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──────────────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────── ──────────────────────── ──────────────────── ──────────────── Pro~Formance Data Tool by Rob W. Smetana ──────────────── ──────────────────── ──────────────────────── ──────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────────────────── ** Version 2.3 (8/92) ** Copyright (C) 1987-1992, Rob W. Smetana and Pro~Formance. All Rights Reserved Pro~Formance Data Tool, PDT and Pro~Formance are trademarks of Rob W. Smetana and Pro~Formance. ┌─────────────────────────── NOTE ────────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ NOTE: If your printer CAN'T print the lines, boxes and │█ │ shading in this manual, BEFORE you print this, read the │█ │ next page ── the section on using Translate.Exe. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ To register, call with your Visa or MasterCard number for quickest delivery. Or complete the order form at the end of this manual. Or send your registration fee plus $4 ship- ping & handling ($8 shipping outside the U.S. and Canada), along with your name, address and phone number to: Rob W. Smetana (415) 863 - 0530 Pro~Formance 132 Alpine Terrace San Francisco, Ca 94117 Viewing This Guide, or Printing It; Using Translate.Exe ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ You can: print this manual, or view it from inside PDT itself. And you can edit this to add your own tips and reminders, then browse through them while running PDT. To do this, just press alt-H (Help), then select Browse through PDT.Doc. * IF YOU PRINT THIS, please note this guide includes high ASCII characters which we use for lines, boxes and shading. Some printers CAN'T print these lines and boxes properly. Instead, they'll print italic or other characters. * If your printer CAN'T print high ASCII characters, you can: - Run TRANSLATE.EXE that we included. It will translate the high ASCII characters to other characters ANY printer can print. For example: ┌────────┐ +--------+ │This Box│ will |This Box| ├────────┤ |--------| │ │ become | | └────────┘ +--------+ You can tell Translate.Exe to print this Guide, or send it to another disk file. The next page has details. - OR, you could print this using MULTI-PRINT program (MP), another program from Pro~Formance. MP prints up to 4 pages of text on each sheet of paper. It includes 4 fonts to print almost all ASCII characters. And it works with LaserJets, or Epson or Toshiba printers. MP prints in normal Portrait mode (2-sided), or in Landscape mode (sideways, on all 3 types of printers)! In landscape mode you can print 4 pages of text on each sheet of papert in booklet form, or left-to-right (suitable for 3-ring binders). - Finally, instead of printing this, just browse through it while you're running PDT. Using TRANSLATE.EXE ─────────────────── * For help running Translate, just type: translate <enter> Translate will display the syntax to use to run it. * Briefly, you'd type: translate filename newfile <enter> "filename" would be: PDT.Doc (or the name of any text file) "newfile" would be: LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3 to print PDT.Doc. or: a file name to ask Translate to send the translated output to a file. * For example: translate pdt.doc lpt1 'prints PDT.Doc on the 'printer hooked up to LPT1. translate pdt.doc new.doc 'this tells translate to 'translate PDT.Doc and 'send the output to a new 'file called New.Doc, ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ You can use Translate.Exe to translate ANY file -- not │█ │ just PDT.Doc. │█ │ │█ │ Translate does NOT check to see if "newfile" exists. If │█ │ "newfile" does exist, Translate will OVERWRITE it. │█ │ │█ │ Translate does NOT check to see if your printer is ready. │█ │ Nor will it tell you if your printer runs out of paper. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ┌───────────────────── ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ──────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ We'd like to thank the following people who've helped make │█ │ PDT possible. │█ │ │█ │ For showing such tremendous interest in PDT and serving as │█ │ Alpha and Beta testers, we thank: Kent Drummond (Cheyenne, │█ │ WY), Larry Brown (Denver, CO), │█ │ │█ │ Special thanks go to Frederick Volking who's ABSED, which he│█ │ released into the public domain, inspired us to develop PDT.│█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Contents ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ System Requirements ................................... a License ............................................... a To Register; Registering INSTANTLY .................... b Disclaimer and Warranty ............................... d Distributing PDT ...................................... c The Six Sections of This Guide; Terms & Conventions ... d Quick Start ........................................... e SECTION I Introduction ........................................ 1.1 Caution: Editing Numeric Fields in EBCDIC Files .... 1.3 Installing PDT ...................................... 1.4 Setting PDTDIR ...................................... 1.6 SECTION II Running PDT ......................................... 2.1 Customizing PDT; Getting Help ...................... 2.2 SECTION III Example 1 ........................................... 3.1 Important Insights into How PDT Works ............. 3.3 Moving Around In Files ............................ 3.4 PDT's File Windows (What You'll See) .............. 3.5 Example 2 ........................................... 3.7 EBCDIC Files ...................................... 3.7 Creating Structure Files .......................... 3.8 File "Types" ...................................... 3.10 SECTION IV: Summary of Commands Using PDT's Menus ................................. 4.1 Summary of Hotkeys ................................ 4.3 SECTION V: Command Reference The File Menu; Opening Files; the File List ....... 5.1 Closing Files; Creating/Deleting/Renaming ..... 5.4 Combining (concatenating) Files ............... 5.4 Changing File Sizes ........................... 5.5 Translating Files: EBCDIC/ASCII-ASCII/EBCDIC... 5.5 The Edit Menu; Editing Numeric Fields ............. 5.6 The Search Menu; Search & Replace ................. 5.7 continued . . . Contents (continued) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION V: Command Reference (continued) The Block Menu; Marking Blocks .................... 5.8 Copying Blocks: Overwrite or Insert .......... 5.9 Deleting Blocks ............................... 5.9 Filling or Exporting Blocks ................... 5.10 Inserting Spaces or Records ................... 5.10 Expanding/Shrinking Columns; Updating Headers . 5.11 The Define Menu; Specifying Header Lengths ........ 5.13 Specifying Record Lengths ..................... 5.15 Forcing dBase Structure ....................... 5.16 Displaying Field Names ........................ 5.16 Clear Structure ............................... 5.17 Defining or Editing Field Structures .......... 5.18 Saving or Reading File Structures ............. 5.19 The Options Menu; Jump ............................ 5.20 ASCII Chart ................................... 5.20 View EBCDIC in ASCII; Text View Mode .......... 5.21 Calculator; Configure; Registered Users ....... 5.22 The Help Menu ..................................... 5.23 Appendix I: Customizing PDT (Please read) ... A.1 Appendix II: Creating Structure Files with Editors ... A.5 Appendix III: Helpful Tips ............................ A.8 Appendix IV: Error Messages .......................... A.9 Appendix V: Other Programs by Pro~Formance .......... A.10 Appendix VI: Registering; Ordering Last 2 Pages System Requirements a ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ PDT runs on IBM XTs, ATs, PS/2s (and strict compatibles) run- ning DOS 2.1 or later (DOS 3.0 or later is strongly recommended). A minimum of 330k free memory is required! If PDT detects too little memory, it'll quit, telling you there's too little memory. Monitor: Any Disk Drives: Hard disk recommended; floppy disks are fine Printer: PDT doesn't use your printer. License ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ PDT (the Pro~Formance Data Tool) is NOT free software. It is neither "public domain" software nor "freeware." It is "user- supported" software. This software is Copyright 1987-1992, Pro~Formance and Company. It is protected by both United States copyright law and inter- national treaty provisions. REGISTERED VERSIONS ─────────────────── Registered users must treat this software like a copyrighted book. You may use it on any number of computers/CPUs, pro- vided there is NO POSSIBILITY that it will be running on two or more computers at the same time. Multi-user network ver- sions, and site licenses are available. Call for details. You may make a "backup" copy of this software for the sole purpose of guarding against the loss of this software and protecting your investment. SHAREWARE VERSIONS ────────────────── You may try out shareware (or "user-supported") versions to determine if this program satisfies your needs. After using the shareware version beyond the trial period (30 days or 20-25 sessions), you MUST register to continue using it -- or stop using it. This is NOT free software. The next page explains the benefits of registering and how to register INSTANTLY. * PDT is copyrighted software that's distributed through both retail and shareware channels. Shareware versions let you try it out before buying it. * If you paid a "shareware distributor" a $2-$6 fee for a disk that contained this program: - You paid them for copying the disk and sending it to you. - You did NOT pay for the software. NONE of the fees you pay shareware distributors go to the authors of shareware programs. If you use PDT, you must pay for it. To Register; Registering INSTANTLY b ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ When you register, we "say thanks" in many ways. * First, we send you the latest version of PDT, with the latest features. For example, we're now adding several new features: ADD or SEQUENCE number fields, change record lengths by simply pressing a key, synchronize scrolling of two file windows to easily compare different parts of a file. * Second, we'll send you the BONUS UTILITIES in PDT's "Tool Kit." These teriffic "extras" can help you create, modify, and convert data files, or repair damaged database files. Create.Exe Create dBase database files -- with any structure you like! DBF-DBF.Exe Modify the structure of dBase files, create new ones, or save subsets of data. Delete or add fields, change field widths, etc. DBF-ASC.Exe DBF-ASC.Exe reads dBase files and creates ASC-DBF.Exe comma-delimited ASCII files. ASC-DBF.Exe does the opposite: it reads comma-delimited ASCII files and saves dBase files. Fix_DBF.Fld These PDT structure files are invaluable to Fix_DBF.Hdr fix, repair, or simply examine dBase files. To Register ─────────── You may register in several different ways: 1. To register INSTANTLY, run Register.Exe. - Move to the drive/directory where you installed PDT.Exe. - Run Register.Exe by typing: register <cr>. - Type in your name, address and phone number. THEN, CALL (415) 863-0530 with your VISA or MasterCard number. We'll verify the charge to your credit card, and then give you a CODE to type into Register that instantly converts your shareware version of PDT into a registered one. We'll also send you the latest version on disk. 2. To register by mail: - Complete the order form at the end of this manual. - Or send your registration fee plus $4 shipping & handling ($8 shipping outside the U.S. and Canada), along with your name, address and phone number to: Rob W. Smetana Pro~Formance (415) 863 - 0530 132 Alpine Ter. San Francisco, Ca 94117 DISCLAIMER and WARRANTY c ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Pro~Formance and Rob W. Smetana make no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and/or the Pro~Formance Data Tool (PDT). We specifically disclaim any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. * PDT is a VERY POWERFUL program. * You can view any file safely (without making changes). But when you turn Edit Mode ON, any changes you make are immedi- ately saved to disk! ALWAYS make backup copies of files before you make major changes to them -- especially while learning how to use PDT. We reserve the right to revise this manual and/or PDT and its support files (if any) and to make changes to PDT's operation interface or functionality, at any time, without notice and without obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes or revisions. DISTRIBUTING THIS SOFTWARE ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Shareware distributors, bulletin boards and user clubs may distribute "user-supported" (or shareware) versions of this software provided that: * Your company name, literature, etc. do not promote or include the words "freeware" or "free" software -- which terms misrepresent "user-supported" software. Expressly prohibited from distributing any software by Pro~Formance, Rob W. Smetana and/or Brandon S. Smetana are: American Freeware, California Freeware and U.S. Freeware. * You include, unmodified, all files included with this software including: PDT.Exe, PDT.Doc, PDT.Psl, Sample_1.Dat, Sample_2.Dat, Sample_2.Str, and any other files mentioned in Readme.Bat or Packing.Lst. * You charge a "distribution fee" of no more than $8 (US). * You clearly state that continued use of "user-supported" software REQUIRES paying for the software. The Six Parts of This Guide d ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ To help you get up and running quickly, we've organized this quick reference guide into six sections: I. Introduction and Installation (Please read!) II. Running and Customizing PDT; Getting Help III. Examples; Creating Structure Files IV Summary of Commands V. Command Reference VI. Appendices Appendix I: Customizing PDT (Please read!) Appendix II: Creating Structure Files with Editors Appendix III: Helpful Tips; Salvaging Data Files Appendix IV: Error Messages Appendix V: Other Programs by Pro~Formance Appendix VI: Registering; Ordering PDT may not run if it's installed improperly. Installing PDT is easy, but please read Section I thoroughly. Once you've installed PDT we strongly recommend you follow the examples in Section III, which shows how to use PDT. It's much easier to explain and understand PDT with pictures than with words. So in Section III, we'll ask you to run PDT and open the sample files we provided. If you follow the step- by-step examples, you'll SEE PDT's major features in action. When you're done, the rest of this guide will make more sense. Terms and Conventions We Use in This Guide ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ This phrase: Means you should: ────────────── ─────────────────────────────────────────────── <cr> Press the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. <Esc> Press the Escape key on your keyboard. <F1> Press Function Key F1 (or F2, F3, etc.). <Y>es or (Y)es Press the key you see in brackets or parentheses. alt-[key] HOLD DOWN the Alt key, then press another key. ctrl-[key] HOLD DOWN the Ctrl key, then press another key. ^ Sometimes "ctrl" is abbreviated "^" as in ^S. click Left Click the LEFT button on your mouse. click Right Click the RIGHT mouse button. ctrl-O; Whenever we discuss an option, we'll show you File-Open the "hotkey" you'd press AND the menu option you'd select to begin that option. So, to open a file, EITHER press ctrl-O, or pull down the File menu and select the Open option. Quick Start e ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ We know. Most people dislike reading manuals. They'd rather get started right away. Frankly, this is risky with PDT. It must be installed correctly or, under early DOS versions, it may not run. Please read "Installing PDT" BEFORE you run PDT. But if you really need to get going, follow the steps below -- EXACTLY. THEN read Section I: Introduction; Installing PDT. 1. Install PDT. a. Copy these 3 files to any drive/directory (or "path"): PDT.Exe, PDT.Psl and PDT.Doc. b. Copy PDT's "sample files" (Sample_1.Dat and Sample_2.Dat) to the same drive/directory. c. Move to that path and run PDT (type PDT <cr>). Now exit by pressing <Esc> and then <Y>es. When you first run PDT, it creates the sub-directory "PDT.DIR" that it'll later use to save "structure files." d. Copy the sample "structure file" to PDT.DIR. For example, if you installed PDT in a directory called "c:\pdt," type: copy sample_2.str c:\pdt\pdt.dir. 2. Run PDT. Open and browse through Sample_1.Dat. a. For these examples, move to the drive/directory (ie., "path") where you installed PDT.Exe. Type: pdt <cr>. b. Press ctrl-O (Open file). A "file window" pops up. - Press "S" or the Down/Up cursor keys to until you highlight the file called SAMPLE_1.DAT. Press <cr>. Sample_1.Dat is a mess, right? c. Press alt-D to pull down the Define menu. Highlight the option called "Force dBase Structure;" press <cr>. - Voila! It's now laid out in logical rows and columns. - Sample_1.Dat is a dBase file, but without the ".DBF" extension. "Force dBase" told PDT to read the dBase header at the beginning of the file. - If Sample_1.Dat was called Sample_1.DBF, PDT would have recognized it as a dBase file automatically! d. Press the cursor pad keys, Tab, Shift-Tab and ctrl- Right or Ctrl-Left. Notice, at the bottom of your screen, how values change as you move around. continued . . . Quick Start (continued) f 3. Now close Sample_1.Dat's window and open Sample_2.Dat. a. Press ctrl-C to Close the Sample_1.Dat file window. b. Press ctrl-O and Open Sample_2.Dat. If you thought Sample_1 was a mess, Sample_2 is horrible, right? c. Press F5 (Read Structure). You should now be looking at a file window showing you the "structure files" stored in PDT.DIR. "Select" the structure file called SAMPLE_2.STR. - Voila! Sample_2.Dat has the same data in it that Sample_1 has. But Sample_2.Dat is an EBCDIC file (like those found on large IBM computers.) - When you pressed F5 (Read Structure), you loaded a structure file that told PDT: -- This is an EBCDIC file. Display it in ASCII mode. -- What each field was and where each field starts. - Press ctrl-D (Display Fields). Notice the top line of the file window is now displaying the names of each field. d. Press alt-O (pull down the Options menu). Then select the option called "View EBCDIC in ASCII." - You just turned EBCDIC-to-ASCII OFF. - PDT still knows what each field is, but it's now displaying what's on disk -- the actual EBCDIC file. - Press alt-O and select "View EBCDIC in ASCII" again. 4. Finally, customize PDT to your liking. Press alt-O (Options) and select the "Configure" option. For details, see Appendix I: Customizing PDT. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION I: Introduction; Installing PDT 1.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topics: Introduction Installing PDT Setting PDTDIR Introduction ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Very simply, PDT is the finest data file editor available! And if you ever have a need to edit database, binary or EBCDIC files, you'll find that PDT is an indispensable tool. * You can view and edit ANY type of file: dBase files, other types of data files, executable files (eg., .Exe or .Com files), EBCDIC files, ASCII files, font files -- any file. * You can view and edit ANY SIZE file -- up to two gigabytes! Jump from the top to the bottom of any size file instantly. You can open up to 4 files at once. View and compare different files. Or work in different areas of the same file. Since each file can be up to two gigabytes in size, you can work with up to 8 gigabytes of data at once! * You can manage database files like you've never been able to before. PDT offers unique features to help you manage dBase or ANY fixed-length record file (data or font files, etc.). - PDT detects dBase ".DBF" files, formatting your "view" of them so fields are automatically laid out for you. - With other fixed-length data files (like those created by programs written in C, Pascal, BASIC, COBOL, etc.), PDT lets you easily and quickly define their "structure." Once you define a file's structure, which is easy to do, PDT formats your "view" of these files in logical rows and columns and offers other features as well. - Once PDT knows the structure of a file, you'll be able to: -- Easily view and edit the file, tabbing quickly from field to field. You can even press a key to edit numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form. -- Mark blocks (either columns or records) and then: Export them, Copy them, Erase or Fill them, etc. -- Expand or Shrink the width of fields. And, if you like, PDT will automatically update the dBase header and its own "structure" files to reflect the change. continued . . . Introduction (continued) 1.2 * PDT even manages EBCDIC files -- like those found on, or downloaded from, large IBM computers. - PDT's dynamic EBCDIC-to-ASCII translation lets you view AND edit EBCDIC files in easy-to-understand ASCII mode. Changes you make to the file are saved to disk in EBCDIC. - PDT will even translate EBCDIC files to ASCII, or vice versa. * PDT can also help you: - Repair files -- regardless of their type or size. - Determine a file's structure (record or field length, etc.). - Edit executable files to customize their messages or options. * Finally, PDT is very logical and easy-to-use. It offers about 45 different options you may use to edit and manage files. And to make these easy to use, PDT offers pull-down menus, mouse support, fast keyboard hotkeys and extensive on-line help (which you can customize). You should also know that PDT is VERY POWERFUL. This power can serve your needs very well. But until you learn how to use PDT, we urge you to make backup copies of files BEFORE you edit them in PDT. As an example of these powers, we've said you can edit files of ANY SIZE -- up to 2 gigabytes! * When you open a file, you'll be looking at what's on disk, NOT a copy of it in memory. * If you turn Edit mode ON and change something, that change is immediately saved to disk! This differs from, say, a word processor which loads files into memory. You can edit files, then decide NOT to save the changes to disk. But try loading a 2 gigabyte file into a word processor. By not loading files into memory, we keep memory requirements to a minimum and can help you can edit files of almost any size. But it also means that whenever you press PgDn, for example, PDT must read the next "screen full" from disk. It does this very quickly. But you'll enjoy PDT much more if you avoid editing files on floppy disks, which are 10 - 20 times slower than hard disks or RAM disks! 1.3 ┌───── Caution: Editing Numeric Fields in EBCDIC Files ──────┐ │ │▄ │ PDT offers three options to help you view, edit and │█ │ manage EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Information │█ │ Code) files. These options let you: │█ │ │█ │ 1. Translate EBCDIC files to ASCII format (for easier │█ │ viewing and editing). │█ │ │█ │ 2. Translate ASCII files to EBCDIC (to send them back │█ │ to your large IBM computer). │█ │ │█ │ 3. Dynamically re-display EBCDIC files in ASCII mode. │█ │ The file on disk is unchanged. PDT simply displays │█ │ it differently. │█ │ │█ │ │█ │ All three options rely on special character-by-character │█ │ translation routines, which are very accurate regardless │█ │ of which direction you're going. │█ │ │█ │ You CAN safely use either EBCDIC-to-ASCII option (1 and │█ │ 3) to view AND edit any character (or text) fields in │█ │ EBCDIC files. │█ │ │█ │ You CAN also edit numeric fields that are stored in │█ │ normal text or character form. │█ │ │█ │ But, you should NEVER edit PACKED numeric fields! These │█ │ packed numeric fields should be translated on a field │█ │ basis rather than character-by-character. Later versions │█ │ of PDT may include an EBCDIC numeric-field-translation │█ │ feature. But only character-by-character translation is │█ │ offered in this PDT version. │█ │ │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Installing PDT 1.4 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Installing PDT is easy. But if you don't follow the steps below, you may find that, under certain DOS versions, PDT can't run. On the next page we'll explain WHY these steps are necessary. 1. Copy these 5 files to any drive and directory: PDT.Exe, PDT.Psl and PDT.Doc <── Main program & help Sample_1.Dat and Sample_2.Dat <── Sample files A good place to install PDT is in a directory that's already mentioned in your PATH statement (type PATH <cr> to see what's in your PATH statement). As long as you copy PDT.Exe to a drive/directory in your PATH, DOS will be able to find and run PDT regardless of where you are. Many people have directories on their hard disk called "Tools" or "Utility" or "DOS." One of these would be good places to install PDT. But if you'd prefer to create a separate directory for PDT, at the DOS prompt, type: c: <enter> 'move to drive C: (or A: or B:) cd \ <enter> 'change (move) to the root directory md pdt <enter> 'make (create) a PDT directory cd pdt <enter> 'change to the PDT directory copy a:pdt.exe <enter> 'copy PDT.Exe from the A: drive 'to the path you're logged onto ...repeat the last step for: PDT.Psl, PDT.Doc and samples. Next, edit your Autoexec.Bat file and add "c:\pdt;" to your PATH statement. Note the semicolon at the end. 2. Run PDT. Move to the drive/directory where you installed PDT.Exe (this is important) and type: pdt <cr>. Immediately exit: press <Escape>, then press <Y>es when PDT asks if you really want to exit. The first time you run PDT, it initializes itself AND creates a special sub-directory (PDT.DIR) it'll later use to store "structure files." Let PDT do this so that it initializes everything properly. "Structure files" (which we'll explain later) are crucial to many of PDT's advanced features. They must be stored in PDT's special directory. PDT takes care of this for you. 3. Copy the sample "structure file" (SAMPLE_2.STR) to PDT.DIR. For example, type: copy sample_2.str c:\pdt\pdt.dir <cr>. PDT may not run properly if it's installed incorrectly. 1.5 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ To run properly, PDT must be able to find: * Itself (PDT.Exe). * "Structure files" you create. * It's help files (PDT.Psl and PDT.Doc). PDT must be able to locate itself for two important reasons. First, you can customize (or configure) the way PDT runs. PDT stores this information in itself. Then, the next time you run it, PDT finds itself and reads the settings YOU chose. Appendix I: Customizing PDT explains how to configure PDT. Second, PDT's "structure files" are crucial to many of PDT's advanced features. As long as you store structure files in PDT's special directory (PDT.DIR), these features are avail- able to you automatically. * Structure files, which we'll explain in detail later, tell PDT how data files are constructed (record length, the type and length of each field, etc.). * We recommend that you save structure files with the SAME NAME as your data files! Then, whenever you open a data file, PDT can automatically find and read your structure file. But if you saved this structure file to the same drive/direc- tory containing your data file, you'd OVERWRITE (ie., destroy) your data! That's why structure files must be saved in their own sub-directory. NEVER copy data files to PDT.DIR. Store ONLY PDT's structure files in PDT.DIR. PDT also offers you extensive on-line help. To provide this help, PDT must be able to find two files: PDT.Psl and PDT.Doc. PDT will look for itself, and then look only on that same drive/directory for these help files. If it can't find them, PDT will run, but help won't be available. Until you're thoroughly familiar with PDT's many options and how they work, we urge you to install PDT.Psl and PDT.Doc. Later, if you no longer need help, you can delete these files. How Does PDT Find Itself? SETTING PDTDIR 1.6 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ PDT uses two methods to locate itself. When you run it, PDT asks DOS to tell it the path to the program that's running. But older versions of DOS (1.x and 2.x) can't do this. So if PDT can't find itself this way, it looks to see if you SET an "environment variable" (PDTDIR) telling us where we should find PDT.Exe. Therefore, if PDT tells you it can't find itself, just add the following line to your Autoexec.Bat file: SET PDTDIR=drive\directory Replace "drive\directory" with the drive/directory where you installed PDT.EXE. For example: set pdtdir=c:\pdt. Notice there are NO spaces except after SET. This format is required by DOS when using SET. If you'd prefer not to edit your Autoexec.Bat file, you could run PDT using a batch file (eg., runpdt.bat) like this: SET PDTDIR=drive\directory PDT SET PDTDIR= The last line clears "PDTDIR=drive\directory" freeing up environment space memory. Be sure to place this batch file on a drive/directory that's in your PATH so DOS can find it. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION II: Running and Customizing PDT, Getting Help 2.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topics: Running PDT; Your Main Screen Getting Help Customizing PDT Running PDT ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ You can run PDT in two ways: PDT <cr> or PDT filename <cr> Press ctrl-X to exit PDT. 1. PDT <cr> ──────────── If you run PDT the first way (pdt <cr>), when it begins, it displays it's main menu screen which looks like this. File Edit Search Block Define Options Help (F1) ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Pro~Formance Data Tool █▀█ █▀▄ ▀█▀ │ │ <══════════════════════════█▄█═█ █══█════ │ │ █ █▄▀ █ │ │ │ │ Copyright 1987-92 Rob W. Smetana │ │ Registered to: (your name here) │ │ │ │ Press Alt-[key] for menus (alt-F = File) │ └───────────────────────────────────────────┘ We'll explain how to open files in Section III: Examples. 2. PDT FileName <cr> ───────────────────── If you run PDT the second way (pdt filename <cr>) PDT will open and display the file you described in "filename." * If the file you want to open isn't on the "current drive/ directory," be sure to include the path in "filename." * For example, if you're on drive C: but want to open a file on drive B:, you'd type something like: PDT B:MYFILE <CR>. If PDT can't find the file you told it to open, an error message will appear. Press a key to clear the message, then press ctrl-O to open a file. Customizing PDT 2.2 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The first time you run PDT, we urge you to "customize" PDT to your liking. Just press alt-O (Options) to pull down the Options menu. Then press the down cursor key to highlight the option "Configure." Press <cr> to accept it. For details, see Appendix I: Customizing PDT. Getting Help ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ PDT offers extensive on-line help. Once you run PDT you can: * Press alt-H (or F1) to pull down the Help menu. - Press the Down/Up cursor keys to highlight a topic, then press either F1 or <cr>. If you press F1, we'll display a few help screens, then return to the Help menu. If you press <cr>, we'll display the same screens, then exit the Help menu. - The last option in the Help menu is "Browse through PDT.Doc" (this file, PDT.Doc). Since this is a standard ASCII file, you can edit it with any editor or word processor, add your own reminders and tips, then browse through them while you're running PDT. * Pull down a menu and get help with (or an explanation of) any option in that menu. For example, press alt-F to pull down the File menu. Then: - Click the RIGHT mouse button on an option. (See, there IS a use for that right mouse button.) - Or press the Down/Up cursor keys to highlight an option, then press F1. * Begin most any option, then press F1 for help with that option. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ If you ask for help and PDT can't find the files PDT.Psl │█ │ or PDT.Doc, an error message will pop up. │█ │ │█ │ The error message will show you the drive/directory is │█ │ looking on to find these files (which should be where you │█ │ installed PDT.Exe). To correct the problem, copy these │█ │ two files to the same "path" where PDT is stored. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION III: Examples, Creating Structure Files 3.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topics: Example 1: Opening files, Browsing PDT's File Windows Example 2: EBCDIC files File Structures; Creating Structure Files Command Summary BEFORE READING THIS: We strongly urge you to run PDT, then try things as we describe them -- using the sample files we included. Many things we'll describe below are easier to understand if you can see them happening. ┌─────────────┐ │ Press ..... │ Boxes like this will explain what to do. └─────────────┘ * Log onto the drive/directory where you installed PDT.Exe and the sample files Sample_1.Dat and Sample_2.Dat. Log- ging onto PDT's drive/directory will simplify things. * Run PDT by typing: pdt <cr>. If you haven't yet customized PDT, or if you have a monitor which renders certain colors hard to see, press alt-O (Options), select the Configure option, then select the features you want. Note: Most of the things you select in the Configure menu WON'T become effective until you exit PDT and re-start it. Just press ctrl-X, then re-run PDT. Example 1: Viewing Sample_1.Dat ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ┌──────────────┐ Run PDT, then press ctrl-O (Open File). │ Press ctrl-O │ A "file list" will appear which will look └──────────────┘ something like this: Press the Down ┌─\PDT─────────────────────────────────────────┐ cursor key to │ .. <DIR> 11-18-90 ...D. ^ highlight │ PDT DIR <DIR> 01-01-92 ...D. ▒ Sample_1.Dat─┐ │ PDT DOC 200,000 01-01-92 ....A ▒ └>│ SAMPLE_1 DAT 1,769 01-01-92 ....A ▒ Press <cr> to │ SAMPLE_2 DAT 1,769 01-01-92 ....A ▒ select it. │ v │┌───┤ Alt-(drive letter) = Change Drives ├───┐│ You could also ││A: B: C: D: E: ││ click Left on │└────────────────────────────────────────────┘│ Sample_1.Dat │(^S)=Sort (.)=ParentDir (F1)=Help (Esc)=Cancel│ to select it. └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Example 1 (continued) 3.2 Sample_1.Dat, like all files, exists on disk as a continuous stream of data -- with NO structure. It'll look like this: ╔SAMPLE_1.DAT════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ 13\^X OO FIRST_NAME C 0 LAST_NAME ^ ADDRESS C k CITY C C STAT▒ ║ ZIP C , Kim Johnson 3300 South 18▒ ║ CO 31002 (714) 525-9933 Dennis Avery 127 Ea▒ ║George WA 98322 (801) 566-9112 Andrew Youngman, Sr. v ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Path:C:\PDT\ Row:1 Col:1 Depth:1 Size:1,769 Header:0 Record Size:78 # Rcrds:23 Dec: Hex: Field: Type: Value: ┌─────────────┐ │ Press alt-D │ Pull down the Define menu. Highlight the └─────────────┘ option "Force dBase Structure" and press <cr>. Sample_1.Dat is actually a dBase file, but without the normal ".DBF" extension. By selecting the "Force dBase" option, you told PDT to read the dBase file "header" and re-format the way it displays Sample_1.Dat. Your screen should now look like this. If Sample_1 had a ".DBF" extension, PDT would have automatically recognized it as a dBase file, and formatted your view of it like this: ╔SAMPLE_1.DAT═════════════════════════════════════════════╗ 1 Kim Johnson 3300 South 18th Street Venice ^ Dennis Avery 127 South Temple George ▒ ║ Andrew Youngman 945 Van Ness Street Concord ▒ ║ Sam Henderson 9800 South 1000 West Clarion ▒ ║ Cory Ruddman 4400 South Delridge Way Bellevue v ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Example 1 illustrates some very important things about PDT. 3.3 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── As we mentioned, a file exists on disk as a continuous stream of data. How PDT displays a file, and, therefore, your "view" of it depends on two things: * Whether the file HAS a fixed structure. * Whether PDT knows about that structure. By "structure" we simply mean: * Whether lines or records in the file all have the same fixed length, or whether they're variable-length. * Whether there's a "header" at the top of the file we should ignore (not display), or read (in the case of dBase files) to determine the record structure. If PDT knows the file's structure, it can take a chaotic stream of stuff and turn it into an orderly display of information that's easy to understand and edit. Some files have no structure. Executable (.Exe or .Com) files have no lines in the traditional sense. And text files often have lines of varying lengths. * For these types of files, changing the Record Length (by pressing ctrl-L) simply changes how wide a view PDT displays before it "wraps" the data around to the next row. But many database or data files have fixed-length records, with each record made up of fields (like Last Name, First Name, Address, Phone, etc.). * PDT automatically detects the structure of dBase files, provided they have a".DBF" extension. * For non-dBase files, you can easily tell PDT the file struc- ture. And PDT can help you figure it out if you're unsure. Example 2 shows how easy it is to specify a file's structure. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ Our point here is that YOU can use several of PDT's options│█ │ to change your "view" of a file. You can change the Record│█ │ length (ctrl-L) or the Header Length (ctrl-H) and PDT will │█ │ display the file in different ways. Try it! │█ │ │█ │ But the data on disk never changes. It's still a continu- │█ │ ous stream of stuff. The only thing that changes is how │█ │ PDT displays it. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Moving Around in (or Between) File Windows; Editing Files 3.4 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── * To move around, just press the same keys you would in your word processor. As you move, watch the values change at the bottom of your screen. Right / Left move 1 column right or left. Down / Up move 1 row/record down or up. PgDn / PgUp move 1 "screen" down or up Home / End move to the beginning or end of a row. ^Home / ^End (^ = ctrl) move to first or last record in a file, staying in the same column. ^Right / ^Left scroll 1 full screen right or left. Press Tab or Shift-Tab to move right or left. If your file has fields, and PDT knows the file structure, Tab or Shift- Tab will quickly move you to the first column of the next or last field. If your file has no fields, or you clear the structure, Tab and Shift-Tab move 10 spaces right or left. * Click Left on the scroll bar on the right edge of the file window to scroll down or up (the equivalent of PgDn/PgUp). * If you open 2 or more files, PDT displays each in its own window. The "active" window (the one the cursor is in, the one you can edit or move around in) is surrounded by a double-line box. Other windows are surrounded by a single- line box. For example: ╔══════╗ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ 1 This ║ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ E is ║ │ │ │ ║Active║ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╚══════╝ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ To switch to another window (ie., to "activate it"): - Click Left in a window (or on its scroll bar). - Or press alt-#, where "#" is the number of the window you want to activate. - Or press ctrl-PgDn (or ctrl-PgUp) to switch to the next (or last) window. * To edit or change anything in a file, Edit Mode must be ON. - If Edit is ON, "E" will appear at the window's left edge. Otherwise, this area will be blank. - In the examples above, Edit Mode is ON in window #1, but OFF in the other windows. PDT's File Window 3.5 ───────────────── File Edit Search Block Define Options Help (F1) ┌──> ╔SAMPLE_1.DAT════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ├──> 1 Kim Johnson 3300 South 18th Street Venice ^ ├──> Dennis Avery 127 South Temple George ▒ │ ║ Andrew Youngman 945 Van Ness Street Sabastole ▒ │ ║ Sam Henderson 9800 South 1000 West Clarion ▒ │ ║ Cory Ruddman 4400 South Delridge Way Bellevue ▒ │ ║ Bill Williamson 3300 East Western Ave. Syracuse ▒ │ ║ John Elsworth 2323 Indian School Dr. Warton v │ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ ┌> Path:C:\PDT\ Row:1 Col:1 Depth:258 │ ├> Size:1,769 Header:257 Record Size:80 # Rcrds:23 │ ├> Dec: Hex: Field: Type: Value: │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─ We'll explain these three lines on the next page. │ │ │ └───── * Near the top of the file window, PDT shows we have opened Sample_1.Dat in file window "1." The double- line box around it tells us this is the "active" window. "Active" means we can browse through it and edit it. * Edit Mode is OFF (the spot beneath "1" is blank). If we press ctrl-E, we'd see a blinking "E" there. * The top line of file windows shows file OR field names. ┌──────────────┐ When you press ctrl-D, PDT replaces the file │ Press ctrl-D │ name with the names of each field (First_Name, └──────────────┘ Last_Name, Address, etc.). Obviously this assumes PDT knows the field structure. This is handy to see which fields are coming up, and which are behind you. ┌──────────────┐ TAB and SHIFT-TAB are fast ways to move to │ Press TAB or │ the next field. And as you move right or │ SHIFT-TAB │ left, at the bottom of your screen PDT dis- └──────────────┘ plays the name of the field you've moved into -- beside FIELD:. For narrow fields, there simply not enough room to display the full field name above it. So if you're not sure where you are, glance at FIELD: at the bottom of your screen. PDT's File Window (continued) 3.6 At the bottom of your screen PDT displays information about: the "active" file, your position in it, and the field and character your cursor is pointing at. If you open 2-4 file windows, as you switch among them (by pressing alt-# or ctrl-PgDn), PDT changes this information to reflect the active window. And it displays this information in different colors (on color monitors) which match the color of the box around the active file window. / / ║ Bill Williamson 3300 East Western Ave. Syracuse ▒ ║ John Elsworth 2323 Indian School Dr. Warton v ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ┌> Path:C:\PDT Row:1 Col:1 Depth:258 ├> Size:1,769 Header:257 Record Size:80 # Rcrds:23 ├> Dec: Hex: Field: Type: Value: │ └── * The first line shows the "Path" to the file (C:\PDT). It also shows us where our cursor is in the file -- "Row:" (or Record number), "Column:" and "Depth:" (or how many bytes into the file we are). * The second line shows us: - The file's total size in bytes. - How long the file header is. - What the record size is. - And how many records there are in this file. If we change Record Size (ctrl-L), the number of records might change as well. * The last line provides information about BOTH the char- acter at the cursor, AND the field the cursor is in. - "Dec:" and "Hex:" show us the Decimal (ASCII) and Hexadecimal values of the character at the cursor. - If PDT knows about the fields in a file (ie., you open a dBase file, or a file for which you created a structure): "Field:" would show us both the number and name of the field the cursor is in (eg., Field: 2 FIRST_NAME). "Type:" would be a symbol indicating what type of field it is (eg., C = Character; we'll define these later). - "Value:" shows us the value of that field. This is especially useful when looking at numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form. For example, an integer field might be stored as "n*" but "Value:" would show you it's really 10862. Example 2: Sample_2.Dat; Loading/Creating Structure Files 3.7 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ This example demonstrates several powerful features. ┌──────────────┐ Select SAMPLE-2.DAT from the file list window. │ Press ctrl-O │ Since you already have Sample_1 open in win- └──────────────┘ dow #1, PDT will ask if you'd like to open a (H)orizontal or (V)ertical window. Press "H". Sample_2 is a MESS, right? Could you easily edit it? Sample_2 actually has the same data Sample_1 has! ┌──────────────┐ │ Press F5 │ Open (read) the "structure file" SAMPLE-2.STR. └──────────────┘ NOTE: If you can't find or read SAMPLE-2.STR, press alt-O (Options) then select View EBCDIC in ASCII (be sure it reads ON). When you read Sample-2's structure file, your screen SHOULD be reformatted so you see exactly what you saw when viewing Sample_1: ╔SAMPLE_2.DAT════════════════════════════════════════════╗ 2 Kim Johnson 3300 South 18th Street Venice ^ Dennis Avery 127 South Temple George ▒ ║ Andrew Youngman 945 Van Ness Street Sabastole ▒ ║ Sam Henderson 9800 South 1000 West Clarion v ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Notice the structure file dramatically changed our view of this data. The data hasn't changed, but the way PDT displays it has. Sample_2 is stored on disk in EBCDIC format. The structure file you loaded told PDT to display the EBCDIC file in ASCII mode -- and it's now easier to understand and safer to edit. The structure file also told PDT about the file's: Header Length, Record Length and Fields. continued . . . Example 2 (continued) Creating Structure Files 3.8 Now let's show you how easy it is to create structure files. ┌──────────────┐ Pull down the Define menu and select Clear │ Press alt-D │ Structure to clear the field structure. └──────────────┘ Fields should no longer be displayed in contrasting colors. Creating a structure file has 3 simple steps: set the Header Length, set the Record Length, mark the beginning of each field. ┌──────────────┐ Set the Header Length. When a window pops │ Press ctrl-H │ up, enter 257 -- the same sized header that └──────────────┘ Sample_1 (a dBase file) has. Press <cr>. ┌──────────────┐ Set the Record Length. When a window pops │ Press ctrl-L │ up, enter 80. Press <cr>. └──────────────┘ ┌──────────────┐ FIRST, move the cursor to Row 1, Column 1. │ Press F2 │ Press F2. When a window pops up (see below), └──────────────┘ enter "C" in the "Type" column. Then press <cr> and type in "Deleted Record Flag" under "name." BE SURE to press <cr> THEN <Esc>. Since Sample_2 has the same data as the dBase file Sample_1 has, we preserved the Deleted Record Flag common in dBase files. ┌──────────────┐ For EACH of the 7 fields in Sample_2: │ Now . . . │ - Move your cursor to the start of the field. └──────────────┘ - Press F2, then enter "C," press <cr> and type in one of these field names: First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code, Phone Number. BE SURE to press <cr> after you enter each field name. THEN press <Esc>. If you press <Esc> with your cursor still in the Name column, PDT assumes you want to CANCEL the action. As you enter the last field name, the window you're working in will look something like this: ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │Col Typ Name Types Length│ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 1 C Deleted Record Flag (c)haracter ? │ │ 2 C First Name (t)iny Integer 1 │ │ 12 C Last Name (i)nteger 2 │<──┐ │ 26 C Address (l)ong Integer 4 │┌──┘ │ 50 C City (s)ingle MS 4 │└─We'll explain │ 62 C State (j)ingle IEEE 4 │ Field Types │ 65 C Zip Code (d)ouble MS 8 │ shortly │ 71 C Phone Number (k)ouble IEEE 8 │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Example 2 (continued) Creating Structure Files 3.9 ┌──────────────┐ SAVE the structure file you just created. │ Press F4 │ When PDT asks for a file name, BE SURE └──────────────┘ it reads SAMPLE_2.DAT -- exactly the same name as the data file! This is important if you want automate many of PDT's features. ┌──────────────┐ │ Press ctrl-C │ Now close the Sample_2 file window. └──────────────┘ ┌──────────────┐ │ Press ctrl-O │ Immediately re-open Sample_2.Dat. └──────────────┘ The first time you opened Sample_2.Dat, you saw a mass of EBCDIC data. This time, IF you followed the steps above exactly, Sample_2 should load in easy-to-understand ASCII format, with fields laid out for you. And you didn't have to press F5 to read a structure file -- it was all automatic! ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ PDT's structure features greatly simplify working with │█ │ data files. They also make editing files easier and safer.│█ │ │█ │ And most of the benefits of structure files are AUTOMATIC, │█ │ provided that you save them to PDT's special directory, │█ │ AND you save structure files with the SAME NAME as your │█ │ data files. That's the only way PDT can automatically │█ │ link a structure file to a specific data file. │█ │ │█ │ Some people work with many different data files which │█ │ share the same structure (eg., monthly sales data). So, │█ │ rather than save separate structure files for each data │█ │ file, they save a generic file, say, MONTHLY.DAT. Then, │█ │ when they load any month's data file, they can simply │█ │ press F5 and read the Monthly.Dat structure file. │█ │ │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ We created our structure file using PDT. But structure │█ │ files are simple ASCII files you can create with ANY │█ │ editor or word processor. For details, see: │█ │ │█ │ Appendix II: Creating Structure Files │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Field "Types" 3.10 ═════════════ When you press F2 to enter field names, you also have an option to specify what TYPE of field your cursor is in. If PDT knows the type of each field, it: * Can display field "values" as you move from field to field. * Lets you press F6 (Edit Field) to change it. This option is primarily intended to help you edit numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form. The discussion of the EDIT menu has details on F6-Edit Field. Here are the symbols you'd enter to indicate different types of fields. Notice the different symbols for dBase and non- dBase files. ══════ dBase Field Types ═════ ═══ Non-dBase Field Types ════ Use This For This Field Use This For This Field Symbol Type of Field Width Symbol Type of Field Width ──────── ───────────── ───── ──────── ───────────── ───── C Character ? c Character ? N Numeric ? t Tiny Integer 1 L Logical 1 i Integer 2 M Memo 10 l Long Integer 4 D Date 8 s Single MS * 4 j Single IEEE 4 d Double MS * 8 k Double IEEE 8 $ Currency 8 ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ Note that symbols for dBase files are UPPER case, while │█ │ symbols for non-Dbase field types are all in lower case. │█ │ │█ │ In the non-dBase list, note the s/j and d/k pairs -- indi- │█ │ cating Microsoft (MS) versus IEEE formats, respectively. │█ │ │█ │ CAUTION: In this version of PDT, numeric fields in EBCDIC │█ │ files aren't accomodated. See notes on this elsewhere. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ "Field Width" indicates how many characters or columns each field has. Notice that Character fields (and dBase Numeric fields) are "?" wide -- they vary in width. But other fields have fixed widths. So, for example, Integers (which can range from -32768 to +32767 or 0 to 65535) are stored as 2 bytes. File Structures in Summary 3.11 ────────────────────────── If it knows the structure of a file, PDT offers many conveni- ent, powerful features. * PDT displays rows and columns in orderly ways. * PDT highlights fields in contrasting colors so you can easily see where one field ends and the next one begins. * PDT can display field names both at the top of each file window and the bottom of your screen. * You can TAB from column-to-column, which makes getting around or editing fields faster, easier and safer. * PDT can display the "value" of fields, even numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form. And you may even edit these fields by pressing F6. PDT automatically saves what you enter in packed binary form! * PDT lets you expand or shorten the width of fields. It will even change your structure files or dBase "file headers" to reflect the changes. PDT automatically determines the structure of dBase (.DBF) files. If you're working with non-dBase files, PDT's easy-to- use "define" features let you easily map out a file's structure. Just set the header length (if there is a header) and the record length, mark the beginning of each field by pressing F2, then save the structure file. That's it! And if you prefer, you can create structure files with any editor or word processor. Appendix II: Creating Structure has details. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION IV: Summary of Commands 4.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topics: Using PDT's Menus Summary of Hotkeys This section briefly summarizes how to use PDT's menus. We'll also summarize PDT's hotkeys -- which you might want to print separately for a handy, 1-page quick reference guide. Using PDT's Menus ═════════════════ The top line of your screen is your "menu bar:" File Edit Search Block Define Options Help (F1) The first letter of each option will be highlighted. To pull down a menu: ──────────────────── Click Left on a "menu topic," or press alt-KEY. "KEY" means press the first letter of an option. For example: To pull down the: Press: Or click Left on: ──────────────── ───── ───────────────── File menu alt-F File Edit menu alt-E Edit Help menu alt-H (or F1) Help The FILE menu looks like this. Notice that some options have "hotkeys," while other, infrequently-used options don't. For example, ctrl-O means open a file window. Hotkeys are the fastest way to choose options. FILE edit search block define options help (F1) ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ Open a new file window (ctrl-O) │ <┬─ NOTE the hotkeys │ Close current window (ctrl-C) │ <┘ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Create a Directory │ <┐ │ Create a File │ <┤ │ Delete a File │ <┤ │ Rename a File │ <┼─ These have no hotkey │ Copy a File to a new location │ <┤ │ Combine two or more files │ <┤ │ Change File Size │ <┤ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ Translate File: EBCDIC-to-ASCII │ <┤ │ Translate File: ASCII-to-EBCDIC │ <┘ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Exit to DOS (ctrl-X) │ └──────────────────────────────────┘ Using PDT's Menus (continued) 4.2 To select an option in a menu you pulled down, either: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── * Press the Up/Down cursor keys to move the highlight bar to an option. Then press <cr> to accept it. * Or press the highlighted letter in the option you want. Normally, the first letter of each option is highlighted. But sometimes, two or more options begin with the same first letter. For example, the File menu lets you Close a file, Create a file and Create a directory. In these cases, we'll highlight a different letter for each option. * Or click Left on an option. To pull down a different menu: ────────────────────────────── * Press the Right or Left cursor keys. * Or click Left on another menu topic. To exit a menu without making a choice: ─────────────────────────────────────── * Press <Esc>. * Or move the mouse cursor outside the menu, then click either the left or right mouse button. To get help with (or an explanation of) an option: ────────────────────────────────────────────────── * Press Up/Down to highlight it, then press F1. * Or click the Right mouse button on an option. Hotkeys 4.3 ═══════ PDT's frequently-used options have convenient, fast "hotkeys." Some infrequently-used options have no hotkey. Select these options, from a menu. NOTE: Pull down any menu. Beside each option you'll see the hotkey for that option (if there is one). Here's a summary of PDT's hotkeys. Notice that most of them are easy-to-remember mnemonics (O = Open, C = Close, E = Edit, etc.). Also notice that most are ctrl-[key] hotkeys. Function Keys plus INS and DEL are used for certain options. FILE BLOCK ────────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────── ctrl-O Open a file ctrl-B mark a Block ctrl-C Close a file window ctrl-M Mark a column ctrl-U Unmark ctrl-W copy with overWrite SEARCH & REPLACE ctrl-I copy with Insert ────────────────────────────── ctrl-F Fill a block ctrl-P exPort a block ctrl-S Search DEL Delete a block ctrl-R Replace INS Insert spaces/records MODES/EDIT STRUCTURE ────────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────── ctrl-E turn Edit Mode on/off ctrl-H set Header length ctrl-T Text view mode on ctrl-L set Record Length ctrl-D turn Display Fields F2 Mark Field on/off F3 Edit file structure F6 Edit a Numeric Field F4 Save a structure file F5 Read a structure file OTHER SWITCH FILE WINDOWS ────────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────── F7 ASCII Chart ctrl-PgDn/PgUp, or alt-# F9 Calculator "#" is the 1-4, or the ctrl-J Jump to another spot number of the file window ctrl-X Exit to DOS, quit PDT you want to switch to. These options have NO hotkey. Select them from a menu. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Create a Directory Translate file: EBCDIC-to-ASCII Create a File Translate file: ASCII-to-EBCDIC Delete a File Rename a File Expand Column or Field Copy a File Shrink Column or Field Combine Files Change File Size Force dBase structure Clear Structure Configure (customize PDT) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION V: Command Reference 5.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topics: Summary of Menus and Options Tips, Hints, Unique Features In this section we'll present each of PDT's menus, and then describe each option in that menu. Please pay particular attention to the TIPS & NOTES. The FILE Menu ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ FILE edit search block define options help (F1) ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ Open a new file window (ctrl-O) │ │ Close current window (ctrl-C) │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Create a Directory │ │ Create a File │ │ Delete a File │ │ Rename a File │ │ Copy a File to a new location │ │ Combine two or more files │ │ Change File Size │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Translate File: EBCDIC-to-ASCII │ │ Translate File: ASCII-to-EBCDIC │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Exit to DOS (ctrl-X) │ └──────────────────────────────────┘ To Exit PDT to DOS ctrl-X; File-Exit ══════════════════ Taking the last option first, press ctrl-X to quit PDT. We'll close any files you've opened (so you needn't close them separ- ately). If you've changed any structure files, we'll remind you they've been changed and ask if you want to save them. To Open a File ctrl-O; File-Open ══════════════ * Press ctrl-O (Open). * Or pull down the file menu (alt-F), make sure the first option (Open a New File/Window) is highlighted, then press <cr> to accept it. You may open up to 4 file windows at a time. If you already have 4 windows open, and ask to open another one, PDT will tell you it can't open any more. Close a window; THEN press ctrl-O to open another. 5.2 When you ask to open a file, PDT displays a "file list window:" Active Directory─>┌─\PDT─────────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌>│ .. <DIR> 11-18-90 ...D. ^ Directories ─┴>│ PDT DIR <DIR> 01-01-92 ...D. ▒ ┌>│ PDT DOC 200,000 01-01-92 ....A ▒ Files ─┼>│ SAMPLE_1 DAT 1,769 01-01-92 ....A ▒ └>│ SAMPLE_2 DAT 1,769 01-01-92 ....A ▒ │ ▒ │ v │┌───┤ Alt-(drive letter) = Change Drives ├───┐│ Available Drives─>││A: B: C: D: E: ││ ││ ││ │└────────────────────────────────────────────┘│ Options─>│(^S)=Sort (.)=ParentDir (F1)=Help (Esc)=Cancel│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ To Select a File: ───────────────── * Click Left on a file name. (Click Left on the vertical scroll bar, if necessary, to scroll the file list down or up.) * Or press the first letter of the file you want to load. When PDT highlights the file you want, press <cr> to accept it. If two or more files begin with the same first letter, press the letter a few times until the file you want to open is highlighted. * Or press the cursor pad keys (Down, Up, PgDn, PgUp, End and Home) until the file you want is highlighted, then press <cr> to accept it. NOTE: The file list window above shows two directories (indi- cated by "<DIR>"). Directory names are always sorted by name. To sort file names, press ctrl-S (shown as ^S above). PDT will then ask you how you want the list sorted: ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ Press: │ Sort Files by::: │ (N) to sort by NAME │ (N)ame (E)xt (S)ize (D)ate (A)ttr │ (E) to sort by EXTENSION └───────────────────────────────────┘ (S) to sort by SIZE (D) to sort by DATE (A) to sort by ATTRIBUTE continued . . . To Change Directories: 5.3 ────────────────────── The first time you ask to open a file, the "active directory" will be the directory you were in when you ran PDT. In the example above, the top of the file list window shows we're in a directory called "\PDT." In the "Change Drives" section of the file window, we'd also see that "C:" was highlighted, mean- ing we're on drive C:. To change directories: * Highlight the name of a directory and press <cr>. Direc- tories will appear in the file window with "<DIR>" beside their name. Select ".. <DIR>" to move back one directory. * Press "." (the period) to move to the root directory, then select a new directory. To Change Drives: ───────────────── * Press alt-[drive letter]. For example, in the window above, PDT shows us we have 5 disk drives: A - E. For a directory of, say, drive A:, we'd press alt-a. To Close a File ctrl-C; File-Close 5.4 ═══════════════ * Press ctrl-C. * Or select Close from the File menu. If you have 2 or more files open, PDT will re-draw the other windows to fill the screen. File Options: Create Files or Directories File-Create ══════════════════════════════════════════ To create a new file or directory, select Create File or Create Directory from the File menu. Just type in the name of the file or directory and press <cr>. File Options: Rename, Delete, Copy File-Rename/De- ═══════════════════════════════════ lete/Copy To rename, delete or copy a file, select one of these options from the File menu. PDT will display it's normal file list window. Select a file. If you asked to copy it or rename it, PDT will ask you to type in the new name. File Options: Combine Files File-Combine ════════════════════════════ This option lets you combine (or concatenate) up to 6 files. * Select Combine File from the File menu. * PDT's normal file window will appear. Beneath it, another window will also appear. It will tell you to: - First pick a main file. - Then pick up to 5 more files to add to the main file. - Press <Esc> when you're done selecting files to add. PDT then asks if you want to proceed. Press <Y>es or <N>o. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ The main file WILL be altered: the other files you chose │█ │ will be added (concatenated) to the end of it. These other │█ │ files won't be altered. │█ │ │█ │ To combine more than 6 files, just repeat this process. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ File Options: Change File Size File-Change 5.5 ═══════════════════════════════ Size This very powerful option lets you change a file's size to: * Expand files -- to reserve space for data you plan to add. * Truncate files -- which is a v-e-r-y fast way to delete doz- ens, hundreds or millions of records in one, simple operation. To change the size of a file, first open it in PDT (ctrl-O), then select Change File Size from the File menu. PDT then asks you how many bytes the file should have; enter 0-999 million. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ You may be UNABLE to undo this, even using file-recovery │█ │ tools! And setting the file size to 0 destroys the file. │█ │ │█ │ When truncating a file, it might help to move the cursor to │█ │ the end of the last record you want to keep. At the bottom │█ │ of the screen, notice the value of DEPTH: showing where you │█ │ are in the file. ADD 1 to the number you see, then enter it.│█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Translating Files: EBCDIC/ASCII File-Translate ════════════════════════════════ PDT offers two options to translate EBCDIC files to ASCII format -- or vice versa. This is especially handy if you've downloaded an EBCDIC file from, say, an IBM mainframe and want to view and edit it. You can translate it to ASCII, edit it, then translate it from ASCII-to-EBCDIC and send it back. To do this: Press alt-F (File Menu). Select either "Translate: EBCDIC-to-ASCII" or "Translate: ASCII-to-EBCDIC." Then, from PDT's file list window, choose a file and confirm that you really want to proceed. ALSO SEE: Options - View EBCDIC in ASCII. The "Translate" options in the File menu re-writes the file. The "View EBCDIC in ASCII" option does NOT change the file. It simply tells PDT to display EBCDIC files in ASCII format. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ "Translate" can be used to "encrypt" files. Either option │█ │ (used 1-3 times?) can help protect files from prying eyes. │█ │ │█ │ NOTE: While PDT DOES correctly translate EBCDIC characters │█ │ to ASCII and back again, this version does NOT translate the│█ │ values of EBCDIC packed binary fields. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ The EDIT Menu 5.6 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file EDIT search block define options help (F1) ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │ Edit is OFF (ctrl-E) │ │ Edit Numeric Field (F6) │ └──────────────────────────────┘ Edit Mode On/Off ctrl-E; Edit/Edit ──────────────── Also see: Options/Configure -- to turn Edit Mode on by default. Unless you turn edit mode on by default, it'll be OFF when you open files. Browse around, or search for things. But to change files, you must turn Edit Mode ON. To do so, press ctrl-E, or select Edit from the Edit menu. Do the same to turn Edit OFF. When Edit Mode is ON, "E" will blink on the left edge of the file window. If Edit Mode is OFF, this area is blank. Remember, when edit mode's on, changes are IMMEDIATELY saved to disk! ╔═══════════╗ ╔═══════════╗ E Edit is ║ Edit is ║ ║ ON ║ ║ OFF ║ ╚═══════════╝ ╚═══════════╝ Edit Numeric Field F6; Edit/Edit Numeric ────────────────── This option is especially useful to edit numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form. But, you can press F6 to edit any field up to 26 columns wide. If you press F6 when your cursor is in a field wider than 26 columns, an error message pops up. "Packed binary" refers to the way numeric data is often stored, usually in fewer columns than would be needed to store the same numbers in ASCII form. NOTE: Since EBCDIC files store numeric fields in a unique format, in this version of PDT, the F6 option may NOT be used with EBCDIC files. ALSO NOTE: dBase files store numeric fields in ASCII form. For example, suppose you move the cursor to a field and notice (beside "Value:" at the bottom of the screen) that the value is 8,562. You need to change that 10,562. * But 8,562 is a 2-byte integer stored in packed binary as "r!". * What would you enter for 10,862? - You don't have to know! - Just press F6 and type in 10862. When you press <cr> PDT will save the appropriate value -- "n*". The SEARCH Menu 5.7 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file edit SEARCH block define options help (F1) ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Search (ctrl-S) │ │ Replace (ctrl-R) │ └─────────────────────┘ Press ctrl-S to search for, or ctrl-R to replace something. You may search for or replace from 1 to about 75 characters. When you press ctrl-S or ctrl-R, a window like this pops up. ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │Alt- ^(D)irection Yes(I)gnore Case No(B)lock Only (F7) ASCII│ │ │ │Search for: (F1 = Help) │ │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ │Replace with: │ │░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Enter a character or phrase to search for and press <cr>. If you pressed ctrl-R, enter the replacement character or phrase and press <cr> again. While entering either phrase, press: alt-D to tell PDT which Direction to search: Up (above where your cursor is in the file) or Down (below the cursor). Press alt-D and the arrow beside (D)irection will change from pointing up or down to the opposite. alt-I to tell PDT to Ignore case. If you say "Ignore case," we'll find the phrase regardless of how it's capitalized. alt-B to say "search just the Block I marked." F7 to enter any ASCII character from 0-255. When you're done, PDT will begin searching your file. * If searching, PDT displays where it is in the file. If PDT finds a match, it'll appear in the top left corner of the file window. To find the next occurrence, press ctrl-S, <cr>. If replacing, PDT tells you how many items it has replaced. * In either case, you can press <Esc> to cancel the operation. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ You can Search for something with Edit Mode either on or │█ │ off. But Edit Mode must be ON to Replace something. │█ │ │█ │ You can Replace something only with something else of the │█ │ SAME LENGTH. Files can't expand or contract during replace.│█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ The BLOCK Menu 5.8 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file edit search BLOCK define options help (F1) ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ mark Block (ctrl-B) │ │ Mark Column (ctrl-M) │ │ Unmark Block (ctrl-U) │ ├───────────────────────────┤ │ copy w/overWrite (ctrl-W) │ │ copy w/Insert (ctrl-I) │ │ Delete Block (DEL) │ │ Fill (ctrl-F) │ │ exPort (ctrl-P) │ ├───────────────────────────┤ │ insert Spaces (INS) │ ├───────────────────────────┤ │ Expand Column or Field │ │ Shrink Column or Field │ └───────────────────────────┘ Block options fall into two categories: those which require that you first MARK a block (and then copy, delete or fill it, etc.); and those which don't require a block to be marked (inserting spaces or records, or shrinking columns or fields). Marked Block Options ════════════════════ Depending on what you want to do, you can mark blocks in two ways. * Press ctrl-B to mark a continuous stream of characters or records. - Press left/right cursor keys to expand the block left/right. - Press down/up cursor keys to mark the rest of the record you're on, and then move to the next/last record. - Press ctrl-B again to mark the end, or ctrl-U to unmark it. * Press ctrl-M to mark a column (or any rectangular area). - Press left/right cursor keys to expand the block left/right. - Press down/up cursor keys to move to the next/last record. - Press ctrl-M again to mark the end, or ctrl-U to unmark it. Note that the major difference here is what happens when you move up or down. With ctrl-M, only the columns you included are marked. But with ctrl-B, entire records are marked. Also, you can mark or unmark blocks with Edit Mode OFF. But to use any block option that alters the file, Edit Mode must be ON. continued . . . Marked Block Options (continued) 5.9 Once you mark a block, you may Copy, Delete, Fill or Export it. And as PDT works, it displays how much of the file is left to go. To COPY blocks, press ctrl-W or ctrl-I. ─────────────────────────────────────── After marking a block, move your cursor to another spot (switch file windows if needed: press alt-# or ctrl-PgDn). Then press: * ctrl-W to OVERWRITE whatever is at that spot. * ctrl-I to INSERT the block at the spot. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ WARNING: Copying columns with Insert could damage dBase │█ │ files. And you should not use it with files for which you │█ │ created a structure file. INSTEAD, use Expand Column to │█ │ increase the column's width. THEN use ctrl-W to copy with │█ │ Overwrite. The reason for this is that Expand Column gives │█ │ you options to update both the dBase header and the struc- │█ │ ture files. Unless these are updated, you could destroy │█ │ your file! │█ │ │█ │ Inserting Columns is a two step process. PDT first copies │█ │ the column you marked to a temporary file, and then reads │█ │ it back in, inserting it where your cursor is. PDT will │█ │ keep you informed of the progress of both operations. This │█ │ is the only time PDT uses temporary files. Also, suf- │█ │ ficient disk space must be available to save this temp file.│█ │ If there's too little disk space, PDT will let you know. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ To DELETE blocks, press DEL. ──────────────────────────── ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ If you open a dBase file, mark a COLUMN, and then press DEL,│█ │ PDT will urge you to use the "Shrink Column" option instead.│█ │ │█ │ Shrink Column lets you update the dBase file header, but │█ │ DEL does NOT. If you delete columns without updating the │█ │ header, programs (including PDT) might later tell you that │█ │ your file has been corrupted! │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ continued . . . Marked Block Options (continued) 5.10 To FILL blocks, press ctrl-F. ───────────────────────────── Tell PDT what to fill the block with. Enter spaces to erase the area. If you marked a continuous block, PDT repeats the "phrase" you entered to completely fill the block. If you marked a column, PDT begins each row with the "phrase" you entered. If your phrase is narrower than the column you marked, PDT fills the rest of the column with blank spaces. To EXPORT blocks, press ctrl-P. ─────────────────────────────── Export means to save the marked block to a file. PDT will ask you for a file name. If you marked a column, PDT will also ask you if you want each line saved with a Carriage Return/Line Feed (CR/LF) at the end. * If you tell PDT to export to a file that already exists, we'll ask you if you want to Overwrite it or Add to it. Other Block Options ═══════════════════ To INSERT spaces or records, press INS (the Insert key). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When you press INS, PDT asks how many spaces you want to add -- beginning where the cursor is. The default is the record size. If you're working with a database file and want to add several blank records: * Move to column 1 (press Home). * Note the Record Size at the bottom of your screen. * Press INS and enter a multiple of the record size. For example, if the record size is 400 and you want to add 6 blank records, enter 2400. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ To widen or expand a column, use Expand Column not Insert. │█ │ Expand Column will insert spaces for each record. And, if │█ │ you want, it'll also update the dBase file header and your │█ │ structure file. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ continued . . . EXPANDING columns or fields. 5.11 SHRINKING columns or fields. ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── These options let you widen (or shrink) fields or columns. They also offer options to update the dBase file header and your structure file AUTOMATICALLY. They work in similar ways, so we'll explain them together. Move the cursor to the column you'd like to expand or shrink. Be sure Edit Mode is on (ctrl-E), then press alt-B to pull down the Block menu. Select either Expand or Shrink column. PDT will display one of these windows: ╔═══════╣ Insert Columns ╠═════╗ ╔══════╣ Delete Columns ╠═════╗ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ Begin at Column: 33 ║ ║ Begin at Column: 33 ║ ║ Number of Columns: 1 ║ ║ Number of Columns: 1 ║ ║ASCII # of fill character: 32 ║ ║ ║ ║ Alter Structure? (Y/N): Y ║ ║ Alter Structure? (Y/N): Y ║ ║ Alter DBF Header? (Y/N): Y ║ ║ Alter DBF Header? (Y/N): Y ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ Begin? (Y/N): ║ ║ Begin? (Y/N): ║ ╚══════════════════════════════╝ ╚═════════════════════════════╝ * "Begin at Column" indicates where your cursor was when you began this operation (column 33 this example). Change this number, if you like, to begin somewhere else. Press <cr>. * Enter the number of columns you want to insert or delete. If you marked a column block (ctrl-M), you'll see the number of columns you marked (rather than 1). * IF you're expanding a column, enter the ASCII number of the character we should fill with. "32" is Space; enter 0-255. If you're not sure what number to enter, press F7 to choose a character from PDT's ASCII table. * Next, press <Y>es or <N> to tell us if you'd like PDT to update the structure file, and, if appropriate, the header of the dBase (DBF) file. - This can be CRITICAL! - If you change the width of fields in dBase files and DON'T update the file header, programs may be unable to read the file correctly. * Finally, press <Y>es to begin, or <N>o or <Esc> to quit. continued . . . Expanding or Shrinking Columns (continued) 5.12 ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ If you change the width of fields in dBase files and DON'T │█ │ update the header, other programs may be unable to read │█ │ the file. This could render the file USELESS! Be careful. │█ │ │█ │ With dBase files, PDT CANNOT: │█ │ 1. Change the first field (the Deleted Record Field). │█ │ │█ │ 2. Delete a field (shrink it to 0). Use PF-Mod.EXE (part │█ │ of PDT's Tool Kit) to modify or delete dBase fields. │█ │ │█ │ 3. Delete columns across fields -- since this effectively │█ │ deletes the fields in the middle. To shrink two or │█ │ more fields, shrink them separately. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ EXPAND columns inserts blank columns to the LEFT of the │█ │ "Begin at Column" (which is usually where the cursor was │█ │ when you invoked this option). │█ │ │█ │ If this column is the LAST column of a field, inserting │█ │ blanks to the left will shift everything in the last column │█ │ to the right. If this happens, just: │█ │ │█ │ 1. Move right to the current end of the field. Be sure │█ │ you're on the top row (press ctrl-Home). Then mark a │█ │ single column from top-to-bottom by pressing: │█ │ │█ │ ctrl-M ctrl-End ctrl-M ctrl-Home │█ │ │█ │ 2. Now move left to where that column used to be (ie., │█ │ the "Begin at Column"). Press ctrl-W to copy the │█ │ marked column to the column you're now in. │█ │ │█ │ 3. Immediately press ctrl-F and Fill the marked column │█ │ with one blank space. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ The DEFINE Menu 5.13 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file edit search block DEFINE options help (F1) ┌───────────────────────────────┐ │ Header length (ctrl-H) │ │ record Length (ctrl-L) │ │ Force dBase structure │ │ Display Fields: OFF (ctrl-D) │ │ Clear Structure │ ├───────────────────────────────┤ │ Define Field (F2) │ │ Edit Field Structure (F3) │ │ Save Structure File (F4) │ │ Read Structure File (F5) │ └───────────────────────────────┘ This menu includes options to define the structure of files. It also has options affecting how PDT displays files (Force dBase, Display Fields and Clear Structure). Header Length ctrl-H; Define-Header ═════════════ Use this option to specify the top portion of a file you want PDT to treat as a "header" and not display. To set the header length, press ctrl-H (or select Header Length from the Define menu), then enter the size of the header (0-999 million bytes). Normally the header is a section of a file that isn't data and you simply want to skip it. The next page has details. But if you're working near the middle or end of very large files, you can also set the Header Length to set the "top of the file." This lets you press ctrl-Home or PgUp and move no higher than the first record you want to work with. The rest of the file is still there, but we won't jump above the point you specify. continued . . . What's a Header? 5.14 ──────────────── Many database files, like dBase ".DBF" files, begin with a header. Programs read this header to determine how many fields a file has, as well as the length and type of each field. The header is NOT data. So you set the header length to tell PDT to skip it and begin displaying the file with the first record. PDT automatically recognizes dBase files (by the .DBF extension), reads the header and displays records and fields appropriately. But if your file is not a dBase file, AND it has a header, set the header length to help PDT properly display your data. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ Setting the header length is usually the FIRST STEP in │█ │ defining the "structure" of a file. If a file has a │█ │ header, it's much easier figuring out the rest of the │█ │ file structure if you tell PDT not to display the header. │█ │ │█ │ Once you set the header, press F4 to save a structure file. │█ │ The next time you open this file, PDT will set the header │█ │ size automatically. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ If you open a dBase file and would like to see (and perhaps │█ │ edit or fix) the header: │█ │ │█ │ * Press ctrl-H, enter "0" for Header Length. Press <cr>. │█ │ │█ │ * Press ctrl-Home then Home to be sure you're at the first │█ │ byte of the file. You're now looking at the header. │█ │ │█ │ NOTE: Registered users receive Fix-DBF.Hdr and Fix-DBF.Fld.│█ │ These are very handy PDT structure files which can help you │█ │ explore the header and field structure of dBase files. │█ │ │█ │ And these can be INVALUABLE if a dBase file is ever damaged.│█ │ They can help you isolate and fix the corrupted areas. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Record Length ctrl-L; Define-Record 5.15 ═════════════ Set the Record Length to tell PDT how long each "logical line" is in a file. Press ctrl-L (or select Record Length from the Define menu), then enter record length (1 to 9,999 bytes). Some files have no logical record length. Executable (.Exe or .Com) files have no lines in the traditional sense. And text files often have lines of varying lengths. * For these types of files, changing the Record Length simply changes how wide a view PDT displays before it "wraps" the data around to the next row. But many database or data files have fixed-length records, with each record made up of fields. For example, a Customer database might have fields for Last Name, First Name, Address, Phone, etc. The same amount of space is reserved for a given field for every customer (eg., 20 spaces for Last Name). So the total "record length" (or space reserved) is fixed for every customer. By telling PDT the correct record length, you help it display each record (each customer in our example) on a separate line. And the fields will fall into logical columns. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ Setting the record length is usually the SECOND STEP in │█ │ defining the "structure" of a file. Once you do, just │█ │ press F2 at the beginning of each field and define each │█ │ "field." Finally, press F4 to save the structure file. │█ │ │█ │ If you open a dBase file (one with a ".DBF" extension), PDT │█ │ will automatically read the record length. If your dBase │█ │ files DON'T have a ".DBF" extension, use Define-Force dBase │█ │ to tell PDT to read the dBase file's header. │█ │ │█ │ ALSO SEE: Options-Configure. If you open non-dBase files, │█ │ PDT uses two approaches to determine an "appropriate" record│█ │ length. Tell PDT which one to use in the Configure menu. │█ │ 1. By default, PDT sets the record length to the first │█ │ Carriage Return (CR) or, if none, the first Line Feed │█ │ (LF) character it finds (Chr$(13) or Chr$(10). This │█ │ is very handy when working with fixed-length data files│█ │ with each record ending in, say, a CR/LF. │█ │ │█ │ 2. But if you'd prefer that PDT set the record length │█ │ to the width of the file window (normally 78 or 38), │█ │ tell PDT to use <W>indow size to set record length. │█ │ This is appropriate if you normally work with files │█ │ that have no structure (like .Exe or .Com files) or │█ │ non-fixed length files (like text files). │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Force dBase Define-Force dBase 5.16 ═══════════ This option tells PDT to read the header of a dBase file to determine the file's record and field structures. There are two reasons why you might need to do this. 1. If you open a dBase file that does NOT have a ".DBF" exten- sion, PDT won't recognize it as a dBase file. It therefore won't read the dBase header, and can't properly display records and fields. Choose Force dBase Structure to tell PDT to read the dBase header. 2. If you change the header or record lengths of dBase files, or edit or clear the structure, select Force dBase to restore the original layout. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ To simplify working with dBase files that don't have ".DBF" │█ │ extensions, load them, select Force dBase Structure, then │█ │ immediately press F4 (Save Structure File). │█ │ │█ │ As long as you save the structure file with the same name as│█ │ your data file, PDT will load it whenever you open the file.│█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Display Fields ctrl-D; Define-Display Fields ══════════════ Use this option to tell PDT to display column/field names on the top line of a file window (replacing the file name). Or press ctrl-D to turn this features OFF. * This option helps you see which fields are coming up, and which are behind you. * On the last line of your screen, PDT always displays "FIELD: " showing the name and number of the field your cursor is in. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ ALSO SEE: Appendix I: Customizing PDT. In PDT's Configure│█ │ menu you can turn this option ON by default. │█ │ │█ │ Narrow columns or fields may make it impossible to display │█ │ the full field name. If you're not sure what a field is, │█ │ move the cursor to it, then glance at "FIELD:" on the bot- │█ │ tom line of your screen. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Clear Structure Define-Clear Structure 5.17 ═══════════════ Select Clear Structure to clear the field structure for a file. * Header and record lengths won't change. * But since PDT will no longer "know" where and what each field is, it will no longer: - Display fields in contrasting colors. - Display field names at the top and bottom of your screen. - Display the correct values of fields as you change fields. - Offer you the F6 (Edit Field) option since there aren't any fields any more. The main use for this option is to turn off the contrasting colors PDT uses to display fields. This sometimes makes it easier to browse or edit records. To restore the structure, use Force dBase or Read Structure -- depending on the type of file you're working with. Define Field/Edit Field F2/F3; Define-Define/Edit ═══════════════════════ We're explaining two options together since you'll work in the same window for both of them Press F2 to Define a field. This is the last step in creating a structure file (after setting the Header and Record lengths). * First move your cursor to the FIRST column of a field. Al- though not strictly required, this simplifies things a lot. Let's assume you moved to column 1. * Press F2. When you do, a window like this pops up. ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ COL TYP NAME 1 <-Field# WIDTH TYPES LEN │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 1 C 81 (c)haracter ? │ │ 81 C __Past End! (t)iny Integer 1 │ │ (i)nteger 2 │ │ (l)ong Integer 4 │ │ (s)ingle MS 4 │ │ (j)ingle IEEE 4 │ │ (d)ouble MS 8 │ │ (k)ouble IEEE 8 │ │ ($)currency 8 │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ (^A)dd (^D)elete (^T)runcate to End (F1) = Help │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ This window lists the non-dBase field types. continued . . . 5.18 If you're working in a dBase file and press F2, you'd see a window with different field "types" (see below). NOTE: If you open a ".DBF" file, PDT reads the field names and starting col- umns for you. In this case, the COL, TYP and NAME columns would be already filled in for you! They columns are blank here since, here, we simply want to show you the dBase field types. ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ COL TYP NAME 1 <-Field# WIDTH TYPES LEN │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ (C)haracter ? │ │ (N)umeric ? │ │ (L)ogical 1 │ │ (D)ate 8 │ │ (M)emo 10 │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ (^A)dd (^D)elete (^T)runcate to End (F1) = Help │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ * The cursor would by in the TYP (or Type) column. PDT ini- tially assumes each field is a Character field, so you'll see "C" or "c" there. Press <cr> to accept Character, or enter one of the other symbols you see in parentheses under "Types." * Press <cr> and enter a field name under NAME. Although op- tional, entering field names enables PDT to display them both at the top of file windows and the bottom of your screen. - Note: PDT places NO restrictions on field names. This differs from, say, dBase which capitalizes names and won't allow certain characters in them. For example, "First Name" must be "FIRST_NAME" in dBase, since dBase prohibits spaces. * BE SURE to press <cr>, then press <Esc>. If you press <Esc> while your cursor is still in the Name column, PDT will as- sume you want to cancel this action. When you press <Esc>, PDT re-draws the fields in contrasting colors. * Now move the cursor to the start of field #2 and press F2. Repeat this process for each field. Defining and Editing Fields (continued) 5.19 Press F3 to EDIT field structures. PDT's field window pops up. * PDT will locate your cursor in the line that defines the field you were in when you pressed F3. So, when you press F3, if you're in the 5th field in your data file, PDT will put you in line #5 of this window. * Edit the field type, name or starting column. Press Tab or Shift-Tab to move between columns. Or press: - ctrl-A to ADD (or insert) a field. - ctrl-D to DELETE the field definition your cursor is in. - ctrl-T to TRUNCATE the list, deleting everything from the cursor to the end of the list. Remember, BE SURE to press <cr> after you edit something. Then press <Esc>. If you press <Esc> with your cursor still in the column you edited, PDT assumes you want to cancel the action. Save a Structure File F4; Define-Save Structure ═════════════════════ Press F4 to save a structure file. A window pops up and PDT urges you to save the structure file with the SAME NAME as your data file. Since PDT saves structure files only in PDT.DIR, there should be no chance of overwriting your data file. By using the same name as your data file, PDT will automatically load the structure file whenever you open the data file. Perhaps the only times you would NOT use the same name are to save: * Generic structures for data files with the same structure. * Alternate views of the same data file. Read a Structure File F5; Define-Read Structure ═════════════════════ Press F5 to read a structure file. PDT will display its normal file list window listing the structure files saved in PDT.DIR. Click Left on the one you want, or highlight it and press <cr>. You may never have to do this. If you save structure files with the same name as your data files. PDT will read them automati- cally. The only times you normally have to press F5 are if you: * Saved a structure file with a name different from a data file. * Edited the structure, and now want to restore the original. * Opened a dBase (.DBF) file and prefer the structure you created over the dBase structure. The OPTIONS Menu 5.20 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file edit search block define OPTIONS help (F1) ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │ Jump (ctrl-J) │ │ Get ASCII Character (F7) │ │ View EBCDIC in ASCII OFF │ │ Text view mode (ctrl-T) │ │ Calculator (F9) │ ├────────────────────────────────┤ │ conFigure │ │ Registration │ └────────────────────────────────┘ Jump ctrl-J; Options-Jump ════ Press ctrl-J to jump to a different location in the active file. PDT will then display this menu: ┌───────────────────┐ │ ──── Jump To ──── │ │ │ │ (P)ercent │ │ (B)yte │ │ (R)ecord │ └───────────────────┘ * Press (P) to jump to a location, say, 75% into the file. * Press (B) to jump to an absolute byte location. * Press (R) to jump to a specific record. Once you select an option, PDT will ask you to enter the percentage, byte or record to jump to. Get ASCII Character F7; Options-Get ASCII ═══════════════════ When editing a file, or when entering a phrase to search for or replace, press F7 to enter ANY ASCII character: from 0 - 255. PDT will display an ASCII chart. To select a character: * Click Left on it. * Or press the cursor pad keys until the character you want is highlighted, then press <cr>. As you move, PDT will display the ASCII and Hexadecimal numbers of the character that's highlighted. * Press <Esc> to quit without selecting a character. The Options Menu (continued) 5.21 View EBCDIC in ASCII Options-View EBCDIC ════════════════════ EBCDIC (or Extended Binary Coded Decimal Information Code) re- fers to the way information is stored on large IBM computers. On PCs, information is normally stored in ASCII format. If you open an EBCDIC file, select this option to ask PDT to display it in ASCII mode. This lets you view and edit it in a format that's much easier to understand. NOTE: Turning this option ON does NOT change the way the file is stored on disk. It affects only how PDT displays it. Any changes you make are saved to disk in EBCDIC format. When you select this option, the menu will toggle between ON and OFF, as in "View EBCDIC in ASCII ON." ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ WARNING: As we've mentioned, this version of PDT does NOT │█ │ translate EBCDIC packed binary numeric fields! │█ │ │█ │ * You CAN use all of PDT's EBCDIC options with such files. │█ │ │█ │ * But you should NEVER edit these packed binary numerics. │█ │ │█ │ * You CAN safely edit the CHARACTER portions of EBCDIC │█ │ files. These changes are saved (correctly) in EBCDIC. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ ALSO SEE: Options-Configure. In PDT's Configure menu, you │█ │ can turn this option ON by default. This is convenient if │█ │ you'll always work with EBCDIC files. │█ │ │█ │ ALSO SEE: File-Translate. In PDT's File menu are two │█ │ options letting you translate EBCDIC files to ASCII, and │█ │ back again. │█ │ │█ │ SAVE a STRUCTURE FILE: If you open an EBCDIC file, and │█ │ turn this option ON, immediately save a structure file -- │█ │ even if you don't want to mark fields, set record size, etc.│█ │ Then, whenever you open this file, PDT will read the struc- │█ │ ture file, and turn EBCDIC view mode on for you. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Text View Mode ctrl-T; Options-Text View ══════════════ Since PDT "displays" all characters in files (rather than "acting" on them), it's not well-suited for browsing through or editing text files (with variable-length lines, all ending with a Carriage Return/Line Feed). But if you open a text file, and want to view it in normal text mode, press ctrl-T. PDT will suspend all normal operations, and re-display the file from "roughly" where your cursor is. By "roughly" we mean within a PgUp or PgDn of where you are. Browse around, then press <Esc> to resume normal operations -- again, roughly where you were when you pressed <Esc>. Calculator F9; Options-Calculator 5.22 ══════════ Press F9 to pop up a 4-function calculator. PDT will turn on NUMLOCK so you can enter numbers on the numeric keypad. One use for the calculator is to determine the Hexadecimal value of a Decimal number. Just enter the decimal number, then press H to see its Hex equivalent. But you can't do the reverse -- you can't enter a Hex number and get it's decimal equivalent. PDT will display Hexadecimal values in contrasting colors. Just press a key to restore the decimal value and resume. Configure Options-Configure ═════════ Select this option to "customize" PDT to your liking. See Appendix I for details. Registration Options-Registration ════════════ This option simply displays the name of the registered user of the program you're using. When you order PDT from us, or when you run the program REGISTER.EXE (if you have a user-supported version), your name, address and phone number are embedded in PDT. This option lets you (or us) quickly determine who licensed this copy. In unregistered, user-supported versions, this display simply reminds you that registration is required after using PDT beyond the trial period. The HELP Menu 5.23 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ file edit search block define options HELP (F1) ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │ Introduction & Features │ │ Getting Help │ │ Using the Menus │ │ Summary of Commands │ │ Using a Mouse │ │ Installing & Customizing PDT │ ├──────────────────────────────┤ │ To Order, or To Get Support │ ├──────────────────────────────┤ │ Browse through PDT.Doc │ └──────────────────────────────┘ To get help, press F1 almost anytime. Or pull down the Help menu, highlight an option, and then either: * Press F1. PDT will display 1 or more help screens, and then return to the Help menu. Just select another topic, or press <Esc> to exit the Help menu, or select a different menu. * Or press <cr>. PDT will display the same screens it would have if you pressed F1. But when your done, it'll exit the Help menu. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SECTION VI: Appendices A.1 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX I: Customizing PDT (Colors, Screen Rows, Etc.) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ PDT's OPTIONS menu has a Configure option which lets you cus- tomize how PDT operates. To customize PDT: * Run PDT. Then press alt-O to pull down the Options menu. * Select the Configure option (press F <cr> or click Left on Configure). * Select the options you prefer; press <Esc> when you're done. The Configuration menu looks like this. Note the letters in parentheses near the left edge. Also note the last line: for your choices to take effect, you must exit PDT and re-start it. ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ (S) Screen Rows: 25, 43, 50, Automatic : 25 │ │ │ │ (C) Color, Monochrome or Automatic : A │ │ │ │ (E) Default to EBCDIC ON? Y=Yes/N=No: N │ │ │ │ (D) Default to Edit ON? Y/N: N │ │ │ │ (F) Default to Display Fields ON? Y/N: N │ │ │ │ (A) Ask before File Change or Exit? Y/N: Y │ │ │ │ (W) Default Window Size C=<CR> W=Window: C │ │ │ │ ─────────────────────────────────────────── │ │Click Left on option, or press S/C/E/D/F/A/W.│ │ │ │ Changes become effective next session. │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Notice that the first two options ("Screen Rows" and "Color or Monochrome") have an "Automatic" option. If "A" appears to the right of these options, PDT will detect what type of monitor you're using, and automatically: - Display things in color if you have a color monitor, or in combinations of white and black if you have a mono- chrome or Hercules monitor. - Use the highest number of rows your monitor allows (25-50). To select options, EITHER press the letter you see in paren- theses, or click Left on an option. In either case, the right side of the menu will change to reflect your choice. continued . . . Here's what each configuration option means: : : A.2 Press To Select PDT will display ═════ ══════════════════════════════════════ ════════════════ (S) Screen Rows: 25, 43, 50, Automatic 25, 43, 50, A - Discussed above: How many screen rows, and therefore how much infor- mation, PDT displays. (C) Color, Monochrome or Automatic C, M, A - Discussed above: Whether PDT displays things in color or black and white. (E) Default to EBCDIC View ON? Y=Yes, N=No Y, N - If you'll never work with EBCDIC files (de- scribed elsewhere), just ignore this option. - If EBCDIC View Mode is ON, when you open ANY file, PDT will display them in easier-to- understand and easier-to-edit ASCII mode. - PDT offers two ways to turn EBCDIC view mode on or off. Here, you can set it permanently. If you turn it ON here, PDT will assume EVERY file you open is an EBCDIC file. It'll dynam- cally translate files and display them in ASCII. - The Options menu also has and EBCDIC view mode option. Using this option, you can open 1-4 files, and then selectively turn EBCDIC view ON or OFF for each file. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ As we've mentioned, this version of PDT does NOT translate │█ │ EBCDIC packed binary numeric fields! It DOES correctly │█ │ translate all characters in EBCDIC files. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ (D) Default to Edit ON? Y=Yes, N=No Y, N - By default, when you open a file Edit Mode is OFF. But if you prefer that Edit Mode be turned on every time you open a file, set the default to ON (or Yes) here. - BEWARE: Changes you make to files are immediately saved to disk. So it's safest to leave this option set to OFF, and then turn it ON only when needed (press ctrl-E). continued . . . Configuration Options (continued) A.3 (F) Default to Display Fields ON? Y=Yes, N=No Y, N - When working in data files, it's helpful to know which field the cursor is in. PDT can show you the field names in two ways. First, on the bottom line of your screen PDT displays "Field: xxxxx". As you move left or right, "xxxxx" changes to show you the field you're currently in. Second, if you turn Display Fields ON, PDT will also display field names at the top of each file window. Here we can display several field names at once, helping you see what's coming next, and what's behind the cursor. - PDT gives you 2 ways to turn Display Fields ON. If you'll always want it on, select Yes here. Or you can open a file and press ctrl-D (Display Fields) to toggle this on or off. (A) Ask before File Change or Exit? Y=Yes, N=No Y, N - We've emphasized that PDT is a very powerful program, and that it immediately saves to disk many of the changes you make. - But, when you're about to make major changes, (like deleting a block), PDT will normally ask you if you want to proceed. If you want PDT to instantly do what you ask, select "No" (Don't ask me) for this option. Then, if you ask to delete a file or a block, it's gone. If you ask to Exit PDT to DOS, you're out. Etc. continued . . . Configuration Options (continued) A.4 (R) Default Record Size C=<CR> W=Window C, W - "Record size" refers to how long each logical line is in a file. And this, in turn, affects your "view" of files -- how PDT displays files before it "wraps" a line to the next row on your screen. - If you open dBase files, or files for which you've created a "structure file," PDT will set the record size based on the information stored in the dBase or structure. But if you open non-dBase files (and you haven't created a structure file), this option determines how PDT sets the default record size. This will affect your "view" of the file. - If this option reads "W," PDT will set the record size to the width of the window you're opening (78 for full-width screens). If this option reads "C," PDT scans the files you open for the first Carriage Return (CR, Chr$(13) or Line Feed (LF, Chr$(10)). If PDT finds one of these characters, it sets record size to that length. This is ideal if you work with fixed-length data files, AND each record ends in a CR/LF. PDT is "Self-Modifying" ─────────────────────── When you choose options in the Configuration menu, PDT saves your settings to itself (ie., to PDT.EXE). Your choices will NOT become effective until the NEXT TIME you run PDT. * Because PDT changes itself, it's known as a "self-modifying" program. * Some virus-protection programs object to executable programs modifying themselves. They do this to prevent viruses from infecting (ie., changing) your programs. - Many virus-protection utilities will alert you when a program is about to be modified. Most will ask you if it should allow the modification to continue. - Answer "YES, allow the modification" when PDT runs. It must be able to read and modify itself. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX II: Creating Structure Files with Word Processors A.5 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ To summarize, structure files "define" the structure of data files. If PDT knows the structure of a file: * It displays records and fields in logical rows and columns. * It can display field names both at the top of each file window, and at the bottom of your screen. * It displays the "values" of fields. * It lets you edit the contents of fields, even fields stored in "packed binary" form (except EBCDIC packed binary fields). * You can tab from field-to-field to easily view or edit fields. A structure file is a simple ASCII file that MUST BE stored in PDT's special sub-directory: PDT.DIR. The easiest way to create or edit structure files is by using PDT. Or use any editor or word processor -- they're very easy to create. NOTE: When PDT saves structure files, it adds a column indi- cating the WIDTH of each field. This can help you create "types" or "structures" in various programming languages. You do NOT have to add the Width column to structure files. Here's what a structure file looks like. This is part of the structure file we included with PDT: SAMPLE_2.STR. PDT.STRUCTURE │ Do NOT move or change this line! │ 257 <Header Size 80 <Record Size EBCDIC <Data Type 1 , C , Deleted Record Flag 2 , C , FIRST_NAME 12 , C , LAST_NAME 26 , C , ADDRESS 50 , C , CITY 62 , C , STATE Lines 1-4 are REQUIRED. They MUST be in the order and format shown. And there must be NO blank lines before these, or between the lines of structure files. 1. The 1st line is PDT's "signature line." PDT looks for this line to ensure that you don't overwrite your data files (since structure files are usually saved with the same name as your data files). If you try to save a structure file, and PDT can't find this signature, it may refuse to save the structure. continued . . . 2. The 2nd line defines how long the "file header" is. A.6 - "Headers" (which are usually at the beginning of files) tell programs about a file's record and field structure. Headers aren't data. So by specifying a Header Size, you tell PDT to not display the first "xxx" bytes of a file. - If your file has no header, enter: 0 <Header Size. In other words, this line MUST still be there. 3. On line #3, enter the logical record length of each line of data in the file (excluding the header). For example, if records are 689 bytes long, enter: 689 <Record Size 4. Line #4 must read "ASCII <Data Type" or "EBCDIC <Data Type." - Enter EBCDIC only if your data file is in EBCDIC format. - When you open this data file, PDT will automatically turn on EBCDIC-to-ASCII view mode -- letting you view the file in easier-to-understand (and edit) ASCII. If your file is NOT in EBCDIC format, using EBCDIC here will result in screens-full of garbage. 5. From line 5 to the end, there should be one line defining each "field" in a record. Each line has 3 sections: - Which column the field starts in. - What "type" of field it is (we'll define this later). - The name of the field. Notice you don't have to tell PDT how wide each field is. PDT calculates this based on the fields' starting columns. The field name is optional. If you include it, PDT can show you which field you're in as you move around. These 3 sections MUST be separated by 2 (and only 2) commas. And you MUST NOT use commas inside any section. For example, this line is illegal: 1,493, C, Comment Field Notice the 3 commas, not two, with the errant comma in "1,493." The line should read: 1493, C, Comment Field ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ PDT treats the first byte of files as byte #1. In some pro-│█ │ gramming languages, the first byte in files is numbered 0. │█ │ │█ │ For example, a 250 byte header is in bytes 1-250, not 0-249.│█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Field "Types" A.7 ═════════════ If PDT knows the "type" of each field, it: * Displays the "value" of fields as you move the cursor to them. * Lets you press F6 (Edit Field) to edit fields. This option is especially useful to help you edit numeric fields stored in "packed binary" form (except EBCDIC packed binary fields). The discussion of the EDIT menu has details on Edit Field. Here are the symbols you'd enter to indicate different types of fields. Note the different symbols for dBase and non-dBase files. ══════ dBase Field Types ═════ ═══ Non-dBase Field Types ════ Use This For This Field Use This For This Field Symbol Type of Field Width Symbol Type of Field Width ──────── ───────────── ───── ──────── ───────────── ───── C Character ? c Character ? N Numeric ? t Tiny Integer 1 L Logical 1 i Integer 2 M Memo 10 l Long Integer 4 D Date 8 s Single MS 4 j Single IEEE 4 d Double MS 8 k Double IEEE 8 $ Currency 8 ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ Note that symbols for dBase files are UPPER case, while │█ │ symbols for non-Dbase field types are all in lower case. │█ │ │█ │ In the non-dBase list, note the s/j and d/k pairs -- indi- │█ │ cating Microsoft (MS) versus IEEE formats, respectively. │█ │ │█ │ CAUTION: In this version of PDT, numeric fields in EBCDIC │█ │ files aren't accomodated. See notes on this elsewhere. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ "Field Width" indicates how many characters/columns each field was allocated. Notice that Character fields (and dBase Numeric fields) are "?" wide -- they vary in width. But other fields have fixed widths. So, for example, while Integers range from -32768 to +32767 or 0 to 65535, they're are stored in 2 bytes. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ Some people declare all fields to be Character fields. In │▄ │ this case, PDT won't be able to correctly display values. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX III: Helpful Tips; Salvaging Damaged Data Files A.8 ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Exploring or Determining File Structures ──────────────────────────────────────── To determine a file's structure, open it and, starting at the first column of row 1, look for two or three types of patterns. First try to see if there's a header. Its pattern often dif- fers from the pattern of data records. For example, in the file below, there's a pattern of capital- ized field names (followed by some symbols), followed by a dif- ferent pattern of names, addresses, etc. As a "rough guess" of the header's length, move the cursor to the spot in front of "Kim," note the "Depth:" near the bottom of your screen, then press ctrl-H and enter this number as the Header Length. 13\^X OO FIRST_NAME C 0 LAST_NAME ^ ADDRESS C k CITY C C STAT ZIP C , Kim Johnson 3300 South 1 CO 31002 (714) 525-9933 Dennis Avery 127 Ea George WA 98322 (801) 566-9112 Andrew Youngman Next, determine the record length. Again, look for patterns. For example, notice the first names here: Kim, Dennis and Andrew. For a "rough guess" of the record length, put your cursor on the "K" in Kim, press ctrl-B, then move down and right. As you mark the block, PDT shows you how many bytes you've marked. When you reach the space before "Dennis" press ctrl-L and enter the number of bytes PDT says you marked. ┌─────────────────────── TIPS & NOTES ────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ When determining Record Length, watch for DIAGONAL patterns.│█ │ │█ │ ...........xxxxxxxxxxx---------**********^^^^####!!!!!!@@@@@│█ │ @@@@@...........xxxxxxxxxxx---------**********^^^^####!!!!!!│█ │ !!!!@@@@@...........xxxxxxxxxxx---------**********^^^^####!!│█ │ │█ │ Diagonal patterns like these indicate BOTH that this is a │█ │ fixed-length record file, AND that record size isn't right. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Salvaging Damaged Data Files A.9 ──────────────────────────── This section, sent to registered users in a special Salvage.Doc, offers tips to help you salvage corrupted data files. Also sent to registered users are two files called: Fix_DBF.Hdr and Fix_DBF.Fld. These PDT Structure Files can be invaluable when you need to inspect of fix dBase files. They let you examine the Header or the Field Structure, respectively. Tips on using these files are included with registered versions. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX V: Error Messages ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ We try to prevent errors from disrupting your work. For example, we check to see if there's enough room on the disk when you try to copy or expand files. And, unless you tell us NOT to ask your permission before overwriting files, we'll tell you when you're about to do so. Most errors are likely to be DOS errors. Most of these will be DISK or FILE errors like: * You try to write to an unformatted disk. * You try to read from a floppy disk with the drive door open. * A disk is damaged and can't be written to. * You tell PDT to read the structure of a dBase file, but it's not a dBase file. In most cases, PDT will tell you an error occurred, stop what it was doing, then let you continue. If you can, fix the error and try again. Other errors might be fatal -- PDT will abort. Frankly we haven't found a situation where this has happened. But it's possible. ┌─────────────────────────── NOTES ───────────────────────────┐ │ │▄ │ If a FATAL error occurs, or if an error occurs repeatedly, │█ │ PLEASE let us know. Describe exactly what you were doing, │█ │ what happened, and what error number or message appeared │█ │ (if any). We'll be glad to fix any errors or bugs we can. │█ │ │█ │ For a fast response to the problem, call: (415) 863-0530. │█ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX VI: Other Programs by Pro~Formance & Company A.10 ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Here's a summary of many of our other programs. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Professional Scribe (Pro~Scribe) PS Express (PSE) ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Pro~Scribe and PSE help you improve anything you write (or help you improve the writing of others -- your staff, students, etc.) Pro~Scribe is used around the world in companies like IBM, Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Lockheed, Citicorp and Bank of America to help improve memos, letters, manuals, documentation, contracts, promotional material, etc. Here's how Pro~Scribe and PSE help: * They examine your writing for many types of writing mistakes. * You can look at overall results for an entire letter, report, etc. Or, if you like, they'll look at your writing line-by-line. * They show suspect problems, and offer suggestions. * Results are shown numerically, and with colorful graphs. * They come with two manuals (plus a Quick Reference Guide) - One covers basics: To install/run PS, and basic guidelines. - "Effective, High-Impact Writing" has more writing tips. * They're colorful, fast, fun, and a terrific value: $39 for both! How are Pro~Scribe and PSE different? First, PS Express is a RAM-resident program. That means it's always ready to help when you need help most--while you're actually writing. Run PSE, then run your word processor and start writing. Need help? Just press a key. * When PSE pops up, just mark the text you want PSE to examine. A window pops up instantly with feedback on your writing. * PSE is like having an English teacher looking over your shoulder, gently coaching you as you write. Pro~Scribe gives you everything PSE does, and much, much more. It reads files saved by your word processor, or you can type text directly into PS. Like PSE, Pro~Scribe shows how complex your writing, words and sentences are. It also offers you: * Feedback on "Word Wasters" (5 categories of writing errors). * Three RGL (Running Grade Level) options (line-by-line feedback). * An option to flag complex words and Word Wasters in each line. * A Personal Interest score showing if you write as you speak. * Options to: Customize the program, send results to your printer. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Multi-Print The ultimate text printing utility! ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Multi-Print (MP) prints ASCII text files (like this manual) on HP LaserJets -OR- Epson -OR- Toshiba printers (or compatibles). * Print 1, 2 or 4 PAGES of text on each SHEET of paper. Print in portrait mode on BOTH sides of the paper on ANY printer, Or print sideways on LaserJets, Epson or Toshiba printers. - Choose "Booklet" mode to print books. Print the front side, then the back, then just fold and staple! - Choose "Left-to-Right" to print pages side-by-side, first on the left side of the page, then on the right. - Choose "1 Column" per sheet to print up to 250 characters per line (this is great for printing spreadsheets). - And with the last 2 options, you can choose to print 2-sided or 1-sided. Then use them as-is, or slip them into a 3-ring binder. (Booklets are always printed 2-sided). * Four fonts are included. - Our 9-point Times Roman font is a better-looking substi- tute for the LaserJet's "Line Printer" font (though you can use the Line Printer font if you wish). With our 6- point Roman font, print up to 250 characters/line and 80 lines/page (eg., spreadsheets). - Other fonts let MP print "sideways" on Epson and Toshiba printers. * The four fonts contain almost all ASCII characters. Print: - Lines, boxes, shading, Big! Fonts (tm). - French, German, Spanish and other language characters. - "Control codes" (with ASCII values below 32) which are useful when you want to add arrows, "bullets," "check boxes" and other symbols to your text. - NOTE: Original LaserJets and LaserJet + can't print the last 2. * MP offers many printing options: - Print TITLES: page numbers, the date, and the name of the file you're printing (or a "custom title") - in any com- bination. Print titles at the TOP or BOTTOM of each page in several "styles." - Print "both" sides, or just the "front" or "back" side. - Control Top, Left and Right Margins. "Wrap" long lines of text (LaserJets only). Print to LPT1, 2 or 3 or "to a file." * MP is menu-driven; choose options using a mouse or the keyboard. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ inform-Z (also see Mail Call below) Professional Forms Design ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ inform-Z is a complete form system. Built-in features include: easy form design, math, "auto-edit," high quality printing, etc. Design, edit and print forms with inform-Z. * Draw lines or boxes, or add shading, in several styles. * Enter text, auto-centered inside boxes if you like. * Automatically date, sequence number and time-stamp forms. * Add "formulas" for spreadsheet convenience, speed & accuracy. * Quick, easy block options: Copy, Move, Erase, Shading. * Vary fonts, type styles, line spacing. * inform-Z is very easy to use. And it's "lesson forms" cut the learning time dramatically. Then use inform-Z or Mail Call to fill out forms. * "Auto-Edit" fields lets you quickly skip through a form, editing just fields you "marked." On order forms, for example: Quantity, Description, Price per Unit. Math options will do the math for you! * Let Mail Call fill in other information for you -- pulling names, addresses, etc. from your database, putting them where you want them. Produce high-quality, professional looking forms in minutes with Epson printers or HP LaserJets (+/500/Series II or later). And you DON'T need expensive font cartridges or soft fonts for lines, boxes, shading, etc. We use built-in features for these. "But, I don't have a LaserJet or an Epson" you say. Not to worry. inform-Z has two other printer options so it works with any printer. Together, inform-Z and Mail Call can help you manage almost every piece of paper in your office. Forms: Invoices, Purchase Orders, Personnel Forms, Work Orders, Work Schedules, Travel or Expense Reports, Accounting Forms, Application Blanks, Org. Charts As Well As: Letters, Memos, Envelopes, Mailing Labels, Personalized Documents (ie., form letters), Reports, Client or Employee lists, etc. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Mail Call and MC Express (MCE) Our mailing assistant ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Mail Call (MC) is a full featured mailing assistant. Add names to a database, then Browse, Search, Print, Sort, etc. * Print envelopes in several sizes. * Print mailing labels (several sizes plus a "roll-your-own- size" option) 1 to 99 copies of each label, 1 to 3 columns across. * Print personalized documents (or form letters). * Print forms -- with "auto-edit," date, sequence number and math features! * Print reports, phone books, appointment schedules, etc. Mail Call offers UNlimited capacity -- use as many database files as you want. And its "Mail Merge" option lets you Import or Export names to files used by word processors or other database programs. MC Express, a "RAM-resident" program, that lets you: 1) print envelopes while INSIDE your word processor; and, 2) lets you "write out" names & addresses to a file you can later "import" into MC (no re- typing). MCE, optional, works with ALL versions of the HP LaserJet. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ P~F Presents (PFP) A DESKTOP PRESENTATION System ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ P~F Presents comes with several programs to help you create, manage and display presentations. The two main programs are P-Screen and PFP. With P-Screen you: (See below for more on P-Screen) ────────────────── * Design screens (or "slides"). * Save screens in libraries (or print them, or save them to ASCII files, or executable ".COM" files.) * NOTE: We offer TWO "screen-capture" programs to help you capture screens from existing applications. One captures text screens. The other captures ANY type of screen! With PFP you: ───────────── * Create presentation agendas ("slide shows") which can include: - Menus which "branch" to various parts of your presentation, depending on the option your viewer selects. For example: -- Which product do you want information on? -- Which topic (in a tutorial) do you want to review? - Timed slides (PFP pauses, then automatically shows the next) - Special effects: animation, sound, loops, exploding windows * Display your presentations, or let others do it by them- selves. A "use monochrome" option lets you display presen- tations on virtually any monitor. The Possibilities are Endless: ────────────────────────────── * Sales presentations * Management/Staff briefings * Training programs * Tutorials or Demos * Meetings * Highlight product information * Investment opportunities * Advertising on disk (SoftAds) * Customer information * Tourist guides * Restaurant guides * Directories (Names, phone #s) And on and on and . . . ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ P-Screen & P-Screen Professional QuickBASIC screen support ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ P-Screen is a screen: "design," "library/database" and "display" system all in one. Use it to design screens for programs you write, or for program demos, prototyping, word processing, batch files, etc. * Draw/Join lines or boxes, in several styles * Shade or Paint entire screens or selected areas * Enter text, auto-centered inside lines or boxes if you like * Quick, easy block options: Copy, Move, Erase, Shade, Paint, UnDo. Save/Load/Libraries * Save screens to or Load screens from ASCII files or Libraries. You can also save executable "Com" screens -- colors and all! - We include Capture to "grab" screens from other applications. * Libraries give you the convenience of 1 file to store up to 50 screens -- in color, complete with names and descriptions. Using screen libraries in your programs, demos, etc. * We supply routines to display your screens from QuickBASIC programs (QB 3-4.x). * It's easy to write programs to access screen libraries. - You can load and display 1 screen at a time. - Or load 2 or more screens into arrays, then pop them up instantly. P-Screen Professional even writes your QB programs for you!! And it comes with several other subprograms you can use in any program. Call for **significant** details. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The Survey Catalyst (A commercial program, not Shareware) ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The Survey Catalyst (TSC) is for anyone who works with attitude or opinion surveys. It helps you create surveys in minutes or hours -- not days! * TSC includes a database of thousands of survey items--like items used in most Fortune 1000 companies' employee surveys. - You can review items, edit them or add new ones. - OR, when you see an item you want to add to a survey, just press a key and add it--fast and simple. * TSC also comes with dozens of response scales. When you print surveys, TSC prints the right response scale--automatically. * And speaking of printing, TSC's many options let you create "camera-ready" copy--as you want it, fast! - Group items by Category, by Response Scale, or Randomize them. - Print response scales Above or Beside items (or not at all). - Print key punch instructions (optional) - Print a title--at the top or bottom of each page. - Or, print your survey "to a file"--to dress it up later. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Pro~Stamp Stamp Collection Manager ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Pro~Stamp is our full-featured stamp collection manager. * It's very easy to use: pull-down menus, extensive on-line help; Calculations done for you, select "Type" & "Condition" from menus, and more. * Your worksheets are set up like most popular collectors' manuals (eg., Scott). * Track small to huge stamp collections, with ease and convenience. * Multiple file options add flexibility (subsets of collections) * Automatic calculations (Values of each stamp, Increase in value) give you spreadsheet conveience. * Sort: On any of several fields. * Print: Entire worksheets or a range you specify. * It's customizable: Edit menu items or printer codes your way. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Ram-Man RAM-resident file browser ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Ram-Man is a RAM-resident (TSR) program to turn ANY text file into a pop-up quick-reference guide (or manual). For example, keep THIS MANUAL at your fingertips while learning inform-Z! * Pop up your text file while you're working in virtually any text-based (not graphics) program (including inform-Z). * BROWSE through it. * SEARCH, looking for a topic or phrase you're interested in. * LOOK UP words, which we'll read directly from your screen! We supply the RAM-resident "engine," you supply the text. Ram- Man preserves DOS memory by keeping ONLY its engine in memory. It displays your text from disk (hard or RAM disk recommended). You can change which file you're viewing without unloading Ram-Man. That means you load Ram-Man once, then change ref- erence guides as your needs or the programs you use change. Now, regardless of which text-based program you're using (or even at the DOS prompt), you can have on-line, pop-up help available -- at any time, at the press of a key. Examples: * The complete, on-disk manual for a program you're using. * A series of help screens or "Quick Reference Guides" (eg., tips on using DOS, tips on using a program). - You can display standard DOS text files, like those you create using an editor or word processor. - Or you can display special "screens" you create with programs like our P-Screen Screen Designer. * Appointment Calendars, To Do Lists. . . . etc. Other features: (<R> = REGISTERED versions.) * BROWSE through files -- line by line or page by page. And you can jump to the top or bottom of small -or- huge text files in 1/2 second or less. * SEARCH for topics relevant to your needs. * <R> "LOOK UP" reads a word directly off your screen THEN searches for it! BE SURE to read the section on Look Up for uses (eg., Quick reference, spelling, thesaurus, quotations). * UNLOAD Ram-Man and reclaim the memory it uses. * <R> RUN-TIME OPTIONS let you choose: - The "hotkey" you want to use to call Ram-Man up. - The size of the screen you want to use -- to let you switch between 25, 43 or 50 row screens at will. - The colors we use to display text. These options help ensure that Ram-Man's hotkey, colors and screen modes never conflict with the programs you use. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ SPARKLE & MENU MAGIC Add some sparkle to your batch files. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Sparkle is an AMAZING utility to enhance batch files, use from DOS, or use through other programs (via "shell"). And Sparkle now includes Menu Magic which lets you quickly create scrolling bar menus (see Menus below) and writes your batch files for you! One small (9k) program offers these many features: * MENUS Sparkle offers 3 menu options. Turn ANY screen into a menu. Or turn ANY text screen into a Vertical or Horizontal"scrolling bar" menu. * SOUND Over 35 sound effects, ranging from simple to the William Tell Overture! * WINDOWS Create windows (boxes) on screen in over 250 styles, with/without shadows, and in any color. * QuikPRINT Display text anywhere on the screen in any color. * ASK Ask the user to press a key -- to get a menu choice or to simply pause. - You can display any message you like in any color. - You can specify which keys are "valid." For example, suppose your menu had 3 choices and you ask someone to press 1, 2 or 3 to choose one of them. Just tell Sparkle that "123" are your "valid keys." Sparkle will wait until one of these keys (or Escape) is pressed -- then tell you which one was pressed. * PAUSE You can pause for brief moments (1/3 second) or for several minutes. And Sparkle even gives you the option to let your users "press a key" to interrupt a pause and move on. * MONITOR Determine what type of monitor is active. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ VIDLIB A commercial-quality Video Tape Librarian ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ VIDLIB has every feature that every other video tape program offers. And the author guarantees to add any feature another program has that VIDLIB doesn't. ANY feature ... GUARANTEED! VIDLIB stores 27 different pieces of information about each tape in your collection. - Tape number, recording's title, Category (adventure, romance, sci-fi, etc.), Rating (G, PG, R, etc.), orgin (purchased, television, home recording, HBO, etc), stars appearing, director, studio, color or B&W, cost, date re- corded, recording speed, recording length, footage start and end, what language is spoken, subtitles?, cabinet and/or shelf where tape is stored, date the tape was loaned, who borrowed it. - No field is required! Use or ignore any information field you like. Use what you want; ignore what you don't. - Use 2 word processor-like windows to describe each record- ing on a tape and describe its honors, awards or nominations. - Depending on YOUR tastes, use the unique 5 star rating system to Rate each individual recording. - Many fields can be redefined by the user. VIDLIB handles an unlimited number of tapes with an unlimited number of recordings per tape. VIDLIB offers easy-to-use, yet surprisingly powerful printout support. - Print 3 different Avery labels available from your local office supply store: labels for the tape spine, tape face and the tape box. - Print 2 Rolodex and 3 index card formats and sizes. VIDLIB supports pin-feed Avery formats, too. - Three report formats including a beautiful catalog sheet and a special report for your insurance company! - Supports dot-matrix, laser or letter quality printers. VIDLIB is exceptionally fast on any computer, even XT's and PC's. It works handsomely on color or monochrome (black/white) monitors. And VIDLIB uses the popular dBase (DBF) file structure. So you can access, read and edit VIDLIB databases using dBase III, dBase III+, dBase IV, Clipper -- or our own PDT program. ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ APPENDIX VII: Registering and Ordering ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Because we offer so many programs, our order form has 2 pages. * This page lists our programs and the cost, per-copy. of each. The section immediately above describes each of our programs. * The next page is the actual order form. - On the next page, fill in the name of each program you're ordering. PLEASE BE CAREFUL here and use the names listed below. If we're not sure which program you're ordering, we may have to return you're order (or call collect?). - If ordering by Visa or MasterCard, fill in the section for credit card orders. BE SURE TO SIGN it. Program Name Per Copy ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Multi-Print Recommended! ($19 w/ purchase > $100) $29 PDT The Pro~Formance Data Tool $99 PDT Tool Kit The COMPLETE PDT Tool Kit (Pgms, Files +) $39 Set #1 Tool Kit Set 1: Fields, Create, DBF-DBF $19 Set #2 Tool Kit Set 2: Fields, DBF-ASC, ASC-DBF $19 inform-Z Professional Forms Design $49 Mail Call With MC Express $49 " " Without MC Express $45 Pro~Scribe & PS Express $39 P~F Presents Professional $79 " " Plus (with intro. copyright) $49 P-Screen Professional $49 " Plus $29 Pro~Stamp Stamp Collection Manager $29 Ram-Man RAM-resident Text File Browser $19 Sparkle, Sparkle2 AND Menu Magic $29 VidLib Video Tape Librarian and Database $39 The Survey Catalyst $595 " " " Demo Disk (refunded with purchase) $5 ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── PACKAGE DISCOUNTS Call about quantity discounts & site licenses. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── inform-Z AND Mail Call $79 P-Screen Pro AND P~F Presents (Pro versions of both) $109 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ To Order ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ For FASTEST delivery of your programs, CALL with your Visa/MC card number. F ____________________________________________ M Rob W. Smetana Pro~Formance R ____________________________________________ A T 132 Alpine Terrace San Francisco, CA 94117 O ____________________________________________ I O (415) 863-0530 M ____________________________________________ L Make checks payable to Rob W. Smetana Phone ( ) ______-________ Date ___/___/___ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ For Visa or MasterCard Orders │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │Credit Card Number: __________________________________ Expires: ___|___│ │ │ │Signature (Required for credit card orders): _____________________________│ │ │ │ Be sure your name at the top matches how it appears on your credit card. │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── pdt 2.3 ─ Program/Package Name (see last page) # of Copies Price/Copy Total ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ________________________________________ ________ x ______ = $_______ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Shipping & Handling::: Total Number @ $4/copy (US/Canada) of Programs (and Copies) ----->> _____ @ $8/copy (Elsewhere) $ _______ ─────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────── │ Subtotal $ ________ INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: : : │ │ California residents, add 8.5% tax $ _______ * US funds only please. └─────────────────────────┬──────────────────── * Money order, check drawn a │ US bank, or VISA/MasterCard │ TOTAL $ ________ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────