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DBLITE VERSION 1.2j Software and Documentation Copyright (C) 1992-1993 All Rights Reserved See Section XI for full copyright notice (see Update.doc for latest information) dbLite is written by Michael J. Seither Product testing and documentation by David Grant Table of Contents SECTION I. ABOUT DBLITE I.a. Brief Description I.b. Why dbLite? I.c. General Specifications I.d. What Is a "Lite" Database? I.e. How to Install and Start dbLite I.e.1. If You Have a Monochrome Monitor I.f. Running dbLite from Windows I.g. Important Information SECTION II. DEFAULTS AND MODES SECTION III. EDIT MODE III.a. How To Use Edit Mode III.b. Editing Keys III.c. Editing Records III.d. Using Memos III.e. Using Notes III.f. Copying Lines and Records III.g. Special Characters SECTION IV. MENU OPERATIONS IV.a. Using Menus IV.b. File Menu IV.c. Print Menu IV.c.1. Laser Printer Label Stock IV.c.2. Dot-Matrix Printer Label Stock IV.c.3. Types of Printing IV.c.4. Downloadable Fonts IV.c.5. Form Feeds IV.d. Append Record IV.e. Delete Record IV.f. Insert Record IV.g. Record Sort IV.h. Search Menu IV.i. Capture Menu IV.j. Quit Menu SECTION V. TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT DBLITE FILES SECTION VI. LISTINGS SECTION VII. MATH FEATURES VII.a. Calculator Math VII.b. Checkbook Math VII.c. Calendar SECTION VIII. NOTES ON PRINTERS SECTION IX. REGISTRATION NOTICE IX.a. dbLite REGISTRATION FORM SECTION X. COPYRIGHT NOTICE APPENDIX A. COMMAND & EDIT KEY SUMMARY Including Note Editor keys and key combos ******************************************************************* SECTION I. ABOUT DBLITE I.a. Brief Description dbLite (pronounced DEE-bee-LIGHT) is a program for IBM-compatible computers. It does not require Microsoft Windows, but can be used within the Windows environment. dbLite is designed to keep track of data of all types -- mailing lists, phone lists, address book lists, things-to-do lists, inventory lists, and other applications which require data acquisition and retrieval. It outputs printed lists and labels using either laser or dot-matrix printers. It will address envelopes directly, one at a time, and using labels, it can address many at once. It makes a fine mailing list maintenance program. It works best, however, as a simple, uncomplicated information- management tool. The people and things it can catalog are limited only by your imagination. dbLite is shareware, and you are encouraged to freely distribute dbLite and its related files. Show your friends and colleagues what a neat program you found and ask them if they have seen anything like it. I.b. Why dbLite? dbLite works because its author uses it, personally, every day. Thus, improvements are constantly being made and tested based on the programmer's actual experience. Many software programs exist that perform the same functions as dbLite. To keep track of names, addresses and phone numbers, you can use programs like SideKick or dBase. You can paste labels and keep track of phone numbers in a DayRunner. You can print whole pages from your computer using various programs, punch holes in the edges, and put them in a book. But programs like these fill your hard disk and cost a lot. dbLite is designed as a simple way to _ Keep track of names and addresses; _ Set up mailing labels for frequently mailed-to contacts; _ Have an electronic listing from which you can search for names of people you want to call; _ Keep a things-to-do list; _ Sort by any field and rearrange the database quickly; _ Easily save your work and easily recall it; _ Keep useful reference lists around the house, for videotapes, Christmas mailing lists, and produce labels corresponding to these lists. dbLite can be used without a lot of setup. It's small, simple, quick, and effective. And it's an easy-to-use program to give to your friends and relatives who don't want to learn to use dBase or WordPerfect but who do want to maintain a mailing list and print labels for envelopes. All these things are now being done with dbLite. I.c. General Specifications dbLite files (lists) can include up to 1201 records (entries) per file. dbLite can maintain an unlimited number of files (limited only by disk space), so you can keep very large numbers of records. But you must separate them into files no greater than 1201 records each. dbLite can handle larger lists if they are maintained as a series of small files. For example, if you have a large mailing list, you could keep names from A through L in one file and M through Z in another file. Nevertheless, if you anticipate working with larger lists, you will probably find a more specialized database program, such as dBase or Paradox, to be more appropriate. However, while such programs do have features lacking in dbLite, they are much more difficult to use -- and much more expensive. dbLite can be used not only as a database of mailing labels but to store records of any kind. It sorts by any line to organize data and it searches for any text to help locate entries. dbLite gives you up to 255 characters of storage space for each record. This is divided into 5 lines of 35 characters each for the basic record and 4 lines of up to 20 characters for the memo window. This is ideal for mailing labels, but this structure also gives you flexibility to organize your information into subcategories. You can sort based on these subcategories. Of course, you can also print labels and manage files directly from dbLite. Version 1.2 of dbLite introduces a note of up to 1617 characters with can be associated with each record. In a file of 1,201 records there can be a maximum of 247 notes. I.d. What Is A "Lite" Database? dbLite is a small, pre-structured, static-format database. dbLite's record format is already defined when you start it. dbLite's record structure includes nine fields per record; each of the first five fields can contain up to 35 characters, and each of the last four can contain up to 20 characters; and those characters can be anything, from numbers to text to special characters. In order to properly use a database and put all of its power to use, you should be consistent in what you enter into each field. Since there are nine fields per record (including four in the memo window), you should consistently enter a recurring type of field in the same row of your record each time. This will allow you to organize your data at will (by sorting). You do not have to make entries in alphabetical order. You can randomly enter records a few at a time or all at once and in no particular order. If you consistently put the same "type" of information on the same line of each record, then you will be able to sort records later based on the information on each line. I.e. How to Install and Start dbLite dbLite does not require any special installation process; you can run it from wherever the dbLite files are, either on a hard drive or a floppy disk. To start dbLite: 1. If you are not already logged into the directory where the dbLite files are, log into that directory. 2. From the operating system prompt, type DBLITE and press Enter. When you first start dbLite, unless you modify the default file or request to load another file on the command line, dbLite will load the file called INTRO.DBL. This file is a series of records designed to help you learn to use the program. You should read and work your way through these 25 records to help you learn dbLite. Once you have done the exercises, you may delete INTRO. Most people who use dbLite for any length of time will want to run it from a hard drive. To get a hard drive ready for dbLite, simply copy the dbLite files to a dbLite directory set up on your hard drive for that purpose. For example, if your files are on a floppy disk in A: drive, and you want to put the dbLite files into a directory called DBLITE on your C: drive, type the following commands from the system prompt (pressing Enter after each command): c: cd\ md dblite copy a:\*.* c:\dblite Then start dbLite as shown above. All your data files will then be created in the dbLite directory and will be easier to manage. I.e.1. If You Have a Monochrome Monitor Some dbLite users with monochrome monitors have reported that menus don't show up properly. If you experience this problem, try starting dbLite differently. Instead of typing DBLITE at the operating system prompt, type DBLITE 10 or DBLITE 11. If you wish, try substituting different numbers to get different color combinations. Note that some numbers cause menu choices to blink on and off. If you find a color combination that you like on your screen, you can develop a batch file to start dbLite with that combination automatically. Log into the directory containing the dbLite files, and from the operating system prompt, type (pressing Enter after each line): copy con:dbl.bat dblite 49 Then press Control-Z, then Enter. This will create a file called DBL.BAT, which, when you type dbl from the operating system prompt, will run dblite with menu color combination 49, blue on cyan. (Of course, if you like some other combination better, use that number instead of 49.) I.f. Running dbLite from Windows If you install the dbLite files into a DBLITE directory as outlined above, and you run Microsoft Windows 3.0 or 3.1, you can add dbLite to any Windows group as follows: 1. Open the sub-group window from which you wish to run dbLite. 2. Click File, New, Program Item, OK. 3. Type responses to the prompts as follows: _ Description: dbLite _ Command Line: C:\dbLite\dbLit_.pif _ Working Directory: C:\dbLite 4. Click on Change Icon, and type C:\dbLite\dbLite.ico 5. Finish by clicking on all OK's. This will install dbLite into the group you are currently windowed to. This method is recommended to beginners, but users who are familiar with Windows can use other methods. Running dbLite from Windows will give you nice multitasking abilities. Alt [Enter] will show dbLite in a true windows window (the default is full screen). Alt[SpaceBar] will allow you options to size the window (fonts) and will further allow you to cut and paste between DOS and Windows sessions through the clip board. If you keep your mailing list on dbLIte it is a simple matter to cut the record shown on the screen and paste it into a word processor. The same is true that of a block of text in a document shown on the screen can be copied and pasted into the dbLite note window. I.g. Important Information Starting with Version 1.2, dbLite includes a method of attaching notes to each record. F5 (Alt-N) opens the note window and subsequently closes it. Each time that a note is created it is written to disk. A pointer is created in the record which tells the program which note is attached to it. Every time a new note is created the data file must be saved so that this pointer is retained. You will be reminded of this fact any time you try to exit the program without saving your work if you have created a new note. You should remember that if you decide to copy your data file to another disk or another sub-directory, you should additionally copy the note file with it. An example: You have created a data file and called it "newfile". When you exit the program you can see that a file has been created for you with your records called NEWFILE.DBL. You can view the contents of this file with a file viewer. Don't edit it. If during the course of any editing session you create a note to be associated with any record in "newfile" you will then see another file in the same sub-directory called NEWFILE.DBN. These two files are related and should be transferred (copied) from disk to disk TOGETHER. When you copy, just use copy NEWFILE.*. This also applies to ReNaming these files (do both). Lastly, if you should shell to DOS to do some work you will see some backup files created when the program starts. They will be called (using "newfile" as our example) NEWFILE.$$L and if there is a note, NEWFILE.$$N. These are temporary files which are there in case you decide to rename your work when you quit. I would advise being careful with deleting files during a working session in your DOS shell. SECTION II. DEFAULTS AND MODES When you start dbLite, the default file is automatically loaded. The name of the default file is contained in the DBLITE.DFL file supplied with dbLite. _ The DBLITE.DFL file supplied with dbLite instructs dbLite to load INTRO.DBL. _ You can change the default file by selecting "Change Default File" from the File menu. _ dbLite will look for the default file only in the current directory (the directory into which you are logged when you start dbLite). If it cannot find the default file in the current directory, it will instead load the ADDRESS.DBL file located in the current directory. If the current directory does not contain an ADDRESS.DBL file, dbLite will create one with zero records and load it. _ Thus, each directory from which you start dbLite will have its own DBLITE.DFL file and its own default file. If you start dbLite from a directory that does not already have a DBLITE.DFL file, dbLite will create one in that directory for you, and assign ADDRESS.DBL in that directory as the default file. _ You never need to create or edit a DBLITE.DFL file manually. dbLite does this for you. Once dbLite is up and running, the main menu is displayed, and you are placed into menu mode. dbLite has two modes: menu and edit. _ In menu mode, the cursor is in either the main menu or a submenu, and you can tell dbLite what to do with the data file on the screen (print it, save it, etc.). _ In edit mode, the cursor is in the text of a record, and you can type information into that record of that data file. While in the main menu, press Escape to go to edit mode, or F1 to see a list of shortcut keys which allow you to perform with one keystroke various tasks listed in the menus. While in edit mode, press Escape to go to the main menu, or F1 to see a summary list of editing keys. SECTION III. EDIT MODE III.a. How To Use Edit Mode To get into Edit mode from the main menu, press Escape. The cursor will be put into the record shown and you can edit the information there. Although you can see more than one record at a time, the cursor will always stay in the current record (the record designated by the small left and right arrows). To get a feel for the way dbLite works, press Escape several times, and watch the cursor switch from the current record to highlighting a menu option. In edit mode, the menus disappear, and your cursor is placed into the current record edit window. In menu mode, a menu reappears, and the cursor is placed in that menu for you to make a selection. Edit mode allows you to move from record to record using the Page Up and Page Down keys. In edit mode, you can create records, change records, and review records. To edit existing records, press Escape to switch into edit mode. Then press Page Up or Page Down to find the record you wish to edit by placing it into the current record edit window (the one with the arrows) and make the changes. III.b. Editing Keys While in edit mode, press these keys to move in the ways indicated: Up Arrow Previous line Down Arrow Next line Enter Start of next line Page Up Previous record Page Down Next record Home Start of text on line End End of text on line Tab 5-space tab Shift-Tab 5-space reverse tab Ctrl-Home First record Ctrl-End Last record Alt-Delete Delete line and move remaining lines up Ctrl-Y Delete line and hold its place in record Alt-Insert Insert line Use the Ctrl and Alt keys like the shift -- hold the key (either Ctrl or Alt) and tap the other key. Other editing keys are also available for specific functions. For a complete list of these keys, see Appendix A. Pressing F1 while in edit mode will show a list of the most- commonly-used editing keys. III.c. Editing Records While in Edit mode, type in the information you want on each line. Note that dbLite does not have a "wordwrap" feature. Even though dbLite has text editing features, it is a database. Each line of text is a field in a record. Each box contains an individual record and each line in the box is a field. Use the up and down arrows to move between lines, or Enter to move to the next line (or, if you are already on the last line, to the next record). The normal edit mode in dbLite is overtype -- that is, everything you type will replace what is already there. To insert text in the middle of a line, press the Insert key; the cursor will grow, you will be in insert mode, and the text you type will push existing text on the line to the right. (You can also press Tab while in insert mode to insert 5 spaces at once.) Press Insert again to return to overtype mode. Note, however, that each line is limited to 35 characters. dbLite will beep when you type in the 35th character on a line as a warning that the line is full. However, if you type information into the middle of the line, existing text can "fall off the edge," and there is no way to retrieve it. If you will use a laser printer to print labels, you should limit lines to 29 characters. Printing in the 3-across label format used by copier labels and laser printer labels will truncate the rightmost edge, cutting off the last 6 characters. The information box on the right side of the screen shows where on the 35-character line you are typing and when you have gone beyond character 29. (You can get around this limitation by using downloaded fonts. See the "Downloadable Fonts" section for details.) While in edit mode, you can press F1 for a summary of file-movement keys, or Escape for the main menu. III.d. Using Memos Each dbLite record includes a memo window. This window, which includes 4 lines holding up to 20 characters each, is handy for keeping information related to a record that you do not want printed with the record. To open the memo window for editing, press Alt-W or F11 while in edit mode. This moves the cursor to the memo window, and allows you to make changes to the text in the window. You can use any of the dbLite editing keys in the memo window except Alt-Insert, Alt-Delete, and Alt-=. To close the memo window and return to the current window, press Escape, Alt-W, or F11. You can also open the memo window for viewing only by pressing Alt-V. When you open the memo window this way, you cannot edit memos; on the other hand, you can in this manner keep the memo window open for viewing while moving from one record to another. You can sort on any of the four memo lines by specifying 6, 7, 8, or 9 as the sort line when performing a record sort. Thus, if you wish to keep a file sorted on information that you don't want printed on a label, you can do so by entering that information in the memo window of each record. Be sure to enter it on the same one of the four lines, and at the beginning of the line. We know of one dbLite user who sets up homework review drill quizzes for his children using the memo feature. He enters each question in the five-line current window, and the answer in the memo window. With this format, his children can use dbLite for self-testing; they try to answer each question, then open the memo window to check the answer. At final exam time, they use the dbLite file for review. You cannot print memos, except that if you print the current record's note, the current record's memo is also printed. See "Using Notes" for more information. III.e. Using Notes You can store up to 1617 characters of information with each record, in the form of a note. To attach a note to the current record, press Alt+N (note) or F5 while in edit mode. This opens the note window, and you can type your information. Press F5 or Alt+N again to close the note window. To print the current note (with its associated record and memo fields), press Escape while in the note window, and specify the action of your choice. If you have downloaded a font to your laser printer, you can choose to print using that font. You do not need to save notes separately. When you open the note window, dbLite automatically creates a note file, with the same name as the currently edited file, and an extension of .DBN. When you close the note window, the note is saved to disk automatically. All notes attached to a .DBL file are saved in the same .DBN file. Up to 247 records per .DBL file can have a note attached. If a record has a note attached, dbLite will show an N character at the lower right of the information box on the right side of the screen. You may view note files using a file-viewing utility. You should not, however, attempt to edit note files with a word processor. If you do, you could destroy dbLite's ability to relate records to their corresponding notes. Even if you sort records into a different order, the corresponding notes will still relate to the information with which they were associated when you created them. You may create a template for your notes if you have recurring information which you would like to appear in each note. The same keystroke combination which buffers a record for a normal record also holds (buffers) the information contained in a note. You will see an epsilon character under your note when you press Alt-B (buffer note). To output the note to another note you will use the Alt-O keystroke combination when you are in the new note to which you wish to output the information contained in the buffer. Buffering of notes will have no effect on buffering of records. That is you can Alt-B a record and Alt-O it from record content to record content and additionally Alt-B and Alt-O a note independently. The two buffers are independent and can be used as such. III.f. Copying Lines and Records dbLite has a two "clipboards": a one-line clipboard and a full- record clipboard. This keeps you from having to type in the same information (boilerplate text, standard boxes, etc.) over and over. To use the one-line clipboard: 1. Type in the line once, then press Alt-L. This is short for mark Line. 2. Then, whenever you would like to use that line again, press Alt-C. This Copies the line to wherever the cursor is. If you want to put a different line on the clipboard, repeat the "marking" process using Alt-L. The new line will replace the old one on the clipboard. To use the full-record clipboard: 1. Position the cursor anywhere in the record you wish to copy, and press Alt-B. 2. The contents of the record are now displayed in the dbLite ad box for reference. 3. Move the cursor into the record where you want this information copied to. 4. To make the copy, press Alt-O. Note that the contents of the ad box will replace the previous contents (if any) of the record. You can also use the full-record copy procedure to completely erase the contents of a record without deleting it, by using the Alt-O output buffer prior to filling the buffer with text or by filling it with a blank record in anticipation of using the blanking feature. To try it load a file with records and before using Alt-B to fill the buffer just press Alt-O and your current record will be blanked. Neither clipboard is saved when you exit dbLite. III.g. Drawing Boxes You can place boxes and shading into your labels. These characters are treated just like letters or numbers. Use the function keys for this purpose. Here are the available keys and the characters they generate: F2 ╔ Alt-F2 ┌ F3 ═ Alt-F3 ─ F4 ╗ Alt-F4 ┐ Alt-F5 │ F6 ║ Alt-F6 └ F7 ╚ Alt-F7 ┘ F8 ╝ Alt-F8 ╖ F9 ░ Alt-F9 ╘ F10 ▒ Alt-F10 █ Downloaded fonts do not include line-drawing characters. Attempts to print labels with line-drawing characters using a downloaded font will not produce the desired result. SECTION IV. MENU OPERATION IV.a. Using Menus dbLite is controlled by various menus. Loading files, printing, searching, quitting and other commands are all accomplished by a menu system. When dbLite starts, you are immediately placed into the Main Menu. When in any menu, you can select the option of your choice in three ways: 1. Press the first letter of the option, which will highlight the option, then press Enter. 2. Use the up and down cursor arrows to highlight the option, then press Enter. 3. If you have a mouse, point to the option, and click the left button. Exceptions: 1. If there is more than one option in a menu starting with the same letter, pressing that letter will cycle you between each of the options starting with the letter. Cycle to the option you want, then select that option by pressing Enter. 2. Pressing a letter will not work in the Print menu. In this menu, you must use the up and down cursor arrows, or point and click with the mouse. To back out of a menu choice, press Escape (more than once if necessary). IV.b. File Menu dbLite will save your labels in a file on disk so that you can use them again, and will retrieve a file of labels for you. The File menu provides the following options: 1. To use a file already on disk, select "Load An Existing File," then highlight the file you want to use (if you don't see the one you want, press Page Up or Page Down) and press Enter. 2. To begin a new, empty file, select "Create A New File." You will be asked for a name for the new file. This name can be up to eight characters. dbLite will automatically add the filename extension .DBL. Type in the name, press Enter, and dbLite will give you a blank file to work with. Before executing either of the two options above, dbLite will ask what you want to do with the file already displayed. For information about the menu it displays, see the Quit Menu section. 3. To write your changes to disk and continue working with the same file, select "Save File And Continue." You will NOT be prompted for confirmation. Also, dbLite will NOT keep the old version of your file on disk as a backup, so select this option only if you're sure you are happy with the file as you have changed it. As a shortcut, while in menu mode, you can instead press F7 to save your file and continue. Again, there will be no confirmation step and no backup. 4. To change which file is automatically retrieved when you start dbLite, select "Change Default File." 5. To wipe out a file from disk, select "Delete A File," then highlight the file to delete (if you don't see the one you want, press Page Up or Page Down) and press Enter. You cannot delete the file you are currently editing. 6. To work with files in another directory, select "Change Drive\Directory," then type the full path name of the directory and press Enter. 7. To use a downloadable font with a laser printer, change if necessary to the directory where the font files (which carry an .FNT extension) reside (use the File menu's "Change Drive\Directory" option to do this). Select "Download Font to LaserJet," then highlight the font to use and press Enter. It will take dbLite several seconds to transmit the font to the printer; you must wait until dbLite is finished before resuming work. To monitor the transmittal process, watch the box at the lower left of the screen. IV.c. Print Menu You can print labels on Hewlett-Packard compatible laser printers, or on Epson-compatible dot-matrix printers. To print labels: 1. Select the Print menu, highlight the type of printing you want to do, and press Enter. The Print menu is unlike other menus in that you cannot press the first letter of the option you want to move the cursor to that option. You must use the up and down cursor arrows to highlight the option. 2. If you have previously used the font downloading option (available only with laser printers), dbLite will ask whether you want to use the downloaded font or the default font. The default will usually be a 12-character-per-inch font, similar to elite type; but you may wish to experiment to see what your printer's default font is. Type "Y" or "N" and press Enter. 3. dbLite will prompt you to make sure that the labels are positioned in the printer and that the printer is on-line. Do so and then press Enter. 4. dbLite will send the information to the printer. If there is a problem with the printer being off-line, out of paper, etc., dbLite will beep and prompt you to fix the problem. While dbLite is sending the information to the printer, you will not be able to do other work in dbLite. 5. Once the "Please wait, printing in progress" box disappears, you can resume work. Usually, this will be before the printer is finished printing. IV.c.1. Laser Printer Label Stock dbLite has been tested with the following laser printer label stock: Avery #5160 _ 100 sheets: 8 1/2" x 11" _ 3000 labels: 1" x 2 5/8" (30 per page) Maco #M-5351 _ 100 sheets: 8 1/2" x 11" _ 3300 labels: 1" x 2 3/4" (33 per page but only 27 print) Most other label brands emulate one of these standards. We do not recommend that you run copier labels through your laser printer, though many people do so to save money (since copier labels cost much less than laser printer labels). The ideal setup is to have both a laser printer and a copier, print your labels on the laser printer on plain paper, and then use the copier to copy them to label stock. The only real damage that you can do to your laser printer involves running label stock through a printer with some labels missing. The backing paper on the stock will adhere to the laser drum and cause "ghosting" on subsequent prints. Make sure you only use full page label stock with no labels missing, or you take a chance on harming your laser drum. You can print labels on "Laser Printer Label Stock" or on "Copying Machine Label Stock." Which you should choose depends on the type of labels you use. In either case, dbLite prints labels 3-across on 8 1/2-by-11 label sheets, and assumes that each label is 1 by 2 5/6 inches. _ "Laser Printer Label Stock" prints 30 labels per page, 10 rows of 3, with a 1/2-inch margin on the top and bottom. _ "Copying Machine Label Stock" prints 27 labels per page, 9 rows of 3, with a one-inch margin on the top and bottom. Please note that dbLite defaults to a 12-characters-per-inch font to print labels. With this font, only 29 characters will fit on any one laser printer or copier label. Thus full 35-character lines are not supported for laser printer and copier label stock; the last 6 characters are truncated. If you want to use laser printer or copier label stock, plan your labels in advance to use no more than 29 of the 35 characters dbLite allows you on each line. (You can get around this limitation by using downloadable fonts. See the "Downloadable Fonts" section for details.) IV.c.2. Dot-Matrix Printer Label Stock dbLite has been tested with the following dot-matrix printer label stock: Avery #4145 _ 3 1/2" x 15/16" _ 1000 labels (1 across) For dot-matrix printers, dbLite prints on continuous-feed, 1-across labels only, but does print all 35 characters. Downloadable fonts are not available for dot-matrix printers. IV.c.3. Types of Printing There are some differences in the printing options available on laser printers vs. those available on dot-matrix printers. dbLite will generate the following printouts: 1. To print all records in the file being displayed, select "All Labels." (See note below.) 2. To print the record the cursor is on, select "This Label." With copier or laser printer labels, an entire page of copies of the same label will be printed. With dot matrix printers, only a single copy of the label will be printed. (See note below.) 3. To print the current record onto an envelope, select "Envelope." This option positions the information in a manner appropriate for an envelope. (See note below.) 4. To print a listing of information in the file including record numbers but not in label format, select "Listing." This will print a report on regular 8 1/2-by-11 paper and is useful for referencing your file. 5. The "Deposit" option, available for laser printers only, is useful for stamping "For Deposit Only" and your bank account number on the backs of checks. You can use the label provided in the DEPOSIT.DBL file supplied with dbLite, or design your own label for this purpose. "Deposit" will position the printing in a manner appropriate for the back of a check. Note: The laser printer must feed from a center manual feed slot. 6. To print a quick-reference list of selected information in your file, select "2x4 List." This prints a list on regular 8 1/2-by-11 paper which contains only the 1st and 5th lines of each record; the printed report is one row per record, with the 1st line of the record on the left and the 5th line on the right. This is useful for printing directories or indexes such as a phone list. Of course, if you anticipate using this feature, you should plan your file when new so that the information you will want indexed is on the 1st and 5th lines of each record. Note: When printing labels or envelopes, you can choose to print either all 5 lines or just the first 3. This allows you to use lines 4 and 5 for information you don't want printed. To print a note, press Escape while the note window is open; this will print not only the current note but also the current record and any attached memo, on a regular 8 1/2-by-11 page. You cannot print memos except by printing a specific memo with its record and note from the note window. To print one label on one particular position of a page of laser printer or copier labels, use the capture feature as follows: 1. If you have an old capture file, rename or delete it. 2. In menu mode, press F4 to capture the one label to be printed. 3. From the Capture menu, select "Load Capture File." At this point, the Capture file will contain only one label, the one you have just captured. 4. Looking at your page of label stock, count from left to right and top to bottom to see in what numbered position you want the label printed on the sheet. If you want it in the upper left hand corner (position 1), simply tell dbLite to print all labels. Your record showing, record 1, will print in the upper left hand corner. If you want the label in the middle of the first row (position 2), you will insert a blank record prior to your record (which will then become record 2) and print all records (so that what is now record 2 will print in position 2). The principle is to insert blanks prior to the record's actual appearance on the sheet. Of course, if all you want is one label, you can also simply type that one into the record number position where you want it printed on your sheet. You do not need to insert blanks after the record, only before. IV.c.4. Downloadable Fonts Included with dbLite is a selection of fonts that you can use to give printed labels a more attractive appearance. To use downloadable fonts: 1. You must be using a laser printer. dbLite's downloadable fonts do not work with dot-matrix printers. 2. You must download the font to the printer. The command for this purpose is on the File menu. See the section on File menu options for more information. 3. When you request a printout, dbLite will ask whether you want to use the font you downloaded. Fonts are sized by "points." 10-point fonts are the same height as standard typing (6 lines to the inch); 12-point fonts are slightly larger. The 10-point fonts are designed to work well with labels. 35 characters will fit across on laser printer labels using any 10- point font. If you opt for 12-point, you will be able to fit your records but you will need to watch your capitalization. Too many caps will result in a field overflow. Hold your caps to just what is necessary. You will need to experiment and make paper copies before trying label stock. In our opinion, the soft fonts give very nice output and are well worth the download time and fuss. Additionally, they are proportionally spaced which means that lowercase letters take up much less space than fixed-length spacing which is the default font choice. Finally, the downloaded font remains selected in the printer when you exit dbLite. This allows you to download a font and then use it for DOS output or for text editor output for nicer-looking printouts. Microsoft Windows will override the choice and so too will some other programs which will use their own output choices. Most software on exiting resets the printer to its native fonts, but dbLite does not. To reset your printer manually, just switch it off and on again. Registered users will get technical information about using different fonts than the ones included in the shareware package, as well as a set of additional fonts to use. Downloaded fonts do not include line-drawing characters. Attempts to print labels with line-drawing characters using a downloaded font will produce unpredictable results. IV.c.5. Form Feeds The file FORMFEED.COM, included with dbLite, instructs your printer to release any partially-printed page. You cannot use it while in dbLite, but it will be useful in dislodging any printouts still in your printer when you exit dbLite (or at any other time). To use FORMFEED.COM: 1. Log into the directory containing FORMFEED.COM. 2. From the operating system prompt, type FORMFEED and press Enter. IV.d. Append Record To add a record to the end of the file from menu mode: 1. From the main menu, select "Append Record." 2. dbLite adds a blank record to the end of the file, places the cursor at that record, and returns you to Edit mode for data entry. To append a record directly from edit mode: 1. Press Ctrl-End to move to the last record. 2. Press Page Down to add a new blank record after the last record. dbLite places you into that new record for data entry. IV.e. Delete Record To delete a record: 1. Make sure the cursor is on the record you wish to delete. 2. If you are in edit mode, press Escape to go into menu mode. Once in menu mode, you can delete the record the cursor is on in two ways: 1. From the main menu, select "Delete Record." 2. dbLite prompts you for confirmation. Press "Y" and Enter to execute the deletion or "N" and Enter to abort the deletion. Or.... 1. Press F9, and dbLite will delete the record WITHOUT asking for confirmation. dbLite has no "undo" option. Once you delete a label, it is gone. Therefore, you may want to save your file before making deletions. IV.f. Insert Record To insert a record into the file from edit mode: 1. Place the cursor on the record number you want the new record to become. For example, if the inserted record should be #27, place the cursor in current record #27. 2. Press Escape to go into Menu mode. 3. From the main menu, select "Insert Record." dbLite will add a blank record, and you can enter information there. You also may want to insert blanks for print formatting purposes. IV.g. Record Sort dbLite will sort the records in your file by any line you choose. 1. From the main menu, select "Record Sort." 2. dbLite asks, "Which line shall we sort on?" 3. To sort on one of the five lines of each record, type a number from 1 to 5 and press Enter. To sort on one of the four lines of the memo window, type a number from 6 to 9 and press Enter. 4. During the sort, dbLite will display its progress on screen. You can sort as many times as you wish. You can save and rename each sorted file. IV.h. Search Menu dbLite will search through your file to find and highlight any word, partial word, or text you specify (also called a search string). Use the following steps: 1. From the main menu, select the Search menu; from the Search menu, select Text Search. Or....while in menu mode, simply press F3. 2. Type in the text you want dbLite to search for and press Enter. dbLite is not case-sensitive for searches. 3. dbLite will look for your search string, starting with the next record. It will continue to the end of your file, then go to the top of the file and work back down to the starting location. 4. When dbLite finds your search string, it will stop. If it cannot find your search string, it will beep and display an error message. 5. To search for the next occurrence of the same string at this time -- or to repeat your search for the last string specified at any time during your dbLite session -- press F3 while in menu mode. 6. To search for a different string, you must first specify the new search string. To do so, go to menu mode and repeat the steps above. You can also use Search menu options to quickly move the cursor to the first record of your file, the last record, or any record you specify. (If in edit mode, you can also press Ctrl-Home to move to the first record, or Ctrl-End to move to the last record.) The search feature allows you to use dbLite as a quick electronic file system. For example, to find a phone number in your ADDRESS.DBL file: 1. Start dbLite. 2. Load ADDRESS.DBL (or better yet, use the "Change Default File" option on the File menu to have ADDRESS.DBL load automatically when you start dbLite). 3. Press F3 to bring up the search string box, type the person's name, and press Enter. 4. dbLite finds the appropriate record, and you see the phone number. 5. Press F10 to quit dbLite. You can do this without ever leaving menu mode. IV.i. Capture Menu The capture feature allows you to _ Select records to move from one file to another; and _ Build one unique file from all or part of many others. The capture menu allows you to "capture" a selected record to a file called CAPTURE.DBL. This file is a special clipboard used to move records among files. It is saved as a file and retained between dbLite sessions. Therefore, BEFORE beginning a capture operation, it is wise to delete CAPTURE.DBL (using the File menu), so as to clear out any debris from previous uses of the file that you do not want as a part of your current work. To add records to a file from one or more other files, follow these steps: 1. Load each file that includes records to be brought in. 2. Locate each record you want brought in, and capture it to the capture file. 3. Load the file that you wish to add records to. 4. From the Capture menu, select "Append Captured Labels to This File." If you want to build a new and unique file of records from various other files: 1. Load each file that includes records that you want as part of the new file. 2. Locate each record you want in the new file, and capture it to the capture file. 3. From the Capture menu, select "Rename Capture File," and enter a new file name of up to eight characters. To simply combine two files of records: 1. For this operation, you will need the capture file. If you want to keep what's currently in the capture file, load it, then save it under a name other than CAPTURE.DBL. 2. Delete the CAPTURE.DBL file. 3. Load one of the files to be combined. 4. Use the File menu to save this file under the name CAPTURE.DBL. You now have to copies of this file, one with the original name and one named CAPTURE.DBL. 5. Use the File menu to delete this file as it is originally named. Now you are down to one copy of the file, saved as CAPTURE.DBL. 6. Load the other of the two files you wish to combine. 7. From the Capture menu, select "Append Captured Labels to This File." You now have the combined file. (Since dbLite can only store 1201 labels per file, it will stop appending labels once the 1201 limit is reached.) While in menu mode, you can press F4 to append the current record to the capture file. This is a real time-saver when used together with the Search feature. As explained in the Search menu section, you can use F3 to find the record you want to capture. Then press F4 to capture it. Press F3 again to find the next record containing your search text, then press F4 to capture that record, and so on. IV.j. Quit Menu To exit dbLite, select the Quit menu. You will then see another menu of three options. Select the one you want: 1. If you DO NOT want to save your work, select "Do Not Save/Ignore Changes." 2. If you DO want to save your work, and if you want the file you have just finished revising to replace the previous version of the file on the disk, select "Save Current File With Changes." 3. If you DO want to save your work, but you want to retain the old version of your file on disk as well as the version you have just finished revising, you must enter a new file name for the newly revised version. Select "Save File With New File Name." You will then be prompted for a new file name, which can be up to eight characters. dbLite will automatically add the filename extension .DBL. Once you have made your selection and press Enter, you will return to the operating system. If you change your mind and decide you do not want to exit, press Escape to abort the exit process. As an alternative, while in menu mode, you can press F10 to quit dbLite immediately. However, you will not have an opportunity to save your changes, so if you have made changes you want to save, be sure to save them before pressing F10. dbLite will not ask you to confirm an F10 quit. SECTION V. TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT DBLITE FILES If you're not a "computer whiz," skip this section. You can use dbLite without it. dbLite record files are assigned the extension .DBL by dbLite. They are ASCII text files with no file headers or delimiters. Since the length of each record is 255 bytes, the total file length is exactly equal to the number of records times 256. (There is a one- byte character inserted between each record, which indicates the position in the corresponding .DBN note file of any note attached to the record.) It is possible (though not recommended) to edit these files outside of the dbLite environment. Do not alter the 35 x 5 and 20 x 4 record structure or you will harm your record integrity. Do not insert carriage returns, line feeds or other special characters into the file. If you do, it will cause problems with the screen display when you retrieve the file into dbLite; in fact, this is the most common cause of such screen problems. dbLite note files carry the same name as their corresponding label files, and are assigned the extension .DBN by dbLite. They, too, are ASCII text files with no file headers are delimiters. Each record in a .DBN file is 1617 bytes; thus, the total size of a .DBN file is exactly equal to the number of records times 1617. Spaces (ASCII decimal 32 or hex 20) fill the voids between all characters. Nulls (ASCII or hex 0) will not properly hold the space in a print job. If your print output is not properly spaced, it is probably because the file is filled with nulls and not spaces. Converting from comma-separated value files (CSVs) to dbLite's fixed record length (and back again) is fairly straightforward in a programming environment. The only problem we know of is double quotes in text strings which need to be converted. Avoid double quotes in raw record data prior to converting either way; it confuses the process. We have available crude programs that do the conversions; on request, we will send them with source code to registered users. They are only for people who intend to convert their files into and out of spreadsheets and/or databases. With the addition of memo capability in Version 1.1a, dbLite's file structure was changed from that of previous versions. dbLite now uses the .DBL filename extension rather than its previous .LBL extension. To use .LBL files created with dbLite versions prior to 1.1a, you must convert them to .DBL format using the CONVERT.EXE utility included with dbLite. To run CONVERT.EXE, change to the directory where CONVERT.EXE is installed, and from the operating system prompt type CONVERT and press Enter. SECTION VI. LISTINGS Listings are useful for cataloging data or materials of any type. For example, here's how to use listings to keep track of your videotape collection: 1. Set up your video library with one label per movie, like this: Line 1: GOON MIT DER VIND [title] Line 2: Drama, four stars [description] Line 3: Library cabinet [location] Line 4: Beta / VHS / 8mm [format] Line 5: 0001_L [catalog number] If you assign a catalog number to each tape, and store them in catalog number order, you can find them when you want to see them. This is the same principle as the Dewey Decimal system that libraries use. 2. Once you have entered records for all your movies, print labels and attach them to the tapes. 3. Sort by title (line 1) and print a listing for reference, then print a 2 x 4 list which will give you a quick reference listing showing only the title and catalog number so you can quickly check to see whether you have the movie and if so what number it is. Your complete listing gives you complete information from your record; your 2 x 4 listing gives you quick reference and access; and your labeling system allows you to catalog your tapes and store them in order. 4. Store your tapes in the order in which you cataloged them. Here's a way to organize your Christmas list: 1. Type in your friends' addresses -- leaving the fifth line blank -- and save the address file as FRIENDS.DBL. 2. Go back into the file, and add in phone numbers on the fifth line. Save the file with phone numbers added as PHONES.DBL. 3. Print a listing for future reference and print a 2 x 4 listing to get a phone number list for quick reference. 4. When you want to send everyone a letter, print the entire FRIENDS.DBL file onto labels and adhere to envelopes. To send one letter, load FRIENDS.DBL, use the Search feature to find your friend's name, and when it comes up, use the Print menu to print an envelope. SECTION VII. MATH FEATURES VII.a. Calculator Math You can solve calculator-style math problems from within dbLite. To use this feature from edit mode: 1. On any line, type the math problem you would like to solve. This can be as simple as 2 + 2 or as complex as (((2347/8^2)*16*9)-23)+64000. You will be limited to the 35 character line. You can use the following symbols: () Parentheses + Addition - Subtraction * Multiplication X Multiplication x Multiplication / Division \ Integer division (whole numbers) ^ Raising to a power. You cannot use letters or commas or anything other than numbers and the symbols shown above. 2. Once the line is typed, press Alt-=. This will evaluate your formula and show the answer (or error message) in our ad box at the lower left of the screen. 3. dbLite will put the cursor on the next line, ready for another math problem or any other dbLite operation. Limits are as follows: 1. Largest number displayed as a result: 922,337,203,685,477. Anything larger will result in the error message "# Out of Range." 2. Smallest number displayed as a result: -922,337,203,685,477, with the same error message. 3. All calculations are rounded to four decimal places. Anything smaller than .0001, e.g. .00009, will be rounded to .0000 and will not be displayed. Like the memo feature, dbLite's math capability allows you to set up quizzes or drills. Here's how: 1. Type a drill problem on each line of several records, followed by an equal sign (e.g 8 * 4 =). 2. The person being drilled types the answer to the problem following the equal sign, then checks the answer by pressing Alt-=, which, as explained above, displays the answer at the lower left corner of the screen. dbLite will not evaulate beyond either the "=" sign or after a ' (single quote) sign (which allows you to add comments, as explained under "Checkbook Math" below). So if the problem is 8 * 4 =, dbLite evaluates only the 8 * 4 portion and does not go any further, thus the answer or the equal sign will not produce any false value or error message. Remember that when you press Alt-=, the cursor immediately drops down to the next line, so you are looking at the evaluation of the line previous to the one the cursor is on. VII.b. Checkbook Math dbLite can be used as an electronic checkbook. Its accumulate feature allows you to keep a running total of your deposits and withdrawals. To set up your checkbook in a dbLite file: 1. Enter your beginning balance on the first line. 2. On each subsequent line, enter a transaction. Begin the line with the amount of the transaction, with a minus sign preceding checks and withdrawals, and a plus sign preceding deposits. Thus, each line will include a value, along with its preceding sign to show whether it should be added to or subtracted from the current balance. 3. Following the numbers, you can enter a description of the transaction. But be sure to begin that description with an apostrophe ('); otherwise, dbLite will try to interpret your description mathematically and give you an error message. 4. Ignore the record boundaries. When you get to the fifth line of a record, put the next transaction on the first line of the next record. Also ignore the memo fields. 5. Now you are ready to balance. Move the cursor back to the first line (anywhere on the line) and press Alt-=. This will put the beginning balance on line one into the display box on the lower left. It will also move you to the next line. 6. Your cursor is now on the second line. Press Alt-A (which stands for accumulate), and dbLite will append your current balance at the cursor. You will now be ready to start accumlating totals, line by line. 7. Now press Alt-= again. You will accumulate the balance and the transaction into the display box, and you will go down to the third line. 8. Continue in this manner. Hold down the Alt key and alternately pressing = and A will append and accumulate as you go. 9. If you are reconciling your checkbook and do not want to include an entry, place an apostrophe (') at the beginning of that line -- before the sign and amount -- and that entry will not be accumulated into the total. Anything to the right of either a (') or a (=) sign will not be evaulated. VII.c. Calendar dbLite provides a perpetual calendar, which you can view by pressing F2 while in menu mode. To see dates in the future, press Page Down; to see dates in the past, press Page Up; to exit the calendar, press any other key. To "date-stamp" an entry, you can, from edit mode, insert today's date (obtained from your computer's internal clock) at the beginning of the current line by pressing Alt-D. The date is placed at the cursor position, occupying the next 9 characters. Text already on the line is "moved over" to make room so make sure you have adequate space on the line as overflow text will be lost. SECTION VIII. NOTES ON PRINTERS dbLite is designed to work with Epson-compatible dot-matrix printers, and Hewlett-Packard LaserJet-compatible laser printers. Most other printers emulate one of these standards as well. If your printer is capable of emulating one of these standards and characters are not printing properly, you may need to reset certain switches on your printer to enable such emulation. See your printer manual for more information. If you have a ink jet type of printer, the laser jet print modes should work. You will need a 256k memory expansion module to download fonts on a HP DeskJet. Some users of earlier versions of dbLite have reported that laser printers print information in the wrong place on envelopes (particularly with the use of a right-side manual feed). We have revised dbLite, and, to the best of our knowledge, have fixed this; however, every printer is different. The downloadable fonts are portrait fonts and will not work on landscaped envelopes. If you experience this or any other problem, please contact us with full particulars, and we will do our best to fix the problem. Remember, only registered users are eligible for technical support. SECTION IX. REGISTRATION NOTICE dbLite is shareware. You may use it for a limited period (30 days) to evaluate it at no charge. To continue using it legally, you must send $10.00, check or money order, to: dbLite Registration Mike Seither 6900 Hastings Street Metairie, Louisiana 70003-3029 Make the check or money order payable to "Mike Seither". Technical support for dbLite is provided to REGISTERED USERS ONLY. You can write us at the address above or contact us via CompuServe IDs 71550,2721 or 72571,2722. If you find dbLite useful on a continuing basis, we strongly encourage you to register. We will be providing support to all registered users with mailings and updates which will either be free or at a very nominal charge (the first upgrade, which is your registered copy, is free). You will have a direct link to the sole producer of dbLite, and your individual inputs and concerns will be addressed. Fill out the following page or use your own format for registration. X.a. DBLITE REGISTRATION FORM Please register my copy of dbLite, Version 1.2i. I am enclosing $10.00, check or money order, payable to "Mike Seither". I will receive the latest version of dbLite registered in my name. I will be included on a newletter mailing list and have access to updates. My comments and suggestions may be used in the newsletter to help other dbLite users. Name: ____________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ City: __________________________ State: __________ Zip: __________ Diskette Size: 5 1/4" ____ 3 1/2" ____ I use dbLite for: ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Please also print out, fill in, and send the user evaluation form contained in the file EVALUATE.TXT that came with dbLite. Mail to: dbLite Registration Mike Seither 6900 Hastings Street Metairie, Louisiana 70003-3029 SECTION XI. COPYRIGHT NOTICE The dbLite software and documentation are copyright 1992-1993 by Mike Seither -- all rights reserved. dbLite is written in compiled Microsoft BASIC PDS 7.1. Any decompilation, reverse-engineering, alteration, etc. is prohibited. Distribution of this program is limited to the normal shareware channels. It is not intended for resale by any individual other than those distributing shareware by charging a minimal copying charge to defer costs. Its proper distribution should include all documentation and help data files. Trademarks used in this documentation are the properties of their respective owners. APPENDIX A. DBLITE COMMAND AND EDIT KEY SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Escape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, toggles to edit mode From a memo window, returns to the basic record From edit mode, toggles to menu mode (the main menu) From most menus, returns to the main menu From edit mode, pressed twice, moves cursor to line 1, position 1 of current record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu or from edit mode, shows a help window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In menu mode, displays the perpetual calendar In edit mode, draws a box character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, executes a search If no search string has been defined, will ask for an initial string If a search string has been defined, will find the next occurrence of that string To redefine search string, use the Search menu In edit mode, draws a box character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, captures the current record to the capture file In edit mode, draws a box character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In edit mode, opens and closes the note window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In edit mode, draws a box character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, saves current file and continues dbLite session In edit mode, draws a box character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In edit mode, draws a special character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, deletes the current record WITHOUT asking for confirmation To be allowed to confirm a record delete request, select Delete Record from the main menu In edit mode, draws a special character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the main menu, quits dbLite, WITHOUT asking for confirmation, abandoning changes to the file since it was last saved In edit mode, draws a special character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From edit mode, opens the current record's memo window and allows editing From a memo window, returns to the basic record . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-F2 through Alt-F7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . In edit mode, draw various box characters . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alt-F8 through Alt-F10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . In edit mode, draw various special characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page Up and Page Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . While the perpetual calendar is displayed, moves to past and future dates. dbLite Edit Mode Keys In dbLite, "line" and "field" are synonymous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toggles insert mode on and off. Default is off. Typing in default (overtype) mode replaces text. Typing in insert mode moves text to the right one character at a time. Text can be pushed "off the edge" of the line in insert mode and will be LOST. In insert mode cursor grows bigger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Right Arrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor one position to the right. Will not move beyond the 35th position on the line (the 20th position on a memo line). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Left Arrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor one position to the left. Will not move beyond the first position on the line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In overtype mode, moves the cursor 5 positions to the right, but does not move text. In insert mode, moves text 5 positions to the right and DROPS text in positions 31-35 (16- 20 on memo lines). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shift-Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves the cursor 5 positions to the left. Will not move beyond the first position on the line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Down Arrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor one line down. Will also move cursor from last line in one record to first line in next record. Maintains cursor position in current column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Up Arrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor one line up. Will also move cursor from first line in one record to last line in previous record. Maintains cursor position in current column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor one line down. Will also move cursor from last line in one record to first line in next record. Returns cursor to first position in line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to first position in current line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to position immediately following the last text character in the current line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to the current line and position in the previous record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to the current line and position in the next record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ctrl-Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to the first record in the file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ctrl-End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moves cursor to the last record in the file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alt-Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deletes the current line and moves remaining lines in the record up one line. Not available in the memo window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ctrl-Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deletes contents of the current line but does not move remaining lines in the record up one line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alt-Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserts a blank line and moves remaining lines in the record down one line. The last line in the record is LOST. Not available in the memo window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appends the contents of the evaluated math problem onto the first position of the current line. Shifts the rest of the line over to allow room. Text at the right of the line may be LOST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marks the contents of the current record for later copying. The marked record is shown in the message box at the lower left corner of the screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copies the contents of the marked line to the current line. Any text already on the current line is LOST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserts the date at the beginning of the current line. Anything already on the line is shifted 9 characters to the right; anything beyond character 26 "falls off the edge" and is LOST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marks the contents of the current line for later copying. The marked line is shown in the message box at the lower left corner of the screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens/Closes the Note Window (same as F5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copies the contents of the marked record to the current record. Any text already in the current record is LOST. If no record has been marked for later copying using Alt-B, clears the contents of the current record. Any text already in the current record is LOST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens the memo window for viewing but not editing. When the memo window is opened in this way, it can remain open while moving among records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens the memo window and allows editing, or closes the memo window if it is open. The contents of the memo window will be retained even though the window is closed. (F11 does the same) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alt-= . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculates the value of the math problem on the current line. Displays that value in the message box. Moves cursor to the next line. Not available in the memo window. Note Window Editor Key Definitions and Combinations Many of the same edit key combos that work in the record editor also work in the note window. Alt+Del deletes a line; Alt+Ins inserts a line. Ctrl+Y will erase an entire line. Alt+B buffers the current note into an independent buffer and Alt-O outputs it to any other blank note you wish to make a copy to. PgDn moves down 1/2 page, PgUp moves up 1/2 page. Ctrl+Home goes to Row 1 Col 1 Ctrl+End goes to Row 21 Col 75. Tab moves the cursor over 5 characters. If the Ins key is toggled into insert state ( the cursor grows larger ) then Tab will not just move over 5 characters but will insert 5 spaces. Alt+L marks a line and Alt+C copies that line. The editor in the note window is satisfactory for most text editing purposes. Word wrap allows fairly fast text input. There are a few inadequacies such as not being able to mark selected text and cut and paste or selective delete and replace. Inserted state text goes off the edge of the page on one line editing and inserting a line will scroll the last line off the screen. I am open to users who believe that the program is DOA without thsese features. I often try to keep the code light on purpose. I do not need another program which takes up another large chunk of my hard drive space. Every time I enhance a feature or subroutine it adds size. I think the program is right at the threshold of being big enough. In any case I do want your comments on the subject. I do believe that all software should be user driven. Those users who make comments and suggestions will be responded to. I am attempting to accomodate suggestions into the program. ********************* END OF FILE DBLITE.DOC *********************