Business Heaven

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Business Heaven / Business Heaven.iso / contact / rlist12 / rlist.doc < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1993-05-01 | 81KB | 2,046 lines

rLIST (tm) Version 1.2 for WordPerfect A Contact and Mailing List Management Program User's Manual Copyright (c) 1993 All Rights Reserved by R/ACCESS Software, Inc. T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Topic Page I. Introduction to rLIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. rLIST Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Hardware Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3. Software Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4. Software License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5. Trademark Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6. Shareware Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 II. rLIST Set-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1. Installing rLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. The Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3. Environment Variables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 4. R:BASE Database Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5. rLIST Table Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A. Database creation using MS-DOS . . . . . . . . . 8 B. Database creation using R:BASE . . . . . . . . . 8 C. Database creation using Personal R:BASE. . . . . 9 III. rLIST Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1. Editing Windows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A. Window names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 B. Window size and positions. . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2. Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A. Pull-down menu bar . . . . . [ <F10> ] . . . 10 B. Function key menu bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3. Mouse Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 IV. Using rLIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1. General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 A. Edit rLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 B. Edit NotePad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 C. Find record(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 D. Delete record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 E. Add record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 F. Dup record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 G. Phone call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2. View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 A. Previous record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 B. Next record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 - i - C. Where clause . . . . . . . . [ <F11> ] . . . 18 D. Sort clause. . . . . . . . . [ <F12> ] . . . 19 E. Record Queue . . . . . . . . [ <Alt-F10> ] . . . 19 3. Restore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A. current Field. . . . . . . . [ <Ctrl-F> ] . . . 20 B. All fields . . . . . . . . . [ <Ctrl-A> ] . . . 20 C. NotePad text . . . . . . . . [ <Ctrl-N> ] . . . 21 D. Windows. . . . . . . . . . . [ <Ctrl-W> ] . . . 21 4. Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 A. Mark/unmark current record . [ <Ctrl-M> ] . . . 21 B. mark Selected record(s). . . [ <Ctrl-F2> ] . . . 22 C. Unmark selected record(s). . [ <Shft-F2> ] . . . 22 5. Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 A. WP Secondary file. . . . . . [ <Ctrl-S> ] . . . 23 B. Directory scanner. . . . . . [ <Ctrl-D> ] . . . 23 C. cOnfiguration file . . . . . [ <Ctrl-O> ] . . . 24 D. keystroke Record . . . . . . [ <Ctrl-R> ] . . . 25 E. keystroke Playback . . . . . [ <Ctrl-P> ] . . . 25 6. Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A. R:BASE . . . . . . . . . . . [ <Alt-1> ] . . . 25 B. WordPerfect. . . . . . . . . [ <Alt-2> ] . . . 26 7. Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 A. Help . . . . . . . . . . . . [ <F1> ] . . . 26 B. About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 8. Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ <F9> ] . . . 27 V. rLIST Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 1. Record Counter -> #### of #### . . . . . . . . . . . 27 2. Special Keys and Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 3. rLIST Table Schema and Description . . . . . . . . . 28 VI. R:BASE and rLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1. Password Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 2. Rules Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 3. R:BASE v 3.1D and 4.x Compatibility. . . . . . . . . 30 VII. Database Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 1. Column Indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 2. Database Pack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 VIII. About R/ACCESS Software, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 - ii - I. INTRODUCTION TO rLIST ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section contains an introduction to the rLIST program. 1. rLIST OVERVIEW ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST is a contact and mailing list management program that accesses and updates records from an R:BASE database table. The name of this table is also called rLIST. rLIST works with any R:BASE database provided an rLIST table is included in the database. The rLIST package contains an R:BASE command file that automatically creates an rLIST table within a new or existing database. It also contains a database that can be used by rLIST and can be copied to create additional databases. Word processing programs are frequently used to create mail merge letters. This process entails merging a "primary" file containing text that appears in every letter with a "secondary" file containing names, addresses and other information unique to each letter. While using a word processor is the most efficient way to generate mail merge letters, the task of editing data within a secondary file using a word processor can often be slow and laborious. As rLIST generates secondary files automatically, data management occurs within rLIST and secondary files are then easily created for the mail merge procedure to take place. rLIST does not require R:BASE or WordPerfect to run. However, the availability of one or both of these software products enables the use of several key rLIST features. The major features of rLIST are: » Text fields for name, title, company, full address and user- defined information. » WordPerfect (v 5.0/5.1) secondary file generation for selected rLIST records and columns, with sort capability. » Automatic phone dialing (business, mobile, fax and home) with optional prefix/suffix codes for dialing through a long distance carrier or PBX system. » Redial on busy signal with user-defined number of times to redial and seconds to wait between calls. » Date field, time field and incremental timer for tracking length of phone calls. » Pop-up NotePad (R:BASE note column) for each stored record, holds up to 3,300 characters. Editing features include selective or global search and replace, block copy, move and delete functions. -1- » Directory scanner for locating all R:BASE databases beginning with a specified path. Can be used to switch to another R:BASE database that contains an rLIST table. » Keystroke/mouse record and playback (macro) files. » R:BASE (or Personal R:BASE) and WordPerfect access from within rLIST. » Automatic "Where" clause generation providing field sensitive relational comparison operators, logical condition connectors, and wildcard characters. » Sort up to ten columns in ascending or descending order. » Alias substitution for selected rLIST field names. » Record counter displays current record number and total number of records found for the Where clause. » Pop-up window for U.S. postal code state abbreviations; optional field validation. » On-line cross-referenced help screens. » Full mouse support. 2. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST runs on an IBM PC or 100% compatible microcomputer with at least 640K of RAM memory and a color or monochrome monitor. 570,000 bytes available disk storage is required for the rLIST program files. A hard disk is recommended for best performance. rLIST will run, however, on a diskette based system if the diskette capacity is 1.2M or greater. Approximately 85K of free disk space is needed to create a temporary swap file if expanded memory is not available. In addition, Saturn Run-time creates temporary sort files on disk. If a diskette based system is used, it is advised to frequently monitor the available free disk space to ensure that approximately 30-40% of the diskette remains free for the creation of these temporary sort files. A Hayes or Hayes-compatible modem is required for phone dialing. A mouse is required for rLIST mouse support. 3. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST requires MS-DOS version 3.0 or higher. R:BASE or Personal R:BASE is required to invoke R:BASE from within rLIST. -2- WordPerfect (version 5.0 or 5.1) is required to use WordPerfect secondary files generated by rLIST and to invoke WordPerfect from within rLIST. rLIST uses Saturn Run-time from Synchronicity to open an R:BASE database and help access and update records from the rLIST table. The run-time program (SATURN.EXE) is supplied with rLIST. Using a disk cache and expanded memory increases the overall performance of rLIST. Expanded memory managers must meet LIM EMS version 3.2 or higher. 4. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── R/ACCESS Software, Inc. hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. R/ACCESS Software will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if R/ACCESS Software or an agent of R/ACCESS Software has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall R/ACCESS Software's liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use the software, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to the Agreement shall be brought only in a State or Federal Court of competent jurisdiction located in Queens County, New York. The parties hereby agree to in personam jurisdiction of said courts. R/ACCESS Software reserves the right to revise this publication (program and documentation) and to make changes in the content hereof. 5. TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Avery is a registered trademark of Avery Dennison. Hayes is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Lotus is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation. Microrim, R:BASE and Personal R:BASE are registered trademarks of Microrim, Inc. Microsoft, MS and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Saturn is a trademark of Synchronicity. WordPerfect is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation. -3- 6. SHAREWARE REGISTRATION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST is distributed on a try-before-you-buy basis. You are free to use rLIST for up to 30 days for evaluation purposes. If you decide to continue using rLIST after this period, you must register the program by sending in the shareware registration fee of $69.00 (US) per workstation plus shipping and handling to: R/ACCESS Software, Inc. Voice: (718) 472-4548 9am-5pm EST 39-60 47th Street Fax: (718) 472-2022 Sunnyside, NY 11104-1420 CompuServe Mail ID: 76236,2706 By registering rLIST, you will receive: 1. A bound printed copy of the rLIST User's Manual. 2. 3 1/2" or 5 1/4" program diskette -- minus registration reminder screen on program exit and ticker tape message. 3. Software license number for technical support by phone, mail or electronic mail. Phone support is free up to 30 minutes. 4. Immediate notification of software upgrades with enhancement list. 5. WordPerfect versions 5.0/5.1 primary files to use with rLIST (envelopes, telephone billing, Avery labels for HP LaserJet). 6. SEPACK utility for PACKing an R:BASE database. REGISTER.DOC is a single-user registration form that can be used to submit your name, address and other information along with payment. To register more than five copies, please refer to SITELIC.DOC for site license registration. Either document can be printed with the following command at the DOS prompt: COPY {filename}.DOC PRN <Return> We accept personal and business checks, money orders and cashier's checks. Thank you for trying rLIST and supporting the Shareware concept! -4- II. rLIST SET-UP ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes the installation, configuration and procedures necessary for the proper use of rLIST. 1. INSTALLING rLIST ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST is distributed as a ZIP file, a compressed file with all documentation and programs packed into one file. rLIST is installed by copying the ZIP file into an existing or new directory created specifically for rLIST and then uncompressing the ZIP file. PKUNZIP.EXE, a utility program used to unzip compressed files, is provided on all rLIST distribution disks or can be found on many computer bulletin board services. The steps for this procedure are: 1) To create a new directory for rLIST, at the DOS prompt type: MKDIR {directory name} 2) Change to the directory using the CHDIR command: CHDIR {directory name} 3) Copy the ZIP file (from the distribution disk if you have a diskette copy of rLIST) to the directory: COPY {drive:\path\zip file} 4) Uncompress the ZIP file using PKUNZIP.EXE: {drive:\path\PKUNZIP} {zip file} The directory containing the rLIST program files must be included in the PATH statement in order to invoke rLIST from any directory. The PATH statement is usually initialized in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The CONFIG.SYS file must include the statement FILES=20 (or greater). If the FILES statement is less than 20 or does not exist, modify the CONFIG.SYS file and re-boot the computer. You will need an ASCII text editor such as EDLIN or EDIT (with MS-DOS version 5.0 or greater) to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. See the MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference manual regarding the use of these editors, the PATH statement, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. -5- 2. THE COMMAND LINE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The command line structure for rLIST is as follows: rLIST [-ns] dbname where dbname is the name of an R:BASE database that contains an rLIST table. The full path name of the database must be supplied if the database is not in the default directory. Include the -ns switch to suppress the opening rLIST sign-on message containing the rLIST version number, company name and copyright notice. The rLIST package contains a database called CONTACT which can be used by rLIST to store and retrieve information and copied to create additional databases. The following rLIST program files must be in the current directory or contained within a directory that is listed in the path environment variable: RLIST.EXE RLISTX.HLP RLISTX.EXE SATURN.EXE NOTE: These file names must NOT be changed by using the MS-DOS rename command. rLIST looks for these files by name at load time and will not execute properly if any have been renamed. 3. ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST will execute WordPerfect and R:BASE (or Personal R:BASE) from within rLIST providing that the associated program files are located in the default directory or in a directory listed in the path environment variable. An alternative option is to create the following environment variables at the DOS prompt which rLIST will use to execute WordPerfect and R:BASE: SET RLISTRB=<full path name of R:BASE executable> SET RLISTWP=<full path name of WordPerfect executable> ( example: SET RLISTRB=C:\RBPERSL\RBASE.EXE ) NOTE: No spaces are allowed around the equal mark in a DOS SET command. Be sure to include the full pathname and file extension. If defined, these environment variables take precedence over the default directory or the path environment variable. -6- Saturn Run-time is accessed from rLIST via software interrupt. The default assignment is to vector 96 (hexadecimal 60). To change the assignment use SET SEINT=X, where X is the decimal value of the new interrupt vector. Saturn Run-time does not expect to share a vector and expects the vector location to be zero when rLIST is invoked. The rLIST package contains a program called CLEARINT which will zero an interrupt location if necessary. The default storage space for environment variables in DOS is quite small and, depending on the particular system's configuration, a larger storage space may be needed. To enlarge the storage space for environment variables use the SHELL command with the /E option in the CONFIG.SYS file. See the MS-DOS User's Guide and Reference manual for details regarding the use of the CONFIG.SYS file. 4. R:BASE DATABASE STRUCTURE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── An R:BASE database consists of three files that work in conjunction with each other for the storage and retrieval of information. These three files share the same root name, which is defined by the user, with each root name followed by the numeral 1, 2 or 3 to indicate the structure file, data file and index file, respectively. The file name extension for all three files is always "RBF." The following is an example using the CONTACT database from the rLIST distribution disk: CONTACT1.RBF CONTACT2.RBF CONTACT3.RBF Internally, each R:BASE database is made up of both system and user defined tables. A table can be viewed as one or more vertical columns of information stored in horizontal rows. Each column stores information by purpose and data type. For example, in the rLIST table, the column "rFName" stores an individual's first name which is a TEXT data type, while the column "rDatefld" stores a date and is a DATE data type. A record is a single row of information from all of the columns in the table. R/ACCESS Software designed the table called rLIST for use with the rLIST program. Since R:BASE requires that table names be mutually exclusive, only one table in each database can be named rLIST. In order to create multiple rLIST tables for the purpose of having separate contact listings, it is necessary to create separate R:BASE databases, each one containing its own rLIST table. -7- 5. rLIST TABLE CREATION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. DATABASE CREATION USING MS-DOS An R:BASE database called CONTACT is included with the rLIST package. CONTACT is basically an empty database that contains an rLIST table which can be used by rLIST to store and retrieve records. CONTACT is compatible with R:BASE versions 3.x or Personal R:BASE. In order to have multiple rLIST tables, use the DOS copy command to create new R:BASE databases from the CONTACT database. To create a new database from the CONTACT database, issue the DOS copy command three times, once for each of the three database files. The following is an example: COPY CONTACT1.RBF CLIENT1.RBF <Enter> COPY CONTACT2.RBF CLIENT2.RBF <Enter> COPY CONTACT3.RBF CLIENT3.RBF <Enter> B. DATABASE CREATION USING R:BASE Databases created by R:BASE can also be used by rLIST. Included with the rLIST package is a text file comprised of R:BASE commands that, when issued with the RUN command, will automatically create an rLIST table within a new or existing R:BASE database. This text file is named RLIST.TBL. Use the following command at the R> prompt to create an rLIST table within a new or existing R:BASE database: R>RUN RLIST.TBL USING {drive:\path\}dbname where dbname is the name of the R:BASE database you wish to create or modify An R:BASE database name can be no longer than seven characters. The name cannot begin with a number or punctuation character, and it cannot contain blank spaces. Drive and directory specifications are not included in the seven-letter limit. NOTE: An existing R:BASE table with the same name "rLIST" will prevent this command file from functioning correctly since R:BASE does not allow the creation of a new table that has the same name as an existing table. This restriction also applies to R:BASE column names that have different data types or text lengths, so an attempt has been made to provide as much exclusivity with regard to column naming as possible. Therefore, all rLIST column names begin with the letter "r" (lower case). -8- C. DATABASE CREATION USING PERSONAL R:BASE To create additional R:BASE databases that contain an rLIST table, follow the steps outlined in 'Copying a Database' under Managing Database Files in Chapter Two of the Personal R:BASE User's Guide. The CONTACT database from the rLIST program disk can be used as the database to "copy from." III. rLIST BASICS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section is a summary of rLIST structure and features. 1. EDITING WINDOWS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. WINDOW NAMES Two windows exist for adding and editing records from an rLIST table. The names of these two windows are rLIST and NotePad. The rLIST window displays the name of the currently active R:BASE database (top border line) and a field for each rLIST table column except rNotePad. rNotePad, the remaining rLIST table column, has its own window... named NotePad. The NotePad window is toggled on and off the display screen from the rLIST window by pressing <F5>, or left on screen by pressing <Shft-F5>. B. WINDOW SIZE AND POSITIONS The rLIST or NotePad window can be repositioned on the display screen by holding down the <Ctrl> key and pressing an arrow key to move the window (in the direction of the arrow key) to a new location. The mouse can also be used to reposition either window. Place the mouse cursor on the selected window border, hold down the left mouse button and reposition the window by moving the mouse. Window positions can be changed by entering new screen coordinates into cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O>. Double-click the left mouse button or press the <Spacebar> on the "[WINDOW] window screen coordinates (top row, left col)" field to automatically enter the current position of the window or type in the new coordinates directly. The grey plus/minus keys increase and decrease the coordinates to within valid limits. The rLIST window can be resized by holding down the <Alt> key and pressing the <Up> or <Down> arrow keys. If made smaller, fields within the rLIST window will scroll using the <Enter>, -9- <Tab>, <Shft-Tab>, <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys. The NotePad window can be made larger or smaller by holding down the <Alt> key and pressing an arrow key to resize the window. The mouse can also be used to resize either window. Place the mouse cursor on the selected window border's corner, hold down the left mouse button and resize the window by moving the mouse. Window size and position coordinates are automatically stored in cOnfiguration file for subsequent sessions. 2. MENUS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. PULL-DOWN MENU BAR <F10> A pull-down menu bar exists at the top of the display screen. Menu choices are General, View, Restore, Mark, Options, Programs, Help and Exit. Hold the <Alt> key down and press the highlighted letter of a Menu choice to display the Menu selections. Use the arrow keys to move to a specific selection and press <Enter> or press the highlighted letter of a selection to invoke the task. All tasks within rLIST have been assigned to a function key or a <Ctrl>, <Shft>, or <Alt> key combination and can be invoked as such from outside the pull-down Menu. B. FUNCTION KEY MENU BAR A function key menu bar appears at the bottom of the display screen. These function key selections are the most commonly used tasks in rLIST. When rLIST is the active window, the function keys are: <F2>-Find - Builds a new Where clause <F11> and retrieves the initial record for the clause <F3>-Add - Adds a new record to the rLIST table <F4>-Delete - Deletes the current record from the rLIST table <F5>-NotePad - Accesses the NotePad for the current record <F6>-Dial - Dials a phone number through a modem <F7>-Previous - Retrieves and displays the previous record <F8>-Next - Retrieves and displays the next record When NotePad is the active window, the function keys are: <F2>-Srch - Searches (forward) for a specific text string (case sensitive) <Alt-F2> - Finds the next occurrence of the text string <F3>-Repl - Searches for and replaces (forward) a specific text string (case sensitive) -10- <F4>-Block - Press <F4> to begin blocking. Use arrow keys or left mouse click to block text. Press <F4> again to end blocking <Alt-F4> - Press <Alt-F4> or right mouse click inside the NotePad window to remove blocking from text <F5>-NotePad - Removes the NotePad from the display screen <Shft-F5> - Leaves NotePad on screen and returns to the rLIST window <F6>-Copy - Copies a block of text to the cursor location <F7>-Move - Moves a block of text to the cursor location <F8>-Delete - Deletes a block of text <Alt-F7> - Moves the cursor back one word <Alt-F8> - Moves the cursor forward one word The following perform the same for both windows: <F1>-Help - Accesses cross-referenced help system <F9>-Exit - Exits the rLIST program <F10>-Menu - Accesses pull-down Menu bar (top of screen) <F11>-Where - Displays current Where clause in pop-up window <F12>-Sort - Displays current Sort clause in pop-up window 3. MOUSE SUPPORT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST provides full mouse support. Use the mouse to move between fields, select menu options and change window size and positions. The mouse can be used to invoke a menu selection from the pull-down Menu <F10> or the function key menu by positioning the mouse cursor on the menu option and pressing the left mouse button. Either the rLIST or NotePad window can be made the active window by positioning the mouse cursor inside the respective window and click- ing the left mouse button. Field movement in the rLIST window is provided by positioning the mouse cursor over the field and clicking the left mouse button to make the selected field the current field. Particular rLIST fields have built-in functionality upon a double- click (positioning the mouse cursor over the field and pressing the left mouse button twice in rapid succession). rLIST field Double-click left mouse button ──────────────── ───────────────────────────────────────── State/Province - Presents a pop-up window for the selection of U.S. postal code state abbreviations All phone fields - Dials the phone number through a modem Datefld - Inserts today's (system) date and day Timefld - Inserts current (system) time Timer - Toggles Timer on and off -11- IV. USING rLIST ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes the functionality of rLIST in detail. 1. GENERAL ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. EDIT rLIST The rLIST window allows adding and editing of data to all rLIST table columns except rNotePad. Select "Edit rLIST" under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> to make the rLIST window the active window. The <Esc> key can be used to return to the rLIST window from the pull-down Menu or NotePad window. <Esc> can also be used to abort a specific task if <Esc> is pressed prior to completing the task. Press <Esc> repeatedly to return (eventually) to the rLIST window. The mouse can be used to make the rLIST window the active window. Simply position the mouse cursor inside the rLIST window and press the left mouse button. Place the mouse cursor on any field within the rLIST window and press the left mouse button to make the selected field the current field. Changes made to the current record are saved automatically upon a successful Find, Next record, Previous record, or Exit. These tasks are invoked from the Menu bar <F10> or by pressing the appropriate function key. The following keys provide field movement within the rLIST window: <Tab> - Moves to the next field <Shft-Tab> - Moves to the previous field <Dn arrow> - Moves to the next field <Up arrow> - Moves to the previous field <Enter> - Moves to the next field <Ctrl-Home> - Moves to the first field <Ctrl-End> - Moves to the last field The following keys provide field editing within the rLIST window: <Lft arrow> - Moves one character position to the left <Rt arrow> - Moves one character position to the right <Home> - Moves to the beginning of the field <End> - Moves to the end of the field <Insert> - Toggles between insert and overwrite mode <Delete> - Deletes the character directly over the cursor <Backspace> - Deletes the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor one space to the left -12- <Ctrl-Del> - Deletes the entire contents of the current field and moves the cursor to the beginning of the field <Alt-Del> - Deletes the character directly over the cursor and all characters to the end of the field <Ctrl-F> - Restores the current field's data to the original data (when record was first retrieved with Next record or Previous record). <Ctrl-A> - Restores all rLIST window field data to the original data (when record was first retrieved with Next record or Previous record). Pull-down Menu <F10> and function key menu selections available within the rLIST window are described in subsequent sections of this document. Refer to the Table of Contents for specific tasks. B. EDIT NOTEPAD The NotePad window allows adding and editing of text to the rLIST table column rNotePad. Select "Edit NotePad" under the General option of the Menu bar <F10> to make the NotePad window the active window. Press <F5> to pop-up the NotePad window from the rLIST window. The NotePad window can be toggled on and off the display screen by pressing <F5>. Press <Shft-F5> to toggle between the rLIST and NotePad windows while keeping the NotePad window on the display screen. The NotePad is a word wrapping text editor capable of holding up to 3,300 characters. Use the arrow keys to move within the text and the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys to read a screen at a time. Use the mouse to scroll the text by positioning the cursor on the triangular arrows located on the right window border and pressing the left mouse button. Changes made to the current record are saved automatically upon a successful Find, Next record, Previous record, or Exit. These tasks are invoked from the Menu bar <F10> or by pressing the appropriate function key. The following keys and mouse functions provide text editing within the NotePad window: <Insert> - Toggles between insert and overwrite mode (overwrite is the default mode) <Delete> - Deletes the character directly over the cursor <Backspace> - Deletes the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor one position to the left <Home> - Moves to the beginning of the current line <End> - Moves to the end of the current line <Up> - Moves the cursor up one line <Down> - Moves the cursor down one line -13- <PgUp> - Displays the previous screen load <PgDn> - Displays the next screen load <Ctrl-Home> - Moves the cursor to the top of the text <Ctrl-End> - Moves the cursor to the bottom of the text <Enter> - In insert mode, inserts CR-LF and moves the cursor to the first position of the next line In overwrite mode, moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line <Tab> - Inserts a tab character at the current cursor location <Ctrl-N> - Restores the NotePad text to the original state (when record was first retrieved with Find, Next record or Previous record) <F2>-Srch - Searches (forward) for a specific text string (case sensitive) <Alt-F2> - Finds the next occurrence of the text string <F3>-Repl - Searches for and replaces (forward) a specific text string (case sensitive) <F4>-Block - Press <F4> to begin blocking. Use arrow keys or left mouse click to block text. Press <F4> again to end blocking <Alt-F4> - Press <Alt-F4> or right mouse click inside the NotePad window to remove blocking from text <F5>-NotePad - Removes the NotePad from the display screen <Shft-F5> - Leaves NotePad on screen and returns to rLIST window <F6>-Copy - Copies a block of text to the cursor location <F7>-Move - Moves a block of text to the cursor location <F8>-Delete - Deletes a block of text <Alt-F7> - Moves the cursor back one word <Alt-F8> - Moves the cursor forward one word The following function keys perform the same within both rLIST and NotePad windows: <F1>-Help - Accesses cross-referenced help system <F9>-Exit - Exits the rLIST program <F10>-Menu - Accesses pull-down Menu bar (top of screen) <F11>-Where - Displays current Where clause in pop-up window <F12>-Sort - Displays current Sort clause in pop-up window Pull-down Menu <F10> selections available within the NotePad window are described in subsequent sections of this document. Refer to the Table of Contents for specific tasks. *** IMPORTANT NOTE ON R:BASE COMPATIBILITY *** R:BASE and Personal R:BASE do not recognize the tab character (depicted in the NotePad as '') and carriage return/line feed character (depicted in the NotePad as '') and do not place these characters into text when the <Tab> or <Enter> key is pressed while editing or adding text to an R:BASE Note column. -14- If R:BASE compatibility is desired, do not use the <Tab> key or press the <Enter> key while in insert mode. A valid carriage return/line feed character does exist at the end of each NotePad text and will not appear in the rLIST table's rNotePad column when printed or edited using R:BASE or Personal R:BASE. WordPerfect does recognize the tab and carriage return/line feed characters and will use them in formatting text exported from the NotePad in a WordPerfect secondary file. C. FIND RECORD(S) Select Find record under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F2> if rLIST is the active window to invoke Find. A pop-up window appears containing rLIST field names used in defining conditions for the retrieval of rLIST table records for viewing and editing. Once a field has been selected, another window with applicable comparison operators for the field is displayed. Comparison operators that have two trailing periods (e.g., Equal to..) will present a dialog window for data to be entered and used by the chosen comparison operator. The following comparison operators are available, depending on the selected field: Comparison operator Column value ────────────────────────── ─────────────────────────────── Equal to.. - an exact match Not equal to.. - all except this exact match Contains.. - a character string match Exists - data exists in column Fails - no data exists in column Greater than.. - greater than match Greater than or equal to.. - greater than or equal to match Less than.. - less than match Less than or equal to.. - less than or equal to match NOTE: Find is not case sensitive on data supplied to comparison operators. Wildcard characters can be used in data supplied to the 'Equal to' and 'Not equal to' comparison operators. Wildcard characters are the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?). These wildcards employ similar functionality as their MS-DOS counterparts. The asterisk is used to designate that all remaining characters in the field are valid. The question mark is used in place of a single character to designate that any character found in its place is valid. The search criteria can be expanded or narrowed using logical connectors. After the first condition is defined, a pop-up window with the following selections appears: -15- 1) AND 2) AND NOT 3) OR 4) OR NOT 5) (Done) These logical connectors may be used up to three times to group four separate conditions together. The final search criteria is evaluated from left to right. If the last logical connector is AND and the last condition uses the "Equal to" operator on an indexed (key) column, the index is used and will invoke a very rapid search and retrieval of the rLIST table's records. Upon the successful completion of the Find records function, a new Where clause, consisting of the specified search criteria, is established and effectively replaces the previous Where clause. Only those records that satisfy the Where clause are available for viewing and editing. If Find is unsuccessful, the specified search criteria is displayed with the message "No record(s) found for this criteria" and the current Where clause remains in effect. Upon a successful Find, rLIST will: » Save all changes made to the current record » Retrieve and display the initial record found for the new Where clause <F11> » Sort the found records according to the Sort clause <F12> (Sort order is defined in cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O>) » Reset the Record Counter's current record number to one (1) and total record number to the total number of records found for the new Where clause » Reset the Record Queue <Alt-F10> to one (1) D. DELETE RECORD Select Delete record under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F4> if rLIST is the active window to delete the currently displayed rLIST record (and associated NotePad) from the rLIST table and remove its reference from the Record Queue <Alt-10>. CAUTION: Once a record is deleted, it cannot be restored. -16- E. ADD RECORD Select Add record under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F3> if rLIST is the active window to add a new record to the rLIST table. Data that is entered into newly added records does not have to satisfy the conditions of the current Where clause <F11> and these records are not automatically sorted according to the current Sort clause <F12>. Instead, each new record is placed in front of the current record and its reference is added to the Record Queue <Alt-F10>. Added records become available for viewing and editing provided they satisfy the conditions of the new Where clause established by a successful Find. These records will then be sorted in the order specified by the current Sort clause. F. DUP RECORD Select Dup record under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-F3> to add the current record as a new record to the rLIST table leaving the values displayed in the fields the same. This option is useful for adding records that contain repetitive information. G. PHONE CALL Position the cursor on a phone field and select Phone call under General of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F6> if rLIST is the active window to dial the phone number through a modem. Use the mouse to dial a phone number by double-clicking the left mouse button on a phone field. If the current field is not a phone field and there is only one phone number that exists, Phone call will automatically dial that phone number or, if more than one phone number exists, a pop-up window will prompt for which phone number to dial. Upon dialing, a pop-up window appears with the following options: ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ON RING: Pick up phone and press <Spacebar> │ │ ON BUSY: Wait for redial │ │ TO ABORT: Press <Spacebar> │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ON RING: Lift the receiver and then press <Spacebar> to establish voice communication. -17- ON BUSY: Wait while the phone number is redialed up to the number of times specified in cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O> or press the <Spacebar> to abort during the busy signal. TO ABORT: Press <Spacebar>. 2. VIEW ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. PREVIOUS RECORD Select Previous record under View of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F7> if rLIST is the active window to retrieve and display the previous record listed in the Record Queue <Alt-F10>. Changes made to the current record are saved automatically when Previous record is invoked. B. NEXT RECORD Select Next record under View of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F8> if rLIST is the active window to retrieve and display the next record from the rLIST table based on the Where clause <F11> or the next record listed in the Record Queue <Alt-F10>. Changes made to the current record are saved automatically when Next record is invoked. C. WHERE CLAUSE <F11> Select Where clause under View of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F11> to display the current search criteria in a pop-up window. Press <Enter> or mouse-click to remove the pop-up window from the display screen. Records are retrieved from the rLIST table by Next record according to the search criteria that is defined via Find. The following two-letter abbreviations for several comparison operators are used in the Where clause: EQ - Equal to.. Count GT 0 - Access to all NE - Not equal to.. records. This is the default GT - Greater than.. on program startup. GE - Greater than or equal to.. LT - Less than.. LE - Less than or equal to.. The following two rLIST fields display different formats in the Where clause when used with a comparison operator that requires data: -18- Field Value ─────────────────────────────────── Timefld - twenty-four hour time Timer - number of elapsed seconds NOTE: Added records do not have to satisfy the conditions of the Where clause. Upon each successful Find, Added records become available for viewing and editing provided they satisfy the conditions of the new Where clause established by Find. These records will then be sorted in the order specified by the Sort clause <F12>. D. SORT CLAUSE <F12> Select Sort clause under View of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F12> to display the current Sort clause in a pop-up window. Press <Enter> or mouse-click to remove the pop-up window from the display screen. Records that are retrieved from the rLIST table are sorted according to the Sort clause that is defined via cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O>. NOTE: Added records are not automatically sorted according to the current Sort clause. Instead, each new record is placed in front of the current record and its reference is added to the Record Queue <Alt-F10>. Upon each successful Find, Added records become available for viewing and editing provided they satisfy the conditions of the new Where clause <F11> established by Find. These records will then be sorted in the order specified by the Sort clause. E. RECORD QUEUE <Alt-F10> rLIST has an internal memory buffer large enough to keep a list of references to approximately three thousand records from the rLIST table at any one time. This list of references is known as the Record Queue. The Record Queue is reset to one (1) upon each successful Find. It is then incremented by one (1) each time a record is retrieved from the rLIST table with Next record or a new record is added to the rLIST table with Add record. Press <Alt-F10> to invoke a pop-up window that displays the number of available (unused) references in the Record Queue. If the Record Queue should become full, a pop-up window will display the message "Record Queue is full!." In this event, the following two rLIST functions will NOT be available: » Add record will NOT add a new record. -19- » Next record will only retrieve records that have been previously retrieved from the rLIST table. No new records will be retrieved from the rLIST table even though there may be records available that would normally be retrieved based on the Where clause <F11>. Invoking a successful Find will free the Record Queue and allow these two functions to work normally. This may also necessitate the need to plan a strategy for narrowing the search criteria when issuing Find so that fewer number of records are retrieved for editing. Each reference in the Record Queue is in the form of a unique four byte integer value that is returned by Saturn Run-time (SATURN.EXE) to rLIST whenever a record is retrieved from the rLIST table with Next record or added with Add record. (Saturn Run-time is supplied with rLIST and is a product of Synchronicity, Princeton, NJ.) This list of unique integer values gives rLIST the ability to display previously retrieved and added records during an editing session. Specifically, rLIST passes an integer value from the list back to Saturn Run-time and requests that a record be retrieved from the rLIST table. Saturn Run-time uses the passed integer to find its associated record and then returns the record into a record buffer held within rLIST. It is this record buffer that is displayed in the rLIST and NotePad windows for the purposes of viewing and editing data from the rLIST table. 3. RESTORE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. CURRENT FIELD <Ctrl-F> Select current Field under Restore of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-F> to restore the current (cursor position) field data that was originally displayed when the record was first retrieved with Find, Previous record or Next record. Changes made to the current record are saved when a successful Find, Previous record, Next record or Exit is invoked. This feature is only available when rLIST is the active window. B. ALL FIELDS <Ctrl-A> Select All fields under Restore of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-A> to restore all fields in the rLIST window (not the NotePad) that was originally displayed when the record was first retrieved with Find, Previous record or Next record. Changes made to the current record are saved when a successful Find, Previous record, Next record or Exit is invoked. This feature is only available when rLIST is the active window. -20- C. NOTEPAD TEXT <Ctrl-N> Select NotePad text under Restore of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-N> to restore all text in the NotePad that was originally displayed when the record was first retrieved with Find, Previous record or Next record. Changes made to the NotePad text are saved automatically when a successful Find, Previous record, Next record or Exit is invoked. This feature is only available when NotePad is the active window. D. WINDOWS <Ctrl-W> Select Window positions under Restore of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-W> to restore both the rLIST and NotePad windows to rLIST default size and position coordinates. The rLIST or NotePad window can be repositioned on the display screen by holding down the <Ctrl> key and pressing an arrow key to move the window (in the direction of the arrow key) to a new location. The mouse can also be used to reposition either window. Place the mouse cursor on the selected window border, hold down the left mouse button and reposition the window by moving the mouse. The rLIST window can be resized by holding down the <Alt> key and pressing the <Up> or <Down> arrow keys. If made smaller, fields within the rLIST window will scroll using the <Enter>, <Tab>, <Shft-Tab>, <PgUp> or <PgDn> keys. The NotePad window can be made larger or smaller by holding down the <Alt> key and pressing an arrow key to resize the window. The mouse can also be used to resize either window. Place the mouse cursor on the selected window border's corner, hold down the left mouse button and resize the window by moving the mouse. Window size and position coordinates are automatically stored in cOnfiguration file for subsequent sessions. 4. MARK ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. MARK/UNMARK CURRENT RECORD <Ctrl-M> Select Mark/Unmark Current Record under Mark of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-M> to toggle the current record's Marking status on and off. When a record is Marked, the rLIST window border is highlighted. The WP Secondary file <Ctrl-S> feature creates a WordPerfect secondary file from all Marked records in the rLIST table. -21- B. MARK SELECTED RECORD(S) <Ctrl-F2> C. UNMARK SELECTED RECORD(S) <Shft-F2> Select Mark or Unmark Selected Record(s) under Mark of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-F2> or <Shft-F2> to Mark or Unmark selected records from the rLIST table. When a record is Marked, the rLIST window border is highlighted. The WP Secondary file <Ctrl-S> feature creates a WordPerfect secondary file from all Marked records in the rLIST table. A pop-up window appears containing rLIST field names used in defining conditions for Marking or Unmarking rLIST table records. Once a field has been selected, another window with applicable comparison operators for the field is displayed. Comparison operators that have two trailing periods (e.g., Equal to..) will present a dialog window for data to be entered and used by the chosen comparison operator. The following comparison operators are available depending on the selected field: Comparison operator Column value ────────────────────────── ─────────────────────────────── Equal to.. - an exact match Not equal to.. - everything except this exact match Contains.. - a character string match Exists - data exists in column Fails - no data exists in column Greater than.. - greater than match Greater than or equal to.. - greater than or equal to match Less than.. - less than match Less than or equal to.. - less than or equal to match NOTE: Mark and Unmark Selected Record(s) are not case sensitive on data supplied to comparison operators. Wildcard characters can be used in data supplied to the 'Equal to' and 'Not equal to' comparison operators. Wildcard characters are the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?). These wildcards employ similar functionality as their MS-DOS counterparts. The asterisk is used to designate that all remaining characters in the field are valid. The question mark is used in place of a single character to designate that any character found in its place is valid. The Marking or Unmarking criteria can be expanded or narrowed using logical connectors. After the first condition is defined, a pop-up window with the following selections appears: 1) AND 2) AND NOT 3) OR 4) OR NOT 5) (Done) -22- These logical connectors may be used up to three times to group four separate conditions together. The final search criteria is evaluated from left to right. If the last logical connector is AND and the last condition uses the 'Equal to' operator on an indexed (key) column, the index is used and will invoke a very rapid Marking or Unmarking of the rLIST table's records. After Marking or Unmarking is complete, a pop-up window will display the number of records Marked or Unmarked. Press <Enter> or mouse-click to remove the pop-up window. 5. OPTIONS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. WP SECONDARY FILE <Ctrl-S> Select WP Secondary file under Options of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-S> to create a WordPerfect secondary file from all Marked records in the rLIST table. First, a dialog window is displayed for entering the drive, path and file name of the file being created. The default is the full path name of the currently active R:BASE database with the file name extension "SEC." Either all rLIST table columns or specified columns only may be selected for the WordPerfect secondary file output. A sort order can then be designated for the selected columns, if desired. Finally, a pop-up window prompts a request for the WordPerfect version number (5.0 or 5.1). The WordPerfect secondary file is then created. B. DIRECTORY SCANNER <Ctrl-D> Select Directory scanner under Options of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-D> to locate all R:BASE databases beginning with a specified path designation and throughout all "child" subdirectories. R:BASE databases that contain an rLIST table are indicated with an asterisk (*). The currently active database is indicated with a check mark (√). Use <PgUp>, <PgDn> or the mouse to display the entire listing. Use to select a new R:BASE database and press <Enter> to make it the current database. This allows the rLIST table in the newly selected R:BASE database to become the current rLIST table. Upon selecting a new R:BASE database, settings in the new database cOnfiguration file take effect immediately and the current Where clause is reset to Find all records (Count GT 0). -23- C. CONFIGURATION FILE <Ctrl-O> Select cOnfiguration file under Options of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-O> to access the cOnfiguration file for the currently active R:BASE database. The cOnfiguration file holds default values of specific options available for each R:BASE database. Every R:BASE database that is accessed at least once by the rLIST program will have its own cOnfiguration file. This allows the user to customize default parameters for each R:BASE database used by rLIST. The cOnfiguration file is created and stored in the same directory that houses its associated R:BASE database. This is done at the time the database is first accessed by rLIST. If the database is later copied (or moved) to another directory or computer, the cOnfiguration file should be copied (or moved) as well. The file name given to each cOnfiguration file is dbname.RLC with dbname being the name of its associated R:BASE database. Default parameters available within cOnfiguration file are: » Window position coordinates for the rLIST and NotePad windows » ON/OFF - Field validation for U.S. postal code state abbreviations » Touch tone or pulse and serial port number for Phone call » Number of times to redial on busy signal and seconds to pause before redial » User defined alias' for rLIST column names: rTxtfld1, rTxtfld2, rTxtfld3, rDatefld, rTimefld » Sort specification for up to 10 fields » Prefix/suffix dial codes for Phone call [ ] <-- in phone fields: letter of code, 1, or blank Press <F10> to save the changes made to cOnfiguration file or press <Esc> to return to the previously saved settings. CAUTION: cOnfiguration files are in a binary format. Attempts to edit a cOnfiguration file with an ASCII text editor will corrupt the file. If it should become corrupted, delete the file. rLIST will generate a new cOnfiguration file with default settings the next time it accesses the database. -24- D. KEYSTROKE RECORD <Ctrl-R> Select keystroke Record under Options of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-R> to create a playback (macro) file for use with keystroke Playback <Ctrl-P>. Playback files are used to automate repetitive tasks such as typing the same text repeatedly or invoking a series of function key commands that are used frequently. A playback file consists of a series of keystrokes, mouse events and special commands that are recorded in the exact sequence in which they are performed and can then be automatically executed by keystroke Playback. First, a dialog window is displayed for entering the drive, path and file name of the playback file being created. If the drive and path are omitted, the playback file will be created in the default directory. The use of a common file name extension, e.g., MAC, PLY or KEY, is recommended since this practice can provide for easier file maintenance under DOS. Upon pressing <Enter>, keystroke Record is engaged and all keystrokes and mouse events are then recorded in the playback file until <Ctrl-R> is pressed. Keystroke Record writes keystrokes to the designated file as ASCII characters. This file may be edited with an ASCII text editor to include the following special command: {PROMPT} - suspends keystroke Playback until a key is pressed. E. KEYSTROKE PLAYBACK <Ctrl-P> Select keystroke Playback under Options of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Ctrl-P> to invoke a playback (macro) file that has been created by keystroke Record <Ctrl-R>. Playback files are used to automate repetitive tasks such as typing the same text repeatedly or invoking a series of function key commands that are used frequently. A playback file consists of a series of keystrokes, mouse events and special commands that are recorded in the exact sequence in which they are performed during keystroke Record and can then be automatically executed by keystroke Playback. 6. PROGRAMS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. R:BASE <Alt-1> Select R:BASE under Programs of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Alt-1> to invoke R:BASE or Personal R:BASE from within rLIST. R:BASE or Personal R:BASE will be invoked providing that the program files for one or the other resides in the current -25- directory or is contained in a directory that is listed in the PATH environment variable. The entire resource of the respective program is available with this option. Ad hoc reports and queries on data residing in rLIST tables can be done using R:BASE or Personal R:BASE, as well as the creation of new R:BASE databases for the inclusion of new rLIST tables. The environment variable RLISTRB may be used to define a path specification for the execution of R:BASE or Personal R:BASE. Use the full path name in naming (e.g., SET RLISTRB=C:\RBPERSL\RBASE.EXE). Note that there are no spaces between the '=' mark. When defined, this environment variable will take precedence over the default directory or the path environment variable. B. WORDPERFECT <Alt-2> Select WordPerfect under Programs of the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <Alt-2> to invoke WordPerfect from within rLIST. WordPerfect will be invoked providing that the WordPerfect program files are in the current directory or contained in a directory that is listed in the PATH environment variable. The entire resource of WordPerfect is available with this option. As rLIST generates WordPerfect secondary files automatically, these secondary files can be merged together with primary files for the creation of mail merge letters, envelopes, labels, etc. The environment variable RLISTWP may be used to define a path specification for the execution of WordPerfect. Use the full path name in naming (e.g., SET RLISTWP=C:\WP51\WP.EXE). Note that there are no spaces between the '=' mark. When defined, this environment variable will take precedence over the default directory or path environment variable. 7. HELP ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A. HELP <F1> Select Help from the pull-down Menu <F10> or press <F1> to bring up the cross-referenced Help system. The Help system is context sensitive in the pull-down Menu. Highlight a pull-down Menu selection and press <F1> to access Help screen(s) for a particular task. B. ABOUT Select About under Help of the pull-down Menu <F10> to display the current rLIST version number, copyright notice and information for contacting R/ACCESS Software, Inc. -26- 8. EXIT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Select Exit of the pull-down Menu or press <F9> to exit the rLIST program. Changes made to the current record are saved automatically when Exit is invoked. V. rLIST SPECIAL FEATURES ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes additional features and characteristics of rLIST. 1. RECORD COUNTER -> #### of #### ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Record Counter exists in the top right-hand corner of the rLIST window, directly above the First name field. Its function is to display the current record number and the total number of records found for the Where clause <F11> plus the number of Added records. Added records are those records that have been added since the most recent Find. The following is an example: 345 of 1025 which could be interpreted as: 345 is the current record number of 1000 total records found for the Where clause plus 25 Added records 2. SPECIAL KEYS AND FIELDS ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── <Spacebar> or double mouse-click on: Field Action ────────────────────────────────────────────────── Datefld - Inserts today's (system) date and day Timefld - Inserts today's (system) time Timer - Toggles Timer on and off State/ - Presents a pop-up window for the selection of Province U.S. postal code state abbreviations In cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O>, rLIST and NotePad window screen default coordinates change to reflect the current window display screen coordinates. -27- <F6> or double mouse-click on: Field Action ────────────────────────────────────────────────── Phone fields - Dials the phone number through a modem Grey plus/minus keys on: Field Action ────────────────────────────────────────────────── Datefld - Increases/decreases date by one day Timefld - Increases/decreases time by one minute In cOnfiguration file <Ctrl-O>, rLIST and NotePad window screen default coordinates increase/decrease to within valid limits <Alt-Lft arrow> / <Alt-Rt arrow> on: Field Action ────────────────────────────────────────────────── Phone fields - Moves the cursor position to prefix, area code, phone number, suffix Datefld - Moves cursor position to month, day, year Timefld - Moves cursor position to hour, minute, am/pm Timer - Moves cursor position to hour, minute, seconds 3. rLIST TABLE SCHEMA AND DESCRIPTION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── R:BASE rLIST R:BASE COLUMN FIELD DATA NAME NAME TYPE DESCRIPTION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 1 rHonor Honorific TEXT 16 Mr./Ms./Mrs. etc. 2 rLName Last name TEXT 16 Person's last name 3 rFName First name TEXT 18 Person's first name 4 rTitle Title TEXT 36 Title/job description 5 rCompany Company TEXT 36 Company 6 rAddrs1 Address1 TEXT 36 Address line 1 7 rAddrs2 Address2 TEXT 36 Address line 2 8 rAddrs3 Address3 TEXT 36 Address line 3 9 rAddrs4 Address4 TEXT 36 Address line 4 10 rCity City TEXT 20 City 11 rState State/Province TEXT 4 State/Province abbrev. 12 rZipCode Zip/Postal code TEXT 10 Zip or Postal code 13 rCountry Country TEXT 20 Country 14 rBPrefix (none) TEXT 4 A-J, 1 or blank -28- 3. rLIST TABLE SCHEMA AND DESCRIPTION (continued) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── R:BASE rLIST R:BASE COLUMN FIELD DATA NAME NAME TYPE DESCRIPTION ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 15 rBArea Business areacode TEXT 4 Business area code 16 rBPhone Business phone TEXT 8 Business phone 17 rBSuffix (none) TEXT 4 A-J or blank 18 rBExt Bus. extension TEXT 4 Business extension 19 rMPrefix (none) TEXT 4 A-J, 1 or blank 20 rMArea Mobile areacode TEXT 4 Mobile area code 21 rMPhone Mobile phone TEXT 8 Mobile phone 22 rMSuffix (none) TEXT 4 A-J or blank 23 rFPrefix (none) TEXT 4 A-J, 1 or blank 24 rFArea Fax areacode TEXT 4 Fax area code 25 rFPhone Fax phone TEXT 8 Fax phone 26 rFSuffix (none) TEXT 4 A-J or blank 27 rHPrefix (none) TEXT 4 A-J, 1 or blank 28 rHArea Home areacode TEXT 4 Home area code 29 rHPhone Home phone TEXT 8 Home phone 30 rHSuffix (none) TEXT 4 A-J or blank 31 rTxtfld1 (user defined) TEXT 36 Text field 1 32 rTxtfld2 (user defined) TEXT 36 Text field 2 33 rTxtfld3 (user defined) TEXT 36 Text field 3 34 rDatefld * (user defined) DATE Date field 35 rTimefld * (user defined) TIME Time field 36 rTimer * Timer INTEGER Total in seconds 37 rMarker Marker INTEGER R:BASE null or 1 38 rNotePad NotePad NOTE Note field * Columns that are indexed in the CONTACT database as shipped with rLIST. WARNING: The rLIST table structure must NOT be changed using R:BASE or Personal R:BASE. Column names, data types and field lengths of TEXT columns are checked on rLIST program startup. rLIST will abort with a FATAL ERROR message if changes have been made to the rLIST table structure. -29- VI. R:BASE AND rLIST ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes certain R:BASE functionality with regard to rLIST. 1. PASSWORD SUPPORT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST provides support for the database Owner password. No support is provided for the SQL Grant/Revoke, Read/Modify table, or Form password systems. When a database Owner password is PUBLIC or NONE, the database is accessed immediately. If an Owner password is required, a dialog window is displayed for entering the password. If the correct password is not entered after the third attempt, rLIST exits to DOS. An Owner password remains in effect until a database that requires a different password is accessed. 2. RULES SUPPORT ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST does not support Rules defined in R:BASE. The use of R:BASE Rules that reference the rLIST table for ad hoc data management within R:BASE is optional, and will not impede the performance of rLIST. 3. R:BASE VERSIONS 3.1D AND 4.x COMPATIBILITY ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── rLIST is incompatible with databases used with R:BASE versions 3.1D and 4.x that use the environment setting "EXTENDED" mode with the setting ON. This setting allows the number of tables per database to exceed 80 and the number of columns to exceed 800. -30- VII. DATABASE MAINTENANCE ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes database maintenance issues with regard to rLIST. 1. COLUMN INDEXES ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── There is no facility within rLIST for creating or deleting indexes (keys) on rLIST table columns. The creation or deletion of indexes can be accomplished with R:BASE or Personal R:BASE. INDEXR.EXE, which is shipped with Microrim's R:SCOPE database diagnostic program, also creates indexes on specified columns. 2. DATABASE PACK ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When an rLIST table record is deleted, the disk space formerly occupied by the deleted record is not reused by rLIST. As more records are deleted, this unused space accumulates. To recapture this disk space, it is necessary to PACK the R:BASE database from time to time. This can be done using R:BASE or Personal R:BASE with the PACK or RELOAD commands or with SEPACK, a utility provided with the registered version of rLIST, at the DOS prompt. Be sure to have a backup copy of the database before starting the procedure. PACK must NOT be interrupted while in operation. To PACK an R:BASE database using SEPACK, issue the following command at the DOS prompt: SEPACK {drive:\path\}dbname {Owner} where dbname is the name of the R:BASE database you wish to PACK NOTE: PUBLIC is the default Owner password for R:BASE databases created by R:BASE versions 3.x and greater. PUBLIC is the Owner password for the CONTACT database supplied with rLIST. -31- VIII. ABOUT R/ACCESS SOFTWARE, INC. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── R/ACCESS Software is a software engineering and consulting firm specializing in relational database management applications for the IBM PC and compatible microcomputers. Our primary focus is on companies using R:BASE. Software is developed from functional and detailed specifications created by working in close association with the client. Custom application programs are built which extend the R:BASE environment by using the C programming language, in conjunc- tion with third-party software tools, to access the native R:BASE database. In this way the full resources of the personal computer are used to attain high levels of application functionality and performance for specific tasks. This approach offers the user the benefits of directly executable programs along with the highly interactive R:BASE (and Personal R:BASE) for ad hoc reports and analyses. If you have any questions regarding rLIST or custom application programming, you can reach us via: Mail: R/ACCESS Software, Inc. 39-60 47th Street Sunnyside, NY 11104-1420 Voice: (718) 472-4548 (9am to 5pm EST) Fax: (718) 472-2022 Electronic Mail: CompuServe [76236,2706] -32-