
                 The Guitar Database


  The guitar database will allow the user to enter 
  relevant data about any guitar, then the data can
  be retrieved at any time. Records can be inserted,
  deleted, and edited. Once the record has been
  selected, the user can show a picture tied to the
  guitar data, find another record, browse the entire
  database or quit the database. The database files 
  are located in the AXE \ DB directory. The data
  record has the following format:

    Manufacturer:
    Model:
    Year:
    Top Value:
    Mid Value:
    Low Value:
    Picture Path and Name:
    Notes: (4 lines)

  As you may have surmised, the database will be
  PARTIALLY filled with existing pictures but any
  number of pictures and or guitar records can be
  added. When you want to add or delete pictures to
  view, simply edit the "Pic" field. This is the
  user's database. It will be as good as the user
  makes it by enhancing the data. Arren-San Software
  will continue to upgrade all included databases and
  make regular distributions available. The guitar
  database currently has about 3000 entries. The
  actual upper limit for any Guitar Data Manager
  database is about one billion records.

  While in the existing database, you can request to
  access another database, while closing the current
  db. The commands can be accessed by moving the
  arrow keys to the desired selection and pressing
  <Enter>. To exit the database, simply choose Quit,
  or enter q <Enter> and y for yes at the prompt.

  The database one person keeps can be read and used
  by anyone using this db. Utilities also exist to
  transform files into and out of *.dbf format 
  (dBase files) ( See tools below). Finally, just
  about any format picture file can be input and
  viewed by GDS.


  The actual database functions are as follows:

     Use database - the program brings you up in GIT
     Use index    - default is manuf., model, year
     Create database - for new databases
     Create index - sort records in a different order
     Head - first database record
     Tail - last database record
     Browse - search database forward - summary
     Next - next record
     Curr - current record
     Prev - previous record
     Find - search by sort criteria
     Add - add a new record
     Edit - change an existing record
     Delete - delete an existing record
     Show - displays the image in the PIC field.
     Print - Print Inventory, Purchases or Sales.
     Show field names
     Show index names
     Show index definition
     Quit


  The SHOW function has a limitation that must be
  adhered to. For viewing images from within the
  database, GDS will only allow approximately 10 
  images per session. After 10 showings of any
  combination of images, the viewer stops working.
  Simply exit the database, re-enter the database,
  FIND where you were previously and continue. The
  database SHOW function is for limited quick
  reference, not viewing the entire picture base. The
  suggestion is to use GUITARS (and the LIB???
  pictures) to take in the beauty of the pictures.
  This is a viewer limitation and beyond the control
  of Arren-San Software.


  DATABASE TOOLS

  This set of procedures is applicable to any Guitar
  Data Manager database.

  Any database needs basic maintenence procedures,
  and Guitar Data Manager is no exception. Five
  different tools are included, but cannot be invoked
  from within the application. The usage of these
  procedures will be so limited that direct access is
  a waste of program memory. To use these tools,
  simply go to the database directory, AXE \ DB and 
  enter the tool desired.


  These procedures, in order of relative importance,
  and the necessary parameters are as follows:


  DATABASE CLEAN-UP

  PRESSDB.EXE

  This tool will compress and rewrite ( clean up )
  the database. This is usually only necessary when
  heavy alterations have been made to a database. One
  instance where this is not true is when the
  database can only be accessed up to a certain
  point, but more data definitely exists. At that
  point, possibly a record has been corrupted or an
  index pointer is set incorrectly. A good rule of
  thumb is to run pressdb.exe after the addition or
  deletion of about 500 records, when a database is
  obviously not functioning properly, or when the
  database is performing noticeably slower than it
  has previously.

  To run pressdb.exe first go to the AXE \ DB
  subdirectory. Simply type "pressdb db", where db is
  the database desired. For example, "pressdb invent"
  will rewrite the inventory database. If the user
  simply types "pressdb", the program will prompt for
  the database desired.


  As with any utility, ALWAYS MAKE A BACKUP OF THE
  FILE BEING MANIPULATED BEFORE MANIPULATING. For
  sensitive databases, make floppy backups, as 
  the data manager can always be restored; the user's
  data, in the event of some disk malady, cannot.


  DATABASE EXTRACT

  DUMPDATA.EXE

  Dumpdata will extract all data from the database
  and display to the screen or redirect to a disk
  file. This is a raw dump where all that comes out
  is each database record, with fields listed in
  database order, delimited by a "|". A dump of the
  guitar database would look like this:

  Stk # | Manuf | Model | Year | Serial # | ..  etc.

  The dump will use any database and index requested.
  The syntax is as follows:

  Dumpdata database index [>outfile].

  For example, if the user simply types "dumpdata"
  the program will prompt for the database desired,
  then the index desired ( the default is the
  physical index, or how the data was entered ). At
  this point data will spew out on the screen. If the
  output is desired to be placed into a file, use the
  outfile parameter. For example, "dumpdata git 
  manumod >gitdb" would dump the guitar database
  using the manumod index and create a file named
  gitdb.


  DATABASE CONVERSION

  DBTODBF.EXE
  DBFTODB.EXE

  If the user currently uses dBase, or something
  compatible, these utilities will convert data from
  dBase to Guitar Data Manager (dbftodb) or vice 
  versa (dbtodbf). Again, the syntax is "dbf
  "dbtodbf". Both have extensive prompts due to the
  information required ( file from, file to, how to
  handle data, etc ).

  These functions are not included with the demo 
  due to space constraints.
