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Information about “BOOK MINDER”
BOOK MINDER is a book-cataloging system designed for both personal and
business use. It can be used with books, magazines, newspapers, or
almost any other published material. BOOK MINDER allows you to catalog
a library and then locate a book or article in a magazine, by any one of
up to 21 characteristics. Entries can be made for individual articles.
This allows you to list the individually unique information contained in
each article.
BOOK MINDER is completely menu-driven, easy to operate, and allows
three levels of information cataloging. The three levels are:
standard,
research, and librarian. Each level provides a progressively greater
detail of information that can be stored for each entry.
BOOK MINDER can be used to run a database search business, providing
different levels of information to customers.
APPNDX.DOC
A P P E N D I X A
DESCRIPTION OF BOOK MINDER
BOOK MINDER is three level software designed for use by both
people who have a few books in their home and by the
professional as a research tool. Book Minder allows you to
catalog a library and then locate a book, or article in a
magazine, by any one of up to 21 characteristics. For
example, you'll be able to get a list of all of the science
fiction stories by John Campbell or all of the books with
recipes for chocolate chip cookies.
Another nice feature of Book Minder is that it can be used
with books, magazines, newspapers, technical papers or almost
any other published material. Entries can be made for
individual articles allowing you to list the individually
unique information contained in each article.
The three level feature of Book Minder allows you to
determine the amount of information you want to store for
each entry. If you have valuable information, or need
complete descriptions for professional use, you can keep
information to a level of very fine detail. On the other
hand, if you just need a quick way to find specific entrys
(or types of entrys) you may use the first, less detailed,
level of Book Minder. Since you can set up as many separate
catalog files as you wish, you can divide your collection and
categorize each part of it in as much or little detail as you
want.
Book Minder is completely menu driven and easy to operate.
Since the computer does all the hard work for you, this
manual is short. We'll describe how to enter information;
what to do to edit existing entries; and how to find the
entry(s) you need.
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A P P E N D I X B
THE THREE LEVELS OF BOOK MINDER
The three levels of Book Minder are: Standard, Research, and
Librarian. Each level provides progressively a greater
detail of information that can be stored for each entry.
The following is a list of the information that can be
entered at each level. As the higher levels are used,
however, the catalog data files use more disk space. Using
the Standard level allows you to have twice as many entries
on a floppy disk as you can get at the Research level.
Standard Research Librarian
Title Title Title
Author Author Author
Subject Subject Subject
Catalog Number Catalog Number Cat. Number
Note Note Note
Value Value Value
Subtopic-1 Subtopic-1
Subtopic-2 Subtopic-2
Other Other
Type Type
Date Date
Location Location
Notes-1 Notes-1
Notes-2 Notes-2
Notes-3 Notes-3
Publisher
Address
Copyright
# of Pages
ISBN
Edition
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The spaces for Note, Other and Location provide spaces for
you to enter miscellaneous information that is important to
you. This could be the condition of the book, the name of an
editor, or any other information. The line titles for
the NOTE, OTHER, and EDITION lines can be changed using the
customize feature on the Utilities Menu.
The following are descriptions of what I use each line for.
You are not limited to this information. You can enter
anything on any line and Book Minder will still be able to
conduct correct searches and sorts. However, the Value line
should only be used for a value.
(Standard Level)
Title - The name of the book, article, or paper.
Author - The name of the author.
Subject - A key word(s) that describes the subject of the
book or article. To make searches easier I suggest entering
just one word here, however, I have provided enough space for
a short phrase should that be more useful for you.
Catalog Number - This is the number you use to locate this
book or article. It can be a shelf number or an abbreviation
that gives the name and date of the publication the article
is in.
Note - This line is provided for miscellaneous information.
You can enter an abbreviation for the type of entry; or
describe the condition of the book; or any other information
you feel is valuable.
Value - Enter the current value of the book. This
information is useful for insurance purposes.
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(The Research Level)
Subtopic-1 - Addition information about the topic(s) covered.
Subtopic-2 - Additional information about the topic(s)
covered.
Other - Like the NOTE line you can enter whatever information
you feel is useful. You may enter the publisher, name of the
editor, or the color of the cover. Whatever is important
to you. You should, however, remain consistent so you'll be
able to remember the type of information you've used this
line for.
Type - Use this line to classify entrys by type. The
classifications you use will depend on your requirements.
You can classify entrys by use (text book, technical,
pleasure, etc); by type of cover; by format (book, magazine,
newspaper etc.); or any other or all of the above. You
can put multiple classifications on this line. For example a
entry might be TECH/MAG - technical magazine.
Date - You can use this line for the copyright date or the
date you found some specific information in this book. It
could also be used for the date of purchase.
Location - Enter a description of where this book is located,
for example, your office, home library, bedroom, city library
(you don't need to own the book to keep track of it here),
etc.
Note-1,2,3 - The next three lines provide space for your
notes. If needed, you can make an entry for each chapter of
a book and keep notes on each chapter here. These notes can
then be searched for specific information.
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(The Librarian page)
Publisher - The name of the publisher.
Address - The publisher's address.
Copyright - Copyright date.
Number of Pages - The number of pages in this book, article,
or chapter.
ISBN - ISBN number (if available).
Edition - The edition number.
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INFORMATION ABOUT FILES
Book Minder creates a separate file for each level. A number
is added to the end of the filename to indicate the level it
is associated with. If you are using BOOKS as your
filename, then the software will create BOOKS.DA2 for the
Research level and BOOKS.DA3 for the Librarian level.
The more levels used, the fewer entries can be stored in a
given space. The following chart provides a rough estimate
of the number of entries that can be put within a certain
space (360K is the space on a double sided, double density
floppy disk):
Indexed Indexed
360K 1 Megabyte 360K 1 Megabyte
Standard 1700 4900 700 2000
Research 650 1800 500 1200
Librarian 500 1400 350 1000
Book Minder also needs to use a data file called BOOKCAT.BMS.
This file should always remain on the same floppy, or in the
same directory as the BOOKSPGM.EXE file. This file is used
to store the settings used by BOOKSPGM.EXE.
In creating data files Book Minder uses the following method:
The Standard level data file has an extension of .DAT
The Research level data file has an extension of .DA2
The Librarian level data file has an extension of .DA3
The file holding the setting used for each filename has an
extension of MDR.
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If you are using the default filename of BOOKS, then at the
Librarian level the following files would be created.
BOOKS.DAT - Standard level data
BOOKS.DA2 - Research level data
BOOKS.DA3 - Librarian level data
BOOKS.MDR - Setting for the MUSIC1 files
Index files are named by padding the filename you are using
with X's until it is eight characters long and then changing
the last two characters to correspond to the line number.
The index file for the book TITLE line will be BOOKSX01.NDX
(assuming BOOKS is the filename you are using).
umber.
The index file for the book TITLE line will be BOOKSX01.NDX
(assuming BOOKS is the filename you are usin
FILE1178.TXT
Disk No: 1178
Disk Title: Book Minder
PC-SIG Version: S2.0
Program Title: Book Minder
Author Version: 2.00
Author Registration: $59.95
Special Requirements: Hard disk recommended.
BOOK MINDER is a book-cataloging system designed for both personal and
business use. It can be used with books, magazines, newspapers, or
almost any other published material. BOOK MINDER allows you to catalog
a library and then locate a book or article in a magazine, by any one of
up to 21 characteristics. Entries can be made for individual articles.
This allows you to list the individually unique information contained in
each article.
BOOK MINDER is completely menu-driven, easy to operate, and allows
three levels of information cataloging. The three levels are: standard,
research, and librarian. Each level provides a progressively greater
detail of information that can be stored for each entry.
BOOK MINDER can be used to run a database search business, providing
different levels of information to customers.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< PC-SIG Disk #1178 BOOK MINDER >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To print author's introduction, type: COPY READ.ME PRN (press Enter) ║
║ and COPY INTRO.DOC PRN (press Enter) ║
║ ║
║ To view author's description of BOOK MINDER, type: ║
║ TYPE APPNDX.DOC (press Enter) ║
║ ║
║ To print the documentation and instructions for BOOK MINDER, type: ║
║ PRINT (press Enter) ║
║ ║
║ To print the list of software offered by the author, type: ║
║ COPY OTHER.DOC PRN (press Enter) ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
(c) Copyright 1990, PC-SIG Inc.
INTRO.DOC
BOOK MINDER
BOOK, MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER CATALOGING SYSTEM
VERSION 1.4x
HomeCraft Computer Products
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
This disk contains version 2.00 of Book Minder dated
02-15-90. This disk contains the following files:
BOOKS.EXE - Introduction and copyright notice
BOOKSPGM.EXE - Main Menu and program
UTILITY.EXE - Catalog maintenance functions
*.DOC - Introduction and documentation
BOOKS.DA* - Data files (created by the software)
MENU.OVL - File required for program to run
READ.ME - How to get started
BRUN30.EXE - File required for program to run
PRINT.EXE - File to print the documentation
INTRO.DOC - This file
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
BOOK MINDER is a specialty computer data base system specifically
designed for collectors, reasearches, and other people who like
books or magazines. It makes cataloging a library easy; allows
you to find magazine articles that may have been virtually lost
previously; and provides a permanent, easy to update catalog of your
library.
An index card file works fine - you can locate books by title, and
with some extra effort you can cross indexing by author also. But
maintaining index cards is time consuming and tedious. I've never
enjoyed spending hours putting index cards in alphabetical order.
Using an IBM PC (or compatible) computer, and the _Book Minder_
software, you can catalog and find books by title, author,
subject, or any of 19 other traits. You can also easily find
books using complex multiple cross references. For example, you could
find all of the technical articles, written in 1982, about comets,
that were written by Carl Sagon and published in Omni Magazine.
_Book Minder_ is unique in that it actually provides three
software versions in one package. Each version builds on the previous
one, allowing you to catalog your library in a step by step manner.
_Book Minder_ has a capacity of 10,000,000 entries (minimum) per
data file. An unlimited number of data files may be used.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: _Book Minder_ will run on an IBM PC, XT,
AT, PS/2 or compatible with a minimum of 256K of memory. A hard disk is
highly recommended, but floppy disks may be used (up to 2000 entries can
be stored on a floppy). An 80 column printer is required for printed
reports.
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
****************************************************************
USER-SUPPORTED SOFTWARE
This software has been placed in circulation under the
user supported concept. Non-profit groups and individuals
are encouraged to make copies of this disk and distribute it
to their members and friends as long as the software is
provided at no cost. A distibution charge of up to $10 may
be charged to cover the cost of diskettes, handling and duplicating,
if prior written permission is obtained from the author.
Under the user-supported concept, you are given a
complete, working software free. If you find you are using
this software, a contribution of $59.95 is suggested. Your
registration will help keep us in business and allow us to make
furthrer improvements. (Please add $3 for shipping, $5 for shipping
to P.O. Boxes or Canada, $8 outside North America).
The contribution will make you a registered user. As a
registered user you are entitled to free updates, support, and a
current copy of the user's manual and software.
A registration form can be displayed and printed from a
prompt on the introductory screen. Or send $59.95 with your
name, address, computer type and the name of this software
to the address given below. (Please add $3 for shipping, $5
for shipments to P.O. Boxes or Canada, $8 outside No. America).
***********************************************************
***********************************************************
DISCLAIMER
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS," THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY AND
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED. NEITHER HOMECRAFT COMPUTER PRODUCTS
NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION,
PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH SOFTWARE EVEN
IF HOMECRAFT COMPUTER PRODUCTS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.
This disclaimer shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Oregon and shall inure to the benefit of Steven
C. Hudgik, his successors, administrators, heirs and assigns.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information on other HomeCraft
software products contact:
Steve Hudgik
HomeCraft Computer Products
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
HomeCraft is the leader in software for collectors. If
you have a collection that you'd like to catalog on a computer,
write to us and tell us about it. If we don't have software
available we may be able to develop it for your collection.
rite to us and tell us about it. If we don't have software
MANUAL.DOC
This manual is copyrighted in 1990 by
Steven C. Hudgik - All Rights Are Reserved
SHAREWARE
This software is provided as shareware. This means you
have the opportunity to try it before you buy it.
If you find this software useful, you are requested to
become a registered user. Registered users receive the most
recent version of the software, free updates for one year,
a printed manual, and free support.
This software is copyrighted and all rights remain with the
author. However, you are granted permission to make as many
copies as you wish, provided no fee is charged if you
provide a copy to someone else. You may freely distribute this
software, if you wish, on this basis. If you need to
charge a fee to cover distribution costs, please contact
HomeCraft to receive written permission.
To register as a user send $59.95 to the address below (VISA and
MASTER CARD are accepted), plus $3.00 for shipping and handling.
($5 for Canada and $8 for airmail outside North America).
HomeCraft
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
(503) 692-3732 - yes, we accept registrations on the phone, or feel
free to call with any questions you have.
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HOMECRAFT'S COLLECTORS SOFTWARE
USER'S MANUAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ........................... page 2
LEVELS OF OPERATION .................... page 3
THE MAIN MENU .......................... page 4
File Names 4
Level 5
MAKING ENTRIES ......................... page 6
SAVING THE ENTRY ....................... page 7
EDITING EXISTING ENTRIES ............... page 8
Moving Through The Catalog 9
SEARCHES AND PRINTED REPORTS ........... page 10
List All 11
Searches 12
Editing After A Search 13
UTILITIES .............................. page 14
Copy Files 15
Rebuilding Indexes 16
APPENDIX (Specific Information About
The Software You Have) .............. page 19
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USER'S MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for trying one of HomeCraft's specialty databases.
This software has been designed for storing; then organizing,
searching, sorting and retrieving the specific information
you need.
Since all of our specialty databses work in the same manner
this manual applies to them all. Specific information about
each program is provided at the end of this manual.
To run this software you will need an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2
or compatible with a minimum of 256K of memory and two floppy
disks. We recommend that a hard disk be used if you have more
than 1000 items in your collection. This software can handle
10,000,000 entries per file - and you can have multiple files.
The result is that you can build some very large date files
using several megabytes. A minimum of a 20 megabyte hard
disk is recommended.
No other software is required (except the DOS operating system).
However, we do recommend you purchase a back up utility for your
hard disk. Your data files SHOULD BE BACKED UP any time you've
made significant changes. A good rule of thumb is to back up
you data any time you've made more entries/changes than you'd
want to type over again.
This software is completely menu driven and easy to operate.
Since the computer does all the hard work for you, this manual
is short. We'll describe how to enter information; what to do to
edit existing entries; and how to find the entry(s) you need.
+
THE THREE LEVELS OF OPERATION
This software has three levels. The three level feature allows
you to determine the amount of information you want to save for
each entry. If you have valuable information, or need complete
descriptions for professional use, you can catalog your collection
at a level of very fine detail. On the other hand, if you just
need a quick way to find specific entries (or types of entries),
you can use the first, less detailed level. Since you can set up
as many separate data files as you wish, you can divide your
collection and categorize each part in as much or little detail
as you want.
Information about the specific fields and levels in the
version of the software you have is provided at the end of
this manual.
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THE MAIN MENU
The Main Menu will always be the first thing you see when you
boot up the software. If you have a monochrome monitor, and
just see dark blocks on your screen, then push F1. F1 toggles
the setting for color on and off. Dark blocks on a monochrome
monitor indicate the software is set for color and your computer
does not have color emulation.
You can make a selection from the Main Menu in one of two ways;
you can push the number associated with the function you want to
use, or you can use the up/down cursor keys to move the scroll
bar to the selection you want and then push ENTER.
The first three items on the Main Menu are used to manipulate
the information in your catalog. You can enter new entries,
edit information already in the catalog, or search the catalog.
Items 4 through 6 are features that determine how the software
will run. We will take a quick look at these set-up functions
first.
File Name
The filename is the name used for storing your catalog on the
disk. You can have as many separate catalogs as you wish, using
a different filename for each. Up to 10,000,000 entries can be
made in each catalog.
When you push #4 the current filename will be listed and you'll
be prompted to enter a new filename. You may use up to eight
letters for a filename.
If you push ENTER without entering a filename, the software will
use a preset filename.
+
You may also designate the disk drive you want the catalog
stored on. To designate a drive other than the drive you are
currently using, type the letter for that drive and then a colon
before typing the filename. For example, to use the filename
TEST on the "B" disk drive you would enter:
B:TEST
The software will automatically add .DAT to the end of all
filenames. If you should put a period in the filename or add a
filename extension such as .DAT the filename will not be
accepted.
Utilities
This leads you to another menu that provides several utility
functions. Using these utilities you can copy entrys from one
file to another, rebuild a damaged index, erase deleted entries,
reserve space on your disk for future entries and set the access
code. All of these utilities are described in detail in the
Utilities section of this manual.
Level
As we've already described you may use any of three levels of
data storage. Push #6 to select the level you want to use. A
menu will appear and you can then push the function key (F key)
associated with the level you want to use.
You can change levels at any time and make entries with a
variety of level settings. However, the software will set the
file sizes for the highest level used in that file. Thus, you
do not save disk space by making entries at the the lowest
level, if there is even one entry at any higher level for the
same file.
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MAKING ENTRIES
Entering information into the catalog is very simple. Select #1
on the Main Menu and an information entry screen will appear.
The length of the bar next to each item shows the amount of
space available for each item. The cursor will not go past the
ends of the bar.
The cursor can be moved around on the screen by using the
up/down and right/left arrow keys.
If you are using a higher level, then the PgDn and PgUp keys are
used to move from one page to another. There are three possible
pages, as each level has its own page. When you move to the
second page the first two lines from the first page will remain
on the screen. On the third page the top three lines from the
first page will be at the top of the screen. This information
is provided to allow you to see which entry you are working on.
It can only be entered and edited, however, from the first
screen.
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SAVING THE ENTRY
Once you've entered all the necessary information push the F5
key to save this entry. F5 can be pushed while any of the three
screens are displayed.
There is also a feature that will save you some time if you are
entering entrys that have basically the same information. For
example, if you have a series of entries that are very similar,
all you need to do is enter the information for the first entry.
Once that entry is saved, push F3. This will copy the
information from the previous entry.
Please note, however, that this copy feature only copies the two
screens.
When you are finished making entries, push F10 to return to the
Main Menu (after pushing F5 to save the last entry you made).
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EDITING EXISTING ENTRIES
Selection two on the Main Menu allows you to change any part of
any existing entry.
You will first be asked for the number of the entry you want to
edit.
As you make entries the software automatically numbers them
sequentially. The first entry you make is number 1; the 100th
is number 100. This number is displayed in the upper right of
the screen when you are making entries. It is also printed on
all reports.
If you don't know the number for the entry you need to change,
use the search function to find the entry. When the entry is
found you will automatically be in the edit mode (more on that
shortly).
Once you have entered the number for the entry you want to
change it will be displayed on the screen. You can then make
changes in the same way you originally entered information. So
that you can see what you've changed the original entry is
highlighted. The highlighting will not be shown at any spot
where a change has been made.
When you have made all the needed changes, push F5 to save the
edited entry.
Pushing F10, before you push F5, will return you to the Main
Menu without saving any of the changes.
Deleting An Entry
The editor is also used to delete an entry from the catalog.
With the entry you wish to delete on the screen, push the F4
key. This will not erase the entry - all the information will
still be there. The entry will be marked as deleted, however,
and will be skipped in any search of the catalog. You can
"undelete" an entry by pushing F5 to re-save the entry.
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If you wish to completely eliminate an entry from the catalog,
you can use the editor to type in a new entry in the same spot
as the deleted entry. There is also a library utility that will
erase all deleted entries from the catalog (more on that
shortly).
Moving Through The Catalog
There is one other convenient feature in the editor. You can
browse through the entries in your catalog, moving either
forward or backward, by pushing the F1 and F2 keys. F1 will
move the display back by one entry. F2 will show the next
entry.
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SEARCHES AND PRINTED REPORTS
The most useful function is the Search / Printed Report
function. This is the function you use to sort and find
specific entrys or types of entrys.
Select #3 on the Main Menu and you'll see a screen that looks
like the information entry screen. The information you want to
search for is entered on this screen (or the series of three
screens at the third level).
First, however, lets look at the functions listed at the bottom
of the screen. A menu with abbreviated prompts appears there.
To get a more detailed explanation of each prompt push the F1
key for HELP.
F2 - TOGGLE OUTPUT - Pushing F2 will change how the report
is printed. The default setting is the monitor. At this
setting each entry will be listed on the monitor, one at a time.
Push F2 to change the setting to CONTINUOUS. Now the report
will be printed on continuous paper on your printer (BE SURE
YOUR PRINTER IS ON!). The perforations will be skipped based on
66 lines per page.
Push F2 again to change the setting to SINGLE. This setting
also sends the report to your printer, however, the search will
pause once every 66 lines to allow you to put another sheet of
paper in the printer. This setting is generally used for daisy
wheel printers.
One nice feature is that no other printer set up is required.
The software will automatically work with almost any type of
printer. (Laser printers may require special settings of their
dip switches as they may not use 66 lines per page).
+
When you're using either the CONTINUOUS or SINGLE setting each
entry that matches the search criteria will be displayed on the
screen. If there are a lot of entries that come close together
in your catalog, these may only be on the screen for a short
time.
Push F2 one more time to change the setting to DISK. The report
will now be stored as an ASCII file on your disk. Before the
search starts you will be given the chance to enter the drive
and filename you want to use for the report. If no name is
entered, then a preset filename will be used. Do not enter a
filename extension - the extension ".DOC" will be added to all
filenames.
List All - If you want to get a complete listing of the
contents of your catalog, or list a block of entries (for
example the entries you made today so you can check them for
correctness), then press either F3 or F4.
Pressing F3 will result in the entries being listed in the order
they were entered. After pressing F3 you will be asked for the
entry number to start the listing at and the entry number to end
it with. If you chose an ending entry number that is higher
than the total entries in the catalog, or is lower than the
starting number, it will not be accepted.
The F3 function is most useful in checking entrys you've just
entered. Select a range of entry numbers that includes your
most recent entries. The resulting printed report is an easy
way to check for typos in these new entries.
F4 is used to get a listing of all of the entries in your
catalog in alphabetical order. You must be using the indexing
feature (Index On) for this function to work. When F4 is
pressed a small menu will appear in the lower right corner of
the screen. The indexing is based on the top three items on the
first screen. Select the index you wish to use by pushing
the appropriate F key.
+
Searches
To perform a search first set the F2 toggle for the type of
report you want to get. Then enter the information you want to
search for. You can use the cursor and PgUp/PgDn keys to move
through the screens just as you did when making entries. You
can enter information on any one line or all of the lines.
There are three different ways you can search your catalog.
F6 - Normal Search: When you push F6 an index search will be
conducted, if you've entered something to search for on the top
three lines of the first screen. The top three lines contain
the information most frequently searched for. Since the indexes
can use a significant amount of space only these three are
indexed. The Super Utilities (an add-on utility available
to registered users) provides indexing and sorting for all fields.
Indexing provides a way to locate specific information very
fast. Even with tens of thousands of entries the index will be
able to locate any entry within a second or two. In addition,
with indexing you can get an alphabetical listing of your
inventory.
The other type of search is a sequential search. This means
that every entry in the catalog is looked at to see if it is a
match. A sequential search starts with the first entry you made
and step through all subsequent entries until a match is found.
Sequential searches are started by pushing F7 or F8.
In a sequential search any entry that contains the information
you entered will be identified as a match. For example, in this
case if you enter "Roses," Red Roses will be identified as a
match. Entering just "os" will result in a match with Red
R"os"es.
This leads us to another important point. The both index and
sequential searches will only find exact matches in one
respect. If you search for "Rose", the word "ROSE" will not be
found as a match. The capitalization must match the way the
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word was originally typed into the catalog. For that reason I
always capitalize the first letter of every word. Another
option would be to always capitalize the entire word.
Getting back to function keys F6, F7 and F8. As we've
discussed, pushing F6 will result in a search that uses the
indexes. F7 and F8 provide two different ways to start a
sequential search.
Push F8 to start a normal sequential search. Your catalog will
be searched starting with the first entry and
continuing through the most recent entry you made.
F7 provides a special way to search your catalog. If, for
example, you are looking for entries that have the word
"Christmas" in them, both the indexed and sequential searches
will find entries in the same order every time a search is done.
Pushing F7 starts the search at a random location in the
catalog, resulting in different entries being found first.
If you are conducting a sequential search, it may take some time
to complete if you have a large catalog. To pause the search
you can push F9. To stop the search and return to the menu push
F10.
Editing After A Search
When a search finds a matching entry in your catalog, that entry
will displayed on the screen. You can then edit that entry
just as you would using the "Edit An Entry" function. Type the
changes you need to make, then push F5 to save those changes.
NOTE: The indexes are the most fragile parts of the data files.
If at any time you feel the indexes are not working properly, go
to the Utilities menu and build new indexes. The problems
should then clear up.
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UTILITIES
There are eight functions available on the Catalog Utilities
screen. Some of these are also available as a part of the Main
Menu and are provided as a convenience here. These functions
are:
Copy Files - Used to copy all of the entries from one file to
another file. This utility is intended for users upgrading from
floppy disks to a hard disk. It will transfer entries from
floppy disks to a hard disk, combining the files from several
floppies into a single file on the hard disk.
Rebuild The Indexes - The indexes are the most fragile part of a
data base. This function allows you to replace your indexes should
the index files be damaged.
Condense Data - When a entry is deleted from the catalog all
of the information remains in the file and it can be recovered.
If, however, you would like to completely erase all of your
deleted entries (i.e. to reduce clutter), this function will
permanently remove them from the file.
File Name - Used to change the current filename being used for
cataloging. (This function is also provided on the Main Menu).
Reserve Space - This function will set aside space on your
disk for future entries in the catalog.
Level - Allows you to change the level in use. (This function
is also provided on the Main Menu).
Security Code - Allows you to limit access to your catalog.
(Not available in the shareware version).
Customize - Allows you to change the titles on three of the
lines, one on each level.
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Now let's look at each of these in more detail.
COPY FILES
This function will take all of the entries in any data file and
add them to the end of any other data file.
Select #1 on the Utilities Menu and we'll see how this works.
A series of prompts will lead you through the copy process.
First you will be asked for the letter of the disk drive from
which you'll be copying entries. Push the letter that corresponds
to the drive you want to select. When you push a letter (only
A-F may be selected) the selected drive designation will appear
at the bottom of the screen.
Next push the letter for the drive that contains the file you
want to copy to. This can be the same drive as you will be
copying from.
The file you are copying to does not need to exist yet. A new
file will be created, if required.
The names of the data files on the disk you are copying from
will now be displayed. You must enter the name of one of these
files. If you enter the name of a file that does not exist, or
is not a existing data file, the copy process will be stopped.
When you enter the filename, DO NOT enter the .DAT filename
extension.
When you push ENTER the filename will be displayed at the bottom
of the screen and the list of data files on the disk you are
copying to will be displayed. Enter up to eight letters as the
filename to copy to. This filename does not need to be in the
list of data files. If you select a file used by another
program, that file will be erased and replaced by your catalog
data. That's why the filenames are displayed, so can see what
is already on the disk.
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The next screen shows the names of the files you are copying to
and from. In addition, the number of entries already in each
file will be shown. All of the entries in the top file will be
copied to the second file listed. They will be added to the end
of the second file.
The level setting for each file will be shown. You may
continue the copy process when the levels do not match, but only
data for matching levels will be copied. For example, if one
file is set at the second level and the other is set for the
third level, only the data for the first two levels will be
copied. You can exit at this point and reset the level for
either file, if you want them to match.
The indexes are not updated in the copy process. If you are
using the indexes, you will be given the opportunity re-index.
REBUILD THE INDEXES
The function will erase the existing index files and rebuild them
from scratch. Everything is automatic once you start the process.
Since each file must looked at individually rebuilding the indexes
for a large catalog could take some time.
CONDENSE DATA
What do you do if you're running out of space on a floppy disk?
One option, if you've deleted quite a few entries, is to remove
those deleted entries from your catalog file. Option 3 on
the Library Utilities menu will do that for you.
When you select #3 you'll be asked to confirm that the correct
data file is being used. Push the letter "Y" if it is the
correct file. All of the entries in that file will be checked
and if an entry is marked as deleted, it will be removed from
the catalog. The catalog will be reduced in size by the number
of entries that were deleted. (Note: The file size reported by
DOS will not change).
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FILE NAME Option 4 on the Library Utilities menu works in the
same way as the change filename function on the Main Menu.
RESERVE SPACE This function is used to save space on your
disk for future entries in your catalog. You will be asked for
the number of additional entries you plan on making. Disk space
will be reserved for these additional entries. (See appendix A
for the maximum number entries on a floppy disk).
Reserving space does two important things for you: It sets
aside space on your disk so that if your disk should become full
due to other activities, you will still have "reserved" space in
which to make entries in your catalog. This is particularly
important when using floppy disks. Reserving space also helps
to keep your data files in adjacent sectors on the disk (more
important for hard disk users). As files become fragmented, and
spread among more widely separated sectors, the access time for
getting data from those files becomes greater. In addition,
highly fragmented files are more likely to be damaged over time
than files composed of adjacent sectors.
This software can not put fragmented files back together. To do
that you will need software such as the Mace Utilities, PC-
Tools, or the Norton Utilities. If you have any of these, and
plan on creating large files (1000 or more entries), I'd suggest
unfragment your hard disk first, then reserve the space for your
catalog files.
LEVEL You can change the level you are using in the same way
as at the Main Menu.
SET SECURITY CODE This function is not available in the
shareware version in order to protect the security of
registered users.
+
INDEX ON/OFF
This function turns the indexes on or off. I recommend that
if you are using floppy disks, that you turn the indexes off
to save disk space. Hard disk users should have the indexing
on to increase the speed of some searches.
+
off
to save disk space. Hard disk users
OTHER.DOC
OTHER SOFTWARE PUBLISHED BY HOMECRAFT:
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THE COLLECTORS SERIES
All of the software in the collector's series has been specifically
designed for a certain type of collection. Each allows you to catalog
your collection using 21 different characteristics and you can perform
searches based on any combination of the information you've entered.
This series is unique in that each of the programs has three levels
of operation providing screens for beginning collectors through professionals.
Thus you only need to catalog the information that is important to you.
The following software is a part of the collectors series:
FOR RECORD COLLECTORS (LPs, 45s, CDs, cassettes, etc.)
FOR RECORD COLLECTORS - Classical Music Version
FOR RECORD COLLECTORS - Jazz Version
BOOK MINDER (Books and magazine articles)
THE PROFESSIONAL BOOK MINDER (longer fields for longer titles,
subjects, author(s), keywords, etc.)
FOR COMIC BOOK COLLECTORS (comic books)
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS (Slides, negatives and prints)
THE FILM & VIDEO TAPES (movies, TV shows & home videos)
FOR SPORTS CARDS (baseball cards, football, etc.)
THE INFORMATION INDEX (Misc. information such as
recipes, dieting instructions, jokes, trivia,
exercise instructions, etc.).
FOR COIN COLLECTORS
FOR ANTIQUE DOCUMENTS
FOR MEMORABILIA COLLECTORS
FOR SPACESHIPS
FOR STAMP COLLECTORS
FOR SHIP MODEL COLLECTORS
FOR GUN COLLECTORS
FOR MODEL TRAIN COLLECTORS (coming September 1990)
Plus there's more collector's software on the way!
THE SUPER UTILITIES FOR COLLECTORS
To add more flexibility to the software in our collector's series we have
developed the Super Utilities for collectors. These add-on utilities
provide the following functions:
<> User defined report formats. You can set up your reports to
look like you want them. Supports wide carriage printers.
<> Any/all lines can be indexed and alphabetized.
<> Multiple level sorts can be done. Thus, for example, in Book
Minder you can get a listing of books in alphabetical order by
author with each author's books listed in alphabetical order by
title.
<> The ability to create "child" databases using the results of a search/
sort to create the new database.
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HOME FINANCIAL SOFTWARE
Home Loan (The Financial Calculator) - Home Loan not only calculates the
$35.00 monthly payment for nearly any type loan, it
provides tables showing the effects of various loan
options at a glance. Calculation of amortization
tables, the value of an annuity, present value, and
future value are also provided. In addition, Home
Loan has special sections to help plan for your
retirement, calculate the value of your IRA, plan
for your children's college expenses and to do
equity calculations for your home.
Home Insurance (Home Inventory and Insurance Planning) - provides a way for
$59.95 you to keep track of what you own, where it is
located, what it cost, and any identifying marks.
Home Insurance uses the same user interface as the
collectors series and thus each item in your
inventory can be cataloged using any of 22
characteristics (serial #, model #, color, etc.)
Home Insurance also provides several other features
to help with your insurance planning. A life
insurance estimator will take your current financial
status and your future plans, and calculate the
amount of life insurance you need. An insurance
records file provides a convient place to store
vital information about your insurance policies.
Home Money Manager IIa - home budgeting and checkbook software. Includes
$29.00 check printing, tracking of tax deductible
transactions, unlimited split transactions, over
800 expense catagories, credit card tracking, and
many more advanced features.
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EDUCATIONAL
Play 'n' Learn - combines 7 education games (plus an additional 12 variations)
$10.00 for very young children - ages 18 months to 4 years. These
games include:
Amanda's Letter Lotto > learn the alphabet
Zach-A-Doodle > Etch-A-Sketch type game
Color Screen > a very simple game that changes screen colors
Color Match > learn colors and the alphabet
Word Whirl > learn about words and names
Next Number > learn numbers 1-9
Black Board Shapes > learn to match shapes
The Play 'n' Learn games are also designed to help your
learn about using computers. They teach skills ranging
from just getting a response from pushing any key, to
multiple key combinations and making menu selections.
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For more information on any of the above write to:
HomeCraft
P.O. Box 974
Tualatin, OR 97062
(503) 692-3732
If you missed any of the information, push PAUSE to pause the
screen and any other key to restart it. If you do not have a PAUSE key,
try pushing CTRL NUM LOCK to pause the display.
other key to restart it. If you do not have a PAUSE key,
try pushing CTRL NUM LOCK to pause the display.
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1178
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
BOOKS EXE 10625 2-15-90 7:41p
BOOKSPGM EXE 101924 8-21-90 3:40p
UTILITY EXE 53604 7-15-90 11:38p
BOOKCAT BMS 44 2-15-90 8:02p
READ ME 2944 5-15-90 7:59p
OTHER DOC 6144 5-15-90 8:43p
MENU OVL 150 1-01-86 12:15a
INTRO DOC 5888 2-16-90 10:13a
APPNDX DOC 8448 2-15-90 8:01p
PRINT EXE 4624 6-23-90 10:43a
CONFIG SYS 128 3-26-88 2:00p
BRUN30 EXE 70680 4-07-87 10:48a
MANUAL DOC 27904 5-15-90 8:38p
BOOKS MDR 210 4-14-90 2:01p
FILE1178 TXT 2221 10-08-90 10:02a
GO BAT 38 1-18-88 1:38p
GO TXT 1189 1-01-80 8:55a
17 file(s) 296765 bytes
14336 bytes free