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File Express User's Guide by David Berdan and Ken McGinnis Version 5 For MS-DOS Operating Systems Expressware Corporation Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment by Expressware Corporation. The software described in this User's Guide is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of that agreement. Expressware Corporation P.O. Box 1800 Duvall, WA 98019 (C) Copyright Expressware Corporation, 1991. All rights reserved Printed and bound in the United States of America. File Express, ExpressCalc, ExpressCheck, On-Side and ExpressGraph are trademarks of Expressware Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation. dBASE III is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate Corporation. WordPerfect is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation. Part No. FE5-1991 ISBN 1-878012-05-3 Phone Numbers 800-753-FILE Toll free order line. (orders only, no technical support available on this line) 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday 206-788-0932 Technical support number 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Monday through Friday 206-788-4493 Fax line 24 hours a day Available for technical support and orders 206-788-4008 Bulletin Board System 24 hours a day Seven days a week Available for technical support, tips, orders, and downloading i Some New Features * An all-new report writer lets you define much larger reports. Expanded Title and Header sections. New Footer section has been added. Long fields can be printed as blocks with automatic word wrap. Three subtotal levels are now permitted. * Fields can now be easily lengthened, shortened, added, deleted and moved without cloning the database. * Multiple indexes (up to five) are automatically updated as new records are added. * Quick Scan browse mode now lets you edit the records displayed. * The Paint Screen option allows up to ten input screens to be laid out as desired. * 36 Macro keys are now available. * Keyboard macros allow more keystrokes, use more special keys, and can pause for input while executing. * Printer support for more than 250 printers, including laser printers. * Expanded import and export sections now include dBASE and Lotus 1-2-3 file support. * Expanded Quick Labels use the full power of the Report generator. * Separate Setup program lets you personalize the whole program. * The manual has been expanded. We hope you enjoy using the new File Express as much as we have enjoyed creating it. If there are still more features you would like to see added, please fill out the User Response Form at the back of this manual and send it to us along with your comments. Thank you for your continued support. ii CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 What Is File Express? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Is It Easy To Use? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A New Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Will It Run On My Computer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 How Do I Get Started? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Installing File Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Computers With Hard Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Computers With RAM Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Computers With Color Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Computers On Local Area Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Starting File Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 From a Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 From a Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Backing Up Your Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Data Is Vulnerable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 How Much Is Your Data Worth? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Daily Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Offsite Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Backing Up A Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Backing Up Databases On A Hard Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Backing Up A Complete Hard Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Tape Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Keyboard Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The <Esc> Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Single Keystroke Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Input Fields Of Two Or More Characters . . . . . . . . . . 21 Using a Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Context-Sensitive Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Information Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Pop up Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 A File Express Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Section One: A Brief Tour of File Express . . . . . . . . . 29 Lesson One: Opening A Database . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Lesson Two: Finding A Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Lesson Three: Print a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 iii CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Section Two: Defining a New Database . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lesson One: Defining a New Database . . . . . . . . . . 39 Lesson Two: Adding New Records . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Lesson Three: Painted Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Lesson Four: Create an Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Lesson Five: Quick Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Lesson Six: Create a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Opening a Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Defining A New Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Database Definition Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Field Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Field Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 When Is A Number Not Numeric? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Field Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Field Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Is The Sequence Of The Fields Significant? . . . . . . . . 85 Changing And Saving The Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Changing Database Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Adding New Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Filling In The Blanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Formulas Are Display-Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 New Records Go On The End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Record Numbers Are Not Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Multiple Pages (Screens) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Selecting Alternate Input Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 The Flip-Field-Contents Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 The Repeat Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Quick Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Finding and Changing Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Finding A Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Viewing The Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Changing Display Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Natural Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 General Rules Of Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Quick Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Editing Records in Quick Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Search And Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Formulas In Search And Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Search And Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Search And Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 iv CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding Duplicates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Duplicates In One Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Duplicates In Two Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Sorting Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 What Is An Index? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Defining or Changing an Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Record Number Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Deleted Record Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Defining A New Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Editing An Existing Index Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Saving The Index Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Sort Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Sorting Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Sorting By Record Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 How Long Does It Take? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Speeding Up Sorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Printing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Designing a Report or Form Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Starting a New Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Moving Around the Layout Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Report Layout Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Centering Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Detail Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Subtotals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Adding Text to the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Inserting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Deleting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Special Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Control Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Placing Fields on the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Regular Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Name & Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Window Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Quick Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Using Formulas In Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Formula Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Formula Length and Decimals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Changing Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Removing a Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Changing the Printed Field Length . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Field Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Drawing Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Changing the Box Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 v CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Optional Specifications Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Report Output Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Index Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Saving A Report Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Printing the Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Wide Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Letter Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Starting a New Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Moving Around the Letter Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Letter Output Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Index Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Saving A Letter Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Printing the Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Printing Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 The Label Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Designing A New Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Test Printer Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 The Label Layout Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 The Paging Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Label Output Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Printer Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Labels For Other Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Quick Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Defining a Quick Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 The Maintenance Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Painting Custom Input Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Editing an Existing View Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Deleting a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Renaming a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Defining a New View Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Set the Default View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Painting a View Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Moving Around the View Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Adding Text to the Input Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Placing Fields on the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Regular Input Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Changing Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 vi CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changing Field Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Removing a Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Changing the Field Display Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Input Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Changing Field Input Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Testing Input Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Painting Color on the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Turning Paint On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Changing The Current Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Changing the Box Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Saving or Canceling the View Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Macro Key Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Defining a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 The Keyboard Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Recalculating The Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Untagging All Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Printing The Database Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 Printer Definition Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Adding a PDF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Editing a PDF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 Default PDF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Import/Export/Clone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Some Common File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Mail Merge (sequential) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 WordPerfect Merge Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 DIF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Fixed Length Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 SDF or Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 Lotus 123 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 dBASE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 File Express Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Importing Into A Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Exporting From A Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Cloning A Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Quit - Exit to DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Formulas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Some Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Function: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 vii CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Statement: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Comparitor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Operators: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Logical Operators: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 Screen Dumps To Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353 Custom Banner Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354 Customizing File Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Starting the Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Floppy System: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Hard Disk System: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Using Setup: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 General Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Sound Option: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Screen Display: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Snow: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Menu Lines: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Auto Enter Option: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Space Character: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 Default Date Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 Default Monetary Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 Color Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 Color or Mono: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 Screen Colors: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359 Data Entry Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Drive and Path name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Database File Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Clear Buffer Option: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 Disk Space: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 Label Printing Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363 Reporting Problems To Expressware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Appendix A: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373 Appendix B: ASCII Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Appendix C: Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 Appendix D: File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Appendix E: Date Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 viii CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix F: Sounds Like Routine (Soundex) . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Appendix G: Printer Definition Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 ix INTRODUCTION 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction This section introduces you to File Express and some of its features. If you are new to File Express, you should take the time to read through this section before running the program. If you are already familiar with File Express, you might want to skim through this section to see what new features version 5 has to offer. Registration Before you continue, please take the time to fill out and mail in the registration card that came with your File Express package. This ensures you are kept up to date on future releases and information concerning File Express. It also entitles you to a subscription to ExpressNews, Expressware's newsletters giving valuable tips and tricks for using File Express and our other products. What Is File Express? File Express is a database management program written for the IBM Personal Computer and PC-compatible computers. Using File Express, information of virtually any kind can be put into the computer, printed, sorted, displayed and reported. For example, a list of names and addresses can be entered, then they can be sorted into zip code sequence or last name sequence, printed out onto mailing labels, and updated as the list changes. The same data can be included in reports, or simply displayed on the computer screen when needed. Customized form letters can also be written in File Express by merging names from the database file with a letter. File Express is very popular among first-time database users and non-technical users, so we have tried to aim the manual to this level of reader. But as File Express has continued to be improved over the last six years, it has also become very powerful. Some of its early first-time users have advanced to true "power users" and we need to address their needs too, while maintaining the simplicity of the manual and the software. Some of the more technical explanations have been confined to special sections in the back of the manual. There is a section called Advanced Features which discusses many of File Express's features which might interest only technically oriented users. Throughout this manual you will occasionally see paragraphs labeled Technical Note. If you are not a technical user, you can simply ignore these sections. If you read a Technical Note and don't understand it, don't be concerned. You don't need to understand it in order to use File Express. 2 INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is It Easy To Use? File Express is very easy to use because it makes extensive use of "menus" and "prompts". These are computer terms which mean the program asks questions and the user simply answers them. A "prompt" is a question which usually has only one or two answers, such as "Do you want to save this report on your disk? (Yes or No)" or "How many labels will be printed?". A prompt can also instruct rather than ask a question: "Press <Enter> when the printer is ready". A "menu" is similar to a prompt, only bigger. When File Express asks a question which can be answered in several different ways, it lists all the possible responses, and lets the user enter one of them. For example, here is a simple menu: Export Menu 1 - Mail merge file 2 - WordPerfect merge file 3 - DIF file 4 - Fixed length file 5 - Text editor (SDF) 6 - Lotus 123 file 7 - dBase file When a menu like this is displayed by File Express, pressing any one of the keys shown (in this example, 1 through 7) tells the program what you want to do. Programs using menus and prompts are called "conversational" programs, because you and the program actually carry on a conversation, where you tell the program what you want to do, and it asks you precisely how. Conversational programs are much easier to use than programs which require complex commands (called "command-driven" programs). It's this conversational approach which makes File Express one of the easiest database programs available. A New Vocabulary Computers have brought us many great improvements in the way we work. But along with the benefits came the need for new words and terms to describe things that formerly didn't need describing. As a PC user, you have no doubt already encountered some of the new words. For example, by now you know that when someone says to "boot" your computer, they don't mean to drop-kick it across the room (though there may have been times you wanted to). Let's review some of the words used in this manual and in the File Express program that may be new to you. For definitions of technical terms there is also a glossary at the end of the manual. INTRODUCTION 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FIELD: A piece of data, from one to 1000 characters in length. A field may contain letters (alphabetic field), numbers (numeric field) or a combination of letters and numbers (alphanumeric field), or it may have nothing in it at all (empty field). For example, a simple mailing list might have six fields: 1) first name, 2) last name, 3) address, 4) city, 5) state, and 6) zip code. RECORD: Several fields with something in common, entered into a database. Groups of records make a database. For example, in a mailing list, each complete name and address put into the computer comprises one record. DATABASE: A collection of related information which is put in the computer so it can be printed, sorted, updated and searched easily. Each database has an identifying name of one to eight characters, such as CUSTOMER or MAILLIST. In this manual we may occasionally use the term "file" when referring to a File Express database. The following diagram illustrates the relationship of fields, records and databases. Record 1 Record 2 Record 3 Field 1:First Name Bob John Joe Field 2:Last Name Smith Jones Doaks Field 3:Address 123 Main 999 Ninth Box 230 Field 4:City Seattle Bellevue Redmond Field 5:State WA WA WA Field 6:Zip 98119 98007 98073 Several records make a database Will It Run On My Computer? If your computer is 100% compatible with the IBM PC, XT or AT, then File Express will definitely run on it. Some semi-compatibles may require some special configuring. Generally, if your computer uses the PC-DOS or MS-DOS operating system, then File Express will probably run on it. There are some minimum hardware requirements: * PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.0 or higher * At least 512K of RAM memory * Two diskette drives (one of which must be 720K or larger) or a hard disk with at least 1 megabyte of free space. Your computer may have either a monochrome or 80-column color monitor. If you have a color monitor, File Express formats its 4 INTRODUCTION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- screens in your choice of colors. A printer is optional, but is of course needed if reports or labels are to be printed. INTRODUCTION 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How Do I Get Started? The first step is to install the File Express software on your computer. Usually this is a simple process, but there are some PC's with unique configurations which require special procedures. The second chapter of this manual is called Installing File Express and it takes you through the steps of installing the programs and sample files. If you are a newcomer to File Express you will want to review the chapter titled A File Express Tutorial to familiarize yourself with some of the program's basic features. Even if you are an experienced File Express user, we recommend that you review the Tutorial section. There are many new capabilities in this new version of the program which become readily apparent in the tutorial. Also, the sample database in the tutorial is referenced in examples throughout this manual, and the examples assume you are familiar with the database discussed in the tutorial. 6 INSTALLATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Installing File Express Included in your package is the File Express Installation Guide with instructions for installing the program on your computer. These instructions are repeated here in case you have misplaced the card. File Express may be run on a computer with two diskette drives as long as one of them is at least 720K or larger, or a computer with a hard disk drive. Like most other software programs, File Express runs much faster on a hard disk; and database files can be considerably larger. If you have an application needing more speed or requiring large amounts of data, a hard disk is an excellent investment, costing only a few hundred dollars for most PC's. These installation instructions assume you have a basic understanding of DOS commands and terms. If you are not familiar with terms such as subdirectory, path, formatted diskette, etc. you will need to consult your DOS manual for more information. The File Express program files included on the distribution diskettes are in a compressed format and cannot be run without being expanded using the INSTALL program included on the PROGRAM DISK. Even if you are running File Express from floppy diskettes, you must use the INSTALL program to create your working diskettes. To install File Express on either a hard disk or diskettes, place the PROGRAM DISK in drive A, type A: <Enter> to make the A: drive your default drive, and then type INSTALL <Enter> to start the installation process. The INSTALL program asks you several questions about where you want to put File Express and how you want to configure it. INSTALL also looks at your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to ensure that the PATH command contains a reference to your new File Express directory. INSTALL will only change your AUTOEXEC.BAT file if you give it permission to. Your CONFIG.SYS file is also checked to make sure that at least 20 files can be open at the same time. Again, permission is asked before any changes will be made. Computers With Hard Disks When using File Express from a hard disk (fixed disk), it is possible to put the program modules in one subdirectory and your database files in one or more other subdirectories. This is not a decision you need to make now; the path to the database files can be changed anytime File Express is started. INSTALLATION 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty 8 INSTALLATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Computers With RAM Disks RAM disks use computer memory to emulate an additional disk drive. Usually the memory used is part of your computer's available RAM memory. File Express offers no extra features for RAM disk users, but like many other software programs, File Express runs much faster when its data files are in the RAM drive. An inherent danger exists with RAM disks. If the electricity goes off, all the files in a RAM disk are lost. For that reason, we recommend you use RAM disks sparingly. If you are using a RAM disk as a second drive on a one-drive system, copy the File Express programs to the RAM disk and put your database diskette in the real diskette drive. The programs load and run much faster, and updates to your data will be permanently recorded on the diskette. Technical Note: If you have an application where you need the added speed of RAM disk access, and you are willing to risk the potential loss of data, RAM disks work great with File Express. If data is being updated, consider making regular copies of it onto a real disk every hour. Computers With Color Monitors If your computer has a color monitor and a graphics board, File Express automatically displays its screens in color. If you would like to change the colors used by File Express, see the section titled Customizing File Express for changing screen colors. File Express detects whether your computer has a monochrome board or a color graphics board and uses colors or black/white accordingly. But some computers have a black and white monitor connected to a color board, which tricks File Express into sending colors to the black-and-white screen. This can cause some characters to appear hazy and unreadable, or in some cases, to not appear on the screen at all. If this condition occurs, or if you suspect it is occurring, press <Esc> then <Enter> to exit from File Express, then start the program again using the /M command line option (more on this later). Or you can customize the various screen colors to black-on-white and white-on-black using the Setup program (see Customizing File Express). Computers On Local Area Networks File Express may be used on local area networks. The program incorporates its own file locking feature and does not depend on the network software or the DOS SHARE program to provide this capability. INSTALLATION 9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The first person to open a particular database on a network is the only user given permission to change it. (Add and edit records, search and replace, change indexes, tag records, etc). Subsequent users who open the same database are given a warning message indicating that the database is locked and they can only view records and print reports and labels. When the first user closes the database, another person using the same database can only get edit capability by reopening the file. It is possible for a person to give up the editing rights by using the /R command line option when starting File Express. See Command Line Options for a complete description. Technical Note: When File Express locks a database, it creates a READ ONLY file on the data drive to indicate to subsequent users that the database is being used by someone else. This file also contains the users name, if known. This file is normally erased when the first user closes the database. It is possible however, that due to a power failure or system crash for any reason, all future attempts by any user to edit the file will be given the warning message indicating that someone else is using the file. In this case, the lock file must be erased. This cannot be done from DOS because the lock file has been marked as a READ ONLY file. There is a separate program file called UNLOCK.EXE that must be used to erase the lock file. To use this program, return to DOS and type: UNLOCK databasename <Enter> If you have to use the UNLOCK program to clear a database lock, there are other side effects that can result from the same cause that left the database locked. If the power went out while you were adding or editing records, some of those additions or changes may not have been written to disk yet. If you were doing a Search and Replace, the process may not have been completed. If you had changed the database format in some way such as adding new fields, moving fields or changing their lengths, and File Express was in the process of rebuilding the database, a power failure can cause catastrophic, leaving part of the data file in a format different than the remaining portion. This is why it is so important to have a current backup before making this kind of change. So, if your computer ever locks up or the power goes out, note the process you were going through so you can determine the possible problems. 10 STARTING FILE EXPRESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting File Express From a Hard Drive Users with hard disks use the following commands to start the File Express program. Be sure to press <Enter> after each one. C: Make drive C: the current drive CD \FE5 Change directory to the new FE subdirectory FE Start the File Express program Actually, File Express can be run from any directory as long as the subdirectory containing the File Express program files is part of the current PATH. File Express is smart enough to remember where it was loaded from and knows where to look when loading the overlay file it needs at certain points in the program. From a Diskette Drive You cannot use the Master Program Diskette to run File Express. Make a working copy of the program diskette using the INSTALL program, and store the original in a safe place. Remember, the File Express Supplemental Diskette is not the diskette to use in drive B. Drive B needs an empty, or nearly empty diskette to hold your data files. There is very little free space available on the Supplemental Diskette. For more information on creating and formatting your working diskettes, see the Installation section at the beginning of this chapter. There is no room on the Program Diskette for DOS or COMMAND.COM so you must use a separate DOS diskette to boot your computer. After booting, remove the DOS diskette and insert the FE Program Diskette into drive A and type: FE <Enter> STARTING FILE EXPRESS 11 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The File Express program loads into memory, and after a second or two, this title screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here If your opening screen does not display, or if it has some unreadable characters, you probably have a special hardware configuration that File Express cannot properly detect. See the /M command in the next section, or refer to the section titled Troubleshooting near the end of this manual. 12 STARTING FILE EXPRESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The title screen is displayed until you press a key. The program loads and this screen appears asking for the disk drive and path (if any) your data is on: Registered Version has screen picture here File Express anticipates your response to these questions, and fills in some default values. If you are running from diskette, File Express assumes your data is on drive B. If not, type the correct drive letter. If you are running from a hard disk, File Express assumes your data is on drive C, in the same directory as the File Express programs. If not, change the path name. If the drive letter and subdirectory are correct, just press the <Enter> key twice, and the "Open A Database" screen appears. An illustration of this screen and further instructions on running File Express are in the chapter titled A File Express Tutorial. Technical Note: File Express does not create new subdirectories. If the specified subdirectory does not exist, an error message is given. For information on creating subdirectories, see your DOS manual. STARTING FILE EXPRESS 13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Command Line Options In the example above we typed FE on the command line to start File Express. There are other things that can be typed on that same line. For example, the drive letter and path can be included on the command line. File Express then skips the screen asking for them. Here are some examples of valid starting commands: FE B: Indicates data is on drive B. Program prompts for path. FE \MASTER\ Indicates data is in subdirectory \MASTER on the current drive. (The ending backslash on MASTER\ indicates a path as opposed to a database name.) FE B:\MASTER\ The data is in subdirectory \MASTER on drive B. FE MAIL Selects database called MAIL on current drive and path. (Because there is no trailing backslash, MAIL is considered a database name as opposed to a path name.) FE B:MAIL Selects the database called MAIL in the current path on drive B. FE B:\MASTER\MAIL Selects the database called MAIL from the \MASTER subdirectory on drive B. If a database name is specified on the command line but the database doesn't exist, File Express assumes you want to create a new database, so control is passed to the Define a New Database section. In addition to the drive, path and database name, the command line may also contain one or more of the following commands: /M Monochrome (black and white) display: This command is sometimes necessary when using File Express on a monochrome graphics monitor with a color graphics board. Users with color graphics monitors can also use the command to make the screens appear in black and white. /S Turn off the sound: File Express makes a distinctive "beep" when it accepts a data field from the keyboard. It makes a slightly different sound when an invalid character is entered. Some computers have louder speakers than others, and the sound may be annoying to you or to others around you. Use the /S command to turn it off. Sound can also be turned off by pressing <Alt-S> while at the Main Menu screen. 14 STARTING FILE EXPRESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- /B Use BIOS calls for screen display: Some computers' video memory is not fully compatible with the IBM PC. To display data on the screen as quickly as possible, File Express places data directly into video RAM. Some early models of MS-DOS computers did not map video memory at the same address as the IBM PC. On computers with video RAM at a different address, nothing is displayed; i.e., the screen stays blank. If you specify /B on the command line, File Express uses calls to the ROM BIOS for screen displays. This makes screen displays slower, but assures the data is displaying on the screen. /F Fast startup: This command tells File Express to skip the banner screen during startup. /I Ignore mouse: This command tells File Express to ignore any mouse connected to your computer. /K Keyin: This command feeds a string of characters to File Express when it starts up. The /K is immediately followed by the keystrokes to be executed when the program starts. For example, the command: FE MASTER /KRC starts File Express, opens the MASTER database and then continues as if you typed RC, taking you to the Report Menu and selecting the Choose an existing Report option. The keystrokes File Express accepts are quite extensive, covering every key on the keyboard and all combinations with <Alt> and <Ctrl>. The syntax is the same as the macro language. For a complete description, please refer to the Defining a Macro section of the manual. /N Network users name: The first person to log onto a database usually is given edit capabilities. Other users are given a warning message as they open the file that it is locked and they cannot edit any records. If the first person uses the /Nname command when opening a database from the command line, the warning message given to other users will include the persons name. The /N option must be immediately followed by the user name. For example, the command: FE PAYROLL /NDAVE by the first person opening the PAYROLL database, gives later users the message, "Warning, file is locked by DAVE". If no /N user name is given, the message will read, "Warning, file is locked by unknown user". STARTING FILE EXPRESS 15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- /R Read only: When using File Express on a local area network, only one user at a time is allowed to have edit capability on a particular database file. this is normally the first user to open the file. If the first person wants to give up the edit capability, use the /R command. /2 to /8 Menu selection: Indicates to File Express to select the specified menu number from the Main Menu, as if it had been typed in. Instead of the Main Menu appearing, the specified sub-menu appears on the screen. For example, if File Express is started using this command line: FE C:\MASTER\MAIL /3 the program opens the database called MAIL in the \MASTER subdirectory on drive C. The banner screen is not displayed, the drive/path prompt screen is not displayed, and the Main Menu screen is not displayed. The first screen the operator sees after entering this command is screen number 3, the Find/Edit Records screen. These slash command switches must follow the drive, path and database if they are specified. Use the forward slash character "/". The backslash character "\" does not work. There should be no spaces following the slash, but there may be one or more spaces preceding it. For example, these are acceptable commands: FE /M/S Acceptable FE /S Acceptable FE C:MAIL/M/S Acceptable FE C:MAIL /M/S/R Acceptable FE /M /S /B /NJill Acceptable These commands are unacceptable: FE / M Unacceptable. No space allowed between / and M. FEC:MAIL Unacceptable. DOS thinks program name is FEC. There must be a space after FE. File Express can be configured to automatically use one or more of these command line options plus several other 16 STARTING FILE EXPRESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- options by using the Setup program to create a configuration file. For more information on customizing File Express see the chapter titled Customizing File Express. Backing Up Your Data Making regular backup copies of disk data is essential, whether using File Express or any other program. Yet the backup process is often taken for granted or ignored in many software manuals. Backups are so fundamental we are including this section at the front of the manual, where new users will be sure to see it. Data Is Vulnerable Consider for a moment all the ways computer data can be lost or destroyed. Here are some of them: Human Error: This is the number one cause of data loss. Deleting the wrong record; erasing the wrong database; turning off the computer without exiting from the program; using the wrong command; these fall under the heading of human error. Media Wear: Diskettes wear out. Database programs help them wear out faster because they access the disk much more than word processors, spreadsheets and other software. This is not a criticism of database programs; it is expected of a database program to access large amounts of disk data quickly without having to load it all into memory. Damaged or Misplaced Media: Diskettes get bent, heavy objects get laid on them, coffee gets spilled on them, they are handled roughly, and eventually, they get even, by failing. Occasionally diskettes get lost, misplaced, even inadvertently thrown away. Equipment Failure: Hard disks and diskette drives fail, sometimes intermittently, sometimes permanently. When they go down, they often take their data with them. Acts of God: Most of us are insured against losses due to fire, flood, tornado, etc. Insurance companies pay to replace computers, lost software, sometimes even the cost of re-entering all the data into a database. But they don't pay for the time and revenue lost while the database is being rebuilt. And when the data is destroyed, often the paperwork from which the information was entered is destroyed too. Program Error: Program bugs can damage or destroy data too. While File Express has been extensively tested and is used BACKUPS 17 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- on hundreds of thousands of computers, there is always the possibility of an unforeseen problem somewhere within. Other programs can fail and cause loss of data too: DOS is a program, and not an infallible one. Theft: A manufacturer of anti-theft devices for computers ranks theft as the number two cause of data loss, second only to human error. We don't know if that's accurate, but when a burglar gets your computer, he also gets your hard disk and your data. You can get a new computer within a few hours, but without backups it could take weeks to rebuild your databases. Mystical factors, sun spots, UFO's, the dog ate it, etc.: These are the times when we don't know exactly why, but the file just disappeared from the disk. It's usually caused by one or more of the reasons listed earlier, but who really knows for sure? How Much Is Your Data Worth? As we use computers more and more in our work and personal lives, we come to rely more and more on them. At Expressware our databases have expanded over time to the extent that most of the data does not even exist anywhere else. So we make it exist somewhere else, by making backup copies of it. Even if the written data existed to rebuild our databases from scratch, it would take a person typing 50 words per minute over four months just to key it all back into the computer. And since the data doesn't exist anywhere else, the value of our backups is substantial. Daily Backups At Expressware we make a backup of our databases every day. Each evening the order desk clerk copies the current month's databases onto diskettes. These diskettes are kept in a safe place, and are not reused for seven days. There are five sets of daily backup diskettes, one for each day of the work-week. This means that every day we have five separate copies of our data, each progressively more current. Anyone making hundreds of changes and additions to a database every day is advised to make daily backups as well. Offsite Backups At the end of each month we make a complete backup onto magnetic tape of every hard disk in the company. These backup tapes are then taken to another building, where they are stored for six months. If burglars or hurricanes devastate our office, they will probably take all the software packages off the shelf along with the computers. But our programmers have their own PC's at 18 BACKUPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- home, so with the offsite backups of their hard disks, they can be productive again by lunch time. BACKUPS 19 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Backing Up A Diskette The easiest way to make a backup of a diskette is to make an identical copy of it, using the DISKCOPY program. Put your DOS disk in drive A and on the command line type: DISKCOPY A: B: A message appears on the screen telling you to put the source diskette in drive A and the destination diskette in drive B. If you have only one diskette drive, type: DISKCOPY A: A: Remove the DOS diskette from drive A. Put a write-protect tab on the master diskette (the one to be copied) and put it in drive A. Put the backup diskette into drive B (no write-protect tab on this one; it will be written on). It doesn't matter if the diskette in drive B is formatted or not because DISKCOPY formats as it copies. It's OK if the diskette has some data on it already; the data will be written over. Now press a key, and the copying begins. This process normally takes two to three minutes. Check the screen for errors. If an error has occurred, don't take any chances: throw the backup diskette in the trash and try another one. Your data is worth a lot more than the cost of a new diskette. If the copy was successful, DISKCOPY tells you so, then asks if you want to copy another diskette. If you have more to copy, respond <Y> and put the next two diskettes into drives A and B. Just because the copy was successful does not mean the diskette in drive B is readable. To really be safe, make new labels for both diskettes and make the copy your new master. Your old master diskette becomes the backup diskette. If the copy is bad, you will know it as soon as you try to use your new master diskette. One more step which many of us overlook or forget: label the backup diskette. It's a backup of what? When was it backed up? If you plan to re-use the diskette later and don't want to stick a label on it, then write a note on a piece of paper and put it in the disk sleeve. Or stick a yellow post-it note on the diskette. Or put all your backup diskettes in an envelope with the date written on the outside. Finally, put the backups in a safe place: maybe an unused desk drawer that is now the official backup drawer; or in a file folder. Keep the backup diskettes someplace where they will not be exposed to excessive heat, cold, dust or physical abuse. Briefcases, purses and glove compartments are usually not good storage areas. 20 BACKUPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty BACKUPS 21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Backing Up Databases On A Hard Disk These instructions assume the databases to be backed up are in a subdirectory named \FE5. If not, use your own subdirectory name. Databases on hard disks are often too large to fit on a single diskette, so the simple COPY command which DOS provides is not adequate. Instead, use the DOS program called BACKUP. Formatted diskettes are required, so format several (using the DOS FORMAT program) and set them aside. It's also OK to use diskettes with data on them, either from an earlier backup or something else (they are already formatted, so you can skip that step). 22 BACKUPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To start the backup process, type this command at the DOS prompt: BACKUP C:\FE5\*.* A: The backup program tells you to put a diskette in drive A. Label one of the formatted diskettes: BACKUP C:\FE5\*.* A: 1 OF __ and put it into drive A. The Backup program warns that all data on the diskette in drive A will be destroyed. Press <Enter> and the backup begins. As each file is copied to diskette its name appears on the screen. If you don't see some files displayed with names of your databases, something is wrong. If your databases are small, they might all fit on one diskette. Probably not, though. Soon the BACKUP program tells you to put diskette #2 in drive A. Label a second diskette, 2 OF __, put it in drive A, and press <Enter>. As each diskette is filled, label the next one and put it in drive A until the BACKUP program finally ends. This process may require several diskettes. Now fill in the blanks on the diskettes (e.g., 1 OF 5) and put them in a safe place. If you find you need the data from these backups at some time in the future, the diskette label indicates they were produced with the command BACKUP C:\FE\*.* A: which is important information. Since they were produced with the BACKUP program, they must be restored to the hard disk with the DOS program named RESTORE. If you need to retrieve only one file, don't use the DOS COPY command to restore it to the hard disk. Use the RESTORE program to restore any file backed up with BACKUP. Another important piece of information on the diskette label is that the files were backed up from the subdirectory \FE5. Restore them to the same subdirectory. RESTORE A: C:*.* is the command to use to put the files from the diskettes back onto your hard disk. They will automatically be placed in the \FE5 subdirectory. Backing Up A Complete Hard Disk If you want to periodically make a backup copy of your entire hard disk, the procedure is similar to backing up a subdirectory. But start by formatting lots of diskettes. If your 10 meg hard disk is full, or your 20 meg drive is half full, you will need 29 diskettes to back it up. Then type the following commands at the DOS command line: C: CD \ BACKUPS 23 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKUP *.* A: /S These commands get you onto the root directory of drive C, then the last command backs up all the files on the root, plus all subdirectories of the root (/S is for the subdirectories). One word of caution on complete system backups: because they take so many diskettes, it is tempting to start erasing old files from the hard disk to reduce the amount of time and space the backups take. Take it from a computer veteran who has made all the mistakes at least twice: don't erase anything prior to a backup. Human error (erasing the wrong files) is the biggest single cause of lost data. Resist the temptation. As soon as the backup is completed, go in and erase all those old files that have been gathering dust for two years. That way, they'll be gone when you do your backups next month, and you won't be faced with the temptation next month to erase before backing up. Tape Backups At Expressware we have many computers with so much information stored on them that it is not practical to make backups using the DOS BACKUP program. Instead, we use a tape drive for this purpose. Backing up many megabytes of data takes only a few minutes and doesn't require anybody sitting at the computers feeding them piles of diskettes. In the end, an entire 40 megabyte hard disk gets backed up on a tape cartridge that is about the size of a deck of cards. We have found that convenience plays a big part in whether timely backups are made of our files. If it is a painful process to make a backup, it won't be done as often as it should. If the process is easy and doesn't take much time, then the job will be done consistently. If you have a hard disk that is about 30 megabytes or larger and find that you are not making regular backups, you should consider purchasing either a tape drive or special backup software. They are relatively inexpensive and well worth the investment. 24 KEYBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Keyboard Conventions In this manual, and on many File Express screens, when you see a letter, number or special key enclosed in <brackets>, it means to press the key enclosed in the brackets. For example, <F1> means the F1 key. <Alt-F1> means hold down Alt and press F1. Likewise, <Shift-F1> means hold down Shift and press F1, and <Ctrl-F1> means hold down Ctrl and press F1. When a letter <A> through <Z> appears in brackets, either an upper-case (capital) or lower-case (small) letter may be entered. Sometimes at the bottom of a screen, the first letter of a word is enclosed in brackets, such as rint. This is a short-hand way to indicate that pressing the P key selects the Print function. The <Esc> Key The Escape Key, <Esc>, can be used anywhere in File Express to back out of a section of the program and return to the previous menu. For example, if you are adding records and the last one has been added, press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. If you are involved in a lengthy function, such as defining a report or defining a new database, and you press <Esc>, File Express does not leave the work you are doing without first asking if you want to abandon it. For example, if you are defining a new database and you press <Esc>, the following message appears: Press <Esc> for Main Menu, <Enter> to resume or <Spacebar> to start over File Express gives you a second chance, just in case you pressed the <Esc> key unintentionally. Sometimes the <Esc> key backs up only to the beginning of a line or the beginning of a logical sequence of events, in which case pressing it a second time exits to the previous menu. When a menu is displayed and you want to return to the Main Menu, press <Esc>. In fact, pressing <Esc> repeatedly always brings you back to the Main Menu. Single Keystroke Input When a prompt requires only one key to be pressed, the command is carried out immediately without having to press <Enter>. All single-key commands make a short "blip" sound (unless the sound option has been turned off). Whenever an incorrect or inappropriate key is pressed, File Express sounds a two tone warning and ignores the keystroke. KEYBOARD 25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The <F10> key is used in many places to indicate you are finished entering information and are ready to move on to the next step. For example, if a new database record has ten fields, but you only need to put data into the first field, press the <F10> key after entering the data in the first field. <Ctrl-W> and <Ctrl- Enter> can also be used as the <F10> key. Input Fields Of Two Or More Characters All questions or entries that let you press more than one key must be followed by an <Enter> before File Express processes the keystrokes. On any prompt or field letting you enter two or more characters, the following editing keys may be used: <Backspace> Erases the character to the left of the cursor. <Del> Erases the character the cursor is on. <Ins> Toggles Insert mode on and off. When Insert mode is on, the cursor increases in size. Characters are inserted at the cursor as they are entered, and the characters to the right of the cursor are shifted toward the end of the field. If any characters are pushed off the end of the field, File Express gives a short "blip" sound. <Left> Moves the cursor left, toward the beginning of the field. No characters are erased. <Right> Moves the cursor right, toward the end of the field. No characters are erased. <Home> Moves the cursor to the first position of the field. If the cursor is already in the first position of the field, <Home> moves to the first field on the screen. <End> Moves the cursor to the position following the last non-blank character on the line. <Ctrl-Home> Erases the entire line and puts the cursor back at the beginning of the field. <Ctrl-End> Erases all characters from the cursor to the end of the field. The cursor does not move. <Enter> Indicates all the data has been entered in the field. <Enter> may be pressed no matter where the cursor is within a field, and the entire field is processed as input. 26 KEYBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <PgDn> When the information being displayed occupies more than one screen, this key "scrolls" down to the next full screen. For example, the report writer lets you use up to 200 lines, but only sixteen lines fit in the window. Pressing <PgDn> causes the second sixteen lines to be displayed. Pressing it again displays the third sixteen lines. <PgUp> This key is the opposite of <PgDn>. On a multi-screen display it causes the previous full screen of information to be displayed. Characters may not be entered past the end of a field. Any attempt to enter further characters causes the computer to beep. However, all control keys (<Enter>, <Backspace>, <F10>, etc.) may still be used. Using a Mouse File Express supports the use of a Mouse for many input functions. You can use a mouse to select many File Express features and options. Before you do so, however, you must install your mouse according to the instruction in your mouse documentation. This includes the installation of a mouse driver telling your computer a mouse device is available for use. Once this is done, File Express automatically enables your mouse for use in the program. To File Express the mouse is an extension of the keyboard. If you move your mouse up (toward the back of the table), File Express interprets the movement as an <Up> cursor key. Likewise, if you move the mouse down (toward the front of your table), a <Down> cursor key is sent to File Express. Left and right movement translate to <Left> and <Right> cursor keys. Since selections on all menu screens in File Express can be controlled by using the cursor keys, the movement of a mouse can be used to make the same selections. Moving the mouse up and down or left and right causes the highlighted selection bar on the menus to move from one option to the next. Pressing the left button on your mouse is the same as pressing the <Enter> key. When you have highlighted the desired option on a menu screen, press the left mouse button to invoke it. Pressing the right button on your mouse is the same as pressing the <Esc> key. If you want to go back one menu level or cancel any operation you are involved in, pressing the right button takes you back. Anywhere in File Express that a cursor key, <Enter> key, or <Esc> key is appropriate, you can use the mouse as an alternative. KEYBOARD 27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have a mouse driver installed in your computer but don't want the mouse to work in File Express, use the /I command line option when starting the program. 28 KEYBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Context-Sensitive Help System File Express offers you context-sensitive help that is available at any time. Virtually every menu item, question, prompt, error message, and option in File Express has a help screen connected to it. There are well over 500 different help screens available. No matter where you are in the program, you can press <Alt-H> to get more information. For example, if you are about to import a file but you are not sure what kind of file you have, you can press <Alt-H> while viewing the Import Menu and File Express tells you a little about each type of file format. If you are about to enter a calculated field, you can press <Alt- H> for a list of all the functions available and helpful examples. If an error message is displayed on the screen, pressing <Alt-H> tells you about the error and what to do to correct it. Help topics can be from one to several pages in length. If a topic occupies more than one screen, you will see -- more -- at the bottom of the window and you can use the <PgDn> to display additional information. At the very bottom of the last page of each Help topic you will see -- end --. Many Help screens also refer you to a particular section in the User's Manual for additional information concerning the topic. To close the Help window, press any key other than the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys. Help File The information and index necessary to display the Help screens are contained in the files FE5.HLP and FE5.HLI which are provided with File Express. If File Express can't find these files when you press <Alt-H>, the window pops up with the message, Help File Not Found...press any key. If this happens, make sure you have copied FE5.HLP and FE5.HLI onto your hard disk or that the files are on your default diskette drive. KEYBOARD 29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Information Window Whenever you are using File Express, you can pop up an information screen showing you many things about your computer system and about the current conditions inside File Express. Pressing <Ctrl-V> displays the Version/Status Screen which looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here As you can see, the screen displays the version of File Express you are using, the amount of free memory currently available to File Express, the amount of free disk space on the Data Drive, and the Path to the Data Drive. Below this is the name of the database that is open, how many records you have added during the current session and how many records you have changed. The name of the current index and the total number of records in the database are also shown. The last piece of information at the bottom of the window indicates whether or not you have a mouse driver installed that File Express can use. The version number of the mouse driver is shown along with the type of mouse: 1 = bus mouse 2 = serial mouse 3 = InPort mouse 4 = PS/2 mouse 5 = Hewlett-Packard mouse Press any key to close the Version/Status Window. 30 KEYBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pop up Calculator File Express has a powerful, built-in calculator that can be popped up at any time by pressing <Ctrl-K>. This calculator harnesses the full power of the formula handler that is part of File Express. After popping up the calculator, which looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here You can enter simple mathematical formulas like: 23 * (34 + 45) and the answer appears below the input line when you press <Enter>. You can also use any of File Express' math functions: SIN(45) + COS(30) * SQR(ATN(82.5)) or even any of the string or date functions: FutureDate(TODAY, 45) If one of the records from the database is displayed on the screen behind the calculator, you can refer to any of the fields in the record: TOTAL SALES * .118 Whenever an answer has been displayed on the calculator, you can have the answer played back to File Express as if you had typed it in yourself. To do this, press <Alt-C>. The calculator disappears and the answer is played back. If you want to put away the calculator without remembering the answer, press <Esc>. TUTORIAL 31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A File Express Tutorial Instructions The following tutorial is provided to acquaint you with many of the features of File Express and to give you practical experience in creating and maintaining databases. The tutorial is presented in two sections, each containing several lessons. The first section, A Brief Tour of File Express, uses the TUTORIAL database included in the File Express package to show you some of the many features and options. The second section, Defining a New Database, takes you though the process of defining the fields for a database, adding a couple records,and many other common procedures. The lessons in section one all begin from the Main Menu and leave you at the Main Menu at the end of the lesson. No information in the TUTORIAL database is changed during the lessons in this section. Because of this, each lesson is independent of the others and can be followed at any time without having completed any of the other lessons in the section. Just start File Express, open the TUTORIAL database and start the lesson of your choice. The lessons in section one include: Opening a Database Find a Record Printing a Report The lessons in section two are designed to be followed step-by- step in order. Each lesson assumes you have completed all the previous lessons. Because each subsequent lesson depends on the information entered in the previous lesson, don't skip around. The lessons in section two include: Defining a New Database Adding New Records Painted Screens Quick Scan Create a Report 32 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As you go through the tutorial, you are asked to type specific strings of characters and to press specific keys. Each string you are to type is highlighted and is on a line by itself. For example: Phone Directory Just type the two words. Don't press <Enter> at the end unless it is part of the entry. For example: Phone Directory <Enter> Individual control keys, such as the cursor keys, function keys, alt key combinations, etc. are enclosed in angle brackets and are either part of a text entry or are presented by themselves on their own line. For example: <Up><Up><Enter> means press the <Up> cursor key twice and then the <Enter> key. Sequential entries are presented as: Jim <Enter> Smith <Enter> Acme Company <Enter> 123 1st St. <Enter> Seattle <Enter> The <Enter> keys are sometimes lined up to the right just to make them easier to read. Don't enter the spaces between the end of the string and the <Enter>. Some commands have an explanation of what they do in parentheses. <Down> <Enter> (move to Last Name field and press <Enter>) Don't type the parentheses or what they contain. At various points in the tutorial there are pictures of how the screen should look at that point. TUTORIAL 33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Section One: A Brief Tour of File Express Starting the Tutorial The tutorial begins by showing you some of the features and options of File Express using the TUTORIAL database that comes with the package. Before starting, make sure the TUTORIAL database is available. If you are using a hard disk, the INSTALL program copied the TUTORIAL database into a subdirectory call TUTOR which is off your program subdirectory. If you have deleted the TUTORIAL files, you must either copy them back onto your hard disk or use a diskette containing them. If you are using a diskette drive system, the TUTORIAL database is on the diskette titled Help Disk. Lesson One: Opening A Database This section assumes the File Express program files are in a subdirectory of drive C, called FE5 which is off the root directory or, if you are using a diskette system, that the program files are on the Program Disk in drive A. It is also assumed that the TUTORIAL files are in a subdirectory of FE5 called TUTOR, or if you are using a diskette system, are on the Help Disk in drive B. If your files are in a different place you will have to change the start-up commands to suite your environment. We start the tutorial by starting File Express. Type: FE <Enter> This brings up the Opening Screen which prompts you to Press any key to continue. Press: <Spacebar> File Express now asks you to: Indicate the drive to be used for Data. Answer: C Remember, don't press the <Enter> key. Single letter responses don't need it. If you are using a diskette system, press B instead. Now File Express wants to know path to your data. If you are using a hard disk, the default prompt should read C:\FE5 with the cursor blinking at the end of it. Press: <Enter> 34 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty TUTORIAL 35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have a diskette system, the default was B:\ and you should just press <Enter>. Next the Open A Database screen displays. It looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Before you can add records to a database, or print a report, or do anything in File Express, the program needs to know which database you want to work with. This screen displays all the databases on your disk, and asks which one is to be opened. If you have just installed File Express, there is only one database displayed; it is called TUTORIAL. It is the one you copied onto your disk during the installation process. If your screen doesn't look like this, or if you get a message that there are no databases on the disk, review the installation process before proceeding with the tutorial. The databases that are found on the drive and path selected are displayed on the screen alphabetically. Since TUTORIAL is the only database on this subdirectory or diskette, it is the only name listed on the screen and the prompt at the bottom already defaults to TUTORIAL so just press: <Enter> 36 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Now that the database has been selected, File Express goes to its Main Menu screen, which looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here The Main Menu Wherever you are in the File Express program, it is always possible to return to the Main Menu by pressing the <Esc> key one or more times. TUTORIAL 37 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Another option available at any time is a window describing the environment File Express finds itself in. To pull up this window, press: <Ctrl-V> The Version/Status Screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here This screen displays the version number, amount of free memory and disk space, the data drive path name, some information on the current database, and whether or not a mouse driver has been installed. To close the window press: <Spacebar> 38 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Context-Sensitive Help Screens If you have problems or questions about what you are doing at any time in File Express, you can pop up a help screen. All the help screens are context-sensitive, meaning that the help information displayed directly applies to what you are doing. Every menu option, prompt, field input, and error message in File Express has its own help screen. Let's move the highlight bar on the Main Menu down to the Find/Edit Records option by pressing: <Spacebar><Spacebar> When the Find Records selection is highlighted, press: <Alt-H> to display the Help screen for this option: Registered Version has screen picture here Press: <Spacebar> to restore the screen. TUTORIAL 39 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lesson Two: Finding A Record Let's look at some of the records in the TUTORIAL database by going to the Find/Edit Records section. There are three different ways you can select this option. You will notice that the first option on the Main Menu is highlighted. You can move this highlight bar down to each successive menu option by pressing either the down cursor key, the spacebar or, if you have a mouse, by moving the mouse down. It will also move back up with the up cursor key, or by moving the mouse up. The second way to select a menu option is by pressing the number on the left side. The third way, and the one we will use now, is to press the first letter of the description: O for Open a Database, A for Add New Records, etc. It is not necessary to press the <Enter> key; menu choices are single keystroke commands. To select the Find/Edit Records option, press: F The Find Menu, appears: Registered Version has screen picture here The most common choice on this menu is the first one, labeled Find A Record. Press: 1 to bring up the Record Selection screen so we can look at some records in this tutorial database. 40 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Registered Version has screen picture here Although this screen has lots of information on it, there is only one line at the bottom for data; everything else is information- al. The left side of the screen has a list of the fields in the database for reference. In a database of your own, the list of fields would be familiar, because you would have created it yourself. For this tutorial database, this is the first time we have seen the list of fields the database contains. As you can see, each record in this database has a first name, last name, company name, address, date, and some fields for entering numbers. The right side of the screen is a brief "help screen" describing some of the common ways to find a record and giving examples. Take a moment to examine this screen, including the notes on the right side. If it is not clear to you what all of them mean, that's OK. This tutorial will help to clarify the concepts. Additional information can be read in the Formulas section. The database we are about to search contains 20 fictitious names and addresses. Let's try finding the record for Penny Banks. Notice that the cursor is positioned on the line that says: Find all the records where:. File Express is waiting for you to complete the sentence. The default entry for the question is ALL but we are going to type right over it. Since we want to find Miss Banks' record, complete the sentence like this, type: last name is banks <Enter> TUTORIAL 41 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately, the record for Penny Banks displays on the screen. (If you are using a diskette system, you are a patient person and know that "immediately" really means "a moment or two", right?) Registered Version has screen picture here Once again, here are all the field names but they are arranged on a Painted screen. We will show you how to create this type of screen later in Section Two. Note the commands along the bottom line. Since these commands are the only keys you can press at this point, they are a sort of one-line menu, listing the things you can do, and asking you to select one. Let's try pressing the letter N for "Next" and see what happens. Type: N Remember, no <Enter>. File Express advances to the next record. After this tutorial database was created, it was sorted in alphabetic sequence by Last Name, so when you press N, the next record you see is the next one alphabetically. Press NNN again a few times and notice how quickly File Express finds each record and displays it. Now press PPP a few times. File Express displays backward through the database. Now lets go back to the Main Menu. Press: 42 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Esc><Esc> Lesson Three: Print a Report The Report Writer is where you tell File Express what you want to print and how you want it to look. With the Main Menu on the screen, press: R to display the Report Menu: Registered Version has screen picture here We have already defined a nice report for the TUTORIAL database so press: C to choose an existing report format file. Move the highlighted bar to the TUTORIAL file using the cursor keys and press: <Enter> When the Report Options Menu displays, press: P to print the report. File Express asks where you want the report displayed. Press: S to print the report to the screen: TUTORIAL 43 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When the report has printed, press: <Esc> <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. 44 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Section Two: Defining a New Database Start at the Main Menu The second section of the tutorial takes you through the process of defining a new database and adding records to it. Then we show you how to set up custom input screens, use the powerful Quick Scan mode where you can see twenty records at a time and edit them right in the list. We also go through the process of creating indexes and reports. The first section of the tutorial left you at the Main Menu with the TUTORIAL database open. We will start from here. If you are starting this section without having completed Section One, please follow Lesson One of that section One to the point where the Main Menu appears. Lesson One: Defining a New Database Defining a new database begins on the Open a Database screen. This screen is displayed after the Drive and Path Name prompts when starting File Express and it also appears when you select the Open a Database option from the Main Menu. If you have just completed Section One of the tutorial, the Main Menu is now displayed on the screen. To display the Open a Database screen, press: 1 If you are starting File Express from DOS, follow the instructions in Lesson One of Section One until the Open a Database screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here The Database name prompt at the bottom of the screen currently defaults to TUTORIAL. To start a new database you must type in a TUTORIAL 45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- new name that is not on the list in the window. We will start a database called EXAMPLE. If someone else has already gone through this section of the tutorial and has created an EXAMPLE database, you can either erase the existing database by highlighting the EXAMPLE line and pressing the <Alt-D> key or select a different name for the new database, like EXAMPLE2. The tutorial assumes you are creating EXAMPLE so if your name is different, substitute your name wherever EXAMPLE is used. At the Database name prompt, type: EXAMPLE <Spacebar><Enter> The <Spacebar> blanks out any letters remaining on the name you are typing over. The Define Database screen now appears and looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here The Example database we are going to define is a simple mailing list consisting of date, name, and address fields, two numeric fields, a formula field, and a comment field. Field Name Each field in a database must have a field name. Field names can consist of up to twelve characters and can include spaces and other punctuation marks. Field number 1 will be the Date field. Type: When Entered <Enter> Field Type The cursor moves over to the -type- column. A field can be one of six different field types supported by File Express, Character, Numeric, Formula, Date, User-defined, and Text 46 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Formula. The default is Character. A field type is selected by pressing its first letter. Our When Entered field will be a Date type, so press: D Date fields have a set length and format. The default length is 8 and the default format is MM-DD-YY. This can be change to any one of four different formats by using the Setup program included with File Express. Since the length and format are known, File Express automatically fills in these two columns on the screen for you. The cursor is now at the -field name- column waiting for the next entry. Type: First Name<Enter> To accept the -type- default answer if C, press <Enter> Our First Name field is to be twelve characters long. This will accommodate most first names. Type 12<Enter> The word Character is placed in the -format- column and you are ready for field three. Type in the following entries to fill in the next five fields: Last Name <Enter> <Enter> 20 <Enter> Address <Enter> <Enter> 30 <Enter> City <Enter> <Enter> 20 <Enter> State <Enter> <Enter> 2 <Enter> Zip Code <Enter> <Enter> 10 <Enter> Your screen should now look like this: The next two fields will be Numeric. The first be a whole number field and the second will contain dollar amounts. For the first, type: How Many<Enter>N3<Enter>0<Enter> This defines a field with a name of How Many that is Numeric, three digits long, with zero decimal places. The ### in the - format- column indicates this. This field will later accommodate numbers from -99 to 999. TUTORIAL 47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For the second numeric field, actually field number 9, type: How Much<Enter>N6<Enter><Enter> The last <Enter> accepted the default of two decimal places. The -format- column shows ###.## to indicate the length and decimals. Now, for a formula field to multiply the How Many field by the How Much field. We will call it Balance Due. Type: Balance Due<Enter>F8<Enter><Enter> The F in the -type- column indicates a Formula field. Formula fields are automatically calculated and filled in for you when you are later entering records into your database. The screen now looks like this: File Express is now prompting for you to enter the formula for the field. Type: how many * how much <Enter> You could have used all capital letters if you wanted. File Express ignores the case of field names. Whenever you are referring to a field, you can either use the name of the field or an F followed by the field number (F8 for example). Thus, the formula could be F8 * F9. Using field names makes it easier to later decipher a formula, but if you have any fields in a database that have the same name, the F-field number alternative is the only way to refer to the second of the two fields. The last field will be a nice big comment field. Type: Comments<Enter><Enter>200<Enter> Your screen should look like this: 48 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Express is waiting for us to type in a twelfth field name but we only want the eleven we have defined. Instead of entering another field name, just press: <Enter> File Express jumps out of input mode and offers you some choices at the bottom of the screen: Registered Version has screen picture here Looking at the database you have just defined on the screen, it is obvious you have forgotten something. There is supposed to be a Company field between the Last Name and Address. One of the options at the bottom of the screen is nsert. Press: I Remember, no <Enter>. File Express now asks, "Insert field before which number?". We want to insert the Company field above the Address field which is number 4, so type: 4 <Enter> File Express moves fields 4 through 11 down one line and inserts a new blank line where we want to put the Company field and prompts for the field name. TUTORIAL 49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Type: Company <Enter> <Enter> 30 <Enter> This fills in the missing field and takes you back to the option prompt at the bottom of the screen. Let's change the name of the first field from When Entered to Date Entered. Press: C to select the <C>hange option. Answer the "Enter Field Number to Change" question with: 1 <Enter> The cursor jumps back up to the name prompt on field one. Type: Date <Enter> over the When portion of the old field name and press: <Enter> to keep the D in the -type- column. Now were are back to the options prompt again. We forgot another field, Phone Number. We want to put this at the end of the list. Press: A for the <A>dd option which put us back into adding new fields mode. Type: Phone Number <Enter> For the -type- column press: U 50 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- for a User-defined field. For the -length- type: 13 <Enter> File Express now prompts for the edit mask for this field. An edit mask is a set of predefined characters that are automatically filled into the field before you add information to it. When you do add information, the cursor jumps over the predefined characters so you don't have to type them. Phone numbers are generally in the format: "( ) - ", so it is natural for an edit mask. Type: ( ) -<Enter> (That is an open parenthesis, three spaces, a closing parenthesis, three more spaces, a dash, and then <Enter>. Now press: <Enter> one more time to get back down to the options prompt. One last change before we save the new database definition, Let's move the Phone Number field up between the Zip Code and the How Many fields. Press: M for the <M>ove option. When prompted to "Enter Field Number to Move", answer: 13 <Enter> When asked which field to move it before, answer: 9 <Enter> File Express moves the field into its correct position. The screen should now look like this: Now we are ready to save the new format. Press: S for the <S>ave option. <Enter> to accept it. As a final question, File Express asks for a file description. Type: TUTORIAL 51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Example database for Tutorial <Enter> This description will be displayed on the Open a Database screen in the future to remind you of the purpose of the database. File Express now saves your new database definition and returns you to the Main Menu. Lesson Two: Adding New Records If you are not at the Main Menu, press the <Esc> key until the Main Menu screen is displayed. Adding new records is easy: just select menu choice 2 - Add New Records by pressing: 2 A screen similar to the one used for displaying and changing records is displayed, except all the fields are empty: Registered Version has screen picture here To add a new record to the database, just enter the data in each field then press the <F10> key when you are done. Let's fill in the first field of the first record. Type: 061290 <Enter> Because this is a Date field, the cursor skips over the dashes as you enter the numbers. Now fill in the name and address. Type: David <Enter> Berdan <Enter> Expressware <Enter> PO Box 1800 <Enter> Duvall <Enter> WA <Enter> 98019-1800 <Enter> 52 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The cursor is now on the Phone Number field. Because this is a User-defined field, the parenthesis and dash are automatically placed in the field. To fill this type of field, just type the numbers to fill the blanks: 2067880932 <Enter> For the How Many field, enter: 10 <Down> Notice how the <Down> key works the same as the <Enter> key. When entering numbers into a Numeric field, the input is left justified as you enter it but is formatted and right-justified when you leave the field. Into the How Much field, type: 4.6 <Enter> Two things now happen. First, the 4.6 you entered is converted to 4.60 and redisplayed right-justified, and second, because the Balance Due field is a formula field, its answer is calculated, formatted and printed in its place to the right of the field name. The last field on the input screen is the Comments field. Notice the "+" sign at the right end of the field. This shows you that the field is longer than will fit on the screen and that as you enter information, the field will scroll sideways to make room. Enter: Expressware publishes File Express, ExpressCalc, ExpressCheck, ExpressGraph, and On-Side <Enter> As you were typing ExpressGraph, the field started scrolling to the left to make room for the remainder of the sentence. After pressing <Enter>, the Comments field was reprinted from its left end and File Express asks if you would now like to save this record on disk. Your screen should look like this: To save the record, press <Enter> The record is saved on disk and a new, blank record is displayed and ready for your input. TUTORIAL 53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Since the second records information will be very similar to the previous record, we would like to start with a copy of the last record we just entered. To do this, press: <Alt-R> All the field entries from the previous record are duplicated and printed on the screen. Make the following changes: <Down> Ken <Spacebar> <Spacebar> <Enter> McGinnis <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> 20 <Enter> 8 <Enter> Your screen now looks like this: To save the record press: <Enter> <Enter> The third record we will enter has the same date as the previous record, but all the remaining information will be different. To copy a field from the previous record, press: <Ctrl-R> The previous date is placed into the Date Entered field and the cursor moves to the First Name field. To complete the third record fill the following: Howard <Enter> Smith <Enter> <Enter> 789 West 3rd <Enter> Mill Creek <Enter> CA <Enter> 90262 <Enter> <Enter> 16 <Enter> 222.48 <Enter> Does not have a phone <Enter> Note that nothing was entered into the Company and Phone Number fields. Your screen looks like this: Did you notice that when you just pressed <Enter> on the Phone Number field without entering a phone number, the parentheses and dash disappeared? This is a feature of a User-defined, and Date field. 54 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Before you save the record, you notice that the How Much entry is supposed to be 2.48, not 222.48. To go back and change the field, press: C to get back into edit mode, and: <Down><Down><Down><Down><Down> <Down><Down><Down><Down><Down> to move back down to the How Much field. As an experiment, press the period key: . File Express just beeped because you were trying to enter a decimal into the first position of the field and there was already a decimal in the third position. Now type (without pressing the <Enter> key): 2.48 The result is 248.48. When you typed 2.48 you actually got 2 beep 48. There are two special things to remember when editing a Numeric field: Only one decimal point is allowed and the <Spacebar> blanks from the cursor position to the end of the field. With this information we can fix the entry by pressing: <Left> <Left> <Spacebar> .48 <Enter> Of course the easiest way to change 222.48 into 2.48 would be to just press the <Del> key twice to delete the first two 2's. But then you wouldn't have learned as much. Now press: <Enter> <Enter> to save the third record. You can actually save a record at any time by pressing <F10> while the cursor is in any input field. When you save a record this way, the Save window is not popped up. To return to the Main Menu, press: <Esc> TUTORIAL 55 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Important: when you are done adding or changing records in a database, always return to the Main Menu before removing your diskettes or turning off your computer. File Express runs under the control of your own DOS program, and sometimes DOS does not write all your changes to disk until the data files are "closed". This occurs each time you return to the Main Menu and after every fifth record change. By returning to the Main Menu after finishing with File Express, you ensure that DOS has written everything to disk. If you are concerned about potential loss of data, it is possible to configure File Express to close the database files after every update. This causes a noticeable slow-down when adding or changing records on a diskette system, but ensures that data is immediately stored on disk by requiring DOS to write it. 56 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lesson Three: Painted Screens On the input screen you used in Lesson Two, the fields were arranged in a simple vertical column. File Express lets you custom design input screens where you can move the fields to any position on the screen, draw lines, and add text. Using the Paint feature of File Express, you can create visually appealing input screens that are easier to fill in and can actually mimic the layout from which you are entering the information. To create a new input screen, called a View, press: M from the Main Menu to display the Maintenance Menu. Then press: P to display the View Menu: Registered Version has screen picture here To design a new View, press: D TUTORIAL 57 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- An empty painted screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here Each Painted screen is 21 lines high and 80 characters wide. A View can consist of up to 10 Painted screens (also known as Pages). You can move the cursor around the screen by using the <Up>, <Down>, <Left>, and <Right> cursor keys. As the cursor moves, the row and column position of the cursor is displayed near the lower right corner of the screen. In the screen picture above, "p= 1:r= 1:c= 1" means the cursor is on page 1, row 1, column 1. Now we are going to place the input fields inside the box. Move the cursor to row 4, column 10 by pressing: <Down> three times <Right> nine times To place the first field on the screen, press: <Alt-F> This pops up a list window containing the name and length of each field you have define for the EXAMPLE database. Since the Date Entered field is highlighted and is the field we want to place on the screen, just press: <Enter> File Express now gives you three choices on how to place the field on the screen. You can either put just the input portion of the field on the screen, both the field name and the input portion on the screen, or, if the field is 40 characters or longer, you can put the field on the screen in a rectangular 58 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- block. We will be using the Name & Field option. Move the highlight bar down to this choice and select it by pressing: <Down> <Enter> Now tell File Express to place the field as an Input field by pressing: <Enter> to accept the default answer of I. File Express now places both the field name and its input portion on the screen. Move the cursor to row 6, column 10 by pressing: <Down> twice, <Home> and <Right> nine times The next field we want to put on the screen is the First Name field. Press: <Alt-F> to pop up the field name list. Notice that the First Name field is already highlighted. Press: <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> to place the field with its field name as an input field. The cursor is left one character past the end of the field, just where we want to put the Last Name. Press: <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> Now move the cursor to row 7, column 10 by pressing: <Enter> and <Right> nine times (from here on we won't give you the exact keys to move to a specific row and column location on the screen. We will just tell you want row and column to move to and you can use the cursor keys to get there any way you like). Now, to put the Address and Company on the screen by pressing: <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> move to row 8, column 10 <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> move to row 9, column 10 Now for City, State, and Zip Code, press: TUTORIAL 59 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> Put the Phone Number field at row 11, column 10, How Much at row 13, column 10 and How Much at row 14, column 10 by pressing: move to row 11, column 10 <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> move to row 13, column 10 <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> move to row 14, column 10 <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> Now move to row 16, column 10 and put the Balance Due field on the screen by pressing: move to row 16, column 10 <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> Since the Balance Due field is a Formula field, the Input question was skipped because a formula field won't accept input. 60 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The screen should now look like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Before we proceed any further, lets line up some of the fields on the screen. When a field name and field are placed on the screen there is only one space put between them. Vertical columns of input fields don't line up if their field names are different lengths. As you can see, the First Name, Company, Address, and City fields don't line up. Neither do the three number fields at the bottom. move to row 7, column 18 Press: <Insert> to put the cursor into insert mode. When the cursor is in this mode, it changes from a blinking underline to a blinking block. Now press: <Spacebar> three times to push the input field three places to the right. Now let's line the remaining fields: move to row 8, column 18 <Spacebar> three times move to row 9, column 15 <Spacebar> six times move to row 13, column 19 <Spacebar> eight times move to row 14, column 19 <Spacebar> five times TUTORIAL 61 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Now press: <Insert> again to take the cursor out of insert mode and change it back to a blinking underline. We want to put the last field, Comments, on the screen as a window field. Move to row 12, column 39: move to row 12, column 39 <Alt-F> <Enter> to pop up the field name list and select the Comments field. Move the highlight bar to Field in Window and select it by pressing: <Down> <Enter> File Express displays a block of blinking squares two rows high and twenty characters wide. This is the minimum size of a window field. We can now use the cursor keys to increase the width and height of the block to the size we want. Press: <Right> eleven times and then <Down> four times The block is now the size we want so press: <Enter> <Enter> to set the block as an input field. 62 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The screen should look like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Now, lets put a box around it all using the line drawing option of File Express. move to row 3, column 7 Turn on the Line Drawing option by pressing: <Alt-L> <L>ine:OFF changes to <L>ine:ON at the bottom of the screen. The ox: option indicates we will be using double line characters while we draw lines. Now to draw a box; press: <Right> sixty-six times until the column counter reaches 73. Be careful not to go past column 73. (If you do, move the cursor back to column 73 using the <Left> key. You will have an extra line on your box but it won't affect the rest of the tutorial). Now press: <Down> sixteen times (to row 19, column 73) <Left> sixty-six times (to row 19, column 7) <Up> sixteen times (to row 3, column 7) <Right> <Alt-L> to finish off the last corner of the box and to turn off the Line option. TUTORIAL 63 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Your screen should now look like this: Registered Version has screen picture here The finishing touch will be a little bit of text: move to row 2, column 34 Customer List move to row 11, column 39 Comments: move to row 15, column 22 -------- We are finished! To save our creation, press: <F10> File Express asks: "Save all changes [Y/N]? Y". Press: <Enter> When prompted to "Enter a name for this view", type: CARDFILE <Enter> and for the description: Example of Painted Screen <Enter> File Express now saves your new View and returns to the View Menu. Press: <Esc> <Esc> to return to the Maintenance Menu, and then to the Main Menu. Now, let's look at your new input screen. Press 64 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A for the Add New Records option. The new Painted input screen is displayed: Registered Version has screen picture here Let's try it out. Enter the follow record: 062390 <Enter> Mary <Enter> Contrary <Enter> Gardening is Us <Enter> 100 Primrose Ave <Enter> Rose City <Enter> WA <Enter> 98224 <Enter> 2065551212 <Enter> 3 <Enter> 1.95 <Enter> This is an example of the word-wrap feature of a window field. You can always see the entire contents of the field and you don't have to worry where the words break. To exit a block field, press: <Ctrl-Enter> (If you have set the Block Field Exit Key to be <Enter> in the FE5SETUP program, you can also use <Enter> here to exit the field.) Now, to save the record, press: <Enter> TUTORIAL 65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- and finally: <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. 66 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lesson Four: Create an Index An Index keeps track of the information in a database in a certain order. Each time you add a new record or edit an existing one, all the associated indexes are updated. Whenever you create a new database, two indexes are automatically defined to go along with it, the Record Number index and the Deleted Record index. The Record Number index keeps track of the records you enter in the order of their assigned record numbers. The Deleted Record index keeps track of any records that are deleted so they can be reused by File Express when you add new records later. Most of the time, you will want to access the information in your database in an order different than by record number. For the purposes of this tutorial we will create two new indexes. The first will track the information in Last Name order, and the second in Company order. To create a new index, make sure the Main Menu is displayed and press: S to select the Sort Index option. The Select Index window appears: Registered Version has screen picture here As you can see, the Record Number (Record #) and Deleted Record indexes are already on the list. A defined index can have a Status of either ACTIVE, INACTIVE, or PRIMARY. An INACTIVE index is not updated as records are added or changed. ACTIVE and PRIMARY indexes are updated. The PRIMARY index is used whenever records are displayed or printed in sequence. There can only be one index specified as PRIMARY at any given time. The PRIMARY status can be reassigned to any ACTIVE index. Sound confusing? Be patient. TUTORIAL 67 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The current PRIMARY index is Record Number. If you were to print a report right now, it would be printed in record number order, which is the order in which we entered the records. Since we want to be able to look at our records in Last Name order, we have to create a new index to keep track of them in that order. To create this new index, move the highlight bar to the first UNUSED entry just below the Record Number index by pressing: <Down> To define this new index, press: E to select the <E>dit option. The Edit Index screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here Press: <Down> <Down> <Down> <Enter> to select the Last Name field as the first field to keep sorted. At the Position prompt, press: <Enter> <Enter> to accept the default of keeping track of the entire field in the index (1:20), and to keep the field in Ascending order. 68 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For Sort Level 2 we will use the First Name field. This will mean that any records that have the same Last Name will be further sorted into First Name order. Select the full First Name field in ascending order by pressing: <Up> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> We are now finished, so press: <F10> to tell File Express we want to save the new index definition. For the name of the index and its description, enter: LASTNAME <Enter> Sorted into Last Name order <Enter> The Select Index screens reappears with the new LASTNAME index in the list with a Status of ACTIVE and a check mark in the TAG column indicating the new index is tagged to be created when we press the <F10> key. Before we do, however, lets create another index that keeps the information in Company field order. Type the following: <Down> E (next UNUSED and <E>dit) <Down> <Down> <Down> <Down> (move to the Company field) <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> (use all the default answers) <F10> (finished and save) COMPANY <Enter> (index name) Sorted in Company order <Enter> (description) TUTORIAL 69 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Now we are back to the Select Index list which should look something like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Now, lets build both our new indexes by pressing: <F10> As the new indexes are being built, File Express keeps you informed of its progress with a percentage gauge on the screen: Registered Version has screen picture here When the indexes have been built, press any key to return to the Main Menu. 70 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lesson Five: Quick Scan The Quick Scan feature of File Express is a great way to view a lot of information from multiple records on the screen at once. All the data displayed can be edited right on the screen. From the Main Menu, press: FQ to pull up the Find Menu and select the Quick Scan option. At this point you can either select up to eight specific field in a specific order, or you can just press <Enter> which selects the first eight fields in consecutive order. Let's select the second choice. Press: <Enter> Registered Version has screen picture here The Quick Scan option displays up to twenty records on the screen. As you move to each field, you can edit its contents if edit mode is turned on. Let's turn it on now by pressing: <Alt-E> In the lower right corner of the screen, <E>dit:OFF changes to <E>dit:ON. Now move from the Date Entered field in the first record, to the First Name field. Press: <Tab> Now lets change David to Dave. Type: Dave <Spacebar> <Enter> TUTORIAL 71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As the cursor left the changed field when you pressed <Enter>, the record was saved to disk with the new change. Notice that the records are displayed in record number order. The current PRIMARY index is displayed in the upper left corner; Index:RECORD#. Let's change to our Last Name index by pressing: <Alt-P> (pull up Select Primary Index screen) <Down> (move highlight bar to LASTNAME) <Enter> (select it) Now the Quick Scan screen is displayed in Last Name order. Move to the Last Name field on the bottom record, Smith, with: <Ctrl-PgDn> <Tab> Now change Smith to Anderson, by typing: Anderson <Enter> Because the Last Name field was part of the Primary index, changing it caused File Express to rearrange the records into the proper order. The cursor is now in the Berdan record. To display the full record, press: <Alt-R> You can now edit any of the fields in the record. To return to Quick Scan mode, press: <F10> To return to the Main Menu, press: <Esc> <Esc> 72 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lesson Six: Create a Report One of the most important reasons for entering information into a database is to get useful information back out later. A printed reports can compile mountains of data and present it in a useable format. To define a report, make sure you are viewing the Main Menu, and press: R to select the Report Writer option. When the Report Menu appears, press: D to Design a new Report. The first screen to appear is titled Report Size and Spacing: Registered Version has screen picture here For our example report format we will use all the default answers, so press: <F10> TUTORIAL 73 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- to move on to the Report Layout screen: Registered Version has screen picture here The cursor is at the left edge of the Detail area. To put the Last Name field on the report in that position, press: <Alt-F> (pop up the field list window) <Down> <Down> (move the highlight to Last Name) <Enter> (select it) <Enter> (select field without field name) Now put the First Name field on the report by pressing: <Alt-F> <Up> <Up> <Enter> <Enter> Now the three numeric fields by typing: <Alt-F> (pop up field list) <Down> seven times <Enter> <Enter> (select the How Many field) <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> (select the How Much field) <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> (select the Balance Due field) 74 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The screen should look like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Now, let's put a title on the report. When the Report Layout screen was first displayed, only the Detail area had a blank line already inserted. All the other areas are empty and contain no lines at all. The <Alt-I> key is used to insert a line right above the line the cursor is on. To insert a line in the Title area move the cursor up so it is on the Headings line and insert a line by typing: <Up> <Up> (to get to the Headings line) <Alt-I> (to insert a line in the Title area) <Home> (move cursor to column 1) Type in the following title: Example Report Layout The title is left justified but we want to have it centered on our report. File Express has a feature called Text Alignment that can be used to automatically format the text on any line of a report. To demonstrate the Text Alignment capability in the Title press: <Alt-A> (to select Text Alignment) <C> (to select Centering) File Express automatically centers the title within the Report Width setting (which is 80 in this case). Although the title looks off center right now, it is actually centered within 80 characters and will print in the center of the page. TUTORIAL 75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The screen now looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Now, we need some Headings. Again, we can use Area Formatting to help us out. The most commonly used format for a Heading area is to use the field names as column headings and a dashed line below them for the length of the field. To automatically generate this style of Heading, type: <Down><Down> (to move to the Headings line) <Alt-G> (to Generate the Headings area format) 76 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The screen now looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here When putting the field names above the columns, only the portion that fits is used. For example, the How Many column is only three characters wide so only How will fit above it. To make a report look better, you can insert another line and make two line headings, or you can spread out the fields in the Detail area so that longer column headings can be used. For our example here, however, we will simply type over some of the column headings so they make more sense. Do the following: move to the first How in line 1 of the Heading area type ### over the How move right one space and type $$$.$$ over the How Mu Now, let's format the Total area: move the cursor to the Footer line <Alt-I> <Alt-I> (to insert two lines in the Total area) move to Row 1, Col 35 in the Total area --- ------ -------- move to Row 2, Col 35 in the Total area <Alt-F> (pop up field list) move the highlight bar to the HOW MANY field <Enter> (pop up the field type window) move the highlight bar to Field.TOTAL <Enter> (to select it) QTY <Enter> (for the field name) N (make this a numeric field) <Enter> (to confirm formula) <Enter> (to confirm field length) <Enter> (to confirm decimal places) Now we will repeat this for the next two fields: <Alt-F> TUTORIAL 77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Enter> <Enter> PRICE TOTAL <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Alt-F> <Enter> <Enter> TOTAL DUE <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> <Enter> We are finished defining the layout for our report, so press: <F10> 78 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Report Optional Specification screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here We will accept all the default answers on this screen, so press: <F10> again to bring up the Report Output Options screen: Registered Version has screen picture here Again, accept all the default answers by pressing: <F10> TUTORIAL 79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Select Primary Index screen pops up. We want to print our records in Last Name order, so move the highlight bar to the LASTNAME line and press: <Enter> File Express now asks if you would like to "Save all changes". Press: Y For the name and description of the report, enter: EXAMPLE <Enter> Example Report Layout <Enter> File Express now confirms where you want the report printed. Press: S The report is printed to the screen and looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Press: <Spacebar> to return to the Main Menu. 80 TUTORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You now have a basic understanding of File Express menus and prompts, and you know how to "find your way around" in the program. There are hundreds of other options and features of File Express which this tutorial did not discuss. The remainder of this manual explains all these features, so you can review them as you need them. OPENING A DATABASE 81 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Opening a Database Before you can add records to a database, or print a report, or do anything in File Express, the program needs to know which database you want to work with. When File Express is started, there are three ways to identify the database to be used: 1) From the command line. 2) From the Setup program. 3) If neither of the other methods is used, File Express goes directly to the Open A Database screen and asks you to select a database from the list. Option number 1 was described previously under Command Line Options. Option 2 is described in the Customizing File Express section. The following description pertains to option 3: After starting File Express and answering the database drive and path questions, a list is presented. This screen displays all the databases on your data disk, and asks which one is to be opened. If you have just installed File Express, there is only one database displayed; it is called TUTORIAL. It is the one you copied onto your disk during the installation process. If you have created additional databases, they are displayed in the list as well. If you get a message telling you there are no databases on the disk, please refer to the Defining a New Database section. 82 OPENING A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The databases found on the drive and path selected are displayed on the screen alphabetically. The database selection screen looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here Several functions may be performed from the database selection screen: * An existing database can be chosen, by either moving the highlighted bar to the desired database name or by typing the database name directly into the input field. As you move the highlighted bar up and down using the cursor keys, <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys, or your mouse if you have one, the name of the currently highlighted database is automatically filled into the input field for you. When the correct database name is in the input field, pressing <Enter> tells File Express to go ahead and open that file. * A new database can be defined by typing in a database name not already in use. The screen for defining a new database is displayed and explained below. If you end up at the Define Screen because of misspelling a database name, pressing <Esc> returns you to the database name list where you can try again. * An existing database can be deleted by highlighting its name in the list and pressing <Alt-D>. File Express confirms your intention for the database to be destroyed before it continues. Erasing a database eliminates all its data records and indexes plus any report and label formats and keyboard macro file associated with the database. * An existing database can be renamed (given a different name) by pressing <Alt-R> when the database name is highlighted. File Express prompts for the new name and description. The OPENING A DATABASE 83 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- new name may be any valid DOS file name from one to eight characters, and may not already be in use as a database name on the same drive and subdirectory. * If you want to display a list of database files from a different path, press <Alt-P>. File Express takes you back to the Drive and Path prompts. * You can make a copy of an existing database by highlighting it name and pressing <Alt-C>. File Express asks you for the name and description of the new database and which parts you want to copy. * When you define a new database and save it, File Express prompts you to enter a description up to 40 characters long. This description is saved in the header file for that database. If you want to change the description, press <Alt-E> while the database line is highlighted. If you are running File Express from diskettes, and you discover your database is not on the diskette currently in drive B, press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu or the Path prompt, then put the new diskette in drive B and select Open A Database from the Main Menu or press <Enter> on the Path prompt again. After File Express opens your database, the Main Menu is displayed: 84 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Defining A New Database Database Definition Screen When the database name entered does not already exist, File Express displays the Database Definition screen: Registered Version has screen picture here The fields of your new database are entered on this screen, one per line. A database may have as many as 200 fields, provided the total combined length of the fields does not exceed 4000 characters. In addition to a name, each field has various attributes, such as type, length, and format, which are entered on this screen. Since there are several rules and considerations for each of the columns on this screen, each column is discussed separately in the following sections: Field Name When defining a new database, you first need to determine which pieces of data (fields) are necessary. If need be, make a list of the fields on paper before starting, then review them to see if they should be broken down into smaller pieces. For example, if you have the first and last name together in a field called "NAME", there is no way to sort the records into last name sequence. Likewise, if the CITY, STATE and ZIP are together in one continuous field, there is no way to sort or select by zip code. Each field must be given a name, from one to twelve characters. The field name usually describes the data the field holds. Here are examples of some typical field names: DEFINE A DATABASE 85 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty 86 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- First Name Invoice No. Last Name Account No. Company Name Part Number Customer Price Address Cost Department Amount Phone Number Quantity City Tax State Total Zip Code Mo-Day-Yr Country Date From the examples above you can see that spaces, periods and dashes are allowed in field names. Just about any other special character may be used too, but we suggest you limit the use of special characters, because they can occasionally cause problems later when File Express is processing formulas. For example, if you have fields named PRICE and PRICE+1, when you reference PRICE+1 in a report, File Express assumes you want the value 1 added to the field called PRICE instead. To prevent such ambiguities, it is a good idea to avoid special characters in field names. It is also best to avoid field names made up of only numeric characters. If you try to do arithmetic on a field called 5280, the report writer is not sure if you are referring to the field named 5280 or the number 5280. Using a number with letters in a field name, such as PRICE3, is acceptable. The field name usually appears on the screen when adding or changing records (field names can be omitted by making a custom input screen called a View), so for appearance sake, you may want to use upper- and lower-case characters in the name. This is acceptable, and does not create any problems when referring to the field names in reports and in formulas, because File Express ignores case in those instances. Two fields may have the same name. However, if you refer to a field by name in a report, File Express uses the first occurrence of the name. Another method of identifying the precise field which you want to use is to reference it by field number such as F32 for Field 32. It is easy to change one or more field names later, even if there is data in the database, by using a selection from the Mainte- nance Menu. If reports have already been created which refer to the old field name, they must be changed as well before they can be printed. DEFINE A DATABASE 87 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field Type After you have entered the field name at the beginning of the line, the cursor moves to the Type column. A prompt displays a list of the valid field types. They are: <C> Character Field: This is the most common field type. Names, addresses, abbreviations, even zip codes are usually defined as character fields. Character fields may be as short as one character or as long as 1000 characters. Any character, number or special symbol you can enter on your keyboard is valid in a character field, including the special foreign character set (see the section titled Advanced Features for more information). Character fields longer than the screen width can be defined as either Scrolling fields or Window fields. These two features are described later in the Paint section. <N> Numeric Field: Use this field type for numbers such as dollar amounts, unit quantities, etc. If you intend to do arithmetic or print subtotals with a field, it must be Numeric. Numeric fields may be from 1 to 14 characters and may have up to 13 decimals. <F> Formula (Numeric): A formula field contains a mathematical calculation or function. When a record is added or changed, each formula is evaluated. Its result is displayed in its field on the screen, and is saved in the database file. Data cannot be entered into a formula field; it is display-only. Formulas can perform arithmetic on other fields, such as: PRICE * UNITS + TAX For a detailed explanation of formulas, and more examples, see the section titled Formulas. Increment Field: A type I field is an increment field. This type of field automatically increments the numeric contents of this field from the last record entered by one and places it as the default entry for the field in the current record. <T> Text Formula: A type T field contains a formula whose result is a string of text instead of a number. For example: FIRST NAME & LAST NAME places the two fields together with a single space separating them. Other text formulas display information such as date, time, bar graphs, etc. For example, this formula: TODAY & TIME 88 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- places the current date and time in the formula field, indicating the last time the record was updated. For a detailed explanation of formulas, and more examples, see the section titled Formulas. <D> Date Field: Dates are handled in a special manner by File Express. In the Setup program you can specify the global format of the Date field. This can be either MM-DD-YY, MM-DD-YYYY, DD-MM-YY, or DD-MM-YYYY. For example, January 2nd, 1990 in the first format type appears in a type "D" field as 01-02-90. The third date style would be entered as 02-01-90. The dashes are placed in the date field automatically by File Express; you only enter the six or eight numeric digits. Date fields have only these four formats. Later, in reports, you can print the date in many different formats, such as Tuesday January 2, 1990. Date fields are also checked for validity. If any one of the digits is entered, then all must be entered and the date will not be accepted if it is not valid. The year may be any number from 00 to 99 or 0000 to 9999. Date fields may be left blank, in which case the dashes do not appear on reports. User-Defined Field: This is a variant of the Character field. It is treated the same in every respect, except it has an "edit mask" which forces fixed characters into one or more positions. For example, a social security number field might be given a mask of " - - " When data is entered into the field, the dashes are already filled in, and cannot be changed or moved. When you enter the nine numeric digits, the cursor bounces over the dashes. The edit mask may contain any alphabetic, numeric or special character in any position of the field. Leave spaces in the positions where data will later be entered. If the edit mask is left completely blank, then the field acts exactly like a Character field. A space may be indicated as an edit mask character by entering a @ character in the position where the space is to be. When entering data, the @ displays on the screen as a space, and cannot have data entered into it. When saved to disk, the @ position contains a space. If empty, the User-Defined field is saved to disk as spaces; the edit mask characters are not saved, but they are remembered. When Is A Number Not Numeric? Since a character field can contain numeric digits, a number can be entered into a character field just as easily as into a numeric field. In fact, we recommend that some numbers be placed DEFINE A DATABASE 89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- in a Character field rather than a Numeric field. Zip codes are a prime example. If a zip code is a character field (with a length of 10) it can accommodate Canadian postal codes as well as the dash in Zip+4 codes. A numeric field, even one ten characters long, can handle neither. Another reason for defining zip code fields as Character is that they will not lose the leading zeros. 02415 would become 2415 if the field type was Numeric. Character fields are also sorted and displayed differently than numeric fields. Character fields are sorted from left to right, a character at a time, so 9.1 sorts after 88888.8 because 9 comes after 8. Sorting a numeric field with the same two numbers would do an arithmetic comparison and determine 88888.8 is much larger. When a number is entered into a numeric field, the specified number of decimal places is added to it. For example, if the numeric field is supposed to have two decimal places and you enter 123 then the number is redisplayed as 123.00 in the numeric field. If the operator enters 123.456 in the same field, the extra decimal place is rounded, leaving 123.46. An empty field with decimals is left empty, however, unless the Zero Fill option has been specified in the Setup program. Character fields are left-justified on the screen and in reports, while numeric fields are right-justified. It is possible in the report writer to change justification, but to automatically left-justify a number, define it as a character field. One final difference between numeric and character fields: We mentioned numeric fields are right-justified when they appear on the screen. But when editing a record, as soon as you move the cursor to a numeric field, the number slides to the left to let it be edited easily without having to arrow across the field. As soon as you leave the field, the number moves back to the right. Numeric fields are stored right-justified on disk. Field Length After you select the names for the fields in your new database, you must determine how long each field should be. A field's length should be long enough to accommodate the longest string of data the field might need to hold. It is possible to increase the size of a field later, so start out by taking your best guess. Here are some common field lengths we use at Expressware: 90 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- First name: 10 Last name: 15 Company name: 30 Address: 30 City: 15 State: 2 (postal state abbreviation) Zip: 10 (handles zip+4 and Canadian) Dollar Amounts: 10 (9999999.99 to -999999.99) Quantities: 6 (999999 to -99999) Dates: 8 (nn-nn-nn) If you press <Enter> without indicating a field length, you discover File Express defaults to a length of 30 for character fields and 10 for numeric fields. Although these are common lengths, it is not advisable to use the default on every field you define. Your records will be considerably larger if the defaults are used, which causes your disk to fill up faster, and slows down processing. Field Format The column on the screen labeled "-format-" is treated different- ly for each of the five field types: <C> (character) fields: The word Character appears, and the column is skipped. <N> (numeric) fields: You are prompted for the number of decimal places. After entering the number, the column displays a representation of the numeric field using # characters for digits. For example, a numeric field with four decimal places specified and length of ten appears in this column as #####.#### and a numeric field with no decimal places and length of five appears as ##### in the format column. <F> (numeric formula) fields: You are prompted for the number of decimal places. The column displays just as it does for Numeric fields. <T> (text formula) fields: The word Character appears, and the column is skipped. <D> (date) fields: The current date format style (mm-dd-yy, dd- mm-yy, mm-dd-yyyy, or dd-mm-yyyy) appears and the column is skipped. (user-defined) fields: You are prompted for the Edit Mask to be used when entering this field. The mask is as long as the field length specified earlier, although only the first fourteen characters are displayed on the screen in the format column. DEFINE A DATABASE 91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is The Sequence Of The Fields Significant? If the fields in the database will be entered directly from a document or form, the sequence of the fields on your database should match the sequence on the form as closely as possible. When data has been entered into a field and <Enter> is pressed, the cursor moves to the next consecutive field number so the closer the field sequence matches the input document, the easier it is to enter data. The input sequence for fields can be rearranged on the screen with the Paint option. More on this later. Placement of formula fields on the database requires some planning too. By placing a formula field in the proper sequence within the database, you can control when it is evaluated as data is entered. Formulas are display-only fields, so it is not possible to enter data into them. But when the cursor moves past them, they are evaluated (computed) and their new contents displayed. Consequently, formulas with date and time information should be at the beginning of the database so they are immediately evaluat- ed. If a formula (such as Units * Price) immediately follows the unit and price fields, it is evaluated as soon as both numbers have been entered. A formula such as a grand total, which requires all the data on the screen to be entered first, can go at the end of the record so it gets calculated last. It is also possible to define "temporary" calculated fields that are only displayed on the screen and not stored in the database on disk. This is described in the Paint section. Changing And Saving The Definition After you have entered all the field names and their associated types, lengths and formats, your screen might look something like this: 92 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- T h e cursor i s waiting for you to type in the name of the next field. Since you are through, press <Enter> without typing in any characters. When you do, a prompt appears at the bottom of the screen: <S>ave <A>dd <C>hange nsert <D>elete <M>ove <Esc> <S> Save: If your definition is exactly as you want it, Press <S> to save it. The database is created and the Main Menu appears, with the new database selected and ready to add records. <A> Add: To continue adding new fields at the end of the definition, press <A>. The cursor moves to the next empty field. <C> Change: If one of the fields needs a change made to its field name or specifications, press <C>. File Express asks which field number is to be changed, and then moves the cursor to that field's name and lets you re-type the line. Insert: If you decide to add a new field, but you don't want it at the end of the record, press . File Express asks "Insert field before which number?" Enter the number of the field you want to precede with a new field and File Express inserts a new field and prompt you for the name, type, and length. If you type a number 1 higher than the highest field number, File Express places the field at the end of the database. <D> Delete: To delete an existing field, press <D>. File Express asks "Delete which field number?" Enter the field number to delete and File Express removes it from the database. <M> Move: To move a field to a different location in the list, press <M>. File Express asks you to: "Enter Field Number to Move __". Enter the number of the field you want to reposition. Then File Express asks "Move Field Number x before Field Number __". You should now enter the number of a field where you want to move DEFINE A DATABASE 93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- your field to. The field is placed above this field. If you type a number 1 higher than the highest field number, File Express places the field at the end of the database. 94 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Esc> As always, the <Esc> key cancels the current operation. Before abandoning your work, however, File Express verifies your intention to exit by prompting: Registered Version has screen picture here If you really want to abandon your changes, press <Esc> again. To resume adding fields or changing, press <Enter>. If you want to start over with a clean slate, press <Spacebar>. Changing Database Specifications It is common to define a database, start putting data into it, then suddenly realize a field is missing, or is too short, or has the wrong format. When this happens it is not necessary to start all over. Every aspect of a database can be changed at any time in the future. If data has already been entered into the database, or if reports or labels have already been designed, some changes become more difficult. For example, if you have a field called Name which you want to separate into two fields called First Name and Last Name, there is more involved than simply adding a field. File Express has no way of determining which part of the old field is the first name and which is the last name, so you must do that yourself, one record at a time or using the Search and Replace option in Find/Edit Records. If any reports or labels are defined which refer to the field called Name, the report specifications must be changed. Some changes cannot be done automatically; they require you to go through the file and make the change manually. Most other changes are considerably easier. Here are some examples of changes you may want to make, and an explanation of how to make them: DEFINE A DATABASE 95 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CHANGING FIELD NAME: Select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <C>hange option. (Also change any formulas in reports which refer to the field by name.) CHANGING FIELD TYPE: Select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <C>hange option. Changing field types to <C>haracter is easiest, because anything is valid in a character field. Before changing a field to <N>umeric, go through the database and make sure the field contains only numeric digits, spaces, optional minus sign and optional decimal point with the correct number of decimal places. After changing a field to <F>ormula, select Item 6, Recalculate Entire Database from the Maintenance Menu. CHANGING FIELD LENGTH: Select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <C>hange option. When all the changes have been made, File Express reads all the data records in your file and writes them back to disk with the new length. Small databases take just a few seconds, but large ones can take several minutes. Before reducing the length of a field, go through the database and make sure none of the fields contain information past the new desired length. Otherwise, this information will be lost. Also make a backup of the database before starting, because if the process is interrupted before it completes, the database becomes unreadable. CHANGING NUMBER OF DECIMALS: Select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <C>hange option. No other steps are necessary. When a record is displayed or printed, the new number of decimals is used. CHANGING THE CUSTOM INPUT SCREEN: Select Item 2 (Paint) from the Maintenance Menu. CHANGING A FORMULA: Select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <C>hange option. ADDING A NEW FIELD: To add a field into the database, select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the nsert option. DELETING A FIELD: To delete a field from the database, select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <D>elete option. MOVING A FIELD: To move a field within the database, select Item 1 (Change Database Specs) from the Maintenance Menu, and use the <M>ove option. 96 DEFINE A DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Technical Note: Several features of File Express such as report and label formats, index specifications and some types of formula references are kept track of using field numbers. If you define a report or label using a particular field sequence, and then change the database format by adding, deleting, or moving fields, some or all of the report and label definitions may have to be changed. For example, if you have a database defined with three fields: FIRST NAME LAST NAME ADDRESS and make a report using these three fields, the report will print as expected. If you later add a new field between the LAST NAME and ADDRESS fields called COMPANY so that your definition is now: FIRST NAME LAST NAME COMPANY ADDRESS loading and printing the same report will print FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, and COMPANY instead of printing FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, ADDRESS as it did previously. To correct the report, you must edit it to remove the third field and replace it with the ADDRESS field again which is now the fourth field instead of the third. If you do want to add new fields to a database it is best to do at the end of the field list so they don't effect the field order of existing fields above them. Since you can set the field input order, this does not cause a problem with the desired field entry order when adding or editing records. Since index files are expected to track the specific fields they were designed to, whenever you add, delete, or move fields, File Express deletes all existing index files and requires you to rebuild them. Field references in formulas can be affected by the rearrangement of fields in the definition list. If fields are referenced in a formula by their number, such as F3, the fields they refer to may change if the original field is moved around. Fields referenced by field name are not affected by position. SUBTOTAL * SALES TAX is better than F12 * F13 and much easier to read later on. ADDING NEW RECORDS 97 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Adding New Records To add records to a File Express database, press <2> or <A> on the Main Menu. File Express immediately displays the current input screen for the database with all the fields empty. For example, adding records to the TUTORIAL database looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here The tutorial example above is an example of a Painted screen containing the 15 fields. Much more complex input layouts are possible, containing up to 200 input fields on up to ten separate screens, or pages. The number of fields on the input layout is determined by the number of fields in the database. The number of pages (1 to 10) varies with the number of fields, and can also be changed using a custom screen layout. Filling In The Blanks To add a new record to the database, just fill in the blanks on the screen, then press <F10> to save the record. If you change your mind before pressing <F10> and decide not to add the record, press <Esc> to return to the Main Menu after confirming your intention to abandon the record. Fields may be left blank by pressing <Enter>, <Tab> or <Down>. As the cursor moves to a field, the total length of the field is indicated by the space characters you selected in the Setup program. (The default is an underline character.) These space characters disappear when the cursor moves to the next field. Of course, if the field is completely filled with data, no space characters appear. The special keys described in the Keyboard Conventions section operate as described when adding new records. If the <Up> key is 98 ADDING NEW RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pressed while the cursor is at the first field, the cursor moves to the last field. When the <Down> or <Enter> key is pressed on the last field, File Express pops up a window: Save changes (Y/N)? Y or <C> to continue editing Pressing <Y> or <Enter>, saves the current record. Pressing <C> resumes editing. You can also press <L> at this point to print a Quick Label if you have one or more defined. When the cursor moves to a numeric field, the data in the field shifts to the left, to make it easier to change. When the cursor leaves the field, the numeric data resumes its normal right-jus- tified position. Only selected characters may be entered in a numeric field: numeric digits <0> to <9>, minus sign <-> and decimal point <.>. The minus sign, when present, must be the first character in the field. The decimal point and minus sign may appear only once in a numeric field. After pressing <Enter>, File Express puts the specified number of decimal places on the number and re-displays it. However, if the resulting data is too large to fit in the field, fewer decimal places are displayed. For example, if a numeric field is six characters long with two decimal places, and you enter 1234, the resulting 1234.00 string does not fit within six characters, so the field contains 1234.0 instead. If 12345 is entered, it is displayed in the field with no decimal places, because there is no room for decimals to be displayed. 12.345 is rounded to 12.35. Formulas Are Display-Only Formulas are display-only fields, whose contents are determined by evaluating the formula. As the cursor moves past a formula field, the formula is evaluated (computed) and its result is displayed on the screen. Also, when a record is saved, all the formulas in the record are re-evaluated in case any were not calculated. New Records Go On The End When a new record is added to the database, it is usually placed at the end of the data file, and any active index files are updated. However, if you have recently deleted any records from your database, File Express attempts to re-use the space occupied by those deleted records, by putting new records in their place. Record Numbers Are Not Data ADDING NEW RECORDS 99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Express assigns a unique record number to every record in the database. Since this number is unique, it is tempting to use it as a reference number, customer number, etc. This is not recommended. As you will discover the first time your database gets cloned or appended, all the record numbers are changed. And when a record is deleted, the record number is re-used for a new record. If you need a reference number or customer number in your database, set up a field called Reference or Cust Number. You can enter the record number into it if you like. This way, when the time comes that the record number is no longer accurate, your reference number field is still intact and unchanged. Multiple Pages (Screens) When adding a record, there may be too many fields to fit on the first page (screen). When this happens, a "1" appears in the upper right corner of page 1, indicating this is the first of multiple pages. There are three ways to get to the second page. The fastest way is to press the <PgDn> key. Moving the cursor off the bottom of the screen with the <Down> key also advances to the second and subsequent pages. And pressing <Enter> or <Tab> on the last field of a page advances to the next page. Likewise, if you are on the second page, <PgUp> moves to the first page. When the <Up> key moves off the top of the screen, the previous page is also displayed. <Shift-Tab> on the first field of a page moves to the previous page. If you find it awkward to work with multiple pages, it is often possible to fit all your data onto a single page by using the Paint option. See the Maintenance section for information on painting custom screens. Selecting Alternate Input Screens If you have defined one or more Views for input, you can change from one to another at any time while adding or editing records. To make a change, press <Alt-V> to bring up the View List. From here you can move the highlighted bar to the View you want to use and press <Enter>. The new input screen is displayed and you can continue adding records. If you had entered information into some fields before changing Views, the information is still in the corresponding fields in the new View. The Flip-Field-Contents Mark On character fields the tilde <~> character performs a special function. The tilde acts as a Flip-Field-Contents-Here mark. When you print reports or mailing labels, the contents of the 100 ADDING NEW RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- field are reversed at the tilde mark and the two halves are printed with one space between them. A common use of the tilde is to combine first and last names into a single field, yet let the field be sorted in last name sequence. For example, if a field contains Washington~George it sorts alphabetically by last name but prints on reports and labels as George Washington. The first tilde encountered within a character field is used as the flip character. Additional tildes are ignored, and print as data. A recommended alternative to the tilde, at least for first and last names, is to make them two separate fields. This lets them be sorted either first/last or last/first, and makes it possible to search on either field separately. The separate fields can be combined on reports with a single space between them by concatenating them with a <&> operator (see the section titled Formulas for more information). Separate first and last name fields also aid in duplicate checking. Last names are the most reliable data to use when locating duplicates in a database. People don't abbreviate their last name or use a nickname for it. A person named William Smith might sometimes write his name Bill Smith, sometimes W. Smith, or sometimes only Mr. Smith. The last name is constant, and is an excellent field for searching or finding duplicates, but only if it is in a field by itself. The Repeat Keys Field by Field If the contents of a field are the same from one record to the next, it is not necessary to completely re-type the field contents each time you add a record. Pressing <Ctrl-R> repeats the field data from the previous record, placing it into the field on the current record. For example, if three new records have the same city type the city name on the first record. Then when you come to the city name on the second and third records, just press <Ctrl-R>. The city is filled in automatically, and the cursor advances to the next field. Entire Record Pressing <Alt-R> copies all the fields from the previous record into the current one. You can then move around the record making any needed changes to individual fields. Quick Labels ADDING NEW RECORDS 101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have defined a label format and assigned it to a Quick Label key, a quick label can be printed using the data on the Add New Records screen. Press <Ctrl-L> after the data is entered, but before pressing <F10>. A quick label is immediately printed. For more information on defining and using quick labels, see the Label Setup section in the chapter titled Printing Labels. When you are finished adding records to your database, press <Esc>. After confirmation, File Express returns you to the Main Menu. 102 FINDING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty FINDING RECORDS 103 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding and Changing Records The information in your database may require updating from time to time. Sometimes the changes are simple, such as an address change on a single record. Sometimes the changes are more complex, such as replacing the field contents in a group of related records. Before a record can be edited, it must first be found and displayed on the screen. This screen display is identical to the Add Records screen used to create the record, so changing it is just a matter of moving the cursor to each field and typing over the old data. To find records in a database, and optionally change or delete them, select Item 3 from the Main Menu: Find/Edit Records. This menu displays: 104 FINDING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding A Record Type <1> or <F> on the Find Menu, and the following screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here The Record Selection screen is used to tell File Express what records you want to search for. The window you see at the left of the screen contains a list of all the fields in your database for reference. You can use the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys to move up and down in the list if you have more than ten fields. The right side of the screen is a brief "help screen" describing some of the common ways to find a record. You can press <Alt-H> to get more helpful information if you need it. Doing so in this case brings up a complete list of all the functions, operators, and techniques that can be used to search for records. (For more detailed information and examples, refer to the Formula section of this manual). Viewing The Record As soon as the selection criteria has been entered, File Express begins searching for records which match the criteria using the current index. The searches are usually very fast. The first record matching the criteria is displayed. There are several options you may now select, depending on whether this is the record you were looking for or not. Most of the options are displayed across the bottom of the screen: <PgDn> If the current view of your database has more than 1 page, you can use the <PgDn> and <PgUp> keys to display the other pages. FINDING RECORDS 105 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <F> Continue Searching (Forward): When File Express displays a record, there may be other records further down in the index which also match the search criteria. If this is not the record you are looking for, press <F> to continue searching the index for the next matching record. The <Spacebar> key also continues the search. Search (Backward): It is possible to search backward through the index as well as forward. Press to search backward through the index for another record which matches the search criteria. <E> Edit: To make changes to the record, press <E>. The cursor moves to the first field on the screen. At this point, the arrow keys, <Enter> key and <Tab> key operate just as they did when adding the record, letting you change any field. For further information on entering data, moving around the screen, and handling multiple pages (screens), see the Add Records section. Once the changes have been made to the record, press <F10> to save it to disk or <Esc> to continue without saving the changes. <D> Delete: To remove the record from the database, press <D>. File Express asks "Are you sure you want to destroy this record?" Reply <Y> to delete the record or <N> to leave it alone. If you reply <Y>, the data on the record disappears from the screen, the words "Deleted Record" begin flashing at the bottom of the screen. Technical note: When you delete a record from your database, reference to it is removed from all the active indexes. File Express then places the deleted record number in a special Deleted Record Index file so that it can be used later when adding new records to your database. This way, the space occupied by deleted records can be reclaimed. Until a deleted record is reused, you can select the Deleted Record Index from the Index List as the Primary Index and view, edit, print, export, and undelete any of the remaining deleted records. While the Deleted Record Index is active, all <D>elete prompts are changed to ndelete. <N> Next: Pressing <N> advances the display to the next record in the current index. By pressing <N> several times, you can "walk" through the database looking at consecutive records. The records are displayed in sorted index sequence. Previous: Pressing backs up to the previous record in the current index. Use the <N> key to "walk" forward in the database, and the key to "walk" backward. For example, if you press <N> three times, the next three records are displayed. 106 FINDING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pressing three times returns you to the original record. The records are displayed in sorted index sequence. <L> or <Ctrl-L> Label: Pressing <L> prints a Quick Label for the record currently displayed. Up to nine different Quick Label formats may be defined. See the Label Section for more information on setting up Quick Labels. <R> Re-search: Pressing <R> returns you to the Record Selection screen so you can enter new search criteria. <Esc> As always, pressing <Esc> cancels the current operation -- in this case, returning you to the Find Menu. Changing Display Order When the records you are searching for are found, they are displayed in the order of the current Primary index. You can change the Primary index before starting the search by pressing <Alt-P> when the Record Selection screen is displayed. Natural Language As you go through the list of options which may be used when selecting records, you will notice there is often more than one way to accomplish the same purpose. For example, State is WA and State=WA are the same, as are State equals WA and State is equal to WA. The program also lets you use words like equals and less than instead of special symbols like = and <. This technique is used by some computer programs to understand instructions phrased the way people talk instead of the way computers talk. It's called "natural language". For example, in the comparison above we completed the sentence "Find all the records where" with "state is WA". But suppose you knew there were multiple records with a state code of WA, and it seemed more natural to say "the states are WA." It would have worked. If it's the way people talk, even if it's not grammatically correct, we want File Express to understand it. If you give File Express instructions it doesn't understand or misinterprets, and you feel it should have understood them, let us know. We will periodically give the software some grammar lessons so it understands plain English. General Rules Of Syntax FINDING RECORDS 107 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The sentence on the screen begins: "Find all the records where:". To find a record, simply complete the sentence (adhering to the rules in the Formula section). File Express is expecting you to complete the sentence with a "comparison", such as Company = Acme or last name sounds like smith. In both these examples there is a field name (company, last name) followed by a comparison operator (equals, sounds like) and finally a constant value (acme, smith). This is the usual pattern of a search although not the only pattern. You can also make comparisons between fields like MAIL ADDRESS = SHIP ADDRESS which displays all the records where these two fields are the same. Or the comparisons can be more complex: STATE = "WA" and CUST TYPE = "D" and TAX NUMBER is blank", to find all the dealers in Washington who haven't given you their tax exempt number yet. COMPANY = CAT only displays records where the COMPANY field is CAT and nothing else. If you want to search for records where the COMPANY field begins with CAT use: COMPANY = CAT.. The two dots (..) mean anything. A search for CATanything displays records where the COMPANY equals cat, catalog, catamarans, Cat and Dog Clinic, Catheter Supplies, etc. To search for companies ending in a certain string, put the .. before it: COMPANY = ..stand displays stand, plant stand, magazine stand, understand, etc. If you want to view every record, simply type in the word ALL. If you want to view all the tagged or untagged records in the database, use the words TAGGED or UNTAGGED. As you may have noticed in the examples above, it normally doesn't matter if you use upper, lower or mixed case when typing your comparisons. File Express treats it all the same. If you want to find records with a specific pattern of upper and lower case letters, use the EXACTLY key word. name is exactly "Smith" , only displays records where the name field is Smith and skips records with SMITH or smith or SmItH. If File Express doesn't understand your instructions for some reason, an error message is displayed. If it's not obvious what the message means, press <Alt-H> for a help screen with an 108 FINDING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- explanation, or see the Troubleshooting section for additional information. QUICK SCAN 109 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Scan Mode Although the <N>ext and revious keys let you "walk" or "browse" through a database, they only display one record at a time. Sometimes it is useful to see several records displayed at once and be able to scan them as if they were on a report. Press <2> or <Q> from the Find Menu and the Quick Scan screen displays: Registered Version has screen picture here Quick Scan lets you look at your database in columnar fashion, much like a spreadsheet, and you can move around the screen editing any fields displayed. As you edit fields that are part of one or more indexes, File Express automatically keeps them in order and updates the order on the screen. You can either select up to eight specific fields to be displayed on the screen or you can select all the fields. To indicate the fields, enter each field number in the order you want to have them displayed. To include all the fields, just press <Enter> instead of selecting individual fields. For example, if you want to display fields 6, 7, 9, and 2, in that order, you would press: <6><Enter><7><Enter><9><Enter><2><Enter><Enter> Note the two <Enter>'s at the end. The second one is to tell File Express you are finished entering field numbers and want to view them on the screen. As you enter numbers, they are displayed on the screen above the input line: /6/7/9/2 110 QUICK SCAN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have finished entering the field numbers, the first 20 records are displayed on the screen: Registered Version has screen picture here When the screen is displayed, the records are listed in the order of the current index which is shown in the upper left corner of the screen. Several options may be used when viewing and editing the Quick Scan screen: <Up> <Down> Move The Cursor: The <Up> and <Down> arrows keys may be used to move up and down from one record to the next on the screen. When the cursor reaches the top or bottom of the display, the screen scrolls more records from that direction until the top or bottom of the database is reached. As you move up and down, the cursor stays in the same column. <Alt-E> Edit mode: Pressing <Alt-E> toggles you in and out of edit mode on the Quick Scan screen. When you are in edit mode you may edit the contents of any regular field you are on. Formula fields are skipped over. <Alt-R> Record display: Use the arrow keys to position the cursor to a line, then press <Alt-R> to view the record in its entirety. The record is displayed on the same data screen used to Add Records and Find/Edit Records. When you press <Alt-E>, the record displays and you are put into edit mode. When you want to save the record and return to the Quick Scan display, press <F10>. Note that if you change information in a field included in the current index, the record is repositioned into the correct order when you save it. This may affect the Quick Scan display when you return to it. QUICK SCAN 111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <PgDn> Advances the display to the next 20 records. <PgUp> Backs up to the previous 20 records. <Ctrl-PgDn> Advances to the last 20 records of the database. <Ctrl-PgUp>Backs up to the first 20 records of the database. <Esc> Pressing <Esc> returns to the Find Menu. <Tab> or <Ctrl-Right> Moves the cursor to the next field to the right. If all the fields you selected do not fit across the screen it will scroll sideways. <Backtab> and <Ctrl-Left> Moves the cursor left to the next field. <Alt-W> Change Field Display Width: You can change the display width of the column the cursor is in by pressing <Alt-W>. File Express prompts for a new width, from 1 to the length of the field, and re-displays the screen using the new width. Fields that are displayed narrower than their actual width scroll sideways when edited. <Alt-P> Change the current primary index. When this is done, the records are redisplayed on the screen in the new sort order. Editing Records in Quick Scan Mode It is often much more convenient to edit a large amount of related data from many different records while in Quick Scan mode than it is on a record-by-records basis where each one is displayed separately. For example, if you are updating the membership status of most of the records in your database, it is much faster to move down the column of the Membership field updating the entries than it is to display the full record, move to the Membership field, make the change, save the record, and move to the next record and repeat the process. As you are moving the cursor around the screen using the <Up>, <Down>, <Tab>, and <Backtab> keys, you will notice as the cursor moves to each field, it is put into input mode and you can edit its contents. The full editing features of File Express are available at all times. If you change the contents of a field, the record is automatically saved when the cursor leaves the record line. After saving the record, File Express updates all active indexes and then checks to see if the field changed is part of the current index. If it is, the record is moved to its correct position in the list and the screen is redisplayed with the changed record at the top of the screen. Because of this 112 QUICK SCAN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- automatic movement to re-index the record, it can sometimes be annoying when editing a column of fields that is part of the current index. We suggest that when you are doing this that you temporarily change the current index to some other index that does not include the field you are working on or change it to the Record Number order index. This way, as you edit the fields in the column, the display won't rearrange itself after you make each change. SEARCH AND REPLACE 113 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty 114 SEARCH AND REPLACE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Search And Replace Sometimes it is necessary to make the same change to a large number of records. Use the Search and Replace option to avoid the drudgery of making the change by hand on every record. For example, a department store owner has a database which contains all the products sold by her store. Each record contains an item number, description, price, current inventory, annual sales for this year, annual sales for last year, and the state where the item was purchased. 1 - Item Number 2 - Description 3 - Price 4 - Current Cnt 5 - ThisYr Sales 6 - LastYr Sales 7 - State At the end of the year the store owner is confronted with a problem: since the year has ended, all the amounts in the field called "ThisYr Sales" need to be moved to "LastYr Sales". Then "ThisYr Sales" needs to be set to zero so it can start accumulat- ing sales for the new year. To do a Search and Replace, press <3> while viewing the Find Menu. On the Record Selection screen enter the search criteria to select the records you want to make changes to. In the example above, the store owner wants to make the replacement in every record so she enters ALL. If she wanted to make changes for only the records in Florida, she would enter STATE = "Florida". For more information on the search criteria entry see the Finding a Record section. SEARCH AND REPLACE 115 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- After entering the search criteria, the Replacement Criteria screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here On this screen, select each field you want to change and tell File Express what to replace it with. For example, two fields are to be changed on the records of the store manager's database, and she recognizes that she must change them in an exact sequence: she must first move ThisYr Sales to LastYr Sales, then set ThisYr Sales to zero. If she did it in the opposite sequence, she would be putting zero in both fields. She first selects the "LastYr Sales" field by typing in its field number and pressing <Enter>. The prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to "Replace LastYr Sales with:_____________". The store owner now indicates the "ThisYr Sales" field by entering either its name or an "F" followed by its field number, (F5 for example). Then she selects field number 5, ThisYr Sales, enters a 0 for the replacement value, and presses <F10>. A window appears asking: Tag all changed records (Y/N)? N File Express gives you the option to place a tag on each record that has changes made to it during the Search and Replace process. This lets you later search for or print reports or labels for all the records changed. To tag the records changed, press <Y>. To skip the tagging process, press <N> or <Enter>. The next question is: Print to <S>creen only, <D>isk, rinter, <A>ll S As the records are selected and changed, they are displayed on the screen so you can see what they look like and decide if the 116 SEARCH AND REPLACE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- changes are what you actually intended. If you would also like to have a printed copy of the records changed or a disk file containing this information, press or <D> accordingly. Now the searching begins, and the first record is displayed. The screen shows the changed version of the record. The prompt at the bottom of the screen is: <Y>es <N>o <G>o <S>how original <D>isplay is on <Esc> to quit If you would like to see what the record looked like before the changes were applied to it, press <S> to show the original version. Pressing <S> toggles back and forth between the changed version and the original. If the record displayed has been changed correctly, press <Y> to tell File Express to go ahead and save the change and go to the next record. If you don't want to change the record shown on the screen, press <N> and File Express skips this record and moves on to the next. When you are changing every record selected by the search criteria, it is good practice to look at the first few record changes to ensure the replacements are being made correctly. When you confirm the accuracy and want to go ahead and have File Express make the replacements automatically in the remaining records, press <G>. While you are in <G>o mode, each record displays on the screen as it is changed. If you would like to turn off the screen display, press <D>. Repeated pressing of <D> toggles the display on and off. Pressing any other key while in <G>o mode pops up a message: <Esc> to quit or <Spacebar> to continue. Pressing the <Spacebar> key puts you back into the record-by-record confirmation mode again. Formulas In Search And Replace The most common usage of Search and Replace is to move the contents of one field to another or move a value to a field on selected records. In the store manager example above we saw both of those: a field was moved to another field, and a value of zero was placed in a field. If you are putting text into a field, it must be surrounded by quotes, such as: "Past Due". (Don't forget the quote marks.) Much more complex manipulations can also be accomplished, using formulas to define the output of Search and Replace. This section uses some examples of formulas, functions, If...Then statements, etc. but for a complete explanation of formulas, see the chapter titled Formulas. The following paragraphs describe a SEARCH AND REPLACE 117 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- complex manipulation of a database using Search and Replace with formulas. We recently acquired a mailing list of several thousand names which we wanted to combine with our own list for a special mailing. We knew there would be a large number of duplicates in the two lists, and did not want to send two mailings to the same person if we could avoid it. Since the mailing was costing about seventy-five cents per piece, eliminating several hundred duplicates would save several hundred dollars. But there was a problem: Our own list separated first and last name into two separate fields, but the new list we had acquired put the first and last names together in the same field. As you will learn in the Find Duplicates section, the two best fields to use for finding duplicates in mailing lists are Last Name and City Name. But the new list had a field called Name with "Smith, James" and "Doe, John" in it. This looked like a job for Search and Replace. Since we were going to be "playing" with every record in the database, we first made a backup of it, labeled it and set it aside. Then we added two new fields called First Name and Last Name (using the Change Database Specs option of the Maintenance Menu). Then we selected Search and Replace from the Find Menu. On the screen asking "Select all the records where" we replied: Select all the records where: NAME contains "," As you will find in the chapter on formulas, this statement is, in effect, saying: give me all the records having a comma somewhere in the name field, and skip all the records without commas. Then on the Replacement Screen we told File Express to make the following substitutions: In the field called Last Name: left(name, instr(name, ",")-1) In the field called First Name: ltrim(mid(name, instr(name, ",")+1)) The first formula found the comma, and took everything from the left end of the string to the character up to, but not including, the comma. The second formula found the comma again and than took everything from one character after it to the end of the string. When File Express was done, we used Quick Scan to look at the three fields called Name, First Name and Last Name. In all but about ten cases, the substitution worked exactly as planned. If the Name field said "Smith, James", the new Last Name 118 SEARCH AND REPLACE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- field contained "Smith" and the new First Name field contained "James". There were a few that needed to be handled manually, but only because the commas had been left out of them. It was several hundred times faster than trying to do it by hand. SEARCH AND DELETE/TAG 119 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Search And Delete The Search and Delete routines work just like Search and Replace, except that instead of changing field contents, File Express deletes the matching records. The only screen that appears when doing Search and Delete is the Select Records screen. After the selection criteria have been entered, each record to be deleted is displayed on the screen. Just as in Search and Replace, you are given the option of confirming the deletion of each record individually by pressing <Y> or <N> or automatically by pressing <G>. These options are displayed on the screen. Search And Tag The Search and Tag routines work just like Search and Replace, except that instead of changing field contents, File Express tags the matching records. The only screen which appears when doing Search And Tag is the Select Records screen, which has been described thoroughly in other sections of this manual. After the selection criteria have been entered, each record to be deleted is displayed on the screen. Just as in Search and Replace, you are given the option of confirming the tagging of each record individually by pressing <Y> or <N> or automatically by pressing <G>. These options are displayed on the screen. 120 SEARCH AND DELETE/TAG ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty FIND DUPLICATES 121 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding Duplicates Mailing list databases are probably the most susceptible to duplicate records. A customer uses the name Bill Smith one time, then uses the name W. Smith the next. Or he uses his P.O. Box once and his street address another time--or his business address then his home address. Some duplicates are easy to identify because they are virtually identical. It is probably safe to delete one of the two records for W. Smith and Bill Smith if they are both at the same street address. It's not quite so easy to determine two records are duplicates if they have different addresses, unless the person has a very unique name. Or sometimes there may be other data in the database which indicates that it's the same person. For example, one record shows the customer ordering File Express Version 4; another record shows the same customer name, in the same city, but at a different address, ordering a Version 5 upgrade. They are probably the same. File Express can help you identify some of the easy duplicates in your databases, but you will likely have to manually make decisions about some of the records. The best time to start planning for duplicates is before your database is even set up. What fields will you want to compare? Last names and city names are good duplicate matching fields. First names and zip codes are not as good. As we mentioned earlier, people don't usually abbreviate or use a nickname for their last name. But the same person may use Bill Smith, William Smith, William C. Smith, W. C. Smith, Wm. Smith or Dr. W. Smith. The one constant in all these is Smith. Consequently, when you plan your database, plan ahead for duplicate matching. If you will be searching for duplicates in the future, make the last name a separate field. Keeping it in a separate field can simplify record searches too. Likewise, keep the city name separate from the state and zip code. Separate zip codes also make it possible to do zip code sorts, which are often desirable on mailing lists. Look for any other fields you might use to find duplicates, such as company name, and consider their future use. If the company name is sometimes in the address, sometimes in the customer name, and sometimes non-existent, it can't be used to find duplicates. If it is always in a field called Company Name, it can be used. Once the database is set up, the work does not end. The data in the database must be entered consistently to keep it well-suited for finding duplicates. It works best when only one person maintains a database. That way, abbreviations, spacing, etc. 122 FIND DUPLICATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- will be consistent. File Express treats upper and lower case letters the same, so the last names DEYOUNG, Deyoung and DeYoung would be identified as duplicates. De Young (with a space) would not. Fort Worth and Ft. Worth would not either. If you anticipate doing a lot of duplicate matching, then be careful when entering Last Name and City fields. If city names must be abbreviated, decide on a standard abbreviation, and post a list alongside the computer so everyone who enters data can refer to it. If a name has "PhD", "M.D.", "Jr." etc. following it, avoid putting this suffix with the last name in the same field. Either set up a special field called Suffix or Title for these, or leave them out of the database. Another technique is to set up a field called Formal Name with the person's name exactly as it appears on correspondence, and then set up separate name fields for searching and duplicate matching. That way, the formal name can contain a name like "Colonel M. Charles Smith, Jr., PhD, CPA (Ret.)" while the last name contains only Smith (for sorting and duplicate matching). FIND DUPLICATES 123 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Duplicates In One Database To find duplicates within a single database, first determine which fields to match to identify duplicates, then select an index with those fields. For example, to find all the records which contain the same last name and same city name, select (or create), an index that keeps the database in Last Name and City Name order. Then select the item on the Find Menu called Find Duplicates in One Database. When the following screen displays, select the same two fields, last name and city name. Registered Version has screen picture here If the database is sorted by other fields than those specified in the comparison, the Find Duplicates routine does not work properly. It may find some duplicates, and it may appear to work fine, but it is unlikely that most of the duplicates will be identified. File Express finds duplicates by comparing each record to the one before it in the index. If there are two Smith/Seattle records, but they are not contiguous (side-by-side), no match is recognized. To put them side-by-side, the database must be in Last Name/City or City/Last Name sequence. (If the whole database was searched by comparing each record with every other record, the search could take hours, days, or even years.) When you select a field to be compared, File Express asks for the length to be compared. Most of the time you don't need to compare fields for their entire length. In fact, you may find that the more characters you compare, the more duplicates you miss. Consider the following two records as an example. 125 Wildwood Pl NE 125 Wildwood Pl. N.E. 124 FIND DUPLICATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are comparing these two ADDRESS fields for a length of 15 characters, a match is found. If you compare them for their full length, the two fields are different because of the periods found in the second record. Of course, you must compare enough of the fields to uniquely identify them. 125 Wildwood Pl NE 125 Wildberry Lane These two records are displayed as duplicates if only 8 characters are compared. After you have entered all the field numbers and lengths to be compared, press <F10>. File Express gives one more prompt, asking: Print to <S>creen only, <D>isk, rinter, <A>ll S As File Express is displaying the duplicates found in the database, you have the option of deleting, tagging or editing either or both of the records displayed. If you delete or tag a record, you can have a report printed to either a disk file or your printer indicating which records were affected. Press <D> or as needed. Pressing <A> sends the report to both the disk and the printer. When File Express finds two records matching the fields you selected, it displays them side-by-side on the screen. FIND DUPLICATES 125 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When you start a duplicate search, File Express begins in "delete" mode as indicated by the "DELETE" at the left end of the bottom line. This means the <L>eft, <R>ight, oth, <N>o and <G>o keys work with deleting in mind. If you want to place a tag on a record instead of deleting it, you can tell File Express to switch to "TAG" mode by pressing <M>, which changes the "DELETE" to "TAG" on the prompt line. Now pressing <L>eft, <R>ight, oth, <N>o and <G>o keys work with tagging in mind. Repeated pressing of <M> toggles between DELETE and TAG modes. After examining the two records to determine if they are indeed duplicates, one of several commands may be entered: <PgDn> and <PgUp> scroll up and down through the fields in the record on the right side. <Up> and <Down> scroll up and down through the fields in the record on the left side. <L> Delete or tag the record on the left. If you are in DELETE mode, the record is flagged as deleted (it may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <R> Delete or tag the record on the right. If you are in DELETE mode, the record is flagged as deleted (it may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. Delete or tag both of the displayed records. If you are in DELETE mode, both records are flagged as deleted (either or both may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <N> Leave both the records intact. Neither record is deleted. File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <G> Automatically delete or tag the record on the right without asking for confirmation and continue doing the same to every duplicate found in the remainder of the database. <E> Edit a record. Pressing <E> prompts further for which record to edit. Edit the <L>eft or <R>ight record? Pressing <L> or <R> puts you in edit mode where you can make changes to any fields in the record. When you are editing one of the records, the following commands available: <PgUp> and <PgDn> can be used to display any fields not currently shown in the window of the record being edited. 126 FIND DUPLICATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Ctrl-R> copies the contents from the same field number in the other record. <Ctrl-U> restores the current field with its original contents. <Alt-U> restores the entire record to its original contents. Press <F10> to save the changes and return to the previous prompt. <M> Mode change. Pressing <M> toggles between DELETE and TAG mode as indicated at the left end of the bottom prompt line. In some cases, it is more desirable to just tag the duplicate records instead of deleting them. Later, when you are printing reports or mailing labels, you can choose to print just TAGGED or UNTAGGED records. <Esc> Exit from the deletion process, and return to the Find Menu. If there is more than one duplicate for the same record, File Express finds each of them, and displays them one after another so they can be deleted. When duplicate matching is completed, File Express returns to the Find Menu. FIND DUPLICATES 127 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Duplicates In Two Databases At times, you may want to compare two separate databases for duplicate records. For example, you may have occasion to swap mailing lists with another person or company. You know that most of the names are different but you don't want to send two pieces of mail to the people who are on both lists. It is possible to compare two databases for duplicates, even if the fields being compared have different field names and lengths. Before starting the comparison process, make sure the indexes for both databases are in order by the fields to be compared. When you select the Find Duplicates In Two Databases menu option, File Express assumes that the currently open database is one of the two databases to be compared. A screen displays asking you to select the second database. The screen is similar to the one used to Open A Database. After selecting the database, File Express prompts for the index to use from the second database. Highlight the correct index and press <Enter>. The index from the second database should match the index from the current database. 128 FIND DUPLICATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As soon as the second file has been selected, this screen displays: Registered Version has screen picture here The field names in both databases are displayed side-by-side, and you are prompted to enter a field number from both databases. For example, if you selected LAST NAME in the first database, select the LAST NAME field in the second database (or the field which has last names in it, if it has a different name). File Express then asks for the length of the fields to compare. (See Duplicates in One Database for a discussion on the length to compare). Continue entering field numbers and lengths for each database until all your comparison fields are entered, then press <Enter> to continue to the next prompt, which asks if you want a report printed to the screen, printer or disk. FIND DUPLICATES 129 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When File Express finds matching records from each database it displays them side-by-side on the screen. Registered Version has screen picture here After examining the two records to determine if they indeed are duplicates, one of several commands may be entered: <PgDn> and <PgUp> scroll up and down through the fields in the record on the right side (from the second database). <Up> and <Down> scroll up and down through the fields in the record on the left side (from the current database). <L> Delete the record on the left. This is the record from the current database. The record is flagged as deleted (it may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <R> Delete the record on the right. This is the record from the second database. The record is flagged as deleted (it may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. Delete both of the displayed records. Both records, one from each database, are flagged as deleted (either or both may later be ndeleted), and File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <N> Leave both the records intact. Neither record is deleted. File Express goes on to compare the next two records. <G> Automatically delete the record on the right without asking for confirmation and continue doing the same to every duplicate found in the remainder of the databases. The record deleted is from the second database, which is displayed on the right. 130 FIND DUPLICATES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <E> Edit a record. Pressing <E> prompts further for which record to edit. Edit the <L>eft or <R>ight record? Pressing <L> or <R> puts you in edit mode where you can make changes to any fields in the record. The <L>eft record is from the current database and the <R>ight record is from the second database. When you are editing one of the records, the following commands available: <PgUp> and <PgDn> can be used to display any fields not currently shown in the window of the record being edited. <Ctrl-PgUp> and <Ctrl-PgDn> scrolls the fields in the window of the record not being edited. <Ctrl-R> copies the contents from the same field number in the other record. <Ctrl-U> restores the current field with its original contents. <Alt-U> restores the entire record to its original contents. <T> Tag a record. Pressing <T> prompts further for which record(s) to tag. Tag <L>eft, <R>ight, or oth records. In some cases it is more desirable to just tag the duplicate records instead of deleting them. Later, when you are printing reports or mailing labels, you can choose to print just untagged or tagged records. <Esc> Exit from the deletion process, and return to the Find Menu. If there is more than one duplicate for the same record, File Express finds each of them, and displays them one after another so they can be deleted, tagged or edited. When duplicate matching is complete, File Express returns to the Find Menu. This process compares the records of one database to the records of another. It does not identify any duplicates which might exist within each of the individual databases. That process is performed on each database using the previously discussed menu item, Find Duplicates In One Database. SORTING RECORDS 131 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorting Records When accessing your database you often want the information presented in some kind of order. If you are printing a telephone directory, you probably want the records to be printed in alphabetical order by the Last and First Name fields. If you are printing a mailing list to be sent out by bulk mail, you will want the records printed in Zip Code order. File Express lets you define up to five indexes for a database. Each index can consist of up to ten different sort levels. For example: If you sort by CITY then LAST NAME then FIRST NAME, File Express first sorts all the CITY fields into alphabetical order, then looks at all the LAST NAMEs connected to the same city and sorts those and then looks at each group of FIRST NAMEs having the same LAST NAME and sorts those. The results might be: CITY LAST NAME FIRST NAME -------------- --------- ---------- Los Angeles Jones Jack Los Angeles Jones James Los Angeles Jones Zack Los Angeles Larson Kevin Los Angeles Larson Mary Los Angeles Simonson Heidi Los Angeles Simonson Larry Seattle Hunt Albert Seattle Hunt Ken Seattle Jacobs Chris Seattle Keller Helen Spokane Anderson Dawn Spokane Anderson Graydon Spokane Smith Don As you add new records File Express automatically updates all the active indexes with the new information. At any time, you can change the Primary index to be used for displaying, printing and searching for records. File Express also keeps two internal indexes automatically. These are a record number index and a deleted record index. As records are added to a database, each is given a record number corresponding to its physical position in the data file. If you want to access the records in this order, make the record number index the PRIMARY index. 132 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When you delete a record from a database, File Express removes the record reference from all the active indexes so it is not included in any displays, searches, reports, labels, etc. The information that was contained in the deleted record is still on disk, however, until it is overwritten by a newly added record. File Express keeps track of the locations of all deleted records in your database in a deleted record index. If you change the PRIMARY index to the deleted record index, all displays and searches will only use the deleted records. Because all the information in a deleted record is still on disk until overwritten by an added record, you can undelete any of them at will. What Is An Index? An index is simply a file containing some information about each record in your database according to the way it is to be kept sorted. File Express uses a balanced B-Tree format to keep this information. B-Tree indexes are a very fast way to access records within a database and easily allows new information to be inserted at any time. When you ask File Express to find all the records with a last name of Smith, it is much faster to look in the Last Name index for Smith than it is to read every record in the database looking for the name. Once File Express finds Smith in the index, which can be almost instantaneous, the record can then be displayed on the screen. The indexes are actually separate files on disk. Their names are made up of the database name with extensions of .IX0 through .IX6. There is also an index header file with an extension of ".IXH" that keeps track of the status and description of each index. SORTING RECORDS 133 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Defining or Changing an Index To define an index for the current database or to change an existing index definition, press <4> or <S> on the Main Menu to display the Select Index screen. The Record Number index, Deleted Record index, and the five user- defined indexes are listed in the window along with their Tag, Status and Description. Tagging An Index The TAG column indicates which indexes are to be rebuilt when <F10> is pressed. Any index that is not marked UNUSED can be tagged for rebuilding by pressing <T> while the index is highlighted. Pressing <T> places a check mark in the TAG column. If there is already a check mark, pressing erases the mark, removing the index from the rebuild list. The Status column indicates whether an index is the PRIMARY index, an ACTIVE index, an INACTIVE index or an UNUSED index. Primary Index A status of PRIMARY means the index is used when searching, displaying, or printing records from the current database. There can only be one index marked as PRIMARY at any given time. To change an index to PRIMARY, move the highlighted bar to the desired index and press . The Status changes to PRIMARY. The Status of the previous PRIMARY index changes to ACTIVE. Note: You can't change an UNUSED index to PRIMARY. Active Indexes An ACTIVE index is kept updated by File Express as new records are added or existing records are changed. To change an INACTIVE index to ACTIVE, press <A> while it is highlighted. The Status changes to "ACTIVE" and a check mark is placed in the TAG column indicating this index mustbe rebuilt beforebeing put intoservice. 134 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Inactive Indexes An INACTIVE index is one that has been defined but is currently not being kept updated by File Express as changes are made in the database. To retire an ACTIVE index, move the highlighted bar to it and press . The Status changes to "INACTIVE". A PRIMARY index can't be changed directly to INACTIVE. You must first select some other index to be PRIMARY and then inactivate the index. INACTIVE indexes retain their definitions and can be reactivated and rebuilt at any time in the future. Unused Indexes An UNUSED index is one that has never been defined. From this screen you can do several things with indexes. If you are just starting a new database, you should define one or more indexes to go with it. If you want to edit an existing index, this is where you come. Record Number Index File Express automatically keeps an internal index in record number order. This index is always up to date and never needs to be rebuilt. Set this index to PRIMARY any time you want to access or print records in record number order. Deleted Record Index As records are deleted from your database, their location is kept in a special index called the Deleted Record Index. File Express always looks in this index to see if it can use one of the abandoned records for storing new records. If you set this index to PRIMARY, you can view, print and undelete these records. If the Deleted Record Index is deleted from your disk, or becomes corrupted for some reason, File Express will automatically rebuild it for you. SORTING RECORDS 135 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Defining A New Index To create a new index for the current database, move the highlighted bar using the <Up> and <Down> cursor keys to the first UNUSED index entry and press <E> to edit and define the index. When you do, the Index Edit Screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here On this screen, you tell File Express which fields to keep sorted in this index. You can also indicate which part of the field you want to use and which order you want the fields sorted in. The window displayed on the left is a list of all the fields in the current database along with their lengths. The window on the right is where you indicate the fields to be sorted, the positions within each field, and the order of the sort. You can define up to ten different sort levels for each index. The process begins as you tell File Express the name of the first field you want to sort on. The field name window on the left contains a highlighted bar that can be moved using the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys. As you do this the name of the highlighted field appears in the Name column of the right window. When the desired field is displayed, press <Enter> to select that field. You can also type in the name of the field you want to sort. File Express searches quickly through the field name list to confirm the spelling and accepts the name if correct. If there are two or more fields with the same name, the first one encountered in the field name list is used. To select the second or later field with the same name you must move the highlighted bar to that field and press <Enter> as described above. If the field you select is a Character type field, File Express asks for the Position of the field to be sorted with the entire length shown as the default answer. Just press <Enter> to sort the entire field. To use only a portion of the field, specify 136 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- the starting and ending character position separated by a colon. For example, to sort only the first three characters of a field, enter 1:3 (indicating characters 1 through 3). To sort the seventh through the tenth characters of a field, enter 7:10. If the field you select is a numeric type, File Express automatically fills in the Position column for you because numeric fields must be sorted on their entire length. Technical note: The number of digits that File Express uses to sort a numeric field is equal to the length of the field plus the number of decimal places plus two. If you are sorting a numeric field that is 10 digits long and has two decimal places, the Position column reads 1:14. To make the sorting of numbers faster, File Express keeps a specially aligned version in the indexes. This alignment process requires some extra room depending on the number of decimal places involved. The next prompt is: Sort into <A>scending or <D>escending order: <A>scending means the records are sorted from smallest to largest or lowest to highest (for example, names are sorted A through Z). <D>escending means the records are sorted from largest to smallest or highest to lowest (for example, names are sorted Z through A). After responding to the three prompts, File Express asks for the next field to sort on. If you don't want to sort on any other fields, press <F10>. Otherwise, continue specifying the additional fields (up to 10 total) and press <Enter> when they have all been specified. When you are finished, press <F10>. File Express asks, "Save index format (Y/N)? or <C> to continue". Press <Y> or <Enter> if everything looks all right or <C> to go back and make some changes to the definition. Most sorts are done on only one field, using all the data in the field, and sorting in ascending order. In these cases, all it takes to start the sort is to indicate the field name and press <Enter> two or three times, (depending on the field type), and then <F10>. SORTING RECORDS 137 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Editing An Existing Index Definition If you want to change an existing index definition or make changes to a new index you are just defining, there are some commands to make this easy. <Tab>, <BackTab> When the cursor is in the Name column, pressing <Tab> moves down to the next field name and <BackTab> moves up to the previous field name. <Alt-I> To insert a sort level, make sure the cursor is in the Name column of the level you want to have moved down and press <Alt-I>. All the levels from the cursor position and below move down and a new level is inserted. The new level is pre-filled with the information below it but you can change it to any new information. <Alt-D> To delete a sort level, make sure the cursor is in the Name column of the level you want to delete and press <Alt-D>. All sort levels below move up one line. When you have made the desired changes, press <F10> to save them. Saving The Index Definition After pressing <F10> and indicating that you are finished making entries and changes, File Express prompts for an Index Name which can be up to eight characters long and a description of up to 50 characters. After entering these and pressing <Enter>, you return to the Select Index screen with the index you were working on highlighted and tagged with a check mark. Building Or Rebuilding An Index When you have defined your indexes or made changes to existing indexes, you must go through the process that rebuilds the indexes. This makes them active so they will be automatically updated by File Express when records are added or changed. To begin the rebuild process, press <F10> while viewing the Select Index screen. File Express displays a percentage scale on the screen showing the progress of the index rebuilding. When the job is finished, you return to the Main Menu. Once your indexes are defined and initially built, File Express keeps them up to date at all times. The rebuilding process is not generally needed again unless you want to change the definition of an index, add a new index or if an index becomes corrupted due to a power failure, bad disk, etc. 138 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sort Precedence The concept of precedence is somewhat technical in nature. It's not necessary to fully understand this section in order to run File Express. For character fields, File Express uses the standard ASCII precedence used by IBM PC and compatibles. The ASCII standard assigns a value to every character, including the space character. The value of the character determines where it sorts: 1. <space> has the lowest ASCII value, meaning it sorts before anything else. (This includes any blank or empty fields.) 2. some of the special characters sort next, in this sequence: ! " # $ % & ' - . / 3. Numeric digits (when used in character fields) sort next: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4. A few more special characters come next: : ; < = > ? @ 5. Followed by alphabetic characters (upper/lower case are mixed): A or a, B or b, C or c, D or d, E or e, etc. 6. And finally, a few more special characters: [ \ ] ^ _ ` { | } ~ Technical Note: File Express also permits special foreign characters, math symbols and graphic symbols to be entered into character fields. The sort precedence on these fields is determined by their ASCII value. See Appendix A for an ASCII chart listing. The sort precedence for Numeric fields is simply the value of the number. Empty numeric fields (all spaces) are given a value of zero. On an ascending sort, negative numbers are sorted first, then zero, then positive numbers. Remember, when dealing with negative numbers, -100 is considered less than -99, so -100 comes first in an ascending sort. File Express does not permit you to enter a formula to be sorted, but there is a way to sort on the result of a formula. Let's say, for example, you need a report printed in descending sequence using the computation of two fields: (OnHand * Cost). To accomplish this, set up a Formula field in your database which contains the formula. As records are added, the formula is SORTING RECORDS 139 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- automatically computed. Then when a sort is necessary, just sort on the contents of the Formula field. Sometimes ASCII sort precedence is undesirable or inadequate, because you want, say, spaces to come last, or numbers to come after letters. If you have a special application which requires the sort precedence to be altered, define a formula field in your database whose resulting value determines the new precedence you require. For example, to make blank company names sort at the end of the index instead of the beginning, include a Formula field in your database with this formula: If company is empty then 1 otherwise 0 When sorting by company name, sort this formula field first, then the company. Since 1 is greater than 0, all the blank companies go to the end of the index. This If/Then statement could have been much more complex, using nested IF's to make numerous tests and assign more values than 0 and 1: IF F1 >= A AND F1 <= ZZ THEN 1 ELSE IF F1 >= 0 AND F1 <= 9 THEN 2 ELSE IF LEFT(F1,1) <> " " THEN 3 ELSE 4 Sorting by this formula causes alphabetic names to come first, then numeric digits, then special characters, and finally spaces. Of course only the first character of the field is checked. The rest of the field is sorted in straight ASCII sequence. For more information on If/Then and formulas, see the chapter titled Formulas. Sorting Dates File Express has a special field type called a Date field. A Date field is automatically given a length of 8 or 10 depending on the global date format selected in the Setup program. When a Date field is entered, it displays on the screen in either MM-DD-YY format (for example: 05-16-90), MM-DD-YYYY (05-16-1990), DD-MM-YY format (25-12-90), or DD-MM-YYYY (25-12-1990). All dates are stored in the database as in YYYYMMDD, 8 byte format so it is automatically sorted chronologically. Whenever they are displayed on the screen or on a report or labels, the date is reformatted in the current date format. 140 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorting By Record Number File Express automatically keeps an internal index in record number order. If you define a new database and don't set up any new indexes, File Express keeps the records you enter in record number order and any reports or labels printed are in that order. Sometimes it is desirable to use the record number index, such as when you want the records to appear in a report in the sequence in which you entered them. Since records are added at the end of the database (except when there are vacant deleted records available), record number sequence is also chronological sequence for new records. The record number can be included as one of the sub-levels of an index. To do this, select field 0 when you want to include the record number. If it is used, it must be the last field specified because any further sub-levels would not affect the sort. Sometimes it can be useful to include the record number as the last field. For example, a database contains dated transactions, many of which have the same date. You want the transactions in date sequence, but for the ones with the same date, you want them sorted in the sequence they were entered. Specify the date as the first field of the sort, then specify the record number as the second field. How Long Does It Take? There are many factors which affect the length of time it takes to rebuild indexes. Some of the variables include: * How many records are being sorted? * How big are the records? * How many fields are being sorted? * How long are the sorted fields? * Is the database on a hard disk, RAM disk or diskettes? * How fast is the computer? Speeding Up Sorts Obviously the sort can be made to run faster by buying more hardware or faster hardware. But there are many other less expensive ways to speed up the sorting process. The rule of the day for faster sorts is: "sort as little as possible". For example, is it really necessary to sort all 30 characters of a company name? Most company names are unique enough in the first 15 characters. If you specify 1:15 for the characters to be sorted, instead of sorting the complete 30 characters, the sort generally runs two to three times faster. An occasional record or two may be slightly out of sequence, but probably nobody will notice. If "in the ballpark" is good enough, then SORTING RECORDS 141 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sort names by only the first three or four characters. It can speed up sorts by a factor of ten or more. 142 SORTING RECORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty PRINTING REPORTS 143 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printing Reports After you have gone through all the trouble of entering mountains of information into your database, it's time to produce some dazzling output. The File Express Report Writer is one of the most powerful and full-featured report generator programs on the market. The Report section has two parts, a report generator and a small word processor with a mail-merge feature. The report generator focuses on printing information from the database along with totals and subtotals, whereas the word processor lets you write form letters that include information from your database. Designing a Report or Form Letter Defining a new report in File Express is simply a matter of indicating what you want to print and where on the page you want it put. Reports can include titles, headings, field information, text, calculated fields, subtotals, totals, and footers. You can include any or all of these pieces to make reports as simple or as complex as you like. Writing a form letter consists of typing the main text of the letter and then placing fields where you want to print the information contained in a database. When File Express prints the form letter, it is reformatted to account for varying lengths of field contents. 144 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To define a new report or write a form letter, press <5> or <R> on the Main Menu. The following screen displays: The choices on this menu let you either design a new report or form letter or choose existing reports or letters. Choosing an existing report lets you change it, either temporarily or permanently, then print it. A new report can also be saved permanently and printed, or just printed without saving. PRINTING REPORTS 145 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reports A report consists of several different sections. These include: Registered Version has screen picture here Each section, except the Edit Report Format section, has default answers to all the questions and can be bypassed if all the answers are acceptable. After completing a section, you can either press <Esc> to go back to this Report Options Menu or <F10> to continue on to the next section. 146 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting a New Report To define a new report, press <1> or <D> from the Report Menu, Design A New Report. The following screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here This screen is used to specify the placement of the report on the paper. Report width: The width of the printed area on the report. For example, if your paper is 8 1/2 inches wide and you want to hold a left and right margin of 3/4 inch, the width of the printed portion is 7 inches, which is 70 characters if you are printing at 10 characters per inch. In condensed mode you can print about 119 characters in 7 inches (7 times 17). If you are using 14 inch wide paper you can print more, of course. Keep in mind that the Report Width does not include the left margin setting below. Paper length: The number of rows that can be printed on an entire page. Most printing is done at 6 lines per inch. An eleven inch page is 66 lines high. At 8 lines per inch, the page would hold 88 lines. Lines per page: The number of lines that actually print before moving to the next page. This should take into account the top and bottom margin. On an eleven inch page with a top margin of 1" and a bottom margin of 3/4", printed at 6 lines per inch, the Lines Per Page should be set at 56. Top Margin: The number of blank lines at the top of each page before the actual printing is started. Most of the time you set this to 0 and just position the paper in your printer to start printing where you want the first line to be. If you are using a sheet-feeder you can change this setting as needed. Left Margin: The number of characters from the left edge of the paper to the beginning of each line. A setting of 0 indicates PRINTING REPORTS 147 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- that printing should begin at the left edge of the paper. A setting of 1 leaves one blank space before starting each line. A setting of 10 leaves a left margin of 1 inch when printing at 10 characters per inch. When all the settings on the Report Size and Spacing screen are correct, press <F10> to continue to the Report Layout screen or <Esc> to return to the Report Sub-Menu. The Report Layout screen look like this: Registered Version has screen picture here This is the screen you use to "paint" your report layout. It's really quite easy. There are eight possible sections to a report, the Title, Headings, Detail, three levels of Subtotals, a Total section and a Footer area. Each section has a line above it with a title indicating the name of the section. Each of these areas can be laid out any way you want and can be expanded as needed. Moving Around the Layout Screen Moving around the screen is simply a matter of using the cursor keys to move the blinking cursor to any position within the report layout. As you move up and down, the cursor moves from one section to another. There are position indicators at the bottom right corner of the window that display the current row and column of the cursor within the current section. If your report is wider than the window on the screen, the display scrolls sideways when the cursor moves past the right or left edge of the window. The same is true if the layout grows to be taller than the window. The display scrolls up and down as needed. 148 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- There are also several other keys that make it easier and quicker to move around the screen: <Enter> Pressing the <Enter> key moves the cursor down one row and to column 1. The display scrolls to the right if necessary. <Home> Pressing the <Home> key moves the cursor to column 1 in the current row, shifting the window contents to the right, if necessary. If the cursor is in column 1, pressing <Home> moves the cursor to row 1, column 1 in the Title section, shifting the window contents down if necessary. (If you want to quickly move to the Title section, press <Home> twice and you are there.) <End> Pressing the <End> key moves the cursor to the position following the last non-blank character on the current line. If the cursor is already at the end of a line, pressing <End> moves the cursor to the lower right corner of the window in the Footer section, shifting the window contents up if necessary. If you want to move to the end of the report, press <End> twice. <Tab> The <Tab> key moves the cursor 5 positions to the right. <Backtab> The <Backtab> key, (hold down the <Shift> key while you press the <Tab> key), moves the cursor 5 positions to the left. <Ctrl-PgUp> These keys move the cursor to the top and bottom of the report <Ctrl-PgDn> in the current column. <PgUp> These keys move up and down through the entire report layout if <PgDn> it is taller than the window size. <Alt-D> Pressing <Alt-D> deletes the current line after asking for permission to do so. All lines below the deleted line are moved up to fill the void. The section dividing lines cannot be deleted nor can a line that contains a field. To remove a line containing a field, you must first remove the field. See Removing a Field below. <Alt-I> Pressing <Alt-I> inserts a new blank line above the line where the cursor is, making the current section one line taller. PRINTING REPORTS 149 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Ctrl-R> Pressing <Ctrl-R> repeats the last text character that was typed. <Spacebar> The <Spacebar> key puts a blank at the cursor position and moves one position to the right. The <Spacebar> won't blank out a field. <Backspace> The <Backspace> moves the cursor one character to the left and blanks any text character that is in that position. Any text or single line fields to the right of the cursor are pulled to the left. If there is a window field to the right of the cursor that crosses the current line, the <Backspace> key functions as a <Left> cursor key. The <Backspace> key will not blank out a field. <Del> The <Del> key removes the character under the cursor and pulls the remainder of the line to the left. The <Del> key does not work if the cursor is on an input field or to the left of a window field. <Insert> The <Insert> key toggles between insert and overwrite mode. When insert mode is turned on, the cursor changes shape from a blinking line to a blinking box. Any characters typed while in insert mode are inserted at the current cursor position and the rest of the line is move to the right. If moving the rest of the line to the right would cause an input field to be pushed off the screen, inserting text is not permitted. Also, if there is a window field to the right of the cursor, inserting new characters is not allowed. <F10> Pressing <F10> tells File Express that you are finished defining the report layout and want to continue to the Optional Specification screen. When defining a report layout, a list of all the available edit keys and their function is available by pressing <Alt-H> for help. 150 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Report Layout Sections Title The Title section of a report is printed at the top of every page. If you would like the title printed on the first page only, or not at all, you can indicate this on the Optional Specification screen that is described below. The Title section of a report usually contains a title line, date, and page number. However, you can also put fields and formulas in this section. Any references to fields are taken from the next record to be printed on the report. Example: List of Software Companies Date18 Page PAGE This title example was created by typing List of Software Companies as the title on the first line of the Title section, inserting two more lines by pressing <Alt-I>, placing the current date on line 3 as a Calculated Field by pressing <Alt-C> and then selecting the DATE function. Page numbering was added by typing Page as text and then placing the PAGE function next to it by again pressing <Alt-C> to pop up the Calculated field window and selecting the PAGE function. Example: User Group Phone Directory Last Name PAGE This example generates a title that looks something like: User Group Phone Directory Williams 117 Since any field reference in the Title area prints the contents of the field from the next record that will print, the Last Name from the top record on each page prints in the title, forming a phone book type quick index in the upper right corner of each page. Centering Titles Most of the time you will want to have your title lines either centered, left or right justified within the defined width of your report. File Express offers a feature called Text Alignment to help you. Pressing <Alt-A> on any line containing just text (no fields or formulas) pops up a window prompting you for <L>eft PRINTING REPORTS 151 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <C>enter or <R>ight justification. Select the alignment you want by pressing the appropriate letter and all the text on the line is instantly justified for you. Headings The Headings section of a report is normally printed below the Title section and above the Detail section on each page. It usually consists of column headings. As with the Title section, you can indicate that the Headings section be printed on the first page, all pages, or no pages at all. Auto-Generate Headings The most commonly used Heading consists of field names with a dashed lines under them. Example: First Name Last Name Company Name ------------- -------------------- ---------------------- File Express lets you automatically generate this type of heading by pressing <Ctrl-G> with the cursor in the Headings area, after the Detail section has been laid out. This is done by echoing the field names found on the first line of the Detail section into the first line of the Headings section. The dashed line on the second line of the Heading section represents the length of the field. After a Heading is generated, you can make changes to it by simply moving around the section, typing over the text you want to edit. The Headings section can be much more elaborate, containing field references, formulas, and text. Example: Expressware Corporation I N V O I C E P.O. Box 1800 Duvall, WA 98019 206-788-0932 Date of Invoice: DATE ____________________________________________________ 152 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Detail Area The Detail section of a report is where all the information is printed from the fields in each record. The Detail section is printed once for every record and is usually repeated continuously down the page until it is full. To define the layout for your report, move around the Detail area and place the fields and text exactly where you want them. The following example was created by placing the BOOK TITLE and AUTHOR fields on line 1 of the Detail section. BOOK TITLE AUTHOR This layout produces a report like this: Example: Macroscope Piers Anthony Foundation and Earth Isaac Asimov 2001 Arthur C. Clark Starship Robert Heinlen Ringworld Larry Niven Of course, the layout can be much more intricate. Continuing the example of the INVOICE in the Heading section: ----------------------------------------------------------------- To: Full Name=============== Ship to: SHIP TO NAME=========== COMPANY NAME============ SHIP TO COMPANY======== ADDRESS================= SHIP TO ADDRESS======== CITY==========, ST ZIP== SCITY========, SS SZIP= Date Order: ODATE=== Tax Number: TAX NUMBER======== ----------------------------------------------------------------- Account No. Date Shipped Shipped Via Terms Your Number ACCT NUMBER SHIP DT VIA TERMS PO NUMBER ----------------------------------------------------------------- Quantity Description Unit Price Amount ----------------------------------------------------------------- QTY1 DESCRIP1================== EACH1 SUBTOT1 QTY2 DESCRIP2================== EACH2 SUBTOT2 etc. PRINTING REPORTS 153 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All the highlighted characters represent fields or calculated fields. Subtotals File Express offers three levels of subtotals on a report. Each subtotal level can have its own trigger field that determines when the subtotal is generated for that level. (See Setting Trigger Fields for more information). The trigger field for a subtotal level is typically a sort field of the same level. For example, if you want a subtotal printed each time the contents of the CITY field changes, the current index must be in CITY order. (See Example 1.) If you are going to print a report with more than one level of subtotals, the current index should be in the same order as the trigger fields used to generate the subtotal levels. (See Example 2.) Example 1 - Level 1 subtotals: City Amount1 Amount2 ------------- -------- -------- Aberdeen 23.81 710.00 Aberdeen 8381.84 1845.82 Aberdeen 426.20 2.00 -------- -------- 8831.85 2557.82 Cincinnati 306.88 839.95 Cincinnati 7925.68 29.35 Cincinnati .34 79.95 Cincinnati 885.33 419.45 Cincinnati 59.24 59.15 -------- -------- 9177.47 1427.85 In this example, the Subtotal 1 trigger is the CITY field. This means that each time the contents of the CITY field changes, a level 1 subtotal is generated. 154 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Example 2 - Three levels of subtotals: State City Salesperson Amount ------- -------- ----------- -------- Nevada Las Vegas Larry 84,920 12,000 -------- 96,920 Leslie 9,500 102,480 -------- 111,980 === $208,900 (Las Vegas) === Reno Larry 72,900 48,390 -------- 121,290 Robin 3,800 19,430 -------- 23,230 === $144,520 (Reno) === *** $353,420 (Nevada) *** Washington Duvall Margaret 45,920 12,000 -------- 57,920 Nancy 33,910 12,570 -------- 46,480 === $104,400 (Duvall) === Seattle Martin 204,560 89,080 -------- 293,640 Paul 98,340 142,920 -------- 241,260 === $534,900 (Seattle) === *** $639,300 (Washington) *** PRINTING REPORTS 155 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In this example, the subtotals that are between the asterisks, i.e., *** $984,750 (Washington) *** are level 1 subtotals and are triggered by the STATE field. The subtotals between the equal signs === $768,260 (Seattle) === are level 2 subtotals and are triggered by the CITY field. The level 3 subtotals are the numbers beneath the dashed lines in the right column and are triggered by the SALESPERSON field. Setting Trigger Fields Whenever the cursor is in one of the Subtotal areas, the current trigger field is displayed near the bottom of the screen and an additional prompt is added, <T>rigger. To change the trigger field, press <Alt-T>. File Express pops up a list of all the current fields. Using the cursor keys, move the highlight bar to the name of the field you want to use for the new trigger field and press <Enter>. You are then asked for the "Portion of field for trigger comparison". A subtotal trigger can be any part of a field. For example, the month portion of a Date field might be used to get monthly subtotals. The default entry is the entire length of the field. Make any change desired and press <Enter>. 156 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Total The Total section is generated at the end of a report printout. Example: Aberdeen 23.81 710.00 Cincinnati 8381.84 1845.82 Denver 426.20 2.00 Fargo 306.88 839.95 Jackson 7925.68 29.35 Miami .34 79.95 New York City 885.33 419.45 Seattle 59.24 59.15 ============ ======== ======== 8 18009.32 3985.67 In this example, the totals are under the double-dashed lines and were laid out by putting the corresponding field.TOTAL for each field in the Total area. Footer The Footer section is normally printed at the bottom of each page. You can, however, indicate that the Footer section be printed on the first page, all pages, or no pages at all. The Footer section can contain page numbers, copyright notices, field information, etc. Example: Frank 7384.20 Helen 8392.89 Jane 10673.60 Larry 9901.00 Mary 7770.45 etc. --------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum so far: 10673.60 (C) Copyright 1991, Acme Parts Company Page 1 The Footer above is in bold type. The number printed following "Maximum so far:" was generated using the .MAX field style. The page number was generated using the PAGE function. These are described a little later in this chapter. The dashed line and other words were just typed in as text. PRINTING REPORTS 157 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Adding Text to the Layout Additional text can be added anywhere, in any section, in the Report Layout window except on top of fields and on top of section divider lines. Simply move the cursor to the location where you want to add text and type what you want. If you type past the width of your report, the text wraps to the left side of the layout on the next line down. If you type past the right edge of the window, but have not yet reach the right edge of your report, the screen scrolls sideways to display more columns on the right. Inserting Text Text can be inserted into an existing string by putting the cursor into insert mode. Pressing the <Insert> key toggles the cursor in and out of insert mode. The cursor is a tall blinking block when it is in insert mode. File Express won't insert characters if the cursor is to the left of a window field, or if a field would be pushed off the report. Deleting Text Text can be deleted by using the <Backspace> key or the <Del> key. Both of these keys pull any trailing text to the left. If the cursor is to the left of a window field, these keys don't work. You must use the <Spacebar> to blank out unwanted characters in this case. Special Characters To type a special character that is not found on the keyboard, you must know the ASCII number that is assigned to it. These codes can be found in the ASCII CODES appendix at the end of this manual. To enter a special character you must hold down the <Alt> key and while doing so, key in the ASCII number on the numeric keypad, and then release the <Alt> key. The character appears at the current cursor position. To enter the British Pound sign for example, hold down the <Alt> key and type 156 on the numeric keypad. When you let up the <Alt> key the character appears on the screen. Control Characters To enter special control characters with an ASCII value less than 32, press <Alt-X>. File Express asks you to "Enter literal character". Either press the desired control key, such as <Esc> or <Tab>, or enter the control key by holding down the <Alt> key and typing the ASCII number on the numeric keypad. While in Literal Character mode, <Ctrl-A> through <Ctrl-Z> corresponds to the ASCII values 1 through 26. ASCII 27, which is an Escape character, can be entered by pressing the <Esc> key. ASCII codes 28 through 31 must be entered by using the <Alt> key method. 158 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Placing Fields on the Screen File Express offers many different options when placing fields on your report format. Fields can be placed with or without their field names, or as window fields that occupy a rectangular block on the page and automatically word-wrap when the field is printed into them. Fields can be placed anywhere on the layout, in any section, as long as there is enough room. Regular Fields To place a field on the report layout, move the cursor where you want the field to be located and press <Alt-F>. A window appears on the screen with a list of all the fields that are part of your current database along with any new calculated fields you have already defined for this report. The prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to: Use the arrow keys to select a field, then press <Enter> To select the field you want to place on the report, move the highlighted bar to the desired field by using the <Up> and <Down> cursor keys. (The <Spacebar> also acts as the <Down> key.) When you have highlighted the correct field, press <Enter> to bring up the following Field Style window. Field Name & Field Field in Window Field.SUBCOUNT Field.COUNT Field.SUBNBCOUNT Field.NBCOUNT Field.SUBTOTAL Field.TOTAL Field.SUBMIN Field.MIN Field.SUBMAX Field.MAX Field.SUBAVERAGE Field.AVERAGE PRINTING REPORTS 159 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Field Style window lists the different ways that you can print a field: Field This option prints only the contents of the field as each record is printed. Example: Pioneer Toshiba Sony Epson Hitachi JVC In this example, the company names were printed by putting the Company field as a Field in the Detail section. Name & Field This option prints the field name followed by the field contents. First Name Marilyn Last Name Monroe Address 101 1st Ave. City Baltimore State MD Zip Code 01835 In this example, each name and address was printed by putting the fields as Name & Field's in the Detail section. Window Field If the length of a field is 40 characters or more you can place the field on the report as a Window field. A Window field is a rectangular block that works much like a mini word processor. When the contents of the fields are printed on the report, they are automatically word-wrapped into the blocked area. When you select this type of style, a blinking rectangle of squares appears that is two rows tall and 20 characters wide. The prompt at the bottoms tells you to: Use Arrow keys to stretch the WINDOW to size desired and then press <Enter> 160 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can make the block taller and wider until the height times the width is greater than or equal to the length of the field. You can stretch the window over text if you like but File Express does not let you cover over any other field on the screen. When you have sized the block as desired, press <Enter>. Example: This is an example of a window field that is word-wrapped into the block as the field is printed. This is a good way to print fields that contain long text descriptions in a column on a report. PRINTING REPORTS 161 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBCOUNT This option prints the count of the records that have been printed in the current level 1 subtotal group. (Since this is just a count of records printed in the subgroup, regardless of whether this field is blank or not, all .SUBCOUNT field references print the same number. That is, F1.SUBCOUNT is the same as F2.SUBCOUNT which is the same as F3.SUBCOUNT, etc.). The contents of the field make no difference as to how they are counted. Numeric fields are the same as character fields. Example: # Name Company Amount 1 David Expressware 23.89 2 David 0.00 3 David Microsoft 936.10 ---------- ------------- ------- 3 3 3 1 Don MCI 6.23 2 Don AT&T 4857.00 ---------- ------------- ------- 2 2 2 1 Rick 938.09 2 Mary Boeing 1.11 ---------- ------------- ------- 2 2 2 In this example the numbers in the # column were generated by using Name.SUBCOUNT in the Detail section and the numbers below the dashed lines were generated using Name.SUBCOUNT in the Subtotal 1 section If .SUBCOUNT is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 counts are generated. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 counts are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 counts are used. 162 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.COUNT This option prints the count of the total number of records that have been printed so far in the report. (All .COUNT reference are identical. F1.COUNT is always the same as F2.COUNT which is the same as F3.COUNT, etc.). Example: # Name Company Amount 1 David Expressware 23.89 2 David 0.00 3 David Microsoft 936.10 --------- --------- ------- 3 3 3 4 Don MCI 6.23 5 Don AT&T 4857.00 --------- --------- ------- 2 2 2 6 Rick 938.09 7 Mary Boeing 1.11 --------- --------- ------- 2 2 2 ========= ========= ======= 7 7 7 In this example the numbers in the # column were generated by using Name.COUNT in the Detail section and the numbers below the double dashed lines were generated using F1.COUNT in the Total section. .COUNT always generates the same numbers, no matter which section of the report it is used in. PRINTING REPORTS 163 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBNBCOUNT This option prints the count of the non-blank records that have been printed in the current subtotal level group. (This count is different from one field to another because the contents of each field may or may not be blank.) Example: Name Company David Expressware David David Microsoft --------- ------------- 3 2 Don MCI Don AT&T Rick Sprint Boeing --------- ------------- 3 4 In this example, the numbers below the dashed lines were generated by using Name.SUBNBCOUNT in the Subtotal section for the Name field and Company.SUBNBCOUNT in the Subtotal section for the Company field. If .SUBNBCOUNT is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 non-blank counts are generated. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 counts are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 counts are used. 164 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.NBCOUNT This option prints the total count of all the non-blank records that have been printed so far in the report. Example: Name Company David Expressware Ken Bill Microsoft MCI Don AT&T Rick Mary Boeing ========= ============= 6 5 In this example, the numbers below the double dashed lines were generated by using Name.NBCOUNT and Company.NBCOUNT in the Total section. PRINTING REPORTS 165 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBTOTAL This option prints the numeric subtotal for the field. Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros. Example: Running Name Amount Subtotal Allen 48.25 48.25 Allen 92.00 140.25 Allen 1947.72 2087.97 ---------- ------- 0.00 2087.97 Carla 3.90 3.90 Carla .23 4.13 Carla 783.26 787.39 Carla 8378.35 9165.74 ---------- ------- 0.00 9165.74 In this example, the numbers below the dashed lines were generated by using Name.SUBTOTAL and Amount.SUBTOTAL in the Subtotal 1 area. The numbers under the Running Subtotal column were generated by using Amount.SUBTOTAL in the Detail area. If .SUBTOTAL is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 subtotals are generated which include the current record being printed. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 subtotals are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 subtotals are used. 166 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.TOTAL This option prints the numeric total for the field. Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros. Example: Running Name Amount Total Allen 48.25 48.25 Allen 92.00 140.25 Allen 1947.72 2087.97 ---------- ------- 0.00 2087.97 Carla 3.90 2091.87 Carla .23 2092.10 Carla 783.26 2875.36 Carla 6378.35 9253.71 ---------- ------- 0.00 7165.74 ========== ======= 0.00 9253.71 In this example, the numbers below the double dashed lines at the bottom were generated by using Name.TOTAL and Amount.TOTAL in the Total area. The numbers under the Running Total column were generated by using Amount.TOTAL in the Detail area. PRINTING REPORTS 167 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBMIN This option prints the minimum numeric value found for the field in the current subtotal group. Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros. Example: Amount Minimum 48.25 48.25 92.00 48.25 16.00 16.00 ------- 16.00 3.90 3.90 .23 .23 783.26 .23 9378.35 .23 ------- .23 In this example, the numbers under the dashed lines were generated by using Amount.SUBMIN in the Subtotal 1 area. The numbers under the Minimum column were generated by using Amount.SUBMIN in the Detail area giving a "running minimum". If .SUBMIN is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 minimums are generated which include the current record being printed. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 minimums are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 minimums are used. 168 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.MIN This option prints the minimum numeric value found for the field so far. Amount Minimum 48.25 48.25 92.00 48.25 16.00 16.00 3.90 3.90 .23 .23 783.26 .23 9378.35 .23 ======= .23 In this example, the number under the double dashed line was generated by using Amount.MIN in the Total area. The numbers under the Minimum column were generated by using Amount.MIN in the Detail area. PRINTING REPORTS 169 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBMAX This option prints the maximum numeric value found for the field in the current subtotal group. Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros. Example: Amount Maximum 48.25 48.25 92.00 92.00 16.00 92.00 ------- 92.00 3.90 3.90 .23 3.90 783.26 783.26 9378.35 9378.35 ------- 9378.35 In this example, the numbers under the dashed lines were generated by using Amount.SUBMAX in the Subtotal 1 area. The numbers under the Maximum column were generated by using Amount.SUBMAX in the Detail area. If .SUBMAX is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 maximums are generate which include the current record being printed. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 maximums are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 maximums are used. 170 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.MAX This option prints the maximum numeric value found for the field so far in the report. Amount Maximum 48.25 48.25 92.00 92.00 16.00 92.00 3.90 92.00 .23 92.00 783.26 783.26 9378.35 9378.35 ======= 9378.35 In this example, the number under the double dashed line was generated by using Amount.MAX in the Total area. The numbers under the Maximum column were generated by using Amount.MAX in the Detail area. PRINTING REPORTS 171 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.SUBAVERAGE This option prints the average numeric value so far for the field in the current subtotal group. Amount Sub Average 48.25 48.25 92.00 70.13 16.00 52.08 ------- 52.08 3.90 3.90 .23 2.07 783.26 262.46 9378.35 2541.44 ------- 2541.44 In this example, the numbers under the dashed lines were generated by using Amount.SUBAVERAGE in the Subtotal 1 area. The numbers under the Sub Average column were generated by using Amount.SUBAVERAGE in the Detail area. If .SUBAVERAGE is used in the Detail area or Subtotal 1 area, level 1 averages are generated which include the current record being printed. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 averages are used. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 averages are used. 172 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Field.AVERAGE This option prints the average numeric value so far for the field in the report. Amount Average 48.25 48.25 92.00 70.13 16.00 52.08 3.90 40.04 .23 32.08 783.26 157.27 9378.35 1474.57 ======= 1474.57 In this example, the number under the double dashed line was generated by using Amount.AVERAGE in the Total area. The numbers under the Average column were generated by using Amount.AVERAGE in the Detail area. PRINTING REPORTS 173 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Calculated Fields File Express lets you define calculated fields that are not actually part of the database record definition but are just calculated and printed on the report. To create such a field, move the cursor to where you want the field and press <Alt-C>. The first choice takes you through the process of defining a calculated field. Enter NAME of field? ___________ Select a name, up to twelve characters, and press <Enter>. File Express asks you to: Enter TYPE of Calc field, <N>umeric, or <T>ext? N Calculated fields can be either Character or Numeric. Select the appropriate field type. Next, File Express prompts you to: Enter formula for this field, or <Alt-L>ist Quick Functions: Type in the formula you want calculated and press <Enter>, or if you want to use one of the Quick Functions, press <Alt-L> (see description of Quick Functions below). The final two inquiries are: Enter LENGTH of field? If the field was numeric, the final prompt is: How many decimal places? The maximum number of decimal places is 9. After this prompt is answered, the field is placed on the report at the cursor position. Quick Functions There are many functions in the File Express formula handler that require no parameters and return a single piece of information or control formatting of your report. These functions can be entered as a formula as described above or you can select them directly from the list, bypassing the additional information that File Express normally asks for, like type, length, and decimal places. We call these functions Quick Functions. For example, if you want to put the page number on your report, move the cursor to where you want the number, press <Alt-C>, for a Formula field, and then, instead of entering a field name, 174 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- press <Alt-L> to bring up the list of Quick Functions, highlight the PAGE selection and press <Enter>. Here is what each Quick Function does: BLANKLINE Forces a blank line to be printed, even if the Remove Blank Lines option is set to YES. DAYABBV Returns the three-character day abbreviation from the system date. Takes three characters. Note: This function also accepts a date parameter but to use it this way you must enter the function as an actual formula. DAYNAME Returns the name of the day from the current system date. Takes nine characters. Note: This function also accepts a date parameter but to use it this way you must enter the function as an actual formula. LINE Returns the current line number on the current page. Takes three characters. MILTIME Returns the current system time in 24 hour format. Takes five characters. MONTHABBV Returns the standard abbreviation of the month from the system date. Takes three characters. Note: This function also accepts a date parameter but to use it this way you must enter the function as an actual formula. MONTHNAME Returns the name of the month from the current system date. Note: This function also accepts a date parameter but to use it this way you must enter the function as an actual formula. NEWPAGE Causes File Express to move to the next page, printing Titles and Headings if needed, before printing the current line. NOLINEFEED Suppresses the linefeed character normally sent out at the end of each line sent to the printer. This is often used to underline some text by putting the underline characters on the following line directly under the text to be underlined. PAGE Returns the current page number. Takes 5 characters. TIME Returns the current system time in 12 hour format. Takes five characters. PRINTING REPORTS 175 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TODAY Prints the current date in the current date format. Takes eight or ten characters depending on the default date format. YEAR Returns the year from the current system date. Takes four characters. Using Formulas In Reports This section describes some highlights of using formulas in reports. We do not describe exactly how to set up particular formulas and calculations here because formulas are discussed in depth in the Formulas chapter, later in this manual. Most people think of a formula as a mathematical equation performed on one or more fields, such as multiplying a price times units sold, or adding together some numbers. In the File Express Report Writer, a formula is exactly that, and much more. Formulas can perform many functions: Math calculations (+ - * / ^ % and or not mod) Math functions (sine, cosine, tangent, logarithms, square root) Date arithmetic (Age function, FutureDate) Rounding Formatting (decimals, floating $, justification, zero fill) Concatenation of fields, with or without a space between Text string manipulation (instring, case conversion, trim) If/Then comparisons (EQ LT LE GT GE NE, nesting permitted) Reference field values in prior record Access running subtotals, totals, averages, counts for all fields Print horizontal bar graphs on reports Access report variables (page number, line counter, top of page) Set report switches (new page, no line feed, skip line) Date and time functions (various formats, age arithmetic) Once again, this section does not describe how to do all these things. See the chapter titled Formulas for a detailed explanation. Formula Name When a formula is entered on the report format, File Express prompts for some additional information. The first prompt is for a name to give the formula. If you don't plan to refer to the formula by name, just press <Enter> and leave the name blank. File Express automatically assigns it a name (Formula 1, Formula 2, etc.) in case you decide to refer to it later. 176 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter any name up to twelve characters, preferably one not already used by a field or another formula. Formulas can refer to one another by name. For example, suppose your report includes the formula: Price * Units and you give this formula the name "Extended". Further down the page you can compute sales tax with the formula: Extended * .081. A new formula can only reference another formula which comes before it in the report. By "comes before it" we mean that the referenced formula is calculated before the new formula in the Detail area. File Express processes formulas in the current processing order. This processing order can be changed whenever you need to. See Field Order under Changing Fields on the next page. Formula Length and Decimals After you enter the formula name (or press <Enter>) another prompt appears asking for the formula length. A length has already been filled in for you, which is File Express' best guess of the length you need. You can specify a longer or shorter length if you like. For example, the formula: first name & last name tells File Express to put the first name and last name together with only a single space between them. If the two fields are printed in separate columns, they look like: John Doe Jonathan Carpenter Jim Smith But by using the formula above, the two fields can be combined into a single field so they are adjacent: John Doe Jonathan Carpenter Jim Smith How wide should the field be that holds this formula? You can only assume that it is possible for both the first and last name to fill up their fields. So, add the length of the two fields, add one more for the space in between, and use the answer as the value in the length prompt. If you decide the field can be shorter, and are willing to take a chance on losing a few characters occasionally, you can specify a shorter length instead. You can also enter a larger length value, but there would be no benefit in doing so for this formula. Formulas which return keyword values, such as today's date or this month's name, compute a length which holds the largest PRINTING REPORTS 177 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- contents the field can receive. For example, a formula specifying month name has a length of 9, to accommodate the longest month name, September. Formulas which return numeric results always default to a length of ten. If your number is likely to be more or less than ten characters, including decimal places, commas, decimal point, dollar sign and minus sign, change the length value. If a formula has a numeric result, File Express prompts for the number of decimal places. The default is two decimals, and may be changed to any value from 0 to 12. 178 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changing Fields Once a field has been placed on the report format, you can remove it or change its length. To make one of these changes, simply move the cursor so that it is on top of the desired field. When you have done this, a new prompt appears at the bottom of the screen: <Alt>: <R>emove <S>ize to print <O>rder fields Removing a Field To remove the field, press <Alt-R>. File Express blinks the field and asks: "Are you sure you want to REMOVE THIS FIELD (Y/N)? N" If you are sure that you want the field removed from the report, press <Y>. The blinking field portion is erased. Changing the Printed Field Length To change the length of the field that is printed on the report, press <Alt-S> while the cursor is on top of the field. The field starts blinking and the prompt at the bottom of the screen is: Actual field length=xx, Maximum Display length=yy, Display length=<zz> To change the length of the field, use the cursor keys to shorten or lengthen the blinking squares. A regular field (as opposed to a Window field) may be shortened to one character or lengthened to whatever fits on the report line. A field cannot be stretched over another field but can be stretched over existing text on the screen. If the field is stretched over text and then shrunk back, the overwritten text reappears. If the field was placed as a Window field, then the whole block blinks and can be re-sized with the cursor keys. Field Order As you place fields in each area of the report, File Express keeps track of the order in which you placed them. When it comes time to print the report, the fields are processed in the same order. The only time this is important is when you are defining calculated fields that depend on the results of other calculated fields. If you want to change the calculation order, place the cursor over any field on the screen and press <Alt-O>. File Express asks: Do you want to <S>et the field order or <T>est the order [S/T]? To see the current processing order, press <T>. To reset the processing order, press <S>. File Express blinks all the fields PRINTING REPORTS 179 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- and asks you to reset the order by moving the cursor on top of each field and press <Enter> in the desired calculation sequence. Drawing Lines File Express has a powerful line drawing mode that makes it easy to draw lines and boxes on your report layout. Note: Before using the line drawing feature on your report, you should make sure your printer prints the lines correctly. Many printers substitute another character for each line character. Sometimes there are DIP switches that can be set so that the printer will print the line drawing characters. This information will be located in your printer manual. There are two keys that control the line drawing option, <Alt-L> and <Alt-B>. Pressing <Alt-L> toggles the line drawing option on and off. The status is always displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the Line option is ON, you can use the cursor keys to move around the report layout drawing lines in the current Box style. Whenever a line intersects another line, the correct intersection character is automatically drawn for the current Box style. Changing the Box Style File Express provides eight different line drawing character sets along with an option to ERASE lines as the cursor is moved. The Box styles are: Registered Version has screen picture here The current Box style is always displayed at the bottom of the screen. To change the current Box style, press <Alt-B>. The character set changes to the next style. Repeated pressing of <Alt-B> rotates through the eight available Box styles and the ERASE option. When you have selected the desired Box style and the Line option is turned on, you can then use the cursor keys to draw lines and boxes. If the cursor is not at the point where you want to start drawing, press <Alt-L> to turn the Line option OFF and then move the cursor to the desired starting position and then press <Alt-L> to turn the Line option back on. 180 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As you are drawing lines and boxes you should be aware of the following rules. Lines can be drawn anywhere on the report layout except over fields. This means that you can draw a line right over any existing text that you have previously typed. When attempting to draw a line over a field, the cursor moves normally but no line is drawn until the cursor has moved off the field. Lines can't be drawn off the top, bottom, left or right edges of the report. PRINTING REPORTS 181 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Optional Specifications Screen After the report format has been defined, press <F10> to display the Report Optional Specifications screen: Registered Version has screen picture here This screen contains various options which could not be specified in the format definition, because they were not format-oriented. These options are all related to the report layout; i.e., positioning the report on the paper, printing headings, totals, etc. The next few paragraphs list the options and describe them in detail. Print TITLE on <F>irst, <A>ll or <N>o pages The first lines to print on every page normally contain the information from the Title area of the Report Layout. To include this title on only the first page of the report, specify <F>. To exclude the title from all pages, specify <N>. To restore the title to all pages (the default), press <A>. Print HEADINGS on <F>irst, <A>ll or <N>o pages The heading lines created on the Report Format screen normally print on all pages. If a title was specified, it prints first, followed by the heading lines. To include these headings on only the first page of the report, specify <F>. To exclude the headings from all pages, specify <N>. To restore the headings to all pages (the default), press <A>. Print FOOTERS on <F>irst, <A>ll or <N>o pages The Footer section is normally printed at the bottom of each page. To include the Footer section on only the first page of the report, specify <F>. To exclude the footers from all pages, specify <N>. To restore the footers to all pages (the default), press <A>. 182 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Print DETAIL area <Y>es or <N>o The Detail area is normally printed for each record included on your report. If you want to turn off the printing of this section, set this option to <N>. Example: You want to print a Zip Code report to find out how many records there are for each zip code but you don't want to see all the individual records. Your report layout looks like this: Detail area: CUSTOMER ZIP CODE ---------- Subtotal 1 area: ZIP CODE ZIP CODE.COUNT If you print the Detail area, all the records for each zip code print before the subtotal count. Since you don't need all the individual information, set the Print DETAIL area to <N>o. Now, when the report is printed, only the subtotal counts are printed next to the Zip Code. The report looks something like this: 09345 16 10472 29 10529 128 11930 3 12900 89 etc. The report, which could end up being many, many pages, is now very short and concise and contains only the information you want. Print SUBTOTAL areas <Y>es or <N>o If you have a report format including entries in the Subtotal areas, you can turn off the subtotal printing by answering <N>o. Print TOTAL area <Y>es or <N>o If you have a report format including entries in the Total area, you can turn off the total printing by answering <N>o. Remove blank detail lines from report, <Y>es or <N>o The Report Writer constructs each detail line from the data in the record, then writes it to the printer. After substituting the data from the record onto the detail line, sometimes a line is completely empty, so it takes up unnecessary space on the report. If you want blank lines to be removed (i.e., not printed), specify <Y>es. PRINTING REPORTS 183 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty 184 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This option does not remove lines of the report which were intentionally left blank (i.e., they have no fields or text in them). File Express assumes you intended those lines to be printed, to provide separation between records or to improve readability. Sometimes a report generates blank lines which you want deleted and other blank lines which you want to remain. To accomplish this, specify <Y>es to the "Remove blank lines from report" prompt, then on each line which is to always print blank, include a formula on the line with the keyword BLANKLINE in it. The formula field may be anywhere on the line, and may be any length. The formula displays as spaces, but ensures that the line is always printed, whether it is blank or not. Double-space detail lines, <Y>es or <N>o Detail lines are normally printed single-spaced; i.e. printed one after another with no blank lines between them except blank lines you have specifically asked for. Sometimes it is desirable to have a blank line after each detail line on a report, to leave space for writing notes or just to provide some separation. Specify <Y>es for this option if double-spacing is desired. Double-spacing may also be accomplished by including a blank line in the format following each detail line. In either case, File Express keeps track of end-of-page and headings properly, printing only half as many detail lines per page, and inserting a blank line between each. One-and-a-half spacing of Detail lines is also possible, even if your printer doesn't support it. Specify <Y>es for the double-space option, and specify line spacing of eight lines-per-inch. Double-spacing at 8 lpi prints four lines per vertical inch, which is equivalent to 6 lpi with a half-space between each detail line. Split records over page break, <Y>es or <N>o This message only applies on reports containing more than one detail line. Specifying <Y>es tells File Express that it can print some of the detail lines for a record at the bottom of a page, then print the remaining lines at the top of the next page. If you want all the detail lines to stay together, specify <N>o. File Express checks to make sure there is enough room for all the lines in the record, and if there isn't, skips to a new page before printing them. PRINTING REPORTS 185 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Print subtotal for single records, <Y>es or <N>o If a subtotal group contains only one record, File Express normally skips printing a subtotal for it because the information is redundant. If you want to force these subtotals to print, answer <Y> to this question. Subtotals for single records look something like this: Bill Smith 16 -- 16 Mary Thompson 39 -- 39 Record Selection: The final prompt on the Optional Specification screen asks which records to print on the report. When you move to this prompt, the Record Selection screen displays. This is a familiar screen, identical to the one used when finding records. To include every record on your report, enter "ALL". To print only selected records, enter the selection criteria. For a detailed discussion of the valid keywords and operands, see the section titled Finding Records. When you are satisfied that all the answers on the screen are correct, press <Esc> to return to the Report Sub-menu or <F10> to continue on to the Output Options screen. Report Output Options The last screen to display is one whose fields pertain to physical aspects of your report, the Report Output Options screen: 186 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All the fields have the most commonly used default values, so just press <F10> if all the options are correct. If your computer system uses different options, it is not necessary to change these fields every time you run a report. The default values on this screen (as on many other screens) may be changed to match your computer and printer. See the chapter titled Customizing File Express for more information. Each of these options are saved as part of the report layout file, so when you reload the report, the answers are preserved. The prompts on this screen are discussed in the following paragraphs. Write to <S>creen, rinter, <D>isk, or <A>ll The report always appears on the screen. To write it only on the screen and nowhere else, enter <S>. To write it to the screen and the printer, enter . To write it to the screen and disk, enter <D>. To write it to the screen, disk, and printer, press <A>. When <D> or <A> is entered, you are prompted for the Output File name. Any valid DOS file name may be used. A drive letter, path and extension may also be included. If they are omitted, the file is written to the drive and path containing the database, with no extension. When <D>isk is specified, the characters written into the disk file are identical to those that go to the printer when rinter is specified. This lets the disk file later be printed using the DOS PRINT command or other spooling utility. Consequently, the disk file may contain control codes such as form feeds or compressed print codes. If you are writing the report to disk to edit with your word processor, these codes appear in the word processing document as special symbols, and may be removed. Left column to print / Right column to print With these two options, you can print a segment from the middle of your report. This option is most commonly used when writing a wide report to the screen, to see the right side of the report. It can also be used to print a wide report on a narrow printer. Run the left side of the report, then run the right side and tape them together. Page number for first page (0-32000) File Express usually numbers the first page of the report as "Page 1". Sometimes it is desirable to start the page number with a higher value. For example, if you have a series of three lengthy reports which comprise a set, the page numbers on the second report can begin where the first report ends, and likewise for the third report. Any number from zero to 32000 may be specified. The number is used as the starting number whenever PRINTING REPORTS 187 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- you have the page number printing on your report, and is incremented by 1 on each subsequent page. 188 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From page number / To page number The defaults for these two operands are <1> to <32000>, meaning that the entire report is to be printed. Sometimes it is desirable to exclude part of a report, maybe because a printer malfunction destroyed a few pages which must be reprinted. For example, to print only pages 20 through 25 of a fifty page report, enter 20 as the From Page Number and 25 as the To Page Number. To print from page 10 to the end of a report, enter 10 in the From Page Number and 32000 in the To Page Number. The pages are built exactly as they would have printed if the entire report had been run, but only those pages in the selected range are actually printed. Keep in mind that if the From Page Number is greater than 1, File Express must still go through all the motions of printing the earlier pages, even though they don't get written to the screen, printer or disk. There is a pause while these pages are being processed, then printing begins. There is no pause at the end, even if the To Page Number is much smaller than 32000. <C>ontinuous printing or ause after each page Selecting <C>ontinuous causes the report to print every page, one after another, until the report is finished. If ause is selected, the first page prints, then this message appears: Press any key to print next page, or <Esc> to exit The ause option is useful when your printer uses single sheets of paper. One page is printed, then File Express pauses so another sheet of paper can be inserted. Printer Options File Express offers some additional printer options you may not need at first, but which are very handy when you do need them. These options give you the capability of changing printer definition files, printer ports, line and character spacing, and optional printer control strings. To pull up the Printer Options menu, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Report Output Options: PRINTING REPORTS 189 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printer Definition File Printer definition files, (PDF files), contain all the printer codes used by File Express to control the features of your printer. If you have used the Setup program that comes with File Express, you have probably selected the PDF file that goes with your printer. If you have not selected a printer, File Express uses codes for an Epson MX80 printer, which are also used by many other makes. Many people have more than one printer connected to their computer and need the capability of switching PDF files on the fly so different reports can be sent to different printers. To select a different printer definition file, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Printer Options window. A window pops up containing a list of all the PDF files found in the program directory. Move the highlighted bar to the file name you want to select and press <Enter>. Printer port <1>, <2>, <3>, or <D>efault (LPTx) If your computer has more than one printer, use this command to route the report to a second or third printer. File Express defaults to LPT1, which is the standard port for most printers. If you have changed your printer definition file to send your printer output to a port other than LPT1, the LPTx shows your default port. Technical Note: Sometimes a computer has a serial printer attached to its COM1 or COM2 serial port. Using the DOS MODE command, it is possible to reassign LPT output to a COM port. The MODE command must be entered each time your system is booted, before printing. The MODE command is usually included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The command is: MODE LPT#:=COMn where # is 1, 2 or 3 and n is 1 or 2. See your DOS manual for more information. Reports can only be sent to LPT devices. Use Form Feeds, <Y>es or <N>o Since File Express knows how long your paper is, and it also counts the lines as it prints, the paper is normally advanced to a new page by printing several blank lines. Most people never need to change this option from its default of <N>o. But there are a few applications where counting lines is not adequate. Sometimes the printer needs a form feed character sent to it in order to properly advance the paper. Earlier we mentioned that form feeding is necessary when using a line height which does not divide evenly into the paper length. The form feed re-synchro- nizes the report with the top of the new page. Some laser printers require a form feed character before the paper is ejected into the output bin. Some multi-bin paper feeders need a form feed character to select paper from the 190 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- proper bin. Some printers eject paper much faster when form feeds are used instead of a series of blank lines. In those applications, specify <Y>es for this option. When File Express prints a report without form feeds, the top-of-form position of your printer is ignored. File Express simply starts printing wherever the paper is positioned, and includes enough blank lines to get to the top of each page. But when using form feeds with a regular tractor-feed printer, the printer's top-of-form must be properly set, or else the second and subsequent pages do print in the proper position. Top-of-form detection is a physical aspect of your printer which varies from model to model. Typically it can be set by position- ing the paper so the perforation is just above the print head, then pressing a button labelled Top or TOF. Some printers must be powered off and back on to set top-of-form. See your printer operation manual for further details. Line spacing - <6>, <8> or <S>pecial lines per inch Most printers are configured to print six lines per inch (lpi), but have an option for selecting 8 lpi vertical spacing. A report printed at 8 lpi is usually a bit harder to read, because the lines are much closer together. Sometimes 8 lpi causes the tops of some upper case characters to touch the bottoms of characters with descenders like p, j and y. A 100-page report printed at 6 lpi uses only 65 to 70 pages when printed at 8 lpi, because more detail lines fit on a page, and fewer overhead lines (titles and headings) need to be printed. The report still prints at the same speed, although there is a small time saving since fewer headings are printed. When an 8 lpi report is double-spaced, the effect is one-and-a-half spacing. Double-spacing at 8 lpi prints four lines per vertical inch, which is equivalent to 6 lpi with a half-space between each detail line. When you selecting <6> or <8>, File Express uses the printer codes found in the current printer definition file. You can override these codes by selecting <S>pecial. <R>egular, <C>ompressed, <T>welve or <S>pecial pitch If your printer is capable of printing in compressed or twelve-pitch (sometimes called Elite) mode, selecting <C> or <T> causes special printer control codes to be sent to the printer before the report begins. Most dot matrix printers have a compressed print option which produces a much narrower character than regular print, usually 17 characters per inch instead of the standard 10 characters per inch. Many printers also have a 12-pitch or Elite font as well. PRINTING REPORTS 191 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Selecting <S>pecial lets you change the default printer codes normally used from the printer definition file. If your printer has a switch or button on the front for selecting character pitch, and you have set it to a pitch other than normal, specify <S>pecial and blank out the default codes so that none are sent to your printer overriding your switch settings. If a report is printed to disk with compressed print specified, the control codes are placed into the disk file at the proper places, exactly as the data would have been written to the printer. In this way, if a report is written to disk for later printing via the DOS PRINT command or other spooling utility, the report prints the same as it would have printed had it gone directly to the printer from File Express. Printer initialization string, <D>efault or <S>pecial Sometimes it is desirable to send a sequence of characters to the printer before the report starts printing, to select a special printer option or font. For example, users with laser printers might use this option to set their printer to landscape mode. Users with color printers might use it to select a ribbon color. Users with multi-bin sheet feeders might need to select a special form. Any characters may be entered into this field. For ASCII values and special symbols, enclose the ASCII value in <> symbols. For example, to set an Epson/IBM printer to emphasized mode requires that an <Esc> followed by an upper-case E be sent to the printer. Enter <Esc>E in the initialization string so those codes are sent to the printer before the report starts. For more information on entering codes and characters into the initialization string, see the Macro Key section. Printer reset string, <D>efault or <S>pecial This string is sent to your printer at the end of each report. This can be used to reset any special printer features that were set using the initialization string above. When everything is correct on the Printer Options screen, pressing <F10> or <Esc> returns you to the Output Options screen. When everything is correct on the Output Options screen, press <Esc> or <F10> to return to the Report Sub-menu. 192 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Index Selection The order in which the records are printed on a report depends on the order of the Primary Index. If you want to change from the current Primary Index to a different one for printing your report, press from the Report Sub-menu. A list of the active indexes is displayed and you can select any of them by moving the highlighted bar to the desired index and pressing <Enter>. If you save your report format after changing the Primary Index, this new index is saved as part of the report format and is used from then on whenever you reprint the report. Saving A Report Format To save your report format, press <S> from the Report Sub-menu. File Express asks: "Save all changes (Y/N)? Y". If this report format is just a test, or if you have made some temporary changes to another format which you do not want to save, reply <N>o to this prompt. If you reply <Y>es or press <Enter> to take the default Yes answer, File Express prompts you for a report name and description and then saves your entire report format, including all the information from all the sections on the Report Sub-menu for future use. Report formats are saved in a file with the name of your database with an extension of .R0 to .R99, giving you up to 100 reports per database. (You can also use report formats from other database files if they have the same organization. See Loading Existing Report Formats for more information). Printing the Report When all the options on the Output Options screen have been selected, press <F10>. A window appears indicating: When printer is ready, press any key Make sure your printer is online and that the paper is positioned properly, then press a key and the report begins printing. When the report finishes, this message displays: End of Report. Printed ___ records....Press any key If the message indicates that zero records were printed, this means there were no matches found for your selection criteria. Press any key to return to the Report Sub-menu. PRINTING REPORTS 193 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wide Reports Some wide-platen printers can hold 15-inch wide paper. File Express is capable of printing on this wide paper. Just make your report format wider or specify a larger value for Total Page Width. Using compressed print, if your printer has that option, wide reports may be produced on regular 8.5-inch paper (up to 132 characters), and on wide 15-inch paper (up to about 240 characters). These widths may vary slightly on some printers. For compressed print, specify <C>ompressed Print on the Printer Options screen. Reports up to 1000 characters wide can be created. Printing a report this wide, however, requires that you do it in sections and then tape them together. Another option for wide reports is printing them to a disk file and then using a sideways printing program such as Expressware's On-Side. Most laser printers can print wide reports in "landscape" mode, with the report turned sideways on a regular piece of paper. If your printer has this option, the report writer can switch the printer to landscape mode, select an alternate font, change line spacing and other printer controls before printing the report. To do this, the proper printer initialization string must be specified in the Report Output Options section. 194 PRINTING REPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter Writer Starting a New Letter To write a new letter, press <3> or <W> from the Report Menu, Write a New Form Letter. The following screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here This screen is used to specify the placement of the letter on the paper. Text width: The width of the text portion of the letter on the page. For example, if your paper is 8 1/2 inches wide and you want to hold a left and right margin of 3/4 inch, the width of the printed portion is 7 inches, which is 70 characters printing at 10 characters per inch. Keep in mind that the Text Width does not include the left margin setting below. The maximum text width is 70 characters. Paper length: The number of rows that can be printed on an entire page. Most printing is done at 6 lines per inch. An eleven inch page is 66 lines high. At 8 lines per inch, the page would be 88 lines. Lines of text: The number of lines that actually print on the page before moving to the next letter. This should take into account the top and bottom margin. On an eleven inch page with a top margin of 1" and a bottom margin of 3/4", printed at 6 lines per inch, the Lines of text should be set at 56. The maximum lines is 66. Top Margin: The number of blank lines at the top of the letter before the actual printing is started. Most of the time you set this to 0 and just position the paper in your printer to start printing where you want the first line to be. If you are using a sheet-feeder you can change this setting as needed. PRINTING LETTERS 195 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Left Margin: The number of characters from the left edge of the paper to the beginning of each line. A setting of 0 indicates that printing should begin at the left edge of the paper. A setting of 1 leaves one blank space before starting each line. A setting of 10 leaves a left margin of 1 inch when printing at 10 characters per inch. When all the settings on the Letter Size and Spacing screen are correct, press <F10> to continue to the Letter Writer screen or <Esc> to return to the Letter Sub-Menu. Pressing <F10> (or <Esc> and then select the Edit Form Letter option), the following screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here This is the Letter Writer section of File Express. From here, you can write one page form letters and include fields and formulas from records in your database. The Letter Writer works much like a mini word processor. As you enter characters into the window, it automatically word wraps the text as you type it in. At any point in the text, you can include field references and formulas that will be replaced with the contents of the records you choose to print the letters for. (You can also print letters that don't contain record information.) To include a field in the letter, enclose the field name or field number in square brackets: [ ]. For example, to include the first name in the salutation of your letter enclose the name of the first name field in brackets. If the first name field is called FIRST NAME, type: Dear [FIRST NAME], The [FIRST NAME] indicator will be replaced with the actual first name contents of the record being processed, for example: 196 PRINTING LETTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Mary, You can also include any valid formula inside the brackets. For example: Dear [if FIRST NAME is blank then "Sir" else FIRST NAME], These bracketed fields and formulas can be included anywhere in the letter. When the letter is to be printed, the bracketed fields and formulas are replaced with the field contents or formula answer and the letter is reformatted to fit within the margins and then printed. Moving Around the Letter Writer Moving around the screen is simply a matter of using the cursor keys to move the blinking cursor to any position within the letter layout. There are position indicators at the bottom right corner of the window that display the current row and column of the cursor within the letter. If your letter is taller than the window on the screen, the display scrolls up and down when the cursor moves past the top or bottom edge of the window. There are also several other keys that make it easier and quicker to move around the screen: <Enter> Pressing the <Enter> key moves the cursor down one row and to column 1. Pressing <Enter> in the middle of a line moves everything from the cursor to the right to the beginning of the next line. <Home> Pressing the <Home> key moves the cursor to column 1 in the current row. <End> Pressing the <End> key moves the cursor to the position following the last non-blank character on the current line. <Tab> The <Tab> key inserts five spaces at the cursor position. <Ctrl-PgUp> These keys move the cursor to the top and bottom of the window <Ctrl-PgDn> in the current column. <PgUp> These keys move up and down through the entire letter if <PgDn> it is taller than the window size. <Alt-D> Pressing <Alt-D> deletes the current line. All lines below the deleted line are moved up to fill the void. PRINTING LETTERS 197 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Backspace> The <Backspace> moves the cursor one character to the left and blanks any text character that is in that position. Any text or single line fields to the right of the cursor are pulled to the left. Using the <Backspace> key does not automatically reform the paragraph. See <Alt-W> below. <Del> The <Del> key removes the character under the cursor and pulls the remainder of the line to the left. Each time a character is deleted using the <Del> key, the paragraph is reformatted as needed. <Insert> The <Insert> key toggles between insert and overwrite mode. When insert mode is turned on, the cursor changes shape from a blinking line to a blinking box. Any characters typed while in insert mode are inserted at the current cursor position and the rest of the line is move to the right. <Alt-W> Pressing <Alt-W> forces a reformat of the letter. If you have used the <Backspace> to erase characters, use <Alt-W> to reformat your letter. <Alt-F> Pressing <Alt-F> pops up a field list window from which you can select a field to put into your letter at the current cursor position. To select a field, move the highlight bar to the desired field and press <Enter>. The field is inserted at the cursor position with square brackets surrounding it and the window is erased. <F10> Pressing <F10> tells File Express that you are finished writing the letter and want to continue to the Optional Specification screen. When writing a letter, a list of all the available edit keys and their functions are available by pressing <Alt-H> for help. Record Selection: When you have finished writing your letter, the next screen to appear is Record Selection. Here you indicate the records you want to print letters for. This is a familiar screen, identical to the one used when finding records. To print a letter for every record, enter ALL. To print only selected records, enter the selection criteria. For a detailed discussion of the valid keywords and operands, see the section titled Finding Records. Enter your selection criteria and press <Enter>. 198 PRINTING LETTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter Output Options The last screen to display is the Letter Output Options screen: Registered Version has screen picture here The fields have the most commonly used default values, so just press <F10> if all the options are correct. If your computer system uses different options, it is not necessary to change these fields every time you print letters. The default values on this screen (as on many other screens) may be changed to match your computer and printer. See the chapter titled Customizing File Express for more information. Each of these options are saved as part of the letter file, so when you reload the letter, the answers are preserved. The prompts on this screen are discussed in the following paragraphs. PRINTING LETTERS 199 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Write to <S>creen, rinter, <D>isk, or <A>ll The letter always appears on the screen. To write it only on the screen and nowhere else, enter <S>. To write it to the screen and the printer, enter . To write it to the screen and disk, enter <D>. To write it to the screen, disk, and printer, press <A>. When <D> or <A> is entered, you are prompted for the Output File name. Any valid DOS file name may be used. A drive letter, path and extension may also be included. If they are omitted, the file is written to the drive and path containing the database, with no extension. When <D>isk is specified, the characters written into the disk file are identical to those that go to the printer when rinter is specified. This lets the disk file later be printed using the DOS PRINT command or other spooling utility. Consequently, the disk file may contain control codes such as form feeds or printer codes. If you are writing the letter to disk to edit with your word processor, these codes appear in the word processing document as special symbols, and may be removed. <C>ontinuous printing or ause after each page Selecting <C>ontinuous causes the letters to print one after the other, until they have been printed for every record selected. If ause is selected, the first letter prints, then this message appears: Press any key to print next letter, or <Esc> to exit The ause option is useful when your printer uses single sheets of paper. One page is printed, then File Express pauses so another sheet of paper can be inserted. 200 PRINTING LETTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printer Options File Express offers some additional printer options you may not need at first, but which are very handy when you do need them. These options give you the capability of changing printer definition files, printer ports, line and character spacing, and optional printer control strings. To pull up the Printer Options menu, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Letter Output Options: Registered Version has screen picture here Printer Definition File Printer definition files, (PDF files), contain all the printer codes used by File Express to control the features of your printer. If you have used the Setup program that comes with File Express, you have probably selected the PDF file that goes with your printer. If you have not selected a printer, File Express uses codes for an Epson MX80 printer, which are also used by many other makes. Many people have more than one printer connected to their computer and need the capability of switching PDF files on the fly so different reports can be sent to different printers. To select a different printer definition file, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Printer Options window. A window pops up containing a list of all the PDF files found in the program directory. Move the highlighted bar to the file name you want to select and press <Enter>. Printer port <1>, <2>, <3>, or <D>efault (LPTx) If your computer has more than one printer, use this command to route the report to a second or third printer. File Express defaults to LPT1, which is the standard port for most printers. If you have changed your printer definition file to send your PRINTING LETTERS 201 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- printer output to a port other than LPT1, the LPTx shows your default port. Technical Note: Sometimes a computer has a serial printer attached to its COM1 or COM2 serial port. Using the DOS MODE command, it is possible to reassign LPT output to a COM port. The MODE command must be entered each time your system is booted, before printing. The MODE command is usually included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The command is: MODE LPT#:=COMn where # is 1, 2 or 3 and n is 1 or 2. See your DOS manual for more information. Reports can only be sent to LPT devices. Use Form Feeds, <Y>es or <N>o Since File Express knows how long your paper is, and it also counts the lines as it prints, the paper is normally advanced to a new page by printing several blank lines. Most people never need to change this option from its default of <N>o. But there are a few applications where counting lines is not adequate. Sometimes the printer needs a form feed character sent to it in order to properly advance the paper. Earlier we mentioned that form feeding is necessary when using a line height which does not divide evenly into the paper length. The form feed re-synchro- nizes the letter with the top of the new page. Some laser printers require a form feed character before the paper is ejected into the output bin. Some multi-bin paper feeders need a form feed character to select paper from the proper bin. Some printers eject paper much faster when form feeds are used instead of a series of blank lines. In those applications, specify <Y>es for this option. When File Express prints a letter without form feeds, the top-of-form position of your printer is ignored. File Express simply starts printing wherever the paper is positioned, and includes enough blank lines to get to the top of each page. But when using form feeds with a regular tractor-feed printer, the printer's top-of-form must be properly set, or else the second and subsequent pages do print in the proper position. Top-of-form detection is a physical aspect of your printer which varies from model to model. Typically it can be set by position- ing the paper so the perforation is just above the print head, then pressing a button labelled Top or TOF. Some printers must be powered off and back on to set top-of-form. See your printer operation manual for further details. Line spacing - <6>, <8> or <S>pecial lines per inch Most printers are configured to print six lines per inch (lpi), but have an option for selecting 8 lpi vertical spacing. A letter printed at 8 lpi is usually a bit harder to read, because the lines are much closer together. Sometimes 8 lpi causes the 202 PRINTING LETTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- tops of some upper case characters to touch the bottoms of characters with descenders like p, j and y. When you selecting <6> or <8>, File Express uses the printer codes found in the current printer definition file. You can override these codes by selecting <S>pecial. <R>egular, <C>ompressed, <T>welve or <S>pecial pitch If your printer is capable of printing in compressed or twelve-pitch (sometimes called Elite) mode, selecting <C> or <T> causes special printer control codes to be sent to the printer before the letter begins. Most dot matrix printers have a compressed print option which produces a much narrower character than regular print, usually 17 characters per inch instead of the standard 10 characters per inch. Many printers also have a 12-pitch or Elite font as well. Selecting <S>pecial lets you change the default printer codes normally used from the printer definition file. If your printer has a switch or button on the front for selecting character pitch, and you have set it to a pitch other than normal, specify <S>pecial and blank out the default codes so that none are sent to your printer overriding your switch settings. If a letter is printed to disk with compressed print specified, the control codes are placed into the disk file at the proper places, exactly as the data would have been written to the printer. In this way, if a letter is written to disk for later printing via the DOS PRINT command or other spooling utility, the letter prints the same as it would have printed had it gone directly to the printer from File Express. Printer initialization string, <D>efault or <S>pecial Sometimes it is desirable to send a sequence of characters to the printer before the letter starts printing, to select a special printer option or font. For example, users with laser printers might use this option to set their printer to landscape mode. Users with color printers might use it to select a ribbon color. Users with multi-bin sheet feeders might need to select a special form. Any characters may be entered into this field. For ASCII values and special symbols, enclose the ASCII value in <> symbols. For example, to set an Epson/IBM printer to emphasized mode requires that an <Esc> followed by an upper-case E be sent to the printer. Enter <Esc>E in the initialization string so those codes are sent to the printer before the letter starts. For more information on entering codes and characters into the initialization string, see the Macro Key section. Using the Setup program that comes with File Express, you can enter a default initialization printer code. If you have done PRINTING LETTERS 203 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- this, press <D> to use it, or press <S> to change the code or blank it out. Printer reset string, <D>efault or <S>pecial This string is sent to your printer at the end of each letter set. This can be used to reset any special printer features that were set using the initialization string above. When everything is correct on the Printer Options screen, pressing <F10> or <Esc> returns you to the Output Options screen. When everything is correct on the Output Options screen, press <Esc> or <F10> to continue. Index Selection The order in which the records are used to generate the letters depends on the order of the Primary Index. If you want to change from the current Primary Index to a different one for printing your letters, press from the Letter Sub-menu. A list of the active indexes is displayed and you can select any of them by moving the highlighted bar to the desired index and pressing <Enter>. Saving A Letter Format To save your letter format, press <S> from the Letter Sub-menu. File Express asks: "Save all changes (Y/N)? Y". If this letter format is just a test, or if you have made some temporary changes to another format which you do not want to save, reply <N>o to this prompt. If you reply <Y>es or press <Enter> to take the default Yes answer, File Express prompts you for a letter name and description and then saves your entire letter format, including all the information from all the sections on the Letter Sub-menu for future use. Letter formats are saved in a file with the name of your database with an extension of .D0 to .D99, giving you up to 100 letters per database. (You can also use letter formats from other database files if they have the same organization. Printing the Letter When all the options on the Output Options screen have been selected, press <F10>. A window appears indicating: When printer is ready, press any key 204 PRINTING LETTERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Make sure your printer is online and the paper is positioned properly, then press a key and the letters begin printing. Before each letter is printed, a window pops up saying: Analyzing Letter Format while File Express goes through the letter and fills in any field references and formulas from the current record. The letter is then reformatted and printed. When the all the letters finish printing, this message displays: Printing Complete. Printed ___ records....Press any key If the message indicates that zero records were printed, this means there were no matches found for your selection criteria. Press any key to return to the Letter Sub-menu. PRINTING LABELS 205 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printing Labels File Express has one of the easiest to use mailing label options in the industry. Labels can be printed up to five across and any size from ten characters by one line to 1000 characters by 200 lines. The Label Menu To print mailing labels, press <L> or <6> on the Main Menu. The Label Menu appears: 206 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Designing A New Label Press <1> or <D> to design a new label. The following screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here Before the label layout can be defined, File Express must know a few things about the physical dimensions of the labels you are using. All the options are explained on the following pages. How many labels across the page (1 to 5) Some label forms have two or more labels side by side. If your label forms have more than one label across the page, change the value of this prompt to the number of labels across. Labels which can be run through your computer's printer come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and File Express can print on them all. The most common mailing label, available at stationery stores and usable in just about any printer, is one-across, one inch vertically from label to label, and 3.5 inches across. However, your printer's physical constraints may prevent you from using some labels. Even if a wide label form will go through your printer, sometimes it can't print all the way to the right edge of the last label. Before buying wide labels, first print them on a wide piece of paper to be sure your printer can handle them. PRINTING LABELS 207 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Spaces across from one label to the next This option is only prompted for if the previous response indicates there are two or more labels across the page. When the cursor moves to this prompt, the picture-prompt changes: Registered Version has screen picture here The line with the question mark in it illustrates this measurement. If you don't know what value to enter here, use a ruler to measure from the left edge of the first label to the left edge of the second one. If you will be using <R>egular print, multiply the length in inches times ten. If you will be using <T>welve pitch, multiply by 12. If you will be using <C>ompressed print, multiply the length times seventeen. For example, if the distance across the label is 3 3/4", then 3.75 x 10 = 37.5 so use 37 (which is the default). 208 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lines down from one label to the next This is the number of lines it takes to go from the top of one label down to the top of the next label. Most printers are configured to print six lines per inch. So, if the labels are one inch high, use a value of six. (If you are printing at 8 lines-per-inch, use a value of 8). If the labels are 1 1/2 inches high, use a value of nine (printing at 6 LPI). The illustration at the top of the screen shows the measurement to be made: Registered Version has screen picture here Note that the measurement is not the height of the label; it is the measurement from the top of one label to the top of the next label. These measurements are usually in half inch increments. Multiply the inches times six and enter the value. The actual label height is usually a sixteenth of an inch less, allowing a small space between labels. PRINTING LABELS 209 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printable lines per label Even though a label may be six lines high, you probably don't want to print all the way from the very top edge to the very bottom. Six lines probably will not even fit on the label. A small top and bottom margin is advisable. Four or five lines fit nicely on a one inch label at 6 lines per inch. 210 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Characters per line on each label Normally, you will not want to print from the left edge of a label all the way to the right edge without margins on either side. By specifying the number of characters to print on each line you can control the look of each label. When the cursor moves to this prompt, the picture changes to: Registered Version has screen picture here The line with the question mark in it illustrates this measurement. If you don't know what value to enter here, use a ruler to measure the length of the line you want to print and multiply it by ten if you will be printing in <R>egular print or by 12 if you will be printing at <T>welve characters-per-inch. If you will be printing with <C>ompressed print, multiply the length times seventeen. For example, if you want to print 3 inch lines on your 3 1/2 inch label in <R>egular print, then 3 x 10 = 30, so enter 30. PRINTING LABELS 211 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tab position to first label This option is somewhat dependent on how the label forms are positioned in your printer. Registered Version has screen picture here The default value for this option is 1, meaning File Express prints the first character of the label in the first column on your printer. If the printing is too far to the left, specify a larger tab value. If 1 is specified and the printing is too far to the right, the printer tractors must be physically moved to the right. 212 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Test Printer Setup When all the Label Spacing options have been specified, press <F10>. This window pops onto the screen: Test this setup on your printer If you have labels in your printer and would like to test the spacing options you have specified, indicate <Y>es to this prompt. File Express tells you to press any key when the printer is ready, then a series of slash characters are printed: ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// ////////////////////////// The example above is for two-across labels. By checking the positions of the slashes, you can determine if your label spacing is correct. If the label spacing is not correct, press <Esc> to return to the Label Spacing screen. PRINTING LABELS 213 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Label Layout Screen After the Label Spacing options have been entered and tested, this prompt appears: Registered Version has screen picture here Using the spacing options from the previous screen, File Express draws a window according to the values you specified for characters across and lines down. The cursor is placed in the upper left corner. Laying out the fields and text on a label is exactly the same as filling in the Detail area of a report. You may include the same fields, text, and formulas. Because the Label and Report layout descriptions are the same, we won't repeat the information again here. Please refer to the following report topics: Moving around the Layout Screen Detail Area Adding text to the Layout Placing Fields on the Screen Calculated Fields Drawing Lines When you are finished laying out the label format, press <F10> to continue, or <Esc> to return to the Label Sub-Menu. 214 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Paging Option The Paging Option lets you print labels on a page-by-page basis, specifying how many rows of labels to print on a page before moving on to the next page. This is important if you are using a laser printer that can't print from the very top to the very bottom of a page or sheet of labels and must receive a formfeed character to eject and print the page. The Paging Option also lets you print headings on each page of labels including a title, date and page number. People often use the Label program to produce rosters and mailing lists on paper as well as on label forms. The Mailing Label section lets you display names and addresses on the page in columns, up to five across, a feature which is not available with the Report Writer. Registered Version has screen picture here This option is not normally used when printing continuous label forms, so its default is set to <N>o. If you press <Y>es, you are asked to answer the following questions: PRINTING LABELS 215 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Enter title you would like printed: If you want to have a title printed at the top of each page, fill it in here. 2 - <D>ate, age numbering, oth, <N>one If you want the date and/or page number to be printed, press the appropriate letter. 3 - Top margin before printing on each page This entry is used to tell File Express how many blank lines to send to the printer before starting to print the labels. Many laser printer have a built-in top and bottom margin of a few lines where the printer will not print. To accommodate this restriction, many label sheets made for laser printers are manufactured with a top and bottom margin of about 1/2" before and after the labels. On these printers, indicating a top margin of zero starts the printing on the third or fourth line from the top. If the printing starts too high, increase the top margin setting one or two to move the top label down on the page. 4 - Print how many label rows before new page This is the number of labels, not lines, to be printed on each page. Most laser printer label pages have ten rows of one-inch labels that can be printed on a page. After the last line on the bottom label is printed, a formfeed character is sent to the printer to move to the next page. Laser printers then eject the current page and start on the next. Dot matrix printers advance the tractor feed paper to the next top- of-page position before printing resumes. When you have finished, press <F10> to continue on to the Label Output Options screen, or <Esc> to return to the Label Sub-menu. 216 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Label Output Options This screen contains various options which could not be specified in the format definition because they do not control label formatting. These options are all related to the label layout; i.e. where to print the labels, how many to print for each record, whether you want blank lines compressed out of the labels, and which records you want to print labels for. The next few paragraphs list the options and describe them in detail. Registered Version has screen picture here All the fields have the most commonly used default values, so just press <F10> if all the options are correct. If your computer system uses different options, it is not necessary to change these fields every time you run labels. The default values on this screen (as on many other screens) may be changed to match your computer and printer. See the chapter titled Customizing File Express for more information. The prompts on this screen are discussed in the following paragraphs: PRINTING LABELS 217 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Write to <S>creen, rinter, <D>isk or <A>ll Labels are always displayed on the screen. To write them to the screen and nowhere else, enter <S>. To write them to the screen and the printer, enter . To write them to the screen and disk, enter <D>. To send them to all three places, press <A>. When <D> or <A> is entered, you are prompted for the Output File name. Any valid DOS file name may be used. A drive letter, path and extension may also be included. If they are omitted, the file is written to the drive and path containing the currently opened database, with no extension. When <D>isk is specified, the characters written into the disk file are identical to those going to the printer when rinter is specified. Consequently, the disk file may contain control codes such as form feeds or compressed print. This allows the disk file to be printed later using the DOS PRINT command or other spooling utility. If you are writing the labels to disk to edit with your word processor, these codes may appear in the word processing document as special symbols, and may be removed. Number of labels to Print for each Record Ordinarily only a single label is printed per record, so the default is set to 1. If an application requires more labels per record, enter any number up to 999 in this field. Some File Express users have discovered a way to print their own personalized labels, such as return address labels, using this option. To do this, define a label and type in your name and address as text. On the Record Selection Screen enter F0=1. Then at the Number of labels to Print for each Record prompt, enter the number of labels you want to print. File Express then prints that number of personal return-address labels. Remove blank lines found within labels, <Y>es or <N>o Sometimes there are gaps printed in a label when a field has no information. For example, if a customer has no company name or lives in a small town and has no address, a blank line appears in the label. Specifying <Y>es for this option causes all lines below the blank one to be shifted upward (for that label only) so there are no gaps in the label. If you prefer that the blank lines remain, enter <N>o for this option. 218 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <C>ontinuous printing or ause after a row of labels <C>ontinuous printing causes all the labels to print one after another until they are finished. If ause is selected, the first row of labels print, then the message appears: Press any key to print next label row, or <Esc> to exit By feeding envelopes into the printer one at a time, addresses can be printed directly on them. Record Selection: The final prompt on the Output Option screen controls the selection of records for which to print labels. When you move to this prompt, the Record Selection screen displays. This is a familiar screen, identical to the one used when finding records. To print labels for every record, enter "ALL". To print only selected records, enter the selection criteria. For a detailed discussion of the valid keywords and operands, see the section titled Finding Records. PRINTING LABELS 219 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printer Options File Express offers some addition printer options which you may not need at first but are very handy when you do need them. These options give you the capability of changing printer definition files, printer ports, line and character spacing, and optional printer control strings. To pull up the Printer Options menu, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Label Output Options: Registered Version has screen picture here Printer Definition File Printer definition files (PDF files), contain all the printer codes used by File Express to control the features of your printer. If you do not select a printer, File Express uses codes for an Epson MX80 printer, which are also used by many other makes. Many people have more than one printer connected to their computer and need the capability of switching PDF files on the fly so different labels can be sent to different printers. To select a printer definition file, press <Alt-S> while viewing the Printer Options window. A window pops up displaying a list of all the PDF files found in the program directory. Move the highlighted bar to the PDF file you want to select and press <Enter>. Printer port <1>, <2>, <3>, or <D>efault (LPTx) If your computer has more than one printer, use this command to route the labels to a second or third printer. File Express defaults to LPT1, which is the standard device address for most printers. If you have changed your printer definition file to send your printer output to a port other than LPT1, the LPTx shows your default port. 220 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Technical Note: Sometimes a computer has a serial printer attached to its COM1 or COM2 serial port. Using the DOS MODE command, it is possible to reassign LPT output to a COM port. The MODE command must be entered each time your system is booted, before printing. The MODE command is usually included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file of computers with serial printers. The command is: MODE LPT#:=COMn where # is 1, 2 or 3 and n is 1 or 2. See your DOS manual for more information. Labels can only be sent to LPT devices. Line spacing - <6>, <8> or <S>pecial lines per inch Most printers are configured to print six lines per inch (LPI), but have an option for selecting 8 LPI vertical spacing. A label printed at 8 LPI is usually a bit harder to read because the lines are much closer together. Sometimes 8 LPI causes the tops of some upper case characters to touch the bottoms of characters with descenders like p, j and y. When you select <6> or <8>, File Express uses the printer codes found in the current printer definition file. You can override these codes by selecting <S>pecial. <R>egular, <C>ompressed, <T>welve or <S>pecial pitch If your printer is capable of printing in compressed or twelve-pitch (sometimes called Elite) mode, selecting <C> or <T> causes special printer control codes to be sent to the printer before the labels begins. Most dot matrix printers have a compressed print option which produces a much narrower character than regular print, usually 17 characters per inch instead of the standard 10 characters per inch. Many printers also have a 12-pitch or Elite font as well. Selecting <S>pecial lets you change the default printer codes normally used from the printer definition file. If your printer has a switch or button on the front for selecting character pitch, and you have set it to a pitch other than normal, specify <S>pecial and blank out the default codes so that none are sent to your printer overriding your switch settings. Printer initialization string, <D>efault or <S>pecial Sometimes it is desirable to send a sequence of characters to the printer before the labels start printing, maybe to select a special printer option or font. Users with laser printers might use this option to set their printer to landscape mode. Users with color printers might use it to select a ribbon color. Users with multi-bin sheet feeders might need to select a special form. Any characters may be entered into this field. For ASCII values and special symbols, enclose the ASCII value in <> symbols. For example, to set an Epson/IBM printer to emphasized mode requires that an <Esc> followed by an upper-case E be sent to the printer. PRINTING LABELS 221 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter <Esc>E in the initialization string so these codes are sent to the printer before the labels start. For more information on entering codes and characters into the initialization string, see the Macro Key section. Using the Setup program that comes with File Express, you can enter a default initialization printer code. If you have done this, press <D> to use it, or press <S> to change the code or blank it out. Printer reset string, <D>efault or <S>pecial This string is sent to your printer after your labels have printed. This can be used to reset any special printer features that were set using the initialization string above. When everything is correct on the Printer Options screen, pressing <F10> or <Esc> returns you to the Label Output Options screen. When all the options on the Output Options screen have been selected, press <F10>. After saving the label format your labels begin printing. When the labels finish, this message displays: Printing completed x records used x labels were printed If the message indicates that zero labels were printed, this means there were no matches found for your selection criteria. Press any key to return to the Label Menu. 222 PRINTING LABELS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Labels For Other Applications Mailing lists are by far the most popular use of File Express. But there are many other business and personal applications for labels. At Expressware we print labels from our Orders database which are used as picking tickets by the shipping department. We print labels from our Inventory database which are used as shelf tags and case lot tags. And it doesn't need an adhesive backing to be printed with the Label program. Name tags, postcards, shelf tags -- anything small with just a few fields can be printed. One File Express user entered all the merchandise for his garage sale into a database, then printed price tags for all the items on removable labels. As each item was sold, he found the record in the computer, updated the price, and printed the customer a receipt on the spot. This shows that new applications for File Express are limited only by your imagination and the length of your extension cord. Quick Labels Quick Labels were briefly mentioned in the chapters on adding and changing records. When new data is being entered into a database, it is sometimes desirable to print a label for each new record added. For example, at Expressware, we print a quick label for each customer's order as it is entered into the Orders database. The label contains the customer's name and shipping address, and also has a line across the top indicating the order date and products to ship. To print this Quick Label, the order desk clerk enters the order information, then presses <Ctrl-L>. The label prints immediately. Quick Labels can also be printed when changing or viewing records in the database. For example, when mailing correspondence to a customer we search the Customer database for his record, then press <Ctrl-L> to print a Quick Label. The Quick Label feature can be used for more than just labels. It can be used to print sales receipts, name tags, or just about any document with a small amount of printed data. At Expressware we have a quick label format to print Visa/Mastercard charge slips. Defining a Quick Label A Quick Label is simply an ordinary label format that can be printed anytime a record is displayed on the screen. To assign a Label Format as a Quick Label, go to the Choose an Existing Label option on the Label Menu. Highlight the format name you want to use and press <Ctrl-L>. File Express prompts you for an assignment number between 1 and 9 and displays the number on the selection list. If you have more than one Quick Label assignment PRINTING LABELS 223 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- made, you will be prompted for the number when you want to print a Quick Label later. Maintenance This chapter covers those functions of File Express which most people use only occasionally. The Maintenance functions are "overhead" in the sense that they are not part of the everyday data entry and report printing process. But the occasional times when you need one of these functions, you will be happy to find that they are as easy to use as the rest of File Express. The Maintenance Menu To select the maintenance function, press <7> or <M> on the Main Menu. The Maintenance Menu displays: 224 CHANGING THE DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changing Database Specifications Menu choice <1> is used to change the format of your database. You can change field names, field types, field lengths, number of decimals, formulas, and edit masks. You can add new fields, delete fields and move them around. All these things were defined originally when the database was created. It is common to define a database and start putting data into it, then realize that a field is missing, or is too short, or has the wrong format. When this happens it is not necessary to start all over. Every aspect of a database can be changed at some time in the future. Here are some kinds of changes you may need to make, and an explanation of how to make them: FIELD NAME: Use the <C>hange option. Also remember to change any formulas in reports which refer to the field by name. FIELD TYPE: Use the <C>hange option. FIELD LENGTH: Use the <C>hange option. NUMBER OF DECIMALS: Use the <C>hange option. ADDING A NEW FIELD: Use the nsert option. DELETING A FIELD: Use the <D>elete option. MOVING A FIELD: Use the <M>ove option. Before making extensive changes to a database's specifications it is advisable to make a backup copy of the database. Data can be lost or destroyed by a simple error in typing. For example, intending to enlarge an address field from 20 to 30 characters, if it were inadvertently entered as 3 characters, all the addresses would be lost except for the first three characters. A backup copy is the only recourse in this instance. The chapter titled Backing Up Your Data gives detailed instructions on making backups. CHANGING THE DATABASE 225 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- As we mentioned in the chapter titled Open A Database, this Change screen is the same one used for defining a new database: Registered Version has screen picture here To change one of the fields, press <C> and this prompt appears: Enter number of field to change ___ Type in the field number, and press <Enter>. The cursor moves to the line containing that field's specifications. To change the field's name, just type the new name over the old one and press <Enter>. To leave the field name as it is, just press <Enter>. The cursor advances to the Type column. A field's type can be changed to any other valid type: <C>haracter, <N>umeric, <D>ate, <F>ormula, <T>ext formula or ser-defined. However, there are some precautions to take when there are already records in the database and a type is changed: Converting to <N>umeric: before changing a field type to <N>umeric, be sure all existing records have valid numeric characters (digits 0-9, decimal, minus sign or space) in the field before converting it. If the field length is greater than 14, the field can be converted to <N>umeric, but the field length will be shortened. Converting to <D>ate: Be careful with this kind of conversion. File Express stores all dates in a YYYYMMDD format and converts this format to the current default date format at display times. To convert an existing field of another type to a date field, the field must either be blank or contain valid dates in YYYYMMDD format. Converting to ser-Defined: Be careful with this kind of conversion also. File Express stores masked fields without their masks. A phone number field with an entry of: (206)788-0932 is 226 CHANGING THE DATABASE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- stored as 2067880932. The mask characters are added at display and print times. Any field converted to a User Defined type will be handled in the same manner. This could cause unexpected results. Converting to <F>ormula or <T>ext-formula: After you have entered all the changes to the database specification, select Item 4 on the Maintenance Menu: Recalculate Database, which evaluates the formula fields in all the records and puts the correct result in them. If a field type is changed and the data is not in the proper format for that field type, reports and searches may yield unpredictable results when referencing the field. Next the cursor advances to the Length field. A field's length can be changed by simply entering the new length. The maximum value for this field varies depending on the field type, but File Express indicates the maximum in its prompt message. <C>haracter fields, <T>ext Formula fields and ser-defined fields are limited to a length of 1000. <N>umeric fields and <F>ormula fields are limited to 14. <D>ate fields are automatically a length of 8 or 10 depending on the current date format, so no change is permitted. File Express also verifies that the total record length does not exceed 4,000 characters. For numeric fields, or those being changed to <N>umeric type, the cursor stops in the format column and prompts for the number of decimal places, which may be changed at this time. After all the changes have been made, press <S> to save the changes to disk. The changes are saved in the "Database Header" file, called databasename.HDR. If field lengths are not changed and fields have not been added, deleted, or moved, this process takes just a few seconds. CHANGING THE DATABASE 227 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If one or more field lengths are changed or if you have inserted, deleted or moved one or more fields, File Express must read the entire data file and rewrite it. This process can take several minutes on large databases. Before the process begins, this warning message appears: Registered Version has screen picture here The changes you make to a database format can be made to the current database file or can be made to a copy of the current file, thus creating a new database with the new format. If you choose to make the changes to the current database, press <1> or <R>. File Express makes all the changes you indicated and returns you to the Maintenance Menu. If you want to create a new database with the changes applied to it, press <2> or <C>. File Express prompts you to: "Enter name of new database _________". Fill in a new database name and press <Enter>. File Express reads the data from the current database and makes the changes and writes the information to the new database file. When the process is complete, you are returned to the Main Menu with the new database open. As always, the <Esc> key exits the process. In this case back to the Change Database screen. 228 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Painting Custom Input Screens The Paint option lets you redesigned the input screen so your custom screen format is displayed when records are added or changed. The Paint option is reached from the Maintenance Menu. To select this option from the menu, either move the highlight bar using the cursor keys, <Spacebar> or mouse to the Paint option and press <Enter> or . The View Menu appears: CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 229 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Editing an Existing View Screen If you have previously defined Views for your current database, you can display them for editing. When you do, a list of all the currently defined Views appears in a selection window. To select any View, move the highlighted bar to the desired line and press <Enter> or type in the name of the View in the input area. The View is displayed on the screen where you can make changes. The editing process is described below under Painting a View Screen. You can also load Views from other databases as a starting point for the current database. While the View list is displayed, press <Alt-U> to use a View from another database. File Express pops up a window containing a list of all the database files in the current data directory from which you can select an alternate database to select Views from. Deleting a View To delete any View from the View List, move the highlight bar to the View you want to erase and press <Alt-D>. File Express asks: Delete this view [Y/N]? Y If you are sure you want to delete the view, press <Enter> or <Y>. To cancel the delete command at this point, press <N> or <Esc> Renaming a View You can rename an existing View or change its description by pressing <Alt-R> while the name is highlighted. Defining a New View Screen If you want to define a brand new View for the current database, type a new name into the input area and press <Enter>. File Express confirms that you want to define a new View and displays a new, clean View Screen for you to define. Set the Default View To tell File Express the View you want to use when adding and editing records move the highlight bar to the desired View and press <Enter>. You can also set the default View while adding or editing records by pressing <Alt-V>. 230 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Painting a View Screen Whether you are defining a new View screen or editing an existing View to make changes, the process is the same. A blank View screen looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here There are 21 blank lines to work with on each of ten possible pages that can be painted. Each line is 80 character long. The default color is General Color as defined in the Setup program. The top of the screen has a horizontal line defining the upper limit of the screen. The bottom three lines of the screen are reserved for option prompts and position indicators that are described below. Moving Around the View Screen Moving around the screen is simply a matter of using the cursor keys to move the blinking cursor to any position within the paintable portion of the screen (21 lines x 80 columns). As you move the cursor around the screen, there are position indicators at the bottom right corner of the window displaying the current row and column of the cursor. There is also a page indicator that tells which of the ten possible pages you are on. There are also several other keys that make it easier and quicker to move around the screen: <Enter> Pressing the <Enter> key moves the cursor down one row and to column 1. <Home> Pressing the <Home> key moves the cursor to the far left side of the screen in the current row. If the cursor is in column 1, pressing <Home> moves the cursor to the upper left corner of the screen. (If you want to quickly move to the upper left corner press <Home> twice and you are there). CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 231 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <End> Pressing the <End> key moves the cursor to the position following the last non-blank character on the current line. If the cursor is already at the end of a line, pressing <End> moves the cursor to the lower left corner of the screen. <Tab> The <Tab> key moves the cursor 5 positions to the right. <Backtab> The <Backtab> (Shift-Tab), moves the cursor 5 positions to the left. <Ctrl-PgUp> <Ctrl-PgDn> These keys move the cursor to the top and bottom of the screen in the current column. <PgUp> <PgDn> These keys move up and down through the ten possible paint pages. <Alt-D> Pressing <Alt-D> deletes the current line after asking for confirmation to do so. All lines below the deleted line are moved up to fill the void. Lines containing a field cannot be deleted. To remove a line containing a field, you must first delete the field. See Removing a Field below. <Alt-I> Pressing <Alt-I> inserts a new blank line above the line where the cursor is. If there is text on the bottom line (line 21), it is forced off the bottom of the screen and is lost. If the bottom line contains an input field, File Express does not let you insert a line. <Ctrl-R> Pressing <Ctrl-R> repeats the last text character typed. <Alt-Y> Pressing <Alt-Y> deletes the current page after asking for confirmation. All pages below the deleted page are moved up to fill the void. <Alt-N> Pressing <Alt-N> inserts a new page above the current page and all subsequent pages are moved down to make room. If page ten is painted, File Express asks permission before discarding it. <Spacebar> The <Spacebar> key puts a blank at the cursor position and moves one position to the right. The <Spacebar> will not blank out an input field. 232 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Backspace> The <Backspace> moves the cursor one character to the left and blanks any text character in that position. Any text characters or single line fields to the right of the cursor are pulled to the left. If there is a window field to the right of the cursor that crosses the current line, the <Backspace> key only works as a <Left> key. The <Backspace> key does not blank out an input field. <Del> The <Del> key removes the character under the cursor and pulls the remainder of the line to the left. The <Del> key does not work if the cursor is on top of an input field or to the left of a window field. <Insert> The <Insert> key toggles on and off the insert mode of the cursor. When insert mode is turned on, the cursor changes shape from a blinking line to a blinking box. Any characters typed while in insert mode are inserted at the current cursor position and the rest of the line is moved to the right. If moving the rest of the line to the right would cause an input field to be pushed off the screen, inserting of further text is not permitted. Also, if there is a window field to the right of the cursor, inserting new characters is not be allowed. <F10> Pressing <F10> tells File Express you are finished painting screens and want to save them. When you are painting an input screen, a list of all the available edit keys and their purpose is available on the help screen by pressing <Alt-H> Adding Text to the Input Screen Additional text can be added anywhere on the input screen except on top of fields. Simply move the cursor to the location where you want to add text and type what you want. If you type off the right edge of the screen, the text wraps to the left side of the screen on the next line down. Inserting Text Text can be inserted into an existing string by putting the cursor into insert mode. Pressing the <Insert> key toggles the cursor in and out of insert mode. The cursor is a tall blinking block when in insert mode. If the cursor is to the left of a window field, or if inserting characters would push a field off the screen, File Express does not let you insert characters. CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 233 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Deleting Text Text can be deleted on a line by using the <Backspace> or <Del> key. Both of these keys pull any trailing text to the left. If the cursor is to the left of a window field, these keys do not work. You must use the <Spacebar> to blank out unwanted characters in this case. Colored Text You can change the color of the text being typed by using the Paint and Color options. These are described below in the section called Painting Color on the Screen. Special Characters To type special characters that are not found on the keyboard, you must know the ASCII number that is assigned to it. These codes can be found in Appendix B at the end of this manual. To enter a special character you must hold down the <Alt> key and, while doing so, type in the ASCII number on the numeric keypad, and then let the <Alt> key up. The character appears at the current cursor position. To enter the British Pound sign for example, hold down the <Alt> key and type 156 on the numeric keypad. When you let up the <Alt> key the character appears on the screen. Placing Fields on the Screen File Express offers many different options when placing fields on the View screens. Fields can be placed with or without their field names, as sideways scrolling fields, or as window fields that occupy a rectangular block on the screen and automatically word-wraps when you are entering text. Fields can be placed anywhere on the screen if there is enough room for the field style selected. Fields can also be placed as either INPUT or DISPLAY. A field placed for INPUT lets you enter information into it when adding or editing records and can only be placed one time in any particular database view. DISPLAY fields are a view- only picture of a field that shows whatever has previously been entered in an INPUT version of the same field. For example, you might place your NAME field as an INPUT field on page one and as a DISPLAY field at the top of page two and three to remind you what record you are entering. DISPLAY fields can be placed any number of times on any page. Regular Input Fields To place an INPUT field on the screen, move the cursor to where you want the field located and press <Alt-F>. A window appears on the screen with a list of all the fields for the current database. The prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to: Use the arrow keys to select a field then press <Enter> 234 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To select the field you want to place on the screen, move the highlighted bar to the desired field by using the <Up> and <Down> cursor keys. (The <Spacebar> also acts as the <Down> key). When you have highlighted the correct field, press <Enter>. File Express displays another window containing all the options for the field. Field Name & Field Field in Window To choose an option, move the highlight bar to it and press <Enter> (or the left mouse button). Each option is described below: Field Places just the field portion on the screen without the field name. File Express then asks if you want the field to be an INPUT or DISPLAY field. Press or <D> accordingly. The field is placed on the screen at the cursor position. If the full length field does not fit between the cursor position and any field to the right, or the right side of the report, File Express prompts: Field will not fit here, press <L> to change its display length Pressing <L> puts the field into "rubber band" mode where you can use the <Right> and <Left> cursor keys to contract or expand the field within the area available. Press <Enter> to "drop" the field in place. A field that has been shortened in this manner becomes a sideways scrolling field when input is done later. You can still enter text or numbers to the full length of the field but the field will scroll sideways as needed. Both Field Name and Field Displays the field name, followed by the field itself. File Express asks if you want the field to be an INPUT or DISPLAY field. Press or <D> accordingly. The field name and field are placed on the screen starting at the cursor position. The field name itself is just text and can be changed at any time by just typing over it. The field name and field are separated by one space. Window Field If the length of a field is 40 characters or more you can place the field on the screen as a Window field. A Window field is a rectangular block that works much like a mini CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 235 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- word processor. When you are entering information into this type of field, it automatically word wraps the text as you type it in. To create this type of field, press <W>. A blinking rectangle of squares appears that is two rows tall and 20 characters wide. The prompt at the bottoms tells you to: Use Arrow keys to stretch the WINDOW to size desired and then press <Enter> You can make the block taller and wider as long as the height times width does not become greater than the length of the field. You can stretch the window over text on the screen if you like, but File Express does not let you cover over any other field on the screen. When you have sized the block as desired, press <Enter>. File Express then asks if you want the field to be an INPUT or DISPLAY field. Press or <D>. Display-Only Calculated Fields File Express lets you define calculated fields that are not actually part of the database record definition but are just calculated and placed on the screen whenever a record is being displayed. To create such a field, press <Alt-C>. File Express prompts to: Enter NAME of field? ___________ Type in a name, up to twelve characters, and press <Enter>. File Express asks you to: Enter TYPE of Calc field, <N>umeric or <T>ext? N Select the appropriate field type. Next, File Express prompts you to: Enter FORMULA for this field: Type in the formula you want calculated and press <Enter>. If you want help or examples on the formula handler, press <Alt-H>. The final two inquiries are: Enter LENGTH of field? and, if the field was numeric, How many DECIMAL places? The field is then placed on the screen at the cursor position. 236 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 237 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Changing Fields Changing Field Attributes Once a field has been placed on the painted screen, you can remove it or change its display length. To make one of these changes, move the cursor so that it is on top of the desired field. When you have done this, a new prompt appears at the bottom of the screen: <Alt>: <R>emove <S>ize to display <O>rder fields Removing a Field To remove the field, press <Alt-R>. File Express blinks the field and asks: "Are you sure you want to REMOVE THIS FIELD (Y/N)? N" If you are sure that you want the field removed from the painted screen, press <Y>. The blinking field is erased. If the field was preceded by the field name, the name remains on the screen because it is just considered text. If you want to remove it, you must blank it out using the <Spacebar>. Changing the Field Display Length To change the length of the field that is displayed on the View screen, press <Alt-S> while the cursor is on top of the field. The field starts blinking and the prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to: Actual field length=xx, Maximum Display length=yy, Display length=<zz> To change the display length of the field, use the cursor keys to shorten or lengthen the blinking squares. A regular field (as opposed to a Window field) may be shortened to one character or lengthened to whatever fits on the screen or to its defined length, whichever is less. (Note that the actual defined length of the field is not being changed, just the length displayed.) A field cannot be stretched over another field but can be stretch over existing text on the screen. If the field is stretched over text and then shrunk back, the overwritten text reappears. If the field was placed as a Window field, the whole block blinks and can be re-sized with the cursor keys. The minimum size for a Window field is 2 rows high by 20 characters long. A regular field, whose display length on the screen is less than its defined length, becomes a sideways scrolling field. Excess text that is entered at the right end of the field causes the existing text to slide to the left. A Window field that has an 238 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- input block that is smaller than the size of the defined field scrolls up and down like a word processor. Input Order As you place fields on the View screen, File Express keeps track of their order. Later, when you are entering information into the records of your database, File Express presents each field in this same order. You can, however, change this input order by pressing the <Alt-O> key. File Express asks: Do you want to <S>et the field order or <T>est the order [S/T]? Changing Field Input Order To change the field input order, press <S>. File Express blinks every field on the current page and the prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to: "Press <Enter> on each blinking field in new processing order. <F10>-Finished" Move the cursor to the field on the screen where you want to begin input and press <Enter>. That field stops blinking. Continue to move the cursor to successive fields in the desired input order and press <Enter> on each one to freeze the blinking. When you have completed every field on the screen, File Express remembers the new order and tells you: "All fields have been assigned new processing order ...press any key". This re-ordering applies only to the fields that are displayed on the current screen. The input order of fields on other screens are not affected. To change them, you must go to the other pages and go through the same process. Testing Input Order To test the current input order of the fields on the current screen, press <T>. File Express blinks the first field in the input loop and prompts you to: "Use arrow keys to loop through processing order. <Esc> when done" Pressing <Down> moves through the fields in their input order. When the bottom is reached, File Express says: "This is the LAST field on this page...press any key". CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 239 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To go back up through the fields in reverse input order, press <Up>. When you have reached the first input field on the page, File Express says: "This is the 1st field on this page...press any key" Press <Esc> when you are done. Painting Color on the Screen File Express lets you change the color of text on the View screen pages. Each individual character can be changed if desired. Press <Alt-P>. The prompt at the bottom of the screen indicates: Paint mode is OFF, to toggle it ON press To change colors press <C> Turning Paint On and Off: Press to toggle the Paint option ON and OFF. The current status of the Paint option is always displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the Paint option is ON, any characters that are typed or any characters that are passed over with the cursor change to the current color. When the Paint option is OFF, any characters typed remain whatever color is in effect at the positions where the text is typed. Moving the cursor around with the Paint option OFF does not change any existing colors. Changing The Current Color: To change the current color selection, press <C>. The current color combination is displayed at the bottom of the screen along with the prompt: UP/DOWN change foreground, LEFT/RIGHT change background, then press <Enter> Use the <Up> and <Down> keys to change the foreground color and <Left> and <Right> to change the background. As you do, the color combination display changes. There are sixteen available foreground colors and eight background colors: 240 CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreground Colors Background Colors Black Black Blue Blue Green Green Cyan Cyan Red Red Magenta Magenta Brown Brown White White Gray Lt Blue Lt Green Lt Cyan Lt Red Lt Magenta Yellow Lt White If the foreground color is the same as the background color, you won't be able to see the color names printed in the window. These color combinations should be avoided. Drawing Lines File Express has a powerful line drawing mode that makes it easy to draw lines and boxes anywhere on your input screens. Two keys control the Line options, <Alt-L> and <Alt-B>. Pressing <Alt-L> toggles the Line option ON and OFF. The current status of the option is always displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the Line option is ON, you can use the cursor keys to move around the screen drawing lines in the current Box style. Whenever a line intersects another line, the correct intersection character is automatically drawn for the current Box style. Changing the Box Style File Express provides eight different line drawing character sets along with an option to ERASE lines as the cursor is moved. The Box styles are: Registered Version has screen picture here The current Box style is always displayed at the bottom of the screen. To change the style, press <Alt-B>. The character set changes to the next style. Repeated pressing of <Alt-B> rotates through the eight available Box styles and the ERASE option. When you have selected the desired Box style and the Line option is turned on, you can then use the cursor keys to draw lines and CUSTOM INPUT SCREENS 241 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- boxes. If the cursor is not at the point where you want to start drawing, press <Alt-L> to turn the Line option OFF and then move the cursor to the desired starting position and press <Alt-L> to turn the Line option back on. As you are drawing lines and boxes you should be aware of the following rules. Lines can be drawn anywhere on the screen except over fields. This means that you can draw a line right over any existing text that you have previously typed. Since Field Names are considered text, they too can be overwritten by a line or box. When attempting to draw a line over an input field, the cursor moves normally but no line is drawn until the cursor moves off the input field. This also applies to Display and Calculated fields. Lines cannot be drawn off the top, bottom, left or right edge of the screen. If the Paint option is ON, lines are drawn in the current color. If the Paint option is OFF, lines are drawn in whatever colors are on the screen in the positions the lines cross. Saving or Canceling the View Screens When you have finished laying out your input screen and are ready to save it, press <F10>. File Express asks if you would like to: Save all changes (Y/N)? Y or <C> to continue To resume editing the View screen, press <C>. To exit without saving the View screens, press <N>. To save the View screens, press <Y> or <Enter>. File Express prompts for a View name and description and then saves everything in the current data directory and returns to the View Menu. A maximum of ten different views can be defined. 242 MACRO KEYS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Macro Key Setup File Express has built-in keyboard macro routines. Keyboard macros provide an alternative to typing long strings of data repeatedly. If the same data is entered repeatedly in your database, you can define a keyboard macro that automatically types the data when you press a function key. For example, suppose you are constantly typing Fort Lauderdale, Florida into a field in your database. You can set up a macro so that every time the <F1> key is pressed, the words Fort Lauderdale, Florida appear on the screen as if you typed them yourself. There are two ways to define macro keys in File Express. One is to type in the keys in the Macro Key Setup section and the other is to record your keystrokes as you actually go through the process you want the macro to duplicate. MACRO KEYS 243 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Defining a Macro To go to the Macro Key Setup section where you can define a Macro or to edit an existing Macro, press <M> or <4> from the Maintenance Menu to bring up the Macro Key List: Registered Version has screen picture here There are 36 Macro Keys that can be defined in File Express. They are <F1> through <F9>, <Shift-F1> through <Shift-F9>, <Ctrl- F1> through <Ctrl-F9>, and <Alt-F1> through <Alt-F9>. <F10>, <Shift-F10>, <Ctrl-F10>, and <Alt-F10> are reserved by File Express and cannot be use for Macro keys. To edit an existing Macro key or to define a new Macro key, use the <Up> and <Down> cursor keys and <PgDn> and <PgUp> to move the highlighted bar to the desired Macro key and then press <Enter>. When you press <Enter>, the prompt at the bottom of the screen changes to: Type in macro contents...then press <Enter>. <Alt-H> for Help. You can now type in the contents of the Macro key. This should contain exactly what you want to have typed as if it were being entered from the keyboard when you press the Macro key in the future. This can include any key on the keyboard including cursor keys, tab keys, enter keys etc. It can even include other Macro keys. Text: Normal text and punctuation keys are typed in just as you would enter them from the keyboard. If you want the Macro key to enter Seattle, Washington, for example, you would just type: Seattle, Washington 244 MACRO KEYS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Control Keys: All other keys are entered by their name or abbreviation and enclosed within angle brackets, <>. Below is a list of all the available control keys that can be entered into a Macro key: Key: Description: -------------- -------------------------------------------------- <Enter> The Enter key, often shown as a left pointing arrow with a right angle to it. <Esc> The Esc or Escape key. <Up> The Up cursor key. <Down> The Down cursor key. <Left> The Left cursor key. <Right> The Right cursor key. <Home> The Home key. <End> The End key. <PgDn> The Page Down key. <PgUp> The Page Up key. <Tab> The Tab key. <BTab> The Backtab key. Also known as <Shift-Tab>. <Alt-A> Various option keys. through <Alt-Z> <Ctrl-A> Various option keys. through <Ctrl-Z> <F1> Macro keys. through <F9> <F10> Used throughout File Express to indicate that a process is finished. <Shift-F1> Macro keys. through <Shift-F9> <Ctrl-F1> Macro keys. through <Ctrl-F9> MACRO KEYS 245 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <Alt-F1> Macro keys. through <Alt-F9> <Ins> The Insert key. <Del> The Delete key. <Backspace> The Backspace key. <MainMenu> This is a special macro command that enables you to start a macro from any location in the program and have the macro execute correctly. Whenever this command is encountered, File Express returns you to the Main Menu and then continues with any further commands. <Input> When this command is encountered in a Macro, File Express pauses, pops up a small input window, and lets you type in up to 50 characters. When you press <Enter>, the characters are played back as part of the Macro. File Express translates the } symbol to an <Enter> key. Since the <Enter> key is probably the most popular control key, the } symbol (without brackets) is the same as <Enter>. If your keyboard macro needs to actually enter the } symbol as part of its data, enclose the symbol in brackets: <}>. Complex keyboard macros can perform an entire series of operations with a single keystroke. For example, with a single macro key you can tell File Express to return to the Main Menu, go to the Report section, select an existing report format, make certain the Primary index is correct, print the report, and return again to the Main Menu. This Macro key might look like this: <MainMenu>RCAnnual<Enter>PPxx<MainMenu> Translated, this Macro means: 1. No matter where you are, return to the Main Menu. 2. Select the Report section by pressing <R>. 3. <C>hoose an existing report. 4. Type in the name of the desired report, Annual, and press <Enter>. 5. Press to print the report. 6. Press again to send the output to the printer. 7. Press any key, <x> to start the printing. 8. Press any key again, <x>, at the end of the report printout. 9. Return to the Main Menu again. 246 MACRO KEYS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- With a lengthy macro such as this one, it is sometimes necessary to interrupt the processing before it finishes. While a keyboard macro is running, press the <Esc> key to abort it. The remaining macro keystrokes are flushed from the keyboard buffer, and control is returned to the keyboard. If an operation is already in process, such as printing a report, press <Esc> a second time to cancel it. If you have made changes to existing macros and you want to revert to the set last saved to disk, press <R> to read them in. The Keyboard Recorder It is difficult and time-consuming to create large macros by writing down the keystrokes then entering them one-at-a-time into the text string on the Macro Setup screen. There is an easier way to define macros without even leaving the screen you are currently on. Press <Alt-M> anywhere in File Express when you want to turn on the Macro Recorder and have File Express automatically "remember" each keystroke you make. When <Alt-M> is pressed this window pops onto the screen: Press Function Key to record into F1 - F9 or Alt-F1- F9 or Ctrl-F1 - F9 or Shift-F1 - F9 Select one of the available Macro keys by pressing the function key, and from that point forward, every keystroke you enter is recorded into that Macro. When the macro recorder is on, you will notice a low "blip" sound each time a key is pressed. This serves as a reminder that macro recording is in progress. To turn off the macro recorder after all your keystrokes have been entered, press <Alt-M> a second time. A window appears indicating that macro recording has ended and asks: Save macro to disk (Y/N)? Y If you would like to save your Macro recording for future use, and have it loaded automatically each time you open the database you are currently working with, press <Y>. If the macro is not saved at this point, the macro is still available for use during this session only. It will be lost when you exit File Express. MACRO KEYS 247 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Using <Alt-M> you can quickly and easily define a keyboard macro without even leaving the screen you are on. For example, a database has several records which need to be changed because the state code has erroneously been abbreviated AL for both Alabama and Alaska. You start through the records, changing them one at a time, and soon realize there are several hundred records to be reviewed and changed. You could possibly use Search and Replace, but you decide it's faster to do it with a keyboard macro. You are in the Find/Edit Records section, looking at records where STATE IS AL when you realize that a keyboard macro would be helpful. You press <Alt-M> then <F1> to turn on the macro recorder. Then you edit the current record and change it to AK. Next you press <F10> to save the changes, and press <F> to search forward and display the next record. You have just recorded your first keyboard macro. Now press <Alt-M> to turn off the recorder. When asked if you want to save the macro, answer <N> because this is a one-time-only macro. If the next record is also supposed to be changed to AK, just press <F1>. The following macro is played back so you don't have to type all the keystrokes by hand: E<Home><Enter><Enter><Enter>AK<F10>F Granted it's a small macro, and if you had to exit to the Maintenance Menu to define it, you probably wouldn't have bothered. But you were going to make these nine keystrokes anyway, so by simply preceding them with <Alt-M><F1> and following them with a second <Alt-M><N>, a macro was created. It is not likely that macros like this one would be saved, since it is small and performs a temporary, limited function. But the Macro Recorder is often used for much more complex macros which definitely need to be saved. For example, an inventory database needs some maintenance done to it at the end of each year. The maintenance is easy, but since it's only done once a year, nobody remembers the exact sequence. So this year-end they play it smart, turning on the Macro Recorder to permanently record the exact process. Then, when next year-end rolls around, they only need to remember that they made a macro a year ago. 248 RECALCULATING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Recalculating The Database If your database has formulas in it, sometimes it is necessary to recalculate all of them. Formulas are automatically calculated when a new record is added or when a record is changed, so most of the time their contents are correct. But if a formula is changed or added using the Change Database Specs option, the formula values on the records need to be updated. Press <4> or <R> to start the recalculation process. This process starts out with a display of the Record Selection screen that is used to specify the records you want to have recalculated. Enter the appropriate selection criteria. For example, if you want to recalculate the entire database, type in ALL. If you want to recalculate just tagged records, type in TAGGED. (For more detailed information on selection criteria, see the section titled, Finding and Changing Records.) After specifying the records to recalculate, the following screen appears: recalculating.... Progress: 19 Allow several minutes on large databases, because File Express must search through the entire database looking for the records you have selected, recalculated them, and rewrite them to disk. Untagging All Records To have File Express go through the entire database and clear all the tags from all the records, press <5> or on the Maintenance Menu. RECALCULATING 249 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printing The Database Format There are times when you would like to remember the exact format of your database. How many fields are there? How long are they? What formulas are used? To print the format of the current database to either the screen or your printer, press <6> or <D> on the Maintenance Menu. File Express asks: Print to <S>creen or rinter? Pressing <S> causes the format report to be displayed on your screen. Pressing sends it to your printer. When a key is pressed, a report is produced like this one of the TUTORIAL database: Registered Version has screen picture here The one-character "overhead per record" added to the total record length is an extra byte that File Express uses to mark tagged and deleted records. It is automatically placed at the end of every record. 250 PRINTER DEFINITION FILES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printer Definition Files File Express supports hundreds of printers. The printer commands for all these printers are contained in Printer Definition Files (PDF's). The Printer Definition File Utility lets you select the default PDF file, define new PDF files for printers that are not included with the File Express package, and edit and delete existing PDF files. The Printer Definition File Utility menu looks like this: PRINTER DEFINITION FILES 251 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Adding a PDF File Press <1> or <A> to define a new PDF file to be used by File Express. A PDF file consists of a printer port and seven printer code strings: Registered Version has screen picture here Fill in the appropriate printer port on line 1 and the printer codes for the listed features. The printer codes can be found in your printer manual. Enter the codes in the same manner as you would in a Macro. (See the Macro Key Setup section for complete information). For example, the code for landscape mode on a HP Laserjet II is an escape character followed by an ampersand, a lower case l, the number one, and the number zero. This is entered as: <Esc>&l1O Enter the commands for all the printer features, pressing <Enter> at the end of each one. If you want to test the printer commands, press <Alt-P>. A test page will be printed using all the codes. When you are satisfied, press <F10> to save the new file to disk. If you want to select this file as the Default PDF file, use option 4 on the Printer Definition File Utility menu. Editing a PDF File To edit an existing printer definition file, press <2> or <E>. The file is loaded and displayed on the screen. The window is the same as the one used when adding a new PDF file. Make any changes as needed. If you want to test the printer commands you have entered, press <Alt-P>. A test page will be printed using all the codes. Press <F10> to save the file. 252 PRINTER DEFINITION FILES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To delete a printer definition file, press <3> or <D>. A window pops up displaying a list of the existing PDF files. Highlight the one you want to delete and press <Enter>. After confirmation, the file is deleted. Default PDF File The default printer definition file is used by File Express whenever it prints anything. This includes reports, labels, database format printout, search & replace reports, etc. If you have not selected a PDF or File Express can't find any PDF files, it uses Epson printer commands as a default. To select a printer definition file, press <4> or <S>. A window appears listing the names of all the PDF files found in the Program directory (where FE.EXE resides). Move the highlight bar to the PDF file name you want to use and press <Enter>. IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE 253 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Import/Export/Clone File Express offers many capabilities for bringing outside information into a database, putting out information from databases to other file formats and creating new databases from existing ones. We use the words "Import", "Export" and "Clone" because they are commonly used in many software programs to denote the following functions: IMPORT means to load data into File Express from another data source which is in a different format. Maybe the data was created by a spreadsheet program or word processor, or even another database program. In some cases for example, if you are converting from another database to File Express, you may first have to unload your data from the other database using their export utility, creating an intermediate file, perhaps in DIF or SDF format. Then you import the intermediate file into your File Express database. In other cases, you can directly import data files from other programs into File Express. EXPORT means to write data out to a file in a format that is readable by other software programs. File Express supports several of the industry standard formats for moving data between programs, including ASCII Mail-Merge format, DIF format, Dbase, Lotus 123, SDF format, and more. For example, if you want data from your database to be loaded into a spreadsheet, you might export the data to a DIF format, then load it into ExpressCalc or another spreadsheet program that reads DIF formats. CLONE means to use the data in one File Express database to create a new File Express database. For example, you might clone your database called CUSTOMERS to another one called SCHOOLS by selecting only those records where: name contains college or name contains university Cloning may be used for much more than creating subsets of databases. You can leave out some fields and add new ones into the cloned database. You can change the lengths of fields and move them around. You might use cloning to copy your entire database to a new one, and rearrange some of the fields into a new sequence. 254 IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pressing <Enter>, or pressing 8 from the Main Menu takes you to the Import/Export Menu where you can then choose to Import a file, Export a file, or Clone a file. A quicker way to get directly to one of these sub-menus is to press I, E, or C from the Main Menu. The first menu looks like this: Registered Version has screen picture here From this menu you can press <1> or to go to the Import Menu, <2> or <E> to go to the Export Menu, or <3> or <C> to go to the Clone Menu or <4> to select a different Primary Index to use while here. IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE 255 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We mentioned earlier that there are a number of industry standard formats for moving data around between programs. A format usually becomes a "standard" format because well-known software packages use it. Mail Merge (sequential) File Express supports three different types of mail merge files. The most common is the one we call "Standard Mail merge" format, which is used by Microsoft BASIC, WordStar, and many other word processors. Because of the popularity of BASIC and WordStar, this format has become a standard for importing and exporting data in most software programs. This format is sometimes called comma-delimited, sequential, CDF, or standard ASCII format. Each data field in a standard mail-merge file is separated by a comma, and each record is on a new line (i.e. terminated with a carriage return and line feed). Sometimes text has quotation marks around it. Here are two examples of Standard Mail-merge files: "John","Doe","123 Fourth Street, Apt 101","Seattle","WA","98119" John,Doe,123 Fourth Street,Seattle,WA,98119 In the first example the address field has a comma in it. Because the field is enclosed in quote marks, File Express interprets the comma correctly as part of the address as opposed to the beginning of a new field. The second example does not have quotes surrounding the field contents so every comma is read as the beginning of the next field. If the address field had a comma in it, as it does in the first example, 123 Fourth Street would be read as the address field and Apt 101 would be read as the city field. Of course, every field after that in the record would be shifted down one field, as would every record in the rest of the database. The second file type supported by File Express is the "Special Mail merge" file, in which the comma is replaced by some other character such as a slash or asterisk. For example: "John"/"Doe"/"123 Fourth Street, Apt 101"/"Seattle"/"WA"/"98119" John*Doe*123 Fourth Street*Seattle*WA*98119 256 IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This type of file has one field per line: John Doe NWA Corporation 123 Fourth Street, Apt 101 Seattle WA 98119 Mary Smith 34 South 22nd Ave. Seattle WA 98167 This example contains seven fields per record. File Express can only tell where a new record begins by counting the fields. A blank line still counts as a field. The first seven lines are the first record, the next seven lines are the second record, etc. In this example, Mary Smith's record does not contain information in the Company field. WordPerfect Merge Files The WordPerfect word processor from WordPerfect Corp. has its own unique format for mail merge data, which File Express also supports. DIF Files The DIF file format (DIF stands for Data Interchange Format) was created by the developers of the first spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, to support interchanging data between software packages. It has become a popular standard for spreadsheet programs, and is supported by Lotus 1-2-3, ExpressCalc and many others. IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE 257 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Another format which File Express supports when importing and exporting is the Fixed Length file. This is a file in which each piece of information is contained in a specific number of bytes or character positions regardless of how long the information is. For example: John Doe Portland OR97034 Jim Smith San FranciscoCA90356 WilliamJohnson New York NY06756 If you type a fixed length file out to the screen, the fields will rarely line up in nice columns like the example above. We have lined them up for you to show that each field takes up the same amount of room. Typed to the screen, the file would look more like this: John Doe Portland OR97034Jim Smith San FranciscoCA90356WilliamJohnson New York NY06756 Technical Note: If you are exporting Fixed Length files, it may be of interest to you that your File Express data is stored in fixed length format. Each record in your database is contained in a file called xxxxxx.DTA (where xxxxxx is your database name) as a fixed length record. Each field is stored adjacently as a fixed length field, and the record is terminated with an additional byte that is used to tag records or mark them as deleted. Some users who require their data in fixed length format can use the xxx.DTA file which contains their data without doing an export. SDF or Text Files The SDF format is a variant of the Fixed Length format, and can also be imported into or exported from File Express. SDF files are fixed length, but have a carriage return and line feed at the end of each record. This carriage return/line feed combination is "invisible" when viewing the file with a word processor, but actually occupies an additional two character positions. Sometimes when importing a fixed length file, the data in the fields is offset by one or more characters in each successive record.This is usually because the length of one or more of the fields was incorrectly specified, or because invisible carriage returns and line feeds were not accounted for. If this happens, either try again specifying SDF format, or specify an extra field at the end of the record format for these unseen characters. Lotus 123 Files File format used by Lotus' spreadsheet program. 258 IMPORT/EXPORT/CLONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File format used by Ashton Tate's database program dBASE III and dBASE III Plus File Express Files And last but not least, File Express supports the extremely popular File Express Format. Using Import Menu choice number 7, you can append another File Express database to the current database. Using the Clone function you can copy databases to other drives and directories and rearrange their contents. IMPORTING 259 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Importing Into A Database Press from the Main Menu or press <1> or from the Import/Export Menu, and the following menu is displayed: Registered Version has screen picture here Before importing a file, be sure that the currently open database is the one you want to import into. Data is imported directly into the database that is currently open. The Import Menu lists eight different file formats which File Express can read and import. These formats were discussed in the previous section. If you aren't sure what format your data is in, consult the manual of the program that created them. After selecting the type of file format to be imported, you are asked for the name of the file. File Express automatically fills in the path to the current data drive and/or subdirectory. If the file you wish to import is in a different drive or subdirectory, you can change it. Type in the complete file name, including any extension, of the file to import and press <Enter>. When importing records you can either have File Express add the new records onto any existing records in your database or have the new records replace the existing ones. To indicate that you want to replace all existing records with the new ones, put a /R at the end of the name of the import file. Example: BOATLIST/R The next screen varies depending on the file type selected. For example, if you selected the "Mail merge" file type, File Express asks you if all the fields of each record are on the same line. If you are importing a "Standard mail merge" file or a "Special mail merge" file, answer <Y>es. If you are importing a Peachtext 260 IMPORTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- answer <Y>es, the next piece of information needed is the character used to separate each field on the line. A "Standard mail merge" file uses a comma, which is the default answer. If the file you are importing uses a different character, answer <N>o to the question and type in the new character. File Express now begins the importing process by reading in the first record and displaying it on the screen. For example: Registered Version has screen picture here Take a look at the record to ensure that all the fields are in the correct place. If they are not correct, then either you have selected the wrong type of file to import or the format of the file does not match the database format you are pulling them into. If either of these are the case, press <Esc> to cancel the import, determine the error, correct it, and start again. Some of the commonly encountered problems and their solutions are discussed in the Troubleshooting section of the manual. If everything looks alright and you want to import this particular record, press <Y>es. File Express then reads and displays the next record. If you are satisfied that the records are being read correctly and you want to import the entire file, you can press <G>o to have File Express continue importing the remainder of the file without asking you about each individual record. While this is happening, you can press any key to pause the import and go back to the individual record permission mode of operation. While importing a file, each record is displayed on the screen so that you can see that everything is progressing smoothly. Even if you have pressed <G>o, each record is flashed to the screen momentarily. Since this takes a little time, you can turn off IMPORTING 261 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- <D> toggles the display feature on and off). Note the message line near the bottom of the screen which indicates the total number of records in the current database and the number of records that have been imported. Keep in mind that if importing is interrupted, the records imported so far have been added to your database, and remain there. When the importing process is complete, this progress screen remains, showing how many records were imported and how many records the database contains now. Press any key to return to the Import/Export Menu. 262 EXPORTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Exporting From A Database Press <E> from the Main Menu or press <2> or <E> from the Import/Export Menu, and the following sub-menu is displayed: Registered Version has screen picture here Before coming to this menu, be sure that the currently open database is the one you want to export from. The Export Menu lists seven different file formats which File Express can write. These formats were discussed in an earlier section. If you aren't sure what format you need, consult the manual of the program you are exporting data to. EXPORTING 263 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- displays: Registered Version has screen picture here This screen lets you select the fields to send to the output file. Enter the field numbers in the sequence they are to be exported. A string of fields may be specified by entering the from/to range of field numbers separated by a dash. For example, 1-5 is the same as entering 1<Enter> then 2<Enter> then 3<Enter> then 4<Enter> then 5<Enter>. If you want to select all the fields in the database, just type a dash <-> and press <Enter>. When all the field numbers have been entered that you want to export, press <F10> or <Enter>. The standard Record Selection screen is displayed, asking you to Export all the records where:. This screen is the same as the one used to find records and print reports. Specify the criteria for selecting records, and only those records which match the criteria are exported. Enter ALL if you want all the records in the database to be exported. Enter TAGGED or UNTAGGED to export just tagged or untagged records. 264 EXPORTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- file types. For example, if you selected "Fixed Length", File Express gives you a chance to change any field lengths. After responding to these special prompts, this screen displays next, asking for the name of the file where the data is to be written: Registered Version has screen picture here If no drive or path is specified, the data is written into the subdirectory where the currently open database resides. If an extension is included, the file is written with that extension. If no extension is included, the file is given one of the following default extensions: Standard Mail-merge .WS Special Mail-merge .MM Word Perfect merge .WP DIF .DIF Fixed length .FIX Text Editor .SDF Lotus 123 .WK1 dBASE .DBF If you have used the tilde character in any fields as a "flip-field-contents-here" mark, File Express can flip the data while exporting. To enable the flip feature, put a /F at the end of the output file name. Example: MAILLIST.WS/F EXPORTING 265 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- you want to have all the fields from each record on the same line. See the section titled Some Common File Formats if you have any questions about how the file should look. The exporting process now begins, and this screen displays: Registered Version has screen picture here When the exporting process is finished, this progress screen remains, showing the record counts. Press any key to return to the Import/Export Menu. 266 CLONING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cloning A Database In its simplest form, the Clone option can copy a database from one drive or subdirectory to another. By specifying various options, the soon-to-be-created database format can be changed from the original. It can have fewer records, the fields can be shortened or lengthened, and fields can be added, deleted or moved to a different sequence. File Express offers two ways to clone a database into a new form. Each has advantages over the other. The first method, and perhaps the easiest one, is to use the Change Database Specs option on the Maintenance Menu. This lets you add fields, delete fields, move them around and change the types and lengths and then write them out to a new database. This option does not let you select which records are to be included in the new database. All the records are copied. The second option, which is described here, lets you do everything the first option does and also select which records to include. It does not, however, let you change field types or calculated fields. This can be done after the clone is complete, however, using the Change Database Specs option. CLONING 267 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- database is the one you want to clone from. Press <C> from the Main Menu or press <3> or <C> from the Import/Export Menu, and the following screen displays: Registered Version has screen picture here The box on the left lists all the fields in the currently open database. The box on the right displays the fields of the output database as you select them. Enter each field number to include in the output database and press <Enter>. The field number with its name and length appears in the box on the right and an X appears in the box on the left showing the field has been selected. A string of fields may be specified by entering the from/to range of field numbers separated by a dash. For example, <1-5><Enter> is the same as entering 1<Enter> then 2<Enter> then 3<Enter> then 4<Enter> then 5<Enter>. If you want to include all the fields, just type a dash, <->, and press <Enter>. Whenever you want to add a new field to the output database, press <Alt-N>. You are prompted for the field name and length. The field is given a field type of <C>haracter. If the field is intended to be different type, such as numeric, formula, or date, use the Change Database Specs option on the Maintenance Menu to change the field's attributes after cloning and opening the new database. When all the field numbers have been entered, press <F10> or <Enter> and File Express lets you change the length of any field. Keep in mind that if you shorten a field, some of its data could be lost. The standard Record Selection screen displays next, asking you to "Clone all the records where:". This screen is the same as the one used to find records and print reports. Specify the criteria for selecting records. Only those records which match the 268 CLONING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- want all the records in the database to be cloned. File Express now prompts for the name of the output file. Enter any valid database name. If the drive and path are excluded, the new database is written to the subdirectory of the currently open database. Do not specify an extension as File Express uses its own extensions to identify database files. If a database already exists with the name you specify, a warning message is given allowing you to use a new name or overwrite the old database. If you have used the tilde character in any fields as a "flip-field-contents-here" mark, File Express can flip the data while cloning. To enable the flip feature, put a /F at the end of the output file name. Example: NEWFILE/F The cloning process now begins and you can watch the progress on the screen. When the cloning process has finished, this progress screen remains, showing the record counts. Press any key to return to the Import/Export Menu. QUIT - EXIT TO DOS 269 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quit - Exit to DOS To quit File Express and return to DOS, press <9> or <Q> on the Main Menu. File Express asks: "Are you sure you want to Quit (Y/N)?". Press <Y> or <Enter> to quit. Pressing <N> returns you to the Main Menu. Upon exiting, File Express clears the screen and displays the following message: Registered Version has screen picture here Be sure to make regular backup copies of your databases. It's not a matter of IF you will need them, it's only a matter of WHEN. For more information, see the section titled Backing Up Your Data. 270 QUIT - EXIT TO DOS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty FORMULAS 271 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Formulas Throughout this manual we have mentioned several times that a formula might be entered in response to a particular File Express prompt. But then the subject was dropped, referring you instead to the chapter titled Formulas. You may have wondered why the subject of formulas was shuffled to the back of the manual. Is it because they aren't important? Is it because they are complicated? The answer to both questions is: Yes and No. No, formulas are not important to the beginning user. Even an advanced user who maintains large mailing lists with File Express may never need to use formulas. But as people use File Express more, and for more varied applications, they eventually start asking "can it do this...?" and "how do I...?". This chapter on formulas, and the next one on Advanced Features are intended primarily for the "power user" or advanced File Express owner. So formulas are discussed at the back of the manual because they aren't really important...at first. In response to the second question: yes, formulas are complicated, and that's why they're discussed back here with the other technical topics. But complicated compared to what? People who have used formulas in other software will find these intuitive and extremely easy to use. So once again it's a question of the user's familiarity with File Express. Formulas get less complicated as you spend time designing reports and databases. Nothing creates awareness of a concept faster than not knowing how to do it. In other words, File Express can't solve a problem until you recognize that it's a problem. Once you recognize the need, come look in this chapter. And a final reason formulas have a chapter of their own is that they are referenced so often, it wasn't practical to write about them in every chapter. If we had, the manual would have been twice this size. So here it is: everything you ever wanted to know about Formulas. In the chapter titled Finding and Changing Records we learned how to locate a record by completing the sentence "Find all the records where..." with a comparison. The words we entered had to form a comparison, and that chapter explained in some depth just how to form one. When you finished the sentence with a comparison like ZIP IS 98, File Express used it to make a complete formula like this: If zip is 98 then read the record. 272 FORMULAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- discussing in this section. So if you see some similarity in finding records and entering formulas, that's because they use the same formula routine. You will also see some similarity in the documentation in this section and the Finding and Changing Records chapter for the same reason. When a formula is evaluated, the result is usually a piece of data which can be printed, displayed on the screen or placed in the database. Sometimes the resulting data is numeric, sometimes it is text. Earlier we discussed various forms of the phrase "State is WA". Is that a formula? Not exactly; it's really just part of a formula: the comparison portion. If you included "State is WA" on a report, the word "True" would print on records whose state is WA, and the word "False" would print on the others. More typical formulas on a report might be: If State is WA then "No Income Tax" If State is WA then Amount * .082 The first example might be used on a payroll report to indicate that employees in Washington are not subject to state income tax. The second example might be found on an invoice report, computing state sales tax for customers who live in Washington. In both cases, the result of the formula was not "True" or "False", but some meaningful piece of data to be shown on the report: in one case text, in the other a number. Some Definitions Before going any further, let's define the terms we will be using. It is kind of like learning the parts of a sentence in English class. It may be boring, obvious or interesting to you but it is important. Function: A function returns an answer. The answer is either a text string or a number. For example, the TODAY function returns the current system date as a string of characters, (if the current date is April 16, 1990, the string returned is "04-16-90"). As File Express is evaluating a formula, it actually replaces every occurrence of the function TODAY with the text "04-16-90". Some functions require parameters (also known as arguments). A parameter is a piece of information that the function might need in order to return an answer. For example, the FUTUREDATE function, which adds a certain number of days to a date and returns the new date, requires two parameters: the date to start from and the number of days to add to it. Parameters are placed within parentheses right after the function name; FUTUREDATE("06- 01-90", 45) This example returns the new date: "07-16-90". FORMULAS 273 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- be used wherever a number or text string is allowed. As an example we can combine the above two examples. Because the TODAY function returns a date string, and the FUTUREDATE function requires a date string as its first parameter, we can use the TODAY function as that first parameter: FUTUREDATE(TODAY, 45) returns the date 45 days from today's date. We can take this "nesting" even further. For example, the MONTHNAME function can accept a date parameter and returns the name of the month portion of that date. If we want to find out what month it will be 1269 days from now we could use the following formula: MONTHNAME(FUTUREDATE(TODAY, 1269)). The TODAY function provides the date to the FUTUREDATE function which in turn provides the date to the MONTHNAME function which provides the name of the month 1269 days from now. The previous examples have been of text functions. Some functions return numeric values. For example, the INSTR functions returns the position within a string where a substring is found. The parameters for the INSTR function are the string to search and the string to search for. INSTR("ABCDABCD", "C") returns a number 3 because the "C" is first found in the third position. A text field from your database can also be used for the first parameter. If you have a full name field and you want to find the position of the first blank space, you could use: INSTR(F1, " "), which would return an 8 if the field contained "Marilyn Monroe" or a 4 if it contained "Abe Lincoln". As shown in the previous examples, the INSTR function can be used wherever a number is allowed. For example, the LEFT function is a text function that returns the left part of a string. It requires two parameters, the string and the number of characters to get from the left end. Using the full name field example, if you wanted to print just the first name you could use: LEFT(F1, INSTR(F1, " ")-1). To find the answer for this formula, File Express first finds the position of the first blank space with the current contents of field 1, then it subtracts 1 from it and returns that number of characters from the left end of field 1. If the field contained "Michael Fox", the first blank is in position 8. Subtracting 1 from 8 = 7. The left 7 characters of the string are "Michael", just the first name. Of course, if the field contained "Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones", the formula would return "Mr.", so you must know what kind of information is in the field. Statement: A Statement does not return any kind of information. It simply tells File Express to do something. For example, the Statement NOLINEFEED tells the program that when you print this line of the report, don't send a linefeed character at the end of it. The 274 FORMULAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- current page, move to the top of the next page and continue printing there. FORMULAS 275 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A comparitor is used to compare two text strings or two numbers. The equal sign is a comparitor, therefore it can be used to compare two items to see if they are equal. For example, F1 = F6 is true if the contents of field 1 and field 6 are the same. (File Express ignores upper and lower case when doing a comparison unless you specifically tell it not to). F1 > "m" will be true for every record where field 1 has a content greater than an "m", such as "Nancy" or "Zelda" or even "Mary" because "Mary" is considered greater than just a single "m". Another example of a comparitor is SOUNDS LIKE which is used to search for words that sound like other words that are spelled differently. F1 SOUNDS LIKE "smith" finds entries like "smit", "smyth", and "smth". Operators: Operators tell File Express to do a mathematical or string operation on two numbers or strings. 100 + F32 adds the number 100 to the numeric contents of field 32. F16 MOD 12 divides the number in field 16 by 12 and then only keeps the remainder. The colon operator can be used to indicate a range of fields without having to type out each one. F1:F10 concatenates the contents of the first ten fields and then treats them as if it was one field. Note, however, that you should not use the equal operator in conjunction with the colon operator. For example, if fields 1 through 5 contain "one ", "two ", "three ", "four ", and "five ", F1:F5 results in "one two three four five ". If you type F1:F5 = "four", File Express will not find any matching records. Instead, you should use F1:F5 CONTAINS "four" to instruct File Express to look anywhere in the concatenated field group. Logical Operators: AND and OR are logical operators that are used to string together multiple comparison. For example, if you wanted to search for all your friends in California, you might use: State = "CA" AND Category = "FRIEND". If you wanted to search for records from Idaho, Utah, and Washington, you might use STATE = "ID" OR STATE = "UT" OR STATE = "WA". AND means the comparisons on either side must be true for the combination of the two to be considered true. OR means that if either comparison is true, the combination is considered true. You might say to yourself that you want all the records from Washington AND Idaho, but if you type STATE = "WA" AND STATE = "ID", you won't find anything because there can't be any field equal to both "WA" and "ID" at the same time. Use STATE = "WA" OR STATE = "ID". 276 FORMULAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- idea to use parentheses to make it clear what you really mean. STATE = "WA" OR STATE = "ID" AND CATEGORY = "FRIEND" OR CATEGORY = "WORK" will find all your friends in either state but will also find all your co-workers in every state in the country because the final OR applies to all the previous comparisons. To get what you really want use: (STATE = "WA" OR STATE = "ID") AND (CATEGORY = "FRIEND" OR CATEGORY = "WORK"). The parentheses make it much clearer. The remainder of this chapter is a reference section describing each function, statement, comparitor and operator that File Express permits. & (Concatenate) 277 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The '&' operator is used to combine two fields with one space between them. SYNTAX: text & text [ & text ...] text = any field or text string enclosed in quotes. TYPE: Operator, text, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Leading and trailing spaces are removed from fields before being combined with one space between them. Blank spaces in quoted text strings are not removed. Spaces are trimmed from numeric fields. See the '+' (Plus) operator for more examples. EXAMPLES: F1 & F2 If Field 1 contains "John" and Field 2 contains "Doe", this formula returns "John Doe". "Dear" & F1 + "," Using information from the first example, this formula returns "Dear John,". F6 + "," & F7 & F8 If Field 6, Field 7 and Field 8 are the city, state and zip code fields, this example might return "Duvall, WA 98019". ALSO SEE: + (Plus) 278 + (Plus) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The '+' plus operator combines two text fields with no spaces between them or mathematically adds two numeric fields together. SYNTAX: text + text [+ text ...] or number + number [+ number ...] text = any character field or text string. number = any numeric field, numeric function or numeric constant. TYPE: Operator, character, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Leading and trailing spaces are removed from text fields before being combined but spaces are not removed when using constant text within quotes. NOTE: The symbol, '+', is used for both adding numbers and combining text. File Express performs the correct operation according to the type of the fields being used. If the first field is a character field, the fields are combined as if they are both text fields. If the first field is numeric, the fields are combined as if they are both numbers. (A text field containing "John" is treated as a 0. A text field containing "123ABC" is treated as the number 123.) EXAMPLES: "Hello" + "Goodbye" This formula returns "HelloGoodbye". F1 + F2 If Field 1 is "John" and Field 2 is a numeric field containing 123, then this formula returns "John123". If F2 + F1 is used instead, then this formula returns 123 because the first field being combined is numeric. ("John" will be treated as 0, so 123 + 0 = 123.) "Dear " + F1 + "," If Field 1 contains "Tom", this formula will return: "Dear Tom,". (Notice the space after the word DEAR enclosed in quotes.) ALSO SEE: & (Concatenate) and Math Operators : (THROUGH) 279 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The THROUGH or ":" operator specifies a range of fields. SYNTAX: field : field field THROUGH field field = any valid field name or field number. TYPE: Operator, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The THROUGH operator combines all the fields in the specified range and treats them as a single field. This allows a range of fields to be searched using a single search formula. Leading and trailing spaces are NOT removed from fields before being combined. An entire record can be searched by specifying the first and last field as the range. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 THROUGH F15 CONTAINS "SMITH" If the database has fifteen fields per record, then this formula searches the entire record for the name "SMITH". F1:F3 If Fields 1, 2 and 3 each contain five characters long and contain "David", "Sue " and "John " respectively, the result is "DavidSue John " for a total length of 15 characters. ALSO SEE: NONE 280 ADD ONLY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The ADD ONLY statement allows a formula to be calculated only when the record is first being entered into the database. (The formula is not recalculated when the record is edited.) SYNTAX: formula add only formula = any valid formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: DATABASE COMMENTS: The ADD ONLY statement is useful if you only want a formula to be calculated when the record is first being added into the database. If the ADD ONLY formula refers to another field which is later changed, the formula is NOT recalculated. (If the ADD ONLY statement is not used, the formula will be recalculated if the record is edited.) EXAMPLES: TODAY ADD ONLY This is the most common use for the ADD ONLY statement. This field maintains the date the record was first added into the database. (If the date the record was first created and the date the record is last updated are required, use two formulas, one with ADD ONLY and one without it.) MONTH+ DAY+ LEFT(MILTIME, 2)+ RIGHT(MILTIME, 2) ADD ONLY This formula can be used to produce a unique code every time a record is added into the database. It combines the digits for the month, day and the hour and minutes of the time when the record is added. An example for this formula might be 12250400 which would be December 25 at 4:00 am. ALSO SEE: NONE AFTER 281 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The AFTER comparitor is used to search for records with dates that come after a certain date. SYNTAX: date_field AFTER date_field date_field = constant date or a date field. TYPE: Comparitor, Date fields only USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: You must use the BEFORE and AFTER comparitors when doing date range searches. Date fields cannot be searched using the "greater than" or "less than" comparitors because the YEAR portion of the date, which is at the end, must be looked at first. (The AFTER comparitor converts the dates into the YYYYMMDD format to determine the correct result.) Both dates must be in the same format as the default date format. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 AFTER "04-15-90" This example finds all records where Field 1 is after April 15. Select all records where: F1 AFTER TODAY This example finds all records where Field 1 is after the current system date. Select all records where: F1 AFTER "12-31-90" AND F1 BEFORE "01-01-92" This example finds all records where Field 1 is after January 1st and before December 31st. ALSO SEE: BEFORE, TODAY 282 AGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To calculate the number of days between two dates. SYNTAX: age(date[, date]) date = a date field or constant date. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the second date is omitted, the current system date is used. (See the TODAY function for more information on the system date.) The first date must chronologically be before the second date and they both must be in the default date format. The AGE function returns the number of days between two dates. To return the number of weeks, months or years, divide the number of days by 7, 30 and 365 respectively. For long time spans, use 30.4375 for months and 365.25 for years to obtain more precise results. Since File Express ROUNDs all numeric formulas to the accuracy of the field (the number of decimals), the INT function should be used with all AGE formulas to prevent erroneous results. EXAMPLES: AGE(F1) If Field 1 is a birthday, this formula returns the age of the person in days. INT( AGE( F1) / 365.25) This returns the persons age in years instead of days. AGE(F1, F2) Calculates the number of days between the first date and the second date. Select all records where: INT(AGE(F1,TODAY)/365.25) >= 18 If Field 1 is a birthday, this example selects all records where the person is 18 or older. ALSO SEE: FUTUREDATE AND 283 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The AND operator is used when making multiple comparisons to tell File Express that all comparisons must be true before considering the whole comparison true. SYNTAX: comparison AND comparison [AND comparison ...] comparison = any valid comparison statement. TYPE: Logical Operator, character, numeric USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: The AND operator is used when more than one comparison must be true before the whole comparison is considered true. For more help on building valid comparisons, see the chapter titled "Finding Records". See the 'OR' keyword for more examples. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 AFTER "11-30-91" AND F1 BEFORE "01-01-92" This example finds all records where Field 1 is any December, 1991 date. Select all records where: F3="A" AND F8="WA" AND F10="MARRIED" If Field 3 is a last name field, Field 8 is a state field and Field 10 is a status field, then this example finds all records where a married person with a last name beginning with "A" lives in Washington state. ALSO SEE: OR 284 ASC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The ASC function returns the ASCII value for a given character. SYNTAX: asc(text) text = any ASCII character (including special symbols) or a field which contains an ASCII character or string. The text character must be in quotes. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: For a complete list of characters and their corresponding ASCII values, consult the Appendix. This function looks only at the first character of a text string. If a string is empty, a 0 is returned. This function is the opposite of the CHR function. EXAMPLES: ASC("A") Return the number 65. ASC("BANANA") Returns the number 66. (Remember, only the first character is being evaluated.) ASC("") Returns 0. ALSO SEE: CHR .AVERAGE 285 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .AVERAGE function provides a numeric average for a specified field. SYNTAX: field.average field = any numeric field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The .AVERAGE function divides the accumulative total of the field by the number of records printed so far in the report (a running average). For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.AVERAGE If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it returns a running average for Field 1. If this formula is used in the Total Section, it returns the ending average. ALSO SEE: .SUBAVERAGE 286 BEFORE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The BEFORE comparitor is used to search for dates that come before a certain date. SYNTAX: date_field AFTER date_field date_field = constant date or a date field. TYPE: Comparitor, date fields only USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: You must use the BEFORE and AFTER comparitors when doing date range searches. Date fields can't be searched using the "greater than" or "less than" comparitors because the YEAR portion of the date, which is at the end, must be looked at first. (The BEFORE comparitor converts the dates into the YYYYMMDD format to determine the correct result.) Both dates must be in the same format as the default date format. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 BEFORE "04-15-90" This example finds all records where Field 1 is before April 15. Select all records where: F1 BEFORE TODAY This example finds all records where Field 1 is before the current system date. Select all records where: F1 AFTER "12-31-89" AND F1 BEFORE "01-01-91" This example finds all records where Field 1 is both after December 31, 1989 and before January 1, 1991 (all of 1990). ALSO SEE: AFTER, TODAY BLANKLINE 287 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The BLANKLINE statement forces a blank line in a report or label. SYNTAX: blankline TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The BLANKLINE forces File Express to print a blankline. This statement overrides the "Remove blank lines?" option on the Optional Specifications Screen. By using the BLANKLINE statement in conjunction with the "Remove blank lines?" option, blank lines can be removed from all but the desired locations on reports and labels. EXAMPLES: BLANKLINE This forces a single blank line. IF LEFT(F1,1) <> LEFT(F1.PREV,1) THEN BLANKLINE ELSE NOPRINT If the database is sorted alphabetically, this formula will force a BLANKLINE every time the first character in field 1 changes. (In other words, all a's will be grouped with a blankline then all b's then all c's etc. ALSO SEE: NONE 288 CENTER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The CENTER function is used to center text or fields when printing Reports or Labels. SYNTAX: center(text [ ,length]) text = a field or character string to center. length (optional) = the number of spaces you want your text centered within. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The CENTER function is commonly used to center text for headings. If the second parameter is omitted, the text is centered within the defined field length. For centering fields on reports and labels, the CENTERED statement can also be used. EXAMPLES: CENTER("Monthly Report",60) This example centers the phrase "Monthly Report" within sixty spaces. CENTER(F1) This example centers Field 1 within the defined field length of Field 1. ALSO SEE: CENTERED, LJUST and RJUST CENTERED 289 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The CENTERED statement is used to center a field when printing Reports or Labels. SYNTAX: field centered field = any field or text formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The field or text is centered within the field's defined field length. For centering a field within the database, see the CENTER function. EXAMPLES: F1 CENTERED This example centers Field 1 within the defined field length of Field 1. F1 & F2 CENTERED This formula first combines Field 1 and Field 2 with one space between them, and then centers the result within the combined lengths of Field 1 and Field 2. ALSO SEE: CENTER, LEFT JUSTIFIED, LJUST, RIGHT JUSTIFIED and RJUST 290 CHR ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The CHR function converts a number to the corresponding ASCII character. SYNTAX: chr(number) number = a number between 0 and 255. TYPE: Function, text USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: This function can be used to send a character to the printer which cannot be typed at the keyboard. Common examples include embedding printer codes to send to your printer or to embed special characters when creating mail merge files. For a list of all ASCII characters and their corresponding ASCII values, see Appendix B. EXAMPLES: CHR(27) Returns the ASCII character 27 (or the ESCAPE character). CHR(27)+chr(65) Returns the ESCAPE character plus the letter 'A'. (For EPSON printers, this is the code to turn on underlining.) CHR(27)+"A" This produces the same results as the previous example. ALSO SEE: ASC COMMAS 291 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The COMMAS statement inserts commas into the billions, millions and thousands places in a number. SYNTAX: field [with] commas field = a numeric field or formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: File Express defaults to inserting commas into the appropriate places when printing numbers. If the default has been changed using the Setup program, commas may still be inserted on a field by field basis using this statement. (Because commas cannot be entered when entering numbers into the database, this option can be used to place commas correctly on printouts. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH COMMAS This example inserts commas into the appropriate places in the numbers in Field 5. Example: "4532" is printed as "4,532". ALSO SEE: NO COMMAS 292 Comparitors ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: Use these keywords to compare fields. SYNTAX: field Comparitor field field = any valid field, constant, formula, function or text. TYPE: Comparitor, character, numeric USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: Here is a list of the common Comparitors (for the special comparitors, see the functions listed under "Related Functions".) Comparitor Alternate Description ---------- --------- ----------- = EQ Equal IS Equal ARE Equal EQUAL Equal > GT Greater than < LT Less than >= GE Great than or equal <= LE Less than or equal <> NE Not equal NOTE: Most of the above examples may be proceeded by the NOT keyword to negate the equation. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F7 = "WA" This example selects all records where Field 7 is equal to "WA". Select all records where: F7 IS NOT EQUAL TO "WA" This example selects all records where Field 7 is not equal to "WA". (The formula: F7 NE "WA" is the same.) ALSO SEE: AFTER, BEFORE, CONTAINS, EXACTLY and SOUNDS LIKE CONTAINS 293 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The CONTAINS comparitor is used to search for text embedded within a field. SYNTAX: field CONTAINS field field = any text field or constant text. TYPE: Comparitor, character USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: A search using EQUALS only finds field contents that begin with the search string. To find text anywhere within the field, use CONTAINS. CONTAINS is useful when searching a comment field (or any other text field) when the possible match may be found anywhere within the field. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F10 CONTAINS "manager" This example searches Field 10 throughout looking for the word "manager". Select all records where: F1:F3 CONTAINS "cat" This example searches Field 1 through Field 3 looking for the word "cat". Valid matches might include "cattle", "vacate", "dogcatcher", "communications", "photocatalyst" and, of course, "cat". ALSO SEE: INSTR 294 .COUNT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .COUNT function provides a record count of the records printed. SYNTAX: field.count field = any field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The COUNT function counts the number of records printed. The contents of the field being counted do not affect the count. (i.e. numbers within a field do not affect the count.) This function returns the same number regardless of the section of the Report it is used in. See the .NBCOUNT function to exclude records where the field being counted is blank. Also see the chapter on the "Report Writer" for more examples. EXAMPLES: F1.COUNT If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it returns the running count of the records printed. If this formula is used in the Total Section, it returns the total number of records printed. ALSO SEE: .NBCOUNT, .NBSUBCOUNT and .SUBCOUNT DAY 295 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The DAY function returns the day number. SYNTAX: day[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the day from the current system date. (For information on the current system date, see the TODAY function.) EXAMPLES: DAY If the current date is "06-07-90", then this function returns "7". DAY(F1) If "04-16-90" is the date in Field 1, this function returns "16". DAYNAME(F1) + "," & MONTHNAME(F1) & DAY(F1) + "," & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 has the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Monday, April 16, 1990". ALSO SEE: DAYABBV, DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTHNAME, MONTHABBV, and YEAR 296 DAYABBV ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The DAYABBV function returns the abbreviated day name. SYNTAX: dayabbv([date]) date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the day abbreviation for the current date. (For information on the current date, see the TODAY function.) The abbreviation is the standard first three letters with the first letter capitalized and a period at the end. (See examples.) To convert all the letters to upper case, use DAYABBV with the UPPER function. EXAMPLES: DAYABBV If the current day is WEDNESDAY, this function returns "Wed.". DAYABBV(F1) If "04-16-90" is the date in Field 1, this function returns "Mon.". UPPER(DAYABBV("04-16-90")) This example returns "MON.". DAYABBV(F1) + "," & MONTHABBV(F1) & DAY(F1) + "," & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 has the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Mon., Apr. 16, 1990" ALSO SEE: DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTHNAME, MONTHABBV, YEAR DAYNAME 297 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The DAYNAME function returns the spelled out day name. SYNTAX: dayname[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the spelled out day name for the current system date. (For information on the current system date, see the TODAY function.) The DAYNAME function returns the day name with the first letter capitalized and the rest in lower case. (For the day abbreviation, see the DAYABBV function.) EXAMPLES: DAYNAME If the current day is WEDNESDAY, this function returns "Wednesday". DAYNAME(F1) If "04-16-90" is the date in Field 1, this function returns "Monday". UPPER(DAYNAME("04-16-90")) This formula returns "MONDAY". DAYNAME(F1) + "," & MONTHNAME(F1) & DAY(F1) + "," & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 has the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Monday, April 16, 1990". ALSO SEE: DAY, DAYABBV, FORMATDATE, MONTHABBV, MONTHNAME and YEAR 298 DOLLAR SIGN ($) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The DOLLAR SIGN statement adds a floating dollar sign to a number. SYNTAX: field [with] dollar sign field = a numeric field or formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The DOLLAR SIGN adds a dollar sign to the beginning of a number. The '$' symbol may be used in place of the "DOLLAR SIGN" statement. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH DOLLAR SIGN This example adds a dollar sign to the output of Field 5. Example: if it originally had the value "12.34", the text printed is "$12.34". F5 WITH $ This is the same to the previous example. ALSO SEE: MONEY SIGN EXACTLY 299 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The "EXACTLY" comparitor is used to force a case sensitive comparison. SYNTAX: field = EXACTLY field field = any text field or constant text. TYPE: Comparitor, character USE IN: IF/THEN Formulas and Record Selection COMMENTS: Use the EXACTLY keyword when making comparisons if the case is important. The default for File Express is to ignore the case when making searches. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 IS EXACTLY "Smith" This example finds all matches where Field 1 is equal to "Smith"; "SMITH" and "smith" are not valid matches. Constant text must be in quotes. ALSO SEE: NONE 300 FIRSTLINE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The FIRSTLINE function is used to see if the report is printing the first Detail line on the current page. SYNTAX: firstline TYPE: Function, true or false USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The FIRSTLINE function returns a true or false value depending on whether or not the Report Writer is currently printing the first detail line at the top of the current page. Since the FIRSTLINE keyword represents the first Detail line of a page, it is not affected by the contents of the Headings or Titles Section. EXAMPLES: IF FIRSTLINE AND F1=F1.PREV THEN F1 & "(Continued)" This formula prints Field 1 and the text "(Continued)" if a new page is started and Field 1 is continuing from the previous page. ALSO SEE: LINE FORMATDATE 301 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The FORMATDATE function converts a date in the default format to one of 93 different formats. SYNTAX: formatdate(date, format_number) date = any date field or constant date. format_number = any number from 1 to 93. See Appendix E for a list of all the format options. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Report Writer, Label Writer COMMENTS: The FORMATDATE function is used to convert a date from the current default date format (either mm-dd-yy, mm-dd-yyyy, dd-mm-yy, or dd-mm-yyyy), to one of the 93 formats offered by File Express. See Appendix E for a complete list of all the date formats offered. EXAMPLES: FORMATDATE("12-25-89", 15) This example converts the date to: "December 25, 1989" FORMATDATE(TODAY, 40) If today's date is "06-18-90", this function returns: "Monday 18 June, 1990" ALSO SEE: DAYNAME, DAYABBV, DAY, MONTHNAME, MONTHABBV, MONTH, YEAR 302 Functions, Math ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To perform higher level math calculations. SYNTAX: Math_Function(expression) expression = any numeric constant, result, or field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The following is a complete list of the functions which make up Math Functions: ABS(expression) Absolute Value ATN(expression) Arctangent COS(expression) Cosine EXP(expression) Exponent INT(expression) Integer LOG(expression) Natural Log SIN(expression) Sine SQR(expression) Square Root TAN(expression) Tangent For information on general math operators, see Math Operators. For complete information on the uses and rules of these functions, consult a math reference manual. EXAMPLES: INT(F1) This example takes the integer of Field 1. If Field 1 is 10.53, the result is 10. (Note: the decimal value is dropped, not rounded.) SQR(F1) If Field 1 contains a value of 144, the result is 12. ALSO SEE: Math Operators, RANDOM, ROUND, SUM and VALUE FUTUREDATE 303 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The FUTUREDATE function calculates a date in the future. SYNTAX: futuredate(date, days_in_future) date = any date field or constant date. days_in_future = any numeric field or constant number. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any formula COMMENTS: The FUTUREDATE works on a days basis. To add a week to a date, add 7 days; to add two weeks, add 14 days; to add a year, add 365 days (or 365.25 days for long term dates). To determine the number of days between two dates, use the AGE function. EXAMPLES: FUTUREDATE(F1,14) This example adds two weeks (or 14 days) to the date in Field 1. FUTUREDATE(F1,365) This example adds a year (provided it is not a leap year) to the date in Field 1. FUTUREDATE(F1,F5) This formula adds the number of days in Field 5 to the date in Field 1. ALSO SEE: AGE 304 GRAPH ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The GRAPH function produces a simple horizontal graph. SYNTAX: graph(field_to_graph, scaling_factor [ , shading_factor]) field_to_graph = any numeric field, function or constant scaling_factor = numeric field or constant shading_factor = numeric field or constant TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The shading value can be from 1 to 4. A 1 is a solid character and a 4 is the lightest. If the shading value is omitted, a solid character is printed. (Any value over 4 or less than 1 also produces a solid character.) The scaling factor is divided into the value to be graphed. This is useful to scale down large numbers. This function only works with printers which support the IBM Graphics Character Set #2. If strange characters print instead of graphic characters, then your printer is not set to print IBM Graphics Character Set #2. (Consult your printer manual or your printer company.) EXAMPLES: GRAPH(F1,10) This example graphs the value of Field 1 after it is scaled down by ten. GRAPH(F1,10,4) This example produces the same result as in the previous example but in the lightest possible shading. GRAPH(F1,F2)+GRAPH(F5,F6,4) This example produces two graphs next to each other. The result is something like a stacked graph except it is laying sideways. (Note: in this example, the '+' is being used to combine the two text fields.) ALSO SEE: REPEAT and SPACE INSTR 305 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The INSTR function returns the character position of a text string within another text string. SYNTAX: instr(character_field, text_to_search_for[ ,direction]) character_field = a character field which is to be searched. text_to_search_for = the text string which you are searching for. direction (optional) = if direction is 0, the search is done from left to right. If direction is any other number, the search is done from right to left. If direction is omitted, the search is done from left to right. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: When searching for a match, this function starts at the left and moves to the right. It stops when it finds the first match. If the direction option is used, File Express searches from right to left. In either case, the number returned is the character position counted from the left end of the string. If no match is found, the result is zero. See the LEFT and MID functions for more examples. EXAMPLES: INSTR(F10,"-") If Field 10 is "788-0932", this formula returns the value 4. INSTR(F10,"8",1) Using the phone number from the previous example, this example searches from right to left and returns the value of 3, which is the position of the first "8" found from that direction. LEFT(F1,INSTR(F1,",")) Since the LEFT function extracts the left-most characters of a text string. This formula will extract all the characters up to and including the first comma. (The INSTR function provides the character position for the first comma. This example could be useful in situations where a last and first name are in the same field with a comma separating them.) ALSO SEE: CONTAINS and REPLACE 306 LEFT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LEFT function is used to extract the left portion of a text field. SYNTAX: LEFT(text_field , number_of_characters_to_extract) text_field = the character field you want to extract characters from. number_of_characters_to_extract = the number of characters to extract starting from the left. This may be a number, numeric field or numeric function. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The result of this function can be used by itself or in a formula. EXAMPLES: LEFT(F8,2) If Field 8 is "98007", then this formula returns "98". Select all records where: LEFT(F8,2) > 58 If Field 8 contains zip codes, this formula returns all zip codes which start with "59" or higher. LEFT(F2,LENGTH(F2)-4) If this is used in a Search and Replace formula, the affect is the same as removing the last four characters. By letting File Express calculate the length of each field entry, this formula works with fields of varying lengths. LEFT(F2,INSTR(F2," ")-1) This formula returns all the characters up to, but not including, the first space character. This is useful when extracting a first name from a field which contains both first name and last name. Example: If Field 2 is "John Smith", this formula returns "John". (See MID function for more examples.) ALSO SEE: MID, REPLACE and RIGHT LEFT JUSTIFIED (LJ) 307 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LEFT JUSTIFIED keyword is used to left justify fields when printing through the Report Writer and Label Writer. SYNTAX: field left justified field = any field or constant value. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The field or constant is left justified to the field's defined field length. To left justify text within a database, see the LJUST function. Since numeric fields are normally right justified, this keyword may be used to override this default. EXAMPLES: F1 LEFT JUSTIFIED This example left justifies the contents in Field 1 when printing. F1 LJ This example produces the same output as the previous example. F1.TOTAL LJ This formula left justifies the running total of Field 1. ALSO SEE: CENTER, CENTERED, RIGHT JUSTIFIED, LJUST and RJUST 308 LENGTH (LEN) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LENGTH function returns the length of a text string. SYNTAX: length(text) text = any character field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Record Selection and Search and Replace COMMENTS: This function returns the length of a character field after removing leading and trailing spaces. It can be used any place a numeric value is required. EXAMPLES: LEN(F1) Returns the length of Field 1. Select all records where: LENGTH(F10) > 5 This example selects all records where Field 10 has more than five characters. LEFT(F1,LEN(F1)-4) This formula returns all but the last four characters from Field 1. (See the LEFT function for more information.) ALSO SEE: NONE LINE 309 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LINE function returns the current line on which the report or label writer is printing. SYNTAX: line TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: If the LINE function is used by itself, it returns the current line number on which the Report Writer is printing. (Line 1 is the first line to print after the top margin.) This is useful when initially designing a report. By using this keyword in a formula, there is no guessing as to which line is being printed. After the line numbers are established, this formula can be deleted. The LINE keyword may also be used in an IF/THEN formula. EXAMPLES: LINE This example returns the current line number of the report. IF (LINE MOD 10) = 0 THEN LINE This example prints the line number on every tenth line. ALSO SEE: FIRSTLINE 310 LJUST ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LJUST function left justifies a field or text string. SYNTAX: ljust(field_to_justify [ ,number]) field_to_justify = the field or character string to be left justified. number (optional) = the number of characters to left justify within. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: If the number is omitted, the text is left justified to the fields' defined length. Blank spaces are used to pad the output to the appropriate number. Since numeric fields are normally right justified, this function may be used to left justify them. EXAMPLES: All of these examples left justify the field contents or text. LJUST("Hello",30) This example returns "Hello ". LJUST(F1,10) This example pads Field 1 to ten characters. LJUST(F1) This example pads Field 1 to its defined length. LJ(F1) This is the same as the previous example. ALSO SEE: CENTER, RJUST LOOKUP 311 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LOOKUP function looks into another database to extract information. SYNTAX: lookup(database_name, field_to_search, [>][<]search_criteria, field_to_return) database_name = the name of the database to search (may include drive and path). The database_name must be the typed out name of the database. It cannot be a field name or formula containing the name. field_to_search = the field in the other database to search. The field_to_search must be in the Fxx format. It cannot be a field name. search_criteria = the information to use for the search. The search_criteria parameter can have one of the following comparison signs preceding it: =, >, <, >=, <=, ><, or <>. If a comparitor is not specified, an exact match is looked for (disregarding upper and lower case letters). The search_criteria can be constant text enclosed in quotes, for example, "BASEBALL", or a field number, F4, or a field name, BALANCE DUE. field_to_return = the field contents to return once a match is found. The field_to_return must be in the Fxx format. It cannot be a field name. TYPE: Function, character, numeric USE IN: Database and Report Writer COMMENTS: The LOOKUP function returns one field at a time. When a LOOKUP is made, the record accessed is stored in a buffer. The next LOOKUP checks this buffer for a possible match before rechecking a database. Therefore, to decrease lookup time, all LOOKUPs which reference the same database should be grouped together. If no match is found in the lookup database, a string of asterisks is returned. To put information into another database, use the UPDATE statement. 312 LOOKUP ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLES: LOOKUP(PRICES, F1, F1, F2) In this example, PRICES refers to a database called PRICES in the current data directory. The first F1 refers to Field 1 in the PRICES database, the second F1 refers to Field 1 in the current record in the current database and the F2 refers to Field 2 in the PRICES database. If F1 from the current record contains "Lawn Mower", this example searches Field 1 in the PRICES database for "Lawn Mower". Once the match is found, it returns the value in Field 2. LOOKUP(C:\FE\DATA\PAYROLL, F1, >=Gross Pay, F2) Here is an example of a payroll lookup table. The PAYROLL database contains two fields per record, UPPER LIMIT and TAX. The records are filled with payroll tax table bracket amounts and their corresponding tax. For example: UPPER LIMIT TAX ----------- --- 200 10 300 15 400 21 500 28 600 33 This example uses the PAYROLL database which is on Drive C in the subdirectory \FE\DATA. It searches the UPPER LIMIT field for a number that is greater than or equal to the Gross Pay field in the current database and returns the amount from the TAX field. If the Gross Pay was 390, the example would return 21. ALSO SEE: UPDATE LOWER (LCASE) 313 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LOWER function converts all characters in a string to lower case. SYNTAX: lower(text_field) text_field = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: A field is converted to all lower case characters by using this function. To convert data in an existing database, use the Search and Replace option. Only letters are affected. Numbers and other characters are not changed. EXAMPLES: LOWER("Hello") This example produces "hello". LOWER("HELLO 2 YOU") This example produces "hello 2 you". LOWER(F1) This converts all letters in Field 1 to lower case. ALSO SEE: PROPER, UPPER 314 LTRIM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The LTRIM function removes leading spaces from a text string. SYNTAX: ltrim(text_field) text_field = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: The LTRIM function removes all blank spaces up to the first non-blank character from the left side of the string. It does not remove blank spaces from the middle or the right end. EXAMPLES: LTRIM(" Tom ") This example produces "Tom ". LTRIM(" BJ THOMAS ") This example produces "BJ THOMAS ". LTRIM("Tom Smith") This example produces "Tom Smith". (In this example, there is nothing for the function to do.) ALSO SEE: RTRIM, TRIM Math Functions 315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To perform higher level math calculations. SYNTAX: Math_Function(expression) expression = any numeric constant, result, or field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The following is a complete list of the functions which make up Math Functions: ABS(expression) Absolute Value ATN(expression) Arctangent COS(expression) Cosine EXP(expression) Exponent INT(expression) Integer LOG(expression) Natural Log SIN(expression) Sine SQR(expression) Square Root TAN(expression) Tangent For information on general math operators, see Math Operators. For complete information on the uses and rules of these functions, consult a math reference manual. EXAMPLES: INT(F1) This example takes the integer of Field 1. If Field 1 is 10.53, the result is 10. (Note: the decimal value is dropped, not rounded.) SQR(F1) If Field 1 contains a value of 144, the result is 12. ALSO SEE: Math Operators, ROUND, SUM, RANDOM, VALUE 316 Math Operators ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To perform basic math calculations on fields. SYNTAX: number Math Operator number number = any numeric field, numeric function or constant numeric value. TYPE: Operator, character, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Operator Alternate Description ________ _________ ___________ + PLUS Addition - MINUS Subtraction * TIMES Multiply / DIVIDED BY Divide ^ TO THE POWER OF To the power of % PERCENT Percentage \ REMAINDER, MOD Remainder NOTE: The symbol, '+', is used for both adding numbers and combining text. File Express performs the correct operation according to the type of the fields used. If the first field is numeric, the fields are numerically added together.) File Express calculates math according to the normal rules of precedence. The order of precedence is as follows: 1. Lowest level of Parentheses (If parentheses are nested, expressions inside the parentheses are performed in their normal order starting with the lowest level.) 2. Math Functions 3. Exponents 4. Multiplication, Division and Remainders calculated from left to right. 5. Addition and Subtraction calculated from left to right. To force an expression to be calculated in a particular order, use parentheses. Math Operators 317 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLES: F1 + 10 If Field 1 is numeric, this formula will add ten to it. If it is a character field, it will concatenate "10" onto the end of F1. F1 - F2 This example subtracts Field 2 from Field 1. ((F1 - F2) + F3 ) * F4 Using the normal order of math precedence, this formula first subtracts Field 2 from Field 1, then it adds Field 3 and finishes by multiplying the result by Field 4. ALSO SEE: Math Functions 318 .MAX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .MAX function returns the maximum numeric value found so far in a report. SYNTAX: field.max TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The .MAX function returns the maximum numeric value found for the field specified in the report. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.MAX This formula returns the maximum numeric value found for Field 1 so far in the report. ALSO SEE: .MIN, .SUBMAX and .SUBMIN MID 319 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MID function is used to extract a portion of a string. SYNTAX: MID(text, starting_position[, length_of_string]) text = character field, or string constant to extract from. starting_position = character position to begin extracting characters from. length_of_string = number of characters to extract. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the length_of_string is omitted, File Express returns all remaining characters in the string. This function can be used any place a character string or field is required. EXAMPLES: MID(F1,5,3) If Field 1 contains "123456789", then this formula returns "567". MID(F1,5) Using the previous example, this formula returns "56789". MID(F2,INSTR(F2," ")+1) If Field 2 contains a first and last name separated by a space, this formula returns all characters after the first space. Example: If F2 is "John Smith", then the result is "Smith". (Also see the LEFT function.) ALSO SEE: LEFT, RIGHT and REPLACE 320 MILTIME ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MILTIME function returns the current time in military (or 24 hour) format. SYNTAX: miltime TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any formula COMMENTS: The MILTIME function returns the current time as stored in your computer. To change the current time, you must be at the DOS level and use the DOS TIME function. (For more information, consult the TIME function in your DOS manual. Computers without a clock battery must be set every time the computer is rebooted.) Also see the TIME function for AM/PM time format. EXAMPLES: MILTIME This function simply returns the current time in 24 hour format. If this is a text formula in a database, the time the record was last updated is stored here. If this function is used in a Report, it prints the current time when the report is printed. MILTIME ADD ONLY By using the ADD ONLY keywords, File Express calculates the field only when initially ADDING the record. (It is not updated when the record is edited, as in the first example.) ALSO SEE: TIME and TODAY .MIN 321 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .MIN function returns the minimum numeric value found so far in a report. SYNTAX: field.min TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The .MIN function returns the minimum numeric value found so far for the field specified in the report. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) For more examples of using this function, see the chapter titled Report Writer. EXAMPLES: F1.MIN This formula returns the minimum numeric value found for Field 1 up to the time it is printed. ALSO SEE: .MAX, .SUBMAX and .SUBMIN 322 MINUTES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MINUTES function returns the number of minutes from midnight to the time specified. SYNTAX: minutes(time) time = any valid time in 24 hour format. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The MINUTES function returns the number of minutes between midnight and the time specified as the argument. The time argument can be a quoted string containing a valid time, "14:05" or a field name or number containing a time. EXAMPLES: MINUTES(F1) If field one contains "5:37" this formula returns 337. ALSO SEE: TIMEDIFF MONEY SIGN ($, , ) 323 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MONEY SIGN statement adds a floating monetary sign to a number. SYNTAX: field [with] money sign field = a numeric field or formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The MONEY SIGN adds a monetary sign (as selected in the Setup program: $, , ) to the beginning of a number. The $ or or symbol may be used in place of the "MONEY SIGN" statement. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH MONEY SIGN This example adds a monetary sign to the output of Field 5. Example: if it originally had the value "12.34" and the current monetary sign is set to the British Pound sign, the text printed is " 12.34". F5 WITH This is the same to the previous example. ALSO SEE: DOLLAR SIGN 324 MONTH ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MONTH function returns the two digit month for the current date or for the date specified. SYNTAX: month[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the month number from the current system date. (For information on the current date, see the TODAY function.) EXAMPLES: MONTH If the current month is December, this function returns "12". MONTH(F1) If "04-16-90" is the date in Field 1, this function returns "04". ALSO SEE: DAY, DAYABBV, DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTHABBV, MONTHNAME, and YEAR MONTHNAME 325 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MONTHNAME function returns the spelled out month name. SYNTAX: monthname[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the month name for the current date. (For information on the current date, see the TODAY function.) EXAMPLES: MONTHNAME If the current month is APRIL, this formula returns "April". MONTHNAME(F1) If Field 1 contains "04-16-90", this function returns "April". UPPER(MONTHNAME("04-16-90")) This example returns "APRIL". DAYNAME(F1) + "," & MONTHNAME(F1) & DAY(F1) + "," & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 contains the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Monday, April 16, 1990". ALSO SEE: DAY, DAYABBV, DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTH, MONTHABBV and YEAR 326 MONTHABBV ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The MONTHABBV function returns the abbreviated month name. SYNTAX: monthabbv[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date in the currently defined date format. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the month abbreviation for the current date. (For information on the current date, see the TODAY function.) The abbreviation returned is the first three characters of the month with the first character capitalized followed by a period. (See examples.) To convert the characters to upper case, use the UPPER function. EXAMPLES: MONTHABBV If the current month is APRIL, this function returns "Apr.". MONTHABBV(F1) If Field 1 contains the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Apr.". UPPER(DAYNAME("04-16-90")) This formula returns "APR.". DAYABBV(F1) + "," & MONTHABBV(F1) & DAY(F1) & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 contains the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Mon., Apr. 16 1990". ALSO SEE: DAY, DAYABBV, DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTH, MONTHNAME and YEAR .NBCOUNT 327 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .NBCOUNT function counts the number of records printed so far in a report that are not blank. (This function is read as "Non Blanks Count".) SYNTAX: field.nbcount TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .NBCOUNT function counts the number of records printed where the field specified is not empty. (The contents of the field being counted does not make a difference on the count (i.e. numeric fields and character fields are counted the same- each as one.) This function returns the same number regardless of the section of the Report it is used in (i.e. the same values are returned if used in the Detail, Total or Subtotal Section.) For a running count, use this function in the Detail Section. Also see the chapter titled Report Writer for more examples. EXAMPLES: F1.NBCOUNT If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it returns the running count of the records printed where Field 1 is not blank. If this formula is used in the Total Section, it returns the total count of records printed on the entire report where Field 1 is not blank. ALSO SEE: .COUNT, .NBSUBCOUNT and .SUBCOUNT 328 .NBSUBCOUNT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .NBSUBCOUNT function counts the number of records printed in the current subtotal group ignoring blank fields. (This function is read as "Non Blank Subtotal Count".) SYNTAX: field.nbsubcount TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The NBSUBCOUNT function returns the count of the records from the current subtotal level where the field referenced is not blank. The actual field contents do not have an affect on the count. (i.e. character fields are counted the same as numeric fields- each as one.) If .NBSUBCOUNT is used in the Detail or Subtotal 1 section, level 1 non-blank counts are generated. If used in the Subtotal 2 section, level 2 non-blank counts are generated. If used in the Subtotal 3 section, level 3 non-blank counts are generated. For more examples, see the chapter titled Report Writer. EXAMPLES: F1.NBSUBCOUNT This formula counts all records where Field 1 is not blank. If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it returns a running count of each subtotal group. ALSO SEE: .COUNT, .NBSUBCOUNT and .NBSUBCOUNT NEWPAGE 329 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The NEWPAGE statement forces a new page. SYNTAX: newpage TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: By using the NEWPAGE in an IF/THEN formula, you can control when File Express begins a new page. If a line contains a formula that results in a NEWPAGE keyword, File Express moves to the next page, prints the Title and Header, if any, and then continues printing the report. EXAMPLES: NEWPAGE Used by itself in a formula, File Express begins a new page every time it is encountered. By using this formula on the last line of the Detail section of a report, you can have each record print in its own page. IF F1 <> F1.PREV THEN NEWPAGE ELSE NOPRINT This formula, placed on a line by itself, only prints a new page every time the information in Field 1 changes. If Field 1 does not change, then the NOPRINT will prevent anything from printing. (If the NOPRINT is not used, you will have a blank space print if the field does not change.) ALSO SEE: NONE 330 NO COMMAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The NO COMMAS statement prints numbers without commas. SYNTAX: field [with] no commas field = a numeric field TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The default setting for File Express is to insert commas when printing large numeric fields. However, for some numbers (such as an invoice number or zip code), it is not appropriate to have the commas inserted. Use this keyword to avoid the commas. Remember, File Express can insert the commas in the appropriate places when printing, but commas cannot be included when entering the numbers. It must be left up to File Express. The default setting may be changed using the Setup program. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH NO COMMAS This example prints Field 5 without commas inserted into the number. If Field 5 is a numeric field and contains an invoice number of "122590123", this formula will prevent it from printing as "122,590,123". ALSO SEE: NO COMMAS NOLINEFEED 331 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The NOLINEFEED statement is used to prevent the paper from being advanced on a line printer after a line is printed. SYNTAX: nolinefeed TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The NOLINEFEED statement causes the next line to overprint the current line. The statement is generally used to underline or double print portions of a report. By not advancing the paper after a line is printed, bold type and underlining can be accomplished. (See examples.) Not all printer support this option. This statement affects the entire line regardless of where it physically occurs on the line. EXAMPLES: Line #1: "HELLO" NOLINEFEED Line #2: "HELLO" By placing "HELLO" in the same column on two consecutive lines, the NOLINEFEED keyword causes "HELLO" to be printed twice on the printout, making it darker. (Note: the text, "HELLO", and the NOLINEFEED formula are two separate items, they are not combined into one formula.) Line #1: "HELLO Dave" NOLINEFEED Line #2: " ____" This example underlines just the word Dave. ALSO SEE: NOPRINT 332 NOPRINT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The NOPRINT statement is used to stop a line from printing. SYNTAX: noprint TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The NOPRINT statement prevents the current line from being printed. This keyword affects the entire line regardless of where it physically occurs on the line. By using NOPRINT in a formula, duplicate values can be eliminated from printouts. See examples. EXAMPLES: IF F1 <> F1.PREV THEN F1 ELSE NOPRINT This formula compares the values of the current Field 1 with the values from Field 1 of the previously printed record. If they are different, the field is printed. If they are the same, the entire line is not printed. If Field 1 is a last name field, the report prints only the first occurrence of each last name. IF F1 <> F1.PREV THEN NEWPAGE ELSE NOPRINT This formula moves to a new page each time Field 1 changes. If Field 1 does not change, nothing is printed. ALSO SEE: NOLINEFEED NO ZEROS 333 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The NO ZEROS statement forces File Express to print blanks instead of zeros when printing numeric fields. SYNTAX: numeric_field [with] no zeros numeric_field = a numeric field or formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: This is the default for File Express. If the default has been changed in the Setup program, then this keyword may be used to print blanks on an individual field basis. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH NO ZEROS If Field 5 has a value of zero, this formula prints blanks instead. ALSO SEE: ZEROS 334 Operators, Math ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To perform basic math calculations on fields. SYNTAX: number Math Operator number number = any numeric field, numeric function or constant numeric value. TYPE: Operator, character, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Operator Alternate Description ________ _________ ___________ + PLUS Addition - MINUS Subtraction * TIMES Multiply / DIVIDED BY Divide ^ TO THE POWER OF To the power of % PERCENT Percentage \ REMAINDER, MOD Remainder NOTE: The symbol, '+', is used for both adding numbers and combining text. File Express performs the correct operation according to the type of the fields used. If the first field is numeric, the fields are numerically added together.) File Express calculates math according to the normal rules of precedence. The order of precedence is as follows: 1. Lowest level of Parentheses (If parentheses are nested, expressions inside the parentheses are performed in their normal order starting with the lowest level.) 2. Math Functions 3. Exponents 4. Multiplication, Division and Remainders calculated from left to right. 5. Addition and Subtraction calculated from left to right. To force an expression to be calculated in a particular order, use parentheses. Operators, Math 335 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLES: F1 + 10 If Field 1 is numeric, this formula will add ten to it. If it is a character field, it will concatenate "10" onto the end of F1. F1 - F2 This example subtracts Field 2 from Field 1. ((F1 - F2) + F3 ) * F4 Using the normal order of math precedence, this formula first subtracts Field 2 from Field 1, then it adds Field 3 and finishes by multiplying the result by Field 4. ALSO SEE: Math Functions 336 OR ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The OR operator requires that only one comparison be true for the statement to be considered true. SYNTAX: comparison OR comparison [OR comparison ...] comparison = any valid comparison statement. TYPE: Logical Operator USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The OR operator tells File Express that only one of several comparisons must be true for the whole comparison to be considered true. For more detailed explanations on making formulas see the chapter titled "Finding Records". For more examples, see the "AND" keyword. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F8 = "92307" OR F8 = "92308" This example selects all records where Field 8 (a zip code field) is either equal to 92307 or 92308. Since the city of Apple Valley has two zip codes, we must use the OR keyword. If we had used AND, we would have been saying that Field 8 had to be equal to both 92307 and 92308 at the same time (which, of course, it cannot be). Select all records where: F7 = "WA" OR F7 = "OR" OR F7 = "CA" If Field 7 contains a state abbreviation, this formula finds all records where the state is equal to Washington or Oregon or California. (Also note that the abbreviation for the state of Oregon is the same as the keyword. For this reason, the quotation marks around the OR are required.) Select all records where: F1 BEFORE "01-01-90" OR F7 = "Y" This example finds all records where the date is before "01- 01-90" or where Field 7 is equal to "Y" ALSO SEE: AND PAGE 337 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The PAGE function returns the current page number. SYNTAX: page TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The PAGE keyword is used to print the current page number on a report. EXAMPLES: PAGE This formula prints the current page number. "Page #" & PAGE This formula prints the text, "Page #", followed by the current page number. ALSO SEE: NONE 338 PARENTHESES (PARENS) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The PARENTHESES keyword prints parentheses around a negative number. SYNTAX: field [with] parentheses field = a numeric field or formula. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The PARENTHESES keyword places parentheses around any negative number. To change the default bracket type, use the Setup program to change the default settings. When this keyword is used, positive numbers have an extra space at the end to insure a proper lineup with negative numbers. (See example.) EXAMPLES: F5 WITH PARENTHESES If the value in Field 5 is -43.21, then this keyword produces (43.21). Here are examples showing the line-up using this keyword: "123.45" "123.45 " "-999.99" "(999.99)" "-1.23" "(1.23)" "9,876.54" "9,876.54 " The quotation marks are used here only to illustrate the lineup and extra space positive numbers require when using the PARENTHESES keyword. The quotation marks themselves will not print. ALSO SEE: NONE .PREV 339 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .PREV function is used to access a field value from the previously printed record. SYNTAX: field.prev field = field number or field name. TYPE: Function, character, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .PREV keyword returns the value for the specified field from the previous record printed, not the previous record in the database. This function works only in the Report Writer option of File Express. By accessing the value from the previous record, duplicate records can be checked. EXAMPLES: F1.PREV This formula returns the value of Field 1 from the previously printed record. This value can then be used in a comparison formula (as in the next example) or used in a mathematical formula. IF F1 <> F1.PREV THEN F1 ELSE NOPRINT This formula compares the value for the current records' Field 1 with the previous records' Field 1. If they are equal, then the line is suppressed. If they are not equal, then the new Field 1 is printed. ALSO SEE: NONE 340 PROPER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The PROPER function converts the first character of each word to upper case and all other characters to lower case. SYNTAX: proper(text) text = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: This function converts the first character and any characters following a non alphabetic character to upper case. If two characters are next to each other, such as initials, only the first character is converted to upper case. To avoid this, use periods to separate the letters. EXAMPLES: PROPER("TOM JONES") This example produces "Tom Jones". PROPER("BJ THOMAS") This example produces "Bj Thomas". PROPER("B.J. THOMAS") This example produces "B.J. Thomas". ALSO SEE: LOWER and UPPER RANDOM 341 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The RANDOM function generates a random number. SYNTAX: random TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The RANDOM function is useful if random record selection is needed. The RANDOM function returns a random number between zero and one. (See examples on how to generate a random number between one and any number.) To print records in a random order: 1) Add a formula field to your database format containing the formula: RANDOM. 2) Use the Recalculate Entire Database option from the Maintenance Menu to generate the random numbers. 3) Create an index with this new formula field as the sort field and rebuild it. When you print, the records are printed in a random order. To re-randomize the records, simply recalculate the database and sort again. EXAMPLES: RANDOM Used by itself, the RANDOM function returns a number between zero and one. (Such as 0.43632.) Select all records where: F0 = (RANDOM * 100) + 1 This formula randomly selects records with a record number between 1 and 100. (NOTE: the parentheses are not needed, but they help to make the formula easier to read.) ALSO SEE: NONE 342 RECORD NUMBER (F0) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The keyword RECORD NUMBER may be used to access the "Record Number" as assigned by File Express. SYNTAX: record number or F0 TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Because the record number is stored at the beginning of a record, it may also be referred to as Field 0 (F0, as in zero). It is important to remember that the record numbers can change by cloning. For that reason, it is recommended that you do NOT rely on the record number. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: RECORD NUMBER > 1000 This example selects all records where the record number is greater than 1000. Select all records where: F0 > 1000 This example produces the same results as the previous example but with less typing. ALSO SEE: NONE REPEAT 343 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The REPEAT function repeats a character. SYNTAX: repeat(number, text) number = the number of times to repeat. text = the character or string to repeat. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The REPEAT function is handy for creating simple graphical output when a "picture" is more practical than numbers. The text to repeat may either be the ASCII value used in the CHR function, a constant character or string enclosed in quotes, or a field which contains a character or string. For serious graphing requirements, use ExpressGraph, also from Expressware. Data from File Express can be transferred to ExpressGraph. Call Expressware for current information on ExpressGraph. EXAMPLES: REPEAT(F5,"$") If Field 5 contains numbers representing dollar amounts, this formula can be used to produce a simple bar graph with the dollar sign. If Field 5 contains the number 6, then the output would be "$$$$$$". REPEAT(5,"----*") This example returns "----*----*----*----*----*". F4 + REPEAT(15-LEN(F1),".") This example prints Field 4 followed by enough periods to fill a fifteen character space. Example: "123 Main St . . . .Seattle" or "Box 1800. . . . . . .Duvall". ALSO SEE: GRAPH and SPACE 344 REPLACE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The REPLACE function is used to replace a text string with another text string. SYNTAX: replace(field, search_for, replace_with[ ,times_to_replace]) field = the field to search and replace. search_for = constant text or a character field to search for. Be sure to put quotes around constant text. replace_with = constant text or a character field to replace with. Be sure to put quotes around constant text. times_to_replace = the number of times to look for search_for. If this parameter is not included, File Express makes a maximum of one replacement. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Search and Replace COMMENTS: The fourth parameter, if used, instructs File Express to replace that number of occurrences of the search_for text within the specified field. If this option is not used, only the first occurrence is replaced. To replace every occurrence of a text string, use a large number like 999. File Express stops after the last replacement automatically. The text is replaced exactly as specified. If uppercase characters are used, they are replaced as uppercase characters. If the search_for text is not found, no replacement is made. EXAMPLES: REPLACE(F5,"MONDAY","TUESDAY") This example replaces the first occurrence of the word "MONDAY" with "TUESDAY" in Field 5. REPLACE(F5,"T","-",2) If Field 5 contains "Statement", then this formula returns "S-a-ement". ALSO SEE: LEFT, MID and RIGHT RIGHT 345 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The RIGHT function is used to extract the right-most portion of a text string. SYNTAX: right(text_field, number_of_characters) text_field = the character field or string you want to extract characters from. number_of_characters = the number of characters to extract, from the right side of the field. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: This function may be used any place that a text string is required. EXAMPLES: RIGHT(F2,4) If Field 2 contains the company name "Expressware", this function returns the string "ware". ALSO SEE: LEFT, MID and REPLACE 346 RIGHT JUSTIFIED (RJ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The RIGHT JUSTIFIED keyword is used to right justify a field when printing. SYNTAX: field right justified field = any field or constant text. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The field or text is right justified to the field's defined length. Character fields are normally left justified. This default may be overridden by using the RIGHT JUSTIFIED keyword. To right justify text within a database, see the RJUST function. EXAMPLES: F1 RIGHT JUSTIFIED This example right justifies Field 1 within the defined length of Field 1. F1 RJ This is exactly the same as the previous example. F1 & F2 RJ This example combines Field 1 and Field 2 with one space between them and then right justifies the result within the combined length of both fields. ALSO SEE: CENTER, CENTERED, LEFT JUSTIFIED, LJUST and RJUST RJUST 347 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The RJUST function right justifies text within a field. SYNTAX: rjust(field[, width]) field = the field or character string to right justified. width (optional) = the number of characters to justify within. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: If the width is omitted, the text is right justified to the fields' defined length. Since character fields are stored in the database left justified, this function is commonly used when printing. EXAMPLES: RJUST("Hello",30) This example right justifies the word "Hello" to a width of thirty spaces. (Example: " Hello") RJUST(F1) This example right justifies Field 1 to the fields' defined width. ALSO SEE: CENTER, CENTERED, LJUST, LEFT JUSTIFIED, and RIGHT JUSTIFIED 348 ROUND ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The ROUND function is used to round off a number to fewer decimal places. SYNTAX: round(field, decimal_places) field = any numeric field or result. decimal_places = a numeric field or constant reflecting the number of decimal places to round to. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The ROUND function is used to reduce the number of decimal places of a number. This is commonly done after calculating dollar amounts to round tenths of a penny. When you want to drop the decimal entirely, use the INT function. If a number is rounded to more decimal places than it already has, there is no effect. EXAMPLES: ROUND(F10 * .081,2) This example multiplies the contents of Field 10 by .081 (the Seattle area's TAX rate) and returns the result to the nearest penny. ALSO SEE: INT RTRIM 349 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The RTRIM function removes trailing blank spaces. SYNTAX: rtrim(text) text = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: The RTRIM function removes blank spaces after the last non- blank character. It does not remove blank spaces between words in the text string. (See examples.) EXAMPLES: RTRIM("Tom ") This example produces "Tom". RTRIM(" BJ THOMAS ") This example produces " BJ THOMAS". RTRIM("Tom Smith") This example produces "Tom Smith". ALSO SEE: LTRIM, TRIM 350 SOUNDS LIKE (SL) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The SOUNDS LIKE comparitor allows searches to be made by close matches instead of exact matches. SYNTAX: field sounds like text field = any valid field. text = any valid field or text constant. TYPE: Comparitor, character USE IN: Record Selection COMMENTS: A SOUNDS LIKE search is done by dividing the alphabet into groups that sound similar and then assigning each group a number. The first letter is taken as is, figuring people generally use the correct first letter. Words are then converted to numeric codes by taking the group number for each letter. (Vowels and repeating consonants are ignored.) Words that end up with the same code are considered to "sound alike". Due to the nature of the SOUNDS LIKE comparitor (also known as Soundex), some very unusual results can be returned. File Express uses the same phonetic grouping as defined by the United States Standard Phonetic Alphabet. EXAMPLES: Select all records where: F1 SOUNDS LIKE "SMITH" This example finds matches such as "SMYTH", "SMTH", "SMIT", "SMITHE", ""SNITH" etc. ALSO SEE: NONE SPACE 351 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The SPACE function returns a given number of spaces. SYNTAX: space(number) number = the number of spaces to be returned. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The SPACE function is basically the same as the REPEAT function, except it repeats only the space character. EXAMPLES: SPACE(10) This example returns ten spaces. SPACE(30-LEN(F1))+F1 This example prints enough spaces in front of Field 1 to cause it to line up with the thirtieth character position. (Basically, this is the same as the RIGHT JUSTIFIED function.) ALSO SEE: GRAPH and REPEAT 352 .SUBAVERAGE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .SUBAVERAGE function provides a numeric average for the current subtotal level. SYNTAX: field.subaverage field = any numeric field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .SUBAVERAGE function divides the subtotal for the field by the number of records in the subtotal group. Blank fields in the records are counted. If you want to exclude blank fields from the Average calculation, use field.SUBTOTAL / field.NBSUBCOUNT. For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.SUBAVERAGE If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it returns a running average for Field 1. If this formula is used in the Subtotal Section, it returns the ending average for each group. ALSO SEE: .AVERAGE .SUBCOUNT 353 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .SUBCOUNT function counts the number of records printed so far in the subtotal group. SYNTAX: field.subcount field = any field or formula TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .SUBCOUNT function counts the number of records printed since the last trigger field changed. The actual field contents do not have an affect on the count. (i.e. character fields are counted the same as numeric fields; each as 1.) If .SUBCOUNT is used in the Detail section or Subtotal 1 section, level 1 counts are returned. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 counts are returned. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 counts are returned. To count only non blank entries, see the .NBSUBCOUNT function. EXAMPLES: F1.SUBCOUNT This formula counts the number of records printed. (It does not matter which field is counted, i.e. F1.COUNT, F2.COUNT, F3.COUNT, etc. all return the same number.) If this formula is used in the Detail Section of a Report, it provides a running count. In this way, consecutive numbers can be generated in a printout. ALSO SEE: .COUNT, .NBSUBCOUNT and .NBCOUNT 354 .SUBMAX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .SUBMAX function provides the maximum numeric value found for the current subtotal group. SYNTAX: field.submax USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The .SUBMAX function returns the maximum numeric value found for the field in the current subtotal group. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) If .SUBMAX is used in the Detail section or Subtotal 1 section, level 1 maximums are returned. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 maximums are returned. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 maximums are returned. For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.SUBMAX This formula returns the maximum numeric value found for Field 1 in the current subtotal group. ALSO SEE: .MAX, .MIN, .SUBMIN .SUBMIN 355 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .SUBMIN function provides the minimum numeric value found for the current subtotal group. SYNTAX: field.submin field = any field or formula TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .SUBMIN function returns the minimum numeric value found for the field in the current subtotal group. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) If .SUBMIN is used in the Detail section or Subtotal 1 section, level 1 minimums are returned. If used in Subtotal 2, level 2 minimums are returned. If used in Subtotal 3, level 3 minimums are returned. For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.SUBMIN This formula returns the minimum numeric value found for Field 1 in the current subtotal group. ALSO SEE: .MAX, .MIN and .SUBMAX 356 .SUBTOTAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .SUBTOTAL function provides a numeric subtotal. SYNTAX: field.subtotal field = any numeric value or field USE IN: Report Writer COMMENTS: The .SUBTOTAL function provides a subtotal based on the numeric value of the field. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) The level of the subtotal generated depends on the section in which it is used. (If used in the Detail or Subtotal 1 section, it returns a level 1 subtotal. If used in Subtotal 2 section, it returns a level 2 subtotal. If used in the Subtotal 3 section, it returns a level 3 subtotal.) For more examples, see the chapter title "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.SUBTOTAL If this formula is used in the Detail Section of the Report, it returns the running subtotal for Field 1. If this formula is used in the Total Section, it returns the grand total. F1.SUBTOTAL / 100 If this formula is used in a Subtotal Section, it divides the ending subtotal by 100. ALSO SEE: .TOTAL SUM 357 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The SUM function is used when you want the sum of fields in a range. SYNTAX: sum(field, field) OR sum(field:field) field = The first field is the beginning field of the range and the second field is the ending field. All fields within the range are added together. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: A comma or a colon may be used to separate the fields. If there are any character fields within the specified range, the VALUE of each field is used in the SUM function. EXAMPLES: SUM(F1,F10) This example adds Field 1 through Field 10. SUM(F1:F10) This example is exactly the same as the first. ALSO SEE: + (Plus) 358 TIME ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The TIME function returns the current time in standard AM/PM format. SYNTAX: time TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The TIME function returns the current time stored in your computer in AM/PM format. To change the current time, you must be at the DOS level and use the DOS TIME function. (For more information, consult the TIME function in your DOS manual. Also see the MILTIME function for military (or 24 hour) time format. EXAMPLES: TIME If you have this function in a formula, it simply returns the current time (i.e. 03:27 AM or 11:30 PM). If this formula field is defined in your database, it updates the time whenever the record is edited. If this function is used in a Report, it prints the current time when each record is printed. TIME ADD ONLY The ADD ONLY keywords tells File Express to calculate the formula only when initially ADDING the record. (It is not updated if the record is later edited.) ALSO SEE: MILTIME and TODAY TIMEDIFF 359 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The TIMEDIFF function returns the number of minutes between two times. SYNTAX: timediff(time[, time]) time = any valid time in 24 hour format. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the second TIME is omitted, the default system TIME is used. (For more information on the default TIME, see the TIME function.) The default time is in 24 hour format. If the second time is earlier than the second time, then it is assumed that the time difference extends past midnight. In this case, File Express adds 24 hours to the second time to give the correct time difference. The TIMEDIFF function returns the number of minutes between the first TIME and the second TIME. To convert the number of minutes returned to hours and minutes, use the divide and MOD functions. (See examples.) EXAMPLES: TIMEDIFF("09:00","17:00") This example returns the number of minutes between 09:00 (9:00 am) and 17:00 (5:00 pm). The result is 480 minutes. INT(TIMEDIFF("09:00","17:00")) / 60 This example divides the time difference by 60, this returns the number of hours (8 in this example). TIMEDIFF("23:00","00:30") Even though this example extends past midnight, this formula still returns the correct answer of 90. ALSO SEE: AGE and FUTUREDATE 360 TODAY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The TODAY function returns the current date in the current date format. SYNTAX: today TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: The TODAY function returns the current date as stored in your computer. To change the date, you must be at the DOS level and use the DOS DATE function. (For more information, consult the DATE function in your DOS manual. Computers without a clock battery must have the date updated every time the computer is rebooted.) For more examples, see the AGE function. EXAMPLES: TODAY This formula simply returns the current date (i.e. "12-25- 90" or "25-12-1990" etc. depending on the current date format as defined in the Setup program). If this is used as a formula in a database, this updates the date each time the record is edited. If this function is used in a Report, it prints the current date when the report is printed. TODAY ADD ONLY The ADD ONLY keywords tells File Express to calculate the formula only when initially ADDING the record. (It is not updated if the record is later edited.) ALSO SEE: MILTIME and TIME .TOTAL 361 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The .TOTAL function provides a numeric total. SYNTAX: field.total field = any field TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Label Writer and Report Writer COMMENTS: The .TOTAL function provides a total based on the numeric value of the field. (Character fields, unless they contain numeric information or begin with numbers, equate to zeros.) For more examples, see the chapter titled "Report Writer". EXAMPLES: F1.TOTAL If this formula is used in the Detail Section of the Report, it returns the running total for Field 1. If used in the Total Section, it returns the grand total. F1.TOTAL / 100 If this formula is used in the Total Section, it divides the ending total by 100. ALSO SEE: .SUBTOTAL 362 TRIM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The TRIM function removes leading and trailing spaces. SYNTAX: trim(text) text = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: The trim function removes blank spaces before the first non- blank character and after the last non-blank character. (It does not remove blank spaces between words.) EXAMPLES: TRIM(" Tom ") This example produces "Tom". TRIM(" BJ THOMAS ") This example produces "BJ THOMAS". TRIM("Tom Smith") This example produces "Tom Smith". (Since there are no leading or trailing spaces to remove, this formula does nothing.) ALSO SEE: LTRIM, RTRIM UPDATE 363 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The UPDATE statement puts information into another database. SYNTAX: update(database, search_field, search_criteria, field_to_put_to, what_to_put) database = the name of the database to search (may include drive and path, but no file extension). The database must be the typed out name of the database. It cannot be a field name or formula containing the name. search_field = the field in the other database to search. The search_field must be in the Fxx format. It cannot be a field name. search_criteria = the information to use for the search. The search_criteria parameter can have one of the following comparison signs preceding it: =, >, <, >=, <=, ><, or <>. If a comparitor is not specified, an exact match is looked for (disregarding upper and lower case letters). The search_criteria can be constant text enclosed in quotes, for example, "BASEBALL", or a field number, F4, or a field name, BALANCE DUE. field_to_put_to = the field number in the other database to put information into. This must be in the Fxx format. It cannot be a field name. what_to_put = information to put into other database. This can be a quoted text string, field name or field number. TYPE: Statement USE IN: Database COMMENTS: When an UPDATE is made, the record accessed is stored in a buffer. The next UPDATE checks this buffer for a possible match before rechecking a database. Therefore, to decrease search time, all UPDATEs which reference the same database should be grouped together. If no match is found in the other database, nothing is written. 364 UPDATE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLES: UPDATE(PRICES, F1, F1, F2, F5) In this example, PRICES refers to a database called PRICES in the current data directory. The first F1 refers to Field 1 in the PRICES database, the second F1 refers to Field 1 in the current record in the current database, the F2 refers to Field 2 in the PRICES database, and F5 refers to field 5 in the current database. If F1 from the current record contains "Lawn Mower", this example searches Field 1 in the PRICES database for "Lawn Mower". Once the match is found, it puts the information from field 5 in the current database into field 2 of the PRICES database. UPDATE(C:\FE5\DATA\MAILLIST,F3,=name,F6, address) This example uses the MAILLIST database which is on Drive C in the subdirectory \FE5\DATA. It searches the third field for a match with the information from the current records' name field. Once a match is found, it puts into MAILLIST's sixth field, the contents of current database's address field. ALSO SEE: LOOKUP UPPER (UCASE) 365 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The UPPER function is used to convert all characters to upper case. SYNTAX: upper(text) text = a character field or character string. TYPE: Function, character USE IN: Label Writer, Report Writer and Search and Replace COMMENTS: A field may be converted to all upper case characters by using this function. This is commonly done when printing or using the Search and Replace option. EXAMPLES: UPPER("Hello") This example produces "HELLO". UPPER("hello") This also produces "HELLO". UPPER(F1) This converts Field 1 to all upper case characters. ALSO SEE: LOWER, PROPER 366 VALUE (VAL) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The VALUE functions returns the numeric value from a field. SYNTAX: value(field) field = any field. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: Generally this function is used on Character fields so that the true numeric value in the field can be used. The VALUE function starts on the left side of a character field and continues taking numbers until it reaches the first non numeric character. If the character field does not start with a number, the result is zero. If the VALUE is taken on a numeric field, the result is the numeric field. (Basically it does nothing.) EXAMPLES: VALUE(F1) If Field 1 contains "142", the result is 142. VALUE(F5) If Field 5 contains "125 Stella St.", the result is 125. VALUE(F5) If Field 5 contains "PO Box 1800", the result is 0. ALSO SEE: SUM YEAR 367 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The YEAR function returns the four digit year for the current date or for the date specified. SYNTAX: year[(date)] date = any valid date field or constant date. TYPE: Function, numeric USE IN: Any Formula COMMENTS: If the date is omitted, this function returns the year from the current system date. (For information on the current date, see the TODAY function.) EXAMPLES: YEAR If the current year is 1990, this function returns "1990". YEAR(F1) If "04-16-90" is the date in Field 1, this function returns "1990". DAYNAME(F1) + "," & MONTHNAME(F1) & DAY(F1) + "," & YEAR(F1) If Field 1 has the date "04-16-90", this function returns "Monday, April 16, 1990". ALSO SEE: DAY, DAYABBV, DAYNAME, FORMATDATE, MONTH, MONTHABBV and MONTHNAME 368 ZEROS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: The ZEROS statement tells File Express to print zeros instead of blanks when printing numeric fields. SYNTAX: numeric_field [with] zeros numeric_field = any numerical field or formula. TYPE: Statement COMMENTS: The default for File Express is to print blanks instead of zeros if a numeric field is equal to zero. The ZEROS keywords can be used to override this default. (To change the default, use the Setup program.) When zeros are printed, enough zeros are used to maintain decimal places. EXAMPLES: F5 WITH ZEROS If Field 5 is blank with no decimal places, the output is "0". F5 WITH ZEROS If Field 5 is blank with 2 decimal places, the output is "0.00". ALSO SEE: NO ZEROS ADVANCED FEATURES 369 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Advanced Features This section discusses several of the more technical aspects of File Express, which the average user does not usually need to know. The section assumes the reader has a complete working knowledge of DOS, File Express and EDLIN (or another text editor or word processor). Screen Dumps To Disk As you probably know, the contents of the screen can be sent to the printer by pressing the <Shift-PrtSc> key (this is a feature of DOS and can be used with any program, not just File Express). File Express has expanded on this concept, letting you send the contents of the screen to a disk file. Whenever <Shift-F10> is pressed on any screen in File Express, the screen's contents are placed on disk in a file called SCREEN.DMP. If the file already has data in it, the current screen dump is added at the end. This screen dump file can be sent to your printer with the DOS command: COPY SCREEN.DMP PRN: and can be deleted with the DOS command: DEL SCREEN.DMP and can be edited and printed with most word processors and text editors. 370 ADVANCED FEATURES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Custom Banner Screens Because File Express is so versatile, many software developers and value-added resellers use it as a starting point for their own vertical market applications. At the request of these developers, we have added a custom banner screen option to the File Express start-up process. After File Express displays its own banner screen, it checks the selected subdirectory to see if there is a file called BANNER on disk. If such a file exists, it is loaded and displayed on the screen. The format of the BANNER file is fairly simple. The first line contains three numbers, separated by commas. The first number indicates the length of time, in seconds, to pause after displaying the custom banner. If the first number is zero, File Express pauses until a key is pressed. The second number indicates the foreground color to be used for the banner display. The third number indicates the background color. The second and subsequent lines of BANNER are read and displayed on the screen using the colors specified. If the computer has a monochrome board, or if the operator specified /M at start-up, the custom banner screen is displayed in white characters on a black background. Referring to the table below, the foreground color value may be a number from zero to fifteen. The background color value may be from zero to seven: 0 Black 8 Gray 1 Blue 9 Light Blue 2 Green 10 Light Green 3 Cyan 11 Light Cyan 4 Red 12 Light Red 5 Magenta 13 Light Magenta 6 Brown 14 Yellow 7 White 15 High-intensity White To create the BANNER file, use a text editor and place the file in the same subdirectory as the File Express program files. ADVANCED FEATURES 371 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Example: Line 1 :0,7,1 Line 2 : Line 3 : Line 4 : Line 5 : Line 6 : Joe's Database Service Line 7 : Line 8 : Line 9 : Line 10: Fishing Holes in the USA Line 11: Line 12: Line 13: Line 14: 206-555-7385 Line 15: Line 16: Line 17: Line 18: Line 19: Line 20: Line 21: ...press any key to continue Line 22: Line 23: Line 24: Line 25: The example above displays the banner screen in white letters on a blue background and waits for a key to be pressed before continuing. 372 ADVANCED FEATURES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Customizing File Express This section describes the profile feature of File Express. Many aspects of File Express can be tailored to special environments or personal tastes. For example, all the colors used for File Express screens and menus can be changed. Defaults, such as the disk drive and path can also be changed. These custom changes are placed in a special file called a profile, which resides in the directory with the File Express programs. The name of the file with the profile options is FE.PRO. If the file doesn't exist, File Express uses all its standard options. FE.PRO is a binary file and CANNOT be edited with a word processor or text editor. The File Express package includes a program called FESETUP.EXE which is used to make changes in the configuration file. Starting the Setup Program The Setup program must be run from your Program drive and directory so it can load and save FE.PRO in the correct location. Floppy System: If you are running File Express from a two floppy drive system, place the Supplemental Disk (containing FE5SETUP.EXE) in the B: drive and the Program Disk (where FE.PRO resides) in the A: drive. From the A:> prompt type B:FE5SETUP <Enter> Hard Disk System: If you are running File Express from a hard disk, change directories to the subdirectory containing FE.EXE and then type: FE5SETUP <Enter> CUSTOMIZING 373 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Setup: When the program is loaded, the Opening Instruction screen appears: Registered Version has screen picture here General Defaults Sound Option: File Express makes a variety of beeps and blips as data is being entered. These sounds can be helpful, providing audio feedback as you progress through the screens. But if you find the sound annoying, you can turn it off, either by setting this option to NO or by using /S as a command line option when starting File Express. Most people find the sound feature useful, so we have made it the default. But some people turn it off because the speaker on their PC is too loud or because others around them find it annoying. If you aren't sure about the sound, try it for a couple days. Once you have become accustomed to the audio feedback from the program, you may find it hard to operate without it. Screen Display: If your computer's video memory is not at the same address as IBM video memory, you can still use File Express by either specifying /B on the command line, or by setting this option to SLOW. Snow: If annoying "snow" appears on your screen when data is displayed, set this option to YES. Menu Lines: File Express normally displays it menus with a surrounding double line. If you would like to remove this line, answer NO. Auto Enter Option: Normally File Express requires that <Enter> be pressed to advance to the next field. If you prefer that the 374 CUSTOMIZING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- cursor automatically move to the next field when it reaches the end of a field, answer YES. This option is only in effect when entering data on the Add Records screen or changing data on the Find Records screen. All other prompts function as described in the Keyboard Conventions chapter. Space Character: When File Express displays a field on the screen, it normally pads the right-hand side of the field with underline characters. If the field is empty, it is completely filled with underline characters. If it has some data, the underlines appear to the right of the data, filling out the field. These underlines are useful because they visually indicate the maximum length of the field. If you would prefer another character, press the <Spacebar> to toggle through the thirteen available pad characters. Press <Enter> when finished. Default Date Format: File Express supports four date format: MM-DD-YY, MM-DD-YYYY, DD-MM-YY and DD-MM-YYYY. These formats are used for date input only. The actual date representation is always stored in the database the same way (YYYYMMDD). This lets you change the date format at any time and still display all existing dates in the correct format. Default Monetary Sign: You can select between the dollar sign, the British pound sign and the Japanese Yen sign. This sign is used on reports when printing monetary amounts. Block Field Exit Key: You have two choices concerning how to exit a block field: <Enter> and <Ctrl-Enter>. All other types of fields are exited by the <Enter> key but in a block field you may want to use <Enter> to move the cursor down to the next line as you would in a word processor. Search Method For EQUAL Operator: In previous versions of File Express a search criteria like: F1 = CAN would find all records where Field 1 started with CAN, such as CANADA, CANDY, CAN, CANCER, CANDLE etc. If you just wanted to find the records where Field 1 just equaled CAN and nothing else, you had to use something like: F1 = CAN AND LEN(F1) = 3 This was not easy to remember and inconsistent with the way other products work. A better way is to handle EQUAL searches like this: F1 = CAN finds records where field one is CAN and nothing else. If you want to find records where Field 1 starts with CAN, use: F1 = CAN.. CUSTOMIZING 375 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So, if you want to use the new method, select EXACT. If you like the old method, select STARTS WITH. The choice is yours. 376 CUSTOMIZING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Color Defaults Color or Mono: If your computer has a monochrome video card, File Express recognizes its presence and displays screens with white characters on a black background. If it has a color card but a monochrome monitor, or if you prefer black and white displays on your color monitor, specify /M on the command line or set this option to MONO. Screen Colors: If your computer has a color monitor, you can change the colors which File Express uses on its screens and menus. To change any one of the color combinations, move the highlight bar to it and press <F> to change the foreground color and to change the background color. Press <Enter> to accept your choice. General color lt white ON blue General Highlight color yellow ON blue Main Menu color red ON white Main Menu Highlight color black ON white Sub Menu color blue ON cyan Sub Menu Highlight color black ON cyan Shadow color black ON blue Title color lt white ON red Input color yellow ON black Field color lt cyan ON blue Error color lt white ON red The foreground color (the first one specified) may be any of the sixteen colors listed below. The background color (the second one specified) may be any of the eight colors on the left. Black Gray Blue Lt Blue Green Lt Green Cyan Lt Cyan Red Lt Red Magenta Lt Magenta Brown Yellow White Lt White CUSTOMIZING 377 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Data Entry Defaults Drive and Path name: File Express defaults to the current drive and path on hard disk systems and to the root directory of drive B on diskette systems. You can override these defaults by filling in a different drive and path. Examples: D:\FE\DATA C:\ B: If the directory and backslashes are omitted, File Express defaults to the root directory of the specified drive. If a directory is specified, it must be one that exists; File Express does not create new directories. If the command line contains a drive and path at startup, it overrides these defaults. If the command line contains no drive and path, and this field is empty, the prompt for drive and path is displayed. Database File Name: To specify a database to be opened at startup, fill in this field with the name of the database (without an extension). Example: MAILLIST Clear Buffer Option: File Express writes records to disk as soon as they are changed. However, DOS does not update information in the disk directory at the time the records are written. So if something were to interrupt your computer's processing before File Express ended, some of your data could be lost. To reduce the possibility of data loss, File Express issues a Close command to DOS after every five records are written to disk. This Close command tells DOS to go update the disk directory and file allocation tables. You can tell File Express to issue a Close command more frequently by setting this prompt to a lower number. This number is the number of writes to disk before the buffer is cleared (i.e. the files are closed). If you specify a value of one, the buffers are cleared every time a database record is added or changed. A value of one provides the most security for your data, although it adds a small amount of overhead to the process of adding records. But consider this typical example: an office has a database which several employees use for inquiry during the day. Sometimes the employees make minor changes to the database, then they leave the Find Records menu displayed on the screen for the next person. In this environment, a change to a record can sit in the computer's memory for hours, maybe even overnight, before 378 CUSTOMIZING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- it is finally updated on disk. If the electricity goes off during that time, or if someone re-boots the computer or removes the diskette, the data is lost because it was never written to disk by DOS. File Express automatically clears the buffers when the program returns to the Main Menu. So if you have not used the Setup program, the next best alternative is to return to the Main Menu before letting the computer sit idle. Disk Space: If you would like File Express to report the remaining disk space when you are entering new records, answer YES. Because this check has to look in the directory table on your Data drive to determine the remaining space, floppy disk users have to wait a little longer than hard disk users. Thus floppy disk users might be tempted to turn off the service. Remember, however, that floppy disks hold much less data than hard disks and should be monitored for free space more closely. Label Printing Defaults The Label Spacing defaults which appear when defining a new label can also be changed with Setup commands: Labels across (1 - 5) 1 Vertical label spacing (1 - 99) 6 Printable lines per label (1 - 99) 4 Horizontal label spacing (1 - 99) 37 Characters per label line (1 - 99) 34 Tab position of first label (1 - 99) 5 Number of Labels for each record (1-999) 1 Changing these defaults do not affect label formats which have already been designed and saved. To change options on those formats, load them in, change the options, then save them to disk to make the changes permanent. CUSTOMIZING 379 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Report Printing Defaults The Report section asks many questions concerning the layout of the report. Print a Subtotal for a single record NO Use Linefeeds when printing NO Use Formfeeds at end of page NO Page Width (18 - 999) 500 Left margin on reports (0 - 99) 5 Page length (1 - 250) 66 Lines per page to print (1 - 250) 1 Top margin on reports (0 - 99) 0 Print Zeros as blanks NO Put Parentheses around neg. numbers NO Type of Brackets for neg. numbers ( ) Format large numbers with Commas YES Title position Header position Footer position Remove Blank Lines when printing Pause between each report page or label Print to the Screen, Printer, or Disk Form Letter Defaults When writing form letters you can set the following default settings. Text Width 70 Paper Length 66 Lines of Text 58 Top Margin 0 Left Margin 5 Use formfeeds at end of page NO Pause between each form letter NO Print to the Screen, Printer, or Disk SCREEN 380 CUSTOMIZING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty TROUBLESHOOTING 381 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Troubleshooting If an error occurs in File Express, the error message sometimes tells you to refer to this chapter. Or if you have a problem where there is no error message involved, for example, nothing displays on the screen, you can refer to this chapter as well. The first part of this chapter discusses common problems and prospective cures. The last section explains what to do if you find a problem and want to report it to Expressware. Appendix A lists several File Express error messages alphabetically, explains what they mean, and provides corrective measures where appropriate. Screen Does Not Display Problem: You start up File Express and it seems to load but doesn't display anything on the screen. Press <Esc> then <Enter>. If you press those keys and don't return to the DOS prompt, the computer has locked up. In that case, refer to the section below on "locking up". If you return to the DOS prompt, it's a good sign, indicating that File Express was running, but was just not displaying properly. Start the program again, only this time, use this command to start it: FE /B The /B tells File Express to use BIOS calls when displaying on the screen. This is usually the cause of missing displays. Some Characters Are Fuzzy or Unreadable Problem: You start up File Express and it loads, but the screen is fuzzy and unreadable, or some of the characters are missing. This usually occurs on computers with monochrome monitors attached to graphics boards. The monitor is incapable of displaying colors, but File Express has no way of knowing it by examining the hardware. Press <Esc> then <Enter> to return to the DOS prompt. Then start the program again using this command: FE /M The /M tells File Express to display in monochrome mode (white characters on a black background). 382 TROUBLESHOOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Locks Up At Startup Problem: The computer stops while loading File Express, and just hangs. No amount of pressing keys will shake it loose, and the computer must be rebooted to get it going again. Sometimes the banner screen is displayed, sometimes nothing is displayed. Reboot your computer, and start File Express again, this time using this command: FE /M/S/B /M says to display monochrome, /S says to turn off the sound, and /B says to use BIOS calls for screen displays. When you use these three options, File Express is just about as generic as a program can get. If it works with these commands, try experimenting with only one or two of them at a time. You may find that you need only one of the commands to get it to work. If these commands don't cure the problem, read on: If you have an older model of a computer that runs MS-DOS, this problem is probably due to your computer being "semi-compatible"; i.e. it's not 100% compatible with the IBM PC, so some programs don't run properly in it. If this is the case, you may have had a similar experience with other software packages. If this is the case, we're sorry, but we can't help. We will be happy to refund your money, however, if you return the product in salable condition within 60 days of purchase. If your computer is not an older model, and if you're sure it is 100% compatible with the IBM PC, the most likely problem is that the program diskette is bad. If you bought the diskette from us, send it back and we will replace it. If the diskette came from a friend or other shareware source, get another copy, preferably on a different diskette, and try again. Or if you suspect their original diskette is bad, contact us for an evaluation copy at a nominal price. There is another problem which occasionally causes a computer to hang up while running File Express: bad memory. File Express uses all the available RAM memory in your computer, while many other programs do not. If one of those seldom-used RAM memory locations has a bad spot, the computer sometimes locks up when that memory location is accessed. Sometimes a PARITY ERROR message is displayed by DOS, and sometimes the computer just hangs. Memory errors are often heat- related. If the computer was just turned on, let it run awhile and try again. If the room is very warm, turn off the computer for an hour and try again. If you suspect a RAM memory problem, consult a repair technician. TROUBLESHOOTING 383 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty 384 TROUBLESHOOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Printer Double-Spaces Reports Or Labels Problem: You print a report or labels, and some or all of the lines have an extra space between them, giving a double-spaced effect. If you have used File Express before and didn't have this problem, try printing another report or label format that usually works. If other formats work but this one doesn't, the problem is in the report definition. Check the report or label layout to make sure it is not wider than your printer can handle. If a printer is sent a longer line than it can print, it will usually "wrap around" the end of the line to a second line, resulting in a double-spaced effect. In this case, characters from the right-hand edge of the report may appear in the left margin on the second line. To remedy this problem, shorten the report or use a larger character-per-inch density to fit the report on the page. This wrap-around problem often happens on labels when a long field is specified as the last field on a line. This causes a double-space only on the offending line. Add up the lengths of all the fields on the line. If they exceed the width of your printer, use compressed print, or shorten the long field, or break the data up onto two lines. Double-spacing can also occur if control codes are mistakenly sent to your printer. Reset the printer to its defaults by powering it off and back on to clear any spurious codes. Verify that you didn't specify <D>ouble-spacing on the report specification. If the double-spacing still occurs, route the report to a disk file and examine it with your word processor. If the report is single-spaced in the disk file but comes out double-spaced on the printer, scan the disk file to see if there are any unusual symbols or codes which shouldn't be there. Sometimes printer control codes are mistakenly sent to the printer by erroneous formulas. Sometimes bad data on disk is sent to the printer, and the printer interprets it as a control code. If this problem occurs with everything you print with File Express, and you are not able to produce even one single-spaced report, your printer is probably configured to line feed when a carriage return character is received. If this is the case, either change the switch settings on your printer or add the command NO LINEFEED to your profile. (See the section titled Customizing File Express for information on profiles.) Changing the switch setting on your printer will make it more standard, but might adversely affect other software you use which has already been configured for no linefeeds. TROUBLESHOOTING 385 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Report Starts In Middle Of Page Problem: The first lines of a page are spaced far down the paper, and the detail overlaps onto the next piece of paper. Sometimes it occurs on the first page of the report, sometimes after the first page, and sometimes on all pages. Related Problem: A report prints OK on the first page, but then skips a page and prints page 2 on the third sheet of paper. Sometimes it occurs on every page; sometimes only on one or two pages. Related Problem: The last few lines of a page "jump" an inch or so, and start printing on the top of the next page. This throws off the spacing of subsequent pages. Be sure the paper is positioned properly when printing begins. The perforation must be positioned near the print head, exactly where you want the title line to print. Print the report again, this time watching as it begins printing. If the paper advances several lines before printing the first title line, check for these problems: (1) a large top margin has inadvertently been specified in the report specification; (2) form feeds have been specified in the report specification, but top-of-form is not properly set on the printer; (3) the page length of 66 has been changed, and no longer reflects the true page length in lines; (4) eight lines per inch were specified, but the page length was not changed to 88; (5) a form feed character is being placed in the body of the report, either by a bad text formula or by bad data on the disk. The first four items can be checked by reviewing the report format. The fifth item might require that you write the report to disk and examine it with your word processor. Another thing to check is your printer's hardware configuration. If you use form feeds, is the paper set to the correct page height? It's eleven inches for most paper. Some printers have a switch for skipping over the perforation when the bottom of the page is sensed. File Express doesn't know that the printer is doing its own skip to the new page, so both the printer and File Express skip a few lines. The result is that the report moves progressively downward on each successive page, about an inch per page. Or if form feeds are being used, the printer skips to a new page, then File Express ejects to the next page, resulting in an entire blank page or one with just a couple lines on it. To remedy this situation, either change the printer's switches so it doesn't automatically skip over the perforation, or reduce the Lines Per Page in the report format until the problem stops. You may have to reduce the Lines Per Page to as little as 50. 386 TROUBLESHOOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty TROUBLESHOOTING 387 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bad Data Appears On Records Problem: Some of the fields on one or more records have strange characters in them, like musical notes and graphic symbols. If your data changes mysteriously, especially if it has characters in it that you didn't enter, it usually means a media error or disk error has occurred. If the data is on a diskette, the most likely cause is that the diskette is bad. As we mentioned in the chapter on backups, diskettes do wear out. Diskette drives need to be adjusted and cleaned much more often than hard disks. Diskette errors are even more likely if the diskettes are being used in more than one computer. Even if a diskette drive is badly timed or badly aligned, it can often read the bad data it writes. But if the diskette is then put into another diskette drive which is working properly, some of the data may be unreadable. Worse yet, if the properly aligned drive writes data on the disk, it may become unreadable on both computers. This problem is best solved by prevention: make frequent backups, have your equipment serviced regularly, and treat diskettes with the utmost respect. When a media problem occurs, the safest bet is to throw away the bad diskette and make a new diskette using the data from your latest backup. If you have no recent backup, the process is painstaking (and sometimes fruitless), but do the following: 1. Immediately put a write-protect tab over the notch on the bad diskette, so no data can be inadvertently written to it or erased. 2. Use the DOS FORMAT command to format a brand new diskette, or one which you are certain is of good quality. Then use the COPY command (COPY *.*) to copy all the files from the bad diskette to the new one. If you aren't familiar with COPY, see your DOS manual. 3. During the COPY process, if any message appears which prompts "Abort, Retry or Ignore", or "Abort, Retry, Fail", press <R> to retry. If the message recurs, remove the bad diskette, then put it back in the drive and press <R> again. (Sometimes the diskette is not seated properly. Removing it and replacing it can slightly change its positioning, and the data can be read.) If the message recurs a third time, press for Ignore or <F> for Fail. This tells DOS to go ahead and copy the bad spot on disk as best it can. If more errors occur, continue this process until the complete diskette is copied. 4. Start File Express. Using the new data diskette, select Find Records, specify ALL, and examine each record in each file to 388 TROUBLESHOOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ensure that the data is intact and that no information has been lost. If you had to reply gnore or <F>ail to the message in the previous step, there will definitely be some bad data on at least one record. Then rebuild all your indexes. 5. As a follow-up, have your diskette drives serviced and make frequent backups of your data. Back up data from other programs as well, not just your databases. They are all vulnerable to disk drive problems. Save all the backup diskettes. If your disk drives are malfunctioning, they can create bad backups occasionally too, in which case you need to rely on the next-most-current backup. It should be noted that this recovery process is not unique to File Express. A similar process is necessary with any software when a disk media error occurs. Actually, the File Express database design makes recovery of at least some of the data more likely than it might be with other software products if a media error occurs. Media errors are much less frequent on hard disks, but they do occur. Once again, if bad data starts appearing, the best solution is to resort to your backups and have the hard disk drive tested and serviced immediately. If you have no recent backup, the data recovery process on hard disks is just as painful as it is on diskettes: 1. Since you can't put a write-protect tab on your hard disk, the only alternative is to not use the data and to be extremely careful not to accidentally erase the file or copy over it. These instructions assume that your database is on drive C and that the database name is MYDATA. 2. Using the <Alt-R> command on the Open A Database screen of File Express, rename the bad database, giving it a name of BADSPOT. 3. From DOS use the following command to make a new copy of the data: COPY C:BADSPOT.* C:MYDATA.* During the COPY process, if any message appears which prompts "Abort, Retry or Ignore or Fail", press <R> to retry. If the message recurs, press <R> again. If the message recurs a third time, press for Ignore or <F> for Fail. This tells DOS to go ahead and copy the bad spot on disk as best it can. Now you have two copies of the database on your hard disk. The original one is called BADSPOT and is still in the same place on TROUBLESHOOTING 389 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- the disk. The new database is called MYDATA (or whatever name you gave it) and occupies a new place on disk. 4. Start File Express and open the new file. Select Find Records, specify ALL, and examine each record in each file to ensure that the data is intact and that no information has been lost. If you had to reply gnore or <F>ail to the message in the previous step, there will definitely be some bad data on at least one record. 5. As a follow-up, have your disk drive serviced and make frequent backups of your data. Back up data from other programs as well, not just your databases. They are all vulnerable to disk drive problems. Save all the backup diskettes. If your disk drives are malfunctioning, they can create bad backups occasionally too, in which case you need to rely on the next-most-current backup. A user who was experiencing disk errors once asked us how we could be so sure that the problem was media or hardware and was not something our program had done to damage the diskette. We have many reasons to be self-assured on this point: (1) hundreds of thousands of people use File Express every day without any problems. (2) the few people who contact us with disk error messages typically discover hardware problems when their equipment is serviced. (3) our programs do not write data to disk -- DOS writes data to disk. We simply issue high-level Write commands and let Microsoft's C and DOS do the rest. It is virtually impossible for a program error in File Express to cause a disk media error. The guy who sold you the disk drive might try to tell you otherwise. If so, let him read this chapter. One more point on media errors: we know from personal experience that it is frustrating when data is lost. But if you call us for help, we can tell you nothing more than this section has already explained. When a problem occurs with hardware which destroys data, there is little we, or any other vendor can do. It is possible that a good technical person can recover some of your data from a damaged disk. Formula Error Or Bad Result Problem: A formula on a report or record is not working properly, or can't be entered. Sometimes a message is displayed giving some indication of the problem. If there is no message, or if the message doesn't help, check each of the items in this list: 390 TROUBLESHOOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Verify the spelling of any field names in the formula. They must be spelled completely, and exactly as they appear on the record. Try the formula using the field number with an F, such as F5, instead of the field name. 2. Verify the spelling of function names and keywords, referring to the manual for correct spelling. A space is not permitted between a function name and its left parenthesis. 3. Try enclosing constant text in the formula within quotation marks. Sometimes constant text is the same as a valid keyword or operator, so the formula routine doesn't know it is meant to be text. Quotation marks explicitly identify it as constant text. 4. If the formula contains multiple comparisons, try a shorter version of it with just one or two comparisons to try to isolate the problem area. 5. If the formula contains two or more AND, OR or NOT operators, the problem may be that your logic is not mathematically sound or that parentheses are needed to provide proper precedence. 6. If the formula is returning the word ERROR instead of a number, it contains a mathematical calculation which is unacceptable. For example, it may be dividing by zero, which is not mathematically possible. Or the result may be a huge number which is larger than the fourteen digits File Express can accommodate. 7. Be sure the data used in a function meets the requirements of the function. If the operand is supposed to be an eight character date, are the month, day and year valid two-digit numbers? If the operand is supposed to be a number, is it? Most formulas can be written more than one way. If it doesn't work, and the comments above don't help, try a variant of it or a smaller version of it using a slightly different syntax. If you can't make it work, see the section titled Reporting Problems To Expressware. REPORTING PROBLEMS 391 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporting Problems To Expressware As you may know, Expressware provides technical support by telephone and in writing to registered users. Unlike many other software companies, there is no extra charge for this service. But like many other software companies, our phones are always busy. At least half the technical calls we receive can be answered by reading the manual. So please help us to keep our costs down and keep our phone lines open: look it up first in the manual. Our tech support number is 206-788-0932. If your problem is not urgent, write to us instead of calling. The problem often can't be resolved over the phone anyway, since it usually requires that we have a copy of your database or report spec to recreate the problem on our computer. Send your problem reports to: Expressware Corporation Technical Support Dept. P.O. Box 1800 Duvall, WA 98019 206-788-0932 Include a diskette with a copy of your database and related reports and labels. Include an explanation of the problem, describing how to make it recur. Also include any reports or screen dumps which may be useful in researching the problem. Most importantly, tell us which version of File Express you are using and the date of the files. You can quickly find this information while in File Express by pressing <Ctrl-V> to display the Version/Status Screen. The version number and date are displayed on the first line. If you find it necessary to call for technical support, please have all the information available. If possible, call from a phone near your computer, in case you need to run File Express to troubleshoot or explain the problem. 392 DISCLAIMER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer Expressware makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. File Express is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Expressware shall have no liability or responsibility to you or any other person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused by File Express including, but not limited to, any loss of profits, interruption of service, loss of business or consequential damages resulting from the use of such programs. When starting the use of new software it is a good practice to test the programs with sample data, and to run the programs in parallel with any previous system for a period of time sufficient to ensure satisfactory results. File Express is a trademark owned by Expressware Corporation. GLOSSARY 393 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix A: Glossary of Terms Ascending sort: The process of placing information into alphabetical or numerical order. ASCII: An industry standard for representing characters in computers. Backup: The process of copying databases and other files which contain important information. Boot: The process of starting your computer and getting it ready to accept commands. Calculated field: A field that is filled in automatically by File Express as a result of calculations between other fields in the database file (also called a Formula field). Character: Usually a letter, numeric digit or space. A character can also be a special symbol such as &, a foreign character symbol, a graphic symbol or a math symbol. See the Advanced Features chapter for a chart. Cloning: Creating a new database that is made up of information taken from an existing file. In the process you may change the length of any field, add new fields, delete fields, and rearrange the fields. Database: A group of records that are related to each other, such as an inventory list or mailing list, which has been entered into the computer so it can be updated, printed, sorted and inquired from. Sometimes called a file. Descending Sort: The process of placing information into reverse alphabetical order or in numeric order from highest to lowest. Default: The answer that is assumed by the program if you don't provide an answer. Default Disk Drive: The disk drive used by the computer if not told to use a specific drive. DIF file format: A standard for data interchange between different programs. DOS: The disk operating system that manages the basic operation of the computer and runs programs. DOS Prompt: The "A>" or "C>" prompt that indicates the computer is ready to accept commands or program names. 394 GLOSSARY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit: To change previously entered information. Sometimes called Updating or Changing. Embedded Text: A string of characters surrounded by a longer string of characters; i.e. "eat" is embedded in "Seattle". Export: To copy a File Express database into a form usable by another program, such as a spreadsheet or a mail-merge program. Field: A piece of information consisting of a string of characters, such as a last name or city or dollar amount. Filename: A string of up to eight characters plus a three character extension used by the computer to identify a file on a disk. Format: A template or pattern into which information is placed. Format a disk: To prepare a diskette to store information, and erase its contents in the process. FORMAT is a DOS command. Formula field: A field that is filled in automatically by File Express as a result of calculations between other fields in the database file. Import: To read information from a file and place it into a File Express database. Index: A separate file used to speed up searching and make it possible to present information in sorted order. Label Format: The placement pattern of fields on a mailing label. Mail-merge file: A file that is used by a word processor while printing automatically generated form letters. The file usually contains names and addresses. Mixed case: A combination of upper and lower case alphabetic characters. RAM disk: A portion of the computer memory that has been set up to look like a disk drive to the computer operating system. The access to this type of "disk" is very fast. It is also subject to immediate erasure if the electricity goes off. See VDISK in your DOS manual for more information. Record: A group of related fields that are placed in a database as an entity. For example, a record might contain a Name, Address, City, State, Zip code, Telephone number and a Comment field. GLOSSARY 395 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Record format: The collective fields that make up each record of a database. The record format must be specified before adding information to a database. Record Number: When File Express saves any record into a database it assigns a unique record number that corresponds to the location within the file that the record was placed. Report Format: The pattern to be used for the placement of fields and formulas when printing a report. Syntax: The arrangement of field names, functions, keywords, etc. in a formula or comparison. 396 GLOSSARY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty ASCII CHART 397 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix B: ASCII Chart 398 ASCII CHART ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty KEYWORDS 399 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix C: Keywords Text Numeric Date True/False ---- -------- ---- ---------- Comparitors AFTER X BEFORE X Comparitors X X CONTAINS X EXACTLY X SOUNDS LIKE (SL) X Functions AGE X ASC X .AVERAGE X CENTER X CHR X .COUNT X DAYABBV X DAY X DAYNAME X DBDRIVE X DBNAME X DBPATH X FIRSTLINE X FORMATDATE X FUTUREDATE X GRAPH X INSTR X LEFT X LENGTH (LEN) X LINE X LJUST X LOOKUP X X LOWER (LCASE) X LTRIM X .MAX X MID X MILTIME X .MIN X MONTH X MONTHNAME X MONTHABBV X 400 KEYWORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Text Numeric Date True/False ---- -------- ---- --------------- Functions (cont') .NBCOUNT X .NBSUBCOUNT X PAGE X .PREV X X PROPER X RANDOM X RECORD NUMBER (F0) X REPEAT X REPLACE X RIGHT X RJUST X ROUND X RTRIM X SPACE X SPELLOUT X .SUBAVERAGE X .SUBCOUNT X .SUBMAX X .SUBMIN X .SUBTOTAL X SUM X TIMEDIF X TIME X TODAY X .TOTAL X TRIM X UPPER (UCASE) X VALUE (VAL) X YEAR X Operators & (Concatenate) X + (Plus) X X - (Minus) X * (Multiply) X / (Divide) X ^ (Power of) X % (Percentage) X \ (Mod or Remainder) X : (THROUGH) X KEYWORDS 401 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Text Numeric Date True/False ---- ------- ---- --------------- Logical Operators AND X X OR X X Statements ADD ONLY BLANKLINE CENTERED COMMAS DOLLAR SIGN ($) LEFT JUSTIFIED (LJ) MONEY SIGN ($, , ) NEWPAGE NO COMMAS NOLINEFEED NOPRINT NO ZEROS OR PARENTHESIS (PARENS) RIGHT JUSTIFIED (RJ) ZEROS 402 KEYWORDS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty FILE FORMATS 403 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix D: File Formats A database is stored on disk in several different files. Only two of these files are easily accessible to a user and are described below. Header: The Header file (database.HDR) holds the basic format of the database. It contains the number of fields, their names, lengths, types, and formulas. Below is an example of a simple header file. Each line has a description to the right. line 1 5Sample database Version number, description line 2 FILE EXPRESS 5.0 Major version number line 3 3 Number of fields in the database line 4 Lab Fee Name of the first field line 5 10,5,2 field length, type, decimals line 6 formula string (if any) line 7 future use line 8 future use line 9 Sales Tax repeat of previous five lines line 10 10,5,2 for each remaining field. line 11 Lab Fee * .05 line 12 line 13 line 14 Balance Due line 15 10,5,2 line 16 Lab Fee + Sales Tax line 17 line 18 404 FILE FORMATS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The name of a field can be up to twelve characters long. Field types are as follows: 1 = Character field 2 = Text formula field 3 = Date field 4 = User defined field 5 = Numeric field 6 = Numeric formula field Data File: The Data file (database.DTA) contains all the data records in the database. The records are stored in fixed length format, also known as a Random Access file, with an extra character at the end of each record that is used to indicate tagged and deleted records. Compute the record length by adding up all the field lengths and adding one for the extra character. David Berdan Duvall WA 98019*Ken McGinnis Duvall WA 98019*Bill Gates Redmond WA 98052*Tom Rice Seattle WA 98124* The asterisk (*) represents the extra character at the end of each record. Other files: Following are short descriptions of the other files that File Express creates. Index Files: There is an index header (database.IXH) containing information about all the index files (up to 5) having been created for a given database. Each individual index file (database.IX0 - database.IX6) contains the order of that particular index sequence. Painted Screens: The Views of a database (up to 10) are stored in database.S0 through database.S9. The current active View is stored in the database.SCR file. Macro Key Files: Macro key sequences are stored in a database.KEY file. Label Format Files: Label formats are stored in database.L0 through database.L99. Report Format Files: Report formats are stored in database.R0 through database.R99. Letter Format Files: Report formats are stored in database.D0 through database.D99. DATE FORMATS 405 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix E: Date Formats The following date formats are available in the FORMATDATE function. Format # Style Example -------- ---------------- ------------------------- 1 yymmdd 891225 2 yyyymmdd 19891225 3 yy-mm-dd 89-12-25 4 mm-dd-yy 12-25-89 5 mm-dd-yyyy 12-25-1989 6 dd-mm-yy 25-12-89 7 dd-mm-yyyy 25-12-1989 8 ddmmyy 251289 9 yy/mm/dd 89/12/25 10 mm/dd/yy 12/25/89 11 mm/dd/yyyy 12/25/1989 12 dd/mm/yy 25/12/89 13 dd/mm/yyyy 25/12/1989 14 mm..m dd, yy December 25, 89 15 mm..m dd, yyyy December 25, 1989 16 mmm dd, yyyy Dec 25, 1989 17 mmm dd, yy Dec 25, 89 18 dd mm..m yy 25 December 89 19 dd mm..m yyyy 25 December 1989 20 dd mmm yy 25 Dec 89 21 dd mmm yyyy 25 Dec 1989 22-42 - precede above formats with day of the week Example: 42 = Monday 25 Dec 1989 43-63 - precede formats with day of the week abbrev. Example: 63 = Mon. 25 Dec 1989 406 DATE FORMATS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Format # Style Example -------- ---------------- ------------------------------ 64 yymm 8912 65 yy-mm 89-12 66 yy/mm 89/12 67 yy/mm..m 89/December 68 yy-mm..m 89-December 69 yy mm..m 89 December 70 yyyymm 198912 71 yyyy/mm 1989/12 72 yyyy-mm 1989-12 73 yyyy mm..m 1989 December 74 yyyy/mm..m 1989/December 75 yyyy-mm..m 1989-December 76 mmyy 1289 77 mm/yy 12/89 78 mm-yy 12-89 79 mmyyyy 121989 80 mm/yyyy 12/1989 81 mm-yyyy 12-1989 82 mmm yy Dec 89 83 mmm/yy Dec/89 84 mmm-yy Dec-89 85 mmm yyyy Dec 1989 86 mmm/yyyy Dec/1989 87 mmm-yyyy Dec-1989 88 mm..m yy December 89 89 mm..m/yy December/89 90 mm..m-yy December-89 91 mm..m yyyy December 1989 92 mm..m/yyyy December/1989 93 mm..m-yyyy December-1989 SOUNDEX 407 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix F: Sounds Like Routine (Soundex) The Sounds Like search routine in File Express looks for words that sound alike. By assigning words that sound similar the same code, the routine can compare alternate spellings of a word and detect spelling errors. Each pair of words to be compared is converted to upper case and then assigned a code according to the table below. If the codes are the same, the words sound alike. (Although some hilarious matches sometimes show up). The Soundex routine divides the alphabet into seven groups: Group 1: AEIOUHWY Group 2: BFPV Group 3: CGJKQSXZ Group 4: DT Group 5: L Group 6: MN Group 7: R Group 1 contains vowels and consonants that are sometimes used as vowels. The other six groups contain letters that sound alike. Because vowels sound differently in combination with other letters, the Soundex routine ignores Group 1. Because the user is likely to begin a word with the correct letter, the routine copies it to the output. Double letters are treated as one. The Soundex routine only works with letters. As an example, the words Grapple, Gravel, Grappelli, and Grapall would all receive the code G725. The Soundex routine does not work in every case. The word "tough" doesn't receive the same code as "tuff". In most cases, however, the routine provides a simple way to compare words that sound alike but are spelled differently. 408 SOUNDEX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- empty PRINTER DEFINITION FILES 409 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix G: Printer Definition Files The following printer support files are provided with File Express: File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ALPS-1.PDF ALPS 200/300 Epson/IBM ALPS-2.PDF ALPS P2000G/2100 ALPS-3.PDF ALPS Allegro 24 BROTH-1.PDF BROTHER M-1724 Diablo Mode BROTH-2.PDF BROTHER M-1724 Epson LQ Mode BROTH-3.PDF BROTHER Twinriter 5 DP Mode BROTH-4.PDF BROTHER M-1709 Mode II BROTH-5.PDF BROTHER M-1724 IBM Proprinter BROTH-6.PDF BROTHER Twinriter 5 WP Mode BROTH-7.PDF BROTHER M-1709 Mode I BROTH-8.PDF BROTHER M-1109 Mode II BROTH-9.PDF BROTHER M-1109 Epson Mode BROTH-10.PDF BROTHER M-1509 Mode I BROTH-11.PDF BROTHER M-1509 Mode II BUSI-1.PDF BUSINESSLAND 24LQ Diablo Mode BUSI-2.PDF BUSINESSLAND 45LQ Qume Mode CANON-1.PDF CANON C-715F CANON-2.PDF CANON AP-550 CANON-3.PDF CANON A-50 IBM Graphics CANON-4.PDF CANON AP-76 Interface CANON-5.PDF CANON A-40 CANON-6.PDF CANON A-60 CANON-7.PDF CANON AP-400/92 CANON-8.PDF CANON A-50 Epson Mode CANON-9.PDF CANON LBP-8 Series Mode CANON-10.PDF CANON BJ-130 CANON-11.PDF CANON BJ-80 CENTR-1.PDF CENTRONICS 351 CENTR-2.PDF CENTRONICS 737/739 CENTR-3.PDF CENTRONICS 353 CITIZ-1.PDF CITIZEN MSP-40/45/50/55 IBM Mode CITIZ-2.PDF CITIZEN MSP-50/55 Epson EX CITIZ-3.PDF CITIZEN MSP-40/45 Epson FX CITIZ-4.PDF CITIZEN MSP-10/15/20/25 CITIZ-5.PDF CITIZEN Premiere 35 Diablo Mode 410 PRINTER DEFINITION FILES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CITIZ-6.PDF CITIZEN Premiere 35 NEC Mode CITIZ-7.PDF CITIZEN Tribute 224 Standard Mode CITIZ-8.PDF CITIZEN Tribute 124 Standard Mode CITIZ-9.PDF CITIZEN Tribute 124 Diablo Mode CITIZ-10.PDF CITIZEN Premiere 35 Qume Mode CITIZ-11.PDF CITIZEN 180-D IBM Mode CITIZ-12.PDF CITIZEN 224 Diablo Mode CITIZ-13.PDF CITIZEN Epson Mode CITIZ-14.PDF CITIZEN IBM Mode CITIZ-15.PDF CITIZEN Epson Mode DSYWR-1.PDF DAISYWRITER 1500/2000 DATAS-1.PDF DATASOUTH DATAS-2.PDF DATASOUTH 220 DATAS-3.PDF DATASOUTH 120 DIABL-1.PDF DIABLO 630 DIABL-2.PDF DIABLO 1610/1620 DICON-1.PDF DICONIX 150 Epson Mode DICON-2.PDF DICONIX 150 IBM Mode DIGIT-1.PDF DIGITAL LA-50 DIGIT-2.PDF DIGITAL Letterprinter 210 DIGIT-3.PDF DIGITAL LQP-02/03 DIGIT-4.PDF DIGITAL LA-120 DIGIT-5.PDF DIGITAL LA-75 EPSON-1.PDF EPSON FX-850/1050 Epson Mode EPSON-2.PDF EPSON FX-850/1050 IBM Mode EPSON-3.PDF EPSON JX-80 EPSON-4.PDF EPSON FX-286 IBM Pro Mode EPSON-5.PDF EPSON FX-286 Epson Mode EPSON-6.PDF EPSON FX-86e/286e Epson Mode EPSON-7.PDF EPSON FX-86e/286e IBM Pro XL EPSON-8.PDF EPSON L-750/L-1000 EPSON-9.PDF EPSON LX-80 EPSON-10.PDF EPSON RX-Series EPSON-11.PDF EPSON FX-85/185 IBM Mode EPSON-12.PDF EPSON MX EPSON-13.PDF EPSON LQ-Series EPSON-14.PDF EPSON LX-86 EPSON-15.PDF EPSON LX-800/LX-810 EPSON-16.PDF EPSON T-750 EPSON-17.PDF EPSON DX-10/DX-20 EPSON-18.PDF EPSON EX-800 Epson Mode PRINTER DEFINITION FILES 411 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EPSON-19.PDF EPSON DFX-5000 EPSON-20.PDF EPSON EX-800 IBM Pro EPSON-21.PDF EPSON FX-85/185 Epson Mode EPSON-22.PDF EPSON EX-1000 Epson Mode EPSON-23.PDF EPSON FX-80/100 EPSON-24.PDF EPSON EX-1000 IBM Pro Mode FUJIT-1.PDF FUJITSU DPL24 FUJIT-2.PDF FUJITSU DX Series Epson Mode FUJIT-3.PDF FUJITSU DX Series IBM Pro Mode FUJIT-4.PDF FUJITSU DL Series Native FUJIT-5.PDF FUJITSU DPL24 GENIC-1.PDF GENICOM 3014-II/3024-II/3210 84/2 GENIC-2.PDF GENICOM 3184 GENIC-3.PDF GENICOM 3410 GENIC-4.PDF GENICOM 3014-II/3024-II IBM Mode GENIC-5.PDF GENICOM 3310/3320 ANSI X3 GENIC-6.PDF GENICOM 3310/3320 IBM Mode GENIC-7.PDF GENICOM 310/3320 Diablo 630 Mode HP-1.PDF HEWLETT-PACKARD LasrJet/LaserJet Plus HP-2.PDF HEWLETT-PACKARD DeskJet/DeskJetPlus HP-3.PDF HEWLETT-PACKARD LaserJet Series II IBM-1.PDF IBM Proprinter IBM-2.PDF IBM Proprinter XL IBM-3.PDF IBM Quietwriter IBM-4.PDF IBM Graphics IBM-5.PDF IBM Proprinter II IDS-1.PDF IDS Prism 80 ITOH-1.PDF ITOH C-310/15 XP IBM Mode ITOH-2.PDF ITOH 24-LQ 24 LQ Mode ITOH-3.PDF ITOH 8510 Prowriter ITOH-4.PDF ITOH 24-LQ F10 Mode ITOH-5.PDF ITOH F10-40/55 Starwriter ITOH-6.PDF ITOH C-310/15 XP Epson Mode ITOH-7.PDF ITOH A10-20P JDL-1.PDF JDL 850 EWS Standard Mode JDL-2.PDF JDL 850 EWS IBM Mode JDL-3.PDF JDL 850 EWS Epson Mode JUKI-1.PDF JUKI 6000/6100/6300 MANNE-1.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 440 MANNE-2.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 1612 MANNE-3.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY Spirit 80 412 PRINTER DEFINITION FILES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MANNE-4.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 160 180 MANNE-5.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 85/86 Epson Mode MANNE-6.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 87/88 IBM Mode MANNE-7.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 85/86 IBM Mode MANNE-8.PDF MANNESMANN-TLY 87/88 Epson Mode NEC-1.PDF NEC 5530 7730 NEC-2.PDF NEC 8023A NEC-3.PDF NEC 8027A NEC-4.PDF NEC 8835 NEC-5.PDF NEC 5515 5525 NEC-6.PDF NEC 8025A NEC-7.PDF NEC 2050 3550 NEC-8.PDF NEC 2010 3510-20 NEC-9.PDF NEC Elf 350 NEC-10.PDF NEC 2015 3515-25 NEC-11.PDF NEC 2030 3530 NEC-12.PDF NEC 3500R NEC-13.PDF NEC 5510 5520 NEC-14.PDF NEC Elf 360 NEC-15.PDF NEC P960 Epson Mode NEC-16.PDF NEC P965 Diablo Mode NEC-17.PDF NEC P2200 NEC-18.PD NEC P5200/P5300 NEC-19.PDF NEC P565 P665 NEC-20.PDF NEC PC-PR103A/PC-PR105A NEC-21.PDF NEC P560 P660 NEC-22.PDF NEC P2/P3 6302 6307 Mods NEC-23.PDF NEC P2/P3 6303 6306 Mods NEC-24.PDF NEC P530 P535 OKIDA-0.PDF OKIDATA OKIDA-1.PDF OKIDATA 393 OKIDA-2.PDF OKIDATA 390/391 Epson LQ Mode OKIDA-3.PDF OKIDATA 393C OKIDA-4.PDF OKIDATA 390/391 IBM Proprinter OKIDA-5.PDF OKIDATA Pacemark 2410 Standard OKIDA-6.PDF OKIDATA 320/321 Standard OKIDA-7.PDF OKIDATA w/OK-writer ROM OKIDA-8.PDF OKIDATA Pacemark 2410 IBM Compatible OKIDA-9.PDF OKIDATA Pacemark 2350 OKIDA-10.PDF OKIDATA Okimate 20 OKIDA-11.PDF OKIDATA 320/321 IBM Compatible PRINTER DEFINITION FILES 413 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OKIDA-12.PDF OKIDATA 92/93 Standard Mode OKIDA-13.PDF OKIDATA 84 Standard Mode OKIDA-14.PDF OKIDATA 82A/83A OKIDA-15.PDF OKIDATA 292/293 IBM Compatible OKIDA-16.PDF OKIDATA 92/93 IBM Compatible OKIDA-17.PDF OKIDATA 84 IBM Compatible OKIDA-18.PDF OKIDATA 182 Standard Mode OKIDA-19.PDF OKIDATA 292/293 Standard Mode OKIDA-20.PDF OKIDATA 192/193 IBM Compatible OKIDA-21.PDF OKIDATA 192/193 Standard Mode PANAS-1.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1524 Epson LQ Mode PANAS-2.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1524 IBM Mode PANAS-3.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1524 Diablo Mode PANAS-4.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1191 Standard Mode PANAS-5.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1592 Standard Mode PANAS-6.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1180 IBM Pro Mode PANAS-7.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1191 IBM Mode PANAS-8.PDF PANASONIC KX-P3151 PANAS-9.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1092 Standard Mode PANAS-10.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1180 Standard Mode PANAS-11.PDF PANASONIC KX-P3131 PANAS-12.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1595 IBM Mode PANAS-13.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1595 Diablo 630 Mode PANAS-14.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1595 Standard Mode PANAS-15.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1592 IBM Mode PANAS-16.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1091i Standard Mode PANAS-17.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1091 PANAS-18.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1080 PANAS-19.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1090 PANAS-20.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1080i IBM Mode PANAS-21.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1080i Standard Mode PANAS-22.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1091i IBM Pro Mode PANAS-23.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1092 IBM Mode PANAS-24.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1093 IBM Mode PANAS-25.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1124 Epson LQ Mode PANAS-26.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1093 Standard Mode PANAS-27.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1092i IBM Pro Mode PANAS-28.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1092i Standard Mode PANAS-29.PDF PANASONIC KX-P1124 IBM Pro Mode QUME-1.PDF QUME Sprint QUME-2.PDF QUME Letterpro 20 414 PRINTER DEFINITION FILES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RS-1.PDF RADIO SHACK RS-2.PDF RADIO SHACK RS-3.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-220 RS-4.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-230 IBM Mode RS-5.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-210 RS-6.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-2200 Tandy Mode RS-7.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-2200 IBM Mode RS-8.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-230 Tandy Mode RS-9.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-2100P/2110 RS-10.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-1120 RS-11.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-520 Tandy Mode RS-12.PDF RADIO SHACK DWP-520 IBM Mode RS-13.PDF RADIO SHACK Line Printer VIII RS-14.PDF RADIO SHACK Lineprinter V RS-15.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-120 RS-16.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-106 Tandy Mode RS-17.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-110 RS-18.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-106 IBM Mode RS-19.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-105 RS-20.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-2100/2120 RS-21.PDF RADIO SHACK Daisy Printer II RS-22.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-200 RS-23.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-2100/2120 IBM Mode RS-24.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-500 RS-25.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-430/440 Tandy Mode RS-26.PDF RADIO SHACK DMP-430/440 IBM Mode SEIKO-1.PDF SEIKOSHA SL-80AI Standard Mode SEIKO-2.PDF SEIKOSHA SP-1000 SEIKO-3.PDF SEIKOSHA SL-80AI IBM Mode SEIKO-4.PDF SEIKOSHA GP-7000 SILVE-1.PDF SILVER REED EXP 770 SILVE-2.PDF SILVER REED EXP 400 SILVE-3.PDF SILVER REED EXP 500/550 SMITH-1.PDF SMITH CORONA D-200/D-300 STAR-1.PDF STAR MICRONICS STAR-2.PDF STAR MICRONICS SB-10 STAR-3.PDF STAR MICRONICS SD-10/15 IBM Mode STAR-4.PDF STAR MICRONICS NX-2400 Standard Mode STAR-5.PDF STAR MICRONICS NX-2400 IBM Mode STAR-6.PDF STAR MICRONICS SG-10/15 Star Mode STAR-7.PDF STAR MICRONICS NX-1000 Standard Mode PRINTER DEFINITION FILES 415 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File Name Make Model Mode ---------------------------------------------------------------------- STAR-8.PDF STAR MICRONICS SR-10/15 Star Mode STAR-9.PDF STAR MICRONICS SR-10/15 IBM Mode STAR-10.PDF STAR MICRONICS SG-10/15 IBM Mode STAR-11.PDF STAR MICRONICS SD-10/15 Star Mode STAR-12.PDF STAR MICRONICS NX-10 STAR-13.PDF STAR MICRONICS LV-1210/1215 STAR-14.PDF STAR MICRONICS Gemini 10X PC STAR-15.PDF STAR MICRONICS Gemini 10X STAR-16.PDF STAR MICRONICS NX-1000 IBM Mode STAR-17.PDF STAR MICRONICS LV-1615 STAR-18.PDF STAR MICRONICS Delta Radix STAR-19.PDF STAR MICRONICS NP-10 STAR-20.PDF STAR MICRONICS NB 24-10/15 Standard Mode STAR-21.PDF STAR MICRONICS NB 24-10/15 IBM Mode STAR-22.PDF STAR MICRONICS NB-15 TI-1.PDF TEXAS INSTRU 855 TOSHI-1.PDF TOSHIBA P351SX IBM Pro Mode TOSHI-2.PDF TOSHIBA P351SX Diablo Mode TOSHI-3.PDF TOSHIBA P351SX Qume Mode TOSHI-4.PDF TOSHIBA P351SX Epson JX-80 TOSHI-5.PDF TOSHIBA P1350/P1351 TOSHI-6.PDF TOSHIBA P351/P351C Qume Mode TOSHI-7.PDF TOSHIBA TH-2100H TOSHI-8.PDF TOSHIBA P1340 TOSHI-9.PDF TOSHIBA 321 IBM Pro Mode TOSHI-10.PDF TOSHIBA 321 Qume Mode TOSHI-11.PDF TOSHIBA 321 Epson JX-80 Mode TOSHI-12.PDF TOSHIBA 321SL IBM Pro Mode TOSHI-13.PDF TOSHIBA 321SL Toshiba Mode TOSHI-14.PDF TOSHIBA 341e TOSHI-15.PDF TOSHIBA 341 TOSHI-16.PDF TOSHIBA P351/P351C IBM Mode TOSHI-17.PDF TOSHIBA 321 Diablo Mode