The Business Master (3rd Edition)

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Text File | 1987-08-18 | 17.8 KB | 370 lines

This is the SEEKREAD.ME file for the SeekEasy program and its associated utilities, revised August 14, 1987. To obtain a hardcopy of this document from your printer, turn on your printer, then at the DOS ">" prompt type COPY SEEKREAD.ME PRN and press Enter. To read this from your screen, type the DOS command TYPE SEEKREAD.ME and then press Enter. To stop/start the scrolling, use control-S/control-Q. Major items in this document: ---------------------------- - What is SeekEasy (overview). - Discussion of files on the full-package disk. - Brief manual for SeekEasy. - Miscellaneous. - How to convert SeekEasy data files to/from ASCII. - Discussion of the user-supported software concept. - Why to register - what's in it for you. - How to register. - Reviewer comments. What is SeekEasy? ---------------- SeekEasy is a VERY easy-to-use, "flexible match" information-retrieval program. It lets you search a file for a character string, and returns the "best matches" it finds to your request, listed in the order of match quality. It does this even if the item found is not exactly what you requested, has words in it that were not in your request, doesn't use words spelled exactly the same way, etc. With SeekEasy, "Close Is Good Enough!" An example: Assume a file of quotations contained the quote: "Muddy water, let stand, will clear." If you asked SeekEasy to look for "wattter isclearungg if muddie" or "all muddy water clears eventually" or ... etc., SeekEasy will still find it! SeekEasy lets you find items when you only "pretty much" remember how you filed them - or aren't even sure WHAT is in the database, but want to see everything on a particular topic. Typical applications: - Indexing photographs by their descriptions. - Finding information filed and indexed by someone else. With SeekEasy, you don't have to "think like the person who filed it" to be able to find information later. - Storing miscellaneous facts all in a heap, for later recall by topic as needed. - Storing Table Of Contents entries from magazines, so even YEARS later you can find all articles on a given topic! How many times have you wished for THIS ability? - Etc. SeekEasy will store items into files of its own unique data format, and it will search its own data files or virtually any other file, even .COM and .EXE files if you wish. For files in SeekEasy data format, SeekEasy supports editing, deleting, etc. of the data. For non-SeekEasy formats only searching is allowed. For more information, see the "Brief Manual on SeekEasy" section a bit farther on in this document. Files on the full-package user's disk: ------------------------------------- SEEKREAD.ME - This document. SEEKEASY.EXE - This is the SeekEasy program itself. This is all that is absolutely required to run SeekEasy. SEEKEASY.DAT - This is a demonstration SeekEasy data file containing a number of amusing and/or interesting quotations. SeekEasy defaults to this data file name unless a different name is specified. PC-SIG.DAT - This contains a short-form index of the PC-SIG library of public-domain and user-supported software, in SeekEasy format. SEEK2ASC.COM - This is a conversion program that converts SeekEasy data files into standard ASCII format that can be read by most other programs and word processors. ASC2SEEK.COM - This is a conversion program that does the reverse of the above - it takes ASCII input (or WordStar, or many word-processor formats) and converts it into a SeekEasy-format data file. Brief manual on SeekEasy: ------------------------ This will give you enough information to use SeekEasy and see how you like it. Registered users receive a printed manual that is larger. Before you use SeekEasy, you should make backup copies of the SeekEasy program itself and all the data files you wish to preserve. The standard DOS "COPY" command works fine for this. To run SeekEasy, at the DOS ">" prompt just type "SEEKEASY". This will start SeekEasy with its default settings, and using the default data file name "SEEKEASY.DAT". To obtain instructions on how to use SeekEasy on any datafile name you wish, and to optionally begin searching the file for text without further input, at the DOS ">" prompt type "SEEKEASY ?" and instructions will be displayed. SeekEasy operations: SeekEasy operates on "items" that are a maximum of two screen lines long. They are limited to this length to avoid the "false matches" that could occur if whole screens' worth of text were compared to a search request. SeekEasy normally starts out ready to "Search" for something. The prompting message near the bottom of the screen will tell you how to select the "mode select" menu. This menu gives you the following choices of modes, all self- prompting as they are called up: - Search: This allows you to find information stored in the file. It "overlaps" or "duplicates" lines of text for NON-SeekEasy files. See the full manual for why this is a good and useful thing. - Store: This lets you add information to your current SeekEasy data file. It is available for SeekEasy-format files only. - List: This displays all file contents, one screen's worth of items at a time. - Pack: This "squeezes" SeekEasy-format files by eliminating items that have been marked as "deleted" by the program. - File Erase: This erases the current SeekEasy-format data file and creates a new, empty file of the same name. Items displayed on the screen may be edited or deleted during "Search" or "List" operations with SeekEasy-format data files. The screen prompting messages will tell you how. When in doubt, create a dummy file and experiment. The context-sensitive screen prompts should tell you all you need to know. Miscellaneous topics: -------------------- SeekEasy runs on PC-DOS or MS-DOS 2.0 or higher. SeekEasy requires 75K of available RAM to run. This is not a problem with most systems, unless they are filled up with memory-resident utilities. SeekEasy will work with data files up to 4 megabytes in size. Converting SeekEasy data files to/from ASCII format: --------------------------------------------------- Using SEEK2ASC: For some applications you may wish to convert the SeekEasy-format data file into standard ASCII that can be read by many word processors and other programs such as TYPE, SORT, etc. For example, you might want to alphabetize a SeekEasy database by using the standard DOS SORT program. To do this, you would have to convert your SeekEasy data file to ASCII, run the SORT program, then convert your file back to SeekEasy format. To convert a SeekEasy data file into an ASCII file, you must run SEEK2ASC.COM. To do this be sure SEEK2ASC.COM is in your current directory or in your current PATH list, and at the DOS ">" prompt type "SEEK2ASC" and press Enter. The program will prompt you for the name of the file to be converted, then the name of the destination file to put the converted information into. The input file will not be altered by the conversion process. The converted file will be approximately the same size as the original SeekEasy data file. Be sure to have enough free disk space to hold it. You can specify different disk drives and different path names for both the input file and the output file. Just include this information in the filenames when they are requested by the SEEK2ASC program. Using ASC2SEEK: This essentially does the "reverse" of SEEK2ASC - it converts an ASCII file into a SeekEasy-format file. You might need to use this program if you have an existing database or list of information - say a telephone book filled with names, phone numbers, and addresses - that you want to convert into a SeekEasy data file. After conversion to the SeekEasy data format, you can edit/delete items from within SeekEasy, and the display is clearer than for non-SeekEasy files. To convert a standard ASCII data file into a SeekEasy-format file, you must run ASC2SEEK.COM. To do this be sure ASC2SEEK.COM is in your current directory or in your current PATH list, and at the DOS ">" prompt type "ASC2SEEK" and press Enter. The program will prompt you for the name of the file to be converted, then the name of the destination file to put the converted information into. The input file will not be altered by the conversion process. The converted file will be approximately the same size as the original ASCII data file. Be sure to have enough free disk space to hold it. You can specify different disk drives and different path names for both the input file and the output file. Just include this information in the filenames when they are requested by the ASC2SEEK program. A cautionary note: ----------------- SeekEasy restricts "items" to two screen lines. The opening screen of the ASC2SEEK program will give more details. If the file is one that has been converted to ASCII from SEEKEASY and is now being converted back with only minor modifications, there will probably be no problem. If, however, the file has never been a SeekEasy file, longer items in the file will probably run afoul of the two-line limit. The conversion program will flag these problems as they occur, so they can be corrected by shortening items as required and re-running the conversion program. If this happens, error messages will be displayed on the screen during the conversion process. The ASC2SEEK program will accept various kinds of ASCII files. It accepts WordStar or other "high-bit set" files, and many others. It filters out control characters and other non-printing characters. Again, see the opening screen of the program for more details. If you have any doubts, try converting a file and see what happens. User-supported software - as applied to SeekEasy: ------------------------------------------------ SeekEasy is "User-supported software." This is software that may be freely copied, but for which the copyright and other intellectual property rights are retained by the owner. A user who finds the program useful after trying it is expected to "register" his copy and pay for it. User-supported software is different from Public Domain software in that the authors of Public Domain software distribute that software for non-commercial use by anyone, without expectation of payment by users. With user-supported software, the user can "try before he buys" - a much better situation than what exists for most software available today! If a user finds a user-supported software program useful, he is expected to pay a registration fee to the program's authors. There are a number of reasons for registering, beyond the simple fairness of "paying for what you get" - see the section below. WHY register? ------------ Why register? Lots of reasons: - Pulling your own weight. If in your opinion you obtain value from this product, you should pay for it. - Paying the authors enables them to improve SeekEasy and to develop new products. This is "free market feedback" in its purest form. - You receive benefits for registering: A) We send you a disk with the most current version of SeekEasy. B) We send you a printed manual with much more information than is in the short manual in this document. C) On the disk we send you are programs and data files you may not have gotten along with the SeekEasy program itself. Examples: SEEK2ASC; ASC2SEEK; a file of unusual quotes - SEEKEASY.DAT; and our version of the index for the PC-SIG library of Public Domain and user- supported software in PC-SIG.DAT. Others added as available. D) You receive the right to unlimited telephone support from us for all SeekEasy-related questions. We can't help you with general PC-DOS questions, but anything to do with SeekEasy's operation we will be happy to talk to you about. E) You will be notified by mail as upgrades to SeekEasy are available. HOW to register: --------------- To register, send $30, your name and address, and the disk format you would like (5-1/4" or 3-1/2") to: Correlation Systems 81 Rockinghorse Road Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274 (213) 833-3462 California users add sales tax to the $30 (sorry about that). Foreign users add $10.00 to cover our additional costs. Checks or VISA/MC O.K. - for VISA/MC, send card number, expiration date, the name on the card, and your signature. We will promptly send you your full SeekEasy package upon receipt of your registration. We normally turn around registrations in two working days. If you wish, you can make a copy of what follows (do a shift-PrtSc or however you wish to get it onto paper), fill it out, and send it to us: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SeekEasy Registration Form | | | | Send to: | | Correlation Systems | | 81 Rockinghorse Road | | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90274 | | | | Registered user's name: ________________________________________________ | | | | Number/street: ________________________________________________________ | | | | City/state/zip: _______________________________________________________ | | | | Payment method: _____ Check enclosed ______ VISA ______ M/Charge | | | | If VISA/MC, card #: ______________________________ Expiration: ________ | | | | Name on card (print): ______________________________________________ | | | | Signature: ______________________________________________ | | | | Desired disk format: ______ 3-1/2" ______ 5-1/4" | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reviewer comments: ----------------- IT DOESN'T CARE HOW DISORGANIZED I AM. NOR IS IT MUCH BOTHERED BY SLOPPY TYPING. ... IN FACT, YOU CAN THROW EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO ORGANIZE INTO THE SAME FILE - ADDRESSES, BIRTHDAYS, LIBRARIES, RECIPES - AND SORT OUT WHAT YOU WANT WHEN YOU NEED IT. - Richard O'Reilly - Los Angeles Times FOR THE RECORD, SEEKEASY IS THE ONLY SOFTWARE PROGRAM REVIEWED BY ME TO EVER OBTAIN A PERFECT GRADE IN EVERY CATEGORY. IT'S THE ONLY ONE I FELT THAT TRULY DESERVED IT! - The NEC 8000 newsletter TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER TRIED TO FIND A LINE OF INFORMATION IN A LARGE DATA FILE, AND FAILED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REMEMBER THE RIGHT KEY CODE (OR USED THE WRONG ONE), HERE IS THE ANSWER! - David H. Hudson - Computing For Business WHAT MAKES SEEKEASY SIMPLE TO USE IS PRIMARILY THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO FORMAT TO SET UP, NO FIELDS TO WORRY ABOUT, AND NO COMPLICATED 300-PLUS PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION TO STUDY. IT IS ALMOST TOO SIMPLE. JUST TYPE IN YOUR DATA AND SAVE THEM. THAT'S ALL. IF THAT SOUNDS EASY, YOU WILL FIND IT EVEN EASIER TO SEARCH AND RETRIEVE YOUR DATA, BECAUSE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SPELL CORRECTLY! THAT'S RIGHT. SEEKEASY WILL FIND ANYTHING WHICH IS EVEN CLOSE TO YOUR INQUIRY. - Doug Pencille - MicroTimes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- To obtain a hardcopy of this document from your printer, turn on your printer, then at the DOS ">" prompt type COPY SEEKREAD.ME PRN and press Enter. To read this from your screen, type the DOS command TYPE SEEKREAD.ME and then press Enter. To stop/start the scrolling, use control-S/control-Q. You may freely copy SeekEasy and its related files for others to use, as long as the program remains unaltered.