TSINFO.TXT. Documentation for TRAVEL SEARCH. Last edited Jan., 1993 This text document accompanies the database, TRAVEL SEARCH. If you have downloaded this file from an on-line service, please read the first 3 paragraphs of Installation Section here or the READ_ME.1ST file before unzipping TS.ZIP. If you are using a diskette, instructions follow. =================== PRODUCT DESCRIPTION =================== TRAVEL SEARCH is a large, comprehensive database of hotels, resorts & inns. It is comparable to -- actually better than -- lodging databases offered on-line by airline reservation companies and travel information publishers. There are thousands of listings in the TRAVEL SEARCH database. They provide descriptions, addresses, direct phone numbers, toll free phone numbers, amenities and services, distances from airports, etc, just like other lodging databases. TRAVEL SEARCH is different than existing databases in several ways. It runs on an IBM PC compatible computer. It is available as shareware. You can install it on your own computer and run it without incurring any charges beyond a relatively small registration fee. No line costs. No surcharges. No meters "ticking". ============ TWO VERSIONS ============ The database comes in two versions. The small, 2-state version contains 424 listing in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The large, 48-state version contains 13,000+ listings in the 48 contiguous U.S. States and Washington D.C. An examination copy of the small version can be downloaded from several on-line services. It can also be obtained on diskette from APS approveed shareware vendors or from the authors. Because of its size, the large version is always mailed on diskettes and is only available from the authors. While some people install the 2-state version because they only travel in CT & MA, people who travel more widely install it to see if they are interested in installing the 48-state version. (Connecticut & Massachusetts were used in the 2-state version because they contain examples of all of the available features in the larger program.) ======== OVERVIEW ======== You're in for a treat! TRAVEL SEARCH is a shareware product of monumental size and capability. It offers more breadth of listings, more criteria, and greater selection flexibility than any other hotel database available anywhere, including all retail products. You can search for lodging using all the categories on-line lodging databases use, such as city name, hotel name, price or airport location. You can use geographic criteria other databases do not offer: a section of a city, an entire state, a region of several adjacent states, an area that is not defined by city or state boundaries, or the entire country. You can select listings using all-suite hotels, inns, dude ranches and waterfront locations; proximity to businesses, tourist attractions and "high profile" hotels; amenities such as golf, tennis, skiing and fitness; antiques, historic surroundings, and more. And, you can search for these criteria in a great number of combinations. You can modify them without restarting your search string or retyping your input. You will not need to remember menu sequences or key in complicated commands to use this detailed database. Because of our new, flexible selection screen, selections can be made using only two keys: TAB & ENTER. Our new method combines detailed precision with maximum flexibility and ease. It is enjoyable to use. When you have made your selections from the database you can view descriptions in either brief or detailed formats. You can also print either brief or detailed formats. =================== SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== TRAVEL SEARCH files are large and extensive. To accommodate all the information, you need approximately 3 Meg available hard drive for the 2- state version of the database and 20 Meg for the 48-state version. With increasing numbers of people having access to computers with large hard drives, either at home or at work, this requirement becomes less and less restrictive. If you travel for business or pleasure, even a few times a year, you will find that TRAVEL SEARCH makes good use of available hard disk space. Other requirements are more modest: an IBM PC or compatible computer with 640K memory, DOS v2.0 or later, one diskette drive, and the hard drive. A high density disketted drive is required for the 48-state version. The speed of the database is most satisfactory on computers with 286 or faster processors. ============ INSTALLATION ============ FROM AN ON-LINE SOURCE When downloading the database from an on-line source, create a directory named TSDIR. Unzip the TRAVEL SEARCH files into the directory, TSDIR. Set files=40, buffers=30 in your CONFIG.SYS file. *****The name of the Directory is critical. *****FILES MUST BE PLACED INTO A DIRECTORY NAMED TSDIR IN ORDER FOR THE PROGRAM TO RUN.***** Our decision to restrict the directory name to TSDIR was made in the interest of our users. There are more than 40 files in the database. Most users will not want to put that many files in a general purpose download directory where they will interspersed with files from other programs. If the program has been downloaded, the following files are needed: TS.ZIP TSINFO.TXT READ_ME.1ST FROM A DISKETTE If you are installing TRAVEL SEARCH from a diskette provided by a shareware distributor or the authors, it contains an install utility. The install utility will create the directory, TSDIR for you. To determine if a diskette has the install utility, put it in the appropriate diskette drive (usually A or B). Type INSTALL and press ENTER. If the install program has been included on your diskette, directions will appear on your screen. You will select a hard drive (usually C), and indicate whether or not your CONFIG.SYS file can be modified automatically. Say "yes." If you say "no", you may need to make modifications yourself. Also, if you have a diskette with an install utility, the diskette will list the following files before installation: INSTALL.DAT IDX.ZIP PKUNZIP.EXE INSTALL.EXE ENDINST.BAT DBFS.ZIP DISK.ID RTIME.ZIP TSINFO.TXT READ_ME.1ST If an install utility is not included with a diskette, directions of how to proceed will not appear when you type INSTALL at the diskette prompt. You will install the diskette by creating the directory, TSDIR and unzipping the files into it, as described above, "FROM AN ON-LINE SOURCE." FOR ALL INSTALLATIONS If you increase your files and/or buffers, reboot your computer before running the program. ==================================== TO USE TRAVEL SEARCH, ONCE INSTALLED ==================================== At the directory prompt (usually C:\TSDIR>), type TSTRAVEL and press ENTER. The TRAVEL SEARCH title screen will appear. Press ENTER. A statement acknowledging the shareware status of this database will appear. Press ENTER. The next screen will be the Selection Screen. Seven Selection Categories are given in the following order: Start of Travel: Location: Lodging Type: Lodging Name: Amenities: Rates: Action: One choice will be displayed next to the first Selection Category. For instance: Start of Travel: January-March Only two keys are required to make a selection from a Category: press ENTER to select the choice that is displayed (for example, January-March) or tab to display other choices. When your choice appears, press ENTER to make a selection. The cursor will move down the screen to the next Selection Category. There are two optional key patterns. SHIFT+TAB displays choices in the reverse order. UP-ARROW moves the cursor up the screen so you can change a choice. Occasionally you will be given the option to type letters to start a proper name. The symbol, [ ] indicates a Typing Field. All Selection Categories except Action allow a choice called "Disregard". Choose Disregard to avoid making a choice from a particular category. Disregard is useful when the choices are irrelevant or unimportant to you. Directions always appear on the screen. ======= TO EXIT ======= At any time, you may press the ESCAPE key to exit. Or, when you have finished making your selections, choose "Quit and Return to DOS" from the Action line of the Selection Screen. ================== SELECTION CRITERIA ================== A list of the choices that comprise the first division of the TRAVEL SEARCH database appears below. START OF TRAVEL: January-March; April-June; July-September; October-December LOCATION: Within a City; Within a State; Within a Region; Within a Geographic Area; Near an Airport; Near a Business; Near a Major Hotel; Near a Tourist Attraction LODGING TYPE: Hotel or Motel; Suite Hotel; Inn or Country Lodge; Waterfront Location; Dude Ranch; Health Resort or Spa; Tennis Resort; Golf Resort; Ski Resort; Beach Resort; Fishing Resort; Social Activities Resort LODGING NAME: There are 400+ listings with one or more names in the 2-state version and 13,000+ listings in the 48-state version. AMENITIES: Indoor Swimming; Outdoor Swimming; Indoor Tennis ; Outdoor Tennis; Exercise Equipment; Indoor Track; Racquet Ball; Fitness Teacher; Sauna; Golf; On the Beach; Boating Nearby; Golf Nearby; Tennis Nearby; Skiing Nearby; Fishing Nearby; Antiques Featured; Historic Building; Historic Community RATES (for 1 or 2 people): Economy, Luxury, $30 or less, $25-$50, $40-$70, $60-$90, $80-$150, $140- $200, $180 and up ========================================================= TIPS FOR USING THIS NEW, MORE FLEXIBLE, SELECTION SCREEN: ========================================================= PICKING A LOCATION If you are selecting something readily available, such as a mid-priced hotel, start with a small geographic area such as a city name. If you are selecting something unusual, such as a Dude Ranch, start with a large area such as a Region or State. TYPING FIELDS If you are looking for something by name and know how to spell it, type most or all of the name in the Typing Field. It will usually be displayed first when you press ENTER. If you are not certain how to spell what you are looking for, type only the first letter and ENTER. All names starting with that letter will be displayed in alphabetical order. TAB until the name you want is displayed. Then press ENTER. If you leave a typing field blank and ENTER, all names from A-Z will appear alphabetically. DISPLAYING CHOICES IN REVERSE ORDER If you have tabbed past your choice or if it will appear near the end of an alphabetical list, it is more efficient to display the list in reverse order. Use SHIFT+TAB THE STATUS WINDOW The Status Window provides several kinds of useful information. It always gives all necessary directions. If a list of choices is short, it displays the list. If a list is too long to fit in the Status Window, it tells you how many choices there are; they will be displayed as you TAB. The Status Window also tells you how many listings are in the group you have selected. If the number is large, add criteria to make it shorter. If there are too few, you can UP-ARROW and remove some criteria. DISREGARD Leave out categories that are not important in your selection by choosing Disregard. For example, you can Disregard at Location and make your primary selection using Lodging Type or Lodging Name. You can Disregard at Amenities and all listings selected to that point will be available when you consider Rates. RATES Every listing can be selected from at least one rate range. Some listings can be selected from more than one rate range and from the categories named Economy or Luxury. The actual price of lodging often varies more than published rates suggest. Therefore, price information supplied here should be seen as a guide for making selections and properties are to be contacted directly for exact rates. Always ask about special packages and/or week-end, business or membership (e.g., Triple A) discounts when requesting price quotes. ALWAYS A "HIT" TRAVEL SEARCH only displays names of selections that are available in the database after taking into account the criteria you have already selected. For instance, if you choose Wyoming at Location and then look through the list at Lodging Type, you will not find Waterfront listed because there are no waterfront properties listed in Wyoming. If you want a choice and it does not appear, change a category that occurs above it on the screen. For example, use the UP-ARROW key to go up the screen and choose a larger or different Location. ================================== EXAMPLES OF THE SYSTEM'S DIVERSITY ================================== Lodging databases such as those offered on-line by airline reservation companies, typically search by city or airport name, hotel name, price and amenities. TRAVEL SEARCH does such standard search patterns with ease, and without the requirements that criteria be used in a specific order or that the correct spelling of the proper names be supplied by the user. In addition, TRAVEL SEARCH has many more selection criteria and is much more flexible than other lodging databases. The examples that appear below illustrate some of the more flexible features of the system. (When numbers of items available are given, they refer to the 48-state version of the database.) EXAMPLE #1 You remember a small family hotel with antiques and a fine ambiance near the downtown area in a city you last visited some time ago -- a good change of pace from the standard hotel. You don't remember the name. You'd like to find it. Lodging is grouped into a number of categories, including Inns. You also might find antiques listed as an Amenity. Select your city at Location and look at Lodging Type to see if Inn or Country Lodge appears. If so, select that category. Then select Disregard at Lodging Name. All names of inns in that city will be displayed. Look through the list of names to see if you recognize the one you want. If you do not find inns in your city, select Disregard at Lodging Type and look for Antiques at Amenities. If the property is listed in the database as a hotel rather than as an inn, you will be able to identify it using this strategy if it is listed. EXAMPLE #2 The hotel where the convention is being held is booked (or too expensive). You need a place to stay. Not something across town, but near where the meetings are being held. TRAVEL SEARCH identifies more than 1,900 "high profile" hotels. They are hotels that host conventions and are often among the most expensive accommodations in an area. Lodgings that are very close to these Major Hotels have been identified and can be selected as the closest alternatives to the Major Hotel. Select Near a Major Hotel at Location. Look for the name of the convention hotel. If it is there, select it. From 1 to 10 nearby listings will be given. In some cases, TRAVEL SEARCH will give distinguishing details such as "In the same block as the Major Hotel." EXAMPLE #3 You prefer economy priced chains when you travel. The problem is locating economy priced lodging before you drive past them on your way to the advertised, up-scale hotel where you've made a reservation. TRAVEL SEARCH gives rates by price, as most databases do. It also assigns some listings to a price category named Economy. Economy is relative to other prices in the area. For example, an $80 room might be Economy in New York City but not in other places. There are 26 chains and many independent listings in TRAVEL SEARCH with the Economy designation. To find the most economical listings, select Within a City or some other appropriate geographic area at Location and then select either the lowest rate that is displayed for that location or Economy. EXAMPLE #4 You have not seen much of the area of the country you will be driving through. You'd like some assistance choosing tourist attractions that are on your route. TRAVEL SEARCH lists more than 1,300 tourist attractions in the U.S. They were chosen from information provided by state tourism offices in response to inquiries for lists of the most popular attractions in each state. Choose Near a Tourist Attraction at Location and select a State. At the Typing Field that prompts you to spell part of a tourist attraction name, press ENTER to leave the field blank. All of the tourist attractions listed in that state will be presented in alphabetical order. You can TAB through them, select ones that interest you by the name of the attraction or the name of the towns in which they are located. Lodging near your selections will be identified. EXAMPLE # 5 You would like to stay in a Resort where there are a variety of activities. Maybe golf, tennis, and racquetball. There are two ways to find activities using TRAVEL SEARCH. They can be listed either as Amenities or as Resorts. Resorts typically have a pro- shop and a professional staff providing instruction. A Resort always has a higher level of service associated with the activity than an Amenity. One Resort category can by selected at Lodging Type. As many as three amenities can be selected. Pick a geographic area that is suitable. See if there is an appropriate Resort at Lodging Type. If so, select the resort category and select other activities of interest at Amenities. If not, select Disregard at Lodging Type and look for Amenities such as Golf and Tennis. You can select up to three amenities. If racquetball is available, it will also be listed as an amenity. If you are looking for a very unusual combination and are not restricted as to location, you can Disregard Location and find all listings in the country of a particular Resort type. EXAMPLE #6 You're calling on a client with corporate offices in an industrial park outside the city. You'll be on a tight driving schedule and want lodging as close as possible to the client's office. There are approximately 5,000 businesses listed by name and addresss in TRAVEL SEARCH. Each business listing is connected to from 1 to 10 lodgings that are closer to the business than any others in the database. Also, in TRAVEL SEARCH, listings that are in suburban towns can be selected using either the name of the town or the name of the large city with which it is associated. Select Near a Business at Location to look for your business by name. If it is listed, you can either disregard all the other criteria and see all the listings connected to it, or limit your selection further by adding price or amenities. If the business is not listed, select Within a City at Location and use the name of the large city. You may be able to recognize the name of the small town in which the industrial park is located if listings for that town are among the group. =================== INFORMATION SOURCES =================== TRAVEL SEARCH information comes from Federal, state and local information sources, descriptions published by properties and telephone communications with properties. Some information is originated by TRAVEL SEARCH for use in this database. Every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information. However, information should always be verified before making decisions of where to stay. TRAVEL SEARCH assumes no responsibility for omissions or errors and does not specifically recommend listings in the database. The TRAVEL SEARCH database is under continuous revision. Suggestions are welcome. Please bring any errors to our attention. ========= SHAREWARE ========= TRAVEL SEARCH is distributed as shareware. The principle behind the shareware method of distribution is "try before you buy." Therefore, you can try TRAVEL SEARCH for free (or for a modest distribution charge). If it does not meet your needs, there is no obligation. If you continue to use it because it is of value to you, you are expected to fulfill the "buy" part of the shareware principle. You are expected to pay for the right to continue using TRAVEL SEARCH by paying a registration fee, either directly to the authors or to an agent they designate. Shareware offers many advantages. It eliminates uninformed purchases of software. Prices are lower than retail prices, because advertising is minimized. When they receive registration fees, authors are motivated to continue developing software that users want. You benefit from all of these advantages when you register your shareware. There is an additional advantage in registering TRAVEL SEARCH: you are guaranteed our most recent data update. Lodging information has a "half life". That is, information ages and becomes inaccurate. Price is the obvious place to expect changes. The next most likely category of information change in this database is the name. It has been our experience that almost 10% of the properties change their name and/or their chain affiliation each year. For instance a Howard Johnson may become a Days Inn or vice versa. After that, the most common category of data change is the phone number. We can not manage the timeliness of copies of the database that are unregistered because they circulate independent of our actions. However since we, the authors, mail all registered copies, we guarantee their timeliness. When you register TRAVEL SEARCH we ask you for the date that is displayed on the introductory screen of any unregistered copy you have tried. If an update is available, we will immediately mail it to you. We will also keep you informed about additional updates. Unregistered copies of TRAVEL SEARCH may be freely copied and circulated. In fact, we appreciate you circulating copies among your acquaintances. We are certain others will recognize the value of the TRAVEL SEARCH database, register their own copies and help us grow . Authorization to distribute unregistered versions of the 2-state version of the database is automatically granted to shareware distributors who are ASP members, so long as the authors are notified of their intention to distribute the database. Other shareware distributors may obtain authorization to distribute unregistered copies by contacting the authors. Copyright laws apply to these programs and to these data. A patent also protects some parts of the user interface. Users may not copy the database or the information contained in the database for commercial advantage or financial gain without written permission from the authors. THIS SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITTNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. GOOD DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT. tHE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRUDUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE. ============================ SUMMARY OF CHOICES AVAILABLE ============================ The 2-state version of TRAVEL SEARCH contains all of the programming in the 48-state version and all of the listings for Connecticut and Massachusetts. Unregistered copies are available from a variety of sources. On-line it is named TS*.ZIP. Shareware distributors call it TRAVEL SEARCH. As is always the case with shareware, there may be a modest delivery or duplication charge. You can also obtain an unregistered copy from the authors at the address below for a duplicating charge of $10. The 2-state version of the database can be registered for $20. Registered users will be sent a data update and/or notices of additional updates for those two states. The large version of the database contains all of the programming and more than 13,000 listings in the 48 contiguous U.S. States and Washington D.C. As of Dec., 1992 the database contains 113 hotel chains and 3,650 independent properties. Twenty-six chains describe themselves as Economy; more than 10,000 listings have toll free phone numbers for making reservations. There are also 3,500+ cities, 1,300+ tourist attractions and 230+ airports indexed. Because of its size, the unregistered copy of the large database is available only from the authors. It is provided only on high density diskettes. It will be mailed for a duplicating and mailing charge of $30. Half of that handling charge will be refunded if the user elects not to register the shareware and returns the diskettes to the authors. The 48-state version is distributed on floppy diskettes for a registration fee of $59. It is available only from the authors at the address below. The most recent data available is provided with registration. The least expensive way to test TRAVEL SEARCH and acquire an up-to-date registered version of the 48-state database is to obtain an unregistered copy of the 2-state version (in retail sales it would be called "the demo"), install it, examine it, and if it meets your needs and you have 20 Meg free space on a computer where you can install it, send $59 for a registered copy. When ordering any product from TRAVEL SEARCH we need the following: 1. Name: 2. Business Name, if applicable 2. Street Address or P.O. Box 3. City, State, Zip 4. One or more ways to contact you. We prefer a voice phone number and an e-mail ID for CompuServe, a BBS or some other on-line system. 5. Date and source of any version of TRAVEL SEARCH you now have. The date appears at the bottom of the second screen when you start the program. By source, we mean where did you get your copy of TRAVEL SEARCH? 6. Size of diskettes: Can you use 3 1/2", 1.44M diskettes? (If not, what size?) 7. A check or money for the product you want: unregistered 2-state version, $10; registered 2-state version, $20; unregistered 48-state version, $30; registered 48-state version, $59. (New York residents add State and Local sales tax.) ============= TO CONTACT US ============= MAIL: TRAVEL SEARCH P.O. Box 949 Nyack, NY 10960. PHONE: CompuServe: 73150,3214 Prodigy: MTMN39A Voice: (914) 358-0480 Copyright (C) 1992. TRAVEL SEARCH. All rights reserved.