CEMETERY CARETAKER v. 1.02 Moobasi, Inc. P.O. Box 241983 Charlotte, NC 28224 Copyright (C) 1994 Moobasi, Inc. *Cemetery Caretaker is a trademark of Moobasi, Inc. *IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation *Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Program Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Program Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 General Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Cemetery Records Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Adding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Adding Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Deleting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Gravesite Records Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Adding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Adding Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Searching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Deleting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Printing Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Online Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 About Moobasi, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Welcome to the Cemetery Caretaker! We at Moobasi, Inc. hope that you enjoy the Caretaker and find it useful - whether you are a genealogy society planning on publishing a book or an individual trying to keep track of cemetery and gravesite information for your personal genealogy. The program was written with YOU, the user, in mind. Make sure to explore all of the possibilities within. Remember though, we can only improve on the software with your help. Please send us your comments and let us know what you think! Suggestions, comments, and new ideas are always welcome, and often are incorporated into the next release of the software. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Cemetery Caretaker is written to run on: * IBM compatible personal computer (8088, 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486, etc.) * 640k of RAM (memory) * Video monitor (monochrome, CGA, EGA, or VGA) * DOS (version 3.31 or greater) * One floppy disk drive (and/or 1mb of hard drive space) Although Cemetery Caretaker can be run off of a floppy disk drive, it is not recommended. The simple reason is that like all programs where users add data, a point is reached where the floppy drive simply does not have the capacity to store all the data. Additionally, Cemetery Caretaker runs faster on a hard drive. At least 1mb of hard drive space is recommended. Also, although DOS is listed as a requirement above, it should be noted that Cemetery Caretaker can also run as a Windows application. An icon designed for Cemetery Caretaker is included with the program files. PROGRAM LIMITATIONS Cemetery Caretaker can contain as many cemeteries as there are in the world and roughly one billion gravesites for each cemetery - so don't worry about filling the program up! Cemetery Caretaker can only - 1 - hold as much data as you have drive space though (whether floppy or hard drive installation). INSTALLATION Cemetery Caretaker comes with an installation program designed to load the software onto a hard drive or floppy disk. Below are the instructions for a DOS installation. 1. Insert the Cemetery Caretaker diskette into a floppy drive and type A:INSTALL and press [ENTER]. The first letter in this command (A) is the floppy drive which you are using - this may need to be changed to a "B" if you are using your B: floppy drive. 2. The program will now pull up the license agreement. Read the agreement carefully, using the arrow keys to scroll through the text. Then type "A" to agree to the terms and conditions of the license, or "D" to decline the agreement. Typing "A" will continue you on to the next step of the installation. Typing "D" will return you to a DOS prompt, at which you can return the un-installed program for a complete refund. A written copy of the license agreement is included with the registered program disket te for future reference. 3. Once you agree to the license terms and conditions, the installation program will prompt you for which drive you'd like the software installed to. Installing to a hard disk drive (usually C: or D:) is highly recommended. 4. Next, the installation program will pull up a brief welcome message. Hit any key to return to the DOS prompt, as installation is complete at this point. 5. Congratulations! Cemetery Caretaker is installed and ready to use. GENERAL OVERVIEW Once it has been installed, Cemetery Caretaker is run by typing MOOCEM at a DOS prompt in the MOOCEM directory, or by clicking twice on the Cemetery Caretaker icon in Windows. The program pulls up a brief registration information box and then waits for ten seconds or until you hit a key. - 2 - Cemetery Caretaker is divided into two sections: a cemetery section and a gravesite section. When you first enter the program, you'll be put into the cemetery section of the software. No data is initially present. Cemetery Caretaker can be exited at any point by hitting the [F10] function key, or [ALT-X]. CEMETERY OVERVIEW The screen displayed (Figure 1), is the default opening screen. No data is initially present, unlike is shown in this figure. (Figure 1. Cemetery database.) As is shown at the top and bottom of the screen, there are a number of available commands and keys that are active. These are F1 : Help System (similar to this text) F2 : Add a New Cemetery F3 : Edit the Current Cemetery F4 : Add/Edit a Note for Current Cemetery F5 : Search for a Specific Cemetery F7 : Print Reports F8 : Switch between Cemetery/Grave Section F9 : Delete the Current Cemetery F10 : Exit Cemetery Caretaker Arrow keys ([UP], [DOWN], [LEFT], [RIGHT]) are used to move between cemetery records. Pressing the arrow keys when you first run the program will have no effect since data is not present. Pressing the [TAB] key changes the sort order of the records, which is reflected on the bottom portion of the upper box, labeled "Current Index." The cemetery information can be sorted by Cemetery or Church. There is another sort order, called Unique Field, which is used strictly by programmers and technical support people at Moobasi, Inc. The [SHIFT-TAB] key goes through the sort orders in reverse order. Think of it as the [TAB] key "shifted" into reverse. The [PGUP] and [PGDN] keys move you forward or backward (respectively) in the database ten percent of the database size. In other words, if you have entered 100 records in the database, pressing [PGDN] moves - 3 - you forward ten records. The [HOME] and [END] keys move you to the first and last records in the database (respectively), which may vary with the different sort orders. Function keys [F1] through [F10] are duplicated through use of other special keys called "alternate" keys. These are entered by pressing the [ALT] key simultaneously with the letter shown. This option has been included for people who are more comfortable using the "alt-key" combinations rather than the function keys. The available "alt-key" combinations are ALT-H : Help System (similar to this text) ALT-A : Add a New Cemetery ALT-E : Edit the Current Cemetery ALT-N : Add/Edit a Note for Current Cemetery ALT-S : Search for a Specific Cemetery ALT-P : Print Reports ALT-M : Switch between Cemetery/Grave Screens ALT-K : Delete (Kill) the Current Cemetery ALT-X : Exit Cemetery Caretaker ALT-I : Change the Record Sort Order ALT-Q : QuickView all Cemetery Records ADDING CEMETERY RECORDS Adding cemetery records is accomplished by typing [F2] (or [ALT-A]) from the cemetery screen (Figure 1). There are five fields that can be entered for each cemetery: * Cemetery * Church * Street Address 1 * Street Address 2 * City, State, Zip A Notes field is also included, but is discussed in a separate section entitled "Adding Cemetery Notes." During entry of information, a number of keys come in handy for editing. - 4 - The [UP] and [DOWN] arrow keys move the cursor from field to field (i.e. from the Cemetery field to the Church field). The [TAB] and [SHIFT-TAB] keys perform the same function. This allows you to move forward and backward to input the fields of information. Pressing [ENTER] on a field moves the cursor to the next field, until the last field on the screen (i.e. City, State, Zip). Pressing [ENTER] on the last field while adding a cemetery will save the information entered for that current cemetery. Alternatively, you may press [CTRL-W] at any field during adding a cemetery to save the cemetery. The [ESC] key aborts the entry of the current cemetery at any point in time during the entry. Press this while adding a cemetery if you do not wish to save the information currently entered (but not saved) on the screen. The [LEFT] and [RIGHT] arrow keys move the cursor within the current field, allowing you to change text already entered. Pressing [CTRL-Y] deletes all text entered into the field where the cursor currently resides. [CTRL-Y] only works while adding or editing a record. [INS] is a toggle key, switching the cursor from INSERT to OVERWRITE mode (and vice versa). INSERT mode places all text entered into the current position of the cursor within a field. OVERWRITE mode enters text into the current cursor position by overwriting previously entered text. [DEL] deletes a character at the current cursor position. [BACKSPACE] deletes the character immediately to the left of the cursor. Adding records to Cemetery Caretaker was designed to be as easy as possible. One special feature of the Cemetery Caretaker is its capitalization (or "casing") routine. If you enter all text into a field in lowercase, Cemetery Caretaker automatically capitalizes the text. This is based upon an algorithm that Moobasi, Inc. has tested for years. For example, entering "st. augustine's" in the church field is converted to "St. Augustine's" after saving the record. Cemetery Caretaker does not force you into using this feature however. If you select to not use the feature, simply enter text already properly capitalized before saving the cemetery, and it remains unchanged. This is especially useful for words with unusual - 5 - capitalization. ADDING CEMETERY NOTES From the cemetery screen (Figure 1), you can add, edit, or delete notes about the current cemetery by pressing [F4] (or [ALT-N]). Up to 32 pages of textual information can be entered regarding the currently displayed cemetery. For help with available keys during adding or editing a cemetery note, see the section titled "Adding Cemetery Records." The Notes field is an excellent place to enter information about a cemetery that does not appropriately fit into the standard fields. For example, you may wish to enter information regarding the cemetery's upkeep, general condition, layout, location, or status of records. Entering text into the Note works identically to adding or editing a record, except for one important feature. Due to the fact that any kind of text can be entered, and the formatting cannot be assumed ahead of time, automatic capitalization is not performed. EDITING CEMETERY RECORDS Press [F3] (or [ALT-E]) while viewing records to edit the currently displayed record. The same keys work for editing that work during adding a record. For further information on these keys, see the section titled "Adding Cemetery Records." Again, please remember that you need to press [ENTER] on the last field, or press [CTRL-W] at any time while adding or editing a record to save the record to the database. SEARCHING FOR CEMETERY RECORDS Cemetery Caretaker provides an easy-to-use search method. Press [F5] (or [ALT-S]) to bring up a search menu. You can search on either the Cemetery or Church fields. Select which field you'd like to search on, then press [ENTER]. Next, type in the text information to search for when prompted, again pressing [ENTER]. - 6 - If the text entered is found in the specified search field (Cemetery or Church), the first matching record is displayed. If the text entered is not found, then the original cemetery remains displayed on the screen. On of the quickest ways to "search" the cemetery information though is to use the Quickview feature. Quickview allows you to view all of the cemetery records in a columnar format, facilitating quick access to the specific record you want. Quickview is accessed by pressing [ALT-Q], and using the arrow keys to scroll through the list of cemetery records. Pressing [ENTER] will retrieve the highlighted record. Pressing [ESC] returns you to the previously displayed record. DELETING CEMETERY RECORDS To delete a cemetery record, first locate the record you wish to have deleted. Once the desired cemetery is displayed on the screen, press [F8] (or [ALT-K] or [DEL]) to delete the record. Cemetery Caretaker will prompt you to confirm the deletion of a record to ensure that slipper fingers (or keys) do not destroy any portion of the work that you have so carefully entered. Deleting a cemetery automatically deletes all of the grave information entered for that cemetery. For this reason, Cemetery Caretaker will prompt you a second time whether you indeed want to delete the displayed cemetery. Deleting a record is permanent. Only delete a record if you are absolutely sure that the information is no longer needed. GRAVESITE OVERVIEW Once you're entered information on a cemetery, by pushing the [F8] (or [ALT-M]) key, you are switched to the gravesite level information. A sample gravesite is shown in Figure 2 below. Pressing [F8] (or [ALT-M]) serves to move you between the cemetery and gravesite screens. The gravesite portion of Cemetery Caretaker is where you enter gravesite information for a particular cemetery. The current cemetery is displayed at the top of the screen. Make sure when entering - 7 - gravesite data to match the gravesite information to the correct cemetery record. (Figure 2. Gravesite database.) To summarize, the function keys are F1 : Help System (similar to this text) F2 : Add a Grave F3 : Edit the Current Grave F4 : Add/Edit a Note to Current Grave F5 : Search for a Specific Grave F7 : Print Reports F8 : Switch between Cemetery/Grave Input F9 : Delete the Current Grave F10 : Exit Cemetery Caretaker The corresponding "alt-key" combinations, described in the "Adding Cemetery Records" section, also work, as do the other keys described there. ADDING GRAVESITE RECORDS Adding gravesite records is accomplished by typing [F2] (or [ALT-A]) from the gravesite screen (Figure 2). There are six fields that can be entered for each grave, shown below. * Plot Info * First Name * Middle Name * Last Name * Birthdate * Deathdate During entry of gravesite information, several keys come in handy. For an exact description of these keys, refer to the section titled "Adding Cemetery Records." As is described in that section, the capitalization routine also works for gravesite information. The Plot Information field can be numeric or alpha-numeric. It may also be left blank. Names are split into first, middle (if present) and last names. You may want to enter the last name in all capital letters depending - 8 - upon your preference. Dates in Cemetery Caretaker are entered in the format DD MMM YYYY. For example, as is shown in Figure 2, a sample date is 02 Feb 1787. Cemetery Caretaker will automatically move you forward within the date field, unless a single-digit date is encountered. In this case, you either need to enter a leading 0 or you need to hit [ENTER] to move to the Month field. With the latter, Cemetery Caretaker will move the single-digit date next to the month once a record is saved. ADDING GRAVESITE NOTES As with the cemetery notes, individual comments can be entered regarding each and every grave in the gravesite database by pressing [F4] (or [ALT-N]) while viewing a record. Up to 32 textual pages of information can be entered per gravesite. For help with available keys during adding or editing a gravesite note, see "Adding Cemetery Records." As with the cemetery notes feature, the capitalization routine is not in effect. The Notes field is an excellent place to enter information about a gravesite that does not fit into the standard fields. For example, you may wish to record the condition of graves, epitaphs, or whether military service information is recorded. Perhaps the grave marker is in a different language, or more data about a burial is known. Maybe the gravesite has multiple names on a stone, or other gravesites are close enough to mention. EDITING GRAVESITE RECORDS Press [F3] (or [ALT-E]) while viewing gravesite records to edit the currently displayed record. The section titled "Adding Cemetery Record" describes available keys. Again, please remember that you need to press [ENTER] on the last field, or press [CTRL-W] at any point during the entry or editing of a record to save the record to the database. - 9 - SEARCHING FOR GRAVESITE RECORDS Cemetery Caretaker provides you with a method for searching the gravesite records entered. Press [F5] (or [ALT-S]) to bring up a search menu. You can search on First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Birthdate, or Deathdate. Simply select the one to search on, and press [ENTER]. When prompted, enter the information to search for, and again press [ENTER]. If the text entered is found in the specified search field, the first matching record is displayed. If the text entered is not found, then the original gravesite record is left displayed on the screen. An alternative way to "search" the gravesite information is to use the Quickview feature. Quickview allows you to view all of the gravesite records in a columnar format, facilitating quick access to the specific record you want. Quickview is accessed by pressing [ALT-Q], and using the arrow keys to scroll through the list of gravesite records. Pressing [ENTER] will retrieve the highlighted record. Pressing [ESC] returns you to the previously displayed record. DELETING GRAVESITE RECORDS To delete a gravesite record, first locate the record you wish to have deleted. Once the desired gravesite is displayed on the screen, press [F9] (or [ALT-K] or [DEL]) to delete the record. Cemetery Caretaker will prompt you to confirm deletion of the record to ensure that slipper fingers (or keys) do not destroy any portion of the work that you have so carefully entered. Deleting a record is permanent. Only delete a record if you are absolutely sure that the information is no longer needed. PRINTING RECORDS Report printing in the Moobasi Cemetery Caretaker is a snap! No complicated set-up is involved. Simply press [F7] (or [ALT-P]), select the options off of easy-to-use menus, and press [ENTER]. The options for printing reports include - 10 - 1. Report Type: All Cemeteries/Gravesites Cemetery Report Gravesite Report Condensed Gravesite Report Gravesite Index 2. Comment Included: Print Comments Print Without Comments Abort Printing 3. Printer Port: LPT1 - Standard Printer LPT2 - Alternate Printer FILE - Hard Drive/Floppy Disk Abort Printing If you wish to print to a file (hard drive or floppy disk), you are prompted for the filename to save the report under. A full path and filename can be included at this prompt (i.e. C:\MOOCEM\STJOHN.PRN). If a file extension is not specified, the program saves reports with an extension of .PRN. ONLINE HELP SYSTEM Moobasi, Inc. believes that help should never be more than a keystroke away. For this reason, our emphasis is towards online help. Whenever you are using Cemetery Caretaker, press [F1] (or [ALT-H]) to pull up the help system. The help is context-sensitive. This means that if you press [F1] while adding a cemetery to the database, the help displayed is about adding a cemetery to the database. Pressing [F1] when the help system is already activated will display an index of help topics. You can use the arrow keys to highlight your choice of help topic, then press [ENTER] to read the selected topic. If you still have problems with a feature of Cemetery Caretaker - even after reading this information and the online help - please feel free to contact us at Moobasi, Inc. Our address, telephone number, bulletin board system (BBS) numbers, and electronic addresses follow. Moobasi, Inc. P.O. Box 241983 Charlotte, NC 28224 - 11 - Voice: 704-542-3725 BBS: 704-541-9842 or 704-541-5407 Networks: FidoNet: 1:379/50 IGA_Net: 440:128/1 Internet: moobasi@char.vnet.net ABOUT MOOBASI, INC. Moobasi, Inc. is the creation of Blaine and Jennifer Schmidt. As a bulletin board system, Moobasi has been in existence for many years. It is only recently that we have begun to offer high-quality, easy-to-use software to the public. Other software Moobasi offers includes Weather, Fonedeck, and BiblioFiler. The company places an emphasis on customer responsiveness and adds software features regularly based upon user request. Moobasi prides itself on being "the perfect marriage of genealogy and computers." Blaine is an independent computer consultant, having worked as a computer programmer, systems analyst, and network administrator at a variety of companies. Jennifer is a genealogist, having numerous genealogy society memberships and serving as a past President of the Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society (Charlotte, NC). The couple has given presentations about genealogy, communications, and scholarship to various groups, with an emphasis on applying new technology to genealogical research. - 12 -