GEMini Atari/GEMini_Atari_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1993.iso/zip/database/ezbase10.lzh/EZBASE.DOC

Text File | 1992-12-16 | 37KB | 1,156 lines

            Mountain Software Presents

                     EASY-BASE

                        By

                  Anthony Watson


1.0 - Introduction

     1.1  - Purpose And Shareware Information
     1.2  - Operational Requirements
     1.3  - Limitations (What it won't do!)

2.0 - Main Menu

     2.1  - Previous Record
     2.2  - Current Record
     2.3  - File Title/Status Bar
     2.4  - Total Records
     2.5  - Next Record
     2.6  - Load Data File
     2.7  - Print Records
     2.8  - Sort Records
     2.9  - Find Record
     2.10 - Create Data File
     2.11 - Delete Record
     2.12 - Dial Telephone Number
     2.13 - Notes
     2.14 - Text Editor
     2.15 - Quit

3.0 - Editing An Existing Record

     3.1  - Edit Methods
     3.2  - Edit Commands

4.0 - Adding A Record

5.0 - Print Menu

     5.1  - Printout Configuration
     5.2  - Print Data File
     5.3  - Letter Merge

6.0 - Creating A Data File

     6.1  - Renaming File Title
     6.2  - Renaming Data Fields
     6.3  - Changing Field Lengths
     6.4  - Adding New Fields
     6.5  - Deleting Data Fields
     6.6  - Delete All Records
     6.7  - Creating A New Data File
     6.8  - Configuration Menu
     6.9  - Abort
     6.10 - Save

7.0 - Text Menu

     7.1  - Load Text File
     7.2  - Save Text File
     7.3  - Clear Text Editor
     7.4  - Print Text In Text Editor
     7.5  - Enter Fields
     7.6  - Quit Text Editor
     7.7  - Editor Commands

8.0 - User Suggestions/Bug Reports/Questions

     8.1  - Shareware Plea
     8.2  - New Releases From Mountain Software
     8.3  - Appreciation


-------------------------------------------------
1.0               INTRODUCTION
-------------------------------------------------


1.1 - PURPOSE AND SHAREWARE INFORMATION
-------------------------------------------------

Easy Base is a Shareware Database written by
Anthony Watson on an Atari MEGA/STE using GFA
BASIC 3.5E. It is intended to be a general
purpose database that can be adapted to many
common tasks such as Address Lists, Inventory,
Checkbooks, etc.

The unregistered version of Easy-Base is fully
operational including saving and printing of data
files. However, there is a limit of 20 records
for any one data file. The Registered version of
Easy-Base is limited only by the free memory in
your machine.

You may obtain a fully operational version
registered in your name by sending $20 (Twenty
Dollars, U.S.) to:

             Anthony Watson
             6911 NE Livingston Road
             Camas, Washington  98607

You will receive a disk containing Easy-Base,
and Demo versions of other Mountain Software
Programs.

Easy Base makes use of the system File Selector.
If you are not already familiar with it's
operation it is suggested that you read your
Atari Owners manual and become familiar with
it's operation before using this program.


1.2 - OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
-------------------------------------------------

Easy-Base should run on any ST/TT/FALCON in any
graphics resolution greater than or equal to 640
x 200. This includes ST Medium/ST High/TT
medium/etc...

Easy-Base should run from floppy disks or from a
hard drive. However, since this program makes
frequent drive access a hard drive is highly
recommended.

The program itself requires 150K of free RAM.
However, the maximum number of records you will
be able to store in one data file depends on how
much free RAM you have available. The more RAM
you have the larger your files can be.

1.3 - LIMITATIONS (What it won't do!)
-------------------------------------------------

Easy-Base stores the entire Data File in RAM.
This method was chosen primarily for speed in
sorting and disk accesses. However, this does
limit the maximum file size.

You may create a maximum of 20 fields for a data
file. This was deemed sufficient for the tasks to
which this program is intended. If you require
more than 20 fields you probably have needs
beyond what this program provides.

A field can be a maximum of 40 characters long.
Again this was deemed sufficient for most tasks.
For items that may exceed this length you may
wish to seperate the field into two fields.
(i.e. Instead of one field titled NAME, create
two fields labeled FIRST NAME and LAST NAME.)

The Unregistered Version is limited to 20 Records


-------------------------------------------------
2.0                MAIN MENU
-------------------------------------------------

The main menu is the first screen you will see
when running Easy-Base (The Unregistered version
displays shareware information first!) Most of
the functions available in Easy-Base are accessed
from the main menu. Those that are not will be
explained in detail later in this manual.

Data files are saved to disk each time the file
is modified. This includes adding or changing
records, changing print setup, etc. While this
will slow program operation as files grow larger
it insures that data is not lost should you have
a power outage or reboot your system.



2.1 - PREVIOUS RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

The left facing arrow in the upper left hand
corner of the screen is the button for moving to
the previous record. By clicking on this button
using either mouse key, you will be taken to the
previous record in your data file. You may also
use the 'left' cursor key to perform this
function.


2.2 - CURRENT RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

To the immediate right of the previous record
button is a button displaying a number. This
button displays the current record you are
viewing in your data file. If you click on this
button you will be taken to the first record in
your data file. You may also use the 'up' cursor
key to perform this function.


2.3 - FILE TITLE/STATUS BAR
-------------------------------------------------

To the immediate right of the current record
button you will find another button displaying a
title or a message. This button displays the
title of the data file you are currently working
on. This button is also used for displaying
error messages, verifying deletes, requesting
further user input, and other functions.











2.4 - TOTAL RECORDS
-------------------------------------------------

To the immediate right of the title button is
another button displaying a number. This button
displays the total records in the data file.
This button displays how many records you have
ENTERED into your data file, not the maximum
record capacity of the file. If you click on
this button you will be taken to the last record
in the data file. You may also use the 'down'
cursor key to perform this function.


2.5 - NEXT RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

To the immediate right of the total records
button is a button with a right facing arrow.
This button takes you to the next record in your
data file. You may also use the 'right' cursor
key to perform this function.

Please note that it is possible to advance one
record beyond your total records. This last
record is always blank and is provided for adding
new records. The blank record is not saved in the
data file!


2.6 - LOAD DATA FILE
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'LOAD'. This button is used to
load an Easy Base data file. You may also use the
'L' key to perform this function.

When you select load a file selector will appear.
You may now locate the Easy Base data file you
wish to load. If you select OK or CANCEL without
choosing a data file the load will be aborted. A
number of sample data files have been included
with Easy Base in the 'SAMPLES' folder.

Easy Base may also be installed as an
application. With Easy Base installed as an
application you can click on any Easy Base data
file and Easy Base will load along with your data
file. Locate and select 'INSTALL APPLICATION'
from the desktop menu bar. Next, specify a file
extension of .EZB (All Easy Base data files
should end with the extension .EZB). Be sure to
save the desktop after installing this
application or it will not be installed the next
time you boot up.


2.7 - PRINT RECORDS
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'PRINT'. This button will take you
to the print menu. You may also use the 'P' key
to perform this function.

The print menu will be discussed in detail later
in the 'PRINT MENU' section.


2.8 - SORT RECORDS
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'SORT'. This button allows you to
sort your data file by any field. There is no
keyboard equivalent for this function.

When you click on this button you will be asked
which field you wish to sort by. Also, a small
menu will appear in the upper right hand corner
of the screen. This menu is used to select the
various sort options. Easy Base always defaults
to an Ascending Alphabetical sort.






You may choose an Alphabetical or Numerical sort.
An alphabetical sort properly sorts words but
incorrectly sorts numbers. (If you were to
perform an alphabetical sort on the numbers 3,40,
and 100 they would be sorted as 100, 3 and 40!)
By selecting a numerical sort the numbers can be
sorted properly. If you attempt to perform a
numerical sort on a field that does not contain
numbers, the sort will have no effect on the data
file.

You may choose an Ascending or Descending sort.
An ascending sort would sort letters to 'A,B,C'
or numbers to '1,2,3'. A descending sort would
sort letters to 'C,B,A' or numbers to '3,2,1'.

When the sort options are set to your preference,
simply click on the field you wish to sort by,
using either mouse key. There will be a short
delay while the records are sorted.


2.9 - FIND RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'FIND'. This button allows you to
locate any text string in your data file. You may
also use the 'F' key for this function.

When you click on the Find button you will be
asked to enter a search string. Type in the
string you wish to search for then press the
Return key. The search is done on ALL fields with
each record, allowing you to locate a record even
if you do not know which field the string is in.

New search strings always begin searching from
the beginning of the data file. If you search on
the same string as the previous search string the
search will locate the next occurance of the
string in the data file. If there are no more
occurances of the search string within the data
file, a message will be displayed stating that
there are no more matching records.


2.10 - CREATE DATA FILE
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'CREATE'. This button takes you
to the CREATE MENU. The create menu is used for
creating a new data file, changing
configurations, or modifying an existing file.
You may also use the 'C' key for this function.

The create menu will be explained in detail
later, in the CREATE MENU section.


2.11 - DELETE RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'DELETE'. This button allows you
to delete the CURRENTLY DISPLAYED record. You may
also use the 'D' key for this function.

When you select this button you will be asked to
verify the delete operation by clicking on the
file title button. You may also use the the 'Y'
key to verify the delete operation.



2.12 - DIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'DIAL'. This button allows you to
use Easy Base as a telephone autodialer if you
have a modem attached to your computer. There is
no keyboard equivalent for this function.






When you select this button you will be asked
which field you wish to dial. You may choose any
of the available fields for dialing. If the field
contains any character other than a number, '(',
')', '-', or space character it is assumed that
this function was selected in error. The phone
number in the field you select must be entered in
exactly the same method as you would dial the
number on your telephone. Easy-Base does not
check for local/long distance and other such
situations.

Once the dial begins there is a short delay to
give you time to get to your telephone. After
the delay it is assumed you have picked up your
telephone so the modem will disconnect from the
line. You may abort the dial by pressing any key
or by clicking the mouse. This is useful if you
dial by accident or the number is busy. Please
note that this is only an autodialer function
and NOT a terminal program!

This function will only work if your telephone
and modem share the same phone line.


2.13 - NOTES (General File Information)
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'NOTES'. This button takes you to
the notes menu. You may also use the 'N' key for
this function.

Every data file includes one page of notes. This
is just a general 'scratch pad' where you can
enter information about the data file.  This is
useful for such things as telling the bank
account in a check book data file, or the meals
for the week in a Grocery file, etc.

The 'CLEAR' button will clear the notes file and
allow you to start over.


The 'EXPORT' button will bring up the file
selector where you can locate a destination
directory, and enter a title to save the notes
file as a text file on your disk drive.

The 'PRINT' button will print your notes file to
a connected printer. The file is printed as
standard ASCII text and does not use the printer
codes defined in the configuration menu.

Please note that if there is no text in the notes
file that the 'EXPORT' and 'PRINT' buttons will
have no function.

The notes editor uses the same commands as the
built in text editor. These commands will be
described in detail in the Text Menu section.


2.14 - TEXT EDITOR
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'TEXT'. This button takes you to
the text editor menu. You may also use the 'T'
key for this function.

The text editor will be described in detail later
in the 'TEXT MENU' section.


2.15 - QUIT
-------------------------------------------------

On the right side of the screen you will find a
button labeled 'QUIT'. As you would expect, this
button exits Easy Base and returns you to the
desktop. You may also use the 'Q' key for this
function.






-------------------------------------------------
3.0        EDITING AN EXISTING RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

Before you can edit a record you must first load
a data file and locate the record within that
file you wish to edit.


3.1 - EDIT METHODS
-------------------------------------------------

You can select a specific field to edit by
clicking on the desired field using either mouse
key.

If you choose to edit all fields within a record
you may either click on the first field in that
record, or press the 'E' key, which will place
you in edit mode at the first record.


3.2 - EDIT COMMANDS
-------------------------------------------------

When you have completed editing a field, press
the Return key to advance to the next field. If
you are editing the last field in a record,
pressing the Return key will exit the edit mode
and save the data file.

Pressing the 'UNDO' key will immediately exit
edit mode and save the data file. Any changes you
have made to the record will be saved.

Pressing the 'up' cursor arrow will take you to
the previous field in the record. If you are
already on the first field, this key will exit
edit mode and save the data file.

Pressing the 'down' cursor arrow will take you to
the next field in the record. If you are already
on the last field, this key will exit edit mode
and save the data file.

Pressing the 'ESC' key will clear what ever data
is in the current field so that you may enter new
information.

Pressing the 'F1' key will replace the
information in the current field with the current
date. The date format is selected in the
configuration menu. (Accessed through the Create
Menu.)

Pressing the 'F2' key will replace the
information in the current field with the current
time.

Please note that your system clock must be
properly set for these commands to function
properly.

If all fields in a record are cleared that
record will be deleted from the data file.


-------------------------------------------------
4.0             ADDING A RECORD
-------------------------------------------------

You may add a record in either of two methods.

The first is to advance to the blank record at
the end of the data file using the NEXT RECORD
button and then edit that record as described
above. (Another blank record will be added to
the end of the file)

The second and easiest method is to simply press
the RETURN key. This will take you to the blank
record at the end of the data file and
automatically place you into edit mode.







-------------------------------------------------
5.0                PRINT MENU
-------------------------------------------------

Select the print menu by clicking on the 'PRINT'
button or by pressing the 'P' key at the main
menu.


5.1 - PRINTOUT CONFIGURATION
-------------------------------------------------

In the center of the screen you will find a
column titled 'PRINT LIST'. This list shows from
top to bottom what will be printed on the page
from left to right. You may choose which fields
you wish to have printed, and in which order by
setting up the print list to your preferences.

The 'FIELD LIST' on the left side of the screen
shows the fields available in this data file.
Clicking on a field in the 'FIELD LIST' will add
it to the bottom of the 'PRINT LIST'. Clicking on
a field in the 'PRINT LIST' removes it from the
list.

To the right of the 'PRINT LIST' you will find
another list titled 'MATH FUNCTIONS'. This list
allows you to select whether a field is to be
added or subracted from an overall total. The
slot for a math function corresponds with the
matching slot in the 'PRINT LIST'. By clicking on
the desired slot you can select 'ADD','SUBTRACT',
or no function. The total is immediatly displayed
on the screen as you invoke the math functions.
This allows you to make various calculations in
real time. For example, in a check book data file
you may set the 'deposit' to 'ADD' and leave all
other math slots blank. This would display the
total deposits made in the data file. Or by
setting 'withdrawals' to 'SUBTRACT' and leaving
all others blank you can find the total
withdrawals made.


  If you wish to have an ongoing total displayed
in the printout, click on the 'MATH FUNCTION'
button at the top of the screen to add the total
to the end of the print list.

The calculation total displayed in the print menu
defaults to the entire record file. You may
select to have only portions of a file calculated
by changing the 'FROM RECORD' and/or 'TO RECORD'
settings. To modify these settings simply click
on the current setting, enter a new setting, and
press Return.


5.2 - PRINT DATA FILE
-------------------------------------------------

To print the data file, click on the 'PRINT'
button.

The records will print in the format defined in
the print list, beginning with the record number
displayed in 'From Record', and ending with the
record number displayed in 'To Record'. If any
math functions have been selected they will only
be calculated on the files being printed.


5.3 - LETTER MERGE
-------------------------------------------------

You may find that there are situations where the
Easy-Base print format is not acceptable. For
this reason the 'LETTER MERGE' function is
available. This button allows you to merge your
data file with a specially formatted text file.

You may use the text editor built into Easy Base
or any word processor/text editor that can save
standard ASCII text files for creating a custom
text file for virtually any output format. You
can create mailing labels, personalized letters,
etc. using this method.


The merge file must be a standard ASCII text
file. Easy-Base recognizes the following
commands:

[FIELD01] to [FIELD20] - These are replaced with
whatever data is in the corresponding field.
(i.e. if you have [FIELD06] in your merge file,
it will be replaced with whatever is in the sixth
field of your data file) If you specify a field
in your merge file that doesn't exist in your
data file, it will be replaced by a space
character.

[NEXT] - This command advances to the next record
in your data file. This is especially useful if
you are creating mailing labels, or an index.
There should be no other text on the line in
which this command appears!

As with 'PRINT', 'LETTER MERGE' only prints the
records between 'FROM RECORD' and 'TO RECORD'.

The letter merge function does not use the
printer codes defined in the configuration menu.


-------------------------------------------------
6.0           CREATING A DATA FILE
-------------------------------------------------

Click on the 'CREATE' button or press the 'C' key
from the main menu.

If you have already loaded a data file the
title, the fields and the field lengths will be
displayed on the screen. The maximum number of
records which you may enter is also shown. This
maximum varies depending on the RAM in your
machine, the number of accessories and resident
programs, and the number of fields and their
lengths. By watching this display you can see
immediately what effect adding a field or
changing a field length has on your maximum file
capacity.

If a data file contains any records you will not
be able to change the file structure other than
renaming. If a data file is empty you can modify
the field lengths, add a field, or delete a field
as well as renaming.


6.1 - RENAMING FILE TITLE
-------------------------------------------------

To rename the title of the data file, click on
the title displayed at the top of the screen.
Then type in the new title and press Return.


6.2 - RENAMING DATA FIELDS
-------------------------------------------------

To rename a field click on the field you wish to
rename, enter the new title, and press Return. If
you rename a field to a blank title and the data
file does not contain any records that field will
be removed. Otherwise, the old title will be
reinstalled as the field title.


6.3 - CHANGING FIELD LENGTHS
-------------------------------------------------

The length of a data field is displayed to the
immediate right of a field title. The field
length always defaults to the maximum 40
character limit when adding fields.  You may
choose to just leave it at the default. However,
by setting the field length to only what is
necessary you will reduce file size and be able
to store more records.

You may change a field length by clicking on the
current length, entering the new length, and
pressing Return.




6.4 - ADDING NEW FIELDS
-------------------------------------------------

You may add a field in either of two ways. Click
the mouse past the end of the field list. This
will add a field and place you into edit mode.
You may also press the Return key to add a field.

You can insert a field by clicking on 'INSERT
FIELD' then clicking on the location you wish to
insert a field. You will be placed into edit
mode.


6.5 - DELETING DATA FIELDS
-------------------------------------------------

You may delete a field by clicking on the 'DELETE
FIELD' button and then clicking on the field you
wish to delete.

A Field is also deleted if the data file does
not contain any records and you clear the field
name.


6.6 - DELETE ALL RECORDS
-------------------------------------------------

If you find the file structure satisfactory but
would like to start over with the data file, you
can click on the 'DELETE ALL RECORDS' button. As
expected this will delete all of the records
within a file, but does not change the basic
file structure.


6.7 - CREATING A NEW DATA FILE
-------------------------------------------------

You may start a new data file by clicking on the
'START NEW FILE' button. This will clear all of
the file structure settings and return all
settings to their defaults. Or you may choose to
just modify an existing data file.


6.8 - CONFIGURATION MENU
-------------------------------------------------

The file configuration may be changed by clicking
on 'CHANGE CONFIGURATION'. You may change the
configuration at any time, even if the data file
contains records. Anytime you create a new file
structure you will automatically be asked to
choose a desired configuration.

Change the number of lines per page by clicking
on the current value, enter the new value, and
press Return.

Change the characters per line using the same
method as with lines per page.

You can choose to have Easy-Base auto-format the
upper/lower case of letters when editing.
Choosing 'NO' will enter letters exactly as you
type them. Choosing 'YES' will Capitalize the
first letter of each word and set all remaining
letters to lower case.

You can choose whether to have the current date
entered as Year/Month/Day or as Month/Day/Year.
The Year/Month/Day setting is handy when you wish
to sort by date. This setting would properly sort
by year. The Month/Day/Year setting however
would, for example, place all January months
(from all years) together, then February months,
and so on... If you don't plan on sorting by the
date, you may prefer to use the Month/Day/Year
format. This setting only affects the format that
the 'F1' key enters when in an edit mode. It may
be changed at any time but will only effect new
entries, NOT those that have previously been
entered!





You may also enter printer codes in this menu.
The 'PRINTER CODES' are sent before the data is
printed when using the 'PRINT' function in the
print menu. Be sure to return the printer
settings using the 'RESET CODES'. The codes
themselves must be entered in decimal format and
be seperated by commas. (i.e. 27,104,41). You may
use these codes for any purpose such as setting
your printer to a special font, landscape mode,
etc. By combining the characters per line, the
lines per page, and the printer codes you could
print sideways across the paper if your printer
supports landscape mode.


6.9 - ABORT
-------------------------------------------------

Clicking on the 'ABORT' button returns all field
and configuration data to what they were prior to
entering the create menu, and returns you back to
the main menu.

6.10 - SAVE
-------------------------------------------------

Clicking on the 'SAVE' button saves your data
file with the new names/configuration. If you
have changed the file structure the file selector
will appear for you to give the file a new name,
or to overwrite the old file if you wish.

-------------------------------------------------
7.0                TEXT MENU
-------------------------------------------------

The text editor is a general purpose text editor
that you can use for any standard ASCII text
file. However, this particular editor includes a
special feature for including Field
identifications into the text file. This is used
when creating a 'MERGE FILE'. The text editor is
limited to 60 lines of text with 78 characters
per line. (Editor was designed only for
creating/editing one-page 'merge files'!)


7.1 - LOAD TEXT FILE
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'LOAD'. As you would expect, clicking on
this button brings up the file selector allowing
you to load in any text file.


7.2 - SAVE TEXT FILE
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'SAVE'. This button allows you to save a
text file you have created/edited. If the text
editor doe not contain any text the save function
is disabled.


7.3 - CLEAR TEXT EDITOR
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'CLEAR'. This button will clear all text
from the text editor.


7.4 - PRINT TEXT IN TEXT EDITOR
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'PRINT'. This button will print the
current text in the text editor. If the text
editor does not contain any text this function is
disabled.

The text is printed as straight ASCII text and
does not send the printer codes defined in the
configuration menu.




7.5 - ENTER FIELDS
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'FIELDS'. If no data file has been loaded
this button will be disabled.

This button will bring up the list of available
fields. By clicking on the field you wish to
include in your 'merge file', the proper field
code will automatically be entered at the current
cursor position.

The (Next Record) selection inserts the [NEXT]
code into your text file as required by the Easy
Base letter merge function. The [NEXT] command is
used for advancing to the next record while still
on the same page.


7.6 - QUIT TEXT EDITOR (Return to main menu)
-------------------------------------------------

At the top of the screen you will find a button
labeled 'QUIT'. As you would expect, this button
quits the text editor and returns you to the main
menu. Your text file remains in memory as long as
you are within Easy Base.


7.7 - EDITOR COMMANDS
-------------------------------------------------

The editor works in an 'overwrite' mode. In other
words, when you type in a letter whatever was
under the cursor is replaced by the letter you
just typed. The editor will Word-Wrap at the end
of the screen, and supports the following cursor
commands:

CURSOR up/down/left/right - moves cursor in
direction specified.

CTRL/CURSOR up/down - Moves up or down one screen
length. (18 lines)

DELETE - Deletes the character at the current
cursor position. (Only affects the current line!)

INSERT - Inserts a space at the current cursor
position. (Only affects the current line!)

CTRL/DELETE - Deletes the line the cursor is
currently on.

CTRL/INSERT - Inserts a line at the current
cursor position.

HOME - Takes you to the top of your text.

TAB - Takes you to the next tab stop.
      (Tab stops every 5 spaces)

MOUSECLICK - You can immediately position the
cursor anywhere on the text screen by clicking
the mouse on the desired location.


-------------------------------------------------
8.0   USER SUGGESTIONS/BUG REPORTS/QUESTIONS
-------------------------------------------------

I welcome all user suggestions to this or any
Mountain Software Program. I strongly believe in
Shareware programs and the ability to incorporate
users ideas. I doubt you'd find this kind of user
support from any commercial software? So if you
have an idea or a complaint about one of my
programs, write and tell me about it. I begin my
programs based on my own personal needs and what
'I' feel is needed, but in the end it is you, the
user, who defines how a program will evolve.

Also, if you find a bug in EASY BASE please
notify me of it! I try to test the programs
extensively before release, but it is inevitable
that a bug will slip by me unnoticed. If you
don't let me know about it, I can't fix it!


If you find something in the documentation which
is confusing or misleading, please inform me of
this. Because of my familiarity of the program I
may tend to overlook something when trying to
describe it fully.

If you have a question about any of the Mountain
Software programs please feel free to contact
me. I can't promise to always have the answer
but I'll do my best to find an answer for you!

                Anthony Watson
                6911 NE Livingston Road
                Camas, Washington  98607

                GEnie: A.WATSON6
                 Fnet: #648 - Anthony Watson
            Atari Net: 51:3/9 - Anthony Watson
             Fido Net: 1:105/139 - Anthony Watson

Thank you for trying EASY BASE, I sincerely hope
you will find it to be a useful addition to your
software collection!


8.1 - SHAREWARE PLEA
-------------------------------------------------

EASY BASE is Shareware from Mountain Software
Registered version is $20.

You've heard this line a hundred times, but....
Please support my work and other shareware
authors! I enjoy writing software for the ATARI
ST and currently have the time and resources to
do so. However, I will only be able to continue
writing shareware programs if I receive your
support. It takes a lot of time and effort to
produce programs like this. (Easy-Base version
1.0 has taken over two months to go from the idea
stage to a usable piece of software! And that has
been working 6-8 hours a day on it! Research,
customer support, and extensive beta testing eats
up a lot of this time. Having a 3-year old
daughter in the house eats up most of the rest!)

Put simply; If I receive your support I'll keep
writing software, if not.... Well, I'll have to
go out and get a 'real' job! Ha. Ha.

Anthony Watson


8.2 - NEW RELEASES FROM MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE (1992)
-------------------------------------------------

The Recipe Box - A database dedicated to recipes

The Recipe Converter - Converts Recipes to
Recipe Box format

TUZZLE - A tile puzzle game

Easy-Go - A program launcher

MAKEFORM II- System information/ Registration
Form generator (FREEWARE, if you register any
Mountain Software program!)

S-10 Converter - Converts sound samples from
Roland S-10 keyboard to ST format. (FREEWARE)

GFAMENU - A simple menu shell for GFA Basic
(FREEWARE)

DMASOUND - A STE sound sample player

MANUALIZER - Prints manuals on HP laser printers.

EASY-BASE - A general purpose database
(*** NEW RELEASE ***)


8.3 - APPRECIATION!
-------------------------------------------------

I would like to thank Victor Bruhn and Steve
Traxler for their assistance in Beta Testing
Easy-Base. Without your help many bugs would
have slipped by unnoticed!

I would like to thank the Southwest Washington
Atari Group (SWAG) for showing me that I am not
the only Atari user in the world! The comments,
feedback, and general support is very much
appreciated!

I would like to thank all users who have
registered previous Mountain Software programs.
Without your support I would not have continued
upgrading those programs, and would not have
been able to write this program. Your support is
greatly appreciated, and I hope I have returned
the support to you when needed?

I would like to thank ATARI for producing such an
outstanding computer for which I can write this
software.

I would like to thank my 3 year old daughter
Christine for showing me how simple life can be!

And most importantly, I'd like to thank my wife
Peggy for her patience with me as I worked on
this program! I appreciate your honesty when I
come up with 'dumb' ideas, and I appreciate you
letting me steal 'our' time to work on this!


Anthony Watson