Software of the Month Club 1997 April

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Text File | 1996-01-05 | 68.3 KB | 1,451 lines

Infodex Revision History 01-05-96 ■ Version 2.19 . Added information to the documentation files about STSI's new internet site at http://www.stevetech.com, anonymous ftp at stevetech.com, and e-mail to support@stevetech.com. Added internet information to the Infodex about box. . Added "Lines Per Page", "Blank Lines After Record", and "Page Break After Each Record" options to the Print dialog box. Records are printed using the layout shown on the editing screen, but users can modify whether records print continuously or on a one-per-page basis. (Note: A modification was made to the printing source code in our vendor's library to prevent an error where extra lines (255) could be sent to the printer if the user specified a value less than the number of lines actually needed for printing a complete record.) . Changed the wording of an error message that can occur if an attempt is made to open a database with a corrupt or missing index file. Previously, the error message stated that the database was missing. The new error message indicates that the file is either missing or corrupt. . Added a special error message to report cases where the selected network type could not be initialized. Infodex now instructs the user to remove the "NetworkType=" line from the INFODEX.INI file. This will make the database initializa- tion default to "No Network", allowing the user to enter the program, and reselect the correct network type. . Added an error message screen to describe any errors that may occur when attempting to create a database file. . Expanded information in the documentation file about the settings on the Network Options screen. (Also added a note in the registration form to inform users about the 50-record database limit.) . Changed the opening mode for the overlay file in the real-mode version of Infodex (INFODEX.EXE) to $20 to "deny writes". This will make sure that the overlay file is properly set for shared access on networks. 09-02-95 ■ Version 2.18 . Added the ability for the user to eliminate the text delimiter when exporting records. (Added by user request.) 08-22-95 ■ Version 2.17 . Fixed a problem where an error #10164 (Invalid Key Number) would occur for every record when an import was attempted. The CurrentSortKey value was not being initialized. When the Add Record routine attempted to reset the sequential pointer after the Add operation, (based on the CurrentSortKey value), an error message came up stating "Invalid Key Number". This problem was introduced in version 2.15. . Fixed a problem where the "Decimal Places" field on the Edit Control screen was not saving the original value the user entered. (The user could modify the control, which would save the value, but the initial value was not being remembered.) 07-20-95 ■ Version 2.16 . Improved the printing support to position the fields on the report in the same relative location as they appear on the screen. . Fixed a problem in the printing routines where a RunTime Error 216 could occur if the user attempted to print a record with memo field text longer than 255 characters. . Added drag & drop mouse support on the layout screen to allow users to move fields and prompts more easily. Users can click on the field delimiter (if field delimiters are being used, or on the field handle, if delimiters are not being used) and drag the field to a new location. 06-05-95 ■ Version 2.15 . Incorporated updates to newest database code (v5.51). . Removed the "Initializing Database. Please Wait..." status screen, since the time required for database initialization has been drastically reduced. . Reduced the memory requirements and the time required to initialize the database by using the "MinimizeUseOfNormalHeap" constant in the BTInitIsam statement. This should help systems which have a limited amount of Extended (or DPMI) memory available. . Reset the sequential record pointer after adding or modifying a record. . Created a literal string unit containing all strings that are read from the INI file and used variable references instead of literal strings, reducing the chance for typing or spelling errors. . Updated the RTM.EXE and DPMI16BI.OVL files to the newest version (6-14-94). . Increased the lock timeout value for network users. Now, the lock-error retry loop will attempt to complete an operation for 1.5 seconds before issuing a retry error. (This was increased from a previous value of 0.76 seconds.) . Added a lock-error retry loop for network users. This loop prompts the user whether or not to retry the current operation if it failed due to a locking error. . Changed the Default Maximum Number of Workstations from 50 to 250 to allow network licenses of up to 250 users. . Removed code that directly assigned the Maximum Number of Allowed Workstations (MaxNrOfWorkstations) value based on the Network Users field. This value affects the size of the dialog (.DIA) file. Instead, we are limiting access at run time based on the number of users accessing the database. (Most users should not notice a change. Registered NETWORK users will want to read the "Cautions" section of the documentation file. . Added code to limit the number of network users that may access an Infodex database at one time. Registered network users will only be allowed access depending on the number of network users in their license. Non-registered users are allowed to have 5 users access the database at one time. (This is for evaluation purposes only. Database record limits will still apply for the non-registered version.) . Changed the default behavior of Infodex after deleting a message. Instead of resetting to the beginning of the database, it now advances to the next record. (If for some reason, it cannot access the next record properly, it will then reset to the beginning.) 04-01-95 ■ Version 2.14 . Added a new installation program that handles compressed program files. . Fixed a problem where F3 was not working properly to change the database description, which appeared on the top of the editing screen. . Created a real-mode version (8088 or higher) of Infodex for users who are experiencing problem with insufficient extended memory. The protected mode version (standard) will be renamed to INFODEXP.EXE, while the real-mode version will become INFODEX.EXE. The real-mode version uses an overlay file, which can be loaded into EMS. This will allow more users (especially those with limited extended memory) to use Infodex. Note: Users who have successfully used Infodex in the past without noticing problems will want to use INFODEXP.EXE, while those experiencing insufficient memory problems will want to try the INFODEX.EXE file. For complete information about memory requirements for each version of the program, see the "Memory Requirements" section of the documentation. . Reworked the status screens to use a common status screen from an internal STSI library. . Removed use of custom exit procedure, which has been found to cause intermittent problems with protected mode applications under Novell NetWare when using OS/2. . Fixed a heap leak problem where a large structure was not being properly disposed of in the database closing procedure. 02-14-95 ■ Version 2.13 . Found and fixed a major problem where deleting a field in the database (after the database had been created) could cause corruption in subsequent fields of the database. If the field being deleted was the last field in the database, this problem would not be noticed. . Shortened the registration number field on the Register Infodex screen to 12 characters. . Modified the online help system to only open the help file when F1 is pressed. Previously, the help file was open the entire time that the program was running. . Updated database libraries to the newest version. This can cause a noticeable increase in speed, especially when rebuilding the database index. . Changed several of the window and browser drawing routines to be taken from our internal libraries. . Cleaned up several of the display issues when moving controls on the layout screen. . Changed the About box to a standard stAboutBox from our internal libraries. . Updated copyright notices. . Enabled the use of up and down arrow keys on all dialogs in place of the Tab and Shift-Tab keys. . Fixed a problem where pressing Tab in the search dialog pick list did not advance the cursor to the Ok button. Also added "Alt-S" support to the pick list to set the focus on the search string control. . Enhanced the printing routines and added a status display that allows the user to terminate in the middle of the printing process by pressing Escape. . Added the ability to print all records in the database at one time. . Added a message box to the Previous and Next routines to warn the users when the database "wraps" around to the first or last message in the database. . Added a custom exit procedure to be executed in the event that a Runtime error occurs. . Changed the way Infodex looks for the default path. If a "SET INFODEX=" statement is not present in the DOS PATH, it then uses the directory where INFODEX.EXE resides as the default path. 11-08-94 ■ Version 2.12 . Fixed a display problem where the browser's 3-d appearance was not evident until the second time it was initialized. . Began initial coding for importing an Infodex v1.x database, using the file ISAMIO.EXE to generate a comma-delimited ASCII file which can be imported with Infodex version 2. (The only templates which may not import properly from version 1 are the recipes and small notes templates. Issues related to these two templates will be addressed in a future version. All other templates import fine. Users will need to modify the field names for databases that are imported. Users may also desire to modify the default field placement.) . Decreased the maximum column that fields can extend to by 1. This makes sure that fields with delimiters cannot extend immediately up to the dividing line. . Changed the default color of the field delimiters to light gray on blue instead of white on blue. . Fixed a problem where importing a text file could cause an error creating the header file. This occurred because the import file had a field that was blank in every record. The new code makes sure that each field is at least 1 character long when creating the new database. (If the user does not want this field present, they can delete it after the database has been imported.) . Added a Notes indicator character (#14) to the end of each memo field on the entry screen. This allows mouse users to simply click on the notes character to view or modify the contents of the memo field. Note: The memo field text will be shown in read-only mode, unless the record is actually being edited. If the record is being edited, the text can be modified as usual. . Removed an unnecessary color set from code to prepare for an eventual global color set. . Moved the Layout button to the Other Options screen, and moved the Print button to the main editing screen to make printing features more easily available to users. 10-15-94 ■ Version 2.11 . Made the default display length for numeric fields to be 15, instead of 5, when importing a database, or re-creating a missing .INF file. . Fixed a problem where entering and exiting from Layout mode would cause the decimal places value of each numeric field to be reset to 0. Field now retains its original decimal places value. . Added support to allow the user to decide whether or not field delimiters should be used. Added a check box to the configuration options screen for this purpose. . Fixed a minor problem where the UseSaveMode variable was not being read from the INFODEX.INI file properly. UseSaveMode was always being set to true (which is the default). . Modified code to clean up the process that redraws field delimiters when controls are moved around on the layout screen. . Fixed a screen drawing problem on the layout screen where some added headers were not being drawn when the screen was first displayed. . Fixed a problem where users could not Delete a record from the database. Problem would appear after new fields had been added to or deleted from the database, or after record lengths were resized. When these processes were initialized, the AddNulls variable was set to False instead of True, causing routines not to add empty keys to the index file. If you are experiencing any problems such as this, perform the following steps to correct it: 1. Copy the database files to a separate sub-directory, in case something goes wrong. 2. Erase the index file. (For example, if your database is named 'TEST'(.DAT), erase the file TEST.IX.) 3. Execute Infodex and open the database. An error message will occur telling you the index file is missing. When it prompts you to rebuild the file, select Yes. When the rebuilding process is complete, you should be able to edit your data file and, if necessary, delete records. . Removed some obscure trouble-shooting code that was left over in a reorganization process routine. . Dramatically increased the speed of searching for the first and last records in the database. A noticeable slowdown was apparent on large databases with the old method. The new method is extremely fast. . Fixed a problem where a RunTime Error #213 would occur when attempting to import a database that contained a numeric field. Key creation routine was attempting to access an index value that was out of range. . Disabled I/O checking before attempting to erase and recreate the .INF file in the WriteINFFile routine. This reduces the chance for errors if the file cannot be erased or recreated successfully. . Fixed a problem where the .INF file was being opened before the database was opened, and it was not being closed until the database was closed. . Fixed an incorrect version number displayed on the About box. 10-11-94 ■ Version 2.10 . Added a check to warn the user when importing if the database filename already exists. If it does, the user has the option of cancelling the operation or continuing by overwriting the existing file. . Fixed a problem in the import routine which did not recognize successive commas as representing blank fields. Some programs export using a set of empty quotes, while others simple put a successive field delimiter. Infodex now recognizes both types. . Reworked the display of status windows when creating and opening a database. New method displays more windows for a lesser period of time, giving the user a better indication of exactly what operation is being performed. . Dramatically increased the speed at which Infodex opens an existing database. (A call to GetFirstRecord was causing a significant speed degradation in large data files. When a file is opened, it is automatically located at the first record, making this call unnecessary.) Large databases now load extremely fast. . Added support for importing a delimited ASCII text file. (Typically a quote/comma delimited file.) Infodex adds default field names, and supplies a default layout. Layout can be easily changed by the user. . Removed the Print button from the main editing screen and replaced it with an "Other" button. The Other button calls up a dialog box with the Print and Export buttons displayed. . Added support for exporting the database records into a comma delimited file. . Added support for monochrome mode by cleaning up the existing display for a more attractive appearance. 10-01-94 ■ Version 2.06 (Internal BETA Version. Not Released.) . Added support to make the data records from Infodex 2.00 through 2.02 import and create a field layout *similar* to the original layout found in these versions. (Eventually, a separate conversion unit may be created to reduce code size, increasing the likelihood of having a Real Mode version.) . Fixed a problem in the Browser where pressing ESCAPE did not always return to the same record that was displayed before the Browser was initialized. . Modified the BuildKey routine to trim the leading spaces off of numeric key strings. This makes it much easier for users to search for a numeric value in the database. . Fixed a problem where the pressing ENTER on a record in the Browser screen would not always cause the exact record to be displayed. The Browser was going to the first record that started with the key string that was highlighted. Changed routine to make sure an exact match was found, return the reference number and move to that location in the database file. . Fixed an obscure problem where trying to Open a non- existent file from the Open File screen and then hitting escape would cause a couple of error message boxes to appear. Made sure that the selected file exists before attempting to do any operations. . Updated the Delete File routine to make sure that all files associated with a database file (.DAT, .IX, .INF, .DBH, & .DIA) were being deleted. . Fixed a problem where the tab and down arrow keys were not working when focused on the New button. . Added a simple error check to make sure a for loop cannot be executed on the master field list collection if there is not at least one field within the list. . Moved the writing of the field information from the .FLD file to the .INF file. This eliminates one of the files needed for database maintenance and will make the transition from an older version of Infodex to a newer one much easier. . Added a "Version=' line to the .INF file to indicate the version of Infodex used to create and write the data files. This may be useful in future versions if a conversion routine/utility is needed. . Added commas between the row and column fields on the Edit Field screen to better show the user the format. . Modified the Edit Field screen to protect the Field Length control from being modified if the field type is a number. The Display Length should always be set long enough to display any number contained in the associated field of the database. . Decreased the allowable decimal places on a numeric field from 10 to 4. . Made sure that memo fields were being trimmed properly when a user decreases the length of a memo field. . Fixed a problem where intermittent hangs would occur after changing the size of a field within the record layout. Problem was due to a call to FreeMem using an old size parameter. Moved the FreeMem call to circum- vent this problem. . Created a series of routines to be executed when a user resizes an existing database field. A temporary file is created while the process is executed and Infodex restruc- tures the existing database fields. . Increased the speed of the routine that sets the tab order when New or Edit is selected from the editing screen. Converted coordinates for each field to a string in order to store them in a sorted string array. . Added an option flag to make sure that all numeric fields are right-justified. . Modified code to allocate enough memory for the maximum possible length of a field's displayed width on the screen. This will allow users to increase a field's displayed length without trashing memory. . Formatted the display of numeric fields within the browser screen so that the formatted string is only as wide as the display length for the field, and that the number fits accordingly into the allotted length. . Modified code for the browser screen to make each column only as wide as the display length of each field, or the header of each field, whichever is larger. This may allow some databases to fit more information within the limits of the Browser screen. . Added a check to make sure that a user cannot create a field from the Edit Field dialog box that extends past the bounds of the layout area. . Added a check to make sure that a user cannot enter a display length for a field that is greater than the actual field length. If the display length is found to be greater, it is set equal to the field length. . Added code to protect the Decimal Places field on the Edit Field dialog box based on the selection of the field type. The Decimal Places field should only be accessible if the field type is a numeric field. . Fixed a problem where the field type control on the Edit Field dialog box was being protected, even if the user was trying to add a new control to an existing database. . Added a Title Bar Display section to the Register Infodex screen to allow registered users to customize the display on the Infodex title bar. Added the new variable to the INFODEX.INI file. 09-25-94 ■ Version 2.05 (Internal BETA Version. Not Released.) . Added support for a "Decimal Places" field on the Edit Field dialog box. Implemented support for this feature when adding numeric fields to the editing screen. . Added code to protect the field type control on the Edit Field dialog box after a database is created. This is done to make sure that users cannot attempt to change a character field to a numeric field, (and similar scenarios) which would cause corruption of the database. . Added a procedure to dynamically change the tab order, based on the layout of the fields within the layout dialog box. The tab order will start at the top left, move to any field directly to its right, and then go to the next line and repeat the process. . Added a line of text to the top line of the Infodex back- ground screen that displays either 1) the registration name of the REGISTERED user, or 2) the text "UNREGISTERED Version" if the user has not yet registered Infodex. . Changed the order of the initialization code to make processing the path to Infodex and reading the file INFODEX.INI the first two tasks. . Removed unnecessary procedure declaring new instances of pointers. These pointers (which contain the record data) are allocated using GetMem later in the program. . Made sure that controls added to the layout screen are added as read-only, to prevent the modification of the displayed data. . Modified code to automatically increment the new row field when adding a control to the layout screen, based on the current number of editing fields on the screen. . Modified code to make the focus return to the first editing field on the layout screen after a user selects one of the move buttons or selects Cancel when attempting to add a new control. . Fixed a problem where the EqualRec routine was returning the value of False each time it was called, even if the two records should have compared. When editing a record, if no changes had been made and the user pressed Escape, Infodex would prompt to save the changes. Added code to compare each field in the old and new records individually, instead of using a structural compare. . Removed tab order field from the edit control dialog box. Although the tab order is still maintained within each field record, it is not used at this time. . Fixed a problem where a changing a field name on the layout screen did not always redraw properly. If the new name was shorter than the old name, "left-over" characters would still be displayed. Modified code to pad all field names to 15 characters, both on the layout and actual editing screens. . Fixed a problem on the search screen where the dialog box would not be initialized properly if the search field pick list had less than 4 or 5 items in it. Added commands to make sure that the pick list was initialized to its full height, allowing the scroll bars to be added properly. . Hid the display of the Cancel button on the layout screen when modifying an existing database's layout. Due to the restructuring of added or deleted fields when modifying the layout, users must select Done instead. . Added the capability for users to delete a field from the layout screen after a database has been created. The database is automatically reorganized to delete the proper field. Fields can be deleted from anywhere within the record structure. 09-23-94 ■ Version 2.04 (Internal BETA Version. Not Released.) . Fixed a problem where a reorganization of the database after adding a numeric field was causing the database to be corrupted. The offset of the numeric field was one byte too large. . Added support for users to add a field to the layout screen after a database has been created. The database is automatically reorganized to add a new field of the type specified. The field is automatically added to the end of the record structure. . Added support for Infodex to erase the old editing screen and redraw a new one when the Layout of the screen has been changed. . Added a Layout button to the main database editing screen to allow users to modify the layout of the fields at any time after a database has been originally created. . Added a command to clear each editing field on the create new database screen each time a character is entered as the first character when a field receives the focus. . Eliminated redundant number displays in front of each field on the create new database screen. . Changed the "Prompt" text on the top of the create new database screen to display "Field Name", "Type", and "Length". . Added a status window when Infodex attempts to open an existing database or create a new database. If the time delay is substantial, this will inform the user what is happening. 09-10-94 ■ Version 2.03 (Internal BETA Version. Not Released.) . Made sure that the sum of all field lengths was not longer than 65530 characters when creating a new template. In order to store records, they must be less than 64K. . Made sure that users could not create a character field less than 1 or greater than 254 characters long when creating a new template. Also made sure that memo fields were within the boundaries of 1 to 65530. . Moved the command that closes the header file to complete this operation immediately after the fileblock is opened. This should reduce the chance of conflicts in network situations. . Added commands to free any memory within the Done destructor that had been dynamically allocated to contain the record data. . Fixed a typo on the registration nag screen that stated that Infodex was $29.95, when the actual price was $34.95. . Made sure that Infodex was accurately warning a user who wanted to stop editing the current record without saving his/her changes. . Added the ability to print the first 256 characters of a memo field on a printout. Infodex now issues a page break between each record. . Removed ability to View templates. Since the user can now create templates dynamically, this feature is no longer needed. . Fixed a problem where selecting a record from the Browser screen after a search process would not always find the correct record. (Code was set to search for selected text based on the first key field, instead of the current key field.) . Changed the search screen to display a pick list contain- ing all of the indexed fields, instead of displaying a collection of radio buttons. Users can select one field from the pick list to search for the specified Search String. . Removed display sections ([ ]) on the status line at the bottom of the screen. Since a database can have several memo (notes) fields, a Notes indicator is not necessary or practical. The other two fields (Read-Only indicator and Status indicator) were not being used. . Lengthened the Nested Field display for memo fields out to the maximum size allowable. This gives users a good visual indication of what text is maintained within the first 50 (approx.) characters of the memo field. . Made a prompt width of 15 the standard for field prompts. This should allow enough room for most field names, while keeping it short enough to allow sufficient room for data entry fields. . Modified the routine that changes the Database descrip- tion. The entire template does not need to be redrawn when the description is changed. The title is simply updated on the main dialog box. . Removed the Notes button from the right side of the editing dialog box. Notes fields (a.k.a. Memo fields) can now be edited by pressing ENTER on the nested Notes fields located inside of the editing area. . Added support for Infodex to read files created with versions 2.00 through 2.02. (Included in this code is a translation/cleanup procedure for the notes fields contained in the old databases. Apparently, some corruption was contained on the end of the Notes field text when it was being edited, even though it was not visible. When the databases are imported into this new version, the corruption should be removed.) . Added the capability for Infodex to create a database dynamically, based on data that the user enters. Users can specify that they want to create alphanumeric fields, numeric fields, or memo fields. 08-19-94 ■ Version 2.02 . Added support to read "The High-Tech Trader" data files created by The Bertha BBS. These data files contain computerized "classified ads" to allow buyers and sellers to place and respond to product ads. To download the latest classified ads from The High-Tech Trader, call The Bertha BBS at (218) 924-2060. 06-21-94 ■ Version 2.01 . Fixed a problem where a RunTime Error #216 (general protection fault) would occur when closing a database file if the user had modified the database description or field names during the session. This problem did not cause data loss. Problem was caused by referencing a nil pointer. 05-26-94 ■ Version 2.00 . Released to the general public. 05-25-94 ■ Version 1.60 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Fixed intermittent problem with the Help system. Calling up the Help Topic Index would not always allow a topic to be selected for viewing. . Added a check to the Cancel Edit routine to compare whether or not the user has made any changes to the record before asking them if they want to save the changes. If no changes have been made, the Cancel procedes without querying the user. . Modified code to make the Template Dialog (editing screen) global to the Master Template Object, rather than a local variable that is passed between procedures. . Added support for the Ctrl-PgUp key combination to trigger a call to get the first record in the database and for the Ctrl-PgDn key combination to trigger a call to get the last record in the database. Also added support for using the F10 key to save the current record. . Modified notes field code to only initialize (create) the notes field once each time a database is created or opened, and the notes text is reinitialized when the Notes field is viewed or edited. . Moved mouse close-box handling for the editing template to a post-edit routine to handle events based on whether the template is in Protected mode or not. . Removed support for /DEBUG mode. New object-oriented fileblock handling does not directly support this feature. . Added support for the browser screen to move the high- light bar to the first record matching the letter typed by the user. . Fixed a problem in the search routine where the browser would be initialized even in the event that there were no records matching the specified search string. Added an additional check to make sure that the search string was located within the current key string after the search process was completed. . Added a status routine to the rebuild procedure as an activity indicator for the user. . Fixed a problem where the sequential pointer was not being reset properly after selecting a record from the browser. This would cause a Next or Previous operation to fail, bringing up an inaccurate record. . Turned off word-wrapping in the notes fields. . Moved the RebuildData routine from each individual template into the RebuildDataFile routine in the Master Template Object to reduce code size. This was made possible by using the new object-oriented database routines. . Fixed a problem where the Rebuild process was generating an Error #10125, ("Key Too Long") when attempting to rebuild STSI's software database. This problem occurred because the length of the notes field had been changed after the database was originally created. Changed the size of the software database notes field back to 2048 bytes. . Converted notes fields in all templates from Asciiz strings to individual character strings. This allows the use of different size notes fields for each template. A list of note field sizes will be posted in the documenta- tion file. . Fixed a problem where an error "RecordType Not Defined" was occuring after creating a new database. This problem was caused when a parent object's virtual method did not appear to be overridden, even though it was. (Problem was related to VMT's in the parent object's constructors.) . Eliminated use of the 3rd variable (Temporary) for each instance of a template object. The new object-oriented database routines do not require this variable. . Reworked code to use object-oriented database manage- ment routines. Moved several more routines into the Master Template Object to simplify the code. . Moved the OpenFile, CreateFile, CloseFile, and RebuildFile routines into the Master Template Object to simplify the code. 05-18-94 ■ Version 1.50 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Added a pre-defined limit for the number of records that non-registered users may add to a database. Limit is currently set at 50 records. . Added support for an integrated context-sensitive help system. . Added a "BBS Sysop" field to both of the BBS templates. . Fixed a problem where the Database Description was not being reset when a database was closed, causing it to be displayed on the top of the View Template screen. . Cleaned up the SetupSearchDefaults routine to pass a string-array back filled with the appropriate field names. Eliminated the need to set Y coordinates and a NumStrings variable. . Fixed a problem where the View Template miniature dialog box could not be moved. Added a command to handle any move events. . Added a fill character to be displayed in the data fields when the user views a template. This allows the user to see the length of each field in the template. . Changed the template list sub-menus into one common pick list. When the Create or View options are selected, the pick list is repositioned. This allowed the addition of a scroll bar and mouse support for the scroll bar. . Modified printing routine to only go to the first record after the printing process if the database was printed successfully. If Cancel is selected, the database will stay on the current record. . Added a confirmation message box when users press Escape or click the right mouse button when they are editing a record. Message box queries whether or not the user wants to save the changes to the current record before exiting the editing process. . Modified browser rows to display two blank characters between each column. . Added a status window when Infodex initializes the database manager, to inform the user what is happening. . Increased the pad width for the Search Fields listed on the Search dialog box from 23 to 30. . Added support for a startup database file to be written to the INFODEX.INI file. When Infodex is executed, it checks this file to automatically load a default database. If a command line option (filename) is specified, it will override the startup database file. . Set up temporary variables on screens where the settings of the INI file are modified to make sure that the settings are not modified directly. Settings are updated to the actual variables only when Ok is selected. . Created destructors for each of the template objects. . Completed the printing dialog box to allow users to specify which port or filename to send output to. . Added the ability to add and modify a database description for each database created. This description will appear at the top of the template during the editing process. . Fixed a problem in the View Template routine where the dialog boxes were not being drawn and displayed. . Added Generic Template #1, which contains 18 fields of a 45 character length string, along with a notes field. Added the capability for the user to change the field names dynamically. . Adjusted the AutoRepeatTicks and AutoDelayTicks settings to change the rate at which the mouse repeats after an initial click and after an auto-repeat click. Set AutoRepeatTicks to 2, and set AutoDelayTicks to 18. . Fixed a problem where an Isam Error # 10210 would occur when attempting to create a new database. The error would state that the specified key could not be found, due to the fact that the FindRecord routine is executed when the database is opened. Fixing this problem also fixed another glitch where two error messages would be issued if a search string could not be found during the search process. . Modified code in the stTVZifChoiceBox routine to display the dialog box in 3-D mode, using an out-dented look. . Fixed a problem in the ModifyRecord routine that was causing Infodex to hang in the middle of this routine. Although a new temporary pointer (to a byte) had been created, it had not been defined as pointing to a variable (object). Created a new global object and pointer, and defined it as pointing to the new global object. (This problem was not consistent, but occurred the most often after the Notes field was accessed.) . Increased size of Notes field in each template to 2K (2048 bytes). . Added support to all templates for report printing. (All records only) . Modified code in the Browser to allow the user to press Escape without changing the current record that was being viewed prior to initializing the Browser. The only time the record will change is if the user presses ENTER or selects a record with the left-mouse button. 04-26-94 ■ Version 1.40 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Fixed a problem where the command line parameters were not properly loading a file when /DEBUG was also speci- fied on the command line. . Added a "Please Wait" window to the Open and Delete file routines to notify the user that Infodex is reading the current directory. This process can take a little while to complete on large directories. . Added a "Please Wait" window to the Rebuild Index File process to notify the user that activity is taking place. . Added support for a command line switch called /DEBUG to dynamically enable use of extra commands to lock and unlock the records and the database for testing purposes only. . Added code to allow Infodex to automatically "remember" the coordinates of the Browser from the last time it was used. These coordinates are stored in the .INF file and read each time a database file is loaded from disk. . Added an error message that informs the user that the filename specified on the command line does not exist. . Fixed a problem where pressing Escape on the Open File screen would produce an error message that the filename did not exist. . Changed the wording of the "Use Save Mode" option on the configuration options screen to be more understand- able. . Rewrote the AddRecord, DeleteRecord, and ModifyRecord routines to lock the database before attempting to make any changes. . Fixed a problem where the current record number was not being properly set when the user pressed ENTER or Escape on the browser screen. This caused the record pointer to not be set properly, causing problems when attempting to search for or delete records. . Added a warning message box to users to change the value of the Network Users field during Infodex. Since this value can only be initialized when Infodex is initially started, Infodex must be exited and restarted in order for the new value to be used. . Converted the Network Users field to a numeric field internally, and specified a possible range between 0 and 65535. . Added a close box to the browser screen to allow mouse users to quickly close the browser. . Added support for a refresh delay field on the configura- tions options screen to allow users to specify the amount of time before the screen should be updated with any changes made to the current record on other workstations on a network. . Implemented changes in libraries and recompiled program. . Added a configuration options screen to allow users to specify a network type and whether or not Save Mode should be used when working with files. . Set minimum and maximum size limits for the Notes field of each template to prevent redraw problems that would occur when the width was reduced to less than 10 (approx.) characters in size. . Fixed a problem where the RebuildDataFile routine was not working properly. Since this routine was calling the BuildKey routine with an untyped var parameter, the var parameter could not be set up with a .Init constructor, which is mandatory for an object with virtual methods. Removed the BuildKey virtual method from the object and placed it separate, so it would not be mandatory to call the .Init constructor before-hand. . Added the ability for Infodex to "remember" the position of the notes field for each separate database created by the user. This allows users to position the notes field in their favorite spot, customizing it to their individual tastes. . Fixed a problem where pressing the Escape key while the Search screen was open would cause one or more error messages to appear. This problem was due to a missing begin-end statement set. . Added a horizontal scroll bar to the browser to allow users to use the mouse for horizontal scrolling. . Modified code to make the hotkeys on the Search screen Yellow On Blue instead of White On Blue. . Decreased the initial height of the Browser by 2 lines. . Fixed a problem where the program would terminate or hang when attempting to compare a duplicate record to an original record. The duplicate record (object) was not being initialized with a call to Init. . Fixed a problem where the browser would place an at (@) symbol in the first field of the database if it attempted to get a blank or non-existent record from the browser listing. If an error occurs, Infodex will reset the database to the first record. . Fixed a problem where the headers within the browser were not starting on the same column as the data positioned below them. . Added hot-keys to the radio buttons located on the search screen to allow users to access needed fields more rapidly. . Expanded the information displayed in the Browser by including all fields that serve as index keys. The extra fields are on the right side of the browser, and can be accessed by using the arrow keys. They do not immediately show up in order to keep the display as tidy as possible. . Modified code to display all records found within the Browser when a search routine is executed. . Added complete error checking and processing for all errors generated by the database functions. . Modified code for the common template to disable the ability to allow the user to move the dialog box around on the screen. The template should be non- moveable. . Dramatically re-arranged code to create a master template object, which allows new objects (templates) to be created from the master template. New code uses virtual methods to override the master template methods. If a parent method is called by accident, a "RecordType Not Defined ..." error message will appear, indicating the source of the problem. . Modified code to select the current record from the Browsing window, even if Escape is pressed or the right mouse button is clicked. . Placed the code for the Browsing window on the heap instead of the stack to conserve stack space. . Modified code to continue executing the main Infodex program instead of terminating it if the Browsing window could not be initialized. 04-16-94 ■ Version 1.30 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Added code to display a confirmation box when the user presses Escape or clicks the right mouse button. If the record is being edited, a Cancel (Cancel-Edit) command is issued. If the record is not being edited, a dialog box appears to confirm that the user wants to close the database file. . Fixed a problem where the separator bars on the main menu were not being connected properly to the right side of the menu frame. . Added automatic detection to the Notes fields to deter- mine whether or not the text has been modified. Infodex will only prompt to Save Note if the text has changed. . Added a dialog box to ask the user if the entire record should be saved after the Notes field has been edited and saved. . Removed the OpenFile routine from the overlaid section of the code. This routine was causing spurious errors and program termination when it was contained in the overlaid section of the code. . Added initial support for overlays. Overlaid about 10K of program code. . Added initial code to support printing reports using form-type layouts. . Added a Print button to the main template to allow users to print records within a database. . Added key support to allow users to press enter on a record in the browser, causing the record to be shown on the editing screen. . Added a browsing screen to allow users to browse for one or more records in the database. . Changed the filenames of the template files to reflect the template name. Changed all internal variable and command names to match the template name. . Corrected a problem where button invisibility was not being handled properly. . Fixed a problem where an Isam error #9903 (File Not Found) was occurring when Infodex attempted to open a file from another directory. Added a full path to the front of the filename that is being opened and created by the Isam routines. . Modified the date fields for the Insurance template to be stored in a 00-00-0000 format. . Created a specialized command processor table for handling template commands. This fixed a problem where adding commands to the default table at run time would cause the Up arrow key, Down arrow key, and other keys to trigger exit commands from dialog boxes other than the user templates. . Decided to make all templates the same dimensions, allowing for easier consistency within the code. . Modified code to allow command button to be placed on top of each other when there are visible. In order to work around a programming bug, added a simple blue- on-blue frame to cover up disabled controls that should have been made invisible. Controls that are still enabled automatically come to the front. This allows the Save and Cancel buttons to be placed in the same location as non-edit buttons, and only be displayed when needed. . Modified code that writes text to the hint line to only change the header text on the bottom row, instead of adding a new header each time a change was made. This speeds up the writing process and reduces the snow and other writing that is displayed in this area. . Added support to rebuild the index (.IX) file in the event that it is erased or corrupted. 04-10-94 ■ Version 1.20 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Fixed a problem where the Notes indicator was being displayed on the BackDrop hint line, even if the notes field was blank. This problem occurred on every template, except the main Business template. The Business Notes field was being referenced at all times, instead of changing based on the actual template. Also, the Notes field was being referenced as a 1-based array, instead of a 0-based array, which is required for Asciiz types. . Fixed problem where the cursor was not being restored after Infodex was exited. . Modified the EraseTemplateFields routine to use the FillChar method to empty the entire contents of the record, instead of setting each individual field to a blank value. . Changed the size of the buffer that is allowed when editing a Notes field to be the exact size of Asciiz string that is passed into the procedure. . Modified code to display the user's registration name on the About screen. If Infodex is unregistered, a registration reminder will be displayed. . Created a procedure to automatically draw STSI's distinctive backdrop using any text string. . Added a bracketed display to the lower right corner of the hint line to inform users whether or not the Notes field contains any data for the current record. When the 'N' character appears between the brackets, the notes field contains data. If the character field is blank, the notes field is empty. . Added code to differentiate between adding a new record and modifying an existing record. Enhanced trapping of the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home, and Ctrl-End keys to prevent users from moving between records while editing a record. . Added a dialog box with a "Done" command button to the View A Template screens to allow users to view the template and select Done with the mouse or the keyboard when they are finished. . Added support to read the name of an existing database file from the Infodex command line. When Infodex reads the command line, it checks for the existence of this file, and if it exists, loads it using the proper template. . Added support for the ModifyRecord routine to modify changed records when they have changed from the original. . Fixed drastic problems with pointers to note fields. Changed all Ascii-z pointer strings to non-pointer Ascii-z strings. It appears as though the pointer was actually being stored in the data file, rather than the ascii-z string. Modified routines to accommodate the difference in data types. . Fixed a problem where selecting Cancel on the Search dialog box would produce an error message that the search string was not found. Modified code to only attempt the search process if Ok is selected from the Search dialog box. . Fixed a problem where the error message "Search String Not Found." would appear when first creating a database or opening an empty database. . Added a "View A Template" option to the Infodex Settings menu to allow users to view any of the available templates without actually creating a database. . Added a confirmation dialog box to the Delete record routine to make sure that records are not mistakenly deleted by the user. . Added user exit commands for the editing fields on each template to allow users to use the down and up arrow keys to go to the next or previous field, respectively. Also added special commands to allow the PgUp, PgDn, Ctrl-Home, and Ctrl-End keys to go to the previous, next, first, and last records, respectively. 04-06-94 ■ Version 1.10 (Internal Revision - Not Released) . Repositioned menus to be centered when a sub-menu is opened beside the main menu. . Added Delete An Existing Database option to the main menu to allow users to delete a previously created database. This option deletes the selected database file (.DAT), as well as the accompanying files (.IX and .INF) files. . Added About Infodex option to the main menu. Added Registration Information option to the main menu to display the terms and conditions for use of Infodex. . Added support for a searching function to locate records based on any of several keys defined for each template. This search function is currently case- insensitive. . Added a common unit to contain all of the template- specific code. This makes adding a new template much easier, leaving less room for error. . Lengthened the Company Name field on the Business template to accomodate longer company names. . Added code to display the total records on the bottom line of the screen. . Added support for Library and Insurance templates. . Changed heading on Notes field to be generic, instead of having a specific heading for each template type. . Fixed a problem where the First and Last routines were not working properly. Record "wrapping" was necessary. . Modified routine to center the template header over the data fields, rather than the entire dialog box. . Added routine to create a generic backdrop, with a mathematical formula of shifting. This fixed a problem where the text on the right side of the backdrop was one character too close to the edge. . Added routines to read and write a .INF file for each database created with Infodex. This allows Infodex to read the .INF file to determine which template should be used when opening an existing file. . Initialized the bottom line of the backdrop as a help line to optionally offer hints or display the copyright information status. This line will also be used as the memo status line and the status for the number of records contained in the database. . Database files created by the new version of Infodex will have .DAT extensions for data files and .IX extensions for the corresponding index files. . Added a dialog box to allow users to enter a filename when creating a new database. . Added 3-D appearance to all menus and dialog boxes. . Rewrote Infodex in a new programming language. Added a stylish background with a new style of menuing system. Created a default template layout with command buttons to be used for all future templates. Created Business, Personal, and Software templates. 12-30-93 ■ Version 1.02 . Rearranged procedures for unloading forms and closing the database. . Added a command to flush the keyboard after the user presses a key at the welcome and/or logo screens. The keypress would be passed to the data entry screen if command line parameters were being used. . Added a check for the existence of a .DEX file before attempting to open it. This step was missed during the processing of command line parameters. . Fixed several potential problems in the command line parameter interpretation routine. Fixed problem where ".DEX" was not being appended to parameters that did not have an extension, and added code to convert any parameters to UPPER CASE. . Added code to store any command line parameter(s) into a temporary variable to prevent potential corruption of the command line parameters. 10-12-93 ■ Version 1.01 . Fixed problem where Infodex could not find the INFODEX.INI file and other various problems, when a set was not found in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, and the directory C:\INFODEX did not exist. Now, Infodex checks first for an AUTOEXEC.BAT set, then attempts to locate the C:\INFODEX directory, and if neither of those exist, Infodex will use the current directory. . Fixed problem where the program would crash if a user attempted to search for a record when no records had yet been entered in the database. . Changed method of searching for text. Now, when F4 is pressed or Search is selected, a dialog box pops up, where the user can enter the text to search for in the first field of each template. Once OK is selected, search is executed, with result displaying on the screen. . Added error trapping when users attempt to create a new data file to make sure that neither the filename cannot be longer than 8 characters, and the extension cannot be longer than 3 characters. . Clarified text in help fields on New File screen. . Changed headings on Open File screen to read "Open Data File" instead of "Open Project" and "Data Filename:" instead of "Project File:". 10-07-93 ■ Version 1.00 . Initial release of Infodex.