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Information about “MASS APPEAL”
MASS APPEAL doesn't just address envelopes and print mailing labels, it
creates mail merge files for all the major word processors, dials the
phone, allows you to disable fields you don't need, and utilizes macros
to speed data entry, and reduce errors. Many powerful features found
only in high-end multiuse databases have been fully integrated into MASS
APPEAL such as field default values, copy fields from the previous
entry, and advanced sort capabilities.
MASS APPEAL is a fully menu-driven program, requiring little or no
knowledge of database management programs. All the "grunt" work has
been done for you, allowing you to concentrate on maintaining your
mailing list. Don't worry about how to generate a report -- reports
are plentiful.
A companion program Zipp Appeal, PC-SIG disk #1921, allows you to enter
the name of the city and state by simply typing the zip code. Or you
type the city and the zip code is found.
MA.DOC
Mass Appeal Mailing List Manager - Version 3.2
Copyright 1989, Mass Appeal Software
Mass Appeal Software
P.O. Box 772
Alabaster, AL 35007
(205) 663-1270
THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE APPLIED WAR-
RANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU.
SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU, (NOT MASS APPEAL SOFTWARE OR A
DISTRIBUTOR) ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR COR-
RECTION. IN NO EVENT WILL MASS APPEAL SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY
DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CON-
SEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRO-
GRAM.
Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ................................................... 1
1.1 Mass Appeal ............................................... 1
1.2 Requirements .............................................. 1
1.3 Zipp Appeal ............................................... 1
2 Installation ................................................... 1
2.1 Floppy Disk Drive ......................................... 1
2.2 Hard Disk Drive ........................................... 2
3 Execution ...................................................... 3
3.1 Floppy Disk Drive ......................................... 3
3.2 Hard Disk Drive ........................................... 3
4 Main Menu ...................................................... 3
5 Add Records .................................................... 3
5.1 More ...................................................... 4
5.2 Re-Edit ................................................... 4
5.3 Help ...................................................... 4
5.3.1 Next-Page ............................................ 4
5.3.2 Return ............................................... 5
5.4 Previous .................................................. 5
5.5 Return .................................................... 5
5.6 * ......................................................... 5
5.7 Speeding Data Entry ....................................... 5
5.7.1 Add Routine Defaults ................................. 5
5.7.2 Function Keys ........................................ 5
5.7.3 Turn Fields On/Off For Input ......................... 6
5.7.4 Zipp Appeal .......................................... 6
6 Edit/View Entries .............................................. 6
6.1 Del ....................................................... 6
6.2 Edit ...................................................... 7
6.3 Find ...................................................... 7
6.3.1 No Match Could Be Found .............................. 7
6.4 Goto ...................................................... 7
6.4.1 Top .................................................. 7
6.4.2 Bottom ............................................... 7
6.4.3 Record# .............................................. 7
6.4.4 Return ............................................... 7
6.5 Prev ...................................................... 8
6.6 Next ...................................................... 8
6.7 Help ...................................................... 8
6.7.1 Next-Page ............................................ 8
6.7.2 Return ............................................... 8
6.8 Specify ................................................... 8
6.9 Order ..................................................... 9
6.10 Count .................................................... 9
6.11 eXit ..................................................... 9
6.11.1 Function Keys ....................................... 9
7 Pack The Data File ............................................. 9
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
8 Generate Some Output ...........................................10
8.1 Generate A Report .........................................10
8.1.1 Screen ...............................................10
8.1.2 Printer ..............................................10
8.1.3 Quit .................................................11
8.2 Generate Envelopes ........................................11
8.2.1 Print ................................................11
8.2.2 Skip .................................................11
8.2.3 Quit .................................................11
8.3 Generate Rotary Cards .....................................12
8.3.1 Screen ...............................................12
8.3.2 Printer ..............................................12
8.3.3 Quit .................................................12
8.4 Generate Mailing Labels ...................................13
8.4.1 Screen ...............................................13
8.4.2 Printer ..............................................13
8.4.3 Quit .................................................14
8.5 Generate A Mail Merge File ................................14
8.6 Exit Output Options, Return To Main Menu... ...............14
9 Import Existing Data ...........................................15
10 Change Active Data File .......................................15
10.1 Select-A-File ............................................15
10.2 Add-A-File ...............................................15
10.3 Delete-A-File ............................................15
10.4 Return ...................................................16
11 Access The Maintenance Routines ...............................16
11.1 Label Options ............................................16
11.1.1 Define Or Select A Label ............................16
11.1.1.1 Select-A-Label .................................16
11.1.1.2 Add-A-Label ....................................16
11.1.1.3 Delete-A-Label .................................17
11.1.1.4 Edit-A-Label ...................................17
11.1.1.5 Return .........................................17
11.1.2 Pause After Certain # Labels ........................17
11.1.3 Define A Printer String For Labels ..................17
11.1.4 Print Multiple Copy End Of Set Markers? .............17
11.1.5 Print Bulk Information For Mailing Labels? ..........18
11.1.6 Last Name Or Company Name First On Labels? ..........18
11.1.7 How Many Copies Of Each Label Should Be Printed? ....18
11.1.8 Exit Label Maintenance, Return To The Main Menu... ..18
11.2 Report Options ...........................................18
11.2.1 Change Report Format ................................18
11.2.1.1 Next-Screen ....................................19
11.2.1.2 Previous-Screen ................................19
11.2.1.3 Select-Format ..................................19
11.2.1.4 Return .........................................19
11.2.2 Define A Printer String For Reports .................19
11.2.3 Define A Printer Compression String For Reports .....19
11.2.4 Set Spacing On Printed Output, Single, Double, Etc. .20
11.2.5 Exit This Report Maintenance, Return To Main Menu... 20
11.3 Function Key Setup .......................................20
11.3.1 Define Function Keys ................................20
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.3.2 Define Alt + Function Keys ..........................20
11.3.3 Define Ctrl + Function Keys .........................20
11.3.4 Define Shift + Function Keys ........................20
11.3.5 Reset Function Keys To Original Values ..............21
11.3.6 Exit Function Key Maintenance, Return To Main Menu ..21
11.4 Add Routine Defaults .....................................21
11.4.1 Set Up Default City .................................21
11.4.2 Set Up Default State ................................21
11.4.3 Set Up Default Zip Code .............................21
11.4.4 Set Up Default Category .............................21
11.4.5 Set Up Default Salutation ...........................21
11.4.6 Set Up Default Home Phone ...........................22
11.4.7 Set Up Default Work Phone ...........................22
11.4.8 Set Up Default Comment Field ........................22
11.4.9 Reset All Default Values To Blank Values ............22
11.4.10 Exit Default Maintenance, Return To Main Menu... ...22
11.5 Miscellaneous Options ....................................22
11.5.1 Change Monitor Type .................................22
11.5.2 Change Output Order .................................23
11.5.3 Group Deletion Of Records ...........................23
11.5.4 Group Recovery Of Records ...........................23
11.5.5 Reset All Data File Pointers ........................23
11.5.6 Report Of Previously Saved Criteria .................23
11.5.6.1 Screen .........................................24
11.5.6.2 Printer ........................................24
11.5.6.3 Quit ...........................................24
11.5.7 Define A Setup String For Envelopes .................24
11.5.8 Carriage Return Required For Field Advancement ......24
11.5.9 Turn On/Off Checking For Correct State Abbreviations 24
11.5.10 Set Up/Define Category Codes .......................24
11.5.11 Data Entry Name Order ..............................25
11.5.12 Turn On/Off Fields For Input .......................25
11.5.13 Color Option Background Setting ....................25
11.5.14 Set Mail Merge File Output Type ....................25
11.5.14.1 ASCII .........................................26
11.5.14.2 WordStar ......................................26
11.5.14.3 WordPerfect ...................................26
11.5.14.4 MicroSoft Word ................................26
11.5.14.5 Comma Delimited ...............................26
11.5.14.6 Fixed Length ASCII ............................26
11.5.15 Set Amount Of Info. In Mail Mrg ....................26
11.5.16 Set Up Communication Parameters ....................27
11.5.16.1 Communications Port ...........................27
11.5.16.2 Dial 9 First? .................................27
11.5.16.3 Local Area Codes ..............................27
11.5.17 Return To The Main Menu, Please ....................27
11.6 Index File Adjustment System .............................27
11.6.1 Zip Code ............................................28
11.6.1.1 Option 1 .......................................28
11.6.1.2 Option 2 .......................................29
11.6.1.3 Option 3 .......................................29
11.6.1.4 Option 4 .......................................29
11.6.2 Last Name ...........................................29
11.6.2.1 Option 1 .......................................29
11.6.2.2 Option 2 .......................................30
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.6.2.3 Option 3 .......................................30
11.6.2.4 Option 4 .......................................30
11.6.2.5 Option 5 .......................................30
11.6.3 Company Name ........................................31
11.6.3.1 Option 1 .......................................31
11.6.3.2 Option 2 .......................................31
11.6.3.3 Option 3 .......................................31
11.6.3.4 Option 4 .......................................31
11.6.3.5 Option 5 .......................................32
11.6.3.6 Option 6 .......................................32
11.6.4 Exit, Return To Main Menu ...........................32
11.7 Merge Two Existing Data Files ............................32
11.8 Check For Duplicates In The Active Data File .............33
11.9 Exit The Maintenance Menu, Return To Main Menu ...........33
12 Exit This Program, Return To DOS... ...........................33
13 ShareWare .....................................................33
14 Appendix A - Defining Selection Criteria ......................34
14.1 More-Criteria ............................................34
14.1.1 City ................................................34
14.1.2 State ...............................................34
14.1.3 Last Name ...........................................35
14.1.4 Salutation ..........................................35
14.1.5 Zip Code Range ......................................35
14.1.6 Category Field ......................................35
14.1.7 Date Field Range ....................................35
14.1.8 Home Phone Area Code ................................36
14.1.9 Work Phone Area Code ................................36
14.1.10 Company Name Keyword ...............................36
14.1.11 Comment Field Keyword ..............................36
14.1.12 Assigned Record Number .............................36
14.2 Save-Criteria ............................................37
14.3 Retrieve-Criteria ........................................37
14.4 Parenthesis ..............................................37
14.5 Done .....................................................37
15 Appendix B - Cursor Movement ..................................38
16 Appendix C - Printer Setup Strings ............................38
17 Appendix D - Technical Information ............................39
17.1 .DBF File Structure ......................................39
17.2 Custom Index File Expression .............................39
18 Zipp Appeal ...................................................40
18.1 Installation .............................................41
18.2 Mass Appeal And Zipp Appeal Interaction ..................41
18.3 Operation ................................................41
18.3.1 Insert City And State ...............................42
18.3.1.1 Zipp Appeal - 95,000 Version ...................42
18.3.1.2 Zipp Appeal - 40,000 Version ...................42
18.3.2 Browse Through Cities, States And Zip Codes .........42
18.3.2.1 Next-Screen ....................................43
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
18.3.2.2 Previous-Screen ................................43
18.3.2.3 Select-A-City ..................................43
18.3.2.4 Find-A-City ....................................43
19 Registration Form .............................................44
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
1 Introduction
1.1 Mass Appeal
Mass Appeal is an all purpose mailing list manager for IBM PC's and compat-
ibles. With Mass Appeal you can: generate reports, address envelopes,
print mailing labels, create rotary cards, and generate mail merge files
(For use with most word processors, including most commercially available
word processors, to create form letters).
Mass Appeal is a fully menu driven program, requiring little or no knowl-
edge of data base management programs. All the "grunt" work has been done
for you, allowing you to concentrate on maintaining your mailing list; not
having to worry about how to generate a report!
Mass Appeal was written in dBASE III Plus, and then compiled using Clipper.
This accounts for it's large size. But, at the same time, that's why the
program runs so quickly. To give the companies their dues: dBASE III Plus
is a trademark of Ashton-Tate, Clipper is a trademark of Nantucket Corpora-
tion.
1.2 Requirements
Mass Appeal requires at least 512K of RAM, and works best off a hard disk,
although a dual drive floppy machine can operate the program.
You can put about 1100 or 1200 records on a 360K floppy. A hard disk is
highly recommended; the program runs much more quickly, is able to perform
searches more efficiently, and is much quicker at printing your reports,
labels, rotary cards, etc.
1.3 Zipp Appeal
Zipp Appeal is a companion product to Mass Appeal, and requires a hard
disk. Essentially, Zipp Appeal is a large data file that is utilized by
Mass Appeal in the Add routine. You enter the zip code, and Mass Appeal,
looking up the zip code in the Zipp Appeal data file, automatically inserts
the city and state.
Or, with Zipp Appeal installed, you can enter the name, or partial name of
a city, and browse through a list of possible zip codes and states for the
entry. You are allowed to page forwards, backwards, and even find another
city if you like.
2 Installation
Mass Appeal comes with batch files that automatically install the program for
you, whether you plan to use Mass Appeal from a hard disk, or on a floppy
based machine.
2.1 Floppy Disk Drive
You will need three formatted diskettes, and the DOS disk you use to boot
your machine. Label one formatted disk Program Disk, label another Data
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Diskette, and label the final disk Documentation Diskette. Insert your
"original" Mass Appeal disk in drive A:, and enter the following from the
A> prompt of DOS:
FLOPPY
If this is not what you want to do (After you have read the instructions
displayed on the screen), hold down the key labeled Ctrl, and at the same
time, press the letter C. You will then be asked "Terminate batch job?"
Enter a Y and press return. You will be returned to the normal DOS prompt,
probably A>.
If you decide to continue installation of Mass Appeal for a floppy based
system, you will be instructed to insert your diskette labeled Program
Diskette in drive B:, and press return. Insert your Program Disk in drive
B:, and press return to continue installation of Mass Appeal. After a few
seconds, you will be asked to remove your Program Diskette from drive B:.
Remove the Program Disk from drive B:, and replace it with your Data
Diskette. Press any key to continue with the installation of Mass Appeal.
After a few seconds, you will be asked to remove your Data Diskette from
drive B:.
Remove the Data Disk from drive B:, and replace it with your Documentation
Diskette. Press any key to continue with the installation of Mass Appeal.
After a few seconds, you will be asked to remove your Documentation
Diskette from drive B:.
Finally, you will be asked to insert your DOS disk in drive B:. Remove your
Documentation Disk from drive B:, and insert your DOS disk. Press any key
to complete the installation of Mass Appeal.
The installation process will add two lines to your CONFIG.SYS file (If it
exists). The lines that are added are:
FILES=20
BUFFERS=20
These are required for Mass Appeal to operate correctly. If this conflicts
with any existing software, please give Mass Appeal Software a call.
Once the installation process has finished, a message stating the installa-
tion of Mass Appeal was successful will be displayed. See the next section
on how to begin actual use of Mass Appeal.
2.2 Hard Disk Drive
Change your default drive to A:, and enter HARDDISK from the A> prompt of
DOS. The program will automatically install on drive C: of your computer.
If you wish to install Mass Appeal on a drive other than C, look through
the batch file and see what steps are taken to install Mass Appeal. Then,
perform these exact operations on the new drive.
The installation process will add two lines to your CONFIG.SYS file (If it
exists). The lines that are added are:
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
FILES=20
BUFFERS=20
These are required for Mass Appeal to operate correctly. If this conflicts
with any existing software, please give Mass Appeal Software a call.
The program automatically copies all files into a subdirectory it creates,
called MA. In your root directory, a batch file called MA.BAT is copied so
you can execute Mass Appeal from the root directory.
3 Execution
3.1 Floppy Disk Drive
Insert your Program Disk in drive A:, and enter MA. After several seconds,
you will see the initial Logo screen of Mass Appeal (Nice, huh?). After
the initial welcome message "walks" across the screen, you will be asked to
remove your program disk and insert your data diskette.
Remove your program disk from drive A:, and replace it with your data disk.
Once the data disk is in drive A:, and the door is closed, press Return to
begin use of Mass Appeal.
3.2 Hard Disk Drive
From the root directory of drive C:, you only need to enter MA from the C>
prompt of DOS to execute Mass Appeal. When prompted to insert the data
diskette, press return to continue, as this does not concern you (It would
be quite hard to remove your hard disk and replace it with another,
right?).
4 Main Menu
All functions of Mass Appeal, such as adding entries, generating a report,
etc. are done through the Main Menu.
Notice the date your computer is set to (Can be changed by entering DATE from
the DOS prompt) appears in the upper left hand corner. Notice you have 8
options available to you. You access each option by pressing a highlighted
number or letter.
5 Add Records
By pressing the number 1, or the letter A, you are allowed to add records to
the active data file. There are several options through the maintenance
menus that may help you in entering records into Mass Appeal more quickly.
Let's look over the screen and see what information is displayed. Notice in
the upper left hand corner, Mass Appeal tells you what record number you are
currently entering. Record numbers are assigned at input time; the very
first record you enter is record number 1, the second record you enter is
record number 2, and so forth.
Also at the top of the screen, right next to the record number window is
another small window that shows you the active data file.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Notice right next to the active data file window, towards the top of the
screen, a message states "Deleted: No". While in the add portion of the
program, this message will ALWAYS say No.
And, in the upper right hand corner, you notice the current date displayed.
When in the add routine, the date will be displayed; when you are in the edit
routine, the total number of records in the active data file will be dis-
played.
Finally, notice the spaces that are allocated for each field. Also notice
that the Date field has automatically been set for you. But, you can change
it if you wish, although it MUST be a valid date in the form MM/DD/YY. For
example, you can't enter '13/45/67' into the date field, Mass Appeal won't
let you!
Notice in the lower window, a message states 'Press <Ctrl-W> For Menu'. Fill
in each field as best as possible. Don't put the first address line in the
Company name field; put each field where is belongs.
For a detailed explanation of special cursor movement and editing keys,
please see Appendix B.
5.1 More
Once you have completed a record by entering all pieces of information, you
will have several new options available to you in the lower window. By
pressing the letter M, you are allowed to add more entries to the active
data file.
Several things will happen when you press the letter M. The record number
(Displayed in the upper left hand corner) will increase by one; the entry
just made will be cleared from the screen, and your cursor will be posi-
tioned in the salutation field, ready for another entry.
5.2 Re-Edit
Pressing the letter E will allow you to make corrections to the record that
is currently displayed. If you notice an error, it's much easier to cor-
rect it now.
5.3 Help
Pressing the letter H will give you several pages of help concerning the
add routine. Once in the Help routine, you have several additional options
available. They are:
5.3.1 Next-Page
By pressing the letter N, you are taken to the next available page of
help for the add routine.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
5.3.2 Return
By pressing the letter R, you will be returned to the Add routine menu,
displayed in the lower window. On the last page of help, pressing the
letter R is the only available option; at this point, you must press the
letter R to continue.
5.4 Previous
If you have lost your place while entering names into Mass Appeal, the
Previous option can be a life saver!
By pressing the letter P, you can see your previous entry. Once the entry
is displayed, you must press Return to continue. After pressing Return,
you may continue entering records into Mass Appeal.
5.5 Return
Once you have made several entries, pressing the letter R will save those
entries to the active data file and return you to the main menu.
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you return to the main menu every 10 or
15 entries. This will lessen the possibility of data loss.
5.6 *
Once an entry has been made, most of the fields from the information in the
previous record can be duplicated by placing an asterick in the field to be
duplicated. The only field that can not be pulled from the previous entry
is the date field.
NOTE: The field will not immediately be pulled forward; you will have to
complete the record, and get to the menu in the lower window before you can
actually see the results of duplicating a field from the previous entry.
5.7 Speeding Data Entry
There are several options available to you which will significantly speed
data entry and reduce data entry errors. One such option, Zipp Appeal, is
optional, and requires a hard disk.
5.7.1 Add Routine Defaults
When you define defaults for some of the fields of Mass Appeal (Not all
fields can have default values), these fields are already filled in when
you enter the add routine. This comes in handy when you are entering a
lot of information that is similar in nature.
5.7.2 Function Keys
The function keys can be set up with commonly used words or phrases to
speed data entry and reduce errors. Words like 'Avenue' and 'Boulevard'
have already been defined for the function keys. Use this option as much
as possible! It will greatly reduce typing errors and increase productiv-
ity.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
5.7.3 Turn Fields On/Off For Input
If you enter information into all the fields of Mass Appeal, then this
option is not for you. But, if you would like only the name, address,
city, state and zip code fields to appear when you enter the add routine,
this option is for you.
You can select what fields you should be allowed to enter data into when
you enter the add routine. This way, if you don't enter information into
the home phone, work phone, date, category or comment field, you don't
have to press return at each field!
5.7.4 Zipp Appeal
With Zipp Appeal on your hard disk, Mass Appeal automatically senses the
presence of the zip code data file, and inserts the city and state for
over 95,000 U.S. zip codes (Also available in a smaller, 40,000 version)!
All you do is enter the zip code, Mass Appeal automatically inserts the
appropriate city and state!
Or, with Zipp Appeal installed, you can enter the name, or partial name
of a city, and browse through a list of possible zip codes and states for
the city entered. You are allowed to page forwards, backwards, and even
find another city if you like.
Two versions of Zipp Appeal are available. For detailed information,
please see section 18.
6 Edit/View Entries
By pressing the number 2 or the letter E, you are allowed to make correc-
tions, or look at entries in the active data file. The edit routine is one
of the most powerful features of Mass Appeal.
Once you enter the Edit routine, you notice one minor difference than when
you were in the add routine (Besides the lower window options). In the upper
right hand corner, the total number of records in the active data file
appears. In the Add routine, the date appears!
In version 3.2, a new 'light bar Menu' (One third less calories than your
regular bar menu) has been added. There are several ways to select an option
in the Edit routine. First, you can move the highlighted bar to the desired
option (Using the cursor arrows), and then press return. Or, you can press
the highlighted letter of the desired option.
6.1 Del
All records in the active data file are either marked for deletion, or they
are not.
To determine whether a record is marked for deletion, see the middle window
located at the top of the screen. It states 'Deleted: No/Yes'. To change
this message, press the letter D; you can watch the status change every
time you press the letter D.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Records marked for deletion do not appear on ANY type of output, even
though they remain in the data file. Records that are marked for deletion
remain in the data base until option 3 from the main menu (Pack The Data
File) is executed.
6.2 Edit
If the record displayed needs corrections, pressing the letter E will allow
you to make those corrections. You will be allowed to modify any field of
this record.
For a detailed explanation of special cursor movement and editing keys,
please see Appendix B.
6.3 Find
To quickly Find someone (Determined by the Order Option, discussed below),
press the letter F. You will then be asked for the last name, company name
or zip code (Determined by the Order option).
Enter who you want Mass Appeal to Find and press return.
6.3.1 No Match Could Be Found
If no match could be found, an error message stating that a match could
not be found is displayed. You will then be required to press return to
resume operation.
6.4 Goto
By pressing the letter G, you are allowed to quickly go to one of three
places in the file, based on the setting of the Order option.
6.4.1 Top
Pressing the letter T will take you to the very first record, based on
the setting of the Order option. The same process can be accomplished by
pressing the Home key on the numeric keypad.
6.4.2 Bottom
Pressing the letter B will take you to the very last record, based on the
setting of the Order option. The same process can be accomplished by
pressing the End key on the numeric keypad.
6.4.3 Record#
Pressing the '#' sign will allow you to go directly to a specific record
number, as long as that record number exists.
6.4.4 Return
Pressing the letter R will return you to the editing options, and abandon
the current options displayed.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
6.5 Prev
Prev is an abbreviation for Previous. Pressing the letter P or the PgUp
key will take you to the previous record, based on the setting of the Order
option.
If you are positioned on the very first record, based on the setting of the
Order option, and attempt to use the Prev option, an error message will be
displayed. The message will state that the beginning of the file has been
encountered. You will then be asked to press return to continue processing
in the Edit routine.
6.6 Next
Pressing the letter N or the PgDn key will take you to the next record,
based on the setting of the Order option.
If you are positioned on the very last record, based on the setting of the
Order option, and attempt to use the Next option, an error message will be
displayed. The message will state that the end of the file has been encoun-
tered. You will then be asked to press return to continue processing in the
Edit routine.
6.7 Help
Pressing the letter H will give you several pages of help concerning the
edit routine. Once in the Help routine, you have several additional op-
tions available. They are:
6.7.1 Next-Page
By pressing the letter N, you are taken to the next available page of
help for the edit routine.
6.7.2 Return
By pressing the letter R, you will be returned to the edit routine menu,
displayed in the lower window. On the last page of help, pressing the
letter R is the only available option; at this point, you must press the
letter R to continue.
6.8 Specify
Pressing the letter S will allow you to look only at records that meet a
Specific condition. If there are no records meeting the condition you have
specified, an error message will be displayed, and the program will ignore
your condition (Allowing you to edit ALL records).
Once a specific condition has been placed on the data base, when you use
the Prev, Next, and other commands, you will see a message appear in the
lower window that states 'Locating Specific Records...'.
NOTE: This may slow down operation, since moving from record to record is
done taking into account the condition you have specified.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
NOTE: To clear out a Specific condition, press the letter S, and then when
asked to narrow your data base down, enter D, for done. This will reset
your condition to All Records (As indicated in the large lower window).
6.9 Order
The order option effects the Prev, Next, Find, and Goto options. The order
means the order the data file is in while you are in the edit routine.
NOTE: This only applies to the edit routine; setting the order option here
has nothing to do with the order your output will be displayed in.
The current Order of the data file can be determined by looking at the
labels Last Name:, Company: and Zip Code:. Whichever field contains an
arrow in front of it is the current Order setting.
To change the order, press the letter O, you will then be allowed to select
what order you would like your data in; last name, company name or zip
code. Enter the corresponding number of your choice.
After you have made your selection, you will see the Order option indicator
(The Arrow) move to your new selection.
6.10 Count
The Count option displays a count of all records meeting the Specific
condition. If a Specific condition has not been specified, the Count will
count all records, excluding those marked for deletion.
If you want to abandon the Count process, press the letter Q. The counting
process will stop immediately.
6.11 eXit
Pressing the letter 'X' will return you to the main menu, where you can
select another process to perform. NOTE: This was previously called Return;
due to space limitations, it was changed to eXit.
6.11.1 Function Keys
The function keys can be set up with commonly used words or phrases to
speed data entry and reduce errors. Words like 'Avenue' and 'Boulevard'
have already been defined for the function keys. Use this option as much
as possible! It will greatly reduce typing errors and increase productiv-
ity.
7 Pack The Data File
This option will permanently remove ALL records marked for deletion. Remem-
ber, records marked for deletion still remain in the data base, until they
are Packed!
Once this operation is performed, all records marked for deletion will be
permanently removed from the data base. Nothing can be done to recover them;
they will be gone forever!!! Use with extreme caution!!!
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Make sure you have enough disk space to perform the packing operation. How
much disk space is enough? To ensure the packing routine will operate exactly
as planned, make sure enough disk space is available for another entire copy
of the active data file.
8 Generate Some Output
Now that you have some entries in your data base, you may want to produce a
report, print some mailing labels, address some envelopes or print out some
rotary cards.
Without the ability to print out the information stored in your data bases,
Mass Appeal would be rather useless. Fortunately, Mass Appeal offers a wide
variety of output you can generate.
8.1 Generate A Report
Mass Appeal allows you to print a report in 48 different formats. Each
report format displays different pieces of information concerning each
record. For details about selecting a report format, please see the re-
porting options within the Maintenance Menus.
To receive a report from your active data base, use option 1 from the
Generate Some Output menu.
You are now asked what records should be included in your report. The
condition you can specify is called a selection criteria. For detailed
instructions concerning building selection criteria, please see Appendix A.
After you have defined your selection criteria, press the letter D, for
Done (Because you are Done defining your selection criteria). You will
then be asked where your output should be sent. Your options are:
8.1.1 Screen
To send the output to the screen, press the letter S. The report will
then begin displaying on your screen.
NOTE: Selecting a report format in the maintenance routines has no effect
when the output is being sent to the screen. There is only 1 available
report format when the output is sent to the screen.
NOTE: When a report is sent to the screen, it can not be paused. You
must wait until the report completes before continuing normal use of Mass
Appeal.
8.1.2 Printer
To send the report to the printer, press the letter P. You will then be
asked to confirm that your printer is On Line and ready to print. If
your printer is loaded with paper and ready to print, then press the
letter C; otherwise, press the letter Q to return to the main menu.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Once your report begins printing, you will notice one of the most innova-
tive features of Mass Appeal. A Statistical window will appear that
tells you what time the report began, what time it ended (When it com-
pletes), how many records have to be read, how many records have been
read, how many records meet your selection criteria, the percent complete
(Based on the total number of records divided by the number of records
that have been read), the report format number, and the page number that
is currently printing.
During the printing process, you may pause the printing by pressing the
letter P. Once you have paused the printing, you may choose one of two
available options. To continue with the printing process, press the let-
ter C. To abandon the printing process, and return to the main menu,
press the letter Q.
When the report has finished, you will be asked whether or not you want
to print the statistical information on a piece of paper for future
reference. If you do, press the letter P; otherwise, press return to
return to the main menu.
8.1.3 Quit
If you have decided you don't want to print the report, press the letter
Q. You will be returned to the main menu.
8.2 Generate Envelopes
To generate envelopes, one at a time, use this option. As with all other
output options, you will be able to specify what records should be included
when printing out envelopes. For detailed instructions concerning building
selection criteria, please see Appendix A.
After you have defined your selection criteria, you will be asked for the
number of spaces that should be skipped before the envelope is printed.
This can be thought of as a left margin. Enter a number between 1 and 99.
Some experimentation may be necessary to find an exact setting.
Each envelope will be displayed in the upper window. You will then have
three options available:
8.2.1 Print
Print the information displayed in the upper window, and find the next
record that meets the selection criteria.
8.2.2 Skip
Skip the record displayed in the upper window; I don't want to print that
one. Then, find the next record that meets the selection criteria.
8.2.3 Quit
Quit this process of addressing envelopes and return to the main menu.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
8.3 Generate Rotary Cards
Rotary cards are a neat, convenient way to organize your contacts and
business associates. The size cards you will need for this process are the
2 1/6 x 4 inch cards (Not the 3 x 5 cards, the smaller ones).
To generate rotary cards, use option 3. You will then be able to specify
which records should be included when rotary cards are printed. For de-
tailed instructions concerning building selection criteria, please see Ap-
pendix A.
You will then have 3 options available to you as to where the rotary cards
should be sent:
8.3.1 Screen
To send the rotary cards to the screen, press the letter S. The informa-
tion will then begin displaying on your screen.
NOTE: Your rotary cards can not be paused when sent to the screen. You
must wait until they have completed before continuing use of Mass Appeal.
8.3.2 Printer
To send the rotary cards to the printer, press the letter P. You will
then be asked to confirm that your printer is On Line and ready to print.
If your printer is loaded with continuous feed rotary cards and ready to
print, then press the letter C; otherwise, press the letter Q to return
to the main menu.
Once your rotary cards begin printing, a Statistical window will appear
that tells you what time the printing began, what time it ended (When it
completes), how many records have to be read, how many records have been
read, how many records meet your selection criteria, and the percent
complete (Based on the total number of records divided by the number of
records that have been read).
During the printing process, you may pause the printing by pressing the
letter P. Once you have paused the printing, you may choose one of two
available options. To continue with the printing process, press the let-
ter C. To abandon the printing process, and return to the main menu,
press the letter Q.
When the printing has finished, you will be asked whether or not you want
to print the statistical information on a piece of paper for future
reference. If you do, press the letter P; otherwise, press return to
return to the main menu.
8.3.3 Quit
If you have decided you don't want to print the rotary cards, press the
letter Q. You will be returned to the main menu.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
8.4 Generate Mailing Labels
Mass Appeal now allows you to define nearly ANY label you would want to
print on. See the maintenance routine section concerning label options for
further details on how to design your own label.
To generate mailing labels, use this option. You will then be able to
specify which records should be included when mailing labels are printed.
For detailed instructions concerning building selection criteria, please
see Appendix A.
After you have defined your selection criteria, press the letter D, for
Done (Because you are Done defining your selection criteria). You will
then be asked where your output should be sent. Your options are:
8.4.1 Screen
To send the labels to the screen, press the letter S. The labels will
then begin displaying on your screen.
NOTE: Defining, building and selecting a label format in the maintenance
routines has no effect when the labels are being sent to the screen. The
labels are displayed in two across form, so you can view them easier.
NOTE: Your labels can not be paused when sent to the screen. You must
wait until the labels complete before continuing use of Mass Appeal.
8.4.2 Printer
To send the labels to the printer, press the letter P. You will then be
asked to confirm that your printer is On Line and ready to print. If
your printer is loaded with labels and ready to print, then press the
letter C; otherwise, press the letter Q to return to the main menu.
Once your labels begins printing, you will notice a Statistical window
will appear that tells you what time the labels began printing, what time
the printing ended (When it completes), how many records have to be read,
how many records have been read, how many records meet your selection
criteria, the percent complete (Based on the total number of records
divided by the number of records that have been read), the label format
number, and the left margin.
During the printing process, you may pause the printing by pressing the
letter P. Once you have paused the printing, you may choose one of two
available options. To continue with the printing process, press the let-
ter C. To abandon the printing process, and return to the main menu,
press the letter Q.
When the labels finish, you will be asked whether or not you want to
print the statistical information on a piece of paper for future refer-
ence. If you do, press the letter P; otherwise, press return to return
to the main menu.
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8.4.3 Quit
If you have decided you don't want to print the labels, press the letter
Q. You will be returned to the main menu.
8.5 Generate A Mail Merge File
A mail merge file is an auxiliary file you can use with your favorite word
processor to create form letters and such. Mass Appeal interfaces directly
with WordPerfect (Versions 4.2 and 5.0), MicroSoft Word, MultiMate, and any
other word processor requiring either an ASCII comma delimited file, or a
fixed length file. You can use these files with your word processing pro-
gram to generate form letters.
To select the type of mail merge file to be generated, and the amount of
information that should be contained in the mail merge file, use the main-
tenance menus (Option 7 from the Main Menu), and then select the Miscella-
neous Options.
Since the amount of information contained in the mail merge file varies,
please use your word processor to determine the order of the fields as they
appear in the mail merge file.
You will then be able to specify which records should be included when the
mail merge file is created. For detailed instructions concerning building
selection criteria, please see Appendix A.
After you have defined your selection criteria, press the letter D, for
Done (Because you are Done defining your selection criteria). You will
then be asked for the name of the mail merge file. NOTE: You may include a
drive and path designator if necessary.
Once your mail merge file process begins, you will notice a Statistical
window will appear that tells you what time the mail merge file started,
what time the process ended (When it completes), how many records have to
be read, how many records have been read, how many records meet your
selection criteria, the percent complete (Based on the total number of
records divided by the number of records that have been read), and the mail
merge file type.
During the mail merge file creation process, you may pause the processing
by pressing the letter P. Once you have paused the processing, you may
choose one of two available options. To continue with the process, press
the letter C. To abandon the process, and return to the main menu, press
the letter Q.
8.6 Exit Output Options, Return To Main Menu...
Pressing the number 6 will return you to the main menu. This is in case you
don't want to generate any output, or hit the number 4 (For generate some
output) by mistake.
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9 Import Existing Data
Mass Appeal has the ability to read in data from other sources, as long as
the file is a comma delimited file. And, the data must be structured the
same way as Mass Appeal; with the name broken down into Salutation, Last Name
and First Name.
Once you have invoked this option by pressing the number 5 from the main
menu, you will be asked for the name of the interface file to import into the
active data file. To return to the main menu and abort the process, press
return when asked for the name of the file to import.
Once you have entered the name of the import file, Mass Appeal will allow you
to import the data. All you have to tell Mass Appeal is the order of the
fields as they appear in the file to be imported. You do this by entering
the corresponding number of each field, until all fields in the file to be
imported are accounted for.
When you are done defining the order the fields appear in, enter 99. Mass
Appeal will then ask you whether or not you want to go ahead with the
operation.
10 Change Active Data File
To change to another data file, create another data file or delete an exist-
ing data file, use this option. Remember, the name of the active data file
appears on the main menu. Once you have pressed the number 6 from the main
menu, you will see a menu display all the available data files.
You can have up to 20 data files to put information in. This menu shows you
the total number of records in each data file, the last date each file was
accessed, the name of the file, and a corresponding data file number.
10.1 Select-A-File
To change the active data file, press the letter S. You will then be asked
which file you wish to have as the new active data file. Enter a number
corresponding to the data file you want to work with.
Once you have correctly selected a new active data file, you are returned
to the main menu.
10.2 Add-A-File
To add a file, or create a new file as it is often called, press the letter
A. You will then be asked for a name for the file. You have 7 spaces with
which to name your file. Try to call the file something descriptive. For
example, if you are creating a new data file to put prospects in, you may
want to call the data file PROSPCT.
10.3 Delete-A-File
If you ever decide you no longer need a data file, use this option. BUT:
USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION!!! ONCE A DATA FILE IS DELETED, IT IS ERASED AND
CAN NEVER BE RECOVERED!!!
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10.4 Return
If you decide you don't want to perform any of the operations described
above, press the letter R and you will be returned to the main menu.
11 Access The Maintenance Routines
The maintenance routines are where the real power and versatility of Mass
Appeal begin to appear. Here is where you define your add routine defaults,
define your mailing labels, select your report format, and many other fea-
tures of Mass Appeal.
11.1 Label Options
Most operations related to the generation of mailing labels can be found in
this section. With Mass Appeal, you can define almost ANY label you may
want to print on.
11.1.1 Define Or Select A Label
When labels are printed, Mass Appeal looks to this option to determine
how many lines are between each label, how many labels across are to be
printed, a left margin, and numerous other features.
You can have up to 10 different label templates, or label guidelines. A
template is a fancy word for instructions Mass Appeal needs when it
generates a mailing label or report; you have the ability to define your
own label template.
11.1.1.1 Select-A-Label
To have Mass Appeal follow the guide lines of a different label tem-
plate, press the letter S. You will then be asked for the number Mass
Appeal should follow next time labels are printed.
Enter the number of the label template Mass Appeal should follow next
time labels are generated.
NOTE: If you use only one size label, you will only need to Se-
lect-A-Label once. This option DOES NOT have to be set each time
labels are to be printed. Only when a different label template is
needed do you have to reset this option to follow another template.
11.1.1.2 Add-A-Label
To add a label template, press the letter A. You will then be asked
several questions, like how many lines are between each label (Horizon-
tally), a left margin, how many across, and how many spaces are between
each label (Vertically) if you are printing more than one across.
You will also be asked for a short description of the label template
you have just defined. This description will appear along with the
other information concerning the label template.
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NOTE: When defining labels that are more than one across, you may enter
a negative number when asked the number of spaces between each label.
Some experimentation may be necessary to properly define your label.
11.1.1.3 Delete-A-Label
To remove a label template from the list, press D, and enter the
corresponding number of the template to delete. NOTE: This will perma-
nently remove the label template from the list of available label
templates. Use with caution.
11.1.1.4 Edit-A-Label
To make adjustments to a label template you have already defined, press
the letter E. You will then be asked each question you were asked when
you added the label.
Make changes as necessary.
11.1.1.5 Return
To return to the label maintenance menu, press the letter R.
11.1.2 Pause After Certain # Labels
You can tell Mass Appeal to pause after a certain number of labels have
printed. Press the number 2 and enter the number to stop at.
This comes in handy when you have 10,000 names, yet your labels are in
boxes of 5,000! Tell Mass Appeal to stop after 4,980 (A good number for
this scenario) labels are printed. After Mass Appeal has printed the
first 4,980 labels, you will be asked to load the next box of labels, and
press return to continue the label printing!
Remove the printed labels, and load up a new box of labels. Press the
appropriate letter to continue printing!
11.1.3 Define A Printer String For Labels
To have your labels printed in compressed print, NLQ, or another style,
set up a printer string for your labels. This printer string can be
taken directly from your printer manual. See Appendix C for further
details.
11.1.4 Print Multiple Copy End Of Set Markers?
Mass Appeal will print multiple copies of a label. This option asks you
if you want a marker printed between each set. This will help in finding
where one set of labels ends and the next set begins.
If you answer Yes, between each set of labels, you will see something
similar to this:
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
***********************************
* *
* End Of Set: 1 Of: 3 *
* *
***********************************
In the above example, this tells you that you are printing 3 copies of
the labels, and this is the end of the first set, set number 1.
11.1.5 Print Bulk Information For Mailing Labels?
Bulk counts can be turned on or off prior to printing labels. Maintaining
bulk rate information slows down the process of printing labels some, and
should be used only when necessary. Enter Y to maintain bulk counts, or
N to bypass bulk counting.
If you have bulk counting turned on, when the labels finish, you will be
asked to insert a piece of paper to print the bulk report on. Remove the
labels from the printer, and load the printer with regular 8 1/2" X 11"
paper. Then, press the letter P to print the bulk report.
The bulk report gives counts of same 3-digit zip codes, and same 5-digit
zip codes.
11.1.6 Last Name Or Company Name First On Labels?
You can tell Mass Appeal whether the persons name should be the first
line on a label, or whether the company name should be first.
11.1.7 How Many Copies Of Each Label Should Be Printed?
To print multiple copies of a label, press the number 7 and enter the
number of copies that should be printed. You can have up to 99 copies of
each set of labels printed.
11.1.8 Exit Label Maintenance, Return To The Main Menu...
To return to the main menu, press the number 8.
11.2 Report Options
Mass Appeal has one of the most versatile reporting options available. You
can select from 48 available report formats, based on the type printer you
have. You can also select whether you want your report single, double or
even triple spaced!
11.2.1 Change Report Format
Allows you to select from a total of 48 different report formats. NOTE:
Only applies to printed output! All reports that are sent to the screen
have the same format.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
When paging through the available report formats, make sure your printer
will handle the report format you are selecting. For example, don't
select a report that requires a 132 column printer if you have an 80
column printer!
But, at the same time, if you have a 132 column printer, you CAN select
report formats that are designed for 80 column printers.
11.2.1.1 Next-Screen
Displays next screen of available report formats. If no more report
formats are available (You are on the last page available), you will
receive an error message if you try to access the Next-Screen.
11.2.1.2 Previous-Screen
Displays previous screen of available report formats. If no more re-
port formats are available (You are on the first page available), you
will receive an error message if you try to access the Previous-Screen.
11.2.1.3 Select-Format
Once you have found a report format you want to use, press the letter
S. You will then be shown the current report format number, and you
will be asked for the new report format number.
Enter the corresponding number you wish to have as your new report
format. The next report that prints out will follow your new guidelin-
es.
11.2.1.4 Return
Pressing the letter R will exit you from the report options maintenance
menu to the main menu.
11.2.2 Define A Printer String For Reports
If you want your report to appear in some type of print, like italics,
bold faced, or any other type of print you can define, enter the proper
printer escape sequence here.
Remember, some printers do not allow you to mix print types. For exam-
ple, when you're printing a report in compressed print, most printers
won't allow you to print in NLQ. So, be careful when attempting to use
this option with reports that require compressed print.
For detailed instructions on how to enter a printer escape sequence,
please see Appendix C.
11.2.3 Define A Printer Compression String For Reports
For reports that require compressed print, you must define the printer
escape sequence that compresses the print on your printer. For most
Epson and IBM printers, you will enter CHR(15) (Which is already filled
in for you).
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
For detailed instructions on how to enter a printer escape sequence,
please see Appendix C.
11.2.4 Set Spacing On Printed Output, Single, Double, Etc.
Some people like single spacing, some like double spacing, and still some
like triple spacing.
To set the spacing on your printed reports, use this option. You will
then be asked for a number corresponding to the line spacing you desire.
If you want single spacing, enter the number 1, if you want double
spacing, enter the number 2, and if you prefer triple spacing, enter the
number 3.
11.2.5 Exit This Report Maintenance, Return To Main Menu...
Once you have completed your work in the report maintenance routines,
press the number 5 to return to the main menu.
11.3 Function Key Setup
When in the add routine or edit routine, you can have commonly used words
and phrases stored in the function keys to speed data entry and reduce
errors.
A total of 36 keys can be defined by you. The F1 key is not used, only the
F2 - F10 keys are used. You are allowed to define a word or phrase for the
Alt function keys, the Ctrl function keys and the shift function keys.
11.3.1 Define Function Keys
Enter a word or phrase for the corresponding function key. When in the
add routine or edit routine, pressing the function key will insert the
corresponding word or phrase.
11.3.2 Define Alt + Function Keys
Enter a word or phrase for the corresponding function key. When in the
add routine or edit routine, pressing the function key along with the
Alt. key will insert the corresponding word or phrase.
11.3.3 Define Ctrl + Function Keys
Enter a word or phrase for the corresponding function key. When in the
add routine or edit routine, pressing the function key along with the
Ctrl. key will insert the corresponding word or phrase.
11.3.4 Define Shift + Function Keys
Enter a word or phrase for the corresponding function key. When in the
add routine or edit routine, pressing the function key along with the
shift key will insert the corresponding word or phrase.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.3.5 Reset Function Keys To Original Values
Will reset the function keys to their original values. Please use this
routine with caution; as ALL 36 function keys are reset to their original
values.
11.3.6 Exit Function Key Maintenance, Return To Main Menu
To return to the main menu, press number 7.
11.4 Add Routine Defaults
If your mailings are mostly from a local area, you have probably noticed
that some high percent of the records you are entering are from the same
city, same state, have the same area code, and are similar in many other
aspects.
That is where this can save you literally hours of typing time. You can
have certain fields already filled in for you when you enter the add
routine. Then, when you get to that field (For example, the City field),
all you have to do is press return if the value there is correct.
11.4.1 Set Up Default City
Enter the value for the city you would like to have filled in for you
when you enter the add routine.
11.4.2 Set Up Default State
Enter the value for the state you would like to have filled in for you
when you enter the add routine.
11.4.3 Set Up Default Zip Code
Enter the value for the zip code you would like to have filled in for you
when you enter the add routine.
At times, you may want to set up a partial zip code, and then just enter
the last few numbers. For example, when I'm entering a lot of business
for the Birmingham, AL area, we set the default to be '352'. Then, all
we have to do when we come to this field is press the End key (Which
takes me to the end of the partial zip code) and enter the other 2 digits
of the zip code!
11.4.4 Set Up Default Category
Enter the value for the category you would like to have filled in for you
when you enter the add routine.
11.4.5 Set Up Default Salutation
Enter the value for the salutation you would like to have filled in for
you when you enter the add routine.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.4.6 Set Up Default Home Phone
Enter the value for the home phone you would like to have filled in for
you when you enter the add routine.
Most of the time, you will already know the area code if you are entering
records for the same area. For example, when I'm entering a lot of
records for Alabama, we set the default to be '205'. Then, all we have
to do when we come to this field is press the End key (Which takes me to
the end of the area code) and enter the rest of the 7 digit phone number.
11.4.7 Set Up Default Work Phone
Enter the value for the work phone you would like to have filled in for
you when you enter the add routine.
Most of the time, you will already know the area code if you are entering
records for the same area. For example, when I'm entering a lot of
records for Alabama, we set the default to be '205'. Then, all we have
to do when we come to this field is press the End key (Which takes me to
the end of the area code) and enter the rest of the 7 digit phone number.
11.4.8 Set Up Default Comment Field
Enter the value for the comment field you would like to have filled in
for you when you enter the add routine.
11.4.9 Reset All Default Values To Blank Values
Resets ALL fields to blanks so when you enter the add routine, no fields
are automatically filled in for you. Use with caution, as this will
clear out any previous defaults you may have set up.
11.4.10 Exit Default Maintenance, Return To Main Menu...
To return to the main menu, enter ten (10).
11.5 Miscellaneous Options
The miscellaneous options are those options that don't exactly fit in any
of the other menus, yet they play an important part in the operation of
Mass Appeal.
11.5.1 Change Monitor Type
If you have invested in a CGA, EGA, or VGA monitor, Mass Appeal will
display your menus in color. Currently, the color combinations are some-
what limited (You are only allowed to select a data entry background
color, discussed below).
After invoking this option, you will be asked whether you are using a
color monitor or not. If you are using a color monitor, press the letter
C, otherwise, press the letter N.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.5.2 Change Output Order
Whenever you generate ANY type of output, Mass Appeal looks to this
option to determine what order the output should be in. Your options are
last name, company name, zip code, or record number.
11.5.3 Group Deletion Of Records
If you want to delete (Actually, it just marks them for deletion) a group
of records that meet a certain condition, then use this option. This
might come in handy when you want to remove all the records in your data
base that were entered last year.
Once you invoke this option, you will be presented with your selection
criteria menu. NOTE: You must define a condition; Mass Appeal will not
allow you to delete all the records in your active data base at one time.
See Appendix A for details.
Of course, if you do want to delete all your records, you could define a
condition that states 'Record number between 1 and 999999'.
11.5.4 Group Recovery Of Records
This is the opposite of the Group Deletion Of Records. This option
allows you to recover (Actually, it unmarks the record for deletion) a
group of records that meet a certain condition.
Once you invoke this option, you will be presented with your selection
criteria menu. NOTE: You must define a condition; Mass Appeal will not
allow you to recover all the records in your active data base at one
time. See Appendix A for details.
Of course, if you do want to recover all your records, you could define a
condition that states 'Record number between 1 and 999999'.
11.5.5 Reset All Data File Pointers
If your reports do not appear in the order you thought, or you are not
Finding someone you know exists, the index file of your data base may
have been corrupted in some way.
While this rarely happens, this option is available when such instances
do occur. After invoking this option, Mass Appeal will reindex the ac-
tive data base, and some other data files. The process may take a while,
depending on the number of records in the active data file.
11.5.6 Report Of Previously Saved Criteria
If you have saved any of the selection criteria you have built, you can
easily get a report by selecting this option. After you have invoked
this option, you will be asked where you want the report to be sent:
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.5.6.1 Screen
By pressing the letter S, you tell Mass Appeal to send the report of
the previously saved criteria to the screen. When the report finishes,
you will be asked to press a key to continue.
11.5.6.2 Printer
By pressing the letter P, you tell Mass Appeal to send the report of
the previously saved criteria to the printer. You will then be asked
to make your sure your printer is ready to print. If it is, press the
letter C to continue with printing the report. When the report finish-
es, you will be asked to press a key to continue.
11.5.6.3 Quit
To abandon a report of the previously saved criteria, press the letter
Q.
11.5.7 Define A Setup String For Envelopes
Allows you to define a set up string for envelopes. Why a printer string
for envelopes??? For users who have laser printers! This option will
allow you to print envelopes in a laser printer.
11.5.8 Carriage Return Required For Field Advancement
In Mass Appeal, when you completely fill in a field (For example, the
State field), you are automatically advanced to the next field. Some
people get a rhythm going that requires they press return before advanc-
ing to the next field.
If a carriage return is required before you can move on to the next
field, press Y; otherwise, if you want to automatically be moved to the
next field when it is full, press the letter N.
11.5.9 Turn On/Off Checking For Correct State Abbreviations
When you enter a record in the Add routine, the state abbreviation is
checked for correctness. If it is not 1 of 51 entries (The 50 states,
plus the District of Columbia), you are warned that the abbreviation is
not valid.
Well, that's fine if you use Mass Appeal for United States mailings.
But, for the numerous users who are in Canada, I'm sure you don't want to
be warned every time you enter ON for Ontario.
This option allows you to turn the checking on or off.
11.5.10 Set Up/Define Category Codes
If you use Mass Appeal to it's fullest potential, you use category codes
a lot. Keeping track of what each category code stands for can often be
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
a hassle. That's why Mass Appeal now has a handy little 'note pad' that
allows you to quickly and easily retain the meaning of those category
codes.
Once invoked, you can enter your category codes, and what each code
stands for (Up to 24 category codes can be maintained).
If you forget what the code 'HD' stands for (Or, any other code for that
matter) access Help while in the Add or Edit routine. Your category
'note pad' will be displayed immediately before the function key macros
are shown!
11.5.11 Data Entry Name Order
You now have the option of entering (And, yes, editing) the name in one
of two ways. Some people find it more natural to enter in names as
"Mr.","Steven G.","Hughes", while others find it acceptable to enter the
name as "Hughes","Steven G.","Mr.".
Mass Appeal now supports BOTH forms of input. To change the setting,
select option 11 from the miscellaneous options menu. You will then be
allowed to select your preference!
11.5.12 Turn On/Off Fields For Input
This option, option 12 from the miscellaneous options menu, allows you to
turn on or off fields for data entry. At times, you may not want to
enter data into certain fields.
This option allows you to turn off any or all of the fields you don't
want to enter data into. After selecting this option, you place a 'T' by
the fields you want to enter data into, and 'F' by the fields you don't
want to enter data into.
Once you have turned off fields for data entry, you will not be allowed
to enter information into that field during the Add routine. NOTE: This
option has no bearing on the Edit routine. In the edit routine, all
fields are accessible.
11.5.13 Color Option Background Setting
Once you have told Mass Appeal you have a color monitor (See option 1,
discussed previously), you can select from either a light blue back-
ground, or a red background.
11.5.14 Set Mail Merge File Output Type
When a mail merge file is created, Mass Appeal looks to the setting of
this option to determine what type of mail merge file should be created.
After entering 14 from the maintenance menu, you will be presented with
six choices.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.5.14.1 ASCII
By selecting option 1, you tell Mass Appeal to create a file where each
record retains it's field length assigned in Mass Appeal. Each record
ends with a carriage return/line feed.
11.5.14.2 WordStar
By selecting this option, you tell Mass Appeal to create a mail merge
file compatible with WordStar. You can then use the file created with
WordStar to create form letters.
11.5.14.3 WordPerfect
By selecting this option, you tell Mass Appeal to create a mail merge
file compatible with WordPerfect. You can then use the file created
with WordPerfect to create form letters.
After you have selected this option, Mass Appeal will ask you for the
version of WordPerfect you are using. Mass Appeal supports both Word-
Perfect version 4.2, and version 5.0! Enter the corresponding number.
11.5.14.4 MicroSoft Word
By selecting this option, you tell Mass Appeal to create a mail merge
file compatible with MicroSoft Word. You can then use the file created
with MicroSoft Word to create form letters.
11.5.14.5 Comma Delimited
By selecting option 5, you tell Mass Appeal to create what is called a
comma delimited file (Identical to option 1, discussed above). Each
field is enclosed in double quotes, and separated by a comma. Each
record ends in a carriage return/line feed.
11.5.14.6 Fixed Length ASCII
By selecting option 6, you tell Mass Appeal to create a file where each
record retains it's field length assigned in Mass Appeal. Each record
is NOT terminated with a carriage return/line feed.
11.5.15 Set Amount Of Info. In Mail Mrg
In some instances, you will need all the pieces on information in Mass
Appeal in your mail merge file; and, in other cases, you may want only
the name and address information.
This option allows you to determine how many fields are written to the
mail merge file. After selecting this option, option 15, you will be
asked whether you want only the address information, or whether you want
all fields to be included in the mail merge file. Enter the corresponding
number.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.5.16 Set Up Communication Parameters
If you have a modem connected to your computer, you can dial phone
numbers while in the Edit routine of Mass Appeal. You are allowed to dial
either the home or work phone number.
But, Mass Appeal has added a few nice features to the dialing routine,
and at the same time, requires some information about your modem. Here is
the information Mass Appeal needs to know:
11.5.16.1 Communications Port
Enter the number of the port your modem is connected to. Mass Appeal
supports up to 4 communications ports. Usually, the port number will be
1 or 2.
11.5.16.2 Dial 9 First?
Mass Appeal supports PBX systems, where you must first dial a 9 to get
an outside line. When Mass Appeal begins to dial the number, it looks
to this option to determine if a 9 should be dialed first.
If you are using a PBX system, enter a Y, for Yes, in this option,
otherwise, leave it N, for No.
11.5.16.3 Local Area Codes
When attempting to dial a number, Mass Appeal checks to see if the
number you are dialing is within your local area code. If the number
you are dialing is a local number (Meaning one of the local area codes
matches the area code of the number you are dialing), Mass Appeal
removes the area code from the number to be dialed, and then dials the
number.
But, if the number you are dialing is not a local number (Meaning one
of the local area codes does not match the area code of the number you
are dialing), Mass Appeal will dial a 1 (For long distance) before the
phone number is dialed.
11.5.17 Return To The Main Menu, Please
Exit the maintenance menu, and return to the main menu by entering the
number 17.
11.6 Index File Adjustment System
Here we go again with some more technical information, index files.
Index files are auxiliary files that work in conjunction with a data base
file (In Mass Appeal, data base files have an extension of .DBF, and the
index files have an extension of .NTX) to keep the data base file logically
sorted.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
For every data base file (For example, MAILER.DBF) there are 3 index files
(For example, MAILER1.NTX, MAILER2.NTX and MAILER3.NTX). The first index
file, MAILER1.NTX, keeps the data sorted on the last name. The second
index file, MAILER2.NTX keeps the data sorted by the company name; while
the third index file, MAILER3.NTX, keeps the data file sorted on the zip
code.
Mass Appeal allows you to customize these index files, and determine how
precisely they should keep the data sorted. For example, you can have Mass
Appeal keep the records sorted not only by last name, but within exact last
names, sort by the first name. And, this power extends over to the company
field, where you can sort first on the company name, then on the last name,
and then on the first name.
For example, if there are several entries where the last name is 'Hughes'
in your data file, you may want to tell Mass Appeal to sort on the last
name, and the first name. And, you can tell Mass Appeal to sort the last
names within the company name.
But, all this power has a price! To sort the entire company name can take
up to 35 characters; to sort the last name within the company name requires
an additional 16 characters, and to sort the first name requires an addi-
tional 14 characters. So, as you can see, there's an additional 65 charac-
ters (Plus, some overhead for pointer information) per record just for the
company index file!
Mass Appeal has taken all this and allowed you to customize it to suit your
particular needs! You can tell Mass Appeal that you only want to index on
the first 7 letters of the last name, to save disk space. This is a
somewhat technical feature of Mass Appeal, but it remains a very powerful
option.
Remember, you can have different index schemes for EACH DATA FILE! Making
changes to these options only effects the active data file.
Once you invoke this option, you will see 4 choices. They are:
11.6.1 Zip Code
Of course, this allows you to customize the zip code index file. Once
you have invoked this option, you will see 3 options:
11.6.1.1 Option 1
By invoking option 1, you tell Mass Appeal to use the entire 10 charac-
ters of the zip code for sorting. This is usually a waste of disk
space, and we strongly suggest you see option 2, listed below.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.6.1.2 Option 2
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) digits of the zip code. For those doing US
mailings, you will only need to sort on the first 5 digits of the zip
code.
For those living in Canada, you will want to tell Mass Appeal to sort
using the first 7 digits of the zip code.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.1.3 Option 3
For programmers, dBASE enthusiasts, and anyone wanting to define their
own customized index file (At your own risk, of course), this option
allows you to do just that. You can enter any valid dBASE III Plus
expression into this field. The index file will then follow the
guidelines you entered. This is available in case you want a report in
order of the date field, or a report sorted first by zip code, and then
by city name, or any other similar operation.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH dBASE III PLUS, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
USE THIS OPTION. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS OPTION,
PLEASE GIVE US A CALL - WE ARE WILLING TO HELP YOU! See Appendix D for
further details, and how you would go about obtaining a report in entry
date order!
11.6.1.4 Option 4
To return to the index file maintenance menu without performing any of
the options, press number 4.
11.6.2 Last Name
This allows you to customize the last name index file to your exact
specifications. You are allowed to sort on the last name using 4 differ-
ent options:
11.6.2.1 Option 1
By invoking option 1, you tell Mass Appeal to use the entire 16 charac-
ters of the last name for sorting. This is usually a waste of disk
space, and we strongly suggest you see option 2, listed below.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu when the reindexing has completed. Reindexing may
take some time, depending on the total number of records in the active
data file.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.6.2.2 Option 2
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the last name. For those who
maintain only company information (With no first and last name), you
may want to tell Mass Appeal to sort on the first character of the last
name; this produces the smallest index file possible, saving valuable
disk space.
If you invoke this option, a value will be filled in for you automati-
cally. This is the suggested value we have have found works well for
this option.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.2.3 Option 3
By invoking option 3, you tell Mass Appeal to use the entire 16 charac-
ters of the last name and the entire first name for sorting. This is
usually a waste of disk space, and we strongly suggest you see option
4, listed below if you need to sort the first name within the last
name.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu when the reindexing has completed. Reindexing may
take some time, depending on the total number of records in the active
data file.
11.6.2.4 Option 4
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the last name, and the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the first name.
If you invoke this option, values will be filled in for you automati-
cally. This is the suggested values we have have found works well for
this option.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.2.5 Option 5
To return to the index file maintenance menu without performing any of
the options, press number 5.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
11.6.3 Company Name
This allows you to customize the company name index file to your exact
specifications. You are allowed to sort on the company name using 5
different options:
11.6.3.1 Option 1
By invoking option 1, you tell Mass Appeal to use the entire 35 charac-
ters of the company name for sorting. This is usually a waste of disk
space, and we strongly suggest you see option 2, listed below.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu when the reindexing has completed. Reindexing may
take some time, depending on the total number of records in the active
data file.
11.6.3.2 Option 2
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the company name. For those
who maintain only personal information (With no company name), you may
want to tell Mass Appeal to sort on the first character of the company
name; this produces the smallest index file possible, saving valuable
disk space.
If you invoke this option, a value will be filled in for you automati-
cally. This is the suggested value we have have found works well for
this option.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.3.3 Option 3
By invoking option 3, you tell Mass Appeal to use the entire 35 charac-
ters of the company name and the entire last name for sorting. This is
usually a waste of disk space, and we strongly suggest you see option
4, listed below if you need to sort the last name within the company
name.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu when the reindexing has completed. Reindexing may
take some time, depending on the total number of records in the active
data file.
11.6.3.4 Option 4
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the company name, and the
first ?? (You fill in the number) characters of the last name.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
If you invoke this option, values will be filled in for you automati-
cally. This is the suggested values we have have found works well for
this option.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.3.5 Option 5
When using this option, you tell Mass Appeal to sort only on the first
?? (You fill in the number) characters of the company name, and the
first ?? (You fill in the number) characters of the last name, and the
first ?? (You fill in the number) characters of the first name.
If you invoke this option, values will be filled in for you automati-
cally. This is the suggested values we have have found works well for
this option.
If you select this option, Mass Appeal will recreate the index file
according to the specifications, and return you to the index file
maintenance menu. Reindexing may take some time, depending on the
total number of records in the active data file.
11.6.3.6 Option 6
To return to the index file maintenance menu without performing any of
the options, press number 5.
11.6.4 Exit, Return To Main Menu
Once finished, you can return to the main menu by pressing the number 4.
11.7 Merge Two Existing Data Files
At times, you may want to merge one or more of your data files into one
large file. Or, you may wish to take certain records from one file and
merge them into another file.
This option performs these operations quickly and easily. Press the number
7 from the Maintenance Menu to begin the process.
Once you have invoked this option, you will be asked for a source file
(Where the records are coming from) and a target file (Where the records
will be copied to).
Notice the target file is automatically filled in with the name of the
active data file; you can change this if you like. To abandon the process,
leave one of the fields blank; you will be returned to the main menu.
If you want to continue, fill in the name of the source file. Remember,
this is the file the records are coming from. Once you have filled in
existing data files for both the source and target files, the selection
criteria menu will be displayed.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
This menu allows you to merge only certain records from the source file.
For example, you can merge only those records from the source file that
live in 'AL'. See appendix A for further details.
Once you have defined your selection criteria (Or, merge criteria, in this
case), you are asked whether or not you want to continue. To continue the
process, press the appropriate letter.
Mass Appeal will now copy the records from the source file that meet the
selection criteria into the target file. NOTE: The records still remain in
the source file, they are not removed or marked for deletion!
11.8 Check For Duplicates In The Active Data File
This handy routine allows you to check for possible duplicates in the
active data file. You will have 12 choices; each allowing you to check for
duplicates in different ways. For each option, you will also be able to
specify how many characters of each field (Or, fields) should be checked.
After you have informed Mass Appeal which method to use for checking for
duplicates, a temporary index file must be built. This may take some time,
depending on the total number of records in the active data file.
After the index file has been created, you must turn on the printer for the
duplication report to print out. The report shows each record, and the
suspected duplicate, based on the method you selected.
After the report has completed, you will be allowed to delete each possible
duplicate, one by one, based on the record number. The record number is
printed out in the duplicate report.
To delete a record (Actually, it just marks them for deletion), enter the
record number. After you enter the record number, you will have to confirm
this is the record to delete. To delete this record, press the letter Y;
otherwise press the letter N.
11.9 Exit The Maintenance Menu, Return To Main Menu
Once you are done with the maintenance routines, press the number 9 to
return to the main menu of Mass Appeal.
12 Exit This Program, Return To DOS...
When you are done using Mass Appeal, you can return to DOS by pressing the
number 8. Once you have done so, a menu telling you about ShareWare, Mass
Appeal and Zipp Appeal is displayed. You are then asked to press return
again to finally return to DOS.
13 ShareWare
ShareWare is a unique marketing concept where you can try out software and
see if it fits your particular needs before you purchase the product. Mass
Appeal and the 40,000 version of Zipp Appeal are distributed under this
marketing strategy.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Registration provides you with numerous benefits. First and foremost is a
printed manual. This manual is sent to you upon registration, and is quite
handy to have around. We are currently working with a desktop publishing
program to develop a manual complete with screen samples, and other impres-
sive features that make Mass Appeal even easier to learn and work with.
Secondly is the notice of updates to the program. Since it was first re-
leased in the middle of 1987, Mass Appeal has gone through numerous releases
(Seven to be exact, but who's counting?). These changes have been made
mainly due to user requests. So, keeping up to date is important.
Our newsletter - The Mass Appealer - gives important tips on efficient use of
Mass Appeal, and tells you about future plans for Mass Appeal. We also answer
the most frequently asked questions.
Registered users also receive two free updates of their choice, in addition
to receiving the latest version of Mass Appeal when they register.
14 Appendix A - Defining Selection Criteria
To define a selection criteria, you need to tell Mass Appeal what conditions
should be met. A selection criteria can be something like 'All entries where
the state field is equal to 'AL'', or similar conditions.
Once you get to the selection criteria screen, you have several choices:
14.1 More-Criteria
When you first begin defining a selection criteria, you notice the large
lower window says 'All Entries'. To define an additional condition, press
the letter M. If this is the first selection criteria you have defined for
this condition, a menu will appear in the upper window asking you to select
your option on how you wish to narrow the data base down.
If this is not the first condition, you will be asked how you want your
conditions joined: with AND, OR, AND NOT or OR NOT. Enter the correspond-
ing number.
You have 12 options available on how to select the records for your report,
labels, or other type of output. These options are:
14.1.1 City
By selecting option 1, you are allowed to specify what city should or
should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations) included. If you
leave this field blank, your selection criteria for this field will be
ignored.
14.1.2 State
By selecting option 2, you are allowed to specify what state should or
should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations) included in your
output. If you leave this field blank, your selection criteria for this
field will be ignored.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
14.1.3 Last Name
By selecting option 3, you are allowed to specify what last name should
or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations) included in
your output. If you leave this field blank, your selection criteria for
this field will be ignored.
This option comes in handy when you want to select a single person, and
possibly print one label, or address a single envelope.
14.1.4 Salutation
By selecting option 4, you are allowed to specify what salutation should
or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations) included in
your output. If you leave this field blank, your selection criteria for
this field will be ignored.
You may want to use this to to target mail marketing for all salutations
with 'Dr.', or all salutations with 'Mrs.', or whatever.
14.1.5 Zip Code Range
By selecting option 5, you are allowed to define a zip code range to
include or exclude (By using AND NOT or OR NOR combinations) in your
output. You will be asked for a starting and stopping zip code.
14.1.6 Category Field
By selecting option 6, you are allowed to define a category code that
should be or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations)
included in your output. If you leave this field blank, your selection
criteria for this field will be ignored.
Remember, when you tell Mass Appeal to search for a specific code, it
looks through the entire category field to see if the code you entered
exists anywhere in the field of each record.
14.1.7 Date Field Range
By selecting option 7, you are allowed to define a date field range to
include or exclude (By using AND NOT or OR NOR combinations) in your
output. You will be asked for a starting and stopping date.
Notice '01/01/80' is automatically filled in for the starting date, and
your computers internal date is set up in the stopping date. You may
modify these as necessary.
This is a practical way to get a report of all the entries you entered
last week, this month, this quarter, or any other period of time you
like!
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
14.1.8 Home Phone Area Code
By selecting option 8, you are allowed to define a home phone area code
that should be or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations)
included in your output. If you leave this field blank, your selection
criteria for this field will be ignored.
You may want to use this condition in conjunction with the next option to
create conditions like: "Where the home phone area code is '205', but the
work phone area code is '404'". This would imply this record belongs to
someone who lives in Alabama, yet works in Georgia (If you sell a car
that gets impressive gas mileage, it may be of interest to this person).
14.1.9 Work Phone Area Code
By selecting option 9, you are allowed to define a work phone area code
that should be or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT combinations)
included in your output. If you leave this field blank, your selection
criteria for this field will be ignored.
You may want to use this condition in conjunction with the previous
option to create conditions like: "Where the home phone area code is
'205', but the work phone area code is '404'". This would imply this
record belongs to someone who lives in Alabama, yet works in Georgia (If
you sell a car that gets impressive gas mileage, it may be of interest to
this person).
14.1.10 Company Name Keyword
By selecting option 10, you are allowed to define a key word within the
Company field that should be or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT
combinations) included in your output. If you leave this field blank,
your selection criteria for this field will be ignored.
Use this to produce reports of entries that have the word 'Computer' in
the company name; or some other key word that might help you reach your
target market.
14.1.11 Comment Field Keyword
By selecting option 11, you are allowed to define a key word within the
comment field that should be or should not be (By using AND NOT or OR NOT
combinations) included in your output. If you leave this field blank,
your selection criteria for this field will be ignored.
Use this to produce reports of entries that have the word 'Money' in the
comment field; or some other key word that might help you reach your
target market.
14.1.12 Assigned Record Number
By selecting option 12, you are allowed to define a record number range
to include or exclude (By using AND NOT or OR NOR combinations) in your
output. You will be asked for a starting and stopping record number.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
If you leave both fields blank (Actually, they will be zeroes), your
selection criteria for this field will be ignored.
14.2 Save-Criteria
If you have just built an elaborate selection criteria, you may want to
save it for later use. To save your criteria, press the letter S.
You will then be asked for a short name for the criteria you are saving.
Try to use something descriptive if at all possible. If you try to save
over a previously saved criteria with the same name, you will be asked if
you want to replace the existing criteria. If you do, press Y. Otherwise,
press N.
You will also be able to enter a longer description for the selection
criteria you are saving. Once you have entered the long description and
pressed return, your criteria is saved.
If you do not remember the name of previously saved criteria, you can
access the maintenance menus (Option 7 from the main menu), then option 5
from the maintenance menu, then option 6 to receive a report of previously
saved criteria.
14.3 Retrieve-Criteria
To retrieve a previously saved criteria, press the letter R. You will then
be asked for the short name of the criteria. Enter the name, and press
return if necessary.
If you can't remember the name of a previously saved selection criteria,
you can access the Miscellaneous Maintenance Menu and receive a report of
all previously saved criteria!
If you do not remember the name of previously saved criteria, you can
access the maintenance menus (Option 7 from the main menu), then option 5
from the maintenance menu, then option 6 to receive a report of previously
saved criteria.
14.4 Parenthesis
For complex conditions, you may want to place parenthesis around smaller
conditions. While this is quite advanced, you do have the ability to
perform this operation.
NOTE: You must have an equal number of left and right parenthesis!
14.5 Done
Previously the Finished option. Means your have completed defining your
selection criteria, continue with processing.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
15 Appendix B - Cursor Movement
When you are in the add and edit routines of Mass Appeal, certain key strokes
can save you time. Here are available key strokes when in the Add routine
filling in the fields, or in the Edit routine, editing the record:
Keystroke Action
Up Arrow Moves up one field.
Down Arrow Moves down one field.
Left Arrow Moves cursor left one character.
Right Arrow Moves cursor right one character.
Ctrl-Left Arrow Moves cursor a word to the left.
Ctrl-Right Arrow Moves cursor a word to the right.
Home Takes you to the first position of the field.
End Takes you to the last position of the field.
Ctrl-Y Deletes from cursor position to end of the field.
Ctrl-Home Moves cursor to Last Name field.
Ctrl-End Moves cursor to Comment field.
16 Appendix C - Printer Setup Strings
Often times, Mass Appeal will ask you for a printer setup string, or a
printer escape sequence. This appendix explains how you can enter these from
your printer reference manual.
In your printer manual, they describe how to perform special operations (Like
compressed print) using BASIC. The codes Mass Appeal uses are nearly identi-
cal to those for BASIC, so entering printer setup strings is quite easy!
For example, in your printer manual, it will tell you that the following
BASIC program (A 1 line program) will set your printer in compressed print
(Often called condensed print):
10 LPRINT CHR$(15)
The number 10 is a line number, required in most BASIC programming languages.
The LPRINT statement tells BASIC to print what follows to the printer. The
CHR$(15) is a printer escape sequence to compress the print for this partic-
ular printer, probably an Epson or IBM printer.
We are interested in the CHR$(15) code. To enter this code into Mass Appeal,
leave out the dollar sign. Thus, the printer compression code for Mass
Appeal would be:
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
CHR(15)
for this particular printer. Your printer may be different, so please refer
to your printer manual for the printer escape sequence to perform similar
operations.
17 Appendix D - Technical Information
If you are a programmer, dBASE III Plus enthusiast, or just want to know how
the Mass Appeal files are laid out, this Appendix is for you. While it does
not cover the layout of ALL the files, it does give you some insight into the
main data base files, and gives you some additional technical information
about Mass Appeal.
17.1 .DBF File Structure
Listed below is the structure of the data files that Mass Appeal stores
address information in. While other data base files are used in the opera-
tion of Mass Appeal (Such as CRITERIA.DBF and DEFAULT.DBF), only the struc-
ture of the address files is really needed.
Field Name Type Length Description
------------- ---------- ------ -------------------------------
SAL Character 5 Salutation, i.e. Mr., Mrs., Dr.
FN Character 14 First name field.
LN Character 16 Last Name field.
CP Character 35 Company Name.
ADD_1 Character 35 Address Line 1.
ADD_2 Character 35 Address Line 2.
CTY Character 20 City.
ST Character 2 State.
ZC Character 10 Zip Code.
HP Character 13 Home Phone.
WP Character 13 Work Phone.
ED Date 8 Date Entered.
C Character 26 Category Field - For Codes.
CM Character 24 Comment field.
The fields have short names on purpose. During development of Mass Appeal,
we wanted the user to be able to define complex selection criteria. To
allow this, we had to shorten the fields as much as possible, while still
retaining some meanings to the fields.
Short field names would allow the user to define complex selection criteria
without reaching the 254 character length placed on character variables in
the dBASE III programming language.
17.2 Custom Index File Expression
Mass Appeal now allows you to define you own index file expression. Using
the maintenance menus, access the index file adjustment system. Then, ac-
cess the zip code index file maintenance. Option 3 is the option we will
talk about.
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Mass Appeal Version 3.2
This option allows you to define your own index file expression. If you are
a programmer familiar with dBASE III Plus syntax, or a dBASE III enthusi-
ast, you can use this option to create your own index scheme.
After selecting this option, enter your dBASE III Plus expression. WARNING:
THE EXPRESSION IS NOT CHECKED FOR CORRECTNESS! IF YOU DO NOT ENTER A VALID
DBASE III PLUS EXPRESSION, THE PROGRAM WILL ABORT, AND RECOVERING YOUR DATA
MAY BE DIFFICULT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL US
HERE AT MASS APPEAL SOFTWARE. WE WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP.
As an example, let's say you wanted a report in order of the date entered.
Well,as many dBASE III enthusiasts already know, you can't just enter the
ED field as the index file expression. NO! You have to convert the date to
a character field, and then pick out the year as the first two characters,
and then place the rest of the date (Also, transformed into a character
field) at the end. That, in a nutshell, allows you to receive a report in
date entered sequence! Here's the index file expression you would enter:
SUBSTR(DTOC(ED),7,2) + SUBSTR(DTOC(ED),1,5)
NOTE: Once you have defined your new index file expression, you must make
sure the order of the output is set to zip code order (In the miscellaneous
options in the maintenance menus). Remember, this is the zip code index
file we are working with. And remember that when you are in the edit
routine, the Find option will not work correctly when the Order is set to
the zip code, because you have changed the zip code index file expression.
The file structure was defined in the previous section for the purpose of
enabling you to create your own index file expressions.
With all that could go wrong, this option is really handy for people
needing their output sorted by something other than company name, last name
or zip code. And, once again, if you are not familiar with dBASE III Plus,
please call us here at Mass Appeal Software; we will help.
18 Zipp Appeal
Zipp Appeal is another program we have developed to work in conjunction with
Mass Appeal, version 3.0 and up. If you have a hard disk, and 2.9 Meg. of
additional disk space, you can use Zipp Appeal. Zipp Appeal is by no means
required, but it may save you typing time and reduce data entry errors.
We have expand the data file to 95,000 cities, states and zip codes (Previ-
ously, we only had a 40,000 version); this data file is available for $49.95!
The difference between the two Zipp Appeal versions is minor. The 95,000
version has multiple cities for each zip code. When multiple cities are
found for a single zip code, you are allowed to select from several possible
cities (If you have Mass Appeal and Zipp Appeal interacting in this manner).
NOTE: The 95,000 version ONLY WORKS WITH VERSION 3.2 AND ABOVE!
So, depending on your needs, you may want to register for the 40,000 entry
data file (Requires up to 2.9 Meg.) costing $39.95; or you may want to
register for the 95,000 entry data file (Requires up to 6.9 Meg.) costing
$49.95!
Page -40-
Mass Appeal Version 3.2
Both versions are installable per state, so you do not have to load the
entire 95,000 or 40,000 U.S. zip codes. You are allowed to select from the
states you want to install.
18.1 Installation
Installation of Zipp Appeal is easy. Zipp Appeal Comes on a series of
diskettes. If you have the 95,000 version of Zipp Appeal, you should have a
total of 7 disks. If you have the 40,000 version of Zipp Appeal, you should
have a total of 3 disks.
Set your default drive to drive A by entering A: and then pressing Return.
From the DOS prompt (Probably A>), enter INSTALL and press Return. After a
few seconds, you will see a message stating that the installation of Zipp
Appeal is going to be performed. If you want to continue, press a key.
Otherwise, if you don't want to install Zipp Appeal at the present time,
press Ctrl-C, and answer Y when asked if you want to terminate the batch
job.
If you continue with installation, you will soon be presented with a menu
that will allow you to select individual states to be installed. To install
Zipp Appeal for a particular state, simply enter the letter Y beside that
state. Otherwise, leave the field blank, or enter N, for No.
Once you have selected the individual states, you will be asked to insert
each disk, as needed, into drive A:. Insert each disk, as instructed, and
continue until a menu appears asking how you want Mass Appeal and Zipp
Appeal to interact.
18.2 Mass Appeal And Zipp Appeal Interaction
To save space, Zipp Appeal is installable per state, and allows you to
select the way Mass Appeal and Zipp Appeal work with each other. This
simply means that you must decide at this point whether you want to enter
the zip code and have Mass Appeal automatically insert the city and state,
whether you want to browse through possible states and zip codes for the
city entered, or whether you want Mass Appeal to automatically adjust to
both scenarios.
To help you judge which scenario you would like (Based on the amount of
disk space you currently have available), take into consideration the fol-
lowing disk space requirements. NOTE: In the following chart, it is assumed
that Zipp Appeal has been installed for all 50 states, plus the District of
Columbia for that particular version.
Product Insert City, St. Browse Cities Total For Both
Zipp Appeal 40,000 1,786,781 2,238,365 2,867,101
Zipp Appeal 95,000 4,241,303 5,371,799 6,860,696
18.3 Operation
This section will describe what information Mass Appeal expects to see,
based on the way you have installed Zipp Appeal.
Page -41-
Mass Appeal Version 3.2
18.3.1 Insert City And State
If you have installed Zipp Appeal to allow Mass Appeal to insert the city
and state based on the zip code entered, you must enter certain pieces of
information for Mass Appeal to work correctly.
When adding records in Mass Appeal, you must leave the city and/or state
fields blank. Once you have entered a zip code, and have completed the
entry, one of several things will happen. Based on which version of Zipp
Appeal you installed, the following may happen:
18.3.1.1 Zipp Appeal - 95,000 Version
If you have the 95,000 version of Zipp Appeal installed, Mass Appeal
will do one of three things. First, there exists the possibility that
the zip code you entered could not be found in the Zipp Appeal data
file. If this happens, an error message will be displayed, and you will
be required to press Return to resume operation of Mass Appeal.
Secondly, a single, unique city and state may exist for the zip code
you entered. In this case, Mass Appeal will insert the city and state
for you, and allow you to continue operation of Mass Appeal.
Thirdly, there may be several (Up to 36) cities for the zip code you
entered. When this happens, Mass Appeal will display a window, showing
you all the cities that correspond to the zip code entered. You will
then be allowed to enter the number of the city and state for your
entry. Notice that when you are shown this window, a number has already
been filled in for you. This is most often the corresponding city you
want to select, so pressing return, and accepting the number displayed
is often times the best action to take.
18.3.1.2 Zipp Appeal - 40,000 Version
If you have the 40,000 version of Zipp Appeal installed, Mass Appeal
will do one of two things. First, there exists the possibility that the
zip code you entered could not be found in the Zipp Appeal data file.
If this happens, an error message will be displayed, and you will be
required to press Return to resume operation of Mass Appeal.
Secondly, a single, unique city and state may exist for the zip code
you entered. In this case, Mass Appeal will insert the city and state
for you, and allow you to continue operation of Mass Appeal. Unlike the
95,000 version of Zipp Appeal, you will not be able to select from a
list of possible cities for the zip code you have entered.
18.3.2 Browse Through Cities, States And Zip Codes
If you have installed Zipp Appeal to allow Mass Appeal to browse through
possible states and zip codes based on the city you have entered, you
must enter certain pieces of information for the program to work correct-
ly.
Page -42-
Mass Appeal Version 3.2
When adding records in Mass Appeal, you must leave the zip code and/or
state fields blank. Once you have entered a city (Or, the partial name
of a city), and have completed the entry, one of several things will
happen. Unlike the previous interface between Mass Appeal and Zipp
Appeal, it doesn't really matter what version of Zipp Appeal you have
installed; they both perform identically (Except, of course, for the fact
that the 95,000 version has more cities, states and zip codes to browse
through).
After you have completed your entry, you will see a window appear that
will show you 22 cities, states and zip codes. You will notice in the
lower part of the window, you have several options. These options allow
you to go forwards, backwards, select a city, state and zip code, or find
another city all together. The options and their actual use are as fol-
lows:
18.3.2.1 Next-Screen
By pressing the letter N, or the PgDn key, you are taken to the next
screen of possible cities, states and zip codes, based on the name of
the city.
18.3.2.2 Previous-Screen
By pressing the letter P, or the PgUp key, you are taken to the previ-
ous screen of possible cities, states and zip codes, based on the name
of the city.
18.3.2.3 Select-A-City
If you see the city, state and zip code you would like Mass Appeal to
insert, press the letter S. You will then be asked for the number
associated with your choice. Enter the number, and press return. You
will see that Mass Appeal will fill in the city, state and zip code
with your selection.
18.3.2.4 Find-A-City
To position yourself at another city, simply press the letter F. You
will then be asked for the name of the city you would like to find.
Enter the name, up to 15 characters, and press enter. You will then be
positioned in a new set of cities, states and zip codes, if a city
could be found that closely matches your entry.
Page -43-
Mass Appeal Version 3.2
19 Registration Form
Remember, Mass Appeal is like all other software; you should purchase one
copy for each machine that uses Mass Appeal. Special pricing is available
for 10 or more copies, so please call for details!
To register your copy of Mass Appeal, please complete the form below and send
check, money order, or cashiers check to the following address:
Mass Appeal Software; P.O. Box 772; Alabaster, AL 35007
Name: _________________________________________________________________
Company: _________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________ St.: __________ Zip: ________________
Phone: (_________) _____________ - _________________ Ext: _____________
What features would you like to see implemented in Mass Appeal that are
currently not a part of the program?
How did you obtain a copy of Mass Appeal? Users group, ShareWare distributor,
bulletin board, friend, enemy, etc...
Qty. Description Price Ea. Total
_______ Mass Appeal Registration........... $49.95 _________________
_______ Zipp Appeal Registration (40,000).. $39.95 _________________
_______ Zipp Appeal Registration (95,000).. $49.95 _________________
Grand Total Due: ____________________
Send payment to the address listed at the top of this page. Thank you for
your support. Only with your support can low cost, high quality software
like Mass Appeal and Zipp Appeal be developed.
Page -44-
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1920
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
FLOPPY BAT 2537 2-16-89
HARDDISK BAT 1193 2-16-89
MA BAT 653 2-16-89
DOC BAT 857 2-16-89
CRITERIA FRM 1990 2-16-89
MA FRM 1990 2-16-89
MA LBL 1034 2-16-89
ROTARY LBL 1034 2-16-89
CONFIG SYS 24 2-16-89
MA DOC 130660 2-16-89
MA-32 EXE 214105 2-16-89
11 file(s) 356077 bytes
0 bytes free