JCSM Shareware Collection 1996 September/JCSM Shareware Collection (JCS Distribution) (September 1996).ISO/orgpims_/video7.zip/ORGANIZE.EXE/OYC.DOC

Text File | 1995-09-13 | 147KB | 3,270 lines

                       ORGANIZE! YOUR COLLECTION

             A Complete Database For Organizing A Collection










                             PSG-HomeCraft
                             P.O. Box 974
                          Tualatin, OR  97062
 In the U.S. call 1-800-207-7735 to purchase a copy of this software

                    EMail: [e-mail]










This manual and accompanying software copyright 1991, 1992, 1993,
1994, 1995 by H.C.P. Services, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
Portions Copyright 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 Microsoft Corporation
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

          This software is distributed as shareware.  This means
you can try this software to find out whether it provides what
you need before you pay for it.  There are no limits in this
software nor is it crippled in any way.  It is true "try before
you buy" software.

          You may have obtained this software from a shareware
disk vendor, a bulletin board or a friend.  I hope you also feel
free to share copies of it with your friends and upload it to
your favorite bulletin board(s).  If you find you like this
software and you've been using it for more than 60 days, you must
purchase a registered copy.

 Registration Information

          This is a copyrighted software program protected by
both U.S. and international copyright law.  If you are using this
software for more than 60 days you must purchase a registered
copy in order to continue to use it.  The registration for a
single copy is $39.95 (plus $6.00 S&H - $10.00 outside North
America).  Please note that even though you may have purchased
this disk from a retail store or via mail order, you have not
purchased a registered copy.  What you've paid for this disk was
a fee that compensates the vendor for their costs, time and
effort in making this disk available.

          We accept company checks, personal checks, VISA and
Master Card. All amounts shown are in U.S. dollars.  All checks
in U.S. dollars must be drawn on a U.S. bank.  Users outside the
U.S.: We accept cheques in your local currency from users in
Canada, Mexico, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand,
Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, Japan
and Switzerland.  We will add other countries as our bank allows.

          You can register as a user via Compuserve using the ID
number listed on the first (cover) page.  Just send us an E-Mail
giving your name, address, credit card number, the disk size you
need and the name of the program.  For additional information
about registering, please see the order form (also included on
the disk as the ORDER.FRM file)

          When you register you will receive:

 []  The current version of this software which includes
additional utilities not found in the shareware version.
 []  A copy of the illustrated, printed and bound manual with
quick reference card.

 [] One year of free technical support via telephone, fax, mail,
or electronic mail.

 [] A free subscription to our newsletter which includes user
tips, help with using your computer, information about upgrades
and new cataloging systems.

 [] 20 additional cataloging formats including: stamps, coins,
music, books, video tapes, art, home inventory, sports card,
comic books, and more!

 [] Or you can get the Windows version for $59.95 (plus
s&h) registration price.  It uses the same data file format so
anything you've cataloged using this DOS version can be  directly
used by the Windows version.

 MULTIPLE COMPUTERS AND NETWORKS

          If you wish to use this software on a network or
simultaneously on more than one computer (eg. on a computer at
home and another computer at work or in the office of a charity),
you will need a site license.  Please contact PSG-HomeCraft for
additional information about site licenses.

 DISTRIBUTION OF THE SHAREWARE VERSION OF THIS SOFTWARE

          (Please see the VENDOR.DOC file).

          Please feel free to give away copies of the shareware
version of this software to friends, relatives, acquaintances or
even strangers.



          OUR GUARANTEE

          If you have any problems with this program or the disk
it is on, without regard to where you obtained it, you may send
it to H.C.P. Services, Inc. (HomeCraft Software) for a free
update to the current version.
SPECIALTY  DATABASE
U S E R   L I C E N S E   A G R E E M E N T

          NOTICE! - This manual and the enclosed software is
provided to you on the express condition that you agree to this
software license.  By using this software you agree to the
following provisions. <1> This manual, the enclosed software and
the disks on which it is contained are licensed to you, for your
own use only.  This is copyrighted software.  You are not
obtaining title to the software or any copyright rights.  You may
not sublicense, rent, lease, modify, translate, convert to
another programming language, decompile, or disassemble the
software for any purpose. <2> You may make as many copies of this
software as you need for backup purposes and copies may be given
away provided no fee is charged.  Private individuals may use
this software on more than one computer, provided there is no
chance it will be used simultaneously on more than one computer.
This software may not be used on more than one computer, nor
installed on more than one hard disk, nor installed on a network
when used by a business, corporation, government agency or
department, or institution of any kind.  If you need to install
this software on more than one computer or on a network, please
contact us for information about a site license.

          WARRANTY - HCP SERVICES INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES
RELATING TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE
EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED.  NEITHER HCP SERVICES,
INC. NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION,
PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE
USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE EVEN IF HCP SERVICES, INC.
HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.
IN NO EVENT SHALL HCP SERVICES, INC.'s LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES
EVER EXCEED THE PRICE PAID FOR THE LICENSE TO USE THE SOFTWARE,
REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF CLAIM.  THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE
BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.
Some states do not allow the exclusion of the limit of liability
for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation
may not apply to you.

          This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Oregon and shall inure to the benefit of HCP Services,
Inc. and any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns.  Any
action or proceeding brought by either party against the other
arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only
in a STATE or FEDERAL COURT of competent jurisdiction located in
Multnomah County, Oregon.  The parties hereby consent to in
personam jurisdiction of said courts."





          Information in this manual is subject to change without
notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of H.C.P.
Services, Inc. or HomeCraft Software.  This manual and
accompanying software is copyrighted and protected under both
Federal Law and the Berne Convention (international law).



          This manual is copyright 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
by H.C.P. Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved



IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines
Microsoft and MS-DOS are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
dBase III is a trademark of Ashton-Tate
Organize! and Organize! Your... are trademarks of H.C.P.
Services, Inc.



Part number: 002-351G






PSG-HomeCraft Software
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
[phone] - Voice
[phone] (FAX)
      TABLE OF CONTENTS



     SECTION ONE - INTRODUCTION              1
           Using This Manual                 2
           Technical Support                 3


     SECTION TWO - INSTALLATION              4

     SECTION THREE - QUICK START             6
           Starting The Software             6
           Using The Menus                   7
           Make A New Entry                  8

           Editing                           10
           Searching And Printed Reports     11
           Printed Reports                   15
           Utilities                         14


     SECTION FOUR - REFERENCE SECTION
               (USING ORGANIZE!)             18
           The Main Screen                   18
           Memos                             20
           The Menus                         21

           Make Entries Menu                 23
           Edit Menu                         23
           Search Menu                       25
               List All Entries              26
               Sequential Searches           27
               Alphabetical Searches         28
               Global Searches               30

          Utilities Menu                     32
               Copy Entries                  32
               Import dBase File             36
               Reindex                       37

               Sorting                       38
               Set Up New Format             41
               Set Up Macro                  45

               Set Security Code             45
               Delete Catalog                47
               Select Catalog                47

           Report Menu                       48
                Send (Report) To             48
                Page Length                  50
                Set Up Report Format         51
                Printing Reports             54

           Exit Menu                         55
                Backing Up Your Catalog      55

           Help Menu                         56

           Return (Menu Selection)           56

           Graphic Images                    57


      SECTION FIVE - Cataloging Video Tapes        59

      APPENDIX A - PROBLEM SOLVING       63


___________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - INTRODUCTION - 1



          SECTION ONE - INTRODUCTION

 HomeCraft's ORGANIZE Your Collection is an easy-to-use data-
base/cataloging program designed specifically for organizing
collections.

          This software was developed as a part of HomeCraft's
collector's series of software.  Since 1986 HomeCraft has been
recognized internationally as the leading publisher of software
for cataloging collectibles such as records and CDs, business
cards and books.  Here's what the press has said about our
software:

          "menu driven and easy" - PC Magazine

          "Helping the insatiable collector stay organized." -
Business Week

          "The best are available from HomeCraft." - Jerry Osborn
writing in his nationally syndicated newspaper column.

          "first class support is what separates HomeCraft's
software from the rest of the pack." - review in Goldmine
magazine in which our software was rated the best available for
cataloging a record/CD collection.


 USING EXISTING DATA FILES

          If you have your collection cataloged using a database
program such as dBase, this software will directly import your
files, if they are in a dBase III format.

          If you've been using any of HomeCraft's previous
ORGANIZE! Your... this software can use the files they created
without any conversion.  If you've been using HomeCraft's Book
Minder, or For Collector's series of software, you will need a
conversion utility that is only available with the registered
version of this software.
___________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - INTRODUCTION - 2

          A standard we maintain at HomeCraft, above all else, is
that we will never make a change in our software that results in
your having to retype all of your entries.  If we do need to
change the data format, all registered users of the new version
will be supplied with a free conversion utility.


USING THIS MANUAL

          Note: Because of length considerations and available
disk space, this is an abbreviated manual.  The registered
version includes a complete, detailed, two volume set of
illustrated (the pictures help a lot) manuals.  Please note that
the information for this manual is taken directly from the
printed manual, and it may refer to illustrations that are only
available in the printed manual.

This manual is divided into five sections plus appendixes.  Part
one is the section you are now reading and it contains the
introductory information.  Part two describes how to install this
software on your computer.

The third section provides quick start instructions.  Please read
this section before starting to use this software.  It is short
and has been designed to provide the key information needed to
get you quickly started using the basic functions provided by
this software.

The fourth section is a reference section that describes in
detail all of the features in this software.

No computer experience is required to use this software, however
you will need to know which letter designates each disk drive on
your computer.  For example, a hard disk is usually drive C and
floppy disks are drives A and B.  Check your computer's manual
for the letters used to designate the drives on your computer.

NOTE: Please check the README.TXT file for information about
changes to the software since the manual was printed.  To get a
printed copy of the README.TXT file do the following:

          1) Get the DOS prompt for the disk containing the
README.TXT file.

          2) Type COPY README.TXT LPT1: and push enter.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:  This software will only run on computers
that are fully IBM compatible and have at least 380K of memory
available.  A hard disk is recommended. This software will run
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - INTRODUCTION - 3

on floppy disks if there is a minimum of 720K of disk space
available.  If you have a hard disk, please put this software on
your hard disk and store your database files on the hard disk.
Database software such as this software is very disk intensive.
Because of the slow speed of floppy disks using the software on a
floppy disk will slow it down considerably.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT: If you have problems using this software,
please read this manual first.  Appendix A provides a trouble
shooting guide that may be helpful in solving problems.  If you
are unable to solve the problem by reading the manual, feel free
to give us a call.  We do provide limited basic technical support
for unregistered users (full support is available for registered
users only).  The number is [phone].  Technical support is
available from 9am till 5pm pacific time monday through friday.
You may also contact us by writing to us at:

          PSG-HomeCraft
          P.O. Box 974
          Tualatin,  OR 97062


MAKE BACK UP COPIES

          The most important suggestion I can pass on to you is
to make back up copies of your data files (the ones that end with
DAT).  If you have a hard disk I recommend using software such as
FastBack or PC Tools.  You also could use the DOS back up
utilities, but personally I don't use them.  I've heard of too
many problems with the DOS backup utilities.  Problems such as
only being able to restore lost files onto a similar computer
using the same version of DOS.  (That may not always be
possible).  For something as critical as making backup copies I
prefer software that will backup and restore from and to any hard
disk using any version of DOS on any computer.

          This version does include a backup utility.  This
utility will backup files that are approximately up to 1.3
megabytes big using a 360K floppy disk (larger files can be
backed up using higher capacity floppy disks).  This utility is
provided in order to insure you have something you can use to
backup up your data.  However, this utility is not intended as a
permanent solution.  First, it is limited in that once your
catalog exceeds the size that can be backed-up on a single floppy
this utility will no longer be able to back it up.  Second, it
provides no tracking of the files that have been backed up.
Unless you carefully label your backup disks you can lose track
of what files are on which disks.
___________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - INSTALLATION - 4



SECTION TWO - INSTALLATION

    Installation of this software is straight forward.  First
make a backup copy of this disk.  You'll need to check the
manuals that came with your computer to see how to make copies of
a disk.  Generally you can use the DOS DISKCOPY utility to copy a
floppy disk.  The commands you need to type to use DISKCOPY vary
depending on the version of DOS you have and the floppy disk
configuration in your computer.

    If you should damage or lose your only copy of this software,
you can get another shareware disk from HomeCraft by sending us a
blank floppy disk plus 50 cents for the return postage.  (Outside
the U.S. please include $2.00 US, or the equivalent in your
currency, for air mail postage).

    There are three disk configurations for which this software
can be installed.


Hard Disk Installation

+ Put the backup copy of the floppy disk in a floppy drive.

+ Get the DOS prompt on the screen and change it so that it is
set for the disk drive that contains the this software floppy
disk.  For example, if the floppy disk is in the "A" drive and
your computer has a "C>" prompt on the screen, type A: and push
ENTER.  You can change the DOS prompt so it is set for a
different drive by typing the letter representing the drive you
want to use, a colon, and then pushing ENTER.

+ Type INSTALL and follow the instructions that appear on the
screen.

NOTE: The installation process will supply a default directory
name.  However, if you are using several different versions of
this software to catalog different types of collections, be sure
to install each version in a different directory.  You might
possibly want to name the directories so they reflect the type of
collection being cataloged.
__________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - INSTALLATION - 5


Single Drive Floppy Disk Installation

If your computer only has a single floppy drive you will have to
install the software manually.  The easiest way might be to
install the software on someone else's hard drive and then copy
all of the files from the hard drive to your floppy disk. Please
note that this software can not be used on a with single 360K
floppy drive and no hard disk.  If you have a single floppy drive
it must have a capacity of at least a 720K.

    NOTE: This software may only be used on two computers if
there is no chance that it can be used simultaneously on both
computers.  Please see the user license at the front of this
manual.



Dual Floppy Drive Installation

    If your computer has two floppy drives you can install this
software just as if one of the floppy drives is a hard disk.
First put the backup copy of the enclosed disk in the "A" drive.
Put a blank formatted disk in the "B" drive.  At the "A>" prompt
type INSTALL and follow the directions that appear on the screen.
In this case the drive you want to install the software on is the
"B" drive so the required files will be copied to the blank disk.
When the installation asks for the name of a directory, a default
name of \OYC will be shown.  Type a backslash "\" and then push
the DEL key until only the backslash remains.  This will install
the software in the root directory on the floppy disk.


THE CONFIG.SYS FILE

Your computer uses a CONFIG.SYS file to tell it how to configure
itself when it is first turned on.  The CONFIG.SYS file is an
ASCII text file that contains a series of instructions used by
your computer.  For this software to run these instructions must
tell your computer to set itself up so up to 30 files may be
opened at the same time.  This is done by including a FILES=30
(or any number greater than 30) statement in the CONFIG.SYS file.
If you are running a Graphical User Interface such as Windows,
your computer may need to be set to open as many as 50 or 60
files.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 6



SECTION THREE - QUICK START STARTING THE SOFTWARE

As you read through this section I recommend you have the
software installed and running on your computer.  When you first
start OYC it will be ready to use and set to accept your first
entry.  As I describe examples, I suggest you duplicate the steps
I'm describing using your computer.   This section will take you
through all the main functions in the software.  The Quick Start
section does not describe all of the functions available, just
those you need in order to use the basic capabilities of the
software.  For explanations of all of the functions and features
in this software you will need to read the reference section of
this manual.

To start this software type OYC at the DOS prompt and push ENTER.

If you are using this software on a hard disk, you will need to
be in the directory or subdirectory in which the software was
installed before you type OYC.  If when your computer first
starts it displays the DOS prompt, type CD \ and the name of the
directory in which this software was installed.  If you used the
default directory name of OYC supplied by the installation
software, you would type:

   CD \OYC

The letters "CD" stand for Change Directory.  Typing CD \OYC will
put you in the OYC directory.  Once in the OYC directory you can
type OYC to start the software.

COMMAND LINE - When starting the software you may enter the name
of the catalog you want to use as a part of the command that
starts the software.  In normal circumstances the software will
boot up and use the same catalog that was in use when you last
exited the software.  If you'd like to use a different catalog
type OYC, then a space, then the name of the catalog you want to
use.  For example, if you want to use CATALOG, you would type OYC
CATALOG at the DOS prompt.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 7


THE MAIN SCREEN

After typing OYC (and pushing ENTER) the software will start
running and display the complete cataloging format for your
collection.  Throughout this manual I will refer to this initial
screen as the "Main Screen."

The key parts of the Main Screen are the top and bottom two
lines.  They provide status information and menu selections.  The
majority of the screen is used to display the information lines
(fields) in use.

When the software first starts the Main Screen is displayed.  You
can return to the Main Screen from any other function such as
editing, searching or making new entries, by pushing F7.  The F7
key is used to clear the screen and reset everything back to the
default settings.  With the Main Screen displayed you can
immediately start typing and saving new entries.  But, before
getting started let's go over how to use the drop-down menus.
OYC provides drop-down menus that show you, at a glance, all of
your options.  The names of the menus are displayed across the
top of the screen.  They are: Make entries, Edit, Search,
Utilities, Reports, eXit and Help.


Using The Menus

To select a menu hold down the ALT key and push the capitalized
letter included as a part of the name of the menu you want to
display.  To start let's look at the Make entries menu.  Hold
down the ALT key and push the letter M.  You'll see the screen
shown in figure three.

Once any of the drop-down menus is displayed you can move from
one menu to another by using the left and right cursor keys.
Take a look at the other menus by pushing the right cursor key
until the Make entries menu is displayed again.

A scroll bar within each drop-down menu is used to select the
function you want to use.  The scroll bar is moved using the up
and down cursor keys.  When the scroll bar is at the top of the
menu it can be directly moved to the bottom selection by pushing
the up cursor key once.  It can also be move from the bottom
selection directly to the top by pushing the down cursor key.

Some of the functions can be used directly without going through
a menu.  These have an "F key" designation next to them when the
_____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 8

menu is displayed.  Looking at the Make entries menu you'll see
"<F5>" next to the word "Save".  This means you can push F5 to
save an entry without using the drop-down menu.

To select an item on a menu first highlight it with the scroll
bar and then push the ENTER key.

For example, to exit from the program push the right cursor key
until the "eXit" drop-down menu appears, then highlight "Exit
Program" and push ENTER.  (If you just exited from the software
type OYC and push ENTER to get started again).  By the way, you
should never turn your computer off while a program (any program,
except for a shell or menu program) is running.  Always exit from
the software before turning your computer off.

If you do not want to make a selection from a menu you can return
to the main screen from the drop-down menus by pushing the ESC
key.  You can also select "Return" on the menu bar at the top of
the screen.

If a drop-down menu is displayed push ESC to return to the main
screen.


USING A MOUSE

A mouse may be used to operate most of the functions in OYC.  A
rectangular mouse cursor will appear on the screen whenever the
mouse is active.  If you know the mouse is active, but you  do
not see the mouse cursor try moving the mouse slightly.

The left button on the mouse serves as the "ENTER" key.  To  make
a selection place the mouse cursor on the item you want to select
and push the left mouse button.  When making a selection  from a
menu you will need to "double" click the mouse.  Double clicking
means to push the left mouse button twice in rapid succession.
Pushing the left mouse button once will move the highlight bar to
the menu selection marked by the mouse cursor.  Pushing it a
second time selects that option.

The right mouse button serves as an ESC key.  In many cases when
the software asks you to push the ESC key, you can also push  the
right mouse button.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 9

Please note that a series of prompts across the bottom of the
Main Screen provides direct mouse access to the short cut keys.
The numbers in these prompts refer to the "F" key numbers.

The mouse can be used at nearly every prompt in OYC.  With
prompts that request a (Y/N) response, place the mouse cursor on
either the "Y" or "N" and push the left mouse key once. Anytime a
prompt asks you to push a letter to make a selection you can
place the mouse cursor on that letter (in the prompt) and push
the left mouse key.

You can even bypass the opening copyright screen by clicking the
left mouse key after the copyright screen appears.


MAKING NEW ENTRIES

When you pushed ESC the drop-down menus should have disappeared
and the cursor will be in the left hand space on the top line.

The names of the lines are listed along the left side of the
screen.  To the right of each name is a shaded area that shows
the space available for entering information related to the line
name.  The cursor can be moved around in the shaded area using
the four cursor keys.  Whenever the cursor is at the beginning or
end of a line, and can go no further, your computer will beep.

To enter the information you want to catalog, just type it on the
appropriate line.

Starting with the top line, fill in the appropriate informa- and
push ENTER.  That will move the cursor down to the first
character of the next line.

NOTE: The cataloging format as it appears on your screen may not
be the format you want to use.  You can eliminate unused lines,
add other additional lines, and change the titles of most lines.
We'll be discussing how to do that shortly.

Then put in the rest of this entry by filling in the rest  of the
lines.

You may change anything you've typed by using the cursor keys to
put the cursor at the spot where a correction is needed and just
typing the new information.  When the entry is complete and
correct push ALT-M.  The "Save" option will already be
highlighted so all you need to do next is push ENTER and the
entry will be saved.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 10

Pushing ENTER to select "Save" from the drop-down menu will clear
the screen and leave it ready for the next entry to be typed.
Notice that the entry number is displayed in the upper right hand
corner.  It should now say "Entry 2" as the next entry you type
will be number 2.

Now type in your second entry.  To save this entry push F5.  The
F5 key is short cut key that saves entries.  Push ALT-M and
notice that the word "Save" has "<F5>" next to it.  This means
pushing F5 performs the same function as selecting "Save" on the
drop-down menu.  You can also use the mouse to save entries by
clicking on the "5 Save" prompt at the bottom of the screen.

That's it.  That's all there is to entering information into your
catalog.  Push ESC to clear the drop-down menu from the screen.



EDITING

Now let's see if the information you just typed is really stored
in the database.  The Editor lets you look at any entry and
browse forward and backward through all of your entries.  To use
the editor push ALT-E.  The "Select Number" option will be
highlighted as shown in figure five.  Push the ENTER key and a
window will appear asking you to type an entry number.  Push
number 1 and then push ENTER.  The first entry will be displayed.

You can now do any of several things.

You can modify this entry by moving the cursor to the word(s) to
be modified and typing the changes.  When the changes are
complete push ALT-E and move the scroll bar to "Save Changes."
Then push the ENTER key to save the changes you just made.  Also
notice that you can push F5 to save the changes without using the
drop-down menu.

The editor also offers a browse capability.  If the drop-down
menu is on the screen, push ESC to return to the editing screen.
To browse use the F1 and F2 keys to move backward and forward
through your catalog.  Push F2 now.  Then push F1 to go back to
the previous entry.  That's about all you can do with just two
entries.  Once you have more entries this becomes an easy way to
page through all of them.

The drop-down menus always show all of the available options.
Push ALT-E.  Notice that Page Backward and Page Forward are
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 11

identified as being operated by the F1 and F2 keys.  You can
browse by selecting Page Forward or Page Backward from this drop-
down menu or by pushing F1 or F2.  You can also use the mouse to
browse forward and backward by clicking on either the "1 Back" or
"2 Fwd" prompts at the bottom of the screen.

When an entry is no longer needed it can be deleted using the
Edit menu.

Push the right cursor key and we'll look at the search
capabilities of Organize Your Collection (OYC).


SEARCHING AND PRINTED REPORTS

Two types of "searches" are provided by OYC.  The first is a
listing.  There are two types of listings.  These are shown in
the top box of the Search menu shown in figure six.  They are:

List Entries: allows you to enter a starting and ending entry
number and have all of the entries between (and including) the
two numbers listed in sequence.

List Alphabetically: allows you to list entries in alphabetical
or numerical order.  To use this function you need to be using
the indexes.

The second box down from the top on the Search menu lists the
various types of searches you can do.  Let's take a look at how
these work.  Push ESC to clear the drop-down menu from the
screen then push F7 to clear the screen.  (F7 is identified on
the Make entries menu as the key that erases the screen).  You
can also use the mouse by clicking on the "7 Clr" prompt.

 Sequential Searches

To search for something first enter the information you want to
find on the appropriate line.  For example, let's search for a a
specific movie title.  Move the cursor to the TITLE line.   Let's
say you wanted to find every movie with the word "GIRL" in the
title.  To start this search first type GIRL on the TITLE line.
Push ALT-S to drop-down the Search menu.  Move the scroll bar to
the "Sequential Search" selection and push the ENTER key.  The
first, and in this case the only, matching entry will be
displayed.

If you want to search for GIRL again push ALT-S and move the
scroll bar to "Search Again" and push ENTER.  If you do this,
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 12

you will see a "NO OTHER MATCHES FOUND" message at the bottom of
the screen - unless you happened to have entered GIRL on  the
TITLE line as you were trying out the software.

Sequential searches will find the specified search criteria,
which in this case is GIRL on the TITLE line, without regard to
where it is located on the line.  The word (or phrase) you are
searching for can even be within another word.

There are short cut keys you can use for starting a sequential
search.  Push ALT-S to display the Search menu.  Notice that
sequential searches can be started by pushing F8.  Also notice
that you can find additional matches (Search Again) by pushing
F2.

When a match is found during a search it is displayed on the
screen and the software automatically goes into the edit mode.
You can make any changes or additions you want and then push F5
to save them.

Other types of searches are shown on the Search menu (figure
six).  The "Alphabetical Search" will list entries alphabetically
based on the search criteria and using indexes created by the
software.  The "Find Deleted" search will list all of the entries
that have been deleted and the "Global Search" finds a word or
phrase regardless of what field it is in.

 Printed Reports

NOTE: For more detailed information on how to print reports see
the section on the Report Menu in Section Four of this manual.

The search you just conducted displayed matching entries on the
screen.  You can also print reports or save them in disk files.
If the Search menu is still on the screen push the right cursor
key twice to display the Reports menu.  The first selection on
this menu is called "Send To" and it is currently set for
MONITOR.  To send the report to the printer or a disk file push
the ENTER key.  This will open a window in the middle of the
screen.

Within this window the "X" next to MONITOR tells you the results
of a search or listing will be displayed on the screen.  Push
the TAB key to move the X through the available settings.  When
the option you want is marked by the "X" push ENTER.  The other
options are:
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 13

PRINTER-Continuous Paper: will print the report on continuous
feed paper such as used by dot matrix or laser printers.

PRINTER-Single Sheet Feed: prints the report on printers that
handle only one sheet of paper at a time

ASCII File: saves the report as a text document in a disk file.
You can specify the name of the file.

dBase File: saves the report in a file on the disk using dBase
III format.  This report can be used for transferring information
between various programs.  Most other database software and
spreadsheets can read dBase III files.

QUICK VIEW: displays a list on the screen.  You can then select
specific items from the list.  (Note: the Quick View feature
requires video memory that is usually only available with color
monitors.  If you get an error when trying to use this feature,
your computer does not have the required memory or other software
is using this memory).

LABELS: for use in printing labels.  The other printed reports
include form feeds that advance the paper to the next page.  If
the LABELS option is selected the form feeds are not included.

Push the TAB key until the software is set for PRINTER-Continuous
Paper.  Then push the ENTER key to return to the Reports menu.
Notice that the report type listed on the menu has changed to
"PRINTER-C".  Push the ESC key to clear the drop-down menus from
the screen.

Let's try the same search as before.  Put "GIRL" on the TITLE
line and push F8.  A prompt, asking for a title,  will appear at
the bottom of the screen.  You can type a single line title that
will be printed on the top of the first page of your report.  If
you just push ENTER, without typing a title, the software will
automatically print the search criteria on the top of the first
page of the report.  You can eliminate the title by pushing the
space bar once and then pushing ENTER.  For this example just
push ENTER.

The matching entries will be displayed on the screen as they are
sent to the printer.  When no other matches are found the "NO
OTHER MATCHES FOUND" message will appear at the bottom of the
screen. When you push any key you will be returned to the main
screen.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 14

UTILITIES

The Utilities menu provides a variety of functions that range
from selecting the catalog you want to use to deleting catalog
files.  I'll discuss the two most important functions here.

 Catalogs

You can create as many catalogs (database files) as you wish,
giving each it's own name.  Each catalog can have a different
format.  To change to a different catalog push ALT-U to display
the Utilities menu.  The last selection on this menu is "Select
Catalog Name."  Push the up cursor key to immediately move the
scroll bar to this selection.  Then push ENTER.

A window will display the names of the catalogs in the current
directory.  You can use the cursor keys to highlight any one of
them and then push ENTER to select that catalog.  You can also
create a new catalog (database) by pushing ESC and typing the
name you wish to use for the new catalog.  Please note that
catalog names can not contain numbers and they must be eight
characters or less in length.

If you enter a new catalog name you will need to set up a format
for that new catalog.  How to set up a catalog format is
discussed next.

The names of the existing catalogs will be displayed on the
screen you are now looking at.  Highlight a catalog name and push
ENTER.  You are now ready to start entering information or to
modify this format to meet your needs.



Modifying An Existing Catalog Format

To modify a catalog format push ALT-U to display the Utilities
menu.  Move the scroll bar to the "Set Up New Cat. Format" option
and push ENTER.  This will display a screen similar to the one
shown in figure eight.  This set-up screen replicates the way the
information entry area looks on the main screen.  There are five
things you can set on this screen:

1. The line (field) title.

2. Change the lengths of lines (fields).
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 15

3. Select the lines to be indexed (alphabetized).

4. Select the lines to be totaled.

5. Calculations to be performed in the fields.

On the Set Up Catalog Format screen the F2 key is used to select
what you wish to set/modify.  When working with a new catalog, in
which no entries have been saved, the brackets next to the F2
prompt at the bottom of the screen will contain the word TITLES.
This means you can type new titles or modify existing titles.

 Setting Line Titles

Using the cursor keys a scroll bar can be moved up and down
through the list of line titles.  Place the scroll bar on the
line you wish to change and type the new title.  Then push ENTER
to move the scroll bar down to the next line.  If you wish to
have a blank title, push the space bar and then push ENTER.  Line
titles may be up to 14 characters long and can contain letters,
numbers, spaces and any other keyboard characters.  You do not
have to put a title on every line and you can skip lines.

The next step is to select which lines you want to use and set
their lengths.  Push F2 once and the word "LENGTH" appears in the
brackets next to the F2 prompt.  Position the scroll bar on the
line whose length is to be set and enter a number from 2 to 64.
A highlight bar showing the length of the line will appear and a
number showing length will be displayed.

If a title is entered for a line that is turned off (set to zero
length), that line will not appear on the main screen.  On the
other hand a line does not need to have a title in order appear
on the main screen and be available in the catalog.  You can
include lines that have no titles as a part of a format.  The
factor that determines whether or not a line and its associated
title is displayed as a part of a format is whether or not that
line has a length greater than 0.

Notice at the bottom of the screen that there is a bar containing
the abbreviation "EST".  The number shown here provides an
estimate of the number of entries you'll be able to store in a
megabyte of space.  As lines are set up, there lengths adjusted,
and lines to be indexed are added or deleted, this number will
change.
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 16

 Selecting Lines To Index

Once you have set the line lengths push F2 again.  You'll  now be
able to select the lines you want to have indexed.  An  index for
a computer is the same thing as it is for a book.  If you need to
quickly find something in a book, you look in the index.  It's
the same for a computer.  An index is an alpha- betical listing
that allows the computer to find entries quickly.

To select a line to be indexed put the scroll bar on that line
and push ENTER.  Please remember this will only work if the word
"INDEXING" appears in the brackets next to the F2 prompt.  When
you push ENTER to select a line to be indexed a starburst symbol
will appear next to that line.  This symbol indicates that the
line will be indexed.  On the main screen the starburst symbol
indicates the lines which are indexed and thus it shows which
lines can be listed alphabetically.

 Getting Total Values

Push F2 one more time and the word in the brackets will change to
"VALUE".  You can now select lines you want to have totaled at
the end of a report.  Select the lines to be totaled in the same
way you selected lines to be indexed.  In this case three
horizontal bars will appear to the right of the line to indicate
that any values entered on the line will be totaled.  This
capability is used, for example, to get the total value of all
items listed for insurance purposes.

Push F2 again to return to the TITLE setting.

Once you have set-up the format to be as you need it, push F5 to
save it.  You will be returned to the main screen.


DISPLAYING TOTAL VALUES

The total value of all items listed in a printed report will be
shown at the end of all printed reports.  However, you can get
the total value of everything in a catalog without printing a
report.  When you are at the Main Screen hold down the CTRL key
and push the ENTER key.  The values will be totalled and
displayed along the right side of the screen.

This completes the quick start section.  In this section I  have
provided the basic information needed to use the software. There
is a lot more you can do with this software and there
____________________ORGANIZE Your Collection - QUICK START - 17

are many additional features that make using the software  easier
and faster.  This Quick Start section is only provided as a brief
summary of the major features so you can quickly  start using the
software.

At this point I'd suggest trying out the software.  Type in  a
few test entries.  Try a few searches and maybe try running a
printed report.  Then read the next section which provides  a
detailed description of each feature - including such  things as
designing your own reports, multiple level  alphabetical
listings, and creating your own catalog formats.
 _____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 18




SECTION FOUR - REFERENCE SECTION

This section of the manual provides detailed descriptions of each
function on the drop-down menus.  We'll start with the Make
entries menu and work from left to right through the menus and
cover each item on each menu.  But first let's go over the
information and options presented on the main screen.


THE MAIN SCREEN

Most of the time you'll be using functions that are accessed from
the main screen.  This screen includes a listing of menus across
the top of the screen.  The top line also includes the current
entry number in the upper right corner of the screen.  When
typing a new entry the number displayed in the upper right is the
entry number that will be assigned to the new entry.  When
editing or displaying the results of a search, the number
displayed is the entry number associated with the information
currently on the screen.

Some people have tried using the entry number as a catalog
number.  I understand we all have different requirements and need
to use the software in different ways, but I do not recommend
using the entry number as a catalog number.  My reason is that
the entry number associated with a specific item can change if
you delete an item from your database.  The entry number is only
intended to help you see how many total items you have in the
database and to help you navigate around your catalog.

The second space from the top of the screen includes a horizontal
double line.  This is a status line.  The current catalog name in
use will be displayed in the middle of this line.  The function
currently being used (i.e. make entries, editing, searching,
etc.) is identified on the right side of this line.  The left
side of this line also includes status information.  For example,
if you push the INS key to put the software into the character
insert mode, the letters "INS" will be displayed at the left edge
of this line.  As long as INS is shown there, the software is in
the character insert mode.

The space at the bottom of the screen also contains a horizontal
double line.  This bottom line is a prompt/status line.  At some
times prompts for F-Key functions are shown.  You can use the
mouse to click on any of these prompts to quickly use the
features they represent.
 _____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 19

The bottom line also displays status, such as telling you when a
search is complete.   The second line from the bottom is a double
line.  The center of this line contains a word that shows where
reports would be "sent to" should you start a search or listing.

 Clearing The Screen

There is one key that is very handy, the F7 key.  Pushing F7 will
clear the screen of all catalog information and return you to the
Main Screen.  If you are in the search or edit mode, and want to
go to the make entries mode, push F7.  If you need to erase a
screen full of information, push F7.  If you are using a mouse,
you can click on the "7 Clr" prompt at the bottom of the screen
to accomplish the same thing as pushing F7.

 Typing Information Into A Catalog

Whether you are making a new entry or entering search criteria
typing information on the main screen is done in the same way.
The cursor can be moved around using the up/down and right/left
cursor keys.  When using the up/down cursor keys the cursor will
move directly up and down - it will not return to the beginning
of a line when moved to a new line.  You can move the cursor to a
new line and return it to the beginning of that line by pushing
the ENTER key.  Each time you push the ENTER key the cursor will
move down by one line.  When the cursor is on the bottom line,
pushing ENTER will move it to the top line.

To quickly move the cursor to the right you can use the TAB key.
Each time the TAB key is pushed the cursor will move five spaces
to the right.  Pushing the END key will move the cursor to the
end of the line.  The HOME key moves it to the beginning of the
line.  Holding the CTRL key and pushing either the left or right
cursor key will move the cursor to the left or right by one word.

Whenever the cursor reaches the beginning or end of a line your
computer will beep to indicate it can go no further.  If you do
not want to hear this "beep", you can turn it off by push- ing
CTRL-A.  This will display the Screen Set-Up options.  Push the
F1 key to toggle the beep off.  Then push ESC to return to the
Main Screen.

You can type information at any time.  The character you type
will be placed at the cursor location and the cursor will move
____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 20

one space to the right.  The software will accept accented
characters, characters used in some European languages as well as
all English language characters.  It will not accept most
graphics characters.

 Insert & Delete

If you need to insert characters, place the cursor at the point
where the characters are to be inserted.  Push the INS key.  The
letters INS will appear on the upper left of the screen (second
line).  You can now type the characters or words you want to

insert.  As you type, any information to the right of the cursor
will move to the right.  If the existing information reaches the
right edge of the line, it will disappear and be lost - one
character will disappear for each character you insert.

To get out of the insert mode either push the INS key again.

Characters can be deleted by pushing the DEL key.  When the DEL
key is pushed the character at the cursor location will be erased
and everything to the right of the cursor will move left by one
space.  The Backspace key will also delete characters.  When the
Backspace is pushed the character to the left of the cursor will
be erased.

 Memos

Each entry may include a memo.  To display the memo screen push
the PgDn key.  A word processor-like memo screen with 20 lines
will appear.  You can type anything you want on the memo screen.
However, information typed on the memo screen can not be included
in searches nor is it included on the printed reports.  This
screen is just for keeping notes and miscellaneous information.

When using the memo screen all normal word processing features
will work.  The INS and DEL keys work as they do in a word
processor.  The memo screen also includes word wrapping
eliminating the need to push the ENTER key at the end of each
line.

When you have finished typing the memo push ESC to return to the
main screen.  The memo you just typed will be permanently
attached to the entry you are making or editing.

NOTE: A graphic image can be included as a part of each entry
Graphic images are discussed at the end of this section.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 21

General Guidelines For New Entries

When making entries be consistent.  Anytime you use an
abbreviation be sure it is typed the same way every time.  Be
consistent in how you capitalize words.  For example, don't
capitalize all of the words on a line one time and then use upper
and lower case on that same line with a later entry.  If you use
commas to separate items in a list, always use commas to separate
items in a list.

When entering numbers first determine what the largest number
will be and then always use the same number of digits to the left
of the decimal point for all numbers.  For example, if you expect
to have numbers as high as 10000 then number one should be
entered as 00001.  Entering numbers this way is necessary if you
want the computer to sort them into numerical order.  You can
include decimals (eg. 001.52), but you do not need to include
".00" if there is nothing to the right of the decimal point.

 THE MENUS

OYC uses drop-down menus.  All of the capabilities of OYC are
accessed through these menus.  Some of the frequently used
functions can be used directly by pushing the appropriate "F"
key.  The names of the menus are listed across the top of the
screen as shown in figure nine.

The name of each menu contains one capitalized word.  To select a
menu hold down the ALT key and press the capitalized letter in
the menu's name.  For example, to select the "Make entries" menu
push the ALT key and the letter M.  You can pull down a menu
using a mouse by putting the mouse cursor on the menu's name at
the top of the screen and clicking the left mouse button.

Once any menu is displayed (dropped down) you can move from one
menu to the next using the left/right cursor keys.

When a menu is displayed the top selection on the menu will be
highlighted by a scroll bar.  The scroll bar can be moved up and
down through the menu selections using the up/down cursor keys.
To select an item on a menu first highlight it with the scroll
bar and then push the ENTER key.  If you are using a mouse, put
the mouse cursor on the menu selection you wish to use and click
the left mouse button twice (double click).
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 22

Make entries Menu - Save <F5>

The "Save" function is used after you have typed a new entry.
Once you have typed all the information you want to enter select
the "Save" option to save it in your catalog.  You can also push
F5 to directly save the entry without going through the menus. Or
you can use the mouse to click on the "5 Save" prompt at the
bottom of the screen.

 Make entries Menu - Copy Any Previous

The "Copy Any Previous" function allows you to copy any previous
entry you've made.  When you select this option you will be
prompted for an entry number to copy (see figure 10).  This
prompt will also display a default entry number.  In figure 10
the default setting is 2.  To copy the default entry number just
push ENTER.  Otherwise you can type in any other entry number you
wish to copy.

The default entry number will be set to the last entry that was
copied.  This way you can repeatedly copy a previous entry by
just pushing the ENTER key at this point.

 Make entries Menu - Copy Last <F3>

The "Copy Last" feature allows you to quickly copy the last entry
you made.  This copy method does not prompt for an entry number
to copy and thus it is faster than the "Copy Any Previous"
feature.  The quickest way to copy the previous entry is to push
F3 or use the mouse to click on the "3 Copy" prompt at the bottom
of the screen.

The "Copy Last" feature is used when you have a series  of
similar entries to type.  You can type the first one, push F5 to
save it, then push F3 to repeat the information you just entered.
You then only need to change a few lines or characters and save
the modified entry as a new entry.

 Copy A Single Line

You can also copy individual lines from the previous entry.  To
copy a single line put the cursor on the line you wish to fill
with information copied from the same line in the previous entry.
Then hold down the ALT key and push F3.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 23

For example, if you are entering information about a series of
movies all starring John Wayne, you would start by entering the
information about the first movie in, then push F5 to save that
entry.  When you are ready to enter the star's name for the
second movie put the cursor on the STAR line, hold down the ALT
key and push F3.  This will copy the "John Wayne" from the
previous entry.

 Make entries Menu - Erase Screen <F7>

The "Erase Screen" feature is used to completely clear all of the
information from all lines.  Selecting this option from the menu,
or pushing F7, will immediately clear all of the lines.  You can
also use the mouse to clear the screen by clicking on the "7 Clr"
prompt at the bottom of the screen.

If you need to clear just one line or part of one line you can
use the macro feature discussed later in this section.  For
example, pushing ALT-B will erase every on a line that is to the
right of the cursor.

 Make entries - Make Entries

The "Make Entries" selection provides a way for you to leave any
of the other functions and go to the basic make new entries
screen.  For example, if you are in the search mode and would
like to make a new entry, select this option on the Make entries
menu.

 THE EDIT MENU

The edit function provides a way for you to display any entry on
the screen and browse backward and forward through your catalog.
Once an entry is displayed on the screen it can be modified or
deleted.

 Edit Menu - Select Number

The "Select Number" option is how you tell the software which
entry number you want displayed on the screen.  You may enter any
valid entry number.

Once an entry is displayed on the screen you may make changes
using the same methods used to originally type the entry.  The
TAB, INS and DEL keys all will work as they do in word processing
software.  Once you've made changes push F5 to save the changes.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 24

If you want to edit a different entry you do not need to pull
down the Edit Menu again.  Just push F9 to open the window in
which a new entry number to edit may be entered.

 Edit Menu - Page Backward <F1>

When the "Page Backward" function is selected the software will
display the entry that comes directly before the entry that is
currently displayed.  You can also press F1, without using the
drop-down menu, to move backward by one entry.

 Edit Menu - Page Forward <F2>

The "Page Forward" function displays the next entry in sequence.
You can also press F2 to see the next entry without using the
drop-down menus.  There are prompts at the bottom of the screen -
"1 Back" and "2 Fwd" - that you can click on with a mouse to move
backward and forward through your catalog.

The "Page Backward" and "Page Forward" functions provide an easy
way for you to browse through all of your entries.  Computers are
nice, they can quickly search for and find any entry you need.
However, sometimes it's nice to just look through your catalog to
see what's there.  You may discover items you forgot you had.
The Page Forward/Backward features give you a way to do some
browsing.

 Edit Menu - Delete Entry <F4>

If you need to eliminate an item from your catalog use the
"Select Number" option to enter the entry number to be deleted.
Once it is displayed on the screen push ALT-E and select the
"Delete Entry" option.

When an item is deleted it is not permanently removed from your
catalog.  The deleted entry will no longer be included in
searches, but you can display it using the edit feature.  All of
the information still exists and can be brought back.

With computers mistakes sometimes seem to be very easy to make. A
common mistake is to start deleting something and just as the
final key is pushed to make the deletion final you realize that
you did not want to delete this item.  However, that realization
comes just a half a second too late.  If this should happen with
OYC, you can recover the deleted entry.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 25

When a deleted entry is displayed on the screen the words
"Deleted Entry" will be displayed on the second line from the top
of the screen.

 Edit Menu - Undelete Entry

Deleted entries can be returned to the catalog by first
displaying the entry on the screen and then selecting the
"Undelete Entry" option on the Edit Menu.  Or you can just push
F5 to undelete the entry by saving it.

 Edit Menu - Remove Memo

Whenever you go to the memo screen (by pushing PgDn) a memo will
be attached to the current entry.  Even if nothing is typed in
the memo, there will still be a memo attached to the current
entry.  That memo can be removed by going to the Edit Menu and
selecting the Remove Memo option.  If the current entry has a
memo attached to it, that memo will be removed.

 Edit Menu - Save Changes <F5>

The final selection on the Edit menu will save any changes you've
made to an entry.  You may make changes to an entry anytime it is
displayed on the screen.  First type the changes then select
"Save Changes" on the Edit menu.  You can also push F5 without
using the drop-down menus.



THE SEARCH MENU

The Search menu is used to start all listings and searches
searches.  The top box on the Search menu includes the two types
of listings available.  The second box down includes all the
searches.  The third box includes controls for searches.

Whenever a search has displayed an entry on the screen you may
edit and resave the modified entry.  Just type the changes and
push F5 to save them.

During a search or listing you can look at each entry on the
screen and browse forward and backward using the F1 and F2 keys.
Pushing F2 will display the next matching entry.  Pushing F1
moves you backward to look at the previous entry.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 26

NOTE: for information on how to print a report go to the Reports
Menu section of this chapter.  The software is normally set to
display the results of listings and searches on the screen.  By
changing the "Send To" option on the Reports Menu you can send
your report to your printer or a disk file.

 Search Menu - List Entries

Starting at the top of the Search Menu the first item is the
"List Entries" feature.  It will list entries in the order they
were typed into your catalog.  When you select "List Entries" on
the Search Menu you will be prompted for the entry number to
start the listing with.  Then you will be prompted for the last
entry number to be included in the listing.  The software will
list all of the entries between, and including, the entry numbers
you specify.

One of the key uses for this feature is proof reading.  Some
people find it easier to proof read a printed copy of their
entries instead of reviewing them on the screen.  After typing a
series of new entries use this feature to print a listing of just
the new entries.  You can then look over the listing to find
typos and errors.  Be sure to use a report format that prints all
of the information you've entered.



Search Menu - List Alphabetically

You can list the information on any of the lines in alphabetical
order by selecting this option.  However, the line must first be
indexed.  Lines that are indexed are marked by a starburst symbol
on the left end of the line.  (Indexing is discussed  in the
Utility menu section).

To get an alphabetical listing first put the cursor on the line
to be listed alphabetically.  Then push ALT-S to display the
Search menu.  Move the scroll bar to the "List Alphabetically"
option and push ENTER.  The entries will be listed in
alphabetical order based on the line on which the cursor is
located.

 Search Menu - Sequential Search

There are two basic types of searches in OYC - sequential
searches and alphabetical searches.  A sequential search looks at
each entry, one at a time in "sequence", examining each to see if
it contains a match for the search
____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 27

criteria.  This type of search has the advantage of being able to
find matches even if the matching word or phrase is not the first
word or phrase on the line.

For example, if you use a sequential search to look for the word
RED the following will be found as matches:

   RED FILING CABINET

   LITTLE RED WAGON

   SLEEPY AND TIRED  (the RED is at the end of "TIRED")

Notice that the search criteria, RED, is capitalized and all of
the matches are capitalized.  Searches will only find EXACT
matches.  If the letter, word or phrase you are searching for is
capitalized, the search criteria must be capitalized.  If you
search for RED, you will not find "Red Cabinet" because the
capitalization does not match.  However, there is a way to find
things when the capitalization does not match.  It will be
discussed when we talk about the "Case" option on the Search
menu.

With sequential searches you can search for any part of the
information entered on a line.  Notice in the above example that
searching for "RED" found matches at the beginning, middle and
end of the line.  This is particularly useful if you can only
remember a part of what you want to find.  It's also useful for
keyword searches where several keywords are listed on a line.
For example, if you cataloged a home video of a beach with the
following keywords: BEACH, SUNSET, SAILBOATS & SEA GULLS and used
a sequential search to search for "SUNSET", this video would be
identified as matching the search criteria.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 28

You can start a sequential search by first entering the word or
phrase you want to find on the appropriate line and then
selecting the "Sequential Search" option on the Search Menu; or
push F8; or use the mouse cursor to click on the "8 Srch" prompt
at the bottom of the screen.

 Cross References

Any of the information you've entered can be cross referenced
with any or everything else.  All you need to do is enter the
information you want to find on the appropriate lines and the
software will automatically take care of the cross referencing
during the search.  Let's assume you've got a catalog and want to
cross reference the information on two lines.  It's as easy as
filling in the blanks.  Just enter the information you want to
find on each line.  Then start a sequential search.  All of the
matching entries will be listed.



Search Menu - Alphabetical Search <F6>

To use the alphabetical searches you must be using the indexing.
A line must be indexed, and must have a starburst next to it in
order to be used as the basis of an alphabetical search.

Alphabetical searches provide several advantages.  First, they
are very fast.  While sequential searches may take several
minutes, if you have a large catalog, alphabetical searches can
find matches almost immediately.  The indexing quickly determines
whether there is a match and where the match is located.  Second,
alphabetical searches list matches in alphabetical order.  The
disadvantage of alphabetical searches is that they will only find
exact matches.  For example, an alphabetical search can not find
matching words or phrases if they are within a line.  The match
must be exact starting at the beginning, left edge of the line.

For example, using an alphabetical search to find the word "RED"
would find RED FILING CABINET, but it will not find LITTLE RED
WAGON.

There are several ways to conduct an alphabetical search.  The
first is a straight alphabetical search.  Enter the information
you want to find on one of the lines marked by a sunburst, leave
the cursor on that line, push ALT-S to drop-down the Search menu,
highlight "Alphabetical Search" and push ENTER.  You can also
start an alphabetical search without going through the menus by
pushing F6 or my clicking on "6 Alpha" at the bottom of the
screen.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 29

Alphabetical searches can perform cross references.  To do this
fill in the appropriate lines with the information you want to
find, put the cursor on the line you wish alphabetized, and push
F6 to start the search.

NOTE: When starting an alphabetical search the cursor must be on
a line that has been indexed.  The alphabetical searches use the
location of the cursor to determine the primary search criteria.
If the cursor is not on a line that has been indexed, you will
get a "Can't find required index" error message.

The alphabetical searches can also be used to get partial
alphabetical listings.  For example, if you want an alphabetical
listing of everything that starts with the letter "A", put an "A"
on the line to be listed (that line must be indexed) and start
the alphabetical search.

Alphabetical searches will first find all exact matches based on
the indexes.  When no other matches can be found in the indexes a
message will appear at the bottom of the screen that says:

  NO MATCHES FOUND.  ESC to end, F1 for new entryor ENTER to
continue search.

If you wish to end the search push the ESC key.

If you did not find what you were looking for using the
alphabetical search you may wish to try a sequential search.
Push the ENTER key at this point and the software will
automatically go into a sequential search.

What do you do if you are typing entries and want to be sure you
are not duplicating entries already in your database.  Type part
of the entry and push F6 to perform an alphabetical search.  If a
match is found push ESC.  If a match is not found push F1 and
then complete the entry.  Anytime a search does not find a
matche you can push F1.  This switches OYC to the Make Entries
screen and the information entered as the search criteria will
be pre-entered on the appropriate lines.  If OYC found a match
pushing F1 will put the information from that matching entry  on
the Make Entries screen.

 Search Menu - Find Deleted

Once an entry has been deleted it will no longer show up during
searches.  To recover that entry use the editor to display it and
then undelete it.  However, if you don't remember its entry
number, you can't use the editor to display it.  The "Find
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 30

Deleted" search provides another way to locate deleted entries.
Select "Find Deleted" on the Search Menu and the software will
automatically list all entries that have been deleted.

Whenever a deleted entry is on the screen it may be undeleted by
pushing ALT-E for the Edit Menu and then selecting "Undelete
Entry".  You can also push F5 or use the mouse to click on the "5
Save" prompt.  If you are searching for deleted entries the
software remains in the search mode and pushing F2 will find  the
next deleted entry.

 Search Menu - Global Search

The term "Global Search" means that the software will search
everything to find a match for the specified search criteria. In
all of the other searches the search criteria must be on  the
same line as the information you want to find.

With a Global Search you can find a word or phrase without regard
to the line it is located on.  To start a Global Search select
"Global Search" from the Search Menu.  A window will  open in the
middle of the screen and you will be prompted to enter the word
or phrase you want to find.  Type the search criteria and push
the ENTER key.  A sequential search will be conducted based on
the search criteria you entered.  Remember a Global Search will
find the specified search criteria wherever it is located.  There
may be times when an entry is displayed as matching the search
criteria, but it may not be obvious why it matches.  However, the
match may be taking place in the middle of a line or even in the
middle of a word.

 Search Menu - Set Starting Point

This option is used to start an alphabetical listing at any point
in the alphabet.  For example, let's assume you were printing an
alphabetical list of everything in your catalog and the printer
ran out of paper in the middle of the M's.  After putting more
paper in your printer you can start a second listing that picks
up where the first ended.

To set a starting point first position the cursor on the line you
wish to list alphabetically.  Then push ALT-S and select the "Set
Starting Point" option on the Search Menu.  You will be prompted
to enter a letter or word to be used as the starting point.  You
can also enter a phrase.  If you were printing a copy of your
catalog alphabetically, specify the information shown in the last
entry listed (on the line you were using for your search
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 31

criteria) as the starting point.  When you push ENTER you'll be
returned to the Search Menu.  Highlight "List Alphabetically"
option and the listing will start with at the point you
specified.

This feature is very useful in producing reports for your
insurance agent.  For example, for each item in an office
inventory you should enter a value.  If you index the value  line
you can set a starting value, such as $25, and list  every item
with a value greater than that minimum value.

 Search Menu - Case [ Sensitive ]

When I discussed sequential searches I said they will only find
exact matches.  The capitalization of the search criteria and the
information you are searching for must match.  For example,
searching for "Red Cabinet" will not find "RED  CABINET".  The
"Case" option on the Search Menu allows OYC to find matches in
which the capitalization does not match.

This option is a toggle.  When the word "Sensitive" is in the
brackets sequential searches will be case sensitive.  This means
the capitalization of the search criteria and the information you
are looking for must match.  Highlight the "Case" prompt and push
ENTER to toggle it to "Insensitive".  When set to insensitive
sequential searches will not be case sensitive.  This means you
can search for "Red Cabinet" and "RED CABINET" will be found.
When set this way sequential searches will also find "red
cabinet" and "Red cabinet" as matches.

 Search Menu - Save Changes <F5>

Anytime an entry is displayed on the screen you may make changes.
If a search finds a matching entry, that entry can be modified.
After you have typed the changes you want to make push ALT-S and
then select "Save Changes" to save the modifications.  You can
also push F5 without using the drop-down menus or click on the "5
Save" prompt.

 Search Menu - Search Again <F2>

If you are displaying the results of a search on the monitor, the
software will display matching entries one at a time.  To find
and display the next matching entry select the "Search Again"
option on the Search Menu.  Please note that when the Search Menu
drops down the "List Entries" option will be highlighted.  You
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 32

can move the scroll bar directly to the "Search Again" option by
pushing the up cursor key.  You can also use the F2 key, without
going through the Search Menu, to go to the next entry.

 Screen Print Feature

Anytime an entry is displayed on the screen as a result of a
search (or when it is called up using the editor) a copy of the
entry can be printed by holding down the CTRL key and pushing P.
The entry will be printed using the current report format. If a
report format has not been set-up, then nothing will  print.
(Please see the section on the Report Menu for information about
report formats and printing).

 Finding The Total Value Of Your Collection

You can quickly get a total value for your collection by holding
down the CTRL key and pushing ENTER.  The software will search
your entire catalog and provide a total value, based on the
line(s) you have set to be totalled.  The amount of time this
takes will depend on the number of entries.  If you need to
interrupt the totaling process, push ESC.  (See the following
section on the Utilities Menu for information on setting the
lines to be totaled).



THE UTILITIES MENU

The Utilities Menu provides a variety of functions for copying
entries, indexing and setting up your catalog.  Press ALT-U to
drop-down the Utilities Menu.

 Utilities - Copy Entries

The "Copy Entries" feature is used to copy the entries in one
catalog to another catalog.  This feature allows you to copy a
catalog to a new catalog that uses a different format.  You can
rearrange the information by sending it to different lines in the
new catalog, if you wish.

One circumstance in which you would use this feature would be if
you should find that the catalog format you're using is not
adequate for what you need to do.  Since you can not modify the
line lengths of an existing format you will need to set-up a
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 33

new catalog with a lines lengths that are suitable.  Then use
the "Copy Entries" feature to copy the entries from the old
catalog to the new catalog and format.

To use the "Copy Entries" feature use the scroll bar to highlight
"Copy Entries" on the Utilities Menu and push the ENTER key.
This brings up a series of screens that let you select the
catalog to copy from, the catalog to copy to and what infor-
mation will be stored on which line in the new catalog.

Figure 14 shows the screen used to select the file you wish to
copy from.  The box in the on the left side of the screen shows
the names of the catalogs in the current directory.  Use the
cursor keys to highlight the catalog you wish to copy from and
push ENTER.

You can select a catalog using the mouse by putting the mouse
cursor on the catalog name you want to select and pushing the
left mouse button twice.

If you want to copy a catalog located in a different directory,
push the ESC key and enter the drive and path to designate  where
the catalog is located.  When entering the drive and  path you
must use standard DOS notation.  The drive letter  must be
followed by a colon and each directory or subdirectory name
proceeded by a backslash.  If the drive and path you enter does
not contain a OYC catalog, an error message will appear in the
box.  If data files exist they will be listed in the box  and you
can then highlight the one you wish to copy and select  it by
pushing ENTER.

NOTE: If you do not keep your programs in separate directories
the listing of catalogs may include the names of data files used
by other programs.  Normally you should keep all files used by
the OYC in the same directory.  That helps keep your hard disk
organized and makes it easier for you to identify what files go
with which program when you are cleaning up and organizing your
hard disk.

To exit at this point you need to push the ESC key twice.  First
push the ESC key to get the prompt asking for a new drive and
path.  Then press the ESC key again.

Once you have selected a file to copy from a second similar
screen will appear.  (Note, the "copy from" menu will be on the
left side of the screen.  The "copy to" menu will be on the right
side of the screen.  The name of the catalog you  are copying
from will be shown at the top of the screen.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 34

Select the catalog you want to copy to by highlighting it and
pushing the ENTER key.

If you want to create a new file to copy to then push the ESC key
when the "copy to" menu is displayed.  You will be prompted to
enter a new drive, path and catalog name.  When you do this a new
catalog will be created that has the same format as the catalog
being copied.

When entering a new catalog name do not enter a filename
extension.  You must enter a valid drive letter and directory
path.  The software will not create a new directory if the path
you've entered is not correct.  If you use a new catalog name
OYC will automatically create a file with a format that matches
that of the catalog you are copying from.

The next screen, shown in figure 15, allows you to select which
information is copied to which field.  First let's go over the
information provided on this screen.  If you are not running the
OYC software, I suggest that you boot it up and go into the entry
copy feature so that the screen we are now discussing is
displayed on your monitor.

At the top left of the screen the drive, path and catalog you are
copying from will be shown.  The same information for the catalog
you are copying to will be shown on the top right side of the
screen.

The format of the catalog you are copying from will be shown on
the left side of the screen.  Each line is identified by a
letter and the title of each line is shown.  The line titles  of
the catalog you are copying to are shown on the right side  of
the screen.  A set of dashed lines in the center of the  screen
are provided only to help you see how the two formats  line-up.

At the bottom of the screen the total number of entries in each
catalog is shown.  When the copy process is started the data from
the catalog shown on the left will be ** added to ** the data in
the catalog on the right.

You can start copying entries from the catalog on the left to the
one shown on the right by pushing F6.  However, there is more
information shown on this screen.

Figure 15 shows a situation in which we want to change how
information in a catalog is arranged.  The format on the right
puts the CATALOG NUMBER at the top of the format and adds a new
line for a CONDITION.  In addition, the DESCRIPTION line is not
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 35


included in the new format.

When the screen shown in figure 15 first appears it will be set
to copy the information from each line on the left to the line
directly opposite on the right.  If there is no line on the
right, the space on the right will be highlighted and a left
pointing arrow head will be displayed.  For example, in figure 15
the format is set so the CATALOG NUMBER line will be copied to
the  a line that is shut off.  This means this information will
not  be copied unless this set is changed.

A scroll bar is provided to move through the line descriptions on
the left side of the screen.  This scroll bar is used to re-
position lines until they are set in the proper order for copying
information to the new catalog.  For example, the line at the "A"
position on the left is currently set to be copied to a different
titled line on the right.  To change this use the scroll bar to
highlight the location you wish to move another line to and then
push the letter associated with the line you wish to move.  The
two lines will be swapped.

     Shareware users note: this is difficult to describe without
     the illustrations provided in the printed manual.  To see
     how this works try highlighting various lines and   push
     the letters associated with other lines.   You'll see how
     the lines are moved around.  You can   leave this screen
     without saving any of the changes you   made by pushing the
     ESC key.

If you move a line so that its contents will be copied to a
shorter line, that shorter line will be highlighted in red to
indicate that some of the information on the original line may be
cut off because it will not fit on the shorter line.
_____________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 36

You should now see a screen that looks like the one shown in
figure 18.  All of the lines have been positioned to be copied to
the correct locations.  We can now push F6 to start the copy
process.

If there are any entries in the catalog on the right side of the
screen, the new entries copied from the catalog on the left will
be added to those already in the file on the right.

You can exit the copy process by pushing the ESC key.



Utility Menu - Import dBase File

You can import the information contained in most dBase III files.
To do this select the "Import dBase File" option on the Utilities
Menu.  You will then go through a series of screens that are
exactly like those in the "Copy Entries" feature.  (Please read
the previous section which discusses the "Copy Entries" feature).

The first screen that appears is used to select the dBase file
you wish to copy from.  Any dBase III files in the current
directory will be listed in a box in the middle of the screen.
If the file you want to copy from is on another drive or in
another directory, push the ESC key and enter the drive and path
you want to use.  If there are dBase III files on the specified
drive and path they will be listed in the box and you can select
the one you want.   Next the list of existing catalog files will
be displayed.  You can copy the dBase file to an existing catalog
or create a new catalog.  To create a new catalog push the ESC
key and enter the drive, path and catalog name.  If you enter a
new catalog name the software will automatically create a format
that matches that of the dBase file you are copying from.

Next you will see a screen that allows you to set which
information gets copied to which line.  This is the same screen
as described in the section on Copy Entries and it works in
exactly the same way.

NOTE: this utility will only copy nonrelational dBase files.
Relational dBase files can not be imported into OYC.


 Utilities Menu - Reindex

First, what is an index and why does this software need to use
indexes?
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 37

A computer based index is just like an index in a book.  When you
need to find something in a book you look in the index.  The
index lists information alphabetically and allows you to quickly
find what you need.  A computer index works in the same way.  It
is an alphabetical listing that allows the computer to quickly
find the information you are searching for.

Just like in a book a computer has two ways to find information.
If you are looking for specific information in a book you can
start reading the book at page one and read until you find what
you want.  As you can imagine this could take a lot of time,
especially if the information you are looking for is at the end
of the book.  Your other option is to look in the index and go
directly to the page that has the information you want.  This is
exactly what a computer does.  A sequential search is similar to
starting at the front of a book and reading every page until the
required information is found.  To find information quickly the
alphabetical search uses an index to look up the required
information and then go directly to the entry that has that
information.

Indexes are also required to list information in alphabetical
order.  The software uses the indexes, which are in alphabetical
order, to generate the alphabetical listings.

The lines to be indexed are selected when the format is set up.
I'll discuss that in the section on "Set Up New Format".  The
software will normally keep all indexes up to date - adding new
entries as you type them.  However, there may be some
circumstances in which you need to rebuild your indexes.  If the
software does not properly detect an index that should be there,
an error message will appear.  This message will tell you that
the indexes need rebuilding.

You can add additional lines to be indexed at any time.  For
example, you may originally start an inventory in which only the
top line is indexed.  If you later decide to index by other
lines, you would use the "ReIndex" feature to put the existing
entries into this new index.

Indexes are separate files that maintain a fragile relation- ship
among many separate words and phrases.  If the files on your disk
become fragmented or cross linked the indexes can be damaged.
Although indexes do not effect your catalog files, if the results
of a search do not seem to make sense, try making new indexes by
using the "ReIndex" feature.

The "ReIndex" feature is completely automatic.  To reindex just
use the scroll bar to highlight "ReIndex" on the Utilities Menu
and push ENTER.
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 38

Utilities Menu - Sort [ Off ]

This software has the capability to do multiple level sorting.
Sorting means to put entries into alphabetical order.  The
alphabetization provided by the indexing puts entries in
alphabetical/numerical order one line at a time.  Sorting, on the
other hand, can include up to 10 lines in alphabetical  order.

If your catalog has not been sorted the word "OFF" will be in the
brackets after the word SORT.  If it is in a sorted condition,
the word "ON" will be in the brackets.  Now let's see how to
sort.

Start by selecting the "Sort" option on the Utilities Menu.  The
Sort Menu, shown in figure 21, will appear.  The line titles used
by the current database will be listed along the left side of the
screen.  There will be a series of F-key prompts along the bottom
of the screen.

To set the order in which you want the catalog to be sorted push
the letter associated with the line to be sorted.  Do this in the
order you wish the lines to be sorted. Once the sorting is
complete you can get a printed copy of your catalog, in the
correct sorted order, by doing an alphabetical listing based on
the the primary sort criteria (the line you selected as the first
line to be sorted).

NOTE:  You can include any line you wish in doing a sort.
However, to produce an alphabetical listing the line used as the
basis of that listing must be indexed and must be marked by a
"starburst" symbol.

Getting back to setting up the sorted order of the lines, if you
start selecting lines to sort and want to make a change, push F3.
The F3 key will clear any sorted order that exists and clear the
diagram from the screen.

The F8 key is used to clear a sort.  What does this mean?
Sorting rearranges the entries so they are in the specified
sorted order.  Once sorted, for example, a sequential search will
look through a catalog based on the sorted order instead of the
order the entries where originally typed.  The "F8 - Clear Sort"
function instantly returns your catalog to its original unsorted
order.  The indexes will still be in the sorted order, but
sequential searches will no longer follow the sorted order.  If
you also wish to return the indexes to an unsorted condition all
you need to do is ReIndex.
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 39

Indexes use space on your disk.  The more entries you have the
more space an index will use.  If you have an index you no longer
need you can delete that index by pushing F9.  You will be
prompted to enter the letter that is next to the line for which
you want to erase the index.  If you do not want to erase a index
at this point, push ESC.  Otherwise push the appropriate letter.

The circumstances in which you might want to erase an index would
be if you find you had originally set up a line to be indexed,
but you are not using that index.  You would first use the "Set
Up New Format" feature to turn off that index, then go to the
Sort screen to erase the index that was just turned off.


 Utility Menu - Reserve Space

Next on the Utility Menu is the "Reserve Space" feature.  This
feature will set aside space on a hard disk for future entries.
When the "Reserve Space" option is selected a window will open,
display the number of entries currently in your catalog and
prompt you for the amount of space you want to reserve.  Estimate
the total number of entries you expect to have and enter a number
that will reserve enough space to hold them, but generally you
should not reserve space for more than 500 or so new entries.
Reserving too much space can result in a lot of wasted disk
space, if you later change your mind about how many entries
you'll have.

Reserving space does not set a limit on the number of entries you
can have.  For example, if you reserve space for 100 entries, you
can still make as many entries as you wish.  The software will
fill the 100 reserved spaces and then continue on without any
problems.  Also, you do not need to reserve space in order to use
this software.

The purpose of reserving space is two-fold.  First, if you expect
to have a lot of entries in your catalog, and you are using other
software on the same disk, the reserve space feature is used to
set aside disk space for use by OYC.  This will insure the disk
space you want to use for your OYC catalog is not used up by
files created by other software.

The reserve space feature is also used to help prevent the
catalog file from becoming fragmented.  Fragmented files are a
normal result of using a computer.  When a computer stores
information on a disk it puts it into the next available sector
on the disk.  The next available sector may not be physically
located anywhere near the previous sectors the computer was
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 40

using.  As you add to a data file it tends to be broken into
small pieces that are scattered in various sectors all over the
disk.

The problem with fragmented files is that they slow down your
computer because it takes more time for the heads in your disk
drive to move from piece to piece of a file that is scattered all
over a disk.  With serious file fragmentation the computer can
actually lose track of pieces of a file or start to get cross
linked files.  As a result the computer can become "confused" and
lock-up, you might start getting strange results for searches or
be unable to access some entries.  (I've had this happen with
WordPerfect, Lotus 123  and Microsoft Works files).

Reserving space helps prevent your this software files from
getting fragmented.  If you start by reserving space and then
defragment your hard disk, the OYC catalog file that will stay
together in one piece regardless of any other activity that
affects the disk.  Notice that I said you will need to defragment
your hard disk.  How do you de-fragment a disk?  You will need a
utility that has been designed to do that.  Take a look in
Appendix A for a further discussion of fragmented files and
descriptions of several utilities I recommend.

 Utilities Menu - Eliminate Deleted

When an entry is deleted (using the Edit function) it is not
erased.  It still exists.  What the software does is mark the
entry as being deleted so it will not show up during searches or
listings.  If you want to permanently remove an entry from your
catalog you need to use the "Eliminate Deleted" feature.   When
you select the "Eliminate Deleted" feature on the Utilities menu
the software will go through your entire catalog and permanently
remove all deleted entries.  The disk space used by the deleted
entries will be recovered and made available for new entries.
This process is automatic and there is nothing you need to do.

Once started you can not interrupt this process.  If it should be
interrupted your catalog might be left with an entry duplicated
(entered twice).  There is no risk of losing data however, so if
this process is interrupted by a power failure for example, all
of your entries will still be there.

Eliminating deleted entries will change the entry numbers for
many of the entries in your catalog.  You should reindex after
using this feature.
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 41

If you want to eliminate deleted entries without having the entry
numbers change you can use the editor to individually type a new
entry that replaces the old, deleted entry.

 Utilities Menu - Set Up New Format

This feature is used to both set up new catalog formats and to
modify an existing format.  The "Set Up New Format" feature is
also used to select lines to be indexed and totaled.

Push ALT-U to drop-down the Utility menu and use the scroll bar
to highlight the "Set Up New Format" option.  Then push ENTER to
select it.  Figure 23 shows the set up screen as it appears for a
file that has not been set up previously.  If you are modifying
an existing format that format will be displayed on this screen.

Let's start by looking at the F-key prompts at the bottom of the
screen.

At the lower left of the screen is a prompt that says, "F2 - [
TITLES ]".  This prompt indicates the current mode the software
is set for.  There are five possible modes.  These are:

TITLES - allows you to enter or change line titles.

LENGTHS - used to set the lengths of lines.

INDEXING - this mode used to mark the lines that are to be
indexed.  You may index up to 10 lines, however we suggest that
no more than five or six lines be indexed.  Keep in mind that
indexes use disk space and the more lines you index, the more
space each entry will use on the disk.

VALUE - used to mark the lines you want to have totalled.  For
example, if you are using a line to keep track of the value of
items, you can mark that line so all the values are totalled.
Each time you conduct a search or listing the total value of all
items listed will be displayed (or printed on the report).

CALCULATE - used to set a fields to perform calculations.



Starting A New Catalog

There are two ways to start a new catalog.  You can start from
scratch or copy any existing catalog.
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To start from scratch push ALT-U for the Utilities Menu and
highlight the bottom selection, "Select Catalog".  Push ENTER and
when the catalog selection menu appears push the ESC key. You can
now enter the name you want to use for your new catalog. Once a
new name is entered you'll be returned to the Main Screen where
you should push ALT-U and select the "Set Up Cat. Format Option."

To copy any existing catalog format go to the "Set Up Cat.
Format" screen.  Push F3 to activate the copy feature.  You'll be
prompted to enter the name for the new catalog you want to
create.  Enter a new catalog name and push ENTER.  The set up
screen will switch to the new name and will use the format copied
from the catalog OYC was initially using.

 Setting Line Titles

To start setting up a new format set the F2 toggle to TITLES.
There is a scroll bar that can be moved up and down along the
left side of the screen.  If you just installed the software the
default titles will be displayed.  If you have started a new
catalog all of the line titles will display "NOT SET".

Move the scroll bar to a line you want to use and type the title
for that line.  You may enter up to 14 characters including
letters, numbers, spaces and punctuation.  If you make a mistake
in typing a title, just highlight it with the scroll bar again
and type the corrected title.

Titles do not have to be on consecutive lines.  You can skip
lines in order to create groups of lines.  You can also have
untitled lines.  The LINE LENGTH determines whether that line
will be a part of your catalog format.  If you set a line to be
on, that line will be part of the format regardless of whether it
has a title.

 Setting Line Lengths

Once you have put a title on each line you intend to use push F2
to switch to the LENGTHS mode.  The software will now allow you
to set or modify the lengths of each line.  If you are starting a
new format, you will need to set lengths for all of the lines.
To set the length of a line move the highlight bar to that line,
enter a number from 2 to 64 and push ENTER.  Lines may be no
shorter than 2 characters and no longer than 64 characters.

Go through all of the lines using the scroll bar to highlight
each line title and enter the desired length for each.  When you
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 43

enter a line length the software will display a bar that
graphically shows the length of the line.  The number of
characters in each line will be shown in a highlighted section at
the left side of each line.

 Setting Lines To Be Indexed

Push F2 again to switch to the Indexing mode.  To mark a line to
be indexed move the scroll bar to that line and push the ENTER
key.  A "starburst" symbol will appear next to that line to
indicate it will be indexed.  To remove a line from being indexed
move the scroll bar to that line and push the ENTER key.  The
"starburst" symbol will disappear.

You may index up to six lines.  However I recommend that you only
index important lines.  Each index uses additional space on  your
disk.  If you create a lot of indexes that you don't use, then
you've wasted a lot of disk space.

 Totaling Values

Once you've selected all of the lines to be indexed push F2 again
to put the software into the Value mode.  You can now move the
scroll bar to any line and push the ENTER key to mark it as a
line to be totaled.  This will result in the numerical values on
the marked line being totaled during searches and listings.  When
entering information the value must be the only information on
the line.  If letters are included on the line being totaled they
may cause the total to be incorrect.

When you push F2 again the software will return to the Titles
mode.  You can then modify any of the titles or use the F2 toggle
to change the mode and modify anything you've set up on this
screen.  When everything is set as you want it push F5 to save
the format.  This will return you to the Main Screen.

You can modify a format anytime before you save the first entry.
Just select the "Set Up Cat. Format" option on the Utilities menu
and make any required modifications.  Once the first entry has
been saved you only can change the line titles, and the lines
marked to be indexed or totaled.  You can not change the line
lengths.

Take a look at figure 24.  At the bottom of the screen is a
status line that says "EST:   5,025 ENTRIES/MB".  This is saying
that, based on the current format, OYC can store approximately
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 44

5,025 entries per megabyte of space.  As you change the lengths
of lines and the number of lines indexed this number will change.
It can be used to give you a good idea of the amount of space
your format uses.

 Copying A Catalog Format

If you are creating a new catalog format that is similar to that
of an existing catalog, you may find it easier to start by
copying that existing format.  To copy an existing catalog format
start at the Main Screen and set the software so it is using the
catalog name you want to copy.  The catalog name you want to copy
should be displayed in the center of the second line down from
the top of the screen.

Next select the Set Up Catalog Format option on the Utilities
Menu.  With the format set up screen displayed push F3 and then
enter the name you want to use for the new format.  The set up
screen will change to the new name while retaining the old
format.  You may now modify the format or push F5 to save it.

 Catalog Design

Before we go on to the next item on the Utilities menu I'd like
to talk a little bit about catalog design.  When designing a
catalog format there is the temptation use the longest lines
available.  However, this can waste a lot of disk space.  In many
cases you can select a line that has a shorter length and will
handle 98% of everything you'll need to enter.  Getting that last
2% is what will use a lot of disk space.  Consider using
abbreviations to shorten information that exceeds the length of a
line.

Another suggestion is that you should always include a line for
miscellaneous information.  Unless you're copying information
from an established file (such as a card catalog or existing
list) it is difficult to predict everything you might want to
enter in the future.  Having a miscellaneous line, even a short
one, gives you the flexibility of having space to enter
information you did not anticipate.

 Utilities Menu - Set Up Macro

A macro is a way to enter complete lines of information with just
a single ALT key combination.  Using a macro ALT-key combination
______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 45

you can enter preset information at the cursor location.  First
let's look at how to set up the information in the macros.
Select the "Set Up Macro" option on the Utilities Menu.  This
will display a window in the middle of the screen.

You can have up to 30 macros.  The ALT-key combination that
activates each macro is shown along the left side of the window.
To set up a macro just type the information you want to
automatically enter in your catalog next to one the ALT-key
designations.  After typing each macro line push ENTER.  When you
are done entering macros push the ESC key.

Macros can be changed at any time by returning to the screen
shown in figure 25 and making whatever changes you need.  When
you're done push the ESC key to return to the Main Screen.

I recommend leaving one of the macro lines blank, possibly the
ALT-B line.  This gives you a way to erase (blank) a line or part
of a line when entering or editing an entry.  For example, if you
leave ALT-B blank you can place the cursor on any line in your
catalog, push ALT-B and that line will be blanked.  You could
also blank part of a line by putting the cursor anywhere on the
line and pushing ALT-B.  Everything from the cursor and to the
right of the cursor will be erased.

 Utility Menu - Set Security Code

This software provides a three level security system.

Level 1 - provides access only to people who know the three digit
access code.

Level 2 - provides full access to anyone who knows the correct
security code and read-only access to everyone else.  With read-
only access you can look up and read any of the entries, but you
can not modify entries.  With read-only access some selections on
the drop-down menus, that would have allowed changes to be made,
no longer appear on the menu.  Figure 26 shows what the edit menu
looks like when the software is set for read-only access.

Level 2 security might be used in a library where only the
librarian has access to change entries while patrons of the
library have read-only access for looking up movies & TV shows.

Level 3 - allows full access to anyone.

To set a security code select the "Set Security Code" option on
the Utilities menu.  You will then be prompted to enter a three
digit security code.  If you enter a number between 001 and 250
_______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 46

the software will run at level one security.  You will need to
enter the correct security code number before getting access to
the software.

Entering a number from 251 to 500 provides level 2 security.  If
you enter the correct code you have full access.  Entering any
other number provides read-only access.

Setting the security code to any number greater than 500 allows
full, level 3, access to everyone.

If you've set a security code that is 500 or lower, when the
software first boots a screen with just a plus (+) symbol will
appear.  The cursor will be next to the plus symbol.  Type your
security code at this point and push ENTER.

The security code is stored in the HOMECRAF.SET file.  If this
file should be erased, you will not be able to use the software.
You will need to either replace the HOMECRAF.SET file using a
backup copy or from your original disk, or use the RESET.EXE
utility (available only in the registered version).

DO NOT FORGET YOUR SECURITY CODE!  The RESET.EXE utility can be
used to get you into the software, if you forget your security
code.  But the RESET.EXE utility is not provided as  as part of
the shareware version.  This is done in order to prevent people
whom you do not want to have access to your files from getting a
copy of the RESET.EXE file.  So please be careful if you are
using the security feature in the shareware version of this
software.

 Utilities Menu - Set Screen Colors

OYC will initially start running in the black & white mode.  To
switch it to color select "Set Screen Colors" on the Utilities
menu.  You can also push CTRL-A to jump directly to this screen.
Five possible color settings will be displayed.  Push a number,
from 0 to 4, that indicates the color combination you want to
use.  (Generally #1 provides the best setting).

This set up screen also allows you to control the BEEP that
sounds when the cursor reaches the end of a line  Push F1 to
toggle the BEEP on or off.

 Utilities Menu - Delete Catalog

If you are no longer using a catalog, it can be deleted using
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the "Delete Catalog" option on the Utilities menu.  Select
"Delete Catalog" and a listing of catalogs will be displayed.
Use the scroll bar to highlight the catalog you want to delete
and push ENTER.  If there are entries in the file OYC will  tell
you how many entries it has (see figure 27) and ask you to
confirm that this is the correct file to delete.

Do not try to delete the catalog if OYC is set to use that
catalog.  If you do, the catalog will be deleted and then
immediately recreated as OYC tries to use that catalog.

 Utilities Menu - Select Catalog

The last selection on the Utilities menu allows you to select a
catalog or create a new catalog file.  You can have as many
catalog files as you wish, limited only by the limitations of the
version of DOS you are using.  When deciding on names for your
catalogs you can not use numbers as a part of the catalog name.
Numbers are used to identify the index files.  Using a number in
a catalog name might cause some confusion in the index files.
Also, catalog names can not be longer than eight characters.

Although you can create as many catalogs as you wish I recommend
using as few as possible.  Using multiple catalogs can become
very confusing.  In many cases you can enter all of your
information in one catalog and let the software sort it out.
This makes it a lot easier to find specific entries because you
do not first have to figure out which catalog it is in.

To change catalog names select "Select Catalog Name" on the
Utilities menu.  The existing catalogs will be shown in a box in
the center of the screen.  You can use the cursor keys to
highlight a catalog or push ESC to enter a new catalog name.  To
use an existing catalog use the scroll bar to highlight it and
then push ENTER.

The menu for selecting the catalog name is designed to make
selecting the correct catalog quick and easy.  For example, you
can move the scroll bar directly to the catalog you want to
highlight by pushing the first letter of the catalog name. If
several catalogs start with the same letter, push that letter
until the correct catalog is highlighted.

A mouse can be used to select a catalog name by placing the mouse
cursor on the catalog to be selected and pushing the left mouse
button twice.  You can move through the list of catalogs by using
the diamond shaped slider along
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the right edge of the menu.  Put the mouse cursor on the
"slider", hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse
cursor up or down.



THE REPORT MENU

The Report Menu allows you to select where a report will be sent
(the printer, a disk file, the monitor, etc.).  This menu is also
used to design reports, set the report lengths and enter some of
the final report design options.

 Report Menu - Send To [ Monitor ]

There are seven places you can send a report.  These are:

MONITOR: Displays the results of a search or listing one entry at
a time on the monitor.  The complete entry is displayed on the
screen.

PRINTER - Continuous Paper: The results of a search or listing
will be sent to your printer.  This type of report is designed
for printers with continuous feed paper such as dot matrix and
laser printers.

To send a report to the printer you first need to have designed a
report format (which I'll discuss in a moment).  The software
comes with a standard format that will print everything in each
entry.  You can design your own report formats to look any way
you want.

PRINTER - Single Sheet Feed: This is the same type of report as
the "PRINTER-Continuous Paper" report except that it is designed
for printers that only handle one sheet of paper at a time.  A
daisy wheel printer would be an example of this type of printer.

ASCII (document) File: You can save the results of a search or
listing in a file on your disk.  It will be stored as an ASCII
text file which means it can be imported into any word processor.
This allows you to include, for example, wanted lists in letters
you send to other collectors.

dBase File: Selecting this option will save the results of a
search or listing in a dBase III file.  This file can be used by
any software that can read dBase III files.
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QUICK VIEW: This option puts the results of a search or listing
into a list, in which each entry is shown on one line, on the
screen that shows 21 entries per screen.  You can then  move a
scroll bar through the list and pick individual entries to
display.  (Note: this feature requires the additional video
memory that is normally only available with color monitors The
Quick View also uses your disk for temporary storage. Thus you
must have space available on your disk).

The Quick View listing contains all of the information in the
entry.  If the combined length of the lines in your catalog
format exceeds 80 characters (the width of the screen), you can
move the Quick View display to the right or left using the right
or left cursor keys.  Each time you push either cursor key the
display will move by the amount of space used by one column of
information.

When the Quick View list is on the screen use the up/down cursor
keys to move the scroll bar up and down.  The PgDn and PgUp keys
change the display by a complete page.  The Home and End keys
will take you directly to the beginning or end of the list.

To get more detail on any entry use the scroll bar to highlight
that entry and then push the ENTER key.  You can return to the
Quick View screen by pushing F2.

With the Quick View screen displayed pushing the ESC key will
exit from the Quick View function.

LABELS: The labels settings produces the same type of report as
the "PRINTER-Continuous" report except that page feeds are not
included.  This setting should be used anytime you are printing
continuous feed labels.

 Selecting Where You Want To Send Your Report (Send To)

To select a report type use the scroll bar to highlight the "Send
To" option on the Report Menu and push ENTER.  This will open a
window in the middle of the screen (see figure 29).  All of the
report types will be listed and there will be an "X" in the box
next to Monitor.  This indicates that the results of a search or
listing will be displayed on the monitor.  Push the TAB key to
change the setting.  Each time you press the TAB key the "X" will
move to the next box changing and changing the setting.  Press
TAB until the software is set for the type of report you want to
use and then press the ENTER key.
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Report Menu - Page Length

The "Page Length" option allows you to set the number of lines
that can be printed on a sheet of paper by your printer.  For
example, most dot matrix printers will print 66 lines on an 11
inch page while laser printers print 60 lines per page.  When you
select this option a window will appear in the middle of the
screen.  The current page length will be displayed.  You can then
enter a new page length, which can be up to 999 lines.

 Report Menu - Dashed Line

If you wish, you can have the software print a dashed line
between each entry listed on a report.  In some cases this helps
to separate entries making them easier to read.  The dashed line
will also contain the entry number providing a means of
determining which entry numbers are being printed.

The "Dashed Line" selection on the Reports menu is a toggle.
Highlighting the "Dashed Line" option and pushing ENTER will
change the setting between on and off.  The setting will be
stored on the disk.  Once set it will not change until you use
this toggle again.

 Report Menu - Column Headings

You can have column headings printed at the top of the page.  The
line titles you've set-up will be used as the column headings.

With the "Column Headings" option toggled "On" they will be
printed using the same format as you've set up for the printed
report.

This option is a toggle.  When you highlight the "Column
Headings" menu selection and push ENTER the setting will be
toggled between on and off.

A typical use for column headings is with single line reports.
You can set up a report format that prints all of the information
on a single line (up to 250 characters wide - set your printer to
use condensed print to get more characters per line).  What
you'll get using this type of format are columns of information
with an identifying title at the top of each column.

 Lock Top Line - this can be a very useful feature.  When toggled
ON the Lock Top Line will print the first line of the report
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only when it differs from the first line of the previous entry
printed.  For example, if you had a report (for a listing of
movies) that puts the star's name on the first line and the title
on the second line, you would get a printed  report looking like:

CLINT EASTWOOD
   Coogan's Bluff                  600091
   Every Which Way But Loose       012665
   Hang 'Em High                   780099

GREGORY PECK
   Gunfighter, The                 780123
   Guns Of Navarone                012077

CHUCK NORRIS
   Delta Force                     007866
   Hitman, The                     780123

With the LOCK TOP LINE option set to "OFF" the star's name  would
be printed for every item listed.  To print a listing like the
one shown above you will need to set up a two line report format.
The star's name goes on the first line and all of the other
information on the second line.


Report Menu - Set Up Report Format

OYC gives you a way to design your reports to look any way you
want them to.  You can include just the lines of information you
want and design reports that print small labels or full sized
reports.  The "Set Up Report Format" option on the Reports menu
brings up the screen used to design report formats.  You may
design and use as many different report formats as you wish,
giving each format its own name.  Let's start by looking at the
"F key" prompts at the bottom of the report setup screen.

The first F-key prompt you'll need to use is "F6 - RPRT LENGTH"
The F6 key is used to set the length of the report.  Please note
this is different from the page length that is set on the Report
menu.  The report length is the number of lines used to print the
information about one entry.  A report can have from one line up
to 21 lines.

There are two bars that graphically show the report length.  The
top bar contains the screen title and cursor position indicator.
The lower bar is a solid line.

Push F6 and a blank space will appear in the brackets next to the
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RPRT LENGTH prompt.  Enter the number of lines you want to use to
print each entry.  The lower bar will then drop down to show the
size of the report.

The F2 key is used to select the line you want to put on the
report.  Each time you push F2 the line name in the brackets will
change.  In addition to the title of the line the length of the
line is also shown.  In addition to the 21 line titles you can
also place the entry number on your reports.  The entry number
will appear as the 22nd title when pushing F2 to change the title
shown in the brackets.

The F3 key is used to place a line on the report.  Use the cursor
keys to move the cursor to the location where you wish to place a
line.  Notice that a counter in the upper right corner gives the
row and column where the cursor is located.  When you push the F3
key the line shown in the brackets next to the F2 prompt will be
placed on the report at the cursor location.

If you try to place a line in a location that would result in two
lines overlapping, your computer will beep and the placement of
the line will not be accepted.

You can relocate a line you've already placed by pushing the F2
key until the name of the line you want to replace is in the
brackets next to the F2 prompt, positioning the cursor at the new
location and then pushing F3.

The screen can only show reports that are 80 characters wide,
however you can set up and print reports that are up to 250
characters wide.  As you place lines at locations that go beyond
the 80 character width of your screen the display will scroll to
the left in 40 character increments.  You can move the cursor
forty characters to the left or right by holding down the CTRL
key and pushing the left or right cursor keys.  (Watch the column
numbers in the upper right corner).

To make things fit better you can shorten the length of the lines
to be printed.  For example, if you only wanted to include the
first 15 characters of the company name push F2 until the COMPANY
line title is shown in the brackets.  Then push F4.  The F4 key
is used to change the length of any line.  When you push F4 the
line length number within the F2 brackets will be replaced by a
blank space.  You can then enter a new line length.

Line lengths can not be set to be longer than they are in the
catalog format.  Thus, if the length of a line in the catalog
format is 4 characters, then you can not set that line to be
longer than 4 characters on the report format.  Since the name
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of the line is used to show how much space the line will use when
printed, if the line is only 4 characters long, then only the
first four characters of the line name will be displayed on the
report format setup screen.

If you place a line on the report and then decide that you don't
want to include it in the report, use the F2 key to put the line
name in the brackets.  Then push F9.  The F9 key is used to
delete a line from the report.

You can have the titles of the lines printed on your reports. OYC
will print the line title, a colon and the information on that
line.  Do not use this feature when printing in columns.    The
line titles are toggled on or off when by pushing CTRL-T  ("T"
for title).  The status of the line title setting will be
displayed as a part of the top line.

When the line titles are toggled on an additional 16 spaces  will
be used to print each line.  This will be shown on the  "Set
Report Format" screen by an increase in the displayed  length of
the lines.  Please note that the name of the line  will always be
shown as a part of the line - without regard  to whether the line
titles are on or off.  The amount of space  that will be used to
print the line, or the title plus the line, will be indicated by
a combination of the name of the line plus  a series of
asterisks.

Please note that, if you switch the titles between being toggled
on and off it may appear that some of the lines have disappeared.
This just means that the line locations can not be displayed on
the screen as it is set up.  Should this happen you should re-
arrange the location of the affected items.  Before saving a
report format be sure you can see all of the lines you want to
print and that none of them are overlapping.

Once you have a report designed the way you want it to be push F5
to save it.  You can save as many different report formats as
you'd like, giving a different format name to each.  The F7 key
allows you to select the format name of an existing report or
assign a name to a new report format.

To return to the Main Screen push F10 (or the ESC key).

 Report Menu - Report Format

You can also change report names using the "Report Format" option
on the Report menu.  The current setting for the report format
will be shown in brackets next to this menu item.  When you
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select this option a box will appear that shows all of the format
names currently used.  You can select one by highlighting it with
the scroll bar and pushing ENTER.  You may also push the ESC key
to enter a new format name.

Please note that if you have the software set to use a format
name for which no format has been defined, your printed reports
will be blank.

 Printing A Report

Here are the steps you would follow to print a report:

1) Design and save the report format you want to use.  This needs
to be done only one time.  Once a report format has been saved it
is available whenever you needed it.

2a) If you are searching for something, enter the search criteria
on the appropriate line(s).

2b) If you wish to list your catalog in alphabetical order, move
the cursor to the line you wish the alphabetical order to be
based on.  This line must be marked with a starburst symbol.

3) Push ALT-R for the Report Menu.  The highlight bar will be on
the "Send To" option.  Push ENTER.  A window displaying report
options will open in the middle of the screen.  Most people will
want to use the CONTINUOUS PAPER setting, so push ENTER once to
move the "X" to that setting.  If you want to pause after each
page is printed, put the "X" next to SINGLE SHT. FEED.

4) Push ESC to close the window and return to the Report Menu.

5) Check the Dashed Line, Column Headings and Lock Top Line
settings to be sure they are set the way you want them to be.

6) Push the left cursor key until the Search Menu is displayed.
Highlight the search option you want to use and push ENTER.  A
prompt will now appear, at the bottom of the screen, asking for a
title for this report.  You can enter anything you like as a
title as long as the number of characters in the title does not
exceed 80 characters or the width of your report format,
whichever is greater.  If you push ENTER at this point, without
entering a title, the software will put a default title on your
report.  If you do not want any title at all, push the space bar
and then push ENTER.

Your report will now start printing.
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I have taken you through printing a report in a step-by-step
detailed manner.  Once you have become familiar with using this
software you can skip some of these steps and use the short cut
keys.  For example, if you've already printed one report you can
print a second simply by entering your search criteria and
pushing F6 (or F8).

 EXIT MENU

You can drop-down the eXit menu by either pushing ALT-X or by
pushing the ESC key.

The eXit menu provides three options.  The first is "Exit
Program" and selecting this returns you to the DOS prompt (or a
DOS shell program, if you are using one).  You should always exit
from this software before turning off your computer.  Turning off
your computer while any program is still running can result in
the partial loss of data should that data still be in your
computer's internal buffers.

 Backing Up Your Catalog

Entering the information about your collection takes a lot of
time and it's not something most people want to do twice.  That's
why maintaining current backup copies of all your catalog files
is very important.  The second selection on the Exit Menu
provides a limited, but effective way to backup your catalog
files.

Please note, this utility is not intended to be a complete hard
disk backup system.  I strongly recommend that you purchase
software such as PC Tools, Fastback, or any of the many other
backup utilities available.  We are only including this utility
because a large number of users create catalogs having several
thousand entries and then lose them when their computers
encounter a hard disk problem.  This utility is only intended to
provide something you can use while your catalog is small and
until you can purchase a normal backup utility program.

The backup utility will backup the current catalog in use.  The
name of this catalog is displayed as a part of the Main Screen in
the middle of the status line (second line down from the top).
Each catalog must be backed up separately.

To use the backup utility select "Backup" on the Exit Menu.  Read
the first screen that appears and then push ENTER.  When the next
screen appears you can push "E" to exit, "B" to start a backup,
or "R" to recover backup copies from a floppy disk.  On the next
_______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 56

screen push the letter that identifies the disk drive containing
the backup floppy disk.

You should start your backup using a blank formatted disk and use
a separate disk for each catalog.  I suggest keeping a set of
three backup disks for each catalog.  Rotate through this set
always using the oldest one for the current backup.  That way, if
your current backup should turn out to be a backup copy of files
that have already been damaged (it happens a lot), you can go
back to an older copy and still recover most of your catalog.
Note: you do not need to erase or reformat backup floppies before
using them a second, third, forth, etc. time for the same
catalog.  If the backup floppy is always used for the same
catalog, the backup process will erase the previous backup copy.
You only need to start with a blank floppy the first time that
disk is used.

You can recover a backup copy by following essentially the same
sequence of steps.  Just push "R" for recover instead of "B" for
backup on the appropriate screen.

NOTE: When files are being recovered the utility will not allow a
file with an older date to overwrite a more recent file.  If you
have lost a catalog and in looking for it have created another
catalog using the same name, the more recent catalog will have to
be erased before the backup utility will copy the old files to
your disk.  There is a selection of the Utilities Menu that is
used to delete catalogs.

The backup utility uses an archiving utility called LHA.  It is a
separate program that OYC runs by shelling to DOS.  This utility
was written by Yoshi and is copyrighted 1991 by Yoshi. The
documentation for this utility is included on the disk in a text
file called LHA.DOC.  You may use this utility for other things
and I recommend you read the documentation.  Please note that LHA
may not be used with any software that uses copy protection.

 SHELL TO DOS

The final option on the Exit Menu is "Shell To DOS."  This option
gets you to the DOS prompt without exiting the program OYC
remains in your computer's memory and you can return to where you
left off by typing the word EXIT at the DOS prompt.

You might use the "Shell To DOS" option, for example, to use the
DOS directory (DIR) command to check for files on your disk or to
format a floppy disk.
_______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 57

 HELP MENU

OYC includes a series of help screens that have key information
about the main functions.  Push ALT-H to drop-down the Help Menu.
Then use the scroll bar to select the topic you want information
on.

 RETURN

The final selection only appears at the top of the screen when a
drop-down menu is displayed.  The Return selection removes the
drop-down menus from the screen and returns you to the Main
Screen.  You can also return to the Main Screen by pushing the
ESC key.


 CALCULATOR

A pop-up calculator is included in OYC and can be accessed from
the Main Screen, Edit Screen, or Make Entries Screen.  To display
the calculator push CTRL-C.



GRAPHIC IMAGES

The OYC software can display PCX graphics images.  There can be a
separate graphics image for each entry in your catalog. The
number of graphic images is only limited by the size of your hard
disk.

The software uses the 21st line of the catalog format to specify
the filename for the graphics image.  If you already have an
existing OYC catalog in which the 21st line is not used, you
will need to set up a new catalog (with the 21st line set for  at
least 8 characters) and then copy the entries from the old
catalog to the catalog you just set up.  You would use the  same
procedure as is used to change the length of a line and which is
described earlier in this manual.

When you set-up line 21 you do not need to limit it to 8
characters in length.  However, only the first 8 characters will
be used to identify graphics images.  Provided you put a space
after the PCX filename, you can use any additional space on this
line for other information.  This line still functions in the
same way as all of the other lines.  It can be indexed, searched,
and cross referenced.
_______________ORGANIZE Your Collection - REFERENCE SECTION - 58


Once you have a catalog with line 21 set-up all you need to do is
enter the filename used by a PCX graphics image on that line.
Just enter the filename, you do not need to enter the PCX
filename extension.  For example, if the name of the PCX file is
SAMPLE.PCX, then just enter SAMPLE on line 21.

Graphics images can only be displayed after an entry has been
saved. Once an entry has been saved use either a search or the
editor to display the catalog entry.  You can also push F1,
immediately after saving an entry, to directly go into the edit
mode and display the entry you just saved.

To display a graphics image push CTRL-PgDn.    You can also
display graphic images stored in other formats such as GIF files.
Instead of building the graphics display software  into the
OYC.EXE file we have provided it in a separate OYCOVL.EXE file.
The OYCOVL.EXE file supplied with OYC will display only PCX
graphic images.  However, by supplying these feature using a
separate utility you can upgrade OYC yourself to display nearly
any type of graphics image.  Here's how the OYC graphics display
works:

The command OYC sends to display a graphic image is

 OYCOVL filename

Where "filename" is the name of the graphic image file to be
displayed.    To display a GIF (or any other format) file you
will need a  utility that will display GIF files.  Rename the
utility as OYCOVL.EXE and put it in the directory containing the
OYC software.  Now when OYC runs the OYCOVL utility it will run
the utility you supplied to display the GIF file.

You can also display EXE graphics files by replacing OYCOVL.EXE
with a batch file called OYCOVL.BAT.  The batch file should have
one line with "%1" followed by a carriage return.  If any
switches are required put a space after the "1" and then include
the switches.
____________________________________CATALOGING VIDEO TAPES - 59





CATALOGING VIDEO TAPES

This software is designed for use by both people who have a few
family videos in their home and by the professional as a cat-
aloging tool.  Organize! Your Video Tapes allows you to create a
catalog and then locate a tape or video sequence by any one of up
to 21 characteristics.  For example, you'll be able to get a list
of all of the sunset videos taken at the beach; or all of the
movies starring Robert Redford.

Another nice feature of this software is that it can be used with
video tapes, laser disks, or just specific video sequences or
specific frames.  Entries can be made for individual sequences
allowing you to list the individually unique information about
each sequence.

The format name is: VIDEO

Let's look at the type of information that can be entered on each
line:

 Title - The name of the movie, program or personal tape.

Star(s) - Who is (are) the star?  If this is a family video you
could put the name of the person who is featured in a video
segment.  (Note: you can catalog individual video segments using
the counter number on your VCR.  However, please be aware that
counters count differently on different machines).

Director - The name of the director.

Catalog Number - The identifying number used to find this video
in your files.

Note - This line is provided for miscellaneous information.  You
can enter an abbreviation for the type of movie; or describe the
quality; or enter any other information you feel is valuable.  If
you are cataloging video segments or multiple shows on a single
tape, you might use this line for the counter number.

Value - Enter the current value of the film or tape.  This
information is useful for insurance purposes.

Always use the same number of digits when entering values.  If
____________________________________CATALOGING - VIDEO TAPES - 60

the values of items in your collection ranges from $1 to $1000,
then the $1 items should have their values entered as 0001 which
uses the same number of digits as 1000.  If you need to include
cents some entries, such as in $1.50, but not on others, you do
not need to type ".00".  Digits to the right of the decimal
point, while significant in determining the value of an item, do
not effect how a computer sorts values.

Co-star(s) - The names of any co-stars.

Producer - The name of the producer and/or the production
company.  The executive producer could also be entered on this
line.

Other - Like the NOTE line you can enter whatever information you
feel is useful.  You may enter the name of the family event, or
the type of video camera used (for personal a video).

Type - Use this line to classify entries by type.  The
classifications you use will depend on your requirements.  You
can classify entries by type of movie (action, comedy, drama,
etc., by type of film (B&W, stereo sound, etc.); by type of
family event; or any other or all of the above.  You can put
multiple classifications on this line.  For example a entry might
be CLR/ST - a color movie with stereo sound.

Year - You can use this line for the year the movie was made or
the dates you recorded this video.

Rating - Use this line to indicate whether the movie is PG,
PG-13, G, R or X.  We've also made the line long enough so that
you can add your personal rating.  For example you could enter
"GOOD / PG-13" and a search would find both PG-13 and GOOD.

Review-1 thru 3 - The next three lines are used to enter a
description of the movie (or contents of a family video).  You
can describe the plot and your opinion of this tape.

Studio - The name and location of the studio that made this film.

Soundtrack - Enter the name of the composer or names of major
songs.

Screenplay - The names of the writers.


______________________________ CATALOGING VIDEO TAPES 61

 Comment - Use this line for your comments or other miscellaneous
information.

Time - The duration of the movie (HRS:MINUTES).

Location - Where is this tape stored?  In your home or the city
library?




______________________ORGANIZE Your Collection APPENDIX A - 62

 APPENDIX A - PROBLEM SOLVING

This section describes some of the errors and problems other
users have encountered and recommends solutions.  In most cases
the software will detect problems, diagnose them and put a
message on the screen.

 Permission Denied - this is a DOS error message.  It means that
you are using a disk that is write protected.  Remove the write
protection and the problem will be solved.  This problem might
also be caused by a directory that is full.  You can have a full
directory even if there is space available on your disk.
Depending on the version of DOS you have there is a limit on the
number of files you can have in a directory.  In most cases this
limit is 128 files.  If you try to create more than 128 files you
may get the "Permission Denied" error message.

 The Software Won't Start - if when you type OYC the software
does not start there are several possibilities:

1. If you get a message that says "Bad Command or Filename" then
your computer can not find the OYC.EXE file.  Be sure you are in
the directory that contains the OYC.EXE file.  To do this type
DIR *.EXE and check to see that OYC.EXE is listed in the
directory.  If it is not listed you most likely will need to use
the DOS CD command to change to the correct directory. 2. If
nothing happens or your computer locks up when you type OYC, you
may have fragmented or cross linked files.  Please see the
section which discusses fragmented files.

 All Data Files Have Disappeared - I've had many people call me
with this problem.  Yesterday they were typing entry 4000 and
today the software says they are on entry #1.  What happened?
Usually the cause of this problem is that the database filename
has been changed.  All 4000 entries still exist, they are just
stored using a different filename than the current filename.  In
many cases the two filenames may be very similar such as PHOTO
and PHOTOS.  Its easy to get them mixed up, so be sure you are
using the right filename.

 The Software Can't Find A Database Filename You Know Exists - in
addition to the filename you can also set a PATH.  This allows
you to store data in other directories.  If you are looking for a
________________________ORGANIZE Your Collection APPENDIX A - 64

 database file that is stored in a different directory, you will
need to specify the PATH to that directory as a part of the
filename.

I generally recommend you keep all of your database files in the
same directory as the OYC.EXE file.  This makes it easier to keep
track of what these files are used for and which program they go
with.

 Fragmented Files - there is no error message that will tell you
that your computer has fragmented files.  Fragmented files are a
normal result of using a computer.  When a computer stores
information on a disk it puts it into the next available sector
on the disk.  The next available sector may not be physically
located anywhere near the previous sectors the computer was
using.  As you add to a data file it tends to be broken into
small pieces that are scattered in various sectors all over the
disk.

The problem with fragmented files is that they slow down your
computer because it takes more time for the heads in your disk

drive to move from piece to piece of a file that is scattered all
over a disk.  With serious file fragmentation the computer can
actually lose track of pieces of a file or start to get cross
linked files.  As a result the computer can become "confused" and
lock-up, you might start getting strange results for searches or
be unable to access some entries.

If your computer was working fine yesterday and today seems to be
giving you strange results and problems, the cause may be the
result of fragmented files.  I've seen all kinds of problems the
range from software locking up to files becoming inaccessible.
To solve and prevent this problem you'll need utility software
such as PC Tools or the Norton Utilities.  Both of these programs
provide file de-fragmentation.
______________________ORGANIZE Your Collection APPENDIX A - 65

You should defragment your hard disk on a regular basis.  I've
found my computer can get fragmented files after just one day of
use (one day of use for me is probably a lot for someone else).
In most cases you should perform preventive maintenance by
defragmenting your hard disk after every 50 to 100 hours of use.

An Asterisks Appears When The Software Is Started - If when you
boot this software you get a blank screen with just an asterisks,
then the security feature is activated.  If you are unable to get
past that screen, then you will need to use the RESET.EXE utility
to regain access to this software.  RESET.EXE is provided on the
original this software disk.  Because it serves as a generic key
that will "open" the software, the install procedure leaves it on
the original disk where other people can not use it.

To use RESET.EXE you can copy it to the directory containing the
this software (if you are not concerned about security).  It may
also be run from the original floppy disk.  If you run it from a
floppy disk, first set your computer so that the directory
containing this software is the current directory on your hard
drive.  Get the DOS prompt for the disk drive where RESET.EXE is
located.  Type RESET.  The utility will ask you to push the
letter that identifies your hard disk.  The utility will then
reset the security function.


USING OYC WITH HOMECRAFT VERSION 4 OR EARLIER SOFTWARE

The OYC software uses a data format that is not compatible with
previous HomeCraft Software collector's databases. However,
HomeCraft guarantees that we will never make a change that
results in your needing to retype your data files.  All
registered users receive a conversion utility that will
automatically read files created by any HomeCraft Software
database previous to version 5 and convert them to the format
used by version 5.