PC Pro 1998 April/DPPCPRO0498.ISO/Extras/SLIDE/_SETUP.1/SLIDES.TXT

Text File | 1997-11-04 | 66.0 KB | 1,764 lines

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                              Slide Librarian                             |
|                                   V1.0                                   |
|                                User Guide                                |
|                                                                          |
|      This guide is an extract of the on-line help file SLIDES.HLP        |
|               and should be used in conjunction with it.                 |
|                                                                          |
|                    [GRAPHIC] indicates a graphic image.                  |
|                  Consult the help file to see the graphic.               |
|                                                                          |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

============================================================================
CONTENTS
========

  1 GETTING STARTED

    1.1 The basics
      1.1.1 Using the Help file
      1.1.2 Introducing Slide Librarian
      1.1.3 The database
      1.1.4 The main windows
      1.1.5 The Database Window
      1.1.6 The Query Window
      1.1.7 The Light Table

    1.2 Tutorials
      1.2.1 Tutorial 1 - Using the slide database grid
      1.2.2 Tutorial 2 - Searching / querying
      1.2.3 Tutorial 3 - Building a slide show
      1.2.4 Tutorial 4 - Starting your own database

  2 TASKS

    2.1 Database maintenance
      2.1.1 Adding new slide data
      2.1.2 Adding a slide image to an existing slide
      2.1.3 Copying a slide image to the clipboard
      2.1.4 Deleting a slide image
      2.1.5 Adding a full-sized slide image
      2.1.6 Editing data for an existing slide
      2.1.7 Deleting a slide
      2.1.8 Deleting all slides
      2.1.9 Importing slide data from another database
      2.1.10 Creating slides using bitmaps
      2.1.11 Importing bitmaps into existing slides
      2.1.12 Exporting slide data to a text file
      2.1.13 Counting slides

    2.2 Searching for slides
      2.2.1 Defining a search using title/keyword fields
      2.2.2 Defining a search using SQL

    2.3 Using the Light Table
      2.3.1 Dragging slides to the Light Table
      2.3.2 Clearing the Light Table
      2.3.3 Opening a Light Table file
      2.3.4 Saving a Light Table file
      2.3.5 Deleting a Light Table file
      2.3.6 Selecting slides
      2.3.7 Moving slides
      2.3.8 Deleting slides
      2.3.9 Viewing a slide data summary
      2.3.10 Booking slides out
      2.3.11 Booking slides in
      2.3.12 Selecting slide images on or off
      2.3.13 Counting Light Table slides

    2.4 Printing
      2.4.1 Setting up the printer
      2.4.2 Printing a picking list
      2.4.3 Printing a running order
      2.4.4 Printing a contact sheet
      2.4.5 Printing slide labels

    2.5 General
      2.5.1 Viewing full-sized slide images
      2.5.2 Selecting fonts
      2.5.3 Setting preferences
      2.5.4 Exiting from the program
      2.5.5 Backing-up your data

  3 REFERENCE

    3.1 General
      3.1.1 Requirements for new slide images
      3.1.2 SQL syntax
      3.1.3 Version information
      3.1.4 System requirements
      3.1.5 Frequently asked questions
      3.1.6 Glossary

============================================================================

Copyright (c) SpanSoft 1997 All rights reserved.

Please see the help file SLIDES.HLP for support, registration, licence and
distribution details.

Written by:  Nick J Hunter

             SpanSoft
             8 Juniper Hill
             GLENROTHES
             KY7 5TH
             Scotland

Telephone:   National:      [phone]
             International: [phone]
                            Voice or fax available 24hrs.
                            Calls by voice may be answered by machine.

E-Mail:      [e-mail]

Web:         http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/SpanSoft

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ASSOCIATION OF SHAREWARE PROFESSIONALS


[GRAPHIC]

SpanSoft is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP).
The 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, the 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 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
49442-9427 USA, FAX [phone] or send e-mail to
[e-mail].

============================================================================
1 GETTING STARTED
=================

1.1 The basics
--------------


1.1.1 Using the Help file
-------------------------

To display the "Getting Started" help topic use Help|GettingStarted from the
Database Window menu.

The help file is a complete on-line manual for Slide Librarian. As well as
providing context-sensitive help direct from Slide Librarian, it contains
all the technical information about the program and usage tips in an
easy-to-use format.

If you are not familiar with using Windows help files, read the 'Using help'
information. Do this by clicking the left mouse button on the "Help" menu at
the top of the Slide Librarian Database Window and then on "Using help" in
the drop-down menu.

In Slide Librarian you can get help by either selecting Help|Contents from
the Database Window menu or by pressing F1. You can also get specific help
on whatever task you are carrying out by selecting the Help button in the
current dialog or window.



1.1.2 Introducing Slide Librarian
---------------------------------


Slide Librarian lets you catalogue your slide (transparency) library on your
PC. This makes it easy to search for specific slides by title or keywords
and to create slide shows and talks.

You can also use the system to keep track of where your slides are. Some may
be out on loan for example. SpanSoft also produce a professional version of
this program aimed at organisations who run a lending library. Please
contact us for details of Slide Librarian Pro or visit our Web site.

As well as recording details of each slide (such as title, keywords, image
quality, etc), Slide Librarian will also store an image of each slide. So if
you have the equipment to scan or digitise your slides you can actually see
the pictures on your PC. As well as "slide-sized" thumbnails of each slide
you can store full-screen images of each slide. Just double-clicking on a
thumbnail brings up the full-sized image.

Slide Librarian will print out slide labels to your specification. Each
slide is given a number and category prefix so that once your slides are
labelled, it's easy to pick out the ones you need for a slide show. You can
include any of the slide details on the label as well as a "stamp" such as
your name, copyright, etc.

Slide shows or talks are constructed on a "light table". You use keywords or
simple SQL statements to find the slides you want from the database and then
drop the slides onto the light table. You can now move the slides about into
the order you want and then save that particular slide show in case you need
it again.

Slide Librarian will print out a Running Order, Picking List or Contact
Sheet for the slide show currently on the light table.

The Running Order print shows the slides in the order they appear on the
light table. This is the order in which the slides should be loaded into the
projector. The Picking List print shows the same slides sorted by slide
number so that you can retrieve the slides from your library easily. The
Contact Sheet is a printed copy of the light table.

Any slides which have been booked out (ie. they are not currently available)
are indicated on the light table.

You can get a quick summary of a slide's data just be right-clicking on the
image on the light table and of course the full-sized image by
double-clicking.

If you do not have the equipment to scan your slides, Slide Librarian will
work just as well without slide images. In place of the pictures you will
see the slide title.

If you already have a database catalogue of slides on your PC, Slide
Librarian can import your existing data via a delimited text file. Slide
images can be added easily at a future date.


1.1.3 The database
------------------


The slide database is accessed directly through the database grid in the
Database Window. The grid consists of columns which represent the different
data fields and rows which represent the records, one record for each slide.

The data fields are as follows:

Prefix - (5 characters) - Slide prefix.
ID - (1-2147483647) - Sequential slide ID number.
Title - (50 characters) - Title, normally a description of the image.
Keywords - (50 characters) - Single words separated by spaces to indicate
contents of the image which will be used for searching.
Quality - (1 to 10) - Image quality. High numbers indicate high quality.
Priority - (1 to 10) - Slide priority. High numbers indicate high priority.
User defined but intended to aid choosing between two similar slides.
Date - (date) - Date picture taken.
Notes - (50 characters) - Miscellaneous other information.
Out - (30 characters) - If not empty indicates the location of slides
temporarily out of the library.

The Prefix and ID fields make up the main database key. This means that two
slides must not have the same Prefix/ID combination and it also means that
the Prefix/ID is sufficient to completely identify a slide.

You can use the slide prefix to subdivide your slide library. For example
you may keep slides in two locations. You could then use "LOCN1" as one
prefix and "LOCN2" as the other. Or you may wish to classify slides held  in
one location. For instance "PORTR" could identify portraits of people or
"UK" could indicate slides taken in the UK.

It is not necessary to use the Prefix field. If you want to have all your
slides in a single numbered sequence you can leave the Prefix blank.

Note that full-sized slide images are not held in the database itself but in
a separate folder defined in the preferences dialog.

See also:
The Database Window (1.1.5)
Adding new slide data (2.1.1)
Requirements for new slide images (3.1.1)
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)
Copying a slide image to the clipboard (2.1.3)
Deleting a slide image (2.1.4)
Adding a full-sized slide image (2.1.5)
Editing data for an existing slide (2.1.6)
Deleting a slide (2.1.7)
Deleting all slides (2.1.8)
Importing slide data from another database (2.1.9)
Creating slides using bitmaps (2.1.10)
Importing bitmaps into existing slides (2.1.11)
Exporting slide data to a text file (2.1.12)
Counting slides (2.1.13)
Setting preferences (2.5.3)


1.1.4 The main windows
----------------------


There are three main windows in Slide Librarian. They may be all be visible
at the same time and you can switch between them at will. The main window
which opens when you start Slide Librarian is the Database Window. You can
open the Query Window and the Light Table from there.

The Database Window is used to maintain entries in the database. When the
database is complete, the Query Window is used to search and extract slides
from the database. If you intend to produce slide shows or talks, slides are
dragged from the Query Window and dropped onto the Light Table for selection
and sorting. Slide shows and talks which may be required repeatedly can be
stored for future use from the Light Table menu.

See also:

The Query Window (1.1.6)
The Light Table (1.1.7)


1.1.5 The Database Window
-------------------------


This is the first window you will see when you start Slide Librarian. It
allows you to maintain the slide details held in the database, add new
slides, browse, import data and images in bulk and set preferences. You can
click on parts of the window in the image below to find out what it does.

[GRAPHIC]

See also:
Adding new slide data (2.1.1)
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)
Copying a slide image to the clipboard (2.1.3)
Deleting a slide image (2.1.4)
Adding a full-sized slide image (2.1.5)
Editing data for an existing slide (2.1.6)
Deleting a slide (2.1.7)
Deleting all slides (2.1.8)
Importing slide data from another database (2.1.9)
Creating slides using bitmaps (2.1.10)
Importing bitmaps into existing slides (2.1.11)
Exporting slide data to a text file (2.1.12)
Counting slides (2.1.13)
Viewing full-sized slide images (2.5.1)
Selecting fonts (2.5.2)
Setting preferences (2.5.3)
Exiting from the program (2.5.4)


1.1.6 The Query Window
----------------------


This window performs searches through your slide database based on criteria
supplied by you. You can either search for titles/keywords or use the more
powerful SQL (Structured Query Language) search option. You drag slides from
the search results onto the Light Table. You can click on parts of the
window in the image below to find out what it does.

[GRAPHIC]

See also:
Defining a search using title/keyword fields (2.2.1)
Defining a search using SQL (2.2.2)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)
Viewing full-sized slide images (2.5.1)


1.1.7 The Light Table
----------------------


This window acts like a real light table; with enhancements! Slides dropped
from the Query Window appear on the surface of the light table for viewing
and sorting. Build up your slide shows and talks here. The order in which
the slides appear here is the same as the running order for a slide show,
going from left to right along the top row, then the next row and so on. You
can save your work to file, print reports and slide labels, and book slides
in or out (if you have lent slides to someone else for example). You can
click on parts of the window in the image below to find out what it does.

[GRAPHIC]

See also:
Viewing full-sized slide images (2.5.1)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)
Clearing the Light Table (2.3.2)
Opening a Light Table file (2.3.3)
Saving a Light Table file (2.3.4)
Deleting a Light Table file (2.3.5)
Setting up the printer (2.4.1)
Printing a picking list (2.4.2)
Printing a running order (2.4.3)
Printing a contact sheet (2.4.4)
Printing slide labels (2.4.5)
Selecting slides (2.3.6)
Moving slides (2.3.7)
Deleting slides (2.3.8)
Viewing a slide data summary (2.3.9)
Booking slides out (2.3.10)
Booking slides in (2.3.11)
Selecting slide images on or off (2.3.12)
Counting Light Table slides (2.3.13)

1.2 Tutorials
-------------


1.2.1 Tutorial 1 - Using the slide database grid
------------------------------------------------

(This tutorial requires the sample slide database supplied with the program)

Subject: Browsing, editing, adding and deleting slide data using the
database grid in the Database Window.

Browsing the database:

When you first start up Slide Librarian you will see the Database Window and
the Prefix field of the first slide record in the database will be
highlighted.

The database grid gives you direct access to all the data stored in the
slide database except the slide image (also known as the thumbnail for its
small size). The slide image may be added, copied and deleted using other
controls.

Notice that the column to the left of the Prefix column contains a right
arrow on the first row. This indicates that the database grid is in Browse
Mode. The database grid can be in one of three modes; Browse - when you are
simply looking at the data - indicated by a right arrow symbol; Edit - when
you are in the process of editing a field in an existing record - indicated
by an I-bar symbol; and Insert - when you are in the process of adding a new
record - indicated by an asterisk.

At first you will see just 4 of the 5 records in the database. To see the
other one (HB7) use the down arrow key to scroll down the grid or use the
vertical scroll bar on the right of the grid. If you scroll past the last
record using the down arrow key you will see a new record appear; just
scroll down past it to remove it again (scrolling past the last record is a
shortcut to inserting a new record).

As you scroll down through each record, the slide image associated with the
current record appears in the Slide Image box. If it does not, click on the
View button so that it is down.

You can use the left and right arrow keys to scroll through the fields of
the database. Notice as you scroll to the right that the Notes and Out
fields appear. To find out what type of data is stored in each field see:
"The database" (1.1.3).

Editing a slide field:

Let's edit the Keywords field of slide HA22 to add the word "tree" since the
slide image shows trees along the riverbank. Using the arrow keys or by
clicking on it, highlight the Keywords field of slide HA22. The highlight
should cover the entire contents of the field. Note that the grid is still
in Browse Mode at this stage.

Click on the highlight and the highlight is reduced to only the word "river"
with a flashing vertical cursor after it. The field is now behaving just
like a normal Windows edit box, so you could just start typing the new data
in now. But we want to keep the existing data and add a new word, so click
yet again just to the right of the flashing vertical cursor; the highlight
disappears. Note that the grid is still in Browse Mode. Type in " tree"
(with a leading space but ignore the quotes). As soon as you start typing,
the grid goes into Edit Mode.

When the grid is in Edit Mode you can cancel any modifications you have made
to a record by pressing the Esc key. To confirm changes you have made you
must move to another record to put the grid back into Browse Mode. Press the
down arrow key or click on the HB3 slide record to confirm that the HA22
Keywords field is now "river tree".

Adding a new slide record:

Let's imagine that we have a new slide which we want to add to the database.
It is going to be the next slide in the HA series, which will make it HA23.

When you tell the program to add a new slide, Slide Librarian automatically
fills the new record with all the details in the "Defaults for new slides"
box. Enter "HA" into the Prefix box.

Now click somewhere in the database grid to highlight a field. It does not
matter which field or record you choose, the program will automatically
insert the new slide in the correct place in the grid.

Press the Ins key. A new record will appear with Prefix "HA" and ID number
23. Note that the grid has now gone into Insert Mode. Highlight the Title
field of the new record and type in "Dummy slide".

When the grid is in Insert Mode you can cancel the addition of a new record
by pressing the Esc key. To confirm that the new record is to be kept you
must move to another record to put the grid back into Browse Mode. Press the
down arrow key or click on the HB3 slide record to confirm that the HA23
slide is correct. If the new record disappears when you go back to Browse
Mode it is because you have not made any changes to the new record (you have
not entered the title for instance).

Slide HA23 is now a permanent part of the database. See "Adding a slide
image to an existing slide" (2.1.2) to find out how to add an image to this
slide record.

Deleting a slide record:

Let's delete the dummy slide HA23 which we have just added.

Scroll to the HA23 slide record in the database grid so that a field in the
HA23 record is highlighted. Press the CTRL and Del keys together to delete
the record. Slide Librarian will ask you to confirm the deletion; click on
the Ok button.


1.2.2 Tutorial 2 - Searching / querying
---------------------------------------

(This tutorial requires the sample slide database supplied with the program)

Subject: Using the Query Window to search the slide database for specific
slides.

Slide Librarian uses a separate window to perform searches through the slide
database. Click on the Query button in the Database Window to open the Query
Window.

There are two ways of searching the database, either by using the "Fields
which contain..." boxes or by using an SQL query. This tutorial will
concentrate on using the "Fields" method, which is the simplest. More
complex searches can be achieved using SQL.

Ensure that the "Use SQL" box is not selected and that the "And" box is
selected.

Lets say we want to find all the slides which contain a reference to
"river". Enter the word "river" (ignore the quotes) into the first Keywords
box. Press the Return key or click on the Apply button to carry out the
search.

The results list at the bottom of the Query Window will now contain two
slide titles; "River Main - Frickenhausen" and "Riverfront houses -
Salzburg". Clicking on each title will display its image in the slide image
box.

Now try another search. Clear the Keywords box and enter "fricken" in the
Title box and  This time 3 slides are found, all with "fricken" in their
title. Notice that searches using this method are not case sensitive and it
does not matter where the text appears in the field.

Now a more complex search. Enter "river" in the first Keywords box (leave
"fricken" in the Title box) and press the Return key. Now only "River Main -
Frickenhausen" is found, because this is the only slide which contains both
"fricken" in the Title field and "river" in the Keywords field.

Now we want to use the same search text but find any slide which has
"fricken" in the Title field or has "river" in the Keywords field. Click on
the "Or" button and click on the Apply button again. This time, four slides
are found. You can switch back to the Database Window and browse the slide
records to check why these four slides were found.

The Query Window results list is the source for taking slides to place on
the Light Table. This process is discussed in the next tutorial.


1.2.3 Tutorial 3 - Building a slide show
----------------------------------------

(This tutorial requires the sample slide database supplied with the program)

Subject: Assembling a slide show or talk on the Light Table.

The Light Table is the window where you place and arrange slides to prepare
a slide show or talk. The slides are arranged on the Light Table in the
order you want to use them in a slide show.

You need to have both the Query Window and Light Table open to start
assembling a set of slides. Do this by depressing the "Query" and "Light
table" buttons on the Database Window. If you have been following the
tutorials in order, you may find that the buttons you need are hidden by the
Query Window. Simply click anywhere on the Database Window to bring it to
the top.

If the Light Table is not empty click on "File" in the Light Table menu and
then on "New".

If the Query Window boxes do not already contain the text, enter "fricken"
in the Title box and "river" in the first Keywords box; click on the "Or"
button and press the Return key. The results list shows 4 slides.

Click on "Street scene - Frickenhausen" and then drag it (by holding down
the left mouse button) over to the Light Table surface. The cursor changes
to an arrow plus a rectangle over the Light Table to indicate that it is
dragging a slide. Drop (release the mouse button) the slide onto the Light
Table and slide HB5 appears.

Now let's drag the other three slides across to the Light Table. First,
click on "River Main - Frickenhausen" in the results list so that it is the
only slide highlighted. Now click on "Riverfront houses - Salzburg" and then
on "Town gate - Frickenhausen" whilst holding down the CTRL key. This allows
you select all three slides at once. Drag them across to the Light Table as
before.

You can also use the SHIFT key instead of the CTRL key when selecting
slides. The difference is that all the slides between the first selected
slide and the slide under the cursor are selected in a block.

Now you have all four slides on the Light Table but the order is wrong. If
you have followed the tutorial, they will be in the following order - HB5,
HA22, HB7, HB3. Let's say we want to have the two Frickenhausen street
scenes first. HB5 is Ok but HB3 needs to come next.

Click on slide HB3 on the Light Table and it will turn green indicating that
it is selected. Hold the left mouse button over slide HB3 and a blue,
vertical line will appear to the left of the slide. This line indicates
where the selected slide is to be moved to in the list of slides on the
Light Table. Drag the mouse until it is over slide HA22; the blue line will
move to between HB5 and HA22 which is where we want HB3 to be placed.
Release the mouse button and the slides will rearrange themselves into the
order we want; HB5, HB3, HA22, HB7.

You can select multiple slides using the CTRL and SHIFT keys in the same way
as for the Query Window results list.

A useful feature of the Light Table allows you to see all the data for a
particular slide simply by clicking on it using the right mouse button. This
opens up a summary window with the slide's details.

Once you have arranged the slides the way you want them, you can save the
slide show to a file. Click on "File" in the Light Table menu and then on
"Save" (or "Save as"). A small dialog opens where you enter the file name
and a description for the file. Click on OK to save the file.

Light Table files may be retrieved later using File|Open or deleted using
File|Delete.

You can also perform printing functions and booking in or out from the Light
Table.


1.2.4 Tutorial 4 - Starting your own database
---------------------------------------------


Subject: Clearing the sample database and entering your own slide data.

Before you can start creating your own slide database you must first clear
the sample database supplied with the software.

Either delete each slide record in turn using the database grid (see
Tutorial 1) or use the File|ClearDatabase command in the Database Window.

You should now have a blank slide database. You can check using the
Options|RecordCount command.


How you go about creating your own slide database depends on what system (if
any) you are currently using to catalogue your slides.

1) You already have a slide database.
Export a delimited text file from your current database and import it into
Slide Librarian using the File|CreateFromTextFile command. The text file
must be have a specific layout; see "Importing slide data from another
database" (2.1.9) for details. This will import the text data but not the
thumbnail images. See "Importing bitmaps into existing slides" (2.1.11) for
details on how to add the slide images in bulk.

2) You are starting from scratch, your slides are already labelled with
serial numbers.
You must enter the details for each slide using the database grid. You can
then import the slide images in bulk using File|ImportBitmaps if you have
the hardware to scan your slides. See "Importing bitmaps into existing
slides" (2.1.11) for details.

3) You are starting from scratch, your slides are not labelled, you can scan
your slides.
If you have the hardware to scan your slides and are not worried about the
order in which the slides appear in the database, see "Creating slides using
bitmaps". Having done that, you will have to edit each slide record in the
database grid to provide the Title and Keywords fields.

4) You are starting from scratch, your slides are not labelled, you cannot
scan your slides.
You must add the details for each slide in the database grid.


============================================================================
2 TASKS
=======

2.1 Database maintenance
------------------------


2.1.1 Adding new slide data
---------------------------


To add new slides to the database you can use the database edit grid at the
bottom of the Database Window.

First, click on the edit grid to ensure it has the focus. The grid has the
focus when a field is highlighted or when a flashing cursor appears in a
field. It is usually best to click on one of the row markers to the left of
the Prefix column but you can click anywhere within the grid. You then press
the Insert key to add a new row to the grid. The row marker on the left will
show an asterisk (*) indicating that the grid is now in Insert Mode. You can
also insert a new record by scrolling down past the last record in the
database using the down arrow key.

The new row will have certain fields already filled in. The Prefix, Quality,
Priority, Date and Notes fields are automatically filled from the "Defaults
for new slides" section of the Database Window.

The ID field is set automatically to the next number in the sequence of the
default prefix. So if you already have the following slides in your
database: HA1, HA2, HA3, HB1 and the default prefix is set to HB, the new
slide will be called HB2. Had the default prefix been HA then the new slide
would have been HA4.

You can change the slide ID manually but you cannot give it the same
Prefix/ID combination as a slide which already exists.

Use the Tab key to move to the Title field and enter the title of the slide.
Do the same for the Keywords field and any other fields which need changed.

Press the arrow down key (or the arrow up key) to make the new slide
permanent. If you do this before entering any text in the record, the record
will be removed.

To cancel the new slide record at any time before making it permanent, press
the Esc key.

The row marker will return to a right arrow indicating that the grid is now
back in Browse Mode.

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Editing data for an existing slide (2.1.6)
Deleting a slide (2.1.7)
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)


2.1.2 Adding a slide image to an existing slide
-----------------------------------------------


Copy the slide image to the clipboard using a graphics program.

In the Database Window select the required slide record in the database grid
by clicking on the appropriate row.

Click on the Paste button or select Paste image from the Edit menu.

Any existing slide image associated with the current slide in the database
will be overwritten by the new image.

See also:
Requirements for new slide images (3.1.1)
Importing bitmaps into existing slides (2.1.11)


2.1.3 Copying a slide image to the clipboard
--------------------------------------------


In the Database Window select the required slide record in the database grid
by clicking on the appropriate row.

Select Copy image from the Edit menu.


2.1.4 Deleting a slide image
----------------------------


In the Database Window select the required slide record in the database grid
by clicking on the appropriate row.

Select Delete image from the Edit menu.


2.1.5 Adding a full-sized slide image
-------------------------------------


Full-sized slide images are not maintained from within Slide Librarian but
must be added externally.

By default, full-sized slide images are held in a folder called \IMAGES
which is set up as a subfolder of your Slide Librarian folder the first time
you run the program.

You can set up a different folder on your hard disk in which to keep the
full-sized images and you must tell Slide Librarian where it is. You can do
both tasks by selecting a new "Full size image folder" in the preferences
dialog.

Store the full-sized image as a bitmap (.BMP) file in the "Full size image
folder", giving it a filename which matches the corresponding Prefix/ID pair
in the slide database. For example, slide HA2 would have a full-sized image
file called HA2.BMP.


2.1.6 Editing data for an existing slide
----------------------------------------


To edit slide data you must use the database edit grid at the bottom of the
Database Window.

Click on the data field you want to modify. This will highlight the field.
You can either start typing the new data immediately which will overwrite
the existing data or you can click again or press the Return key to get a
flashing vertical cursor which then behaves similar to an edit box. The row
marker on the left will show an I-bar indicating that the grid is now in
Edit Mode.

The changes to the current record are not made permanent until you move to
another record by pressing the up or down arrow key or by clicking on
another record.

You can cancel alterations made to the record whilst still in Edit Mode by
pressing the Esc key.

The row marker will return to a right arrow indicating that the grid is now
back in Browse Mode.


2.1.7 Deleting a slide
----------------------


To delete a single slide record you must use the database edit grid at the
bottom of the Database Window.

Click anywhere in the slide record you want to delete. This will highlight a
field in the record.

Press the Ctrl+Del keys to delete the record.

If you have the "Confirm slide delete" option set in the preferences dialog,
then you will see a message asking you to confirm the record deletion.


2.1.8 Deleting all slides
-------------------------


From the Database Window File menu select Clear database.

The clear database command is used to delete every slide from the database.
You may want to use this command to delete the sample slides from the
database.

Since this is potentially a disastrous command to use, you will be prompted
twice to make sure that this is really what you want to do.


2.1.9 Importing slide data from another database
------------------------------------------------


You can create or add to the slide database in Slide Librarian using
information already stored in another database without having to re-key all
the data slide by slide.

Slide Librarian will create new slide records based on data read from a
delimited text file. A delimited text file consists of one line of text per
record, where the fields are separated by a delimiting character (usually a
comma or tab).

You first need to create a delimited text file from the old database with
the fields in the correct order. If the old database does not have all the
corresponding fields, the missing fields should be present in the text file,
but blank.

The fields must appear in the following order: Prefix, ID, Title, Keywords,
Quality, Priority, Date, Notes, Out.
For example the following three records might appear in the text file:
"HB","3","Town gate - Frickenhausen","street arch","5","","08/10/97","",""
"HB","4","Fountain","fountain","5","","08/10/97","",""
"HB","5","Street scene - Frickenhausen","street","5","","08/10/97","",""

Note that in this example file each field is contained in quotes and
although preferable, this is not required. Note also that the Priority,
Notes and Out fields were not present in the old database but are shown as
blanks in their correct positions in the text file.

Before importing the text file into Slide Librarian you must find out which
delimiting character has been used in the text file and then set that
character in the "Text file delimiter" option of the preferences dialog.

To import the file, from the Database Window File menu select Create from
text file and then select the appropriate file name from the File Open
dialog and click on the Open button.

After the text file has been imported, a message will appear indicating how
many slide records were successfully added to the slide database. If any
slides records could not be added you will be notified and the error
messages will be logged in the ErrorLog.txt file which you will find in the
Slide Librarian folder.

This process only adds the text elements of the slide data to the database.
To add the slide images to the database you should now use "Import bitmaps"
or "Paste image".

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Importing bitmaps into existing slides (2.1.11)
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)
Setting preferences (2.5.3)


2.1.10 Creating slides using bitmaps
------------------------------------


You can add slide records to the slide database simply by producing a
collection of bitmap files containing the slide images you want to add to
the database.

First generate the slide thumbnail images using your scanner, etc and save
each image as a bitmap (.BMP) file in a new folder which you must create for
this purpose. The filenames given to the bitmap files are not important nor
is the order in which they appear in the folder.

Slide Librarian will create a new slide record in the database for every
bitmap file it finds in the bitmap folder. The slide prefix and IDs will be
determined by the "Defaults for new slides" settings in the Database Window.
You should set these defaults before importing the slides.

To import the slides, from the Database Window File menu select Create from
bitmaps and then select the appropriate folder from the Create from bitmaps
dialog. Ensure that the full path name appears in the edit box at the top of
the dialog. Check that the default settings are correct. If they are not,
click on the Cancel button and amend them in the "Defaults for new slides"
settings.

The new slides will appear in the database grid at the bottom of the
Database Window. You will now have to edit the slide records to provide the
correct Title and Keywords text and any other fields which need amended.

When the import operation is complete, there is no need to keep the bitmap
(.BMP) files since the images are now stored in the database. However, it
would be prudent to backup the bitmaps before deleting them.

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Editing data for an existing slide (2.1.6)
Requirements for new slide images (3.1.1)


2.1.11 Importing bitmaps into existing slides
---------------------------------------------


You can import the slide images for existing slide records in bulk without
having to paste in each slide image individually.

First generate the slide thumbnail images using your scanner, etc and save
each image as a bitmap (.BMP) file in a new folder which you must create for
this purpose. Each bitmap file must have a filename corresponding to the
slide record it is to be associated with. For example, if you already have a
slide in the database with the prefix "HB" and ID number "4" then its bitmap
file must be named HB4.BMP.

Slide Librarian will import every bitmap file from the bitmap folder which
has a corresponding slide record in the slide database. Note that slides
records which already have an image in the database will have the old image
replaced.

To import the slide images, from the Database Window File menu select Import
bitmaps and then select the appropriate folder from the Import bitmaps
dialog and click on the OK button. Ensure that the full path name appears in
the edit box at the top of the dialog.

When the import operation is complete, there is no need to keep the bitmap
(.BMP) files since the images are now stored in the database. However, it
would be prudent to backup the bitmaps before deleting them.

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Importing slide data from another database (2.1.9)
Adding new slide data (2.1.1)
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)
Requirements for new slide images (3.1.1)


2.1.12 Exporting slide data to a text file
------------------------------------------


Slide Librarian can create a delimited text file which may be used for
transferring data to another database, spreadsheet or document. A delimited
text file consists of one line of text per record, where the fields are
separated by a delimiting character, in this case a comma. All slide records
are included in the exported text file.

Before exporting the text file you should check which delimiting character
should be used in the text file (depending on the program you are going to
import the text file into later) and then set that character in the "Text
file delimiter" option of the preferences dialog.

To export the file, from the Database Window File menu select Export to text
file and then type in a file name to the File Save As dialog and click on
the Save button.

The text file is generated with the fields in the following order: Prefix,
ID, Title, Keywords, Quality, Priority, Date, Notes, Out.
For example the following three records might appear in the text file:
"HB","3","Town gate - Frickenhausen","street arch","5","","08/10/97","",""
"HB","4","Fountain","fountain","5","","08/10/97","",""
"HB","5","Street scene - Frickenhausen","street","5","","08/10/97","",""

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Importing slide data from another database (2.1.9)


2.1.13 Counting slides
----------------------


To find out how many slides are currently in the slide database, from the
Database Window Options menu select Record count.

2.2 Searching for slides
------------------------


2.2.1 Defining a search using title/keyword fields
--------------------------------------------------


The Query Window allows you search the slide database using two different
and separate methods; by matching the Title and Keywords fields or by using
an SQL query.

First make sure that the Query Window is open. If it is not, click on the
Query button in the Database Window.

In order to enter search text in the "Fields which contain..." area, the
"Use SQL" option must first be turned OFF.

You can type text into any of the four boxes; the top one matches text
against the Title field the other three against the Keywords field. For
example: typing "gate" into the Title box would find a slide with the title
"Town gate - Frickenhausen".

The text which you type in does not have to match the entire field nor does
the case of characters have to match. For example: typing "fricken" into the
Title box would find a slide with the title "Town gate - Frickenhausen".

If you enter text into more than one box you must set the "And/Or" options
as appropriate. If the "And" option is selected only slides which match all
of the entered text will be found. If the "Or" option is selected then
slides which contain any of the entered text will be found.

For example: Slide HB3's Keywords field contains "street arch" and slide
HB5's Keywords field contains "street". You have entered "arch" in the first
Keywords box and "street" in the second box. If you set the "And" option
then only slide HB3 will be found. If you set the "Or" option then both
slides HB3 and HB5 will be found.

To execute the search click on the Apply button. The titles of the slides
which match the search criteria are then displayed in the results list at
the bottom of the window.

You can display the slide image by clicking on a slide title in the results
list.

Slides may be dragged from the results list to the Light Table.

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Defining a search using SQL (2.2.2)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)


2.2.2 Defining a search using SQL
---------------------------------


The Query Window allows you search the slide database using two different
and separate methods; by matching the Title and Keywords fields or by using
an SQL query.

First make sure that the Query Window is open. If it is not, click on the
Query button in the Database Window.

In order to enter an SQL query in the "SQL query" area, the "Use SQL" option
must first be turned ON.

You can type text into the WHERE box or select one of the previous 10
queries using the drop down button to the right of the box.

If you are familiar with the syntax of an SQL query, you should note that
any text entered in the WHERE box is automatically prefixed by SELECT * FROM
slides WHERE . This means that the only text you have to enter is the search
clause part of the SELECT statement.

There are many ways that SQL queries can be written. They involve using the
actual names of the database fields, a comparator (such as = or LIKE) and a
literal to compare the field data with. Here are some examples:
title LIKE "%Town%"  finds "Town gate - Frickenhausen" in the Title field
UPPER(title) LIKE "%FRICKEN%"  finds "Town gate - Frickenhausen" in the
Title field
out <> ""  finds all slides with something in the Out field
quality > 3  finds all slides with Quality greater than 3
ID > 0  finds all slides
keywords LIKE "%arch%" AND keywords LIKE "%street%"
finds the Keywords field "arch street"

For more examples see SQL syntax.

To execute the search click on the Apply button. The titles of the slides
which match the search criteria are then displayed in the results list at
the bottom of the window.

You can display the slide image by clicking on a slide title in the results
list.

Slides may be dragged from the results list to the Light Table.

See also:
The slide database (1.1.3)
Defining a search using title/keyword fields (2.2.1)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)
SQL syntax (3.1.2)

2.3 Using the Light Table
-------------------------


2.3.1 Dragging slides to the Light Table
----------------------------------------


Slides can only be put on the Light Table by dragging them from the results
list of the Query Window.

Open both the Light Table and Query Window, select the required slides from
the Query Window results list and drag them (by holding down the left mouse
button) across to the Light Table surface (and release the button).

More than one slide can be dragged across by using the standard Windows list
selection keys; CTRL and SHIFT. Holding down the CTRL key whilst clicking on
slides in the results box selects each slide clicked on. Holding down the
SHIFT key will select a block of slides from the currently selected slide to
the slide that you click on.


2.3.2 Clearing the Light Table
------------------------------


Select New from the Light Table File menu to clear the Light Table surface
and start a new file (the caption will show (Untitled).


2.3.3 Opening a Light Table file
--------------------------------


Select Open from the Light Table File menu and double-click on a filename in
the list of files or type a filename into the filename box and click on the
OK button.

The slides are read and placed on the Light Table in the correct order. Any
slides in the file which are no longer in the slide database are ignored.

Note that Light Table files are not regular Windows files but are held in
the LightFile and LightTable databases.

See also:
Saving a Light Table file (2.3.4)
Deleting a Light Table file (2.3.5)


2.3.4 Saving a Light Table file
-------------------------------


If the file currently on the Light Table is not untitled (ie. it has a name)
select Save from the Light Table File menu or press F2. The slides on the
Light Table will be saved, overwriting the old file.

If the file currently on the Light Table is untitled or if you want to
change the file name or description select Save as from the Light Table File
menu. Enter a new file name and description and click on the OK button.

Note that Light Table files are not regular Windows files but are held in
the LightFile and LightTable databases.

See also:
Opening a Light Table file (2.3.3)
Deleting a Light Table file (2.3.5)


2.3.5 Deleting a Light Table file
---------------------------------


Select Delete from the Light Table File menu and double-click on a filename
in the list of files or type a filename into the filename box and click on
the OK button.

You may be prompted to confirm deletion of the file, depending on the
"Confirm Light Table file delete" option in the preferences dialog.

Note that you cannot delete the file which is currently open on the Light
Table.

Note that Light Table files are not regular Windows files but are held in
the LightFile and LightTable databases.

See also:
Opening a Light Table file (2.3.3)
Saving a Light Table file (2.3.4)
Setting preferences (2.5.3)


2.3.6 Selecting slides
----------------------


In order to perform some functions on the Light Table you must select the
slides on which to perform the function (deleting a slide for example). When
selected, slides turn bright green or bright red.

Select a single slide by clicking the left mouse button on it.

Select further slides by clicking on them whilst holding down the CTRL key.

Select a block of slides by selecting a single slide at the start of the
block and then clicking on the last slide in the block whilst holding down
the SHIFT key.

You can select all slides on the Light Table by using the Select all command
from the Light Table Edit menu.

Cancel the current selection by clicking on an empty area of the Light Table
surface.

See also:
Moving slides (2.3.7)
Deleting slides (2.3.8)


2.3.7 Moving slides
-------------------


Slides placed on the Light Table can be moved around to get them into the
correct running order for a slide show or talk.

The slides are shown on the Light Table with the first slide in the top left
corner, the second to its right, the third to the right of that and so on,
reading left to right along the rows of slides and reading the rows from top
to bottom.

You can change the position of a slide or slides in the running order by
selecting it and dragging it to its new position. When you hold down the
left mouse button over a slide a blue vertical bar appears to the left of
the slide. This indicates the insertion point, ie. the point in the running
order where all selected slides will be placed. You move the blue bar by
dragging the mouse to the correct location and releasing the mouse button.

See also:
Selecting slides (2.3.6)
Deleting slides (2.3.8)


2.3.8 Deleting slides
---------------------


To remove a slide or slides from the Light Table, first select it and then
use the Delete command from the Light Table Edit menu or press the Del key.

Note that this does not delete the slide from the slide database, only from
the Light Table.

See also:
Selecting slides (2.3.6)
Moving slides (2.3.7)
Deleting a slide (from the database) (2.1.7)


2.3.9 Viewing a slide data summary
----------------------------------


Place the cursor over a slide on the Light Table and click the right mouse
button to see a summary of the data held for that slide.

The summary will remain visible until you view a summary for another slide
or until you click the left or right mouse button elsewhere on the Light
Table surface.


2.3.10 Booking slides out
-------------------------


Slide Librarian can be used to keep track of slides which are not currently
in your library. They may be out on loan to someone or you may have removed
them for a slide show.

To book slides out of the library, put the required slides onto the Light
Table and use the Book out command from the Light Table Edit menu. You will
be asked to enter the location that the slides are being booked out to. When
you click on the OK button, the Out field of the all the slides currently on
the Light Table is updated with the location supplied by you.

Note that slides on the Light Table which are already booked out (ie. they
are shown red) will not have their Out fields changed. If you want to book
these out again, you must first book them in.

See also:
The database (1.1.3)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)
Booking slides in (2.3.11)


2.3.11 Booking slides in
------------------------


Slide Librarian can be used to keep track of slides which are not currently
in your library. They may be out on loan to someone or you may have removed
them for a slide show.

To book slides back into the library, put the required slides onto the Light
Table (they should all be displayed red) and use the Book in command from
the Light Table Edit menu. The Out field of the all the slides currently on
the Light Table is cleared.

See also:
The database (1.1.3)
Booking slides out (2.3.10)


2.3.12 Selecting slide images on or off
---------------------------------------


Slide Librarian will either display the slide image on the Light Table
slides or display the slide Title instead.

Select which you prefer by using the View images command from the Light
Table Options menu.


2.3.13 Counting Light Table slides
----------------------------------


To find out how many slides are currently in the on the Light Table, from
the Light Table Options menu select Count slides.

2.4 Printing
------------


2.4.1 Setting up the printer
----------------------------


To select the printer you want to use, or to change settings such as paper
size, orientation, paper source, etc, use the Print setup command from the
Light Table File menu.

You can also set up the printer from the Print Setup button in the Print
Slide Labels dialog.

See also:
Printing slide labels (2.4.5)


2.4.2 Printing a picking list
-----------------------------


To print a picking list, use the Print | Picking List command from the Light
Table File menu.

A print confirmation dialog appears, giving you the opportunity to abort the
print or to select the printer, number of copies, etc.

A picking list is a listing of all the slides currently on the Light Table,
sorted by Prefix/ID. This enables you to pick the slides you require from
your library easily.

The font used for this report can be set using Options|Fonts.

See also:
Setting up the printer (2.4.1)
Printing a running order (2.4.3)
Printing a contact sheet (2.4.4)
Selecting fonts (2.5.2)


2.4.3 Printing a running order
------------------------------



A running order is a listing of all the slides currently on the Light Table
in the order in which they appear on the Light Table. This enables you to
sort the slides you require ready for loading into a projector.

The font used for this report can be set using Options|Fonts.

See also:
Setting up the printer (2.4.1)
Printing a picking list (2.4.2)
Printing a contact sheet (2.4.4)
Selecting fonts (2.5.2)


2.4.4 Printing a contact sheet
------------------------------


To print a contact sheet, use the Print | Contact sheet command from the
Light Table File menu.

The print begins immediately you select the command.

A contact sheet is a copy of the current Light Table. Note that the print is
an exact copy of what appears on the screen. If your slide show is too big
to see on the Light Table all at once, only the part you can see will be
printed. You may have to print one part of the Light Table, scroll down and
print the next part and so on.

See also:
Setting up the printer (2.4.1)
Printing a picking list (2.4.2)
Printing a running order (2.4.3)


2.4.5 Printing slide labels
---------------------------


To print slide labels, use the Print | Slide labels command from the Light
Table File menu.

The font used for the labels can be set using Options|Fonts.

The "Print slide labels" dialog appears where you should select which slides
to print labels for, the size and number of labels on a sheet and the
details to be printed on the labels.

Select labels to print:

Choose one of the selection options to indicate to Slide Librarian which
slides it should print labels for:

All slides on the light table - you must first have the required slides on
the Light Table.
Selected slides on the light table - you must first have the required slides
selected on the Light Table.
All slides in database - prints labels for every slide in the slide
database.
All slides with prefix... - every slide in the database with the prefix you
supply in the "Prefix" box.
Range of slides with prefix... - every slide in the database with the prefix
you supply in the "Prefix" box and within the range of ID numbers you supply
in the "From ID" and "To ID" boxes.

Layout:

Slide Librarian can handle many different label configurations to cater for
different label types. You can use tractor-fed labels or laser labels and
can have several slide labels on a single page which you can cut up after
printing.

You should first click on the "Print setup" button and select the physical
page size of the labels you are using. In the case of laser labels this
might be A4 or perhaps single 3.5" x 2" tractor-fed labels. Also select
whether to print in portrait or landscape mode.

Selecting "Inches" or "mm" changes the unit of measure used in both the edit
boxes and the page size display.

Enter the left and top margins. These are the page margins and not the
margins for each label (see the diagram below).

Enter the label width and height. These are the dimensions of each slide
label not the size of the page (see the diagram below).

With the margins and label dimensions entered, Slide Librarian displays how
many labels can be printed on a page.

[GRAPHIC]


Label contents:

Enter the information you would like printed on each label into the "Label
contents" edit box.

Slide Librarian prints exactly what it finds in this box on each label
except for text contained inside "< >". To print data from the slide
database onto a label, enter a database field name inside "< >"; for
example: <ID> prints the slide ID, <Title> prints the slide title.

Example: In the diagram above, the first slide label has been printed as:
HB1 - 8/10/97
Copyright (c) SpanSoft

This was achieved with a "Label contents" setting of:
<Prefix><ID> - <Date>
Copyright (c) SpanSoft


See also:
The database (1.1.3)
Dragging slides to the Light Table (2.3.1)
Selecting slides (2.3.6)
Selecting fonts (2.5.2)

2.5 General
-----------


2.5.1 Viewing full-sized slide images
-------------------------------------


If a full-sized slide image has been provided for the current slide, you can
view it by double-clicking the left mouse button on a thumbnail slide image.
Thumbnail slide images are visible in the Database Window, the Query Window
and on the Light Table. If a full-sized image is not available, you will
hear a beep (or alternative sound).

Once the full-sized image is open you may close it by clicking anywhere in
the image or on another Slide Librarian window.

See also:
Adding a full-sized slide image (2.1.5)


2.5.2 Selecting fonts
---------------------


From the Database Window Options menu select Fonts and select the font type
you want to change. "Slide labels" defines the font used for printed slide
labels, "Reports" defines the font used for all reports, "Light table
labels" is the font used for the Prefix/ID on slides on the Light Table,
"Light table summary" is the font used in the slide summary window accessed
from the Light Table.


2.5.3 Setting preferences
-------------------------


From the Database Window Options menu select Preferences.

Text file delimiter
When importing or exporting delimited text files, Slide Librarian needs to
know which character to use as a delimiter. Click on "Use tab" to use the
tab character as the delimiter or enter an alternative character in the box
after "Use other char" (the "Use other char" radio button is selected
automatically). A comma is a commonly used delimiter.

Confirm slide delete
Select this option to display a confirmation dialog each time a slide record
is to be deleted from the database.

Confirm Light Table file delete
Select this option to display a confirmation dialog each time a Light Table
file is to be deleted.

Window backgrounds
The Database Window has a textured background. You may wish to clear this
option to turn the textured background off if your PC is slow or is not
using a HiColor display.

Show hints
Small, yellow text windows indicate the function of many of the controls
(buttons, edit boxes, etc) used in Slide Librarian when you place the mouse
cursor over them. When you are familiar with the functions of these controls
you may wish to turn this option off.

Full-sized image folder
Specifies where Slide Librarian should look for the full-sized images of
each slide held in the database. To change the folder name/location click on
the Change button and then double-click on the required folder. If you wish
to create a new folder, enter the full pathname in the "Directory name" box
at the top and click on the OK button. You will be prompted to confirm
folder creation.

See also:
Importing slide data from another database (2.1.9)
Exporting slide data to a text file (2.1.12)
Deleting a slide (2.1.7)
Deleting a Light Table file (2.3.5)
Adding a full-sized slide image (2.1.5)


2.5.4 Exiting from the program
------------------------------


Either  From the Database Window File menu select Exit.
or  Press Alt+F4.
or  Click on the Close button in the Database Window.

This command will close the Query Window and Light Table (if open) before
exiting the program.


2.5.5 Backing-up your data
--------------------------


All the data you have entered into Slide Librarian is held in various files
in the \Data sub-folder. So if you have installed Slide Librarian into the
C:\Program files\Slides folder, the slide database and light table files
database will be held in the C:\Program files\Slides\Data folder.

You should periodically copy all the files in the \Data folder to backup
media (floppy disks, tape, zip disks, etc). We recommend using the
grandfather-father-son system, where 3 backup tapes are used in rotation.

You may also wish to backup the Slides.INI file which contains options and
preferences, although this file can be regenerated (with default values) by
Slide Librarian in the event of a failure.

You may also wish to backup the full-sized slide image bitmap (.BMP) files
held in the folder defined in the preferences dialog.

============================================================================
3 REFERENCE
===========

3.1 General
-----------


3.1.1 Requirements for new slide images
---------------------------------------


Bitmaps used as slide images should be 120 x 90 pixels for landscape
oriented slides and 90 x 120 for portrait although slightly different
dimensions will not adversely affect the program.

The bitmaps can be of any colour resolution but we recommend that the best
resolution/byte-size trade-off is achieved using 256 colours. Using HiColour
bitmaps for the thumbnail slide images will result in a very large slide
database.

See also:
Adding a slide image to an existing slide (2.1.2)
Creating slides using bitmaps (2.1.10)
Importing bitmaps into existing slides (2.1.11)


3.1.2 SQL syntax
----------------


Here are a list of the most frequently used SQL operators and reserved words
which apply to the WHERE clause. This is not a complete list but should be
sufficient for any queries in Slide Librarian. For a complete introduction
to ANSI-standard SQL, see one of the many third-party books.
Operators
Arithmetic  +     -     *     /
Comparison  <     >     =     <>     >=     =<     IS NULL     IS NOT NULL
Logical  AND     OR     NOT
String  % (wild card)     _ (character replacement)
Reserved words
UPPER()  forces string to upper case
LOWER()  forces string to lower case
LIKE  non-exact string matches
IN()  single value from list
Examples
title LIKE "%Town%"  finds "Town gate - Frickenhausen" in the Title field
UPPER(title) LIKE "%FRICKEN%"  finds "Town gate - Frickenhausen" in the
Title field
out <> ""  finds all slides with something in the Out field
notes = ""  finds all slides with empty Notes field
quality > 3  finds all slides with Quality greater than 3
ID > 0  finds all slides
keywords LIKE "%arch%" AND keywords LIKE "%street%"
finds the Keywords field "arch street"
keywords LIKE "tree_"  finds the Keywords field "trees" but not "treestump"
keywords LIKE "tree%"  finds the Keywords fields "trees" and "treestump"
LOWER(keywords) LIKE "%arch%" OR LOWER(keywords) LIKE "%street%"
finds the Keywords field "Arch" and the Keywords field "Street"
priority IN (4, 6)  finds slides with Priority 4 or 6


Note that using upper-case for reserved words and lower-case for field names
is merely a convention used to improve readability.

SQL string comparisons are case-sensitive so to make a query
case-insensitive put the field name in LOWER() and make the literal all
lower-case in case some of the letters in the data field are upper-case.


3.1.3 Version information
-------------------------


This is a list of new features, enhancements and bug fixes which is updated
with the release of each new version of Slide Librarian. Any last minute bug
fixes are included here and may not be present in the flyers or readme
files.


Version 1.0  November 1997

First release.


3.1.4 System requirements
-------------------------


The following hardware is recommended as the minimum setup for using Slide
Librarian although less powerful systems may produce satisfactory results.

ò IBM compatible PC - Pentium 100

ò SVGA monitor set at 800x600 pixels and 16bit (HiColor, 64,000 colours)

ò 16Mb RAM

ò Hard disk space:
5.5Mb - program and ancillary files
plus either
13kb per slide (thumbnail images only)
or
up to 741kb per slide (includes full-sized images with 24bit colour)

ò Image capture system (scanner, video snapshot, etc)

ò Printer

ò Windows 95 (required)


3.1.5 Frequently asked questions
--------------------------------


Q  How can I use SQL searches which look for partial matches?
A  Use the LIKE operator and "%" as a wild card or "_" as a single character
replacement. For example, Keywords LIKE "%sun%" will find the keyword fields
sun and light sun yellow and sundance etc. Keywords LIKE "sun_" will find
suns but not sunny. See also: Defining a search using SQL. (2.2.2)

Q  How can I print out the entire help file?
A  There is a text format version of the help file in the file SLIDES.TXT.
Open this file with a word processor to browse through it or print it out.
The file can also be printed using the DOS command "print slides.txt".



3.1.6 Glossary
--------------

Slide image - a digitised copy of the slide held in the slide database.
Slide Librarian can be used without slide images.

Field - a column of a single type of information in a database. For example
the "Notes" field in the slide database.

Record - a set of related fields in a database make up one row or record.

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