                     P o s t B a s e
                     Program  Manual

PostBase  is  a  database  program  designed  to  let you 
maintain  your  personal  stamp collection in an easy and 
practical   manner.    Up   to   10,000  entries  can  be 
maintained.

This  program  is  ideal  for  those  who  would  like to 
computerize   their   stamp   collection.   Entry  Screen 
flexibility  lets  you  enter  your  stamps  quickly  and 
accurately,  and  special  search  features lets you find 
stamps   almost  instantly.   PostBase  is  designed  for 
personal rather than commercial use.

                     Program Features

PostBase  can  be  executed on any IBM or compatible with 
at least  256k RAM  and  DOS 2.0  or greater.

A  context-sensitive help screen and scrollable manual is 
always available by pressing the <F1> function key.

Use  of  a  color  or  monochrome screen is automatically 
detected and the proper adjustments made.

User  input  boxes are word processor capable, with arrow 
cursoring, insert/overtype/delete functions, etc.


                      The Main Menu

The Main Menu is the central focus of the program.

From here, you can choose to:

           See the stamps in your personal database,

           Add an entry to your database, or

           Quit PostBase and return to DOS.

To  choose  one of the above options, use the spacebar or 
arrow keys to highlight the option and press <ENTER>.

                        See Stamps

Choosing  this  option  allows you to examine your stamps 
currently  on  file.   You  are  first  asked whether you 
would like to see all the stamps, or certain stamps.

If  you  select "All Stamps", you are asked to select how 
you  wish the list sorted.  You can sort by Scott Number, 
Year  of Issue, Category, or Face Value. Highlight one of 
the options and press <ENTER>.

If  you elect to see only "Certain Stamps", see below for 
more details.


                    See Certain Stamps

If  you  want to look for "Certain Stamps", you are given 
an  opportunity  to  define any combination of any of the 
fields in any record for matches.

Used  thoughtfully,  this feature can search as generally 
or  as  specifically  as you wish, and provide an instant 
sub-list of stamps to view or print.

For  example,  you  can  define  and  display  a  list of 
Definitive  stamps  issued  in  1976 with "Medium Cancel" 
noted in the comments field.


                  Displaying the Results

Whether  you chose to see "All" or "Certain" stamps, your 
database  file  is  sorted  and/or  your stamps are found 
very  quickly.  The  program then displays the first of a 
list (or sub-list) of your sorted (or found) stamps.

At this point you have several options:  You may
<F2>  Printout one or all of the listed stamps,
<F4>  Modify any field in the currently displayed stamp,
<F8>  Delete the currently displayed stamp, or
<Esc> Return to the Main Menu.

Simply press the appropriate key.

                     Printing Options

Whether  you  are  viewing a list of all stamps or a sub-
list  of  certain  stamps,  you have a choice of printing 
options.   You  can  print  only  one  stamp  (the  stamp 
currently  showing  on  the screen), or you can print all 
of  the  stamps  in  your  list  (or sub-list of "certain 
stamps") if you wish.

I  would suggest that you set your printer for compressed 
printing.    The   printout   looks  "cleaner"  and  more 
professional,  in  my  opinion.   If  you  don't like the 
compressed  setting,  set  it  at 12 cpi (Elite), because 
the printout may not print properly at 10 cpi (Pica).

                     Adding an Entry

This  entry  screen  was  designed  to  facilitate  fast, 
intuitive,  and  easy  stamp  entries.   Input boxess are 
word  processor capable, with cursoring, overtype/insert, 
and  delete/backspace  keys  operable.   You  can  simply 
press  the  <Enter>  key on an empty line and the program 
will insert "n/a" for you.

If  you wish to abort an entry, simply press <Esc> at any 
time.  

See  below  for more details concerning each field of the 
entry screen--


Scott Number:

     Here  you are provided with a ten-character field to 
     enter the Scott Number associated with the stamp.

Year(s) of Issue:

     Here  you  may  enter  your  choice of date entries, 
     whether  a  year,  a  range  of  years, or any other 
     method of entry you wish.

Category:

     Here  you  may  note  the basic category that define 
     the   stamp,   such  as  Definitive,  Commemorative, 
     Special, etc.

Title:

     Here  you  may  enter a more complete description of 
     the  type  of stamp, for instance, as described in a 
     catalog.

Description:

     Here  you  should  enter  the physically descriptive 
     information,   such   as   color,  size,  and  other 
     details.

Face Value:

     Here  you  may  enter  the  issued face value of the 
     stamp. You can <BackSpace> to correct entries.

Key Phrases:

     If  used  wisely,  this  is  the most powerful field 
     entry  you  can  make.  Here you may enter key words 
     or  phrases that can be later used to associate this 
     entry  with  any other entries that also include the 
     same  key  word or phrase.  This allows you to user-
     define  as  many associative indexing systems as you 
     wish,  and  later create a sub-lists based solely on 
     your indexing preferences.
     
     For  example,  suppose  it's  important to you to be 
     able  to  find and display lists of stamps according 
     to  their  condition. If this is the case, make sure 
     to  enter  the  condition,  using a grading entirely 
     your  own,  in  the  Key Phrase field of each entry. 
     Then,  at any later time, you can create a sub-list, 
     for  example,  of  all  stamps  you've  graded "Very 
     Fine"  by choosing (from the Main Menu) "See Items", 
     "Certain  Items",  and  then  type  "Very F" (by the 
     way,  you  don't  have  to  enter the entire word or 
     phrase)  in  the  Key  Phrase  field, along with any 
     other  parameters  in  other fields that you wish to 
     define  the search by.  The program will then make a 
     case-insensitive  search  and  present a sub-list of 
     all  entries  that  have the partial phrase "Very F" 
     in their Key Phrase field!

Comments:

     This  field  reflects  my  awareness as a programmer 
     that  it's impossible to design an entry screen that 
     will   satisfy   everybody.    Here  you  may  enter 
     anything  that you think should be entered and isn't 
     provided for elsewhere.
     
     As  an additional benefit, this field is included in 
     the  "Certain  Items"  options, so you can find this 
     entry  by  telling the program to search all comment 
     fields for a certain phrase, word, or partial word.



                     Quit the Program


You  will  be  asked  to  confirm.  If you press "y", the 
program  will  exit.   If you press "n", the program will 
return to the Main Menu.






            End of    PostBase    Help Screen

