SPCS PRIMABASE(R) Test Version (May 1995) Pdata AB has the copyright for SPCS PrimaBase(TM). Neither the program nor the program's documentation may be copied in any way or form. See the license clauses or write to Scandinavian PC Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 3156, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3156 for a copy of the license agreement. This is a test version of SPCS PrimaBase(TM). Neither Pdata AB nor Scandinavian PC Systems take any responsibility for direct or indirect damages against any user or third party, brought about by the use of the program or its documentation. The contents of the program as well as its documentation may be changed without prior notice. Pdata AB, 1992. - Copyright Pdata AB, Sweden, 1990, 1992. All rights reserved. - SPCS(TM) is the trademark of Scandinavian PC Systems, AB, Vaxjo, Sweden. PrimaBase(R) is a registered trademarks of Scandinavian PC Systems, Inc. Microsoft(R) is a registered trademark and Windows(TM) is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. All other trade names are the trademarks of their respective companies. An introduction to SPCS PR1MABASE(R) The purpose of this document is to give a short introduction to the features of SPCS PrimaBase(R). To get the most out of this text, you should have SPCS PrimaBase(R) or SPCS PrimaBase(R) Test version installed on a computer with Microsoft Windows version 3.0 or later. A mouse is recommended. We recommend that you print this introductory documentation and follow it step-by-step to learn why SPCS PrimaBase(R) is the database management program you've always wanted and the only database management program, the only "1," you'll ever need! This test version is a limited but working version of SPCS PrimaBase (R) 3.13 -- the same program you will purchase if you decide out database is for you. Limitations are restricted to limited starts, no exporting, no technical support, and the restriction of printing only one page at time. The number of records, forms, reports and databases you can create is unlimited; you can print any of the barcodes, you can automatically update records through reports - everything! And, any reports or databases you create in this test version can be used when you purchase the full retail version of SPCS PrimaBase! What is SPCS PrimaBase(R)? SPCS PrimaBase(R) is a "painless" fully relational free-form database program working under MS-Windows. The program includes everything you need to create, edit, search for and print data files. It has been designed especially for use by small to medium sized businesses. It can handle any database task with ease -- from simple client files to complicated relationships between multiple files. Parts lists, customer lists, product inventory, subscriptions, you name it -- anything and everything, SPCS PrimaBase(R) can handle it all, easily, rapidly, flexibly! The built-in report generator is capable of merging and printing data from different files into one report. You can use all the fonts available in your printer. Plus, you can preview the report on-screen before sending it to the printer. The full SPCS PrimaBase(R) package, Version 3.13 (Suggested Retail List Price of $199.00 for a single-user license; $495 for 5-user network ready version) includes either a 3.5 or 5.25 inch disk together with exercise and reference manuals. The exercise manual contains practical exercises that guide you step by step through the program. The reference manual contains greater detail on program features and functions. (Prices are subject to change without notice.) Network versions supporting up to 32 nodes are available -- please call for pricing. The latest version is SPCS PrimaBase(R) Version 3.13. For a list of new features available on Version 3.13, please refer to the information sheet We hope to show you that this product runs very well on a 386SX/20 with 2MB RAM and requires just 2MB of hard drive space for full installation. If that's all you have, you'll have no problem. (You should note that, while we are a software company, we don't have a 486 in-house! Our fastest system is based on a 386DX/40!) To operate our competitor's products and achieve the same speed, you have to operate them on a 486 with 8MB RAM and have 16MB of free space available on your hard drive for installation. (Of note, that 14MB installation space difference equal 30,000 fully indexed records in SPCS PrimaBase(R). And each MB of RAM costs about $45.00 retail. So if you start adding up the cost of the additional hardware, the cost of SPCS PrimaBase(R) is really nominal.) We sell by mail, not through discount houses. We tried external distribution through wholesalers before, and it didn't work. Our customers liked the low prices but they didn't like the reduction in personal services we had provided when we were strictly direct mail. Moreover, we were stiffed for thousands of dollars by a couple of multimillion dollar distibutors and resellers at a time when we didn't need to be stiffed. It was during the recession and it almost put us out of business. As business persons, you can probably understand why we now sell strictly by mail. We never recovered the money because legal fees would have cost us every dollar owed to us and then some. The large distributors knew it, knew we were a small business, and chalked us up as expendable. So we won't do it again. We're an honest company and we want to deal with honest persons like you. So now we sell our products in reasonable volume, enough to make it profitable but not so much as to result in the drawbacks of high volume you've experienced from our larger competitors: busy technical support lines, abrupt sales staff, buggy software, and a laissez-faire attitude toward those who count most to us -- You. Our Customer. The one who puts food on our table and helps buy our childrens' clothes and doggie treats for Ilsa, the company president's pet white boxer. We've been in business since 1985 -- this year marks our 10th Anniversary. So you should also know that, while we're a small but growing entrepreneurial microenterprise, we are stable. So don't worry about whether we're going out of business next month. We're here to stay. While our larger competitors -- some of whom are no longer in existence -- have been hoping for that to happen since 1985, we intend to be around for a long, long time. So, we hope you enjoy using the program because after using this evaluation version, we hope you'll see that our products are quality products. And we hope that your purchase decision will be based quality - not brand name. We're not big - we're microenterprisers - but we think you'll like us and our products. Please note the terms of the license agreement. By installing this package, you have agreed to abide by the terms of the agreement. If your friends would like a copy of this demo disk tell them to call us, have them let us know that you sent them along, and we'll waive the demo disk shipping fee. Not only is piracy is illegal, a felony that could subject you, your company to fines in excess of $250,000 per infraction and prison time, it also takes food off our table and reduces the funds we have to put back into product development to make SPCS PrimaBase(R) the best and only database you'll ever need. We won't steal from you -- please don't steal from us. Are you ready? Then let's begin! Sample data used in this introduction: When the SPCS PrimaBase(R) Test version is installed, a database called EXAMPLES is copied to the hard disk. This database contains two related files- one with companies within a company group and one with the employees of the different companies. To get going, you will have to change to the EXAMPLES database: select File/Database, select EXAMPLES in the left list box and click on OK (if the EXAMPLES database is not present in the left list box then you need to enter the PrimaBase program directory).] Limitations of SPCS PrimaBase(R) Test Version: The test version has the following limitations: --The test version comes without manuals with the exception of this introductory documentation. --As a test version user, you are ineligible for technical support, no matter how simple you think the question is. Only those who have paid for technical support are eligible for it, so please don't ask for it and please don't tie up our technical support staff by trying to get around this limitation. They won't answer. --Printing is limited to one page. --You will not be able to export records. --Files may not be password protected. Getting started Knowledge base To operate this program, you should have a basic knowledge of DOS and Microsoft Windows. Prior experience with database programs is helpful but unnecessary. A prime advantage of SPCS PrimaBase(R) is that it is designed for ease of use by anyone, even someone with no prior experience with database programs. But even though it is quite easy to use, experienced database operators will find the program quite powerful and very flexible. (If you don't have a basic knowledge of DOS, we happily recommend our product, JOHN C. DVORAK'S PC CRASH COURSE AND SURVIVAL GUIDE, for just $34.95. To order, call 1-800-4-U.S. SPCS, 504-338-9580, or fax 504-338-9670. And, yes, that is a plug. ... But, hey, it's a heckuva good product -- recommended by FORTUNE magazine, 12/91! And if you find Windows a bit murky, we happily recommend our SCANDINAVIAN PC SYSTEMS' PC CRASH COURSE AND SURVIVAL GUIDE(TM) for Windows, for just $19.95 + $5.00 US S&H. Educational and volume discounts available, please call.) Installation Start WINDOWS. Select File/Run in the Program Manager. Put the SPCS PrimaBase(R) Program Diskette in the disk drive and type A:RUNME or B:RUNME (depending on which drive holds the disk) and press Enter. Choose target disk and directory (default is C:\PRIMATST). Start To start you can either double click on the SPCS PrimaBase(R) icon in the Program Manager group Windows Applications or select File/Run and type, for example C:\PRIMATST\SPCSPR1M.EXE ABASE.EXE Terms used in this manual SPCS PrimaBase(R) stores files, forms and reports in a database. A database can contain more than 100 record files, related or not, together with as many as 500 forms or reports. Depending on capacity, a hard disk usually can store several databases. A record file stores records and fields. Each file contains records and each record contains fields containing data. Example: Your first name could be one field, your middle initial a second field, and your last name a third field. A record would contain all three fields. Different files can be linked to each other. Forms are used to insert, change, search and view the records in files. You can use the automatically created standard forms or you can create customized forms with colored fields for quick recognition, with speed buttons with related groupings, etc. Reports are templates for, among other things, the printing layout of the file contents. Records and fields In a file, all the information about a person or a product is stored in a record. The record is divided into fields, each of them storing one data item, for example name, address, price or date of birth. The different fields are named so you will know which field is storing which data (for example Name, Address, Price, DateOfBirth). The type and length of the fields will be selected when creating the file. Validation tests can be included in customized forms to minimize the risk of incorrect data entry. Indexes The records are sorted by one or more indexes. These indexes determine the relative order of the records when you are searching or printing. Each index is defined by one or more fields. Example: Sort primarily by name, and if the name in two records are equal - sort them by phone number instead. The indexes are always available and you can easily switch between them. Linked files With SPCS PrimaBase(R) you can create links between files. Using links, a file can be related to other files. This enables you to use your files in different combinations without having to copy them several times. This can save valuable storage space and it also makes updating easier and more efficient. For example, if a customer for example changes address you just need to update one single record in one file. In the EXAMPLES database the company data are stored in one data file and data about the employees of the different companies are stored in another data file. A company may have many employees but an employee usually works for only one company at a specific time. SPCS PrimaBase(R) refers to linked data files as parent and child data files. They are both related to each other by a common field - called a Link Field. To achieve a link, two files must have identical contents in their link fields. Assume that the the link field in the above example is the CompanyCode field. If an employer and an employee have the same company code, then a link can be achieved. The field contents in the parent records must be unique (Two companies should not be able to have the same company code.). On the other hand, child records may contain non-unique field contents (Many employees do have the same employer.). You can link many different files. For instance, a parent file can itself also be a child file that contains information linking it to another parent file. A child file can be linked to many parent files. This makes SPCS PrimaBase(R) very flexible, even when dealing with complex data structures. Later on in this introduction we shall also describe how to use linked files in different contexts - how to work with different linked files at the same time and how to merge information from different files into a report. The program structure The menu bar at the top of the program window contains the File, Utilities and Help menus. When using a form, the form editor or the report editor, some of the Edit, Record, Search, View, Object, Font and Window menus will be available. In the File menu you can open forms, start report printings, create, modify and save forms, reports and files. You also can select printer and database. The Utilities menu contains, among other things, routines for backup, import and preferences. You use the Edit menu to cut and paste different things, such as field contents, objects in the form editor, or objects and blocks in the report editor. The Record and Search menus are available while working in a form. The View and Object menus are available when you use the form editor or the report editor. The report editor also displays the Font menu. You use the Window menu when you work with more than one window at a time, see below. You can get help by selecting Help/Index or by pressing the F1 key. Shift+F1 gives context sensitive help on whatever you are working at the time help is requested. The program also contains an expression help you can use when you enter expressions, selections or calculations. Work in multiple windows. When you open, modify or change a form, one or more windows will be displayed on the screen. When you are working in the report editor the report is also displayed in a window. This means that you can work with different forms and/or reports at the same time. As many as nine windows can be used simultaneously. You can manipulate these windows exactly as with other windows in Microsoft Windows. They can be resized, moved, maximized etc. To switch between different windows, point and click, or if the window is not visible, select the name in the Window menu. If you want to remove the windows containing a form or a report, click in the window and then select File/Close. Working with records When you want to insert, change or search for information in a file, you have to open a form. Click on File/Form and then clcik on the form you want to use. Open the Company form. When a form is opened, the window displays the first record of the file and the Record and Search menus are added to the menu bar. Insert and change records To insert a new record, select Record/New, enter the information in the different fields, and then select Record/Save. Use Tab or Return to move between the fields. To alter the current viewed record, select Record/Edit. It can also be copied by selecting Record/Copy. Save the record with Record/Save. If the record is not to be saved, use Record/Undo Record. You can delete a record with Record/Delete. Searching, browsing and listing records Select different records by using the Search menu. The Search/List feature enables selected fields in many records to be displayed for a quick look. A double click in the list will show the entire record again. The Search/Index selection decides the order in which the records will be displayed and which fields are displayed while working in the list mode. A multiple window form can display the records in list mode in one window and the entire selected record in another window (try the Company2 form). Search information Select Search/Search to search for a specific record. The wild card character *, which is the default in all fields, will accept all records independent of the field contents (zero or more characters). If you don't know the entire field content you can use * or ?. Example: If you type Sport* in a name field then SPCS PrimaBase(R) will find the company names beginning with Sport, for example Sport Co, Sport & Hunt Inc and so on. Select Search/Search again and SPCS PrimaBase(TM) will find a matching record. Every defined index will be used to make the search fast, even if you have many records in the file. Use Search/Search next to find the next record that matches. Working with multiple files The file with companies is linked to the file with employees. You can work with both files simultaneously in two windows. Example: Close the opened windows with File/Close. Open the CompanyGroup form. Two windows will now be displayed, one with the company records and one with the employees of each company. You can now work with each file exactly as described above. The menu selections are valid for the currently selected window. When browsing among the records, the records in the other window will be switched if necessary. Let both windows work in list mode. Try clicking on different records in the employee file. The company the employee is working for will be marked in the list of companies. While inserting or changing a record in a child file (employees), select the proper parent record in the company window. After this is done, a click in the employee window is required before the record can be saved with Record/Save. When you work with linked files, you have the option to display only the child records of the currently selected parent record. Example: Click in the employee window, select Search/Index followed by the CompanyCode index and the Only Child records to... option. After this, when a company is selected, only the employees of that company will be displayed. When ready, close the form by selecting File/Close. File definition Decide which fields, indexes and links a file will contain when creating it, by selecting File/New/File. The definition of a file can be changed even after records have been inserted, as described below. To change the definitions of a file, use File/Modify/File and select the file. Fields Click on the Field... button to view the field definitions. The list displays all of the fields in the file. Add a new field by typing a field name, select field type and then click on the Save New button. Modify a field definition by clicking on the field in the list, change its definition and then click on the Save Change button. Remember that you have to convert the field contents if you change field type, for example by using the Value(Field) function when the type is changed from Text to Numeric. Click on the Exit button when done. Indexes Select Indexes... and the Define index dialog box will be presented. By marking an index in the upper left list, the index definition will be displayed. The Levels of Sorting decides which fields the index is built upon. The level one field is used as the primary key. If two records have the same contents in that field then level two field will be used and so on. Select the Unique index option and PrimaBase will prevent duplicate records from being inserted, i.e two or more records containing the same values in the index fields. Click on the Exit button when ready with the index definition. When you are satisfied with the file name, the fields and the indexes, click on the OK button, and the file will be adjusted for the new definition. If no changes were made, select Cancel. New files To create a new file, select File/New/File. Choose either to copy the definition from a previously defined file or start with a new file (without any fields or indexes). Type the file name. After that you must decide which fields and indexes the file shall contain. When completed, select OK and the file is created. A standard form is automatically created for the new file. The standard form has the same name as the file except that the name is preceded with a "sun" character. Linked files In order to create a link between a child and a parent file, define a new field of type Link to in the child file. The field will get the same definition as the field in the parent file. Later, when you create a record in the child file, you must enter the same value in the child link field as you did in the link field of the parent record. The record will then be linked to the parent record. In the Employee file there is a link to the Company file via the CompanyCode field. To create two linked files: First: Generate the file which will be the parent file. Insert fields and indexes of your own needs. Select one of the fields to be a link field by creating an index with this field as the only level, and make the index an unique index. Next: When the parent file is completed, create the child file. Insert the fields you need. When you come to the field which shall be linked to the parent file then Select Link to and choose which file and field you want to link to from the selection presented in the window. Then save the link field with Save new. One or more indexes with the link field as the level one field must be inserted. SPCS PrimaBase(R) will suggest an appropriate index. Create the file by clicking on OK. Then, when working with linked files you may wish to use all of the linked files in one form. More about this in the following chapter. Customized forms When creating a file, SPCS PrimaBase(R) automatically generates a standard form with all the fields of the file. The names of the standard forms have a leading "sun" character. The sample database includes a couple of customized forms to exemplify some of the things that can be done with the form editor. The form editor is a tool for making forms of your own design. Select File/New/Form to create a customized form. A form window is displayed on the screen. Two new alternatives are displayed in the menu bar, the View and Object menus. When satisfied with the form, save it with File/Save and close it with File/Close. If you want to copy the layout of a similar form, you select File/Modify/Form, make the desired changes and then save the form with a new name by selecting File/Save as. Select File/Modify/Form and load the Companies form into the form editor. Objects You can use different types of objects and colors in a form to achieve an environment of your wishes. The object types are: fields, texts, expressions, buttons, areas, group frames and information texts. To create a new object, position the flashing cursor at the desired position and select the type of object in the Object menu. The alternative Object/Form is used to create forms containing multiple windows, for example when working with linked files. The most important object type in a form is the Field. When you create a field object a dialog box will be displayed where you can select field, select if input should be enabled, if the field content should be right adjusted etc. You will also find more advanced options in the field dialog box. A Condition controls the field contents when the record is saved, giving you the option to write your own error messages and have them displayed if the condition is not true. The sequence number is the order in which Return or Tab accesses the fields when you are working with the records. Fields of types time and date can automatically be given new values when the record is created and/or edited. Fields of type numeric have an option which tells SPCS PrimaBase(TM) to suggest an unique number when a record is created. This option demands that the number field is the only field level in an unique index. If you want to move or resize anything, click on it and then drag it to the desired position or size. Double click in an object to look at and to be able to edit the object definition. Sequence and color Using the View menu, you can among other things select colors for marked objects. Select View/Sequence to alternate between displaying the field names and the sequence numbers. Multiple windows in a form A form can contain many windows. These windows can refer to the same file or to different linked files. Add a window to the form by selecting Object/Form. Load the CompanyGroup form in to the form editor. This form is built with two windows, one for the company file and one for the employee file. Close all open forms when you want to work with reports. Report, part 1 Reports are primarily used to print records to the printer. The report layout, headers, which field and records should be included, the field position and fonts are determined by you in the report editor. To create a new report, select File/New/Report and then choose the file and index that should be used in the report. Then make the report layout, save the report with File/Save as... and close the report with File/Close. To view or change a report layout, select File/Modify/Report. Printing a report Select File/Report to print a report. Then select which report to print, and whether you want to send the result to the screen or to a printer. Try printing the CompanyList to the screen. The report layout A simple report consists of a Report Header, a Repetition and a Report Footer. The Report Header is printed before the first record. The Repetition is printed once for each record in the file and then finally the Report Footer is printed. Only the objects in Print Areas are sent to the printer. The print areas can contain fields, texts, expressions, lines and rectangles. The contents of the print area can utilize all of the fonts available in your printer. By positioning the print areas and their contents you control the result of the printing. New print areas and fields, texts etc. are created by clicking where you want to put it and then you select in the object menu. Double click on a field, text or an expression to look at or change the object definition. To move or resize something, click on it and then drag it to the correct position. By pressing the Ctrl key while moving, the object will "glue" itself to other objects. The object type expression is used to print the result of a calculation or a total. Over 100 functions can be used. When editing an expression you can click at the Help... button and the expression help will be displayed. Page header and footer Select View/Page Headers to display the page header and footer. A print area in the page header can, for example, contain information about the report and date of printing. In the page footer you can for example insert page number. Select View/Page Headers to see the report again. Record selection You can control which records you want to include in the report printout by using a condition in a Selection. Example: Select Object/Selection and type Name BeginsWith "Sport" or Name Contains "Inc". Group header and footer A report can print group headers and group footers when the contents of a field are changing. Example: Close open reports and select File/Modify/Report and the report EmployeesGroup. This report prints the company name before the employees of each company, and after that the number of employees is printed. Sum's and if's In a report you often want to calculate a total or a value for all or groups of records. SPCS PrimaBase(TM) contains more than 100 functions which are all used in the same manner, regardless if you are working with expressions in print areas, conditions in selections or with If statements etc. To see a list of all available functions, press Ctrl+F1 when you work with a selection or a calculation. Among the available functions there are a couple of special functions to make total calculations easier, for example Sum(field) which adds the values from a field for all selected records. There are also a number of functions for manipulating text fields, such as Left(), Right, Search(), Length() and Replace(). Report, part 2 Calculations, variables, if, etc. The calculation block is used to make more complicated calculations and to store the result in variables. In calculations, inquiries can be made to the report user, and other Windows programs can be directed via DDE. Variables are small pockets of memory which can store the results of calculations for later use. Both variables and the If and While blocks are for the more advanced reports. The CompanyQuery report shows how to make an inquiry before printing the report and how you can acquire a conditional printout of a field. Report with multiple files A report can directly access information from the parent file. Refer to the parent records by selecting the parent file when you create a field object. You can, for example, in a report over the employees print information from the company file. Sub reports With sub reports you can print records from a child file. If you, for example, want to print all records in the company file sorted by company name, and for each company you want to print the employees, then create a report for the company file and put a subreport for the employees in the company Repetition. The essential difference between this report and the report EmployeesGroup with Group Header etc is that this report also prints the companies that have no employees. This is done because we build this report from the company file, not from the employee file as was the case in the report with group headers. A sub report for a child file only prints the child records linked to the currently printed parent record. Besides this, the sub report can also have a selection of its own if you want to limit the printing further more. A special form of sub report can be created, which loops through the records in the file which later are to be printed. In this way we can calculate totals and check the records before any printing is done. Updating the file contents A report is also able to update the records of a file. An example: We have a field in the file in which we want to make a note when a invoice is printed. When we create the record we leave this field empty. In the invoice report we have a selection so that only invoices for the records with empty note field will be printed. When each invoice is printed, we let the report make a note in the field and update the record. In the same manner you can delete records in a file and create new records in other files. Utilities SPCS PrimaBase(R) includes all the utilities you will need. You will find backup, copying of different parts of the database, import, export, preferences and passwords in the Utilities menu. Backup Using the backup routines you have the option of copying the entire database or just selected files, forms and reports. The backup can be stored on floppy disks or on another hard disk. A compression algorithm is used to minimize disk-space. To make a backup: Select Utilities/Backup. A dialog box with two list boxes is displayed. In the left list box the text Entire Database is displayed. To copy: Double click on this entry and the text is moved to the right list box . Put a formatted disk in drive A: and click at OK. If the backup file is too large for your diskette you will be asked to change diskette after a while. Copying between databases Files, forms and reports can be copied within and between databases. Reports and forms which originally were created for one file can simply be adjusted for another similar file somewhere else. Import and export SPCS PrimaBase(R) can import data from a text file, Pdata Combi, DIF file and dBase II, III and IV. The import of a text file is made to a file which is already defined. In all other cases the import function creates a new file with suitable fields, taking field length and other important information from the original file format being exported. Export of data can be done to a text or DIF file. When you import and export text files there are options for the field separation character and if the file is created with IBM ASCII or Windows' ANSI characters. Preferences With Utilities/Preferences you can set your personal options. Are you one of those who doesn't want to select Record/Change before every record update? Do you want the control query every time you remove a record? These, among others, can be set for your personal preferences and saved for the future. Passwords and encryption Under Utilities/Change Password you can set passwords for different levels of authority. There section also contains an option to encrypt the database files. Miscellaneous Information Network version SPCS PrimaBase(R) is also available in a net version where up to 32 users can concurrently insert, change and search in the same file (sometimes called record locking). SPCS PrimaBase(R) prevents two users from changing the same information at the same time. The possibilities are in all other cases the same as for the single user version. With the possibility to set passwords for different authority levels you achieve a high degree of security. Please call 1-800-4-U.S. SPCS (504-338-9580) or fax 504-338-9670 for pricing and availability. Five-node network versions start at just $495! (Prices are subject to change without notice.) Technical data (For the database wizards and the code gurus among you!) Up to 200 fields per record and 32,000 characters per record. Field types: text, numeric, date, time and linked field. 400 characters per text field (max 150 per index). Number interval approximately +/-1E+/-308. Max 2 billion characters or 300 million records per file besides the hard disk limitations. The records in a file can be indexed in 15 different ways simultaneously, each with 5 field levels. SPCS PrimaBase (R) is for IBM AT, PS/2 and compatibles with Microsoft Windows Version 3.0 or higher. A 386SX operating at 16 MHz with 2 MB of RAM is recommended. A mouse makes life with SPCS PrimaBase(R) much easier but it is not necessary -- SPCS PrimaBase(R) also supports keyboarding fingers. SPCS PrimaBase(R) uses the Windows' printer drivers. "Fun with Dick and Jane Section" Once you start the SPCS PrimaBase(R) Test Version, an intro screen will appear on your monitor. Click on the SPCS PrimaBase(R) portal with the mouse. Watch the portal and then try to click on "OK" that follows. And then, try it on a friend! Scandinavian PC Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 3156, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3156. Scandinavian PC Systems, Inc., a U.S. corporation since 1985, is also the publisher of CORPORATE VOICE(TM), the most innovative writing aid ever produced! A slide show demo disk of CORPORATE VOICE is available free to customers, CHARITABLE non-profit, schools and governmental agencies (but not their subcontractors), or available for $4.95 (U.S.), a fee that can be applied toward the purchase on any full commercial software package from us. (Yes,that is another product plug! But it also is a great piece of software!) Short list of New Features in SPCS PrimaBase (R) Version 3.13 * Barcoding. With this feature, you can pick a barcode just as you would any other font. But instead of picking 20 point Times Roman, you can specify 90 point Code 39. SPCS PrimaBase 3.13 includes barcode fonts for POSTNET with delivery point barcodes, Code 39, Code 128, Interleaved 2/5, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, and EAN-13. (POSTNET barcoding your mail can reduce your postal costs by 75% or more. And you don't have to be mailing large volume to get this low rate either - 500 first class pieces or 200 3rd Class pieces being mailed makes you eligible for significant POSTNET savings! This feature alone is worth the price of the software!) NOTE: SPCS PrimaBase(R) is the ONLY, fully relational, free form, customizable RDBMS for Windows to offer integrated barcode fonts. Separate stand alone packages that would be required for use with our competitors' products cost $150.00 or more! * Memo fields. Up to 32,000 characters may be saved in memo fields. These fields are sometimes called "Free Text" fields. SPCS PrimaBase (R) now can import memo fields from dBase III/IV. * Instant searching in indexed fields. If the field is indexed, this feature instantly displays records containing information that you enter as part of your search criteria, either manually or with a barcode reader. * Forms may be saved either in minimized or maximized state. Because of this feature, when you re-open the form, it will be exactly the same size as you left it. * The maximum length for the result of an expression has been increased to 32,000 characters. * Multi-line (word wrapped) fields, texts and expressions in reports and forms. ====================================== UNINSTALL INSTRUCTIONS In the HIGHLY unlikely event you decide (shudder!) against the purchase of the BEST darn RDBMS for windows in the world, the only "1" you will ever want or need: - SPCS PrimaBase (R)! - all you have to do to uninstall the test program is: 1.) Delete the PRIMATST directory, including all its subdirectories 2.) Delete the program item, then the program group 3.) And then delete the PRIMA.INI file in your Windows subdirectory. (But we KNOW that won't happen, right?) Also, check your windows subdirectory for a file named: ~2020.EXE. This is a temporary file created by the installation progam and it may or may not have been deleted following installation. Good luck and best wishes for your future prosperity, health and happiness and well-being regardless of your choice! America works because small business (not necessarily the SBA) works for America - support a microenterpriser TODAY and your grandchildren will have jobs TOMORROW!