.....all you need for using hi-tech search criteria.
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What is it? :
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Dire is basically the radio-hams' equivalent of an address book, but
instead of phone numbers there are call signs. The advantage Dire has
over the paper version is that it can search through the entire callbook
for wildcards in a few seconds (42 to be precise - from a 25Mhz A5000
with the data on a 250mb Conner drive). That's it really.
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Conditions of use :
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The data and software may be distributed freely as long as all files remain
intact and unmodified.
I take no responsibility for the accuracy of the data or anyone [ab]using
it.
Don't bother me with any legal gubbins if you have a problem with my
software or anything like that. Go flame someone else.
I better point out, before we go any further, that the data supplied
is from the 1993 callbook, so it's not totally up-to-date.
Now, on with the manual...
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Installing and Setting up :
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Dire is supplied on five disks (called Callbook1 through 5), and can be
run from either floppies or hard disk (requires 3.5MB - this may sound
huge, but remember the PC version took 7 MEGS!).
Below we tell you how to use the sophisticated facilities of Dire,
whether operation is from Hard or Floppy disc.
Floppy disk use
o Insert disk Callbook1, bring up the filer window and click on !Dire.
Dire will then install on the icon bar
o Click on Dire on the icon bar and proceed as below for operation
o You will be prompted to enter the correct disk for Dire's operation
Hard disk installation
o Insert disk Callbook1, bring up the filer window and click on !INSTALL.
INSTALL will appear on the icon bar.
o Clicking the MENU mouse button over the icon will give INFO or QUIT
options
o Clicking the SELECT mouse button on the INSTALL icon gives a directory
icon - drag this where you'd like to install Dire. You can rename the
directory icon if you wish
o At various stages during the installation you'll be asked to insert
disks Callbook2 through to 5, and then 1 again
o After installation is complete reboot the machine using CTRL-BREAK
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Using Dire :
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Double click on !Dire, from the filer window where you installed it, to
put Dire on the icon bar.
Clicking the MENU mouse button on the Dire icon shows the menu....
- INFO gives version number and author details
- DATA INFO gives the version of the UK Callbook used
- USER DATA allows addition of new records, or deletion....
....ADD RECORD allows typing in a new record's name, address,
postcode and callsign. Clicking on ADD or
pressing <CR> after 'Callsign' saves the record
- QUIT clears Dire
Searches
~~~~~~~~
Clicking the SELECT mouse button on the Dire icon shows a box for a search.
Into the box can be entered any or all of the name, address, postcode, or
callsign for the data search. If data is entered into more than one search
field there are two options available....
- ALL MATCHES means Dire will only show entries where every data field
matches
- ANY MATCHES means Dire will show all entries that match any data field
To enter data click on the required field and type the text. To move to
another data field use <CR> or click SELECT on the required data field.
Clicking on SEARCH with SELECT, or pressing <CR> after CALL, starts the
search.
When the data file has been scanned, and if matching entries have been
found, then the FOUND MATCHES box will pop up. Use the tape recorder
buttons to move through the found records either individually, at a pace,
or from end to end.
>From the FOUND MATCHES box the records can be saved four ways....
- IMPRESSION DDF saves a file suitable for dropping straight into an
IMPRESSION document and includes sympathetic styling
- COMMA-SEPERATED DATA, where each line of data is seperated by a comma.
This is a standard format used on virtually all
platforms for databases, spreadsheets etc.
- FORMATTED TEXT gives a file with details of the matches searched for,
along with the number of matches found, and the matches
themselves, each line of data being seperated by a
line feed. This option is designed specifically for use
with Impression's mailmerger.
- RETURN-SEPERATED DATA gives each match found, with each line seperated
by a carriage return/line feed.
Dire does its best to correctly format the text - unfortunately the
punctuation inside the data was inconsistent (when it existed). In CSD,
DDF and RSD formats the data is spread over a constant number of fields
to make using results with a database easier.
Click on the radio icon of the format you require, then click on SAVE. A
file icon will pop up - drag this to the filer window where you'd like the
data saved.
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Extra notes for Impression DDF :
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If you want to change the styles used by Dire when saving to a DDF file
modify Resources.DDFHeader in the Resources directory.
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Notes to accompany Dire :
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1) Dire will not run if your scrap directory is set to Memphis. Use the
new version in the extras directory on disc 1.
2) For some unknown reason Dire produces bad results under certain
configurations. If you have trouble with Dire please contact me
and I'll do my best to help.
3) The logic in this program for stepping back with the viewer is
errr... complex. It really needs rewriting, but as it is it
seems to work OK.
4) There is a known bug when running this program on older machines
(pre-A5000). When saving lists of addresses the program seems
to go in a loop, cutting a character off from each field for
each iteration. As I use an A5000 I can't emulate this problem
and so it is proving difficult to detect the bug.
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The data :
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The data was converted from a direct access file used by a manky QBASIC
program on a PC using !CallConv in the extras directory. I believe it
originally came from the World callbook CD - any further info would
be welcome! For details on how to use Callconv see its !Help file.
If anyone has 1994 callbook data conversion to !Dire's format should be
fairly straightforward for most competent programmers.
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Trivia :
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The manual for Dire was edited using StrongEd V3.02 (From Stallion Software) which is really rather good! :-) Odd bits of code and text were done on a Z88 using Pipedream and Z-Link II (which is wonderful in its own special kind of moving-files-between-machines-type way) to shift the data to the Arc. The program was compiled using Acorn Desktop C V4 and
Express Assembler.
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Sources :
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Well, parts of them are pretty embarassing, but if you grovel enough I'll
probably send them to you.
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Credits :
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Written by Tony Howat, G7LZB.
Tested by Dave Norris, G4TUP.
With thanks to Ben Summers, G0SOQ and all those who have helped by reporting
