3.0 BLUEBOOK - AN OVERVIEW 3.1 What is BlueBook? Technically, BlueBook is a dual index, flat-file, free text database of fixed length records. In other words, it isn't dBase, Access or Paradox: just a simple, highly convenient "indexed card file". (VERY simple, but also surprisingly powerful and flexible.) That's deliberate. Small is beautiful, we think, and less is more. Why spend a fortune on a bloated, feature-laden, disk-hungry PIM (personal information manager), or waste time with a complex relational database, if what you really need is instant, no-fuss access to a wide variety of EASILY stored information. BlueBook will give you this, and more. It will let you compile long, internally cross-referenced lists of ANYTHING (up to 32,000 items per database), and search them FAST, by keyword. It can also provide an effective document management system, a quick access, unlimited capacity menu program, or anything else you can dream up that involves a list; even simple computer-based training! BlueBook is a DOS program with an attractive graphical interface. You can drive it with a mouse or by single keystroke commands. Clicks and keystrokes can be freely intermixed. It can launch any other DOS program, including Windows and itself. It can't run Windows applications directly, of course, but it does run seamlessly under Windows, and works very well in conjunction with it. ---------------------------------------------------------- If you ask BlueBook to run ITSELF from a record, you are creating a "metabase" -- a database of databases. Metabases can go many levels deep, like a directory tree, but even at only two levels you can theoretically access over a billion records (32000 x 32000). BlueBook is a simple and inexpensive program, but NOT a trivial one! ---------------------------------------------------------- 3.2 What is a BlueBook database? Three related files which MUST reside together in the same directory. They all have the same name (the name of the database), and extensions starting with "BB" -- .BBL, .BBI, and .BBD. ".BBL" is a look-up table, always 2048 bytes long. ".BBI" holds indexes, and is optimised for searching. ".BBD" holds all remaining data. Each record has a searchable free-text KEY field up to 48 characters long. Keys can contain anything at all. Records also have a 20 character TOPIC or GROUP line; four lines of NOTES, 62 characters each; and three 20 character supplementary fields for telephone numbers, or anything else you want to use them for. With version 2, you can search (and replace in) all these as well. If you need more text, either create a joined record or offload it to a file. External files can be accessed instantly, with just two keystrokes or mouse clicks (assuming you have a suitable editor or viewer program: BBView.Com is supplied). 3.3 BlueBook.Exe and BBMain.Exe The program BlueBook.Exe is only a launcher program. It runs BBMain.Exe (the "real" BlueBook), and any other programs required. BlueBook.Exe uses just under 18k and remains always in memory (until you eXit). It can live anywhere on your system. ---------------------------------------------------------- BBMain.Exe, which BlueBook.Exe HAS to be able to locate, MUST be in either your current directory or one that is mentioned in the PATH statement in your AutoExec.Bat file. Likewise, BBView.Com and BlueBook.Hlp, and (preferably) BlueBook.Doc. ---------------------------------------------------------- 3.4 External utilities Five integral utility programs are included: BBReset, BBRestor, BBTrim, BBIni and BBView. BBView.Com, is a file viewer, required to display database listings from within the program. It has no Windows icon. BBIni.Exe lets you update the various options in the BLUEBOOK.INI quickly and easily - you can also edit the INI file directly, of course. The other three programs will be needed seldom, if ever: - BBTrim physically purges a database of "deleted" records. - BBRestor backs down a database which has been backed up from within BlueBook (which can easily be done manually). - BBReset forcibly resets the "database in use" flag. This flag is set ON when a database is opened, and remains ON if BlueBook is "crashed" by power failure, power-down, Ctrl+Alt+Del, the Reset button, or Windows. (BlueBook itself is extremely robust!) TAKE CARE USING BBReset. If a database is flagged as in use when it isn't, it has been closed abnormally: access is denied because it MAY well be corrupt. ---------------------------------------------------------- NB: BBView.Com is actually a public domain file viewer program called Scan (no point in re-inventing the wheel!). Scan has been renamed to ensure that a file viewer is always available specifically to BlueBook, but it is NOT a part of BlueBook for copyright purposes. ----------------------------------------------------------