About the CardFile Tool

The CardFile Tool is a "browser" that lets you look at each of the cards

in a cardfile, follow their connections or links to other cardfiles, and modify

the information stored in the cardfile. Generally, you create and manage your

cardfiles from within the flowcharts you design using the Flowchart Tool, but

the CardFile Tool is handy because it lets you quickly and easily see what is

inside a particular cardfile.

The CardFile Tool was built using Layout, and you can look at this flowchart

by double clicking on its icon in the Layout program group window.  In addition

to the CardFile Tool flowchart, you can examine a number of sample cardfiles

by double clicking on their icons in the Layout program group window.  When

you choose these icons, Layout automatically starts the CardFile Tool.

To use the CardFile Tool, double click on the CardFile Tool icon in the Layout

for Windows program group.


Files: Open...

The Open... option opens an existing cardfile.

When you select this option, the CardFile Tool displays a File dialog box from

which you choose the drive, directory, and file you want to open.

If you are already working with an open cardfile, the CardFile Tool automatically

closes your file before it opens the new file.


Files: Close

The Close option closes the cardfile you are currently working with.


Files: Print Cardfile...

The Print Cardfile... option prints a cardfile beginning with the first and

ending with the last card. Each card is printed with buttons, background

objects, pictures, and the card data.

After you select this option, the CardFile Tool displays a Print dialog box.

You choose a range of pages and number of copies to print, print quality

resolution, switch target printers, and specify print settings, such as page

orientation, paper source, and paper size.

Use the Options: Preferences... menu option to specify whether you want

to print multiple cards on a page or to print one card per page.


Getting Help

The CardFile Tool has a comprehensive on-line Help facility that gives

you information about using any menu option.  The Help facility is context

sensitive which means you can jump from one topic to another without

losing your way back to the last topic you looked at.

Layout Help is compatible with Windows 3.1 Help.  Whenever you select a

Help menu option or press F1, Layout opens the Help window.  If you are

a new Windows user, refer to your Windows 3.1 reference guide for more

information about using Windows Help.


Files: Protect Cardfile...

The Protect Cardfile... restricts access to a cardfile by letting you place

passwords on the methods of file access.

When you choose the Protect Cardfile... option, you'll see this screen.

To protect a cardfile, click Protected File.  Next, click in the access mode

box whereyou want to set a password.  You can set more than one password

for each of the access modes.  If you give a user Master access, you do not

have to set passwords for the other access modes.

The methods of file access are as follows:

o  Master access allows the user to edit, add, and view the

   information in a cardfile.

o  Editing access only allows the user to change information in

   the cardfile.

o  Adding access only allows the user to add information in the

   cardfile.

o  Viewing access only allows the user to view the information in

   the cardfile.

When you protect the cardfile, the user of your program must enter the correct

password to access the file, and will only have the level of access allowed by

the password you assigned to the access option.


Files: Compact Cardfile...

The Compact Cardfile... option removes any unused spaces or gaps in your

cardfile.

Unused spaces or gaps are created in a cardfile when you delete a card.

Deleting a card removes the data from the cardfile but sometimes leaves an

empty space in the cardfile. Normally, these empty spaces are filled when

you add new cards to your cardfile. However, it is possible, depending on

the pattern of card access, for these empty spaces to build up over time.

To determine the amount of unused space in a cardfile, use the

Files: Show Cardfile Info... menu option.


Files: Show Cardfile Info...

The Show Cardfile Info... option displays statistics and status information

about the cardfile you currently have open. This statistical and status infor-

mation that the CardFile Tool displays includes:

     Cardfile Filename

     Complete path and name of the cardfile.

     Total Number of Cards

     Total number of cards contained in the cardfile.

     Current Card

     Current card in the cardfile.

     Size of File

     Size of the cardfile in bytes.

     Unused Space in File

     Unused space in bytes and percentage of the size of the cardfile.

     Total Pictures in File

     Total number of pictures in the cardfile.


Files: Exit

The Exit option leaves the CardFile Tool and returns to the Layout

program group.


Go: Next Card

The Next Card option moves directly to the next card in your cardfile. You

can also move directly to the next card in your cardfile by selecting the Next

button, located in the Browse Tools Window.


Go: Previous Card

The Previous Card option moves to the previous card in your cardfile. You

can also move to the previous card in your cardfile by selecting the Previous

button, located in the Browse Tools Window.


Go: First Card

The First Card option moves directly to the first card in your cardfile. You

can also move to the first card in your cardfile by selecting the First Card

button, located in the Browse Tools Window.


Go: Last Card

The Last Card option moves directly to the last card in your cardfile. You

can also move to the last card in your cardfile by selecting the Last Card

button, located in the Browse Tools Window.


Go: Find a Card...

The Find a Card... option searches your cardfile for a card that contains a

specific piece of information.

When you select this option, a blank card displays on your screen, and a

Browse Tools window opens automatically.  This window serves as a control

window for finding the first card that matches your search criteria.  The Browse

Tools window has two buttons:  Find Card and Cancel.

Fill in the card with the information on which you want to search, then select

the Find Card button in the Browse Tools window. You can use uppercase or

lowercase letters when you type your search criteria.  Text objects are not case

sensitive. The first card, starting from the beginning of your cardfile, that matches

the criteria you specified, is displayed.

To find the next card in the cardfile that matches the criteria you specified, use

the Find Next Card option in the Go menu.


Go: Find Next Card

Go: Find Next Card...

The Find Next Card option finds the next occurrence of the criteria you

specified with Find a Card....  You can select this option only if you used

the Find a Card... option, and you can continue to select this option

to find all occurrences of the criteria you specified.


Cards: New Card...

The New Card... option adds a new card to your cardfile.

When you choose this option, a blank card design appears on your screen

which you can fill out. In addition, a Browse Tools window automatically

opens and serves as a control window for adding new cards. The Browse

Tools window contains two buttons:  Add Card and Cancel.

Fill in the information on the blank card by clicking in each object.  When

you are finished filling out the card and ready to add it to your cardfile, click

the Add Card button in the Browse Tools window.  If you decide not to add

the card to the cardfile, click Cancel.


Cards: Delete Card

The Delete Card option removes the current card from your cardfile. If there

are no cards in your cardfile, this option is greyed out in the Cards menu.


Cards: Edit this Card...

The Edit this Card... option changes information on the card you are currently

working with.  You can edit any of the objects on the card.  In addition, a Browse

Tools window opens and serves as a control window for editing cards.  The Browse

Tools window contains two buttons:  Save Edits and Cancel.

To edit the current card, double click in the object field you want to edit, then

retype the data, or single click in the object field where you want to insert or

change data and use the backspace key to remove the old characters.  After

deleting the characters, retype the new information.

When you finish editing, save the changes by clicking Save Edits in the Browse

Tools window.  If you decide not to save the changes, click on Cancel.


Cards: Print Card...

The Print Card... option prints the current card, including buttons, background

objects, pictures, and the card data.

After you select this option, the CardFile Tool displays a Print dialog box.

You can choose a range of pages and number of copies to print, print quality

resolution, switch target printers, and specify print settings, such as page

orientation, paper source, and paper size.


Options: Preferences...

The Preferences... option specifies how you want your cards to be printed

by the Print Cardfile... option in the Files menu.

After you choose this option, the CardFile Tool displays the Set Preferences

dialog box:

You can choose from two options:

     One Card Per Page

     Select this option if you want to print each card on a separate

     page.

     Multiple Cards Per Page

     Select this option if you want to print multiple cards on a page.

When you finish setting your preferences, choose Continue to return to the

CardFile Tool main window.  If you made a mistake or you decide you do not

want to change the current setting, choose Cancel.


Help: Index...

The Index... option opens the Help window and displays the Help table of

contents for CardFile Tool Help topics and commands.  Each of the items

displayed in the table of contents is a hotword.  Whenever you click on a

topic in the table of contents, Help brings you to the page that contains

specific information about the topic you are interested in.


Help: Topics...

The Topics... options displays a list of selected CardFile Tool topics

on which you can get Help.


Help: About the CardFile Tool...

Help: About the CardFile Tool

The About the CardFile Tool... options displays the current version number,

copyright dates, and other information about the version of the CardFile Tool

you are currently using.


About Cards

A card is an object that contains other objects. Cards can hold button objects,

variable objects (text and numeric), lists (text and numeric), picture objects,

and link objects. In addition, a card can have pictures and text in its back-

ground. Items in a card's background are for decoration or explanation, and

sometimes they are the most important part of the card.

A card is the basic method of interacting with the users of Layout-created

programs. Cards are used to display information for the user, obtain information

from users, or to store information in a cardfile database.


About Cardfiles

Layout has a built-in, object-oriented database system in which you store

information.  Database files are called cardfiles.  Their basic design

is defined by a Layout card.  Cardfiles can hold any type of information

and have links to other cardfiles forming an interconnected network of

database files.

A Layout program creates .CRD files. Note, however, that cardfiles do not

have to have a .CRD extension, but it's good practice to keep a common

extension for files of similar types.


Using the Browse Tools Window

The Browse Tools Window provides you with a quick and convenient way to

move through a cardfile and to edit specific cards. You can select the following

options:

     Selecting the Next button moves you directly to the next card

     in the cardfile. It is equivalent to selecting the Go: Next Card

     menu option.

     Selecting the Previous button moves you directly to the previous

     card in the cardfile. It is equivalent to selecting the Go: Previous Card

     menu option.

     Selecting the First Card button moves you directly to the first card

     in the cardfile. It is equivalent to selecting the Go: First Card

     menu option.

     Selecting the Last Card button moves you directly to the last card

     in the cardfile. It is equivalent to selecting the Go: Last Card

     menu option.

     Selecting the Edit Card button lets you edit the current card. It is

     equivalent to selecting the Cards: Edit this Card... menu option.

Only those options that are currently active are displayed. For example, if

you are already located at the first card in the cardfile, the Previous and

First buttons are not displayed.


Selected Topics

About Cards

About Cardfiles

About the CardFile Tool

Adding a Card to a Cardfile

Closing a Cardfile

Compacting a Cardfile

Creating a New Card

Deleting a Card from a Cardfile

Editing a Card

Exiting the CardFile Tool

Finding a Card in a Cardfile

Getting Help

Getting Status Information on a Cardfile

Moving to First Card

Moving to Last Card

Moving to Next Card

Moving to Previous Card

Opening a Cardfile

Printing a Card

Printing a Cardfile

Protecting a Cardfile

Setting Preferences

Using the Browse Tools Window


Index1

  About Cards

  About Cardfiles

  About the CardFile Tool

  Adding a Card to a Cardfile

  Closing a Cardfile

  Compacting a Cardfile

  Creating a New Card

  Deleting a Card from a Cardfile

  Editing a Card

  Exiting the CardFile Tool

  Finding a Card in a Cardfile

  Getting Help

  Getting Status Information on a Cardfile

  Moving to First Card

  Moving to Last Card

  Moving to Next Card

  Moving to Previous Card

  Opening a Cardfile

  Printing a Card

  Printing a Cardfile

  Protecting a Cardfile

  Setting Preferences

  Using the Browse Tools Window

  Cards: New Card...

  Cards: Delete Card

  Cards: Edit this Card...

  Cards: Print Card...

  Files: Exit

  Files: Show Cardfile Info...

  Files: Compact Cardfile...

  Files: Protect Cardfile...

  Files: Print Cardfile...

  Files: Open...

  Files: Close

  Go: Next Card

  Go: Previous Card

  Go: First Card

  Go: Last Card

  Go: Find a Card...

  Go: Find Next Card

  Options: Preferences...

  Help: Index...

  Help: Topics...

  Help: About the CardFile Tool...