FYI Version 1.5 MAH Software Services 29 Beech Court Babbitt, MN 55706 Copyright (c) 1992-1993 by MAH Software Services All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...................................................1 License Agreement......................................1 Registration Fees and What You Get.....................1 Beginning with FYI.............................................3 Who is FYI For.........................................3 What is FYI............................................3 System Requirements....................................3 Installation...................................................3 Running the Program....................................3 Common Features................................................5 Menu Conventions.......................................5 Printing Conventions...................................5 About the Government Database..................................7 Using FYI......................................................8 Starting The Program...................................8 Main Menu..............................................8 FILE Sub-Menu..........................................9 Select Database.....................................9 Display Database....................................9 Update Database....................................14 PRINT Sub-Menu........................................17 Master List........................................17 Phone List.........................................17 1-Across Labels....................................18 Letters............................................18 SORT Sub-Menu.........................................19 Sort Database......................................19 OTHER Sub-Menu........................................20 Create New Filter..................................20 Set Filter Off.....................................23 Reset Old Filter...................................23 Use Marked Entries.................................24 Allow All Entries..................................24 Modify User Data...................................25 QUIT Sub-Menu.........................................26 Exit Program.......................................26 Appendix A - Files Included With FYI..........................27 Appendix B - Epson Compatible Printers........................28 INTRODUCTION FYI is a Shareware product. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. With Shareware you get the ultimate money-back guarantee...if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. Shareware is not free software. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated in this document. The main difference is the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the EVALUATION VERSION of the software to anyone as long as no remuneration is received for the distribution of the software unless permission is granted in writing by the author. Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register the software with the author. With registration, you will receive the latest version of the software without the evaluation titles and messages. With shareware you are able to try the software on your computer with your own set of peripherals, the only way to know if it will function in your own environment. Only after deciding that FYI is a software product that you will use do you pay for it. When you do pay for the software, you pay only for the software itself, not for the cost of advertising the software, which can be many times what the software actually costs. License Agreement ----------------- Users of FYI must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "FYI is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of FYI." FYI is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share the EVALUATION COPY with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using it and continue to use it after a 30 day trial period, you must make a registration payment to MAH Software Services. The registration fee will license one Page 1 copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another. Just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Users of FYI must register and pay for their copies of FYI within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. You are encouraged to pass an EVALUATION COPY of FYI along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of FYI. DISTRIBUTION OF REGISTERED COPIES OF FYI IS A VIOLATION OF COPYRIGHT LAWS. To register your copy of FYI, print the file REGISTER.FRM, complete the form, and send it along with your registration fee to: MAH Software Services 29 Beech Court Babbitt, MN 55706 Registration Fees And What You Get ---------------------------------- The evaluation version of FYI is in no way crippled, and contains 100% of the capabilities of the registered version as it existed at the time of distribution. When you register, you will receive the latest version of the program, along with the latest documentation, one additional information database, and one free update of the information in the two information databases (updates occur roughly every six months). The fully registered version of the program removes all references to evaluation. Registered users will receive notice of all updates made to the program and these updates will be supplied to registered users for a nominal charge, except for the initial update. Every effort will be made to supply additional updates to registered users at the lowest possible cost. In addition, you will receive evaluation copies of other MAH Software Services programs, notice of additional information databases as they become available, and support by mail and phone. The registration fee for FYI is US $25. Price is subject to change without notice, but will be guaranteed through December 1993. If payment is by check, these funds MUST be drawn on a US bank. Unfortunately the processing of non-US checks can be as much as $20, and we cannot afford this type of transaction. We are continually looking for innovative ways to serve non-US customers. Page 2 BEGINNING WITH FYI Who is FYI for? --------------- FYI is for anyone who wishes to have access to information quickly and easily. What is FYI? ------------ FYI is an information locater program that comes with over 1,100 sources of information and help from United States state and federal government organizations, and over 300 sources of information on medical and physical diseases and handicaps. The information includes the name and address for the organization, a phone number where possible, and a brief description of the services provided. This information can be viewed on the screen, or printed in a variety of ways. System Requirements ------------------- - At least 640k of memory - A hard drive - An Epson X series or LQ series printer or compatible Installation ------------ To install FYI, make sure the disk is in drive A, then type A: and press ENTER. Next, type INSTALL and press ENTER, where is the drive letter you want FYI installed on. For example, to install it on drive C, you would type INSTALL C: and press ENTER. Note that you MUST enter the colon (:). A subdirectory called FYI will then be created, and the program Page 3 will be installed in it. Running the Program ------------------- To start the program, simply change to the drive that has the program on it, and the subdirectory, if necessary, type FYI and press ENTER. Page 4 COMMON PROGRAM FEATURES In this chapter, we'll begin by examining features that are common throughout the entire program, and how to use them. This will include menu conventions, how to print reports and labels, etc. Menu Conventions ================ Since FYI is a menu-driven system, you perform most functions by choosing a menu option. Not counting the Main Menu, there are two types of menus in FYI. The first are "sub-menu". These are those menus that are accessed from the Main Menu. Each of these menu option have a short description of the option displayed at the bottom of the screen. In these menus, choose an option by pressing the first letter of the corresponding menu option, or by highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key, then pressing ENTER. The other type of menu is a "data display" menu. These are menus with menu items listed horizontally, and appear in data display and change sections of the program below the section of the screen containing data currently being displayed. In these menus, choose an option by pressing the first letter of the corresponding menu option, or by highlighting the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT-ARROW keys, then pressing ENTER. Printing Conventions ==================== When you choose to print a report or labels, a screen will appear that reminds you to check your printer to insure your it is prepared for printing (that is, that it is turned on, that it is on line, and that paper is in the printer and is set to begin printing at the first line on a page). If for some reason you decide not to print the report or labels at this point, simply press ESC, and you'll be returned to the previous menu. Press any other key to begin printing. If you choose to print and your printer is off or off-line, a window will open and display the following message: ERROR! Printer not ready. Correct and press any key or press ESC to cancel report. Simply follow the instructions presented in the message to Page 5 continue or cancel the report. If a problem develops while printing to the printer, such as the paper becomes stuck, or someone accidentally pulls the printer's power cord from the electrical socket, after a few moments the following message will appear: Printer error! Correct and press C to continue printing, or press ESC to cancel printing. You will need to check the printer to see what the problem is, and correct it if possible. If the problem can not be corrected, or if the problem causes information in the printer's buffer to be lost, you will have to cancel the printing by pressing ESC. Problems that would cause a loss of information in the printer's buffer would include a loss of power, the printer running out of paper, and a paper jam when the paper doesn't move but the printer continues to print. Note that you may have to press ESC more than once to clear the error message from the screen. You may then try printing once again, or exit the program if the problem is one not easily corrected. If the problem can be corrected and does not cause any information in the printer's buffer to be lost, fix the problem, place the printer back on line, and press C to continue printing. Page 6 ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT DATABASE The information database included is a database of federal and state government agencies. These agencies can provide information on a wide variety of subjects, as well as help with many problems you may encounter. The vast majority of entries, particularly federal government entries, are regulatory agencies, which can help you file complaints, retrieve information through the Freedom of Information Act, place you on mailing lists for press releases, and much more. ONE WORD OF CAUTION: Federal government phone numbers change regularly. I'm not sure why, but it's a fact that they do. While every effort has been taken to keep this information up-to-date, some phone numbers are bound to have been changed since they were last checked. But in most circumstances, you will be given the new number if it has been changed. The program allows you to change addresses and phone numbers if it becomes necessary to do so. In addition, the database contains the name and addresses of embassies and consulates of foreign countries. These can supply information on travel in there country, work visas if you wish to work there, and much more. Page 7 USING FYI Starting the Program -------------------- To begin using FYI, change to the drive that has the program on it, and the subdirectory, if necessary, type FYI and press ENTER. The first time you run the program, a user information file will be created and you will be presented with the "ENTER USER DATA" screen. You will be asked to enter your company name (if any) your name, address, phone number, and whether or not to force the system to monochrome. The name and address information is used by FYI when creating a letter using the mini word processor in the "Display Database" option of the FILE sub-menu. This information is automatically placed at the top of the letter when you first choose the option. If you have a monochrome EGA or VGA monitor, the last item forces FYI to act as though it were running on an amber or green monochrome monitor. If you wish to have FYI always run in monochrome mode, press Y, then press ENTER. Otherwise press N, then press ENTER (or just press ENTER, since N is the default answer). If you enter Y, FYI will switch to monochrome mode every time it is run unless you later change it using the "Modify User Data:" option in the OTHER sub-menu. Once all the information has been entered, it will be saved, and the program will continue. After you have run the program the first time, two introductory screens will appear. Now press a key, and the Main Menu will appear. Main Menu ========= The Main Menu consists of five sub-menus: FILE, PRINT, SORT, OTHER, and QUIT. These sub-menus are chosen by using the LEFT- ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW keys. Let's begin by examining the FILE sub-menu. Page 8 FILE Sub-Menu ============= Any time you use FYI, you must begin by choosing the information database you will be working with during the use of the program. You may also wish to work with individual entries in the database. This sub-menu allows you to do both of these. To choose this option, from the Main Menu highlight the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT-ARROW key. The FILE sub-menu will appear, with three options, "Select Database", "Display Database", and "Update Database". We'll examine each of these options in order. Select Database =============== Before any work may be done, you must choose the information database with which you will be working. You may only work with one database at a time, and any time you choose a new database, only the information in that database can be accessed. Choose this option by pressing S, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. A window will appear on the left-hand side displaying the available information databases. At least two databases will appear. They are displayed in alphabetical order by database name. Use the UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the database with which you wish to work. Once you have the database highlighted, press ENTER. Amessage will appear telling you the database is being opened. Once the database has been opened, it will be sorted into organization name order, and as it is sorted each record number will be displayed. Once the sorting has been completed, the database name will appear at the top of the screen, and you will automatically be returned to the FILE menu. To exit without choosing a database, press ESC. Display Database ================ This option allows you to view any of the organizations in the information database, as well as print a label or information for a single organization, and mark an organization or group of organizations for later filtering. Choose this option by pressing D, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. Page 9 Following is a description of the field items: Name - The organization name. Address1 - The first line of the organization address (may also be a continuation of the organization name, as with a government entry where it's a bureau within a department, or for a company, a department within the company). Address2 - The second line of the organization address (if needed). City - The city where the organization is located. State - The two-letter postal state abbreviation where the organization is located. Zip - The five-digit zip code for the organization address. Phone - The phone number (if available) where the organization can be reached, including the area code. Ext - The extension to ask for, if any. In addition, a window with a short explanation of what the organization does and what services are available from and/or through it. The following is an explanation of the "Display Database" options: Find - Find a data entry by organization name. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press F. You will be asked to enter a name of up to 50 characters long to identify the organization desired. You may enter a partial name if desired, and if any organization name begins with what you entered, the first such organization will be displayed. For example, if you enter ASSOCIATION, the first organization that begins with ASSOCIATION (if any) will be displayed. If the entry is not found, an error message will be returned. If you simply press ENTER when asked for a name, a window will appear with five organization names in it in alphabetical order. If there are more entries than can be displayed in the window, and they appear prior to the first entry in the window, a triangle will appear on the left-hand side of the first entry displayed in the window. If there are more entries than can be displayed in the window, and appear after the last entry in the window, an upside-down triangle will appear on the left-hand side of the last entry displayed in the window. Use the UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the Page 10 entry you're looking for. In addition to the arrow keys, HOME will take you to the first entry in the window, END will take you to the last entry in the window, CTRL-HOME will take you to the first entry in the database, and CTRL-END will take you to the last entry in the database. Once you have the entry highlighted, press ENTER, and the entry will be displayed on the screen. To exit from the Find window without choosing an entry to be displayed, press ESC. Label - Print a label for the entry displayed on the screen. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press L. The print warning screen will appear as described earlier in the manual. Press any key to print the label, or ESC to exit the option without printing a label. Labels must be 3 1/2" X 15/16" in size. Print - Print the currently displayed entry on the printer. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press P. The print warning screen will appear as described earlier in the manual. Press any key to print the label, or ESC to exit the option without printing the entry. Mark - Mark entries for later filtering. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press P. A window will appear with four options: Prior: Mark the currently displayed entry and all previous entries Current: Mark the currently displayed entry Rest: Mark the currently displayed entry and all entries after it Cancel: Exit the option without marking any entries To choose an option, use the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key to highlight the option, and press ENTER. Unmark - Unmarks all entries. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press U. WP - Accesses the mini word processor. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press W. The word processor will appear, with the user name and address centered at the top of the screen, followed by the current date, and the name and address of the entry displayed on the screen prior to choosing the option. All documents created with the word processor automatically have right and left margins of one inch. The row and column number the cursor is currently in Page 11 is displayed at the upper left-hand corner of the screen. To type your letter, simply move down past the information already entered, then begin typing. When you have finished typing your letter, save it by pressing F3. The area next to the the FILE: prompt in the upper left-hand corner of the screen will be highlighted. Type in the name of the letter. The file name must be no longer than 12 characters long, including the extension, and the extension must be .TXT. If you enter any other extension, or no extension at all, the extension .TXT will be added to the file name. When you've entered the file name, press ENTER, and the letter will be saved. If you enter a file with no extension, but that has more than eight characters, the file name will be truncated to the first eight characters. If a file of the same name already exists, you will be warned, and will be asked if you want to overwrite it. To overwrite the file, press Y, then press ENTER. Please note that you can only save letters in the directory where FYI is located. To get a file, press F2. A window will open in the middle of the screen with a list of files that have been saved. If there are more files than can be displayed in the window, and they appear prior to the first file in the window, an up-arrow will appear on the right-hand side of the first file displayed in the window. If there are more files than can be displayed in the window, and appear after the last file in the window, a down-arrow will appear on the right-hand side of the last file displayed in the window. Use the UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the file you're looking for. In addition to the arrow keys, HOME will take you to the first file in the window, END will take you to the last file in the window, CTRL-HOME will take you to the file on the disk, and CTRL-END will take you to the last file on the disk. Once you have the file highlighted, press ENTER, and the entry will be displayed on the screen. To exit from the Get window without choosing a file to be retrieved, press ESC. To delete a file, press F2. A window will open in the middle of the screen with a list of files that have been saved. If there are more files than can be displayed in the window, and they appear prior to the first file in the window, an up-arrow will appear on the right-hand side of the first file displayed in the window. If there are more files than can be displayed in the window, and appear after the last file in the window, a down-arrow will appear on the right-hand side of the last file displayed in the Page 12 window. Use the UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the file you're looking for. In addition to the arrow keys, HOME will take you to the first file in the window, END will take you to the last file in the window, CTRL-HOME will take you to the file on the disk, and CTRL-END will take you to the last file on the disk. Once you have the file highlighted, press ENTER, and the name of the file will be displayed on the screen, and you will be asked to confirm the deletion. Press Y, then press ENTER to confirm the deletion. To exit from the Delete window without choosing a file to be deleted, press ESC. Finally, you can define up to four macros that contain text that can be saved and later inserted into any letter you choose. Press F6, and a window will appear with the four macros. You may enter up to 15 characters of text for each macro. When you finish entering the text, press ENTER. You will move to the next macro. You may place the macros in your text by pressing F7 through F10. If you are in insert mode, the text will be inserted at the cursor, moving aside any text already there. If you are in overstrike mode, the text will overwrite any text that is at the cursor. Following are the editing features available: Key Function 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� Up-Arrow Move up one line Down-Arrow Move down one line Left-Arrow Move left one character Right-Arrow Move right one character Ctrl-Left-Arrow Move left one word Ctrl-Right-Arrow Move right one word Home, End Move the the beginning, end of the current line Ctrl-Home, End Move to the top, bottom of the screen PgUp, PgDn Move to the previous, next screen Ctrl-PgUp, PgDn Move to the beginning, end of the document Delete Delete the character at the cursor Backspace Delete the characters to the left of the cursor Ins Toggle between insert and overstrike modes Ctrl-Y Delete current line Ctrl-T Delete the word to the right of the cursor Ctrl-B Reformat the current paragraph F1 Display help screen Page 13 Quit - Exit to the FILE sub-menu. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, press Q, or press ESC. PgUp - Display the last (previous) entry. If no sort order has been chosen, this will be the actual entry previous to the entry currently displayed on the screen. If a sort order has been selected, then it will be the entry previous to the entry currently displayed on the screen in the particular sort order chosen. If the first entry in the database is being displayed, this option will display the last entry in the database. PgDn - Display the next record. If no sort order has been chosen, this will be the actual entry after the entry currently displayed on the screen. If a sort order has been selected, then it will be the entry after the entry currently displayed on the screen in the particular sort order chosen. If the last entry in the database is being displayed, this option will display the first entry in the database. Update Database =============== This option allows you to update address and phone number information for any entries in the information database. Choose this option by pressing U, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. Following is a description of the field items: Name - The organization name. Address1 - The first line of the organization address (may also be a continuation of the organization name, as with a government entry where it's a bureau within a department, or for a company, a department within the company). Address2 - The second line of the organization address (if needed). City - The city where the organization is located. State - The two-letter postal state abbreviation where the organization is located. Zip - The five-digit zip code for the organization address. Phone - The phone number (if available) where the organization can be reached, including the area code. Page 14 Ext - The extension to ask for, if any. The following is an explanation of the "Display Database" options: Find - Find a data entry by organization name. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, or press F. You will be asked to enter a name of up to 50 characters long to identify the organization desired. You may enter a partial name if desired, and if any organization name begins with what you entered, the first such organization will be displayed. For example, if you enter ASSOCIATION, the first organization that begins with ASSOCIATION (if any) will be displayed. If the entry is not found, an error message will be returned. If you simply press ENTER when asked for a name, a window will appear with five organization names in it in alphabetical order. If there are more entries than can be displayed in the window, and they appear prior to the first entry in the window, a triangle will appear on the left-hand side of the first entry displayed in the window. If there are more entries than can be displayed in the window, and appear after the last entry in the window, an upside-down triangle will appear on the left-hand side of the last entry displayed in the window. Use the UP-ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the entry you're looking for. In addition to the arrow keys, HOME will take you to the first entry in the window, END will take you to the last entry in the window, CTRL-HOME will take you to the first entry in the database, and CTRL-END will take you to the last entry in the database. Once you have the entry highlighted, press ENTER, and the entry will be displayed on the screen. To exit from the Find window without choosing an entry to be displayed, press ESC. Update - Modify the address or phone number of the currently displayed organization. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, press U, or press ESC. Following is a list of the keys that can be used when updating, and an explanation of their function: Key Function 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Up-Arrow Move up one field Down-Arrow Move down one field Left-Arrow Move left one character Right-Arrow Move right one character End, Home Move to the beginning of a field or to the last end of the information in a Page 15 field Ctrl-Left-Arrow Move left one word Ctrl-Right-Arrow Move right one word Ctrl-Y Delete everything in a field to the right of the cursor Esc Exit update without saving any changes Delete Delete the character at the cursor Backspace Delete the characters to the left of the cursor Ins Toggle between insert and overstrike modes PgDn Exit update and save all changes. This also occurs when you press the ENTER key in the last field on the screen. Quit - Exit to the FILE sub-menu. To choose this option, use the LEFT-ARROW and RIGHT-ARROW key to highlight the option, press Q, or press ESC. PgUp - Display the last (previous) entry. If no sort order has been chosen, this will be the actual entry previous to the entry currently displayed on the screen. If a sort order has been selected, then it will be the entry previous to the entry currently displayed on the screen in the particular sort order chosen. If the first entry in the database is being displayed, this option will display the last entry in the database. PgDn - Display the next record. If no sort order has been chosen, this will be the actual entry after the entry currently displayed on the screen. If a sort order has been selected, then it will be the entry after the entry currently displayed on the screen in the particular sort order chosen. If the last entry in the database is being displayed, this option will display the first entry in the database. Page 16 PRINT Sub-Menu ============== In additional to being able to view and print labels and information for individual organizations, you need to be able to print lists and labels for all the organizations in an information database (or all filtered organizations). This sub- menu allows you to do this. To choose this option, from the Main Menu highlight the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT-ARROW key. The PRINT sub-menu will appear, with four options, "Master List", "Phone List", "1-Across Labels" and "Letters". We'll examine each of these options in order. Master List =========== This option will print a master list of the name, address, and short description of all the organizations in the currently chosen information database. If you have set a filter, only those organizations that meet the filter criteria will be included. Each page of the report will also contain a header that includes the name of the report, the page number, the information database the report was printed for, and the date and time the report was printed. Choose this option by pressing M, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. To print the report, make sure your printer is on and online, then press Y, and press ENTER. The print warning screen will be displayed as described earlier in the manual. Press ESC to exit the option without printing the Master List, or any other key to begin printing. When the list has finished printing, you will be returned to the PRINT sub-menu. Phone List ========== This option will print the name and phone number for all organizations in the currently chosen information database that have a phone number. If you have set a filter, only those organizations that meet the filter criteria and have a phone number will be included. Each page of the report will also contain a header that includes the name of the report, the page number, the information database the report was printed for, and the date and time the report was printed. Choose this option by pressing P, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. To print the report, make sure your printer is on and online, then press Y, and press ENTER. The print warning screen will be displayed as described earlier in the manual. Press ESC to exit Page 17 the option without printing the Phone List, or any other key to begin printing. then the list has finished printing, you will be returned to the PRINT sub-menu. 1-Across Labels =============== This option will print 1-across 3 1/2" x 15/16" labels for all of the organizations in the currently chosen information database. If you have set a filter, only those organizations that meet the filter criteria will be includes. Choose this option by pressing 1, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. To begin printing labels, make sure your printer is on and online, then press Y, and press ENTER. The print warning screen will be displayed as described earlier in the manual. Press ESC to exit the option without printing labels, or any other key to begin printing. When the list has finished printing, you will be returned to the PRINT sub-menu. Letters ======= This option will print any of the letters you have created and saved with the WP option in the "Display Database" option of the FILE sub-menu. Letters are printed with a one-inch top, bottom, left, and right margin. Choose this option by pressing L, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. A window will appear on the left-hand side displaying the available letter files. They are displayed in alphabetical order by database name. If no letters have yet been created, a message to that effect will be displayed, and you will be asked to press a key to return to the PRINT sub-menu. If at least one letter has been created and saved, use the UP- ARROW and DOWN-ARROW keys to highlight the letter you wish to print. To begin printing the letter, make sure your printer is on and online, then press ENTER. The print warning screen will be displayed as described earlier in the manual. Press ESC to exit the option without printing the letter, or any other key to begin printing. When the letter has finished printing, you will be returned to the PRINT sub-menu. To exit without choosing a letter, press ESC. Page 18 SORT Sub-Menu ============= To make it easier to find organizations on reports or when viewing them, you may want to have the information displayed and/or printed in other than the order in which the organizations actually exist in the database. This sub-menu allows you to change the display order of an information database. To choose this option, from the Main Menu highlight the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT-ARROW key. The SORT sub-menu will appear with one option, "Sort Database". Sort Database ============= This option will place the currently chosen information database in ascending order (A-Z or 1-9) on the field(s) you specify. Choose this option by pressing S, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. A menu will appear with 5 options: Organization Name Order - This places the database in alphabetical order by organization name State Order - This places the database in alphabetical order by the US Postal Service two-character state code State, City Order - This places the database in alphabetical order by the US Postal Service two-character state code, then by city name Zip Code Order - This places the database in numerical order by zip code Natural Order - This places the database in the actual order the individual records appear When choosing a sort order, the database is not actually placed in that order, but a secondary file, called an index file, is created, which allows the database to be displayed in the chosen order. When an information database is first chosen, it will appear in natural order, but an index is created to allow organizations to be found by organization name in the "Display Database" and "Update Database" options. When you choose an order other than natural order, the order will be displayed on the top line of the screen. Press ESC to exit this option without changing the order of the database. Page 19 OTHER Sub-Menu ============== There are times you may wish to view or print only a subset of organizations. This sub-menu allows you to specify subsets of organizations that meet certain criteria, as well as choose to work with all organizations. To choose this option, from the Main Menu highlight the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT- ARROW key. The OTHER sub-menu will appear, with six options, "Create New Filter", "Set Filter Off", "Reuse Old Filter", "Use Marked Entries", "Allow All Entries", and "Modify User Data". We'll examine each of these options in order. Create New Filter ================= This option allows you to create a filter to allow only certain organizations to be viewed/printed. This is done by selecting specific fields, and requiring that the information in them meet certain criteria. Choose this option by pressing C, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. You will now create the filter desired using what is called a "point-and-shoot" menu system. That is, most of the filter won't require that you type in anything, just point at it and press ENTER. The first thing you'll be presented with is a window with a list of fields on the left-hand side of the screen, and a brief explanation on what you are to do. You begin by choosing a field that you want as part of your filter. Following is a list of the field names and what they contain: NAME - The organization name. 50 characters long. ADDRESS1 - The first line of the organization address (may also be a continuation of the organization name, as with a government entry where it's a bureau within a department, or for a company, a department within the company). 30 characters long. ADDRESS2 - The second line of the organization address (if needed). 30 characters long. CITY - The city where the organization is located. 30 characters long. STATE - The two-letter postal state abbreviation where the organization is located. Two characters long. ZIP - The five-digit zip code for the organization address. Page 20 PHONE - The phone number (if available) where the organization can be reached, including the area code. 13 characters long. EXT - The extension to ask for, if any. COMMENT1 - The first line of the explanation of what the organization does and what services are available from and/or through it. 70 characters long. COMMENT2 - The second line of the explanation of what the organization does and what services are available from and/or through it. 70 characters long. COMMENT3 - The third line of the explanation of what the organization does and what services are available from and/or through it. 70 characters long. Choose a field using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key, and press ENTER. To exit the option without setting a filter, press ESC. Once you've chosen a field, you'll be presented with a list of seven selection conditions. Let's examine each of these selections in detail: LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO: Looks for only those entries that are less than or equal to the value you will enter. It looks for characters that have a lower ASCII value than the search value. For example, if you were to enter B as the value, the selection criterion would allow you to access all entries that begin with A or numbers, and any names that are just "B". Entries that begin with C or above, as well as entries that begin with B but are NOT just B will not be accessible. LESS THAN: Looks for only those entries that are less than the value you will enter. It looks for characters that have a lower ASCII value than the search value. For example, if you were to enter B as the value, the selection criterion would allow you to access all entries that begin with A or numbers. Entries that begin with B or above will NOT be accessible. GREATER THAN/EQUAL TO: Looks for only those entries that are greater than or equal to the value you will enter. It looks for characters that have a higher ASCII value than the search value. For example, if you were to enter B as the value, the selection criterion would allow you to access all entries that begin with A or above. Entries that begin with a number will NOT be accessible. GREATER THAN: Looks for only those entries that are greater than the value you will enter. It looks for characters that have a higher ASCII value than the search value. For example, if you were to enter A as the value, the selection criterion would allow Page 21 you to access all entries that begin with B or above, and any names that are not just "A". Entries that begin with a number, as well as entries that are just "A" will NOT be accessible. CONTAINS: Looks for all entries that contain the search value you will enter. For example, if you chose the Name field, and you were to enter "association", the selection criterion would allow you to access all entries where the word "association" appears somewhere in the name, but all other entries would NOT be accessible. NOT EQUAL TO: Looks for all entries that are anything but the search value you will enter. For example, if you were to choose the "State" field, and you were to enter "ny", the selection criterion would NOT allow you to access all entries where the state is NOT "ny", but all other entries would be accessible. EQUAL TO: Looks for all entries that are exactly the search value you will enter. For example, if you were to choose the "State" field, and you were to enter "ny", the selection criterion would allow you to access all entries where the state is "ny", but all other entries would NOT be accessible. Highlight the selection criteria using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key, and press ENTER. You'll now be asked to enter the search value. The amount of information you can enter is the same amount of information as can be held be the field chosen. Thus, you can enter up to 50 characters for the NAME field, 30 characters for the ADDRESS1 field, etc. Once you've entered the search value, two windows will appear. One window will display the search criteria entered so far, and below it will appear the number of characters that can be added to the search criteria. Remember, there are a maximum of 240 characters allowed in a search criteria. The second window will have four options, two of which are compound conditionals, with the other two options allowing to cancel or end the filter creation. Let's examine each of these options in detail: AND: Requires that the entries meet one or more additional conditions: those previously entered, and an additional one to be entered after selecting this conditional. When using "AND", you will normally reduce the number of entries that will be found, because the entries must meet additional conditions. When you choose this, you will be returned the list of fields to repeat the process outlined to this point. WARNING! Make sure you do not choose conditions that can never be met. For example, don't have NAME equal "Optometry" AND equal "Association". OR: Requires that entries meet at least one condition; either one of the conditions already entered or the condition about to be entered after selecting this conditional. When using "OR", you will normally increase the number of entries that will be found, because there is more conditions that the entries can Page 22 meet. When you choose this, you will be returned the list of fields to repeat the process outlined to this point. WARNING! Make sure you do not choose conditions that all entries can meet. For example, don't have NAME less than or equal to A OR greater than A. QUIT: Allows you to exit the "Create New Filter" option without setting the filter. If you choose this option, the message Create New Filter option aborted - press any key to continue. will appear. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. DONE: Exits the "Create New Filter" option and sets the filter. If you choose this option, the message Setting filter - one moment please... will appear. The filter will be set and a count will be made to see if any entries match the filter criteria you've created. If none do, a message will appear telling you that no entries exist for your filter criteria. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. If there ARE records that meet your criteria, the message FILTER SET will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and you will be returned to the OTHER sub-menu. Set Filter Off ============== This option turns any previously set filter off, and allows all organizations to be viewed or printed. Choose this option by pressing S, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. The message Filter has been removed - press any key to continue. will appear. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. The FILTER SET message that previously appeared in the upper right-hand corner of the screen will no longer appear. Reset Old Filter ================ This option will allow you to reuse the last filter you created. Choose this option by pressing R, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. The message Setting filter - one moment please... will appear. A count will be made to see if any entries match the filter criteria you've created. If none do, a message will Page 23 appear telling you that no entries exist for your filter criteria. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. If there ARE records that meet your criteria, the message FILTER SET will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and you will be returned to the OTHER sub-menu. If you haven't set a filter prior to using this option, the message No previous filter set - press any key to continue. will appear. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. Use Marked Entries ================== Allows only entries that were marked with "Mark" in the "Display Database" option to be viewed or printed. This option does NOT mark entries. Choose this option by pressing U, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. The message Setting filter - one moment please... will appear. A check will be made to see if there are any marked records. If there are, the message will clear and you will be returned to the OTHER sub-menu. If no records are marked, the message No records in database are marked - press any key to continue. will appear. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. Allow All Entries ================= This option allows all entries to be viewed and/or printed after having limited access to only those entries that were marked in the "Display Database" option. This option does NOT unmark entries. This must be done with "Unmark" in the "Display Database" option. Choose this option by pressing A, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. A message will appear telling you that all entries are available. Press any key to return to the OTHER sub-menu. Page 24 Modify User Data ================ This option allows you to change the information in the user information file that was created when you first ran the program. It is the only option you can access without having to first choose a database. Choose this option by pressing M, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. You will be asked to enter your company name (if any) your name, address, phone number, and whether or not to force the system to monochrome. The name and address information is used by FYI when creating a letter using the mini word processor in the "Display Database" option of the FILE sub-menu. This information is automatically placed at the top of the letter when you first choose the option. If you have a monochrome EGA or VGA monitor, the last item forces FYI to act as though it were running on an amber or green monochrome monitor. If you wish to have FYI always run in monochrome mode, press Y, then press ENTER. Otherwise press N, then press ENTER (or just press ENTER, since N is the default answer). If you enter Y, FYI will switch to monochrome mode every time it is run unless you later change it using the "Modify User Data" option in the OTHER sub-menu. Once the information has been modified, you will be returned to the OTHER sub-menu. Page 25 QUIT Sub-menu ============= This option allows you to exit from FYI to the DOS prompt. To choose this option, from the Main Menu highlight the option using the LEFT-ARROW or RIGHT-ARROW key. The QUIT sub-menu will appear with one option, "Exit Program". Exit Program ============ Choose this option by pressing E, or highlighting the option using the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key and pressing ENTER. If you haven't registered your copy of FYI, a registration reminder will be displayed. Press any key to exit to the DOS prompt. Otherwise, you will be left at the DOS prompt. Page 26 APPENDIX A Files included with FYI: INSTALL.BAT A batch file which installs the program. ASK.COM Batch answer program used by INSTALL.BAT. MANUAL.TXT This file! PRINTMAN.BAT A batch file to print the manual. README.TXT A file with important information. README.BAT A batch file which displays README.TXT. FYI15.EXE The compressed program and government database. REGISTER.FRM The order form to register. REGISTER.BAT A batch file which prints the order form. VENDOR.DOC A text file with information for shareware distributors. Page 27 APPENDIX B To print FYI reports and labels requires an Epson EX, FX, JX, LX, RX, DFX or LQ series printer. Many non-Epson printers will emulate one or more of the Epson series. Following is a partial list of printers that are Epson compatible or have Epson printing modes: ALPS - ALQ200, ALQ218, ALQ224, ALQ324, P2000, P2100, 2400C, 2424C BROTHER - 1109, 1209, 1409, 1509, 1709, 2518, 4018, 1724L, 2024L C. ITOH - C-210, C-215, C-310, C-315, C-715, C-715A, C-815, Prowriter Jr. Plus, 1550EP, 24LQ CITIZEN - 120D, MSP 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 45, 50, 55, Tribute 124, 224 FUJITSU - DL-2400, DL-3300, DL-3400, DL-5600, DX-2100, DX-2200, DX-2300 MANNESMANN TALLY - 85, 86, 87, 88, 230, 290, 330, 340, 490 NEC - P5, P5XL, P6, P7, P9XL, 2200, CP7, P5200, P5300 PANASONIC - KXP1124, KXP1524, KXP1624 SEIKOSHA - BP-5420AI, MP-1300AI, MP-5300AI, SK-3000AI, SK-3005AI, SP-1000AI, SP-1200AI, SBP-10AI, SL-80AI, SL-130AI STAR MICRONICS - FD-10, LV-1210, NB-10, NB-15, NL-10, NP-10, NR-15, NX-10, NX-15, SD-10, SD-15, SG-10, SG-15, SR-10, SR-15, NB2410, NB2415 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS - 850XL, 855, 857, 865, 875, 877 Other printers may not perfectly emulate the Epson X or LQ series, but still may be suitable for use with FYI. If you already own or wish to purchase a non-Epson printer not listed, check to see if it uses the following printer control codes: 15 (0F HEX or SI) - Set Condensed Mode 18 (12 HEX or DC2) - Cancel Condensed Mode ESC P (1B 50 HEX) - Set printing to 10 CPI (pica) ESC M (1B 67 HEX) - Set printing to 12 CPI (elite) Page 28