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Surefire Help Document
This page is for notes about this help document. It is never
displayed. The following are the system help context definitions:
Pages 2 - 10 are in sure1.hlp
Pages 11 - 20 are in sure2.hlp
Pages 21 - 28 are in sure3.hlp
2 - Main Help
10 - @-function zoom list
Menus:
3 - File Menu
4 - Page Menu
5 - Operate Menu
6 - Edit Menu
7 - Field Menu
8 - Data Menu
9 - Graphic Menu
Windows off File Menu:
11 - Get
12 - Save
13 - Print
14 - Delete, Rename
15 - Setup
Windows off Page Menu:
16 - Format
17 - Go To
18 - Find
19 - Replace, Ask & Replace pane
Windows off Operate Menu:
20 - Calculator
Windows off Edit Menu:
(none)
Windows off Field Menu:
21 - Create
22 - Modify
23 - Commands
Windows off Data Menu:
24 - Search Options
25 - Build Query
26 - Edit Query
27 - Format Report
Windows off Graphic Menu:
28 - Special Characters
Other Windows
29 - Spell Checker (off Page Menu)
30 - Duplicate Record Message
31 - Duplicate Records prior to Import
è.pa
Welcome to Surefire. These help screens introduce Surefire basics.
When you first enter Surefire, you will see the representation of a
blank 8 ½ by 11 page. The cursor (a small blinking rectangle) is
positioned inside the margins of the page. Now, you may begin to type
text. This is just the beginning of what you can do in Surefire. At
any point you can press F1 to get contextual information.
At the top of the screen is the status line. The left half contains
the Menu Bar with 7 pull down menus. The right half contains status
information including the current document name and cursor location.
The menus are used to access the major features of Surefire.
Press F10 to access the Surefire Menu Bar. Once here, use the arrow
keys to select and open one of the seven menus. Press Esc to
return to your document page. When a menu is displayed, press F1 to
see specific information about that menu.
Press Page Down for more Help.
Choose a menu item by pressing Enter when that item is highlighted.
Sometimes this causes an action to occur. An item followed by 3 dots
(...), indicates that a System window will be displayed. System
windows request additional information needed by Surefire to perform
an operation. Fields let you type in or choose values pertinent to the
operation. You may move between fields by using the Home and End keys.
When a System window is open, press F1 to see specific help about the
window. Press Esc to close a System window and return to the document.
One letter of a menu item may be brighter or a different color than
the rest. That item is a valid choice. Pressing this letter will be
the same as moving to that menu item and pressing Enter. There may be
a Short Cut key shown to the right of the menu item. This keystroke
may be used to achieve the same effect of the menu item even when the
menu is not displayed.
Press Page Down for more Help. Page Up to see the previous screen.
Word Processing Keys
- move cursor one character in direction of arrow.
Ctrl + , Ctrl + - move cursor one word to the right or left.
Home, End - move cursor to beginning or end of line.
Page Up, Page Down - move one screen up or down.
Ctrl + Home, Ctrl + End - move to beginning or end of document.
Delete - delete character at the cursor.
Backspace - delete character to left of the cursor.
Ctrl + D - delete current line of text.
Ctrl + E - delete text to the end of the current line.
Shift + Backspace - delete word at the cursor.
ALT + W - turn word wrap on or off.
Insert - switch from insert mode to Typeover or back.
Press Page Down for more Help. Page Up to see the previous screen.
In Surefire Help, the plus sign (+) is used to show that 2 keys are
pressed at the same time. For example, Shift + F10 means to hold down
the Shift key and the F10 key together. You press Shift + F10 to see
the Surefire keystroke Hint Line at the bottom of the screen. This
shows other keys that are useful to the current operation or window
and will remain visible until you press Shift + F10 again.
USING A MOUSE - Read the Surefire 2.0 User's Guide Supplement
To Exit from Surefire to DOS, press ALT + X; first use ESC to close
any open windows.
End of Help. Press Esc to exit Help.è.pa
The File Menu contains menu items that generally manipulate files and
Surefire Documents. Here is an overview of what each item will do:
Get... - Open the Get window to let Surefire read in a new
file or document.
Save... - Open the Save window to let Surefire save the current
document.
Print... - Open the Print window to tell Surefire to print the
current document or initiate a data merge operation.
New - Clear the screen to allow for creation of a new document
The page size and margins will be those of the previous
document.
Delete... - Open the Delete window to tell Surefire to delete a
document.
Rename... - Open the Rename window to tell Surefire to rename a
document.
Info... - Display the current date and time and the amount of
memory remaining in your system.
Setup... - Open the Setup window. This window allows you to change
the current drive and directory, printer type and port,
Tab size and other information about how Surefire should
operate.
Reset - If you have just generated a report, tell Surefire to
get the document again so you can re-run the report.
Exit - Exit from Surefire to Dos.
Further Help
Except for Info..., the System windows accessed from File will be
fully explained in help screens for those windows. Press F1 when a
System window is open to see more specific help. Press Esc to close a
window and return to your document.
Messages
You will be warned if an operation may cause the loss of changes you
have made to a document that has not been saved. When this happens a
message response window will be displayed. After reading the message,
press the End to move the cursor to the YES or NO buttons in response
to the question. Press Enter to let Surefire know your decision. If
you decide not to continue with the operation, the cursor will return
to the document.
Read Chapter 24 of the Surefire User's Guide for information on
Documents. Read Chapter 23 for more information on Printing.
è.pa
The Page Menu contains menu items that control formatting of a
Surefire document and allow movement to specific locations in a
document. Here is an overview of what each item will do:
Header - Position the cursor to the header (top margin) of the
first page. Anything entered here will be
automatically repeated on all pages. A # may be used
as a place holder for automatic page numbering.
Footer - Position the cursor to the footer (bottom margin) of
the first page. Anything entered here will be
automatically repeated on all pages. A # may be used
as a place holder for automatic page numbering.
Format... - Open the Format window to set page size, font and
margins for the document.
Word Wrap - Turn word wrap on or off. A 'W' in the status line
indicates that word wrap is on.
Go To... - Open the Go To window to indicate whether to go to the
beginning, end or a specific document page.
Find... - Open the Find window to specify a text pattern to look
for in the document.
Replace... - Open the Find and Replace window to indicate that some
text pattern be replaced by another text pattern.
Add Page - Add a blank page after the current document page.
Delete Page - Delete the current document page.
Press F1 when a System window is open to see more specific help. Press
Esc to close a window and return to your document.
Read Chapter 9 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete information
on Page Layout.
Read Chapter 6 for more information on Locating Text.
è.pa
The Operate Menu contains menu items that indicate how you interact
with a Surefire document. This menu also allows access to the Surefire
calculator.
A document may be either edited or used but both may not be done at
the same time. A document takes shape when it is edited. This includes
entering text, drawing lines or boxes, creating and modifying fields,
changing margins or fonts, etc. When a document is used, however, only
the values and formulas in the fields of the document may change. A
document is also used when entering, searching or displaying data from
a database. Documents without fields may not be used and can only be
edited as text.
An X to the left of the menu item always indicates the current mode of
interaction. Here are descriptions of what each menu item will do:
Use Document - Enter and manipulate document field values. A
document with fields will automatically be ready to
Use when it is read into Surefire.
(Edit) Text - Edit the text of a document. All Surefire word
processing features are available. Any field values
are considered text and will behave as text. Once a
document that contains fields is edited in this
way, it may not be used. You may first save the
document with another name and then read the
original back in order to use it again.
(Edit) Document -Edit the layout of the document preserving fields.
Fields of a document edited in this manner will
move along with text and text will move along with
fields that are created, removed or resized. All
Surefire word processing features are available.
Field values will be temporarily replaced by field
designators that indicate the field type.
Calculator... - Open the Surefire Calculator window.
Read the section "The Modes of Editing and Using Documents" in Chapter
24 of the Surefire User's Guide.
Read Chapter 10 for complete information on the Calculator.
è.pa
The Edit Menu contains menu items that allow you to perform basic
editing and Clipboard editing operations. The first 3 items are used
to select an area of your document in a specified way. The next five
items operate on the selected region. You may also underline or em-
bolden a selected area.
To start a selection, move the cursor to the upper left corner of the
area you are going to select. Now, use the arrow keys () to define
the boundaries of the selected region. When the desired region is
highlighted, you may choose one of the remaining items to operate on
the selected region.
The operations Cut, Copy, Paste, and Paste & Keep move information to
and from clipboard objects. There may be one or more of these objects.
You hide or unhide a clipboard object by pressing F6 as needed. When a
clipboard object is visible, press Shift + F10 to see other keystrokes
used to manipulate these objects. Use the arrow keys () to place
the object on the document prior to a Paste or Paste & Keep.
Here are descriptions of what each menu item will do:
Line Select - Initiate a line selection. This allows you to select
consecutive lines of text that may span pages of a
document. A selection may start anywhere on a line of
text.
Block Select - Initiate a block selection. This allows you to select a
rectangular region on a page.
Field Select - Initiate a field selection. This allows you to select
one or more fields in a rectangular region for one of
the operations on this menu or for Project on the Data
menu.
Cut - Remove the currently selected region or the current
field from the document and place it in a clipboard
object. If the region was a Line Selection, and Insert
or Wrap is on, close up gap created by removed text.
Copy - Copy the currently selected region or the current field
from the document and place it in a clipboard object.
If a field was copied, Paste will create a new field
with the same attributes.
Paste - Paste the contents of the current clipboard object into
the document This clipboard object is removed.
Paste & Keep - Paste the contents of the current clipboard object into
the document. Do not remove the clipboard object.
Delete - Remove the currently selected region or the current
field from the document. If a clipboard object is
visible, remove it instead.
Read Chapter 7 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete information
on using the features of the Edit menu.
è.pa
The Field Menu contains menu items that allow you to manipulate fields
and field commands. Fields are like place holders that can be put
anywhere in a document. Data fields may contain text, numeric, date or
logical information. The values of these fields may be stored in a
database. Button fields cause actions to happen when they are pressed.
An action may be: moving to another field, page or document; copying
data between fields or pages, displaying a message, etc.
Fields have attributes that more specifically describe how they look
and act and whether they are stored in some database. In addition,
fields can have commands that affect how their values are calculated.
The current field is the one that is highlighted in your document.
Some text or numeric fields are multi-lined fields. These fields have
a current cell. That is the line of the field that is highlighted.
Here are descriptions of what each menu item does:
Create... - Open the Create Fields window. Use this to create a
field and define the attributes of the fields.
Modify... - Open the Modify Fields window. Use this to change the
attributes of the current field.
Size - Use this to change the size of the current text or
numeric field. The cursor will be positioned to the
lower right corner of the field. Use the arrow keys
to change the field's size. Press Enter when done.
Commands... - Open the Edit Commands window. Use this to define or
modify the command associated with the current field.
Clear Fields - Clear the values from all fields in your document.
Calc All - Calculate the values of all fields in your document.
This is based on the current values, the commands in
the fields and whether you have indicated a vertical
or horizontal field traversal.
Auto Calc - Calculate the values of all fields whenever the value
in any field changes.
Read Chapters 11 and 13 of the Surefire User's Guide for details on
creating, modifying and manipulating fields.
Read Chapters 14 through 16 for more information on creating and
calculating field commands. Chapter 16 describes Surefire Spread-
sheets.
è.pa
The Data Menu contains menu items that invoke operations on a Surefire
database. Database operations are available when there are fields in a
document and when these fields either define stored data or project
data from a database defined by another document. Each time you use a
document to add or view information in a database, you are looking at
one data record. Here is an overview of what each menu item does:
Search - Choose this item or press ALT+S to initiate a database
search. If a query is defined in the query window (see Build
Query and Edit Queries below) the search will be based on
those criteria. If not, the search will be based on the
value of the current field.
Search Options... - Open the Search Options window. Set whether or
not to look for deleted records or use report attributes.
Build Query... - Open the Query window. If there is no currently
defined query, create the first query line based on the
current field, otherwise, display the existing query.
Clear Query - Clear knowledge of the current query.
Edit Queries... - Specify operations on named queries.
Add Record - Add a record to the current database consisting of the
values in the fields of the current document. If there is no
database and the fields are Stored, then create the database
Update Record(s) - If the Query window is not visible, update the
current record with the values in the document fields.
Otherwise, update all records that satisfy the current query
with the value of the current document field.
Delete Record(s) - If the Query window is not visible, delete the
current record. Otherwise, delete all records that satisfy
the current query. Deleted records may be recalled until a
restructure operation is performed.
Recall Record(s) - If the Query window is not visible, recall the
current record. Otherwise, recall all records that satisfy
the current query. You must have set the search option to
All or Deleted so that deleted records are visible.
Project - Copy the currently selected field or fields with data
storage information. When the field(s) are pasted into
another document, their data values will actually be
projected from the original document's database. This is
how Surefire shares data among documents.
Format Report... - Open the Format Report window to specify report
formatting for this document. Report formatting is used to
present the data from more than one record at a time in the
same document. A document must be formatted as a report for
the database @D functions to work.
Restructure - Perform a restructure operation on the current
database. Restructure is needed if stored fields are added,
deleted or resized. Use restructure also to permanently
remove deleted records.
Press F1 when a System window is open to see more specific help. Press
Esc to close a window and return to your document.
Read Chapters 17 through 21 for complete information about databases.
è.pa
The Graphic Menu contains items that allow you to draw lines and
boxes, to highlight text and to enter special characters in your
document. To make an area of your text bold or underlined, it must be
selected first. Look at help for the Edit menu to see how to select.
The appearance of Bold, Underline and Bold & Underline will depend on
whether your monitor is monochrome or color. However, these attributes
will appear correctly when printed, if your printer supports bold and
underlined characters.
Here are descriptions of what each menu item does:
Single ─── - Start drawing a single line from the cursor position.
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor. If you move
both downward and to the right, you will define a box.
Press Enter when your line or box is complete.
Double ═══ - Start drawing a double line from the cursor position.
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor. If you move
both downward and to the right, you will define a box.
Press Enter when your line or box is complete.
Thick ▀▀▀ - Start drawing a single line from the cursor position.
Use the arrow keys to move the cursor. If you move
both downward and to the right, you will define a box.
Press Enter when your line or box is complete.
Bold - Give the Bold attribute to the selected region of your
document.
Underline - Give the Underline attribute to the selected region of
your document.
Bold & Underline - Give the Bold and Underline attribute to the
selected region of your document.
Normal - Remove the Bold and/or Underline attributes from the
selected area in your document.
Special Characters... - Open the Special Character window. Use this to
select one of the graphic, language or mathematical
symbols supported by the IBM Extended Character Set.
Read Chapter 8 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete details on
Adding Emphasis in Surefire documents.
è.pa
@ABS(n)
@INT(n)
@MOD(dividend,divisor)
@ROUND(n,place)
@SQRT(n)
@PI
@SIN(n)
@COS(n)
@TAN(n)
@LOG(n)
@EXP(n)
@LN(n)
@FV(pmt,int,term)
@PMT(prin,int,term)
@PV(pmt,int,term)
@RATE(fv,pv,term)
@AVG(references)
@COUNT(references)
@MAX(references)
@MIN(references)
@SUM(references)
@STD(range)
@VAR(range)
@ADDDAYS(date,days)
@AFTER(date1,date2)
@BEFORE(date1,date2)
@DATE(month,day,year)
@DAY(date)
@DIFDATE(date1,date2)
@MONTH(date)
@SAME(date1,date2)
@SUBDAYS(date,days)
@TODAY
@YEAR(date)
@DATESTR(date)
@MONTHSTR(m)
@DAYSTR(date)
@FIND(str,text,start)
@SUBSTR(text,start,len)
@REPLACE(text,start,len,str)
@LENGTH(text)
@TRIM(text)
@EXACT(text1,text2)
@UPPER(text)
@LOWER(text)
@NUMSTR(n)
@PUTSTR(page,text,col,line)
@COPY(page,col1,line1,col2,line2,buffer)
@PASTE(page,col,line,buffer,copyattr)
@FCOPY(field,buffer)
@FPASTE(field,buffer,copyattr)
@TIME
@NOW
@GOPAGE(page)
@GOFIELD(field)
@GODOC("name")
@RETURN(levels)
@RUN("command")
@HELP(context)
@PRESENT(msecs)
@DAVG(field)
@DMAX(field)
@DMIN(field)
@DSUM(field)
@DCOUNT
@DSUBCOUNTè.pa
The Get Window is used to tell Surefire to read in a file or document.
When the window is opened, the cursor will be placed in the field to
the right of Name:, ready for you to type in the document name.
You may press ALT + Z to see a list of documents in the current
directory. This directory is displayed at the top of the window. A
Zoom window will list documents, their modification date and
information about their fields. Use the up and down arrow keys to
select the desired document and then press Enter to choose that
document. Press Esc in a Zoom window to close the window without
making a choice.
To Read a document or file, follow these steps:
1) Type in the name of the document in the name field.
2) Press End once to position the cursor to the OK button.
3) Press Enter and Surefire will read the named document.
When Surefire reads a document, it restores the page size and margins
for that document. In addition, Surefire knows whether or not the
document has fields or an associated database.
Reading a Text File or Importing a Data File
Text files may be those created from other editors or word processors.
Data files are a special type of Ascii file created by exporting data
from a Surefire or other database. To tell Surefire that you wish to
read a Text file or import a data file, you must change the value of
the multiple choice button above the name field. To do this:
1) Press Home once to move to the file type button.
2) Press the Spacebar until you see the desired choice.
3) Continue with the steps described above for read.
Read the section "Getting Documents" in Chapter 24 of the Surefire
User's Guide for more information on using the Get window.
è.pa
The Save Window is used to tell Surefire to save the current Surefire
document. When the window is opened, the cursor will be placed in the
field to the right of Name:, ready for you to type in the name under
which you wish to save the document.
You may press ALT + Z to see a list of documents in the current
directory. This directory is displayed at the top of the window. A
Zoom window will list documents, their modification date and
information about their fields. Use the up and down arrow keys to
select the desired document and then press Enter to choose that
document. Press Esc in a Zoom window to close the window without
making a choice.
To Save a document, follow these steps:
1) Type in the name of the document in the name field.
2) Press End once to position the cursor to the OK button.
3) Press Enter and Surefire will save the named document.
When Surefire saves a document, it also stores the page size and
margins for that document. In addition, Surefire knows whether or not
the document has fields or an associated database.
Saving a Text File
Text files are created to be used by other editors or word processors.
When a Surefire document is saved as a text file, margins and
attributes such as underlines are lost. Page breaks are generated at
places where the document has a STOP. There are two types of text
formats that you may select to save your Surefire document. They are:
a) Text File - Puts a Return character after each line.
b) General WP - Puts a Return character after each paragraph.
To tell Surefire that you wish to save a document as a Text file,
change the value of the multiple choice button above the name field:
1) Press Home once to move to the file type button.
2) Press the Spacebar until you see the desired choice.
3) Continue with the steps described above for Save.
Exporting a Data File
Data files are a special type of Ascii file created by exporting data
from a Surefire database. To export data follow these steps:
1) Read in a document that either defines a database (i.e. has
stored fields) or has fields that are projected from another
database.
2) Build a query, or get a named query to filter which data
records are exported. For more information on queries, get
Help for the Data Menu.
3) Initiate a database search. For more information on searches,
get Help for the Data Menu.
4) Open the Save Window.
5) Change the value of the multiple choice button above the name
field to Data File. To do this:
Press Home once to move to the file type button.
Press the Spacebar until you see the desired choice.
6) Continue with the steps described above for Save.
Read the section "Saving Documents" in Chapter 24 of the Surefire
User's Guide for more information on using the Save window.
è.pa
The Print Window is used to tell Surefire to print the current
document or perform a data merge (i.e. Mail merge) operation. In
addition, you may specify how the printing should occur.
To print the document without any special settings:
Press Enter when the PRINT button is highlighted.
Print Window Fields
Pause Before Each Page: - Indicate whether or not to pause prior to
printing each document page. Set this if you will
feed single sheets of paper.
How Many Copies: - Indicate the number of copies you want printed.
Start Numbering: - Indicate what number should be printed on the
first printed page of the document. This will
only take effect if the document has a # symbol
in its header or footer. The default is 1.
Print From Page: - Indicate which pages of your document will be the
first and last printed pages.
To change Print Window field settings:
1) Press End or Home until the desired field is highlighted.
2) Change the value appropriately (see above).
3) Move to the PRINT button and press Enter.
Using Search & Print
Search and Print is used to perform a merge of data from a database
into multiple copies of a Surefire document. To initiate a data merge
operation:
1) Read in a document that either defines a database (i.e. has
stored fields) or has fields that are projected from another
database. This may be a letter, for example.
2) Build a query, or get a named query to filter which data
records will be merged into a copy of the document. For more
information on queries, get Help for the Data Menu.
3) Open the Print Window.
4) Press End to move the cursor to the Search & Print button.
5) Press Enter.
Read Chapter 23 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete information
on Printing.
è.pa
The Delete and Rename Windows are used to delete and rename documents,
text and data files respectively. When a document is deleted or
renamed, all associated files which describe fields or a database,
will be deleted or renamed as well. Prior to deletion, Surefire will
display a response window to double check that you are ready to
proceed with a delete. Answer Yes or No by pressing Enter on the
corresponding button.
To Delete a document:
1) Type in the name of the document in the name field.
2) Press End once to position the cursor to the OK button.
3) Press Enter and Surefire will delete the named document.
To Rename a document:
1) Type in the current document name in the Old Name field.
2) Press End to position the cursor to the New Name field and
type in the new document name.
3) Press End once to position the cursor to the OK button.
4) Press Enter and Surefire will save the named document.
If you want to delete or rename a text or data file, you must first
change the value of the multiple choice button above the Name (Delete)
or Old Name (Rename) field:
1) Press Home once to move to the file type button.
2) Press the Spacebar until you see the desired choice.
3) Continue with the steps described above for Delete or Rename.
Read the sections "Renaming Documents" and "Deleting Documents" in
Chapter 24 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete details on these
windows.
è.pa
The Setup Window is used to set your current drive and directory, to
set default settings for certain Surefire options and to specify your
hardware configuration. When the Setup window is opened, the cursor
will be positioned in the Drive field. You move among the fields of
this window by pressing End and Home.
Set Values for Current Session
You indicate that the new values are to be used only for the remainder
of the current Surefire session by following these steps:
1) Set the desired values in the Setup Window fields (see below).
2) Press End to move cursor to the OK button.
3) Press Enter.
Saving the Configuration
When Surefire is installed, a default drive and directory are set for
you. In addition, other default values are set. You may want to change
these defaults so that other values are used each time you run
Surefire. To indicate that the new values are to be saved for both the
remainder of the current Surefire session and subsequent Surefire
sessions, follow these steps:
1) Set the desired values in the Setup Window fields (see below).
2) Press End to move cursor to the Save button.
3) Press Enter.
Setup Window Fields
Drive - Indicate the current drive letter ( A, B, C, etc. )
Directory - Indicate the current directory. This is the directory
Surefire will use to locate all of your documents and
files. Do not enter a leading backslash (\) to the
directory name.
Printer is - Press ALT + Z to choose your printer type.
Port - Press ALT + Z to choose your printer port.
Display is - Press ALT + Z to choose your display type.
Tab Size - Enter the number of spaces to be inserted each time
Tab is pressed.
The following field values are set by pressing the Spacebar to
indicate a Yes or No.
Hints - Set whether the Hint Line should be on by default.
Word Wrap - Set whether Word Wrap should be on by default
Auto Backup- Set whether Automatic Backup should be on. When this is
on, the unchanged document files will be automatically
copied prior to saving changes. The file names of the
backed up copy will be indicated by an exclamation mark
(!) in the file extension.
Auto Calc - Set whether field values will be automatically
recalculated whenever any field value is changed.
Read Chapter 2 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete details on
configuring your system using the Setup window.
International Usage support
Metric - Set whether to use Inches or Centimeters to display
page and margin sizes. Press Spacebar to indicate Yes
or No.
Page Size - Set the default page size for Surefire documents. In
general this will be used with SAVE.
Currency - Set the currency symbol for use with numeric fields.
Read Surefire V2.0 Supplement section "Internationalization Features"è.pa
The Format Window is used to tell Surefire how to lay out your
document page. You can specify a physical page size, margins and a
printer font that will be used throughout the document. Surefire will
closely match your desired physical layout to what you see on the
screen as you work with your document. When a document is saved, its
page size, margins and font will also be saved.
Change Document Format
You indicate that a document should be reformatted with new values by
following these steps:
1) Set the desired values in the Format Window fields (see below)
2) Press End to move the cursor to the OK button.
3) Press Enter. The document will be reformatted.
Format Window Fields
Page Size - Press ALT + Z to list page sizes from which you may
select. Many are standard sizes such as letter, legal
A4 and envelopes. Screen is a special page size that
corresponds to your monitor screen. Choose it to
configure a document for Surefire applications or
"slide shows". Use Split Print to print each page of
a "wide" document on 2 81/2 by 11 (or A4) sheets of
paper.
Use Specific Setting to enter a physical width and
length for a non-standard paper size.
Print Font - Press ALT + Z to list fonts that are available
for your printer. Each font represents how many
characters per inch (cpi) will be printed. Your
document may appear wider on the screen if you select
a tighter font because your Surefire display does
not compress characters.
Margins _ These fields let you enter the Left, Right, Top and
Bottom margins for your document in inches (or centi-
meters if you selected Metric in the Setup window).
If you do not want a specific margin, set the value
to 0.
If you press the RESET button, the margins and page
size will be set to those for your default page size,
(usually a standard 8 1/2 by 11 letter).
Print Region
The print region defines the portion of a sheet of paper upon which a
printer can print. While page sizes and margins are set in inches (or
centimeters if you selected Metric in the Setup window), you can
choose to see the print region in characters. Follow these steps:
1) Press Home to move the cursor to (Inches) or (Cms)
2) Press Spacebar. You will see the Print Region in characters.
Read Chapter 9 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete details on
Page Layout.
è.pa
The Go To Window is used to move to specific pages of your document.
Go to a Specified Page
1) Type the desired page number in the Page Number field.
2) Press Enter. Your cursor will be a the top of that page.
Go to Beginning or End of Document
1) Press End to move to the BEGINNING or END button.
2) Press Enter. Your cursor will be a the top of that page.
Read the section "Using Goto" in Chapter 6 of the Surefire User's
Guide for more information on the Go To window.
è.pa
The Find Window is used to locate text somewhere in a document and
position the cursor at that location. Surefire will look in the
direction that you specify from the current location of the document.
Generally, it is a good idea to first position to the beginning of
the document.
Locating Text
1) Type the text you are looking for after Search For.
2) Press End to move to the NEXT button if you are looking after
the current cursor location in your document.
Press End to move to the PREVIOUS button if you are looking
before the current cursor location in your document.
3) Press Enter to begin the search.
4) Surefire will position the cursor at the first match it finds
or a message window will be displayed indicated that the text
was not found.
If the search was successful, you may continue to look for the same
text without reopening the Find window. Simply Press Ctrl + N to
search forward or Ctrl + P to search backward in your document.
Any Case/Exact Case
This multiple choice button tells Surefire whether to be concerned
about case when attempting to locate text.
Any Case indicates that text will match no matter whether the letters
are a different case than the pattern you typed in. For example,
either that or That or tHAT will match "that".
Exact Case indicates that the matching text must be the same case the
the text you typed in. For example, work will not match "Work".
To choose a value for this button:
1) Press Home to move the cursor to the button.
2) Press Spacebar to change the value
Full Word/Part Word
This multiple choice button tells Surefire whether to look for
complete words when deciding if some text matches the desired text.
Part Word indicates that text will match even if it is located in the
middle of another word. For example, cotton or honest will match "on".
Full Word indicates that text will only match the specified text
pattern if it is a full word. A full word has a space at the left and
one at the right. For example, training will not match "train".
To choose a value for this button:
1) Press Home to move the cursor to the button.
2) Press Spacebar to change the value
Read the section "Finding Text" in Chapter 6 of the Surefire User's
Guide for more information on using the Find window.
è.pa
The Replace Window is used to locate text within a document and
replace that text with new text. Surefire will always look forward
from the current cursor location to the end of the document. It is a
good idea to first position to the beginning of the document.
You can tell Surefire whether to replace some or all occurrences of th
text that it finds.
Replacing All Matching Text
1) Type the text you are looking for after Search For.
2) Press End to move the cursor and type the replacement text
to the right of Replace With.
3) Press End to move to the REPLACE ALL button.
4) Press Enter to begin the search and replacement.
5) Surefire will continue making replacements until it reaches
the end of the document. A message window will display the
number of replacements that were made. If no matching text is
found, a different message window will be displayed.
If, during the search, Surefire finds a place where there is no room
to make the replacement, a response window will appear to ask you
whether to skip the problem and continue, or to stop the replacement
operation. If you choose to stop, any replacements made to that point
will remain.
Asking & Replacing Text
You may desire that each time Surefire locates matching text you want
the option of replacing or skipping that specific occurrence and
continuing on to the next occurrence. The Ask & Replace Window allows
you to control replacements in this way. As Surefire locates text in
the document, that text will be highlighted. You may choose whether to
make the replacement, skip the replacement, continue from this point
making all replacements or stop the replacement operation.
1) Type the text you are looking for after Search For.
2) Press End to move the cursor and type the replacement text
to the right of Replace With.
3) Press End to move to the ASK & REPLACE button.
4) Press Enter, the Ask & Replace Window will be displayed.
- Choose SKIP to skip this occurrence and go to the next one.
- Choose REPLACE to make the replacement and go to the next on
- Choose REPLACE ALL to make all replacements from this
location forward to the end of the document.
- Press Esc to stop making replacements.
A message window will display the number of replacements that were
made. If no matching text is found, a different message window will be
displayed.
If, during the search, Surefire finds a place where there is no room
to make the replacement, a response window will appear to ask you
whether to skip the problem and continue, or to stop the replacement
operation. If you choose to stop, any replacements made to that point
will remain.
Full Word/Part Word and Any Case/Exact Case
These multiple choice buttons tell Surefire the following:
1) whether to look for complete words when deciding on a text
2) whether to be concerned about case when locating text.
Get help for the Find Window (on Page Menu) for more information.
Also, read section "Using Replace" in Chapter 16 of the User's Guide.è.pa
Use the Calculator to calculate values as with a hand-held calculator.
When the calculator is displayed, the cursor is positioned in a field
where you may type in a number or a formula. Each time you press
Enter, the number or formula result will be added to the value in the
the upper left corner of the calculator. This is the running total. A
formula may be something like "10 + 20 + 30" or "100 / @SQRT(8)",
or "321 - (10 * 2)", etc. You can use many of Surefire's @ functions
within a formula.
Using Functions
To choose a function while entering a formula, follow these steps:
1) Press ALT + Z to see a list of available functions.
2) Use up and down arrow keys to select the desired formula.
3) Press Enter to choose a formula or Esc to close the list.
4) Use the left arrow to move the cursor between the
parentheses ( ) and type numbers for the appropriate arguments
Clearing the Total
1) Press End to move to the CLEAR button.
2) Press Enter and the total will be set to 0.
Setting Initial Value from a Field
If your document has numeric fields, you may use a field's value as a
starting point for a calculation. To do this, follow these steps.
1) Move to the desired numeric field in your document. It will be
highlighted as the current field (or current cell).
2) Choose Calculator from the Operate Menu to open the Calculator
3) Press CTRL + Enter at some point in your formula.
The value of the current field will be entered at that place
in the formula.
Setting a Field Value to the Total
If your document has numeric fields, you may want to set the value of
a field or cell using some formula. To do this, follow these steps.
1) Move to the desired numeric field (or cell) in your document.
It will be highlighted as the current field (or current cell).
2) Choose Calculator from the Operate Menu to open the Calculator
3) Enter a list of numbers or formulas, pressing Enter after each
one to accumulate a total.
4) Press End twice to move to the PASTE button.
5) Press Enter to paste the calculator total into the field.
Read Chapter 10 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete information
on using the Calculator.
è.pa
The Create Fields Window is used to specify which type of field will
be created and what attributes that field will have. You may create
any of five different types of fields anywhere in a document as long
as there is room for the field. The five types of fields are: Text,
Numeric, Date, Logical and Button. Each of these field types have
attributes that determine how they will be displayed and how data
entry will be accepted.
Other data entry fields or multiple choice buttons, for setting field
attributes, will appear in the window depending on the type of field
that you select. Press ALT + Z to list possible values for a button.
Creating a Field
1) Position the cursor to the place where you want the new field.
2) Choose Create from the Field Menu to open Create Fields Window
3) Press Spacebar on field type button to display desired type.
4) To change attributes, press End to move to each attribute
field and set the values as desired (see below).
5) Press End to move to the OK button.
6) Press Enter. A logical, date or button field will be created
at the cursor position.
7) To define the size of a text or numeric field:
Press the right arrow key until reaching the desired size.
Press Enter.
Creating a Multi-lined text or numeric field
A text or numeric field may contain more than one line. A line (cell)
of multi-lined numeric field can have its own value. To create one:
1) Position the cursor to the place where you want the new field.
2) Press the Insert key. A 'T' will appear in the status line.
3) Follow steps 2 through 7 except that you may use the down
arrow key , as well, when you define the field's size.
Common Attributes
Fixed Size/Auto Sized - This attribute applies to text, numeric and
long format date fields and is usually used to compress white space
out of wide fields prior to printing.
Not Stored/Stored/Projected - This attribute applies to all fields
except button. Not Stored means that field is not associated with a
database; Stored means that this field defines a database where field
values are stored in a database of the same name as the current
document; Projected means that values for this field are stored in
some other database.
Specific Attributes
Text fields may be left justified, right justified, center, wrapped
(if multi-lined), or not justified at all.
A Numeric field may appear and accept data in a number of ways. It may
have decimal places, be justified or be in currency format, etc.
A Date field may have one of three formats and may be defaulted to
show the current (i.e. today's) date.
A Logical field can have 2 values (yes or no) in one of four formats.
A Button field must have a label which is text defining the button.
A button causes an action to occur when Enter is pressed on a button.
Read Chapters 11 and 12 of the User's Guide for complete details.è.pa
The Modify Field Window is used to change the attributes of the
current field. The five types of fields are: Text, Numeric, Date,
Logical and Button. Each of these field types have attributes that
determine how they will be displayed and how data entry will be
accepted. This window is not used to change the size of a text or
numeric field.
Data entry fields or multiple choice buttons, for setting field
attributes, will appear in the window depending on the type of the
current field. Press ALT + Z to list possible values for each button.
Modifying a Field's Attributes
1) Position the cursor to the desired field.
2) Choose Modify from the Field Menu to open Modify Fields Window
3) To change attributes, press End to move to each attribute
field and set the values as desired (see below).
4) Press End to move to the OK button.
5) Press Enter. The attributes will be changed appropriately.
Common Attributes
Fixed Size/Auto Sized - This attribute applies to text, numeric and
long format date fields and is usually used to compress white space
out of wide fields prior to printing.
Not Stored/Stored/Projected - This attribute applies to all fields
except button.
Not Stored means that field is not associated with a database
Stored means that this field defines a database where field
values are stored in a database of the same name as the current
document;
Projected means that values for this field are stored in some
other database.
Specific Attributes
Text fields may be left justified, right justified, center, wrapped
(if multi-lined), or not justified at all.
A Numeric field may appear and accept data in a number of ways. It may
have decimal places, be justified or be in currency format, etc.
A Date field may have one of three formats and may be defaulted to
show the current (i.e. today's) date.
A Logical field can have 2 values (yes or no) in one of four formats.
A Button field must have a label which is text defining the button.
Read Chapters 12 and 13 of the Surefire User's Guide for more details.
è.pa
The Command Edit Window is used to specify and trace field commands.
A field command tells Surefire the formulas used to calculate values
for fields in a document or what to do when a button is "pressed".
When the window is opened, the command of the current field or cell is
shown next to the label Cmd:. Field commands are edited in the edit
area, the two lines labeled as "Edit:". The cursor will be placed in
the edit area ready for a new command to be entered. If needed, use
the arrow keys to access a maximum of ten lines.
Field Ids and Names
Next to the label "ID:" is the field ID of the current field cell.
This ID is used by commands to represent that cell. The ID is assigned
by Surefire. The letters describe a field uniquely while the numbers
identify the line or cell within the field. The field type is shown
after the label "Type:".
To use a more descriptive name for a field in formulas or database
references, enter the desired name after the label "Name:".
Commands and results
Commands are expressions appropriate to the type of field containing
them. Text fields can contain string expressions, numeric fields
contain arithmetic formulas, etc. To help build a formula, use ALT + Z
when in the edit area to see a list of Surefire '@' functions.
Except for buttons, the result of a command in a field or cell is
usually displayed in the field or cell that contains the command. The
result of a command may also be assigned to a field or field range:
When commands are executed automatically, all commands within the
document are executed whenever the value of any field is changed.
Modifying the current command
With the cursor in the edit area, use "Cut " from the Edit menu to
remove the command from the current cell and put it in the command
edit area. "Copy" will put a copy of the command into the edit area. A
command in the edit area can be changed. Afterwards the command is put
back into the cell by using "Paste" or "Paste & Keep" from the Edit
menu. Both put the command into the cell, but Paste clears the edit
area while Paste & Keep leaves the edit area alone. Use Keep to paste
the same or a similar command into another field.
Moving to another field or cell
You can view and manipulate the commands of every document cell while
the window is open. To do this:
1) Press Shift + Tab to put the cursor in the document. You may
move around the document as usual. As you move between fields
or cells, the window will reflect the Field Id and command of
that field or cell.
2) At any time, press Shift + Tab again to put the cursor back
into the window. You can modify the command that is shown
using copy, paste and normal editing operations.
Command Execution Order and Relative vs Absolute Referencing
Normally command execution order is from top to bottom and left to
right. If you want this changed, set the Horiz/Vert button to Vert.
Set the Absolute/Relative button to Relative to adjust pasted command
references in a prescribed way to the field whose Id is displayed to
the right of the button. Absolute references will not be adjusted.
Read Chapters 14 through 16 of the User's Guide for full information.è.pa
The Search Options Window is used to tell Surefire more information
about how to conduct a database search and how to format search
results. Any changes made will be effective for subsequent database
searches. To change a Search Option:
1) Use End and Home to move between fields.
2) Press Spacebar to change the field setting.
3) Move to the OK button and press Enter.
Record Type for Search
When a Surefire database record is deleted, it is not actually removed
from the database. This allows you to limit your searches to active
records while having the option of restoring deleted records to active
status at some later time (via Recall). The multiple choice button has
3 possible values:
Active - qualify against and display only active records.
Deleted - qualify against and display only deleted records.
All - qualify and display records whether active or deleted
Do Report Formatting?
If you have specified report formatting for a document using the
Format Report Window (on the Data menu), Surefire will format
retrieved data records using this format. A report format will display
all qualifying records at one time in the same document. At times, you
may want to use this document to display data records one at a time
without having to project onto another document for that purpose. To
indicate this, answer No to this question. This setting is temporary
and will not effect the report attributes stored for a document.
Read the sections "Setting Search Options" in Chapter 18 and
"Turning off Report Formatting" in Chapter 22 of the Surefire User's
Guide for details on the user of this window.
è.pa
The Query Window is a used to define the criteria that you will use to
qualify or filter data records that you want retrieved from a
database. You may have up to 20 lines in a query window. Each query
line may describe a condition that must be met for a data record to be
selected from the database. Up to 2 query lines may also be used to
specify the order in which records are displayed. The current document
must have at least one stored or projected field in order to define a
Query.
You may initiate a simple database search without using the Query
Window. See Help for Data Menu on searching a database.
Opening the Query window
Before you open the query window, you should position to a field in
the document that you want to use for one of the query conditions. A
query line will be created for that field with the condition set to
the current field value. See below for an explanation of each part of
the query line.
If a query has already been specified, there will be a 'Q' or 'S' in
the status line. Opening the Query window now will show the current
query.
Query Window Fields and Information
Sort Order Button - Indicates how to display retrieved records.
Sort Direction Button - Indicates the sort direction for data
retrieval. It may be ascending or descending
Field ID or Name - Indicates the Surefire field ID or user given
name of the database field. This will not be the
ID or name of a field in the current document if
fields are projected.
Field Type - Indicates field type; Numeric, Date, etc.
Condition Button - Depending on the data type, this multiple choice
button tells Surefire more about how to use the
condition values given in the next field(s). For
example, a text field may be Exactly "cat"; may
Begin With "cat"; etc.
Single Conditions - Indicate the value you are looking for.
Range Conditions - Numeric and Date fields may have range
conditions indicated by a value of the
Condition Button. A range specifies a lower
and upper bound used to bracket qualifying
values and thus provides 2 data entry fields
Adding a Query Line
1) Press Shift + Tab to return the cursor to the document
2) Move around the document as usual. Position to another field.
3) Press Ctrl + Enter. A query line will be created for that
field with the field's values.
4) Press Shift + Tab to return the cursor to the window.
Specifying OR conditions
If you create more than one query line for the same database field,
the two conditions will be OR'ed together.
Using Zoom to Add Query Lines
If a document has only some fields from another database, you can
press Ctrl + Z to see and choose from all of the database fields.
Read Chapter 18 of the Surefire User's Guide for complete details.è.pa
The Edit Query Window is used to create and manipulate named queries.
After a database query is built, it may be named and saved for later
use. Once saved, a named query can be recalled for edit, can be run,
and can be deleted. Each named query is associated with only one
document. This is the document that was used to build the query. You
can modify a named query in small ways and save each version with a
different name. See Help for the Data menu for information on building
queries.
To Save, Get a query:
1) Build the query using the Query Window. You may also get a
named query that was previously saved.
2) Choose Edit Queries from the Data menu to open this window.
3) Press Spacebar to show the desired button value.
4) Press End to move to the data entry field
5) Enter a name for the query.
6) Press End to move to the OK button and press Enter.
Edit Query Fields
Use the data entry field to the right of the button to enter the name
of the named query in which you are interested. You may type in a name
of up to 10 characters, or use ALT + Z to display a list of named
queries already defined for the current document.
The edit query multiple choice button has these values:
Get query - Open the Query Window with the conditions
defined in the specified named query.
Save current query - Save the current contents of the Query Window
as the specified named query.
Run query - Use the conditions of the specified named query
to initiate a database search without
displaying them in the Query Window.
Delete query - Delete the specified named query.
Read the section "Named Queries" in Chapter 18 of the Surefire User's
Guide for complete details on using named queries.
è.pa
The Format Report Window is used to specify that a document be used to
display more than one data record at a time based on the current
database search. In fact, all qualifying records will be displayed in
the document. You must indicate that at least one stored or projected
field is repeated in the document. Non-stored fields may be repeated
as well. These are used to enhance or trim your report. To see how a
report is generated, read Running a Report at the end of this Help.
Specifying a Repeat Layout
1) Use Field Select (on Edit Menu) to select the fields you want
repeated for each data record in your report.
2) Choose Format Report (on Data Menu) to open this window.
3) A message window will be displayed if there are no report
attributes yet for this document. Answer YES to continue.
4) Press Enter when the cursor is at the SET OFFSET button.
5) Move the down arrow to indicate the spacing that you want
between lines of your report.
6) Press Enter to return to the Format Report Window.
7) Set other report attributes for these fields if desired.
8) Move to the OK button and press Enter. The same repeat offset
will be used for all selected fields.
Display at Top/Bottom of Page
Answer Y for each of these questions if you want the selected field to
be displayed at the top and/or bottom of every report page (within the
margins). This may be useful for column headers, lines, running
totals, etc. You may of course use the Header or Footer areas of the
document to have titles, page numbering, etc. repeated on every page.
See Help for the Page menu for information on Headers and Footers.
Display Value on Change in Field
Use this attribute to indicate that the current document field or
fields that you have selected will be displayed every time the value
of some field of a retrieved data record changes. This is often used
when the current field has a database function (e @DSUM, @DAVG, ...)
and the data field being monitored is used for grouping records
together as they are displayed.
For example, say a payroll report contains employee name, salary and
department. If you want to see the average salary for each department,
use the data field, department name, to sort your records. Then place
a numeric field below your repeated fields to hold the command
@DAVG(salary). Give the field an on change attribute. When the report
is generated, the average salary of each department will be displayed
just before listing records for the next department.
Use ALT + Z in this field to list all fields of the current database.
Running a Report
You run a report by initiating a database search on a document with
report formatting. As records are retrieved from the database, each
repeated data field will show the value of that field for that record.
The field will then be copied forward in the document to accept the
data value for the next record. This will happen until all records
have been displayed; Surefire will automatically create pages as
needed for your report. Fields set for page top or page bottom will be
displayed as each page is generated. In addition, on change fields
will be calculated and displayed as needed.
If there is not sufficient memory to generate the full report, you
will receive a message to use Search & Print.
Read Chapter 22 of the User's Guide for complete details on Reports.è.pa
The Special Character Window is used to enter characters into a
document that are not available from your keyboard. These characters
include foreign language characters, graphic characters and math
symbols. All of these characters can be displayed on your monitor
though not all may be printable. if your printer supports the IBM
Extended Character set, you can print all but those located in the
lower right-hand corner of this window.
To enter a character into your document:
1) Move the cursor to the desired location in the document.
2) Choose Special Character from the Graphic Menu.
3) Move the cursor to the desired character.
4) Press Enter. The window will close and the character will be
entered in the document. This character will also be "loaded"
for repeated use.
To enter a Loaded character:
1) Move the cursor to the desired document location.
2) Press CTRL + S. The most recently selected special character
will be entered in the document.
Read the section "Special Characters" in Chapter 8 of the Surefire
User's Guide for more information on using this window.
è.pa
The Spell Check Window appears when you are in a spelling session and
a misspelled and/or unrecognized word is found in the document. This
window is displayed when you choose "Spell" from the Page Menu or
press ALT+N. Surefire looks for misspelled words from the current
cursor position to the end of the document.
The misspelled word is highlighted in the document and also appears at
the top left corner of this window.
To replace the word with one suggested by Surefire:
Move the cursor to one of the words in the window and press Enter.
To make your own replacement:
Move to the entry field at the top right corner, type the correct
word and press Enter.
Once you make a replacement, Surefire will automatically make the same
replacement for other instances of the same misspelled word found
elsewhere during the current session.
When there is no room to make a replacement, you may switch to Wrap
mode by pressing ALT+W.
To skip over a word that is actually correct:
Move to the SKIP button and press Enter. Or, type ALT+S. Or Click
on the SKIP button. Future occurrences of this word will be ignored
for the remainder of the current spelling session.
To add a word to the User dictionary:
Move to the ADD button and press Enter. Or, type ALT+A. Or Click
on the ADD button. Future occurrences of this word will be ignored
for this and future spelling sessions.
When the spelling session is over, a message window shows how many
words were found, replaced or added to the User dictionary.
Read the Surefire 2.0 User's Guide Supplement section "Using the Spell
Checker" for more information on using this window.
è.pa
The Duplicate Record Message Window may appear when you are adding or
importing records into a database. It is only displayed when Duplicate
Checking is enabled and Surefire finds a record in the database with
the same information in fields with the "Duplicate Check" attribute as
in the record you intend to add or import.
To ADD the record anyway:
Move the cursor to ADD and press Enter. This operation may leave 2
similar records in the database.
To UPDATE the record:
Move the cursor to UPDATE and press Enter. This operation will
replace the original record with the one that is displayed. The
data from the 2 records will not be merged together.
To SKIP any action:
Move the cursor to SKIP and press Enter. This operation will allow
you to decide what to do about the conflicting records at a later
time. You may also press Esc or Click the right mouse button.
NOTE: If you are importing records SKIP will continue looking for
duplicate records matching subsequent imported records while Esc
will stop the import operation.
To view the record underneath the window:
Press Spacebar. Press Spacebar again to return to this window.
If you are adding this record inadvertently and actually intended to
update it, choose SKIP and then choose Update Record from the Data
menu.
Read the Surefire 2.0 User's Guide Supplement section "Duplicate
Records" for more information on using this window.
è.pa
This window appears when you are importing records into a database and
Duplicate Checking is enabled.
Choose YES if you want all duplicates that are found to be replaced
with the new records being imported. The data from the 2 records
will not be merged together.
Choose NO if you want to choose whether you want to add, update or
skip each time a duplicate record is found. Surefire will display
the Duplicate Record Message Window for each duplicate found.
Choose CANCEL to cancel the import operation.
Read the Surefire 2.0 User's Guide Supplement section "Duplicate
Records" and the Surefire User's Guide section "Importing and
Exporting Data" in Chapter 21 for more information on using this
window.