RECORDS 1.0 Shareware Version Best Of Independent Music from RalliSoft Ralph Lindner Readme File 1. System Requirements 2. Files 3. Set Up 4. How to Operate Database 5. Bug Report and Suggestions 6. The Idea 7. Shareware 8. Acknowledgements 1. System Requirements This item is easily described: it should be a fast Windows computer, with MS Access 2.0 or 7.0 installed. Furthermore the graphic card must be configured with at least 256 colors. Note: The database forms are created for resolution of 800x600 pixels. This adjustment guarantees the best lay-out. 2. Files 2.1 REC100SW.MDB - Database with 800 records and 15 covers 2.2 LIESMICH.WRI - German instructions 2.3 README.WRI - English instructions 3. Set Up The database is a ZIP-archive. Decompress it with PKUNZIP/WINZIP. It is recommended to copy the database into MS Access directory, so that you don't have to change the directory when opening the database with File - Open Database. 4. How to Operate Database Basic knowledge of MS Access is required. For further information I refer to the manual. After loading the database, the form RECORDS is loaded automatically. On this form is a button named QUERY. After pressing this button, MS Access will ask you to enter the name of the group or the title of the song. MS Access will search for the parameters you gave it in the fields ARTIST, TITLE and all the fields SONG. If you press the button LABEL all records of a special label will be listed or screened. As input you only need the beginning of a label name. In both queries it is not allowed to work with wildcards (* or ?). To go back to the form RECORDS press the button RECORDS. If you want to print the database you will find pre-formatted reports. Just try it. For the input of the reports named ARTIST OR TITEL and LABEL the same procedure apply as for QUERY (see above). The database can be modified and expanded according to your needs, in MS Access 7.0 however it has to be converted first. When adding new records mind the following: It is not sufficient to enter the artist, title and the songs, but at least one of the following fields LABEL, (C), (P) or TYPE has to be filled in, otherwise the new record won't appear in the form. Fields requiring explanation: - NR Counter set by MS Access - NUMBER My personal number, under which the buyers of full versions can request further information, but only in case of strict emergency - (C) Copyright of the band or recording date - (P) record production date 5. Bug Report and Suggestions please via snail mail to me: Ralph P. Lindner Neumannstr. 56 90763 Fuerth Germany or via eMail: Ralph.Lindner@t-online.de or via Fax: +49-0911-9717038 or via my Homepage: http://home.t-online.de/home/Ralph.Lindner The database was thoroughly programmed and tested but bugs may occur. An expanded version of the database is conceivable at a later date. Of course new records will be added continuously, but there would be also further information as musicians with instruments, order-numbers, label addresses etc... 6. The Idea Briefly, I like music, "good" music. Since I was tired of hearing the same songs every hour in the radio, I bought my own music in record shops. If I do something I do it right, so that way I have collected more than 2,100 records within 10 years. I noticed that there is a large number of sensational musicians in the field of the independent labels whose work is rather unknown. I am convinced to have the best records. The database is meant to be an impulse to buy one or the other record, it might be worth it. The creation of the database developed as a matter of course. I had the records, I had the personal computer, so it was logical to connect the two, in order not to lose control otherwise I might have bought one or the other records twice. The creation of this database was very time consuming. I have had a flat-bed scanner for only a few months, that's why full versions are not available yet because a few covers have still to be scanned in. It should be finished until the end of the year. 7. Shareware The loaded files are Shareware, that means they can and should be passed on but only in their original form and together! As it took me a very long time to create the database and as I didn't get the records for free, the full versions cost a few Dollars (incl. postage, abroad). Full Version RECORDS 1.0 Light without Covers US$ 8.00 (3,5" Floppy) (finished) Full Version RECORDS 1.0 Heavy with Covers US$ 30.00 (CD-ROM) All interested people I know by name will be informed immediately upon release. Competence of the court for all parties is Fuerth, Bavaria. 8. Acknowledgements Nils-Arne Stefan, Mario B., Lutz Raeuber, Ria van Doren-Buettner, EURO 2/95 at PI Privatinstitut, all record dealers who supplied and advised me, especially Michael Demmler and Reinhard Holstein, all listed groups for the kewl music, all labels for at all, Microsoft for the (already paid) database program. Lots of fun with RECORDS 1.0! Fuerth, April 05, 1997 The Author