Software of the Month Club 1996 June

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Text File | 1996-01-08 | 15.8 KB | 331 lines

The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM Addendum One - Additions for Version 6.1 Tender Lovin' Care for your Cars and Trucks INTRODUCTION Many new features were added to Version 6 to create this new version. There are many, many small changes to make entries easier or more accurate. Some of the MAJOR additions are: 1. In adding repair and fuel information, you no longer need enter the unit number AND the division. The division is obtained from your description for the unit. 2. In adding fuel entries, there is a selection for a regular fuel entry and a selection for a Fuel Card entry. 3. In adding repair entries, there are several carry-over fields that you may find useful for entering multiple repairs for the same unit. 4. You can scan inventory parts from within the parts entry screen when you are completing a work order. 5. In the periodic inspection routines, you can now print a list of "what to do" for each of the A, B, C or D inspections. These lists are plain-text files that you can modify for your own customization. You can use any word processor or editor that will read and write plain-text ASCII files. 6. In doing several of the printed reports for many units, or for several states, you can choose to print on separate pages or just continue until each page is filled. 7. Combined fuel and repair reports can now print even if the data are not complete - your selection. 8. If you have a newer computer (such as a 286, 386, etc) with EXTENDED memory, Version 6.1 will run in that memory. Older computers can still use Version 6.1 since it can also run in conventional memory by swaping parts of the program from your hard drive as needed. (Computers with extended memory will, of course, operate faster.) 9. On the Housekeeping menu, there is a new selection for a SECURITY BACKUP. This much needed backup routine will make it VERY easy and convenient to back up or restore the vehicle data files to diskettes - without leaving The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM - do it right from the housekeeping menu. 10. Valid dates for data and reports can now be between the years 1950 and 2050 to accommodate the upcoming change of century. A date of 01/01/00 will now represent January 1, 2000 rather than January 1, 1900 as before. 11. In the Deluxe and Network versions, the Work Order number is recorded in a special data file. You can modify the number that is stored in that file if you need to change the numbering sequence. 12. You will find provisions for handling odometer or hubmeter changes. This will track the total distance on a unit by tracking instrument changes - even multiple changes during the life of a unit. There are provisions in the Toolset section for entering these change records or for making corrections. 13. Also in the Toolset section, you will find additional choices to remove old records from your files. In particular, you can now remove old repair and fuel records. ADDITIONAL FILES Files added to Version 6.1 are: A new database file, ODOM.DBF, and index file, ODOM.NTX, use to record changes in odometer or hub meter instruments. A new database file, ORD_NUMB.DBF is used for work order numbers. BACKUP ROUTINE We have constantly admonished users to back up data files. Now, it is so convenient there can be no excuse for not doing it. We have added a fast and very easy backup routine to the truck program. The Housekeeping menu now includes a selection for a Security Backup of your files. This routine will make a backup copy of all of your data files (those with a .DBF extension.) You can choose to Backup your files or to Restore them to your computer. BACKING UP YOUR FILES. You can back up your files to either floppy drive A: or B:. Before you start the backup, you should have a quantity of formatted disk- ettes for the drive you will use for the backup. At the Housekeeping menu, choose the S)ecurity BACKUP item. The screen will show the path to the location of your records. This is the location you set into the configuration part of the program. The default is to backup all of the .DBF files ( *.DBF ) and you can choose to back them up to either floppy diskette drive A: or B:. When you have selected the drive to receive the backup and press <ENTER>, you will see a window showing the files to be included. It will also show the approximate time required to do the backup and the approximate number of diskettes that will be needed. Insert a formatted diskette into the selected floppy drive and press <ENTER> to start the backup. If additional diskettes are needed, you will see a prompt to insert the next diskette at the proper time. A message will indicate when the backup has been completed. Press <ENTER> to return to the Housekeeping menu. If you quit the truck program and, at the DOS prompt, read the directory of the backup diskette you will see two files listed: The FIRST file is "19950330.001" This is a compressed file containing the data. The file name is the date of the backup. The extension ".001" is the diskette number. If there are others, they will be numbered in sequence (.001, .002, .003, etc) The SECOND file is "PVBACKUP.001" This is a control file for the backup file. Place a label on each diskette so that you will know what it is and when it was made. UNFORMATTED DISKETTES You should always use a formatted diskette for the backup. If you use a new unformatted diskette, the program will format it as the data files are written. However, it will only format the cylinders that are needed for the backup. If you later try to use a partially filled backup diskette for something else, you must bulk erase it to allow conventional formatting. You can, of course reuse it for later backups in The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM backup routine. RESTORE ROUTINE If you should ever need to restore the data from the backup diskette(s) into your installation, simply choose the S)ecurity BACKUP selection and the "R)estore your data" choice and press <ENTER>. The default path to your installation will be displayed. Indicate which floppy drive contains your backup diskette(s) and press <ENTER>. The instruction says insert the first diskette. As each file is read from the diskette, you will have a choice to overwrite your existing file with the backup or not - answer Yes or No at the prompts. When the restore is complete, press <ENTER> to return to the Housekeeping menu. If you have restored older data, be sure to Reindex your files to set the indices in proper order. ODOMETER OR HUB METER INSTRUMENT CHANGES To enter a record of instrument change, select X)tra file work at the Main Menu. At the TOOLSET menu, choose C)hange odometer. You will see an entry screen to record the data. Enter the vehicle number and the date that the instrument was changed. Enter the INITIAL reading on the NEW instrument. This may be zero but do enter whatever it reads at the time it is installed. This will be the beginning reading for the new instrument. Enter the total distance on the VEHICLE at the time of the change. This is the actual total accumulated miles or km on the vehicle - such as is shown in the Current Odometer field in the description record. Review your information. If all is correct, press <ENTER> to return to the TOOLSET menu. Don't forget to make a repair entry to show that this work is done. Later, when entering fuel and repair data, you will enter the odometer (or hub meter) reading for a vehicle - the actual figure shown on the instrument. The program will adjust that amount to the actual total - based on the information in the Odometer Change record. That actual total is the figure that will be entered into your data record. You can make corrections to the Odometer Change record at the Toolset menu just as you do with other data records. If you want to see a CRT screen report of odometer changes for a unit, use the O)dometer change selection on the G)enerate special reports menu. REVISING THE USER-DEFINED FORMS You can revise several of the CRT screens and Printed forms by editing the file that produces the form. Those files are in the same directory as your data files and have a .FRM filename exten- sion. The files A_INSP.FRM, B_INSP.FRM, C_INSP.FRM and D_INSP.FRM produce a printed form listing the work that you want done in carrying out the A,B,C and D inspections. The file PARTS.FRM is the HELP screen that shows your three character codes for the vehicle parts lists. The file REP_CODE.FRM is the HELP screen that shows your repair codes used when entering repair and work order information. The TIRE_POS.FRM file is the HELP screen that shows positions for tire installation on your vehicles. All of these .FRM files can be modified to customize them for use in your record system. Keep in mind that these forms are designed to fit on your screen or on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. If you exceed the existing size of the .FRMs, they will no longer fit in the space that is available. USING THE DOS EDIT COMMAND You can change these forms with any text editor that will read and write plain ASCII text files. If you are using DOS version 5 or 6, you can use the EDIT command from DOS (see your DOS user manual) DO NOT CHANGE THE FILENAME. The program expects the filenames and the .FRM extension. DO NOT CHANGE THE FILENAME OR THE EXTENSION. WORK ORDER NUMBERS If you are using the program to create and process Work Orders, there is a change in the way the work order number is determined. Version 6.1 now uses a data file, ORD_NUMB.DBF to store the last order number that was used. You can set the number at the TOOLSET menu A)djust WO number selection. Set it to the number of the last used work order. The next work order will be this number - plus one. Be sure you do not set the order number so that the sequence will reuse a work order number that has already been used in your records. EVERY WORK ORDER NUMBER MUST BE A UNIQUE NUMBER. FUEL CARD ENTRIES Fuel information from automated fuel systems can be added to your fuel records in The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM. On the fuel entry sub-menu, you will see a selection for PREPARE and for MOVE fuel card data. The Move selection is fully functional. Before fuel data can be moved into your records, that foreign data must be made compatible with your TRUCK fuel records. That is the purpose of the Prepare function...to make your foreign fuel records fit into your TRUCK fuel records. We can provide you with a program addition to modify your foreign data so that it will work with the truck program. There is a charge for this modification. Please contact TLC about adapting your files. You can also process your foreign fuel data outside the truck program using programs like dBase or any program that will process dBase data files. You must be sure your file includes the correct vehicle number, division, date, price, quantity, etc. before you try to move it into your records. All of the data fields must match the truck program for data type, field size and field name. Do not move the new data in more than one time. Remember, the records are ADDED to your fuel record. Move them in again and you will have duplicate entries of the fuel card system data. UNINSTALL The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM If you change computers or, for any reason, need to remove The TRUCK DATA SYSTEM from your computer, it is easy to uninstall. The program and the files are usually installed in the same direct- ory. The default directory name is VEHICLES. You may have used another directory. The file names are listed in your User Manual - in the Technical Information section. Simply erase all of those files, including the programs, TRUCKS.EXE and TRUCKS1.OVL, using the command ERASE *.* ( Be VERY sure you are in the VEHICLES directory - you don't want to erase everything on your hard drive. ). If the program is in another directory, find that directory and erase DRIVE.DBF, TRUCKS1.OVL and TRUCKS.EXE and remove both of those directories. If you used the startup batch file, it will be in the root directory of your drive C: with a TLC.BAT filename. Erase that file. That's all there is to it. ERRATA Several errors were found and a few changes are needed in the User Manual since it was printed. On page 2, and other places, references to the program file TRUCKS.EXE should now be "TRUCKS.EXE and TRUCKS1.OVL" since the overlay file that was imbedded within TRUCKS.EXE is now a separate overlay file. On page 7, the INSTALLATION section for 5 1/4" diskettes now includes two diskettes. 5 1/4" diskette users must start with diskette number one and will be prompted to change diskettes at the proper times. On page 9, referrence to installation on a floppy diskette system should be ignored. The program size is over 1 megabyte and is just no longer practical to run without a hard drive. Hard drive prices now start at considerably less than the cost of a floppy drive just a few years ago. That is the only practical way to use the program. A hard drive is REQUIRED. On page 78, the index file "PARTDESC" does not go with the "UNITPART" data file but should be listed on page 76 with the data file "INVENTO". On pages 78 and 91, referrences to making BACKUPS now relate, in particular, to our new backup routine built into the TRUCK program. For backups, see above in Addendum 1, Page 3 "BACKUP ROUTINE". COPYRIGHT NOTICE The revisions to version 6 that result in version 6.1 are Copyright 1995 by TLC Software.