**** **** ** *** ** ** ** ** ** *** ***** *** *** **** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****** ** ** ****** ** **** ** ** ** ** *** ** ** ****** ** **** ***** ****** ******* **** ** ** ** ** **** **** ***** ***** **** *** **** *** ***** ****** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** *** ** ** ** ** ** ****** ** ****** ** ** ** ****** ** ** **** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ****** ** ** ***** *** ***** *** *** *** ***** **** ** ** ** * ** * * * * * * * * * *** * ** * * *** * *** *** **** * ** * * * ** ** * ** * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ***** * * * * * * ** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *** * ** * **** * ** *** **** * * ** *** Presents... STATUS DATABASE MANAGER STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop & Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved STATUS Database Manager Documentation Disclaimer & Registration Information ------------------------------------- THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL 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 FITNESS 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 PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE. If you received this program from a bulletin board, be sure to do a virus check before using it. The author retains all rights to the STATUS Database Manager program and this documentation. You may not distribute the STATUS Database Manager program, documentation, or sample database files in modified form. You must retain all references to the author. The STATUS Database Manager program is marketed under the shareware scheme, is NOT a public domain program, and is NOT free. You may try out the program for up to 30 days, after which you must register it (pay for it). If you were charged a fee when you obtained STATUS Database Manager, you must still register the program (such fees are "copying fees" and are not payment for the program). You may distribute, in unmodified compressed form, the STATUS Database Manager program, documentation, and sample database files together, not as separate expanded files. You may not charge any fees for disk, mailers, etc., except as noted below. When you register you will be sent the latest version of the STATUS Database Manager program (without that annoying introduction screen), documentation, and sample databases. After you register, any subsequent downloads of later releases of STATUS Database Manager from bulletin boards do not require new registration. The non-commercial single user registration fee for STATUS Database Manager is $25.00 US. The commercial/government and multi-system site fee for STATUS Database Manager is $100.00 US. Please send the registration form (ST-REG.TXT) to: Visual Systems Workshop 2442 NW Market St., Suite 520 Seattle, WA 98107 Anyone wishing to charge people a fee for giving them a copy of STATUS Database Manager must have written authorization of the author, without which, the distributor is guilty of copyright violation. To receive such authorization, send your name, your organization's name, your address, and telephone number to the address listed above. You will receive an application for distribution of STATUS Database Manager by mail. For distributors already recognized by the Association of Shareware Professionals, this authorization is not necessary. Page 2 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Table of Contents ----------------- Description of STATUS Database Manager 4 History 4 System Requirements 4 Installation 5 DOS Command Syntax 5 Using Menus 6 Navigating Records 7 Navigating Fields 7 Dialogs & Controls 8 Basic Editing 9 Sample Session 10 File Menu 13 Edit Menu 17 Record Menu 19 List Menu 21 Define Menu 23 Please Note: STATUS Database Manager (TM) is not free. If you use it, please pay me back for the time & effort I put into creating and developing this product by sending me a shareware fee of $25.00. This will help ensure the continuing development and improvement of the STATUS Database Manager. Please see the registration information on page 2, and use the registration form "ST-REG.TXT" to register. Your comments are welcome, but please be nice! --Thanks. STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop & Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved Page 3 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Description of STATUS DATABASE MANAGER -------------------------------------- STATUS Database Manager (hereafter called "SDM") is a text based database for job tracking, client & address lists, job histories, and anything else you can dream up. A number of sample database files have been included for you to try. An analogy is the best way to describe SDM. Think of a database file as a notebook. Inside this notebook are many pages of identical forms, each filled in with different information. Each page is called a "record" in SDM. The form which appears on each page consists of up to 30 text editing rectangles, called "fields". The text in each field may be scrolled up & down, allowing more text than just the field's rectangle. The Sample Session presented later will take you through building your own database fields. History ------- As an engineer, I needed a way to track the progress of the many jobs I work on simultaneously. The database programs available have a significant drawback in this area, because you are limited to a certain predetermined number of text rows in each field. SDM, on the other hand, is a text based database, with each field being a scrollable text area. The original incarnation of SDM was a single use database; all the fields were in a preset format. However I felt that the concept could be broadened to a user definable database format which could be used for other tasks. The current version of SDM is the result. We use this program in our office on a regular basis to track our job progress, prepare weekly summaries of jobs, and keep a record of all jobs worked. I'm sure you'll find SDM as invaluable as I have. System Requirements ------------------- Required: A VGA monitor (& graphics card) is required to provide enough pages of video memory to swap between 4 video screens, and to provide 3 levels of screen size. A hard disk is required since SDM uses disk files for some temporary storage (note that SDM will work from a floppy, but some operations will be slow). Recommended (not required): A Microsoft compatible mouse makes using SDM much easier, but it is not required (Special key combinations can do the same commands as the menus and controls). A disk cache will speed up certain operations since SDM uses disk files for some temporary storage. Page 4 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Installation ------------ At the DOS prompt, type the following DOS commands: C: CD \ MD STATUS CD STATUS (place the floppy disk into disk drive A) COPY A:*.* You will then need to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file's PATH statement to include a path to SDM: PATH (other paths);C:\STATUS Then reboot your computer (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) to establish the new path. If you are going to use a mouse, load the mouse driver into memory before launching SDM. DOS Command Syntax ------------------ To launch SDM, type "STATUS [filename]" at the DOS prompt. If a filename is specified, it will be automatically loaded. Do not include the ".DBA" file extension in the filename (it is assumed). Page 5 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Using Menus -----------  File Edit Record List Define [TESTFILE.DBA] 05-01-1993 1/ 2 The text line at the very top of the screen is called the menu bar. It is used to select commands to perform from a list of all available commands. To use a mouse to select menu commands, simply move the mouse pointer to the menu bar, and depress the mouse button over the menu you want to open. The menu will stay open as long as the mouse button is held down. With the mouse button depressed, drag down the menu to the command you want, and release. To use the keyboard to execute commands, hold down the "Alt" key, and type the first letter of the menu you want to open. To select a command, use the up and down arrows to select the command, and press return to execute it. The left and right arrows may be used to move to other menus. The "Esc" (escape) key may be used to cancel a menu. You will note that some menu commands have a square followed by a letter at the right side. This is an "Alt" key command that you can use as a shortcut. For instance, hold down the "Alt" key and type an "S" to execute the File:Save command. Some menu commands have an "F" at the right side followed by a number. These commands can be executed simply by pressing the corresponding function key on your keyboard. Some menu commands are dimmed. This means they are not available because of the current situation. For instance, File:Save is only available if a database is open, and it has been changed since it was last saved. Ellipses following a command name, such as File:Save As... indicate that SDM will ask for more information before executing the command. For instance, File:Save As will request a new name to save the file under. Page 6 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Navigating Records ------------------ The currently displayed record is displayed at the right end of the menu bar as XX/YY. The current record is XX out of a total of YY records. Also shown at the right end of the menu bar is the date that the current record was last changed. The maximum number of records in a database is 2000. To move to the previous record, use the Record:Previous command (or simply press the shortcut key F5). To move to the next record, use the Record:Next command (or simply press the shortcut key F6). Note that the record number in the right end of the menu bar will change. A special record called the "TEMPLATE" is implemented as record number zero. This record is password protected, and is only available if no password has been defined, or after you have entered the correct password. Every time you add a new record with the Record:Add command, a new record is inserted after the current record, and the contents of the TEMPLATE are copied to the new record. Navigating Fields ----------------- To select a field to edit, click the mouse inside the border of the field you want to edit. Its border will become a double line to indicate it has been selected. If you are using the keyboard, pressing Tab will move forward through the fields, and shift-Tab will move backwards through the fields. +------------Field Title Here-------------+ |This is a test of the emergency | |broadcast system. In the event of an | |actual emergency, you would be notified | |where to tune for news and important | |information. This is only a test. | | | | | +---------------A Note Here---------------+ Some fields have scroll bars at the right side, although they are only visible if the border is large enough. Clicking the mouse on the up arrow scrolls the screen up one row, and similarly down one row for the down arrow. The square shows the position of the displayed text relative to all the text in the field. You can drag this square (click on square, drag, release) to a new position and the screen will scroll. Clicking the mouse in the scroll bar above the box will page up one screen, and similarly clicking below the box will page down the screen. The page Up and Page Down keys also work. Fields can be defined with two different sizes. If the current field has an expanded size, the Edit:Expand/Contract menu option is available (or simply type F4). Each field has a maximum limit of 132 lines of text (about six screens or 2 printed pages), or 10,296 characters. Page 7 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Dialogs & Controls ------------------ A dialog is a box that is displayed when more information is needed. Inside this box may be text, edit fields, check boxes, or buttons. Dialog edit fields operate identically to record fields described previously (this includes selecting them by either mouse clicking in the border, or tabbing). A check box looks like this: [ ] Sample Check Box These are useful for selecting between different options. To select a check box, click the mouse between the brackets, and a check mark will appear between them. Clicking there again will remove the check mark. To select a check box from the keyboard, hold down the control key (may be labeled Ctrl), and type the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case). A button looks like this: [ Sample Button ] Buttons will execute some immediate action such as Save or Cancel. Normally they appear in the bottom border of the dialog. To execute a button, click the mouse between the brackets. Pressing the Enter key will execute the button shown in white (the default action), and the Escape key will cancel the dialog. To execute a button from the keyboard, hold down the control key (may be labeled Ctrl), and type the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case). Page 8 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Basic Editing ------------- Each field may be edited using standard editing techniques common to most word processors. More advanced techniques are described in the Edit Menu description. The following is a list of special keyboard keys and their effect: [Home] moves the cursor to the left end of the current row of text. [End] moves the cursor to the far right end of the current row of text. [Up Arrow] moves the cursor up one row of text & scrolls if necessary. [Down Arrow] moves the cursor down one row of text & scrolls if necessary. [Left Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the left. [Right Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the right. [Ctrl]+[Left Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the preceding word. [Ctrl]+[Right Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the next word. [Page Up] scrolls the text in the field up one screen. [Page Down] scrolls the text in the field down one screen. [Delete] deletes letter at the cursor, or deletes the current selection. [Backspace] deletes the character to the left of the cursor. [Ctrl]+[Y] deletes the current row of text [Insert] toggles between insertion overwrite mode. In insertion mode, The cursor is a flashing underscore "_", and a typed character is inserted between existing characters. In Overwrite mode the cursor is a flashing solid box, and typing replaces existing characters. Page 9 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Sample Session -------------- This session will guide you through creating a very simple database for your addresses: 1. From the DOS prompt, type "STATUS" then press return to load the program. The menu bar will be displayed at the top. 2. Select the File:New menu item (or press Alt+N) to create a new blank database. 3. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create a new field. If you are not using a mouse, a default border with instructions is presented, which allows you to move the border around using the arrow keys. Try changing the size, then press Enter to accept the size. If you are using a mouse, the cursor becomes a "+", and you define a border by clicking & dragging, and release the mouse button on the opposite corner. We will modify the border below, so it doesn't matter what border boundaries you define now. 4. Select the Define:Modify Field menu item to display the definition of your new field. This command affects the currently selected field, which is the one you just created. Use your mouse to click-select dialog edit fields and controls, or use the tab key (for a complete discussion of dialogs, see the "Dialogs & Controls" discussion). Change the definition to match the following: Field Title: "Name" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 3, 3, 2, 48, 3, 3 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 15 Tab Order: 1 Select the OK button when you are done making these changes. The dialog will disappear, and the revised field will be shown. 5. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create another new field as in step 3 above. Then select the Define:Modify Field menu item to change the field definition to that shown below: Field Title: "Job Title" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 6, 6, 2, 48, 6, 6 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 15 Tab Order: 2 Page 10 STATUS Database Manager Documentation 6. Create the following fields using the same procedure described above: Field Title: "Company" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 9, 9, 2, 48, 9, 9 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 10 Tab Order: 3 Field Title: "Address" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 12, 14, 2, 48, 12, 14 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 10 Tab Order: 4 Field Title: "Phone Numbers" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 3, 6, 51, 79, 3, 6 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 15 Tab Order: 5 Field Title: "Important Dates" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 9, 14, 51, 79, 9, 14 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 0 Tab Order: 6 Field Title: "Remarks" Bottom Note: (leave blank) Field Boundary: 17, 24, 2, 79, 6, 24 Colors: 3, 6, 0 Field Type: Text List width: 0 Tab Order: 7 7. The definition is now complete. Since you don't want others to change this definition without your permission, select the Define:Set Password menu item. Make sure you have typed it in correctly before you select OK. The Define menu immediately becomes inaccessible, except for the Define:Enter Password item, which, when selected, will ask you for the password to regain access to the rest of the Define menu. 8. Now select the File:Save menu item. Since this is a new unnamed database, a dialog is presented allowing you to specify the file name. You are now ready to use the database. Page 11 STATUS Database Manager Documentation 9. You may now enter information into the fields. The record displayed is record number one as shown in the right side of the menu bar. When you want to add another record to the database (another person in this case since we are building an address list), select the Record:Add menu item. The first record will disappear, and a new blank record will appear. Fill in another persons information. You can move around between records using the Record:Previous and Record:Next menu commands. 10. To see a listing of all the records (people in this case), choose the List:All menu item. You may select a record from the list with the mouse or arrow keys, and select OK to move to that record. This concludes this brief sample session. There are many more advanced features in this program which are not discussed in this session. Please read the commands discussion in the following pages for a more thorough discussion. Page 12 STATUS Database Manager Documentation File Menu --------- The File menu is used to perform actions that affect an entire database file, such as creating a new database, opening an existing database, printing, quitting, etc. +File-----------------+ | New N | Creates a new database | Open... O | Opens an existing database file |---------------------| | Save S | Saves the current database | Save As... | Saves the current database under a new name | Revert to Saved | Reverts the current database to the last saved |---------------------| | Print Settings... | Sets the printer characteristics | Print... P | Sends output to the printer |---------------------| | Close | Closes the current database | Quit Q | Closes the current database & exits SDM +---------------------+ File:New (Alt+N) Creates a new blank, untitled database without any field definitions. Before you can use a new database, you must define at least one field to write text in (see the Define menu description). File:Open (Alt+O) Opens an existing database. A list of available database files is displayed. Click the mouse on the database to open (or use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate database file), and click [ OK ] to open it, or [ Cancel ]. Only files with the .DBA extension are listed. If you have a mouse, you can double click the mouse button on a database file name to open it. +----------Select File----------+ |HISTORY.DBA | |JUNK.DBA | |MLHJOBS.DBA | |COLORTST.DBA | |JOBS.DBA | |ROLODEX.DBA | |WHITE.DBA | |ATEST.DBA | |BTEST.DBA | |RDHJOBS.DBA | |TIMESHT.DBA | +-------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----+ File:Save (Alt+S) Saves the currently open database file to disk. Save often to avoid accidental data loss due to power failure, etc. Page 13 STATUS Database Manager Documentation SDM maintains a temporary database file which is created when File:New or File:Open is used. When you save a database file, this temporary file is copied to the file name listed in the menu bar. This temporary file is deleted when a File:Close or File:Quit is executed. Should your computer "crash" in the middle of an editing session, the file "STATUS.BIN" will remain on disk. Since it uses the same format as database files, you can rename it with the MS- DOS "RENAME" command using the .DBA extension, and be able to read it with the File:Open command. Note that when you execute a File:Open or File:New command, any existing STATUS.BIN file is overwritten with new information, so this recovery technique must be done before re-entering SDM. File:Save As... Same as File:Save, except you are first prompted for the file name to save under. The file name must follow DOS naming restrictions (8 characters maximum, etc.). SDM adds the extension ".DBA" to the name, so omit the extension when typing a new file name. If you type the name of an existing database file, a warning appears which allows you to cancel overwriting the file. +--------------Save As--------------+ | | | Enter new file name | | +-----------------------------+ | | |Filename | | | +-----------------------------+ | | Please omit extension (.DBA) | | | +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+ File:Revert to Saved Re-reads the database file listed in the menu bar from disk. All edits since the last File:Save or File:Save As are lost. A warning is displayed allowing you to cancel the reversion process. File:Print Settings Sets information concerning your printer. The "Printer Initialization String" is a sequence of ASCII characters which are sent to the printer prior to printing. The "Printer Reset String" is a sequence of characters sent to the printer after printing which resets the printer to default settings. Consult your printer manual to determine the sequence you need to send. You can form such a string out of any keyboard character except "\", which has a special meaning. The sequence "\###" means send an ASCII code character equal to the value of ###. You must fill three character positions for the code (example: "\027" would send the Escape character. The "Page Size" is the number of rows and columns available on your printer corresponding to the "Printer Initialization String". You have three choices for "Border Style". "ASCII" uses standard extended ASCII codes (128-255) to create borders. You may need to set the printer font using the "Printer Initialization String" to a "PC" font to use this feature, otherwise you may get unusual characters for the borders. "Dash" uses "-", "+", and "|" to create printer borders, but these don't look as nice as extended ASCII borders. Your other option is "None", which simply omits borders. Page 14 STATUS Database Manager Documentation The "Destination" tells SDM where to send printer output. "LPT1:" sends output to parallel port 1, and "LPT2:" sends output to parallel port 2. The information is sent to a disk file called "STATUS.PRN" before sending it to the printer, which you may access later from DOS for more copies. The third option is "Disk" which simply skips sending data to the printer, but still sends the data to the file "STATUS.PRN". +------------------Printer Settings-----------------+ | | | +--Printer Initialization String--+ | | | | | | +------"\###"=ASCII code ###------+ | | | | +------Printer Reset String-------+ | | | | | | +---------------------------------+ | | Page Size Border Style Destination | | +-Rows-+ +-Cols-+ [ ] ASCII [x] X (LPT1:) | | |60 | |80 | [x] Dash [ ] Y (LPT2:) | | +------+ +------+ [ ] None [ ] Z (Disk) | | | | | +----------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------------+ File:Print (Alt+P) A dialog is presented which lets you set the quantity, and the record range to print. The default record range is the current record shown in the right side of the menu bar. When the OK button is selected, the print job is sent to a disk file called "STATUS.PRN", which is then sent to the printer. +------Print Record Dialog------+ | | | +--Quantity-+ | | |1 | | | +-----------+ | | | | Record Print Range | | +--Start--+ +---End---+ | | |1 | |1 | | | +---------+ +---------+ | | | | | | | +------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]------+ When you have a list displayed, the File:Print command will print the list, not a record. This dialog is somewhat different for lists. File:Close The current database is closed, but you do not exit from SDM. After closing a database, you may use File:New or File:Open to work on another database. If you have made changes since the last time the database was saved, you will be presented with a dialog asking if you want to save it before closing. Page 15 STATUS Database Manager Documentation File:Quit (Alt+Q) If a database is open, File:Close is first executed. Then SDM exits back to the operating system. Page 16 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Edit Menu --------- The edit menu contains commands which speed the editing process. It is only active when an edit field is selected. +Edit-------------------+ | Undo Z | Undo the changes to the current record | Cut X | Cuts selected text to the clipboard | Copy C | Copies selected text to the clipboard | Paste V | Pastes the clipboard text at the cursor | Paste Text File... | Pastes a text file at the cursor | Clear | Deletes the selected text |-----------------------| | Start Selection F1 | Anchors text selection at cursor | End Selection F2 | Completes text selection & highlights it | Hide Selection F3 | Clears the current text selection |-----------------------| | Expand/Contract F4 | Enlarges or shrinks the selected field +-----------------------+ Edit:Undo (Alt+Z) All the changes that have been made to the current record since it was last updated are undone. Updates occur when you move to another record, or execute a command which requires an update to the current record, such as File:Print. It is only active if changes have been made since the last update. A dialog is presented which allows you to cancel the Undo. Edit:Cut (Alt+X) Removes the currently selected text and places it in a temporary memory area called the "clipboard" for later pasting. It is only active if some text is currently selected. To select text, see the Edit:Start Selection command below. Edit:Copy (Alt+C) Copies the currently selected text to a temporary memory area called the "clipboard" for later pasting. The current selection is not removed. It is only active if some text is currently selected. To select text, see the Edit:Start Selection command below. Edit:Paste (Alt+V) Places the text currently held in the "clipboard" into the field at the current cursor position. The text is the clipboard is not deleted, you may paste the same text over and over. Edit:Paste Text File Places a text file at the current cursor position. You are prompted for the name of text file to place. Only files with the .TXT extension are listed. During the conversion process, the [Esc] key may be used to cancel the placement. Page 17 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Edit:Clear Removes the currently selected text. It is only active if some text is currently selected. To select text, see the Edit:Start Selection command below. Edit:Start Selection (F1) A new selection range is anchored at the current cursor position. Edit:End Selection (F2) The selection range is extended from the starting place (see Edit:Start Selection above) to the current cursor position. May be used to extend an existing selection range. Note: If you have a mouse, there is a much easier way to select text. Simply move the mouse pointer to where you want to start the select, press the mouse button down, drag the pointer to the end position, and release. Double clicking the mouse pointer over a word will select the word. Edit:Hide Selection (F3) Unhighlights the current selection. Edit:Expand/Contract (F4) Some fields have an expanded size. If the current field has such a size, this command is available. Pressing F4 will toggle between the normal and expanded sizes. Page 18 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Record Menu ----------- The record menu is used to move between records, add & delete records, etc. +Record-----------+ | Previous F5 | Moves to the preceding record | Next F6 | Moves to the next record |-----------------| | Add | Adds a new record following the current record | Delete | Deletes the current record |-----------------| | Archive | Archives the current record | Revive | Revives the current record | Skip Archived | Toggles skipping of archived records |-----------------| | Find... F7 | Search all records & fields for text | Find Again F8 | Search for same text again |-----------------| | Alphabetize... | Alphabetize records according to any field +-----------------+ Record:Previous (F5) Updates the current record if it has been changed, and moves to the preceding record. If Record:Skip Archived has a check mark beside it, SDM will search down through the records for the previous un-archived record. If password protection is off, or you have entered the correct password, the TEMPLATE record (record number 0) is accessible. Record:Next (F6) Updates the current record if it has been changed, and moves to the next record. If Record:Skip Archived has a check mark beside it, SDM will search up through the records for the next un-archived record. If password protection is off, or you have entered the correct password, the TEMPLATE record (record number 0) is accessible. Record:Add Creates a new record following the current record, and moves to it. The new record is an exact copy of the TEMPLATE record (record number 0). Record:Delete Deletes the current record from the database. Since this procedure cannot be undone, a warning dialog is presented which allows cancelling the delete. There are always two permanent records in the database: the TEMPLATE record and record number 1. The TEMPLATE record cannot be deleted; doing so will instead erase all text in the TEMPLATE record. If you have only one non-TEMPLATE record, deleting it will cause it to be replaced with a copy of the TEMPLATE record. Page 19 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Record:Archive Archives the current record which makes it uneditable. The text color will change to gray to indicate it is archived. This can be undone with the Record:Revive command. Record:Revive Revives the current archived record making it accessible again. The text color is restored to normal. Record:Skip Archived Places a check mark next to this item in the menu. When this is selected, Record:Previous and Record:Next will skip all archived records. Record:Find... (F7) Presents a dialog for you to enter the text to search for. Character case (a or A) is ignored. Searches forward through the fields of each record for the next occurrence of the text, moves to the record, and selects the text found. +------------Search For-------------+ | | | Enter search string: | | +-----------------------------+ | | |Find this text | | | +-----------------------------+ | | | | | +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+ Record:Find Again (F8) The same as Record:Find except that the dialog is skipped, and the same search text is used as the previous Record:Find. Record:Alphabetize... Alphabetizes the records by the text contained in a specified field. A dialog is presented for you to choose the field with which to alphabetize the records. +----------Alphabetize by Field-----------+ |Name | |Job Title | |Company | |Address | |Phone Numbers | |Important Dates | |Remarks | | | | | | | | | +------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+ Page 20 STATUS Database Manager Documentation List Menu --------- The list menu allows listing of records. +List---------------+ | All... F9 | Lists all records | All Current... | Lists only current (un-archived) records | All Archived... | Lists only archived records |-------------------| | By Field F10 | Lists all records by a specified field +-------------------+ Selected information is gathered from each record and displayed in a list. Records are listed in order, with each record listed in a separate row. You may then select one of the records from the list using the arrow keys. Pressing the OK button moves you to the selected record, while pressing Cancel returns you to the current record. If you are using a mouse, simply double click the mouse button over the record you want to move to. The first three items in the List menu (List:All, List:Current, and List Archived) generate a list based on two items in the Define:Modify Field command dialog. "Tab Order" not only determines the order in which you tab through the fields of a record, but also the order each field is displayed in each list row. The "List Width" determines the number of characters displayed from each field. If you do not want a field listed, set the "List Width" to zero. See the Define menu discussion for more information. The File:Print Settings and the File:Print menu commands are available when a list is displayed, allowing printing of lists. List:All... (F9) All the records in the database are listed, whether or not they are archived. +Name----------Job Title-------Company---------Address------------+ |A. Aardvark Ditch digger Mammals, Inc. Africa | |D. Dodo Out of work Extinct Birds, Island of Mauritus | |T. Pterodactl Out of work Leather Goods, Jurassic Park | |P. Parsec Astro physicist Light Years Alpha Centari | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +-----------------------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]----------------------+ List:All Current... Only those records which are not archived are listed. Page 21 STATUS Database Manager Documentation List:All Archived... Only archived records are listed. List:By Field... (F10) A dialog is first presented allowing you to select the field. All records are then listed by the text in the field you selected. +--------------Select Field---------------+ |Name | |Job Title | |Company | |Address | |Phone Numbers | |Important Dates | |Remarks | | | | | | | | | +------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+ Selecting "Name" from the field list might give you a list like this: +Rec-Name---------------------------------+ | 1: A. Aardvark | | 2: D. Dodo | | 3: T. Pterodactyl | | 4: P. Parsec | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +----------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]-----------+ Page 22 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Define Menu ----------- The define menu commands allow you to create your own field definitions, access the TEMPLATE record, and set the screen size. +Define--------------+ | Enter Password... | Access to the Define menu & Template record |--------------------| | Add Field... | Add a new field definition | Delete Field... | Delete the currently selected field | Modify Field... | Modify the currently selected field |--------------------| | Screen Settings... | Set the number of displayed screen rows |--------------------| | Set Password... | Set the Define Menu access password | Delete Password | Delete the current password +--------------------+ When defining fields, it is best not to overlap fields. A completely obscured field would be unselectable with the mouse, and would pop out of nowhere when tabbing through the fields. It is best to align the tops of adjacent fields, as this gives the best printer output. When printing, the length of the field will be expanded downward to suit the length of the field's text. Adjacent fields that have the same top will both be expanded to the same length. After defining a set of fields, it is a good idea to print out a sample record to see what it will look like. Define:Enter Password... If a password has been defined, this command will give you access to the rest of the define menu and the TEMPLATE record. A dialog is presented, requesting the password. The password is case sensitive ("sample" is not the same as "SaMpLe"). +----Database Definition Security---+ | | | Enter password: | | +-----------------------------+ | | | | | | +-----------------------------+ | | | | | +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+ Define:Add Field... Creates a new field. Up to 30 fields may be defined. The mouse pointer temporarily becomes a "+". Click & hold the mouse button in one corner of the boundary, drag & release in the opposite corner. If you are not using a mouse, a default box appears. Use the arrow keys to move the highlighted corner, the tab key to switch back & forth between opposite corners, and press Enter when you are done (or escape to cancel). Page 23 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Define:Delete Field... Deletes the currently selected field from the database. Since this command cannot be undone with Edit:Undo, a dialog is presented asking if you really want to proceed. All text in the deleted field in all records is lost. Define:Modify Field... A dialog containing the current field's definition is displayed, allowing you to change its appearance. If you make any illegal entries, SDM will correct them when you hit OK (a sound is made for every correction made). Each dialog item is described below: +------------------Modify Field # 1-----------------+ | | | +--------------Field Title---------------+ | | |Field Title Here | | | +----------------------------------------+ | | +--------------Bottom Note---------------+ | | |A Note Here | | | +----------------------------------------+ | | Field Boundary | | +-Top-++Botm-++Left-++Right++xTop-++xBotm+ | | |8 ||15 ||10 ||50 ||8 ||11 | | | +-----++-----++-----++-----++-----++-----+ | | Colors Field Type | | +Text-++Bordr++Back-+ [x] Text Field | | |3 ||6 ||0 | [ ] Decimal # Field | | +-----++-----++-----+ [ ] Whole # Field | | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [x] Scroll Bar | | 10 11 12 13 14 15 | | +List Width+ +Tab Order+ | | |0 | |1 | | | +----------+ +---------+ | +---------------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]---------------+ Field Title: The title centered in the top border of the field. Bottom Note: A note centered in the bottom border of the field. Field Boundary: The size of the inside (text portion) of the field. Coordinates are measured from the upper left corner (1,1) to the bottom right corner (80,25 or 80,43 or 80,50 depending on the screen setting). Horizontal coordinates must fall in the range 2 to 79, and vertical coordinate must fall in the range 3 to 24 (or 42 or 49) to account for the border and the menu bar. The expanded size allows the user to expand the field vertically for easier viewing and editing (see Edit:Expand/Contract). Page 24 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Colors: Sets the colors of a field's text, border, and background. Sample colors are listed with their numbers (0-15). VGA graphics displays color 8 (gray) as black for backgrounds. If the border and background color are set to the same color, the border will not be displayed (or printed) at all. It is best not to use color 8 (gray) for the foreground, since that color is used for archived records. Field Type: There are 3 basic field types: "Text Field" contains any text, "Decimal # Field" corrects all entered text to a decimal number (ex. 2.33), and "Whole # Field" corrects all entered text to an integer number (ex. 21). If a field is defined as one of the numeric types and has a non-zero "List Width" (see below), the field will be summed when listed. The final option "Scroll bar" attaches a scroll bar to the right border of the field. The scroll bar is only shown if the field is large enough to display it, so the user may have to expand the field with Edit:Expand/Contract to see it. List Width: Determines the number of characters to display in a list for the selected field. If you do not want a field listed, set the "List Width" to zero. Tab Order: Determines the order in which you tab through the fields of a record, and also the order each field is displayed in a list. If you change a field's tab order to a number already in use, the tab order is swapped between the current field and the field using the same number. Define:Screen Settings... Allows changing the current database's screen size. The choices are 25 rows, 43 rows, or 50 rows. If you have fields defined which use more rows than one of the choices, that choice will not be available. +-------------Screen Settings-------------+ | | | Screen Rows | | [x] X (25 Rows) | | [ ] Y (43 Rows) | | [ ] Z (50 Rows) | | | | (Database uses 16 rows) | | | +-----------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----------+ Page 25 STATUS Database Manager Documentation Define:Set Password... Sets the password which allows access to the Define menu and the TEMPLATE record. A dialog is displayed for entering the new password. The new password takes effect immediately, and the Define menu is dimmed except for the Define:Enter Password command. +------------Set Password-----------+ | | | Enter new password: | | +-----------------------------+ | | | | | | +-----------------------------+ | | (for access to the Define menu) | | | +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+ Define:Delete Password Removes the current password. When this is done, the Define menu & TEMPLATE record will always be available until you define a new password. Page 26