The PC-SIG Library 10

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Text File | 1980-01-01 | 24KB | 706 lines

********* ********* ********* ** ** ** *** ** ** ** ** ******* ******* ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** *** *** ********* FREE FORM DATABASE (c) Peter Campbell Software. v2.20, 2nd November 1990. FFD is a multi purpose database program for storage of ALL data. Data is entered or imported from other programs and then indexed by every word (very quickly). The index is updated automatically after making changes to any data (also very quickly). FFD functions more like a database program than most text retrieval programs, by providing a built in editor, users can add, modify or delete data very quickly while still maintaining the powerful search capabilities. FFD can be a simple filing cabinet or all your filing cabinets at once, in a single database you can store all the data (up to 4 gigabytes) and still do quick searches on words and their cross references. >> The more information put into a database the more powerful it becomes. << FFD User Manual Page 1 C O N T E N T S Page ------------------------------------------------ About FFD 2 The FFD Tutorial Database 3 Adding Text Entries 4 Modifying Text Entries 5 Deleting Text Entries 6 Erasing Text Entries (from screen) 6 Undelete "Deleted" Text Entries 6 Searching the Database 7 Reporting Text Entries 8 Sorting Text Entries 10 Importing from DOS Files 11 Dictionary Display 12 Printing Text Entries 12 Re-Indexing the Database 13 FFD's Editing Functions 14 Technical Information 15 Configuring FFD's Memory Requirements 16 FDR: Memory Resident Version of FFD 17 FDP: Atari Portfolio Version of FFD 18 Create Export File 18 Upgrading and Other Programs 19 FFD User Manual Page 2 About FFD --------- FFD stands for Free Flow Database. FFD can store text in any form, either entered into FFD's built in editor or imported from another program. FFD calls each block or record a "text entry" (or just "entry"). Entering text using FFD's built in editor is a simple process of selecting a starting format (or creating one) and then entering data around the starting format. Example starting format: Name: Address: Phone no(s): Once you've selected a starting format, you can enter data anywhere, FFD's built in editor provides many of the features similar to word processors, such as block moving and deleting. While using the editor you can do anything to the starting format, including deleting all or bits of it and inserting lines, so fields can occupy as little or as much space as required. Importing text from another program is done by specifying the files to import, each file can be imported either on a line by line basis, page by page or as one entry. On a line by line basis each individual line of the file(s) being imported would be treated as a seperate text entry. Each entry in the database has an 8 character name which tells you where it came from. If the text entry was imported from another file then the name will be that of the file. If the text entry was entered using FFD then the name will be the same as the starting formats name. Every single word in each entry including its name are automatically indexed so you can quickly import files or enter text and then without delay start searching or updating with the confidence that everything will be forever up to date! FFD User Manual Page 3 The FFD Tutorial Database ------------------------- FFD has a very small tutorial, it is really only a database for you to muck about with and probably destory without any loss to anybody. The TUTOR database contains more help of its own for the purpose of online practical learning. Starting the Tutorial (or re-starting) ? 1) Type FFD from the DOS prompt. 2) Push enter when FFD asks for the database name (the default is TUTOR). Has the database been indexed or does it need re-indexing ? If this is your first time using the TUTOR database then it will need indexing before any searches can be done. 1) Type FFD from the DOS prompt. 2) Enter the database name or push enter for TUTOR. 3) Press O for the options menu. 4) Press (or select) R (Re-index). 5) Confirm the process by pressing Y to confirm. Once FFD has loaded a database then you are put at the main menu. This is a list of one word options along the top part of the screen. Simply push the first letter of each option you want. Below the main menu the rest of the screen is used to display the current text entries, when a database is loaded then the text entries which were on screen the last time it was used are displayed. If there are no text entries displayed then you must search for some, press S for the SEARCH system. All text entries can be displayed on the screen if you enter '*' as the word to search for. Type * now to display all of TUTOR's text entries. The current entries displayed on the screen can be modified, deleted, sorted, reported, erased and printed; move the highlighted bar over the entries using the up, down, page up, page down, home & end keys. FFD User Manual Page 4 Adding Text Entries ------------------- To add a text entry press A from the main menu for Add. Each entry is completely free flow, there are no special areas on screen for fields and no limits to the size of fields. Starting formats or entry screens can be setup to create some uniformity and control over what appears within a database.... Simply select 'Add a Format' after pressing A for Add, then design the layout and press CTRL-ENTER to store the format. To setup a client database you may add a format and set it up as follows: Name: Address: Phone No(s): When later adding data to this format you could add as many address lines, phone numbers and comments as you wish, even add or delete new "fields" as you please. Due to FFD's way of reporting fields and text entries it means that you should plan which fields you want to report before adding records. Each field should be given a unique 'name' in the format, for example adding a colon generally makes the word 'ADDRESS:' unique. A report can then use the field called 'ADDRESS:' to reference the address in all entries. Pressing CTRL-ENTER (together) will store the text entry. Every word is indexed then and there. Note: Some words are excluded, see 'Technical Information'. See 'FFD's Editing functions' for a list of the keys used by FFD's built in editor. FFD User Manual Page 5 Modifying Text Entries ---------------------- Move the highlighted scroll bar over the text entry you wish to modify then press either ENTER or M (modify). This means only text entries that are on the screen for selection can be modified, simply search for an entry by using its 8 character name or a word in it and then the text entry will be on the screen for selection. Modifying text is the same as Adding text, you can make any changes to the text then re-store it in the database by pressing CTRL-ENTER. If you make changes that you don't want to keep then press ESC and then Y to confirm 'Abort changes?'. To just make an enquiry simply select the text entry and view it, press ESC to return to the menu (same as modify but don't make any changes). Example... To modify the client 'Peter Campbell' then type... S (for search options) F3 (clear all current entries) client (find all entries with client in them) 1 (keep all entries found) campbell (find all entries with campbell in them) 2 (keep all entries with client and campbell in them) peter (find all entries with peter in them) 2 (keep all entries with client, campbell and peter) ESCape (return to main menu and screen selection of all found entries) Note: You may wish to stop after you've found all entries with client and campbell in them because you may notice that the number of current entries is say only 5 or 6. You could then press ESCape and select Peter Campbell from the screen. FFD User Manual Page 6 Deleting Text Entries --------------------- Highlight the text entry to delete and press D, you must then confirm the deletion by pressing Y. The text entry is automatically removed from the screen, deleted from the database and all indexed words are removed. Erasing Text Entries (from screen) ---------------------------------- Highlight the entry you wish to erase from the screen selection and press E. ERASE does not effect the database, only the screen selection. Erase is useful when you have completed a search but some entries found are not the ones you were looking for or wanting to report so you can remove them before continuing. To erase ALL entries either press CTRL-E from the main menu or press F3 when in the search system. Undelete "Deleted" Text Entries (Options menu) ------------------------------- Undelete searches the database for all deleted entries and displays them for selection. Only the text entries which have been deleted since the last re-index was done will be found. Each deleted entry will be marked with an asterisk '*'. Any entry can be undeleted by selecting it, making a small change and then pressing CTRL-ENTER to save it. FFD User Manual Page 7 Searching for Text Entries -------------------------- Press S from the main menu to begin searching. Before typing a word you may want to clear all current entries, press F3 to do this. As you type the word to search, the dictionary shows you 20 words near the one you're typing, so after typing the first few letters you can see even if the word exists. Push enter when the word you want is highlighted or you've finsihed typing. There may be a delay of a few seconds before you are told how many entries contain the word you're seaching for. If any entries were found then you must decide what to do with them... Press 1 to keep entries with old word(s) OR the new word. 2 to keep entries with both old word(s) AND the new word. 3 to keep entries with old word(s) or the new word but NOT both. D to ignore new word and search for another. X to clear all entries, start search again. Assume we previously typed 'peter' and found 13 occurrences, now we've just searched for 'campbell'. Option 1 keeps all entries, eg with 'peter' or 'campbell'. Option 2 keeps only those entries with both 'peter' and 'campbell'. Option 3 keeps those entries with 'peter' or 'campbell' but not containing both. Option D ingores the search completely and lets you type in another word. Option X clears all entries and starts again. See Modifying Text Entries for an example search. FFD User Manual Page 8 Reporting Text Entries ---------------------- To create reports using FFD, press R from the main menu then answer the questions which follow. FFD reports only those text entries which have been found and are on the screen selection. The following questions will be asked before generating a report: 1) Seperate each entry with a form feed? [N] Yes? 1a) Form feed character? [0C hex] No? 1b) Seperate each entry with how many lines? [0] 2) Print line feed character? [Y] 3) Report entry's 8 character name? [N] 4) Report each entry in full? [N] 5) Report first line of each entry? [N] 6) Find a "field" and report n lines of it? [N] 6a) "Field"? 6b) How many lines in field to print? [1] 7) Find a "field" and report text until a blank line? [N] 7a) "Field"? Printing a field? yes 8a) Report "field" also? [N] 8b) Does text start on same line as "field"? [N] The questions purpose? 1) If you want each text entry printed on a seperate page then press Y. 1a) Enter the page break character, normally 0C hex. 1b) Enter the number of lines to seperate each entry. 2) Some computers won't like the line feed character, simply press enter or Y to use the default. 3) If you want the entries 8 character name printed then press Y, it will appear first. 4) If you want the entire text entry printed then press Y. 5) Most text entries contain a quick summary as the first line and so often it will be just the first line you want printed, eg a client's name or a products name and code. 6) If you want to report a field then enter Y. 6a) Enter the field's name, eg 'PHONE (WORK)' 6b) If the field is more than one line long then enter the number of lines. 7) If you want to report a field that could be any number of lines long, eg an address or comments field then press Y. 6a) Enter the field's name, eg 'ADDRESS:' FFD User Manual Page 9 If you answered yes to either question 6 or 7 then another two questions will be asked about the field(s). 8a) If you want the name of the field to be printed then press Y. 8b) If the field starts on the same line as the field name then press Y, eg, PHONE (WORK) 399 721 or NAME: Peter Campbell. Field Definition: "A field in FFD is any occurrence of an alphanumeric string. If you say the field is called 'ADDRESS:' then any text entry with the occurrence of 'ADDRESS:' is considered to contain that field (the field name is not case sensitive, any case, upper or lower will do)." There are many possibilities for reporting, try each option on screen to see what the results are before creating the final print or disk file. Experiment... FFD User Manual Page 10 Sorting Text Entries (Options menu) -------------------- Press O for the options menu then press S for Sort. Sort changes the order of all the text entries on the screen selection, no changes are made to the database. Each entry may be sorted by a) its 8 character entry name and/or b) the first few bytes of the entry (2 to 50 bytes) and/or c) a field. If Sort runs out of memory then an error will be displayed (the more entries to sort then the more memory Sort uses). The default memory setup for sorting is 16000 bytes. See Configuring FFD's Memory Requirements for making changes to the Sort memory. Sort does not ignore the case of letters, capitals come before lower case letters. FFD User Manual Page 11 Importing from DOS Files (Options menu) ------------------------ Reads text files into the database and treats each as if it was added using the Add option. Press O from the main menu for the options menu, then press I for import. To specify the file(s) to import you must enter the directory name and filename(s), with optional wildcards, eg '*' and '?'. Example directory: \FFD ;do not end it with a \ Example filename: *.DOC Files can be imported as whole files (W), line by line (L), page by page (P) or using a special format (F). Special format is only available to special users. If importing using the page by page option then it's expected that each file contains form feed characters (the character 0c hex). This character can be changed so any seperator is used. Every file will be indexed automatically as it's being imported. If a file is larger than the maximum text entry size (default 12000 bytes) then it is split into many text entries. The text entry size can range from 4000 to 65000 bytes, see Configuring FFD's Memory Requirements for advice on changing it. Importing .FFT files (FFD databases) ? If the file to be imported has the .FFT extension then it is assumed to be in the format of an FFD database (for example one that has been Exported by FFD). Each entry that was originally exported won't be imported back into the database, only new entries. This means that if a user has exported a subset of the database to another computer and then added more of their own text entries then only the new entries will be imported, this feature is optional. Each entry will automatically be indexed as it's imported into the database. FFD User Manual Page 12 Dictionary Display (Options menu) ------------------ Prints the entire dictionary of all currently indexed words in alphabetical order. The dictionary will be shown on the screen, you can also have the computer print the dictionary or make a file. Printing Text Entries --------------------- Either modify the text entry or position the highlight bar over the text entry you want printed, then press CTRL-P. FFD User Manual Page 13 Re-Indexing the Database (Options menu) ------------------------ An index must be created when there isn't one or the current one has become corrupted (or lost). Aswell as re-indexing the entire database this procedure also removes deleted text entries, therefore saving disk space. Re-indexing a database should be done every week or so if lots of changes are made to the database, re-indexing will improve the search speed. Note: If the database has become corrupt (power failure or something) then the re-index option may abort before finishing. In this situation a backup of the database should be used. FFD User Manual Page 14 FFD's Editing Functions ----------------------- During the edit mode of FFD, ie: when you're adding or modifying text you will need to know how to use the built in editor. F1 Help (includes this list). F2 Change entries 8 character name. F3 Save entry to a DOS file. F5 Find string. Shift-F5 find next. F7 Move line left. F8 Move line right. CTRL-ENTER Finish editing/Confirm if adding? ESC Abort changes or additions? ALT-S Split line at cursor. ALT-R Repeat line (duplicate). ALT-J Join two lines. CTRL-Y Delete line. CTRL-Bksp Delete line. ALT-E Erase line, blanks the whole line. ALT-K Erase to end of line. ALT-L Mark/Unmark line. Shft-Plus Copies highlighted lines to a scrap file. Shft-Minus Deletes highlighted lines to a scrap file. Shft-Insert Inserts the scrap file at the current cursor position. To create a block... 1) move cursor to start of block, 2) press ALT-L to highlight the line, 3) move cursor to end of block, 4) press Shift and Plus together (the plus on the numeric keypad). To delete a block do steps 1 to 3 as above then press Shift and Minus together. To copy a block first create the block then move cursor to where you want the copy to appear and press Shift-Insert. To move a block first delete the block then move cursor to where you want the block to be moved to and press Shift-Insert. FFD User Manual Page 15 Technical Information --------------------- When things are really stuffed contact Peter Campbell Software. 1) Most problems can be solved by re-indexing the database. 2) DOS files contain... database.FFT - database file, it contains all texts. database.FFA - dictionary address file. database.FFD - dictionary word file. database.FFP - database pointer (or index) file. database.FFL - current entries pointer file. 3) Each indexed word starts with an alphanumeric character, words less than 2 letters are not indexed. FFD User Manual Page 16 Configuring FFD's Memory Requirements ------------------------------------- FFD can be customised in some ways to handle larger and more text entries, the largest options are not used by default so that computers with less memory can use FFD quite comfortably. Press O for the options menu then press C for Configuration. The following questions are asked: 1) Maximum Search Entries? 1000-16000 Determines how many entries can be found by the search. 2) Maximum Text Entry Size? 4000-65000 The maximum size for any text entry. 3) Sort/Report Memory? 16000-65000 The memory allocated to process a sort or generate a report. Any changes made will not be effective until you quit FFD and re-start it. When re-starting FFD, if you get an error (Insufficient Memory) then delete the file FFD.CFG and re-start FFD again. FFD User Manual Page 17 FDR: Memory Resident Version of FFD ----------------------------------- FDR is just a retrieval program. The only options on the main menu are Search and Uninstall. Search performs the same as in FFD except the dictionary isn't displayed while typing in the word to search. No updating of text entries is allowed, only enquire. FDR is useful for when you want to run another program, for example a word processor, another database program or spreadsheet and you need information contained in your FFD database at the same time, eg a client or parts database. FDR uses about 32K of RAM. To Uninstall FDR you must be at the DOS prompt and FDR must be the last TSR program that was loaded. TSR: Terminate and Stay Resident. FFD User Manual Page 18 FDP: Atari Portfolio Version of FFD ----------------------------------- FDP is designed to run on an Atari Portfolio computer (pocket PC). FDP allows updating and viewing of text entries, a user could take their portfolio out to work with them, enter text then return to the main office where the data they've accumulated can be transferred to the main database. A typical installation of FFD may include one main computer with the entire FFD database on it. Users of desktop PC's, laptop's and Portfolio's could have a subset of the database on their machines. Each portable user could take their machine with them out to work and enter data while away from the main computer. When they return to the main computer the data they have accumulated can be quickly imported into the main FFD database. Create Export File (Options menu) ------------------ This option creates a .FFT (FFD database) file containing all the current text entries in the screen selection. The database can then be loaded by FFD and indexed seperately if desired or transfered to another computer such as a laptop or Atari Portfolio. Example: An Atari Portfolio user may wish to take their computer out to another location and needs all client information with him/her so firstly they would use the main computer to search for all 'client' text entries and then export them to a file called say 'CLIENT'. Now transfer the CLIENT.FFT file to the Atari Portfolio and the user has all the client text entries. FFD User Manual Page 19 Upgrading and Other Programs ---------------------------- PCSOFT A resident utility that allows keys to be pushed one at a time, useful for handicapped people and people eating toast while the other hand types. $30. FAST A new language for the PC which is very fast - faster than all Turbo (Borland) and Quick (Microsoft) languages. $30 - $45 depending on upgrades. SOFA An assembler for the PC/AT. SOFA is CHASM (PC SIG) compatible but runs 100 times faster than CHASM. $15 - $25 depending on upgrades. FASTBASE A new 4GL applications development system, ask for a demo disk. Many other programs and utilities are available or can be developed quickly at your request. Mastercard and Visa accepted, any currency cheques handled at no extra cost. All enquiries welcome... contact: Peter Campbell Software, PO box 54-180 Mana, NEW ZEALAND. Ph 0064 (04) 399 721 a/h.