are granted a limited license to use, copy and distribute VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN subject to the following conditions: 1. You may make personal, non-commercial use of VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN during a reasonably brief trial period; if you VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 5 become a registered user (see Registration below), your license for personal use becomes perpetual; 2. You may distribute copies to others who may also make royalty-free use during a relatively brief trial period and may obtain a perpetual license by becoming registered users; 3. You may upload copies of the applications package (executable file and manual, but NOT source code) to electronic bulletin boards and information services; 4. You may make a modified version of the program for your own use only; 5. You may not modify the program or its documentation or source code in versions you distribute to others; 6. You may not charge any fee for copying and distribution of VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN other than reasonable costs of copying, information service on-line charges, shareware disk distribution charges, and similar nominal costs not exceeding $10 for this program, provided that you clearly disclose that the program is shareware and that payment of your distribution charge does not excuse the obligation to pay a registration fee to the author. Disk Vendors, Bulletin Boards, etc. ___________________________________ Disk vendors, electronic bulletin boards, user groups, computer clubs, swap meets, etc. are all welcome to distribute VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN, subject to the restrictions in item 6 under "License" above. My current practice is to mail major releases of VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN to vendors approved by the Association of Shareware Professionals. I simply don't have the time or inclination to answer mail from other organizations with sure- fire, get-rich-quick schemes to promote this program and help me achieve fame and fortune if only I will part with a little front money. I find that users who have obtained VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN from disk vendors, bulletin boards or swap meets often have received very outdated versions. The best way to be sure you have the most recent release is, of course, to become a registered user. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 6 Registration ____________ VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN is shareware. It is NOT free software. If you are not familiar with shareware, read the "What is Shareware" section towards the end of this manual. The author depends upon your integrity in becoming a registered user if you choose to continue using the program after a brief trial period. The shareware concept is based upon the expectation that users who test a program and decide they want to continue using it will register with the author and send in a registration fee. Electronic bulletin boards and disk vendors charge only for their distribution services and do not pay any royalties to shareware authors. Honest vendors explain this system clearly; shady operators obscure it. If you did not understand that registration and payment of a fee to the author was expected, complain to the vendor you dealt with and any magazine in which it advertises. Do not sent me a letter saying that you "bought" VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN from some disk distributor and now expect full support without compensating the author. I also have no control over the quality of diskettes used by disk vendors. If you got a defective diskette from a disk vendor, complain to them, not to me. Since this is essentially an honor system, your voluntary compliance is fundamental to the continued viability of the shareware concept which enables the economical distribution of professional quality programs for special applications which do not represent a large enough market to justify marketing through conventional retail channels. VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN would never have reached its current stage of development without the support and encouragement of registered users. Although it is obvious that I am not going to retire on royalties from VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN, there are costs associated with its distribution and maintenance and I do expect the project to support itself financially. Aside from the appeal to your integrity, there are several practical advantages which I would suggest make it worthwhile for you to become a registered user: - The version you have may not be the most current version; if it is not current, you will receive the most current version by mail on disk when your registration is received.* - Registered users usually get reasonably prompt responses to questions and requests for help. (Frankly, I do not have a lot of VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 7 patience or motivation in dealing with questions from non-registered users.) - Registered users always get the next significant** upgrade free of charge by mail on disk shortly after it is ready for general distribution. - After the first significant** upgrade, additional upgrades will be made available to registered users at a nominal handling charge (currently estimated at $5). - Registered users sometimes get an advance peek at new features through interim editions sent to them for "Beta" testing. - Registered users often see their suggestions reflected in changes to the program. - Registered users are provided with complete source code on request without additional charge (standard edition of VIDEOCAT only - Windows edition source code is not presently being released). * I'll confess that sometimes I run a little late in processing registrations. I will not, however, cash your check until I have acknowledged your registration and made sure you have the most recent release. ** Interim releases are occasionally mailed to some users with a request that they act as "Beta" testers and report problems, comments and suggestions. Mailing of an interim release does not count as a significant upgrade. VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN is not "crippleware" or "ransomware". The same version is distributed to all and you do not have to pay extra to get a version that really works. Registration is accomplished by simply mailing the registration form which is included in the documentation file with a check for $20 to William A. Jackson 6529 Matilija Avenue Van Nuys, California 91401 $20 is a bargain. I have seen authors of clearly inferior programs request two, three or four times as much. If you send a VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 8 letter with a long list of questions you would like answered before deciding whether to part with your $20, don't expect a reply. If you send a check for a lesser amount, I will accept it as a "conscience" payment, but don't expect to get the privileges of a fully registered user. If you send a check for a greater amount, I will accept it gracefully. Please use the registration form. Users who send me a letter instead typically omit such important information as what version they now have and what disk size they prefer. There is no extra charge for foreign registration, although I may send your updates by surface mail which can take a couple of months to reach overseas locations. An international postal money order denominated in U.S. dollars is the most convenient means for foreign users to register. Videocat contains no cryptographic or other security functions and is not, to the best of my knowledge, subject to any U.S. export restrictions. This is a one-time royalty, although additional upgrades beyond the first after registration may be subject to a nominal handling charge. I make no guarantees as to how long or how often future upgrades will be released and I reserve the right to discontinue development and support of VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN at any time. I am continually surprised at how long old versions continue in circulation and it has occurred to me that someday I may move and registrations may continue to come to my present address after the expiration of the time during which the post office will forward mail. If you should find that your registration is returned as undeliverable, you can try to contact me through electronic mail on Compuserve or you could try to get a current address from the Association of Shareware Professionals. Warranties __________ Did you seriously expect warranties with user-supported software? Just to make sure that everything is perfectly clear, this software comes without any warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or suitability for intended purpose. It is distributed to you "as is" and "with faults". Under no circumstances shall the author be liable for any consequential damages. I do have a liberal refund policy (although no one has yet asked for a refund). If for any reason you are dissatisfied with VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 9 VIDEOCAT/VCATWIN within 90 days after registration, I will cheerfully refund your royalty payment on request. Your remedy for any damage or defect is limited to a refund of your registration fee. ASP Ombudsman ------------- This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536" Installation ------------ Before using this program you must have installed Microsoft Windows, Version 3.0 or later. If you don't, this program will not do anything other than display a message that it requires Microsoft Windows. I recommend that you at least initially run the program from floppy disk or VDISK. You will need the file VCATWIN.EXE. I also recommend that you initially try out the program using the demonstration data file VCATDEMO.DAT, which should also be on the same diskette. You will also need to have free space on the diskette equal to about three times the size of the data file (the program uses this space for sorting and searching routines). To start the program from the command line, enter win vcatwin After you become comfortable with VCATWIN, you may wish to install it on your hard disk. Create a subdirectory named VCATWIN and copy the files VCATWIN.EXE and VCATDEMO.DAT into that subdirectory. You may wish to install the program in Windows so that you can run it from Windows using the Program Manager. Follow the instructions in Chapter 3 of your Microsoft Windows User's Guide. The intended icon for VCATWIN is a drawing of a VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 10 videocassette. If Windows picks a different icon, you can change the selection using the Change Icon option in the Properties dialog box of the Program Manager. VCATWIN requires free disk space equal to approximately three times the size of the data file in order to create temporary files while sorting data. If you have set the environment variable TMP, the program will attempt to use the value of that variable as the directory in which temporary files are created. If you have not set the environment variable TMP, the program will create temporary files in the current directory. If you have enough memory to do so, I recommend that you create a large VDISK or RAMDRIVE, make a subdirectory for temporary files in it, and set TMP to the path of that subdirectory. This will speed up the operation of VCATWIN when it sorts files. If you find the terms "VDISK" and "environment variable" unfamiliar, don't worry about it. Just bear in mind that VCATWIN needs to have unused disk space available. Once you are tired of playing with the demo data file, it's time to create your own data file. If you simply erase VCATDEMO.DAT before starting the program, it will create a new, empty data file named "VCATDATA.DAT". If you don't want to erase the demo data file, you can use the New function from the File menu. If VCATDATA.DAT does not exist, New will suggest that name. You are free to use a different name, but as long as VCATDATA.DAT does not exist, the program will always attempt to open VCATDEMO.DAT when it starts up. It is therefore recommended that your principal data file be named VCATDATA.DAT. Once you have created your own data file, you use the Add function under the Edit menu to insert your own data records. If You Have Trouble ------------------- My experience with users has convinced me that most questions can be answered and problems solved by simply reading and following the Manual carefully. I suspect that since the Windows environment is a relatively new experience for many users, lack of familiarity with the way Windows applications work will also be a source of confusion to some. If you are new to Windows, I would recommend that you read Chapter 2 ("Basic Skills") of the Microsoft Windows User's Guide. This covers such subjects as working with menus and dialog boxes and the various control elements used in Windows applications. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 11 Some user problems do indeed uncover bugs in the program. I encourage you to report suspected bugs with a fairly complete description of the problem, the circumstances under which it occurs, and relevant information about the computer system you are running it on. If you discover a bug due to my programming error, I will fix it as soon as possible. You can send questions, complaints, comments and suggestions by regular mail to the address given above. It may be helpful to give me your phone number, because sometimes I have difficulty understanding the problem description and a phone call is the simplest way to clear up the confusion. I apologize for not providing my phone number, but I have learned from other shareware authors that users in distant places sometimes forget about time zone differences and call at the most peculiar times. If you are a Compuserve subscriber, you can send E-mail to me at account number 71571,1234. Users who provide PARTICULARLY VALUABLE bug reports or suggestions for improvement MAY be placed on my subscriber list even if they made no voluntary royalty contribution payment. That is the only reward for contributing ideas. Source Code ___________ Registered users can request the complete C language source code for the current STANDARD version of VIDEOCAT on request. (See the manual for VIDEOCAT for more information). The source code for the Windows edition VCATWIN is NOT presently being made available. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 12 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Primary Window -------------- The primary window is a movable, sizable window which presents to users the objects and actions of the application. It has the following elements: A control-menu box in the upper left corner which can be used to resize, move, maximize, minimize, and close the window, and to switch to the Windows task list. A title bar at the top of the window shows the name of the application, the name of the currently active data file, and the current date and time. Maximize and minimize buttons are located in the upper right corner of the window and can be selected with the mouse to enlarge the window to fill the entire desktop or shrink it to an icon. A menu bar below the title bar contains two lines of information. The first line lists the available menus which can be selected by mouse click and the number of transactions waiting for an update of the data file. The second line displays the number of records in the currently active data file and the record which is currently selected for change. The workspace (also known as the client area) contains a display of the data in the currently active file. You can chose to display complete data, in which case each record will fill several lines, or a short format with less information and one record per line. If you are displaying records in short format, you can see complete data for any record by pointing to it with the mouse and clicking the right mouse button. Scroll bars at the right and bottom edges of the window permit you to view portions of the data file which will not fit into the window. Scroll bars are activated with the mouse. You can also use the Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys on the keyboard to move rapidly through the file. A record can be selected for editing by pointing to it with the mouse and clicking the left mouse button. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 13 The mouse can be used to select a record displayed in the primary window. By positioning the cursor on a record and clicking the left mouse button, the record will be selected as the one which will be acted upon in any change or delete transaction. If you click the right mouse button a window will appear which displays the full data for the record pointed to by the cursor. Thus when you choose to display records in short (single-line) format to permit rapid paging through the file, you can point to a record, click the right mouse button, and see the complete record. Menus ----- Menus are selected from the menu bar by clicking on the menu name with the mouse or by pressing the ALT key and the letter key for the underlined letter in the menu name. When a menu is selected a "pull-down" list of menu commands will appear. A menu command is chosen by clicking the mouse on the desired item or by typing the underlined letter. A menu can be canceled by pressing ESC or by clicking the mouse anywhere outside the menu. In many cases the execution of a menu command will activate a dialog box with additional controls. File Menu --------- The File menu enables the user to work with data files through actions that manipulate the file as a whole. The New command allows the user to create a new file which will become the active file. It is recommended that you name your primary data file "VCATDATA.DAT". It is also recommended that all data files have the ".DAT" suffix. The Open command reads an existing file and displays it for manipulation. The initial template for data files is "*.DAT". You can change it to list choices with other suffixes, but it is recommended that you use a ".DAT" suffix in naming all data files. A list box displays files in the current directory matching the template as well as other drives and subdirectories. Choosing the ".." option moves to the parent of the current subdirectory. Clicking on a file once displays it in the filename window, which can be selected by clicking "OK". Double VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 14 clicking on a listed file selects it immediately. The program performs a rather simplistic test to try to detect whether or not the selected file is a valid Videocat data file; if it is able to detect that the file is not a valid data file, it will refuse to open it. If you try to outsmart it by opening such files as "COMMAND.COM", you may be sorry. Although the Open dialog permits you to navigate throughout the various disks and directories in your system, it is recommended that you keep your data files in the same subdirectory as VCATWIN.EXE. The Save command updates the current file with pending change transactions and writes it to disk. The file remains the active file, but will now reflect changes which have been processed. The Update command performs exactly the same action as the Save command. The Save As command merges pending changes with the current file content and writes the result to a different file, leaving the current file unchanged. The Print command prepares the currently displayed file (which may be either a regular data file, a sorted data file, or a search data file) for printing and prints it on the printer. Print uses the Windows print manager, and will give you the opportunity to select or configure any printer you have installed in Windows. The Exit command ends the VCATWIN application and removes its window from the screen. Edit Menu --------- The Edit menu contains commands that enable the user to alter the contents of the currently active file. It should be noted that VCATWIN uses a batch file update approach, so changes will not be reflected in the file until the Save or Update command is executed from the File menu. If the Save As command is executed, the update will write to a different file, leaving the currently active file unchanged. The batch file update approach may seem to you to be cumbersome when your data file is small. When your data file becomes large, you will understand its virtues: you would not VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 15 want to wait for an immediate update to be performed after every single edit change. The Add command is used to create a new record for addition to the file. This command invokes a dialog box which displays a blank record and permits the user to enter data in the various fields. The Add command does not affect the currently selected record. The Change command is used to change the currently selected record; it cannot be executed unless a record has been selected. A record can be selected by clicking it with the mouse. The Change command invokes a dialog box which displays the selected record and permits the user to change the data in the various fields. The Change command actually generates two transactions, one to delete the existing record and another to add the modified version. The Delete command is used to delete the currently selected record. This command invokes a dialog box which displays the currently selected record and requests verification that this is the record the user wishes to delete. The Review command permits the user to review pending transactions awaiting update. A pending transaction can be deleted from the list by clicking it with the mouse. Remember that the Change command generates two transactions: a delete for the original record and an add to replace it with the changed version. To undo a change it is necessary to correctly identify the related add and delete pair and delete both. View Menu --------- The View menu contains commands that enable the user to select different ways of looking at the content of the active data file without affecting the file itself. The Whole Catalog command causes all records to be displayed. A dialog box is invoked which permits the user to select the order in which records are displayed (title, year or location) and whether long (full data) or short (single line) format should be used. The Search command causes only those records having certain record values to be displayed. A dialog box is invoked which permits the user to select the key values for the search and whether long or short display format should be used. The display VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 16 is always in title order. Note that search keys are conjunctive, i.e. a record must meet all of the search criteria in order to be displayed. If you select subject "Western" and actor name "John Wayne", only records which have both Western in the subject field and the name John Wayne in one of the actor fields will be displayed. If the screen is empty after you performed a search, this means the program was unable to find any record matching your search criteria. To get the data file displayed again, use a view whole file sequence of commands. Options Menu ------------ The Options menu contains commands that permit the user to customize the way in which the program works. The available options permit the user to change the descriptive text for various category codes in the data record. Users with specialized collections (home video, training tapes, all adult titles, etc.) can replace the default set of descriptions which was designed for a broad range of theatrical motion pictures. If you choose to custom configure the descriptive text for classification category codes, I urge you to think out a comprehensive plan carefully before implementing it. Frequent and haphazard changes can introduce a lot of confusion. Labels Menu ----------- The Labels Menu provides a specialized function to print labels for videocassettes. This function requires that the data file be sorted in cassette number order. If the currently displayed file is not so sorted, the program will ask for permission to do so. The dialog box for Labels will give you the opportunity to select and configure the printer to be used. You are also given several choices of label stocks. At the moment the number of options is more limited than in the standard edition of VIDEOCAT. I expect that a larger variety of label stocks will be supported in the future. If you are using a type of labels not listed, send me a sample and I will consider adding it. Label stocks are described as either "continuous feed" or "laser sheet". Continuous feed labels come in a long strip VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 17 intended for pin or tractor feed through a standard printer; you should position your label stock in your printer so that the first position struck by the print head will be just within the upper left corner of a label. Laser sheet labels are single sheets of peel-off labels designed for laser printers. VCATWIN uses the Windows print manager to figure out where to position printing when you have a laser printer installed in Windows. You may be able to use laser sheets in a standard printer, but you will have to determine by experimentation how to position the laser sheet relative to the print head so that printing will fall within the labels. The dialog box for Labels will also display the lowest and highest locations read in sorting the data file. If you do not wish to produce labels for the entire collection, you can change the starting and ending location numbers to confine the range. You can choose between single-title (most information) and multi-title (less information, multiple titles on a label) formats. Note that data lines are truncated to fit the designated label size. The data format is the same for all label sizes and the printed lines are simply truncated to fit narrow labels. Video label stocks are becoming easier to find, but I will add some tips on sources of supply. Continuous form, pinfeed labels for VHS and Beta can be ordered from (I get no commissions): Virginia Specialty Products P.O. Box 985 Vienna, Va 22180 [(703) 280-1742] [best source for small package sizes] [slow in filling orders] United Ad Label Co. 650 Columbia Street P.O. Box 2216 Brea, Ca 92622 [(800) 423-4643] [best source for bulk packages] [quick to ship] Note that VCATWIN does not presently support pin-feed face labels (although it does support laser sheet face labels). The pin-feed spine labels are spaced at 1" intervals, so there is an even number in the standard 11" page. The continous-feed VHS and Beta face labels are spaced at intervals which do not fit evenly into the standard 11" page, and I have not been able yet to VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 18 figure out how to get the Windows print manager to handle them properly. United Ad Label Co. also distributes laser sheet labels; their part number for VHS spine labels is PV541. Avery now distributes video spine and face labels under part number 5199. The dimensions of the Avery and United Ad Label products are identical, but United Ad Label packages the spine and face labels separately while Avery distributes a combo pack with sheets of both types in the same package. United Ad Label sells direct to the public while Avery distributes through retailers. I have found the Avery labels in stock at my local Egghead Software store and listed in a number of mail order catalogs. If you want to get the Avery labels by mail, my personal recommendation would be: Paper Direct 205 Chubb Avenue Lyndhurst, New Jersey 07071-0618 [(800) 272-7377] If you own a laser printer, do yourself a favor and get the Paper Direct catalog, even if you decide to get your video labels elsewhere. Paper Direct has a delicious selection of hard-to- find papers. If you own a pin-feed printer, get the United Ad Label catalog; they have more kinds of labels than you ever dreamed existed! There used to be an Avery product for VHS labels which I rejected because it had both horizontal and vertical labels on the same sheet (the LaserJet forces a form eject every time you change orientations). The UAL product and the new Avery product both have all horizontal (portrait orientation) labels. Note also that HP recommends that you open the back "Face -Up" door of the HPLJ II to minimize paper jams and internal wear when printing labels. If you want to try this on any brand or model of laser printer other than the HP LaserJet Series II, please read your manual carefully to be certain that you are following all procedures prescribed for label printing. Help Menu --------- The Help menu allows users to access various help information. It is intended that ultimately this will provide a comprehensive online help facility with complete instructions for VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 19 program operation; however only a very limited set of help screens has been developed so far. The About Videocat command displays a dialog box with the program name, version number and copyright notice. This is the same dialog box which is displayed when the program is started. The Author Info command displays a dialog box with the author's name, address and Compuserve account number. The Registration Info command displays a dialog box with brief information on how to register. The System Info command displays an additional menu of commands which invoke dialog boxes to display various items of technical information about the host system and the current state of program operation. While this information is useful in program development, users will probably find it of academic interest only. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 20 DATA DESCRIPTIONS The ultimate purpose of this program is to organize information and make it accessible. In designing the program I had to make choices about what kinds of data to record and how to organize and represent it. I get a lot of letters from users who would have made some of those choices differently. Some are "bootlegging" changes by using data fields for purposes other than those intended, sometimes with adverse effects on program operation. I have included custom configuration options which give users the ability to change many of those choices. Some users complain that there are too many data categories. You don't have to use them all. I strongly recommend that you enter a title and year in every record; otherwise all fields are purely optional. Other users complain that there are not enough data categories. The comment field is intended to respond to this issue; you can put any information you think is important in the comment field. Each of the data items has a size limit and the edit fields are programmed to refuse to accept characters in excess of that limit. Since text is always added in insert (rather than typeover) mode, you may have to delete existing characters or blanks before you can enter new characters. Title _____ Enter the title of the movie or other item. The maximum size is 40 characters; the program will not permit you to enter more. It is suggested that the words "A", "An" or "The" at the beginning of a title be appended to the rear after a comma. For example, instead of entering "THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI", enter "BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE". This keeps the alphabetical sequence a little more meaningful. For an episode in a series, it is suggested that the series title be entered first, then the episode title. For example: "STAR TREK: GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION" and "STAR TREK: SPOCK'S BRAIN". Note that since the program sorts the titles in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) sequence, titles beginning with punctuation marks or numeric characters will come before titles beginning with alphabetical characters. Thus the movie "1941" will be placed near the beginning of the VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 21 catalog before titles beginning with letters and not in the N's as is common in the organization of published movie guides. The title is a semi-mandatory entry and should not be left blank. More than one record can have the same title (thus allowing for remakes), but the program will not permit two records to have both the exact same title and year of release. Minor variations in the title field will allow cataloging of several versions of the same film. For example: "TOPPER" and "TOPPER [COLORIZED]"; "A STAR IS BORN [EDITED FOR TV]" and "A STAR IS BORN [UNCUT]"; "CITIZEN KANE [COPY 1]" and "CITIZEN KANE [COPY 2]"; etc.. Likewise you can indicate when a title continues over more than one cassette, e.g. "GONE WITH THE WIND [PART 1]" and "GONE WITH THE WIND [PART 2]". The title field can also be used to keep track of blank tape segments. For example, if you decide that "PORKY'S" isn't worth keeping, just use the Change function to change the title field to read "BLANK - 94 MINUTES". You can then use the Search function to find all listings which have the word "BLANK" as part of the title field, then use Change again when something new is recorded in the same space. Year ____ Year is intended to be the year of release of a production, normally expressed as 4 numeric digits, e.g. "1939". The program treats the year as a 4-byte character string, so non-numeric characters will not be rejected. Year is also a semi-mandatory entry, as the combination of title and year constitutes the "key" for identifying and sorting records. If you leave year blank, you had better be sure every title is unique. If you don't know the year for sure, either look it up in a published movie guide or make a reasonable guess. Names ----- The program allows for recording the names of up to three actors and one director. When you indicate that you want to enter a name a dialog box will appear with two edit fields: one for the last name and one for the first name of the person. The maximum combined length of the first and last names is 30 characters; any excess length will be truncated from the first VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 22 name. In supplying the LAST name, enter the person's last name, including prefixes and suffixes which are properly part of the last name. For example: "VON STROHEIM" and "FAIRBANKS, JR.". In that last example the program will replace the comma and space with a single space, turning it into "FAIRBANKS JR.". This is necessary because the comma character is the delimiter which separates first and last names in the way the name is stored by the program. Comma-deletion was added in Version 7.03 of the standard edition of VIDEOCAT; if you have a data file created under a prior version you may find that any names which included commas are somewhat garbled. You can use the Change procedure to clean them up. Try to be consistent in the way you enter names. Different spellings will be treated as different names. Note that you could use the name fields to enter some other type of descriptive data which is meaningful to you. One user who catalogs educational material uses the name fields for the names of courses in which the tape is used rather than actor names. The addition of the comment filed in Version 7.0 and later is intended to make it unnecessary in the future to bootleg comments in the name fields. Now enter the first name. For example, "ERIC" and "DOUGLAS". If middle names or initials are important, they should be appended to the FIRST name. For example: "LESLIE ANN" and "GEORGE C.". Subject ------- A list of 42 enumerated subject categories will be displayed on the screen whenever you indicate that you wish to enter or change a subject. Pick the one which seems most appropriate and click the button. Sometimes I get questions like "What is the difference between 'Horror' and 'Terror'?" I could answer that by saying that horror flicks usually have supernatural beasts and monsters while terror flicks create a similar feeling of fear through the actions of characters who may be evil and sinister but possess no supernatural powers. But it's not necessary to be that precise unless you are trying to write a definitive history of the cinema. If a category feels right to you it's correct enough. VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 23 Form ---- A list of 24 enumerated form descriptions will be displayed in a dialog box whenever you indicate that you wish to enter or change a form description. As in the case of subject code, the enumerated choices are the only choices; pick the one that feels right to you. In designing this program I looked at a number of published movie guides and television program listings and noted that movies are usually categorized in a genre described with one or two words, such as "western" or "musical comedy". The subject and form system which I devised is intended to implement this approach. One of the faults I find with other video catalog programs is they typically provide only a small number of very broad genre classification categories. I don't think that is adequate for the serious collector with a large collection. MPAA Code --------- A dialog box will present a list of the audience suitability ratings of the Motion Picture Association of America. Rating ------ A dialog box will present a list of 8 enumerated rating descriptions. The rating system is one commonly used in movie guides and TV schedule listings. Whether you rate a movie based on your personal opinion or that of professional critics is up to you. Color ----- A dialog box will present a list of types of color characteristics (color, black & white, colorized, etc.). VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 24 Sound ----- A dialog box will present a list of types of sound characteristics (mono, stereo, silent, etc.). Format ------ A dialog box will present a list of film and video formats (VHS, Beta, 35 mm, etc). Minutes Length -------------- A dialog box will present an edit field for your entry. This entry may be up to 3 characters long and may be any combination of numbers and letters, although it is recommended that the characters be numeric and represent the running time in number of minutes. Cassette Number --------------- A dialog box will present an edit field for your entry. This entry may be up to 4 characters long and may be any combination of numbers and letters. It is recommended that you use numeric characters only. It can be omitted, although in the cataloging of a large collection this is the most useful single piece of information. So far only one user has complained that this is not a large enough field. Perhaps some day there will be a more powerful version of this program for collections exceeding 9999 cassettes. If you include non-numeric characters, you may cause unintended effects on range selection aspect of the label printing utility. Index Number ------------ This entry may also be any combination of letters and numbers up to 4 characters in length. It is recommended that you use numeric characters only. If you have multiple items on the same cassette you may either place the tape counter number or the sequence number. By sequence number, I mean coding the first VCATWIN Version 7.2W Page 25 movie "1", the second "2", and so on. Fanatics may prefer to use tape counter numbers. This entry is optional, but I strongly recommend that you use it. When the Label function prints a label for a cassette it will print multiple items in Index Number sequence. Using non-numeric characters in this field may produce unintended effects on the sorting sequence for label printing. Comments -------- The program will display a small text editor window in which you can write free-form comments in 3 lines of 60 characters each. The cursor can be moved using the arrow keys, Home, and End. Text can be deleted using the Delete or Backspace keys. In order to maintain compatibility with the standard edition of VIDEOCAT, the text in the edit field is in fixed width spacing, so it will look a little different than it will when the record is displayed in other windows which use variable width spacing. This field can be used to store any other data (e.g. Oscars and other awards) or a short plot summary, or any other information you might want to file with the record. Since you can search your data file for information contained in the comment lines, this is an easy way to add new kinds of search keys, such as names of script writers, musical score composers, production studios, etc.