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This manual has 31 pages total. ******** MicroCook Copyright 1993-1996 Version 1.98 Written & Published by Gus Skiaker NORSKi Software P.O. Box 76 Franksville, WI 53126-0076 U.S.A. Phone: (414) 633-6277 (6-9 PM, or leave a message) America On Line : NORSKI Internet : norski@execpc.com CompuServe : 72713,1667 Get the latest version of MicroCook from Internet! Point your Web browser to: http://www.execpc.com/~norski Also check there for MicroCook news, and maybe some recipes for downloading. MicroCook can also be registered at: Albert's Ambry on Internet: http://www.alberts.com (See ALBERTS.TXT in the MicroCook directory) CompuServe Shareware Registration (GO SWREG) (See SWREG.TXT in MicroCook directory) Public Software Library with credit cards. (See CREDIT.TXT for details) In an un-registered copy of MicroCook you can print out the above TXT files from the Register menu item in the Print menu. See WHATSNEW.TXT for late changes/add-ons! _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER MicroCook Manual - Page 1 Table of Contents: A Description of MicroCook ............................ 4 The Code field ........................................ 5 Mouse with MicroCook .................................. 6 The KEY file .......................................... 6 Screen Saver .......................................... 7 The Editors ........................................... 7 Editor Keys ........................................... 8 Duplicates Checking ................................... 9 The File Menu ......................................... 10 Loading MicroCook ..................................... 10 Windows, OS/2 and MicroCook ........................... 11 Optimizing Memory ..................................... 11 File Menu ********************* ALT-F Save Recipe ................ ALT-S ............... 12 Save & New Recipe .......... ALT-A ............... 12 Start New Recipe ........... ALT-N ............... 12 Load By Number ............. ALT-L ............... 12 Search for Recipe ................................ 13 Disk View .................. ALT-V ............... 13 Quit ....................... ALT-Q ............... 14 Index Menu ******************** ALT-I Select from ................ ALT-X ............... 14 Last Search Index .......... ALT-B ............... 15 Search ........................................... 15 Index View ................. ALT-Y ............... 15 Sort ....................... ALT-O ............... 15 Delete This Recipe ......... ALT-Z ............... 16 Un-Delete & Delete Recipes ....................... 16 Print Menu ******************** ALT-P This Recipe ................ ALT-R ............... 17 This Recipe - FAST! ........ ALT-W ............... 17 Other Recipes .................................... 17 Index In Memory .................................. 18 Manual ........................................... 18 Form Feed ........................................ 18 Registration ..................................... 18 Database Menu ***************** ALT-D Change to .................. ALT-C ............... 19 Create New ....................................... 19 Re-Index ......................................... 19 Clear or Set Codes ............................... 19 Replace Codes .................................... 20 Pack ............................................. 20 Setup ...................... ALT-U ............... 20 MicroCook Manual - Page 2 Tool Menu ********************* ALT-T File Manager ............... ALT-K ............... 24 Read Manual ................ ALT-M ............... 25 Conversions ...................................... 25 About ............................................ 26 Status ........................................... 26 DOS Shell ........................................ 26 Export/Import Menu *********** ALT-E Export MicroCook database ........................ 27 Import MicroCook database ........................ 28 Export MicroCook ASCII ........................... 28 Import MicroCook ASCII ........................... 29 Import MealMaster ASCII .......................... 29 Import MasterCook ASCII .......................... 30 Convert Edna's Cookbook ASCII ......................... 30 Help .................................................. 30 What's Next? .......................................... 31 THANK YOU ............................................. 31 MicroCook Manual - Page 3 Description of MicroCook. MicroCook is a recipe database program written to allow users to collect, organize, and locate recipes. MicroCook will run on IBM compatible PCS with MS-DOS, two high density floppy disks, or a floppy disk and a hard disk. A hard disk is recommended as is at least 512 KBytes of RAM. MS-DOS 3.2 or higher is required. MicroCook also works well in Windows 3.x, Windows 95 and in OS/2. If you use MicroCook in Windows 95, you do NOT need to load a DOS mouse driver as MicroCook will use the Windows 95 mouse driver. MicroCook is using Overlays for memory management. This mean that only a small part of MicroCook is loaded in conventional memory (below 640 KBytes). If there are either Extended (XMS) or Expanded (EMS) memory available, the rest will be loaded there. This way there's a lot more room left in conventional memory for the Recipe Index. If your PC has about 550 KBytes of free conventional memory there should be room for about 2,000 recipes per Index (database). But you can have less than 450Kb free RAM, no XMS or EMS, and still be able to load MicroCook with a 1000 recipe database. WARNING: Do NOT use file compression programs like PKLITE or LZEXE on MCOOK.EXE. Since MCOOK will load parts of it self from the disk file during use, it can NOT be compressed. So what's a database? A database is like a book. The whole book is the database, while each individual record is a page in the book. And as in the book, the database has "page numbers" called record numbers. A page in a book has room for only so much text and a database record also have a fixed length. This fixed length of each record means that it is very fast and easy to locate and load any record in the database. This is done with help of an Index file, just as you would locate a page with help of the Index Table in the back of the book. The Index file in MicroCook consists of the Record Number, Recipe Name, Category and Code character. So when you select a recipe from the Index in MicroCook, the program loads the corresponding recipe in the database with help of the record number. The Index file remains loaded in memory at all times, so you can have easy and quick access to it. You can also create your own index, built up from one or two search words you provide. Index and Disk View provide further information on this aspect of the program later on in the manual. MicroCook Manual - Page 4 The MicroCook database is a random access file system with two main files. A database file where all the information is saved, and an index file where only the recipe name, its categories, and code character are saved. This index file is loaded into memory in its entirety when MicroCook loads. This will make recipe selection and search very fast. Because the index remains in memory, there is a limit on how many recipes you can have per database. MicroCook will keep track of how much free RAM remains and will give you a warning message when the memory comes down to a preset limit. But try to keep your databases less than 1500 recipes. Large databases will slow down MicroCook some since the whole index is loaded in memory. The amount of free space on your hard drive determines the number of different database files that you may create. For transportation, the main data file compresses very well with a file compression program like PKZIP, PKXARC or LHA, sometimes up to 80-90%. If no index file is found when the main data file is loaded, one will automatically be created. So if you want to mail an entire database on a floppy disk to a friend, or upload it to a BBS (compress it first!), you only need to send the file with the MCD extension. If you have any recipe databases created with versions prior to 1.81, the databases need to be converted to the new 1.81 format before it can be used. MicroCook will automatically detect which version database that's loading, and will prompt you for conversions' option if a conversion is needed. Introduced in version 1.98 is the new Code field. This field is only one character long, but it can be a very powerful aid in the way you organize your recipes. One MicroCook user wanted it to grade his recipes, and another to separate his own from imported recipes, and a third to separate the various imports. The Code character is also transferred to the Index, so you can also sort on it. The sort and search on the Code Character are case sensitive, so a B is not the same as b. You can also search both the index and disk database on the Code character and build Views where only the one code appears. From the Database menu you select to clear all Codes, set them all to the same character, or search for a certain Code character and replace it with another. Before you start a Meal-Master or Mastercook Import, you can set the Code character to what you want for each imported file. When importing MicroCook's database or ASCII recipe files, you can select if you want to keep the existing (if any), or replace it with another. So, I guess it's up to your imagination on how you want to use the Code character. Or you can just leave it blank and forget all about it. MicroCook Manual - Page 5 If a Microsoft compatible mouse is detected during initializing, it can be used for navigating the program. Then the only times you would need to use the keyboard are for typing in file names, search words or recipes. Anytime you see a message where a key has to be pressed, you can place the mouse cursor on "3-D" button with the name of the key, and press the LEFT mouse button. The hot-key printed in RED text. Scrolling of menus or in editors can also be done by placing the mouse cursor on the red arrows by scroll bars and clicking the LEFT mouse button. The RIGHT mouse button acts like an ESC key where ESC is an option. Where a "Press any key" message is displayed, either mouse buttons can also be used as the "any key." In Setup you can customize the mouse cursor to the colors and character you like best. MicroCook also has on-line quick help, available by pressing F1, You can also read this manual while working in MicroCook without having a hard copy. Built in is also a full file manager with Copy, Move, Delete, Rename, View, and Edit files. The editor, which work best with pure ASCII files, has built in macros for easy editing of ASCII recipe files from other than MicroCook's format. Registered users will receive a small "key" file that will disable the "Please register" messages and the short time delays during loading and unloading of MicroCook. This KEY will also display a serial number and the registered users name in the "About.." window in the Tools menu and the users name on line 25 in the main screen. This key file is called xxxxx.KEY, where xxxxx is a 5-digit number that is your personal serial number. The KEY file MUST reside in the same directory as MCOOK.EXE. With your registration you will also receive 2000 free recipes, and a database repair utility called MCDBFIX. This utility will re-create as much as possible of a recipe database that has been damaged by DOS, another program, or other Gremlins. If you have MicroCook 1.97 or later, and can't wait until you receive the KEY file by mail, you can e-mail NORSKi Software and receive the serial number and control number. These, together with your name, can be entered in the Register window (under Print Menu), and MicroCook will then create the KEY file. The menus consist of a pull-down windows system with hot-keys. Hot-keys are keyboard combinations that make it easy to perform a function. Also pop-up "exploding" windows are used throughout MicroCook for warnings and/or information messages. MicroCook Manual - Page 6 On the top of the screen, the current database name is displayed along with the number of recipes in it as well as the status of the recipe currently displayed on the screen. If the three sections where the name, ingredients, and directions are normally given are empty, or have text in them without the recipe having been saved, the word NEW will be displayed. If a recipe is loaded from the database or is a new recipe that has been saved, its record number will be displayed. To avoid the possibility of losing data caused by an electrical outage or other unforeseen occurrences, it is recommended that you save as soon as you have completed entering or editing the necessary information. This is easily done by pressing down the Alt key and the letter F key at the same time; once the file menu choices appear in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, press the key S to complete the saving function. With a mouse simply put the cursor on the letter F in the word File (located in the upper left-hand portion of your screen) and click the mouse. Click the left-hand button on your mouse on the letter S from the selections presented. Or use the Hot-key: ALT-S to save. If you have a VGA monitor, a "graphical screen saver" will be activated after a preset time (see Setup) if there has been no activity in the editors. Press any key or a mouse button to return to the editors when the screen saver is displayed. This screen saver is a standalone executable program called MCDOODLE.EXE. You can also use your own screen saver program with MicroCook. See Setup later in this manual for details, and also read the MCDOODLE.TXT file for more details on the included screen savers. WARNING! If you run MicroCook in a window in Windows 3.x, do NOT activate the screen saver. Set activation time to 0 (zero) in Setup to disable it. The graphical formats in MicroCook and Windows 3.x are not the same, so Windows could crash. In Windows 95 you can use the MCDOODLE screen saver in both full screen and a window. There are actually three different text editors that you will use to enter recipes with. First, there is a three-item Header Editor that is used to enter the recipe name, category, the number of servings, and the Code character. Next, there is the Ingredients Editor. On the screen you only see seven lines, but this is a scrolling editor with a total of 34 lines. This editor is 38 characters wide. Last, there is the Preparation Editor. This editor is also a scrolling editor, 50 lines long and 78 characters wide. You can switch between the editors by using the F5, F6, F7 key, by Hot-keys, CTRL-Cursor Up for previous editor or CTRL-Cursor Down for the next editor, or by moving the cursor with the mouse or keyboard. If you are on the last line in an editor, and you press enter or the arrow-down key, the next editor down will be set as the active one. If you are at the bottom in the Preparation Editor, the cursor will scroll around to the Header Editor. NOTE: MicroCook prior to version 1.81 used 34 lines in the Preparation Editor. MicroCook Manual - Page 7 The Ingredients and Preparation Editors have a Wrap-Down feature, so when you are at the end of a line, and the word you are typing is too long for that line, the whole word will appear on the next line. If you place the mouse cursor on the red up or down scroll arrows on the left side of the Ingredients or Preparation editor, you can scroll up or down by clicking with the left mouse button. If you keep the cursor there and keep the button down, the scroll will go up or down slowly for about one second before the "Turbo" kicks in. Then you will be at the top or bottom of the editor in no time. Or you can place the mouse cursor above or below the scroll indicator, and press the left button. Then the indicator will move toward the mouse cursor. These editing keys are the available for use in all editors: Back Space ----------------- Delete character left of the cursor Delete --------------------- Delete character at the cursor End ------------------------ Go to end of line Home ----------------------- Go to beginning of line Insert --------------------- Toggle Insert/over write mode (Insert mode adds a letter without deleting the existing letters, overwrite substitutes a new letter for an existing letter) TAB ------------------------ Move left four characters CTRL-Cursor Down ----------- Next Editor CTRL-Cursor Up ------------- Previous Editor These additional keys are for use in the Ingredients and Category editors: CTRL-End ------------------- Go to last line in current window CTRL-Home ------------------ Go to first line in current window CTRL-Y --------------------- Delete line at the cursor CTRL-N --------------------- Insert line at the cursor Shift-TAB ------------------ Move right four characters Page Up -------------------- Move up one screen full Page Down ------------------ Move down one screen full ALT-Page Up ---------------- Go to first text line in the editor ALT-Page Down -------------- Go to last text line in the editor If a recipe is selected from a compiled index, there will be a line displayed on the bottom of the screen that allows you to use CTRL-Page Up and CTRL-Page Down to page through all the recipes in the current index. Also, the Hot-keys for moving between editors are displayed. You can click on the red text to move between editors, or just place the cursor with the mouse in the editor where you want to work. MicroCook Manual - Page 8 If the "Check for Duplicates" has been set to "Y" (Yes) in Setup, MicroCook will check the current index to see if a recipe exists with same name as the one entered in the editor, or against the recipes imported with one of the import functions. If a duplicate recipe name is detected, a pop-up window will warn you. If you are importing recipes without the verifying on, the same window will pop-up, and you will have the option to save or not save that recipe. The duplication checking is not case sensitive, so upper and lowercase words mean the same. But the spelling or the recipe name must be exactly the same. Therefore if you have two or more recipes with duplicate names, you will need to save each one individually or make a slight name change before importing the recipe: Coffee Cake1, Coffee Cake2, etc. If you select to verify either each imported recipe, or the Duplicate recipe warning pop-up, a menu window will pop up with several selections buttons. From there you can select if you want to: Save this Recipe, Do NOT Save this Recipe, Edit this Recipe, View & Compare (only displayed if a duplicate is found), Nonstop Import (will stop if a duplicate is found, and duplicate checking is on), Nonstop - Save dupes to DUPES.MCD (only available if duplicate checking is on), or ESC - Cancel Import. When selecting the "View & Compare" function, the Original recipes from the database you are importing TO, and the Imported recipes will be displayed in two separate windows. You can scroll both or one window at the time. From the View & Compare split- window you can also select to swap the recipes. When you swap recipes, the Imported one will replace the one that was in the database. This could be done if you find that the recipes basically are the same, but the imported one is better described or formatted. You can also save the imported duplicate recipes to a temporary database called DUPES.MCD. Then you later can review this database and see if there is anything there you want to save. If you do, you can use the Export MicroCook Database menu function and copy them over to the database you want. Press ESC to exit. When you load a recipe from the Index, you can mark the recipe as Deleted while it is displayed in the Editors with the "Delete This Recipe" function under the Index menu. The Hot-key is ALT-Z. You can disable the Window that pops up after an ALT-Z, but from then on, you will NOT get any warning that a recipe is deleted when ALT-Z is used. This will reset next time you load MicroCook. MicroCook Manual - Page 9 MicroCook has an easy-to-use file selection that is used throughout the program to select files, change directory or disk drive. When this smaller file manager (see details later on the main File Manager) is displayed, a small window at the top of the screen will display the current directory. You can scroll through a file list with the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Page Up and Page Down keys. If you have a mouse connected, you can place the cursor on the red arrows on the right side of the window and press the left mouse button. Or place the cursor on the scroll marker between the arrows, and while holding the left mouse button down, drag it up or down. In the larger file managers' window the top line has two dots (.. <Parent Directory>) if you are in a directory other than the root directory. This is the symbol for the Parent directory, the directory above the current directory. If you place the cursor bar on that line and press Enter or double click with the mouse, the parent directory will be displayed. Any floppy disk drives or additional hard disk drives are displayed as: [-A-] <Disk drive> (in this case the A drive). If you select a floppy disk drive and it's not ready or the floppy disk is write protected, an error message will be displayed. Any name in all uppercase letters and with <DIR> after it is a directory. You can select any directory and display its files by placing the cursor bar on the line with the name of the directory. Now press Enter or double click with the mouse. File names are displayed in lowercase with their size in bytes and creation dates. Select a file to load by pressing enter when the cursor bar is on the file name, or by double clicking with the left mouse button. If only change of directories is called for, no files will be displayed in the file menu. Press ESC or the Right mouse button to cancel any work in the file menu. You load MicroCook by typing MCOOK in the directory where the program and its files are saved. The first time you load MicroCook it will pop up a window and warn you that there is no configuration file, and that the default settings are used. These settings will probably work while you get a little familiar with MicroCook. But you should enter the Setup editor and edit the setting so it reflects your system and recipe directory name. As the default name for recipe file is the RECIPES.MCD file, that's included with MicroCook. See Setup described below for all the defaults. If you have a monochrome monitor, start MicroCook as MCOOK/MONO to force the program into a Black & White mode. This will make some of the color combinations more visible. To see other available startup switches for MCOOK, type: MCOOK/? Try MCOOK/NORSK if you have Norwegian blood in your veins:-) MicroCook Manual - Page 10 There have been reports that MicroCook locks up when running in OS/2. But with help from a friend who uses OS/2, I think we figured it out. In the meantime OS/2 users should start MicroCook as: MCOOK OS2. This will bypass some routines that can cause the lock up. This bypass will NOT make MicroCook lose any of its functions. Also, see the OS2_HOW.TXT file for additional information. If you want to install MicroCook in Windows 3.x or Windows 95, see the WINDOWS.TXT for details. A few icons are also included. Since MicroCook is using part of XMS or EMS memory, you can optimize the conventional memory MicroCook use. If you have some large recipe databases, or want most available memory when Shelling to DOS from the Tool menu, you can add this line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT: SET OVERLAY_HEAP=0 If doesn't matter where in AUTOEXEC.BAT you add this line, as long as it's typed exactly as above. There's not a space between OVERLAY and HEAP, but an underscore. You can get to the AUTOEXEC.BAT from the DOS prompt by typing: EDIT C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT Or from Windows by typing: SYSEDIT in the RUN window from the File menu. Be sure to select the AUTOEXEC.BAT window so you don't add the line to the wrong file. After the AUTOEXEC.BAT is saved, you need to reboot the computer before the OVERLAY_HEAP will work. Description of Menus ---------------------------------------- Press and hold one of the ALT keys, and then the first character in the menu group name to access any of these menus. Or use the Hot-key to access the function directly. If a function isn't available at the time, for example if you attempt to "Print This Recipe" when the editors are empty, the color for the text for that function in the menu is turned to black. On the bottom line of the screen a more detailed description of the menu items is displayed as you move through the menu. MicroCook Manual - Page 11 File Menu (ALT-F) ------------------------------------------- Save Recipe - Hot-Key: ALT-S Select this option from the file menu while you are editing your recipe to avoid losing your work. When this function is selected, either from the pull-down menu or by the hot-key, the current recipe on the screen will be saved to the main data file. At the same time the index will be updated, both in memory and in the disk file. When the recipe is saved, you will hear a tone in the PC speaker. You will not be able to save unedited recipes or a recipe without a name. If you have edited a recipe, and select a menu function that could clear the data on the screen, you will be prompted so you can save the recipe. If AutoSave in Setup is set to "Y," the recipe will automatically be saved without any message. See Setup for details. After the recipe is saved, the data is still on the screen, so you can continue entering more text if necessary. Save & New Recipe - Hot-key: ALT-A When you have made your final editing corrections, choose this option from the file menu. This option will both save your recipe and clear the screen. Start New Recipe - Hot-key: ALT-N This menu function will only clear the screen without saving the recipes first. But if the editors detect that the recipes have been edited, you will be asked if you want to save it first, as described above. Load by Numbers - Hot-key: ALT-L This function is only available if the "Enable Display and Load by Recipe #" in Setup is set to Y (Yes). When enabled, the recipe numbers will be displayed in the right column in the Index listing. You can then browse through the index, and write down the recipe numbers you want to retrieve later with this function. This might be faster when the database grows to 1000 or more recipes. Or you can note the recipe numbers during imports and later quickly retrieve one or more of them. MicroCook Manual - Page 12 Search for Recipe - Hot-key: None If you need to look up some information that is stored in the main data file on the disk, but you can't remember under which recipe name it is saved, you can use this (or the next) function. When this function is selected, a pop-up window will prompt you for which part of the recipes you want to search. You can choose between Recipe name, Category, Code, Ingredients, Preparations, or All. After this selection you will be prompted for a search word. You can also you use ? as a wild card character in the word. The search will also find words where you only supply a part of it. So, if your search word is APPLE, both APPLESAUCE and APPLE CIDER are found (if they are there), along with ANY word where APPLE is used. Or should you want to find all recipes where chicken is used, this is the correct function to use. If you selected to search on Ingredients, you will have the choice of using two search words. Then BOTH words must match before the recipe is loaded. I.e., Chicken AND Rice. The last window will ask if you want to search on the whole word, or on a syllable. When a recipe is found with the matching search word, it will be displayed on the screen, and a message will ask if this is the correct recipe or not. If you answer N (No), the search will continue to the next occurrence of the word, and you will be prompted again. If you answer Y (Yes), MicroCook will keep the recipe on the screen, and enter the editors so you can edit, view or print the recipe. If no recipes are found, a "Not Found" pop-up message will be displayed. If the search has been used previously, the last search word will still be displayed. You can clear the editor with ALT-C, and if you need to, restore the cleared word with ALT-R. Disk View - Hot-Key: ALT-V This search is similar to Search for Recipe. The main difference is that instead of asking you to decide whether the recipe that was found is what you are looking for, a new Index is created which contains any recipe that meets your search requirements. This is a helpful function when you have some ingredient that you want to use, an overabundance of tomatoes or apples or whatever, since you will be presented with all the recipes that contain the ingredient and can select the one most appropriate for the situation at hand. You can now select from any of the displayed recipes (see "Select from..." below). This is also the function to use if you want to export only a certain category in either ASCII or MC database format. First compile an Index on the search word you want. After the search is done, press ESC for the editors, then ALT-E to get to the Exports. Select which export you want, and then after filling in a file name, select one of the last two export options. If you have not compiled a new Index with ALT-X, Index Select, you can access the last compiled search index with the Hot-key: ALT-B, or from the Index menu. MicroCook Manual - Page 13 Quit - Hot-key: ALT-Q This will close all files, clear the screen and exit MicroCook. If an edited recipe is still on the screen, the "Not saved" message described above will be displayed. Index Menu (ALT-I) ----------------------------------------- Select from... - Hot-key: ALT-X This is the function you will use to select and browse through already entered recipes. When you choose this function the first time, the Index will be compiled, sorted alphabetically on the sort key you selected in Setup. In the index array, only the recipe name and category are displayed. Once displayed, you can scroll through the index with the cursor keys, Page Up or Page Down, or by clicking with the left mouse button on the up/down arrows on the right scroll bar, or on the red key names on the bottom of the screen. If there are less than a screen full of recipes displayed, only the up and down arrow cursor keys are active. Select a recipe by pressing Enter when the highlighted cursor bar is on-line with the recipe name you want to retrieve, or by placing the mouse cursor on the line with the recipe name and double click with the left mouse button. Once the recipe is loaded from the main data file, it will be displayed in the editors. You can move quickly to recipes or categories by typing the first letter of the recipe or category names. If the Index is sorted on Recipe Name, the first letter in the recipe name is used. And if sorted on Category, the first letter in the category is used. When Code is used as the primary key for sort, the recipe name will be the secondary key. If no sort is used, the first letter in the recipe name is used. When typing a letter, the cursor bar will move to the first recipe or category name starting with that letter. If the same letter is typed again, the cursor bar will move down to the next and so on. When it's past the bottom of the Index listing, it will start from the top again. In the lower right corner the number of recipes that are marked as deleted is displayed. Press ESC in the index to cancel any selection. While in the Index, you can re-sort it by pressing F8 or clicking on F8. You can also compare two recipes with F4. Press F4 once, and it will mark the first recipes. Press F4 on another recipe will bring up the split-windows where you can easily see the differences between the recipes. If more than 20% of the recipes in the current database are marked as deleted, a window will pop up with a warning that it might be a good idea to Pack the database. See Pack later in the manual for details. MicroCook Manual - Page 14 Last Search Index - Hot-key: ALT-B When an Index listing has been compiled with either Index or Disk View, it's kept in memory until a new index is compiled, either through a search, or by accessing the whole index with Index Select. So if you selected a recipe from a Search Index, you can access the index listing again through this function without redoing the search. Search - Hot-key: None This is basically the same as the "Search for Recipe" function described above, except this search is only for the index in memory. Only words in the Recipe Name and/or Category are searched. If a search word is found, MicroCook will retrieve the whole recipe from the main disk file and display it. Then display the "Correct Recipe? (Y/N)" message. Since the Index searches are searching in memory only, it's VERY fast compared to the Disk searches. However, the Index searches are limited to searching for a recipe name and category only. Index View - Hot-key: ALT-Y This function is the same as "Disk View" described above, except the search is only in the index in memory. You will use this primarily when you know the name of a recipe and want to avoid scrolling up or down to locate the recipe in order to bring it up on the screen. Sort - Hot-key: ALT-O The Sort is a 2-key sort for the Index array only. The sort can be performed either ascending or descending, and with either recipe name or category as the primary sort key. When selected, a window will pop-up with choices of sort keys. Select one by number, or by placing the mouse cursor on the corresponding line and clicking with the left mouse button. Since this is a 2-key sort, both the Recipe Names and Category are sorted. So if Category is the primary sort key, all recipes within the same category are sorted in the same order as the category. See Default Sort-key under Setup. MicroCook Manual - Page 15 Delete This Recipe - Hot-key: ALT-Z By selecting this function, or with the hot-key, while a previously saved recipe is displayed in the editors, the recipe will be marked as deleted. Before it is marked, MicroCook will ask if you really want to delete the recipe. As with the "Delete Recipes" function described below, you can later un-delete the recipe if the database has not yet been Packed. If you disable the window that pop-up after ALT-Z is used, you will NOT be warned that a recipe will be deleted when ALT-Z is used. After a recipe is deleted, the next one in the Index order will be displayed. Un-Delete Recipes & Delete Recipes - Hot-key: None When marking recipes for deletion, you are actually not deleting them, only marking each recipe so it won't show up in the index listing. When this function is selected, an Index array with ALL recipes is compiled and displayed. You can then move through the index and mark the recipes you want to mark for deletion by pressing the Enter key, pressing the Space bar or placing the mouse cursor on the line with the recipe name and clicking the left mouse button. The recipes that are marked for "deletion" will have a check mark in the left column by the recipe name. When done marking, press F10 to write all the makers to the disk files, and reinitialize MicroCook. You can un-delete any recipes by selecting this function again. All recipes that are marked for deletion will have the check mark by its name. Now just un-mark the recipe, press F10 and the recipe is back again. All marked recipes can be cleared with ALT-C, and also marked with ALT-M. See the Pack function for permanent deletion of recipes. MicroCook Manual - Page 16 Print Menu (ALT-P) ----------------------------------------- This Recipe - Hot-key: ALT-R If there is a recipe on the screen, this function will send it to the printer port assigned to MicroCook in Setup. You will be asked if you want to redirect the output to an ASCII disk file. This can be a handy feature if you later want to import the recipe(s) into a word processor when you are ready to write your own cookbook. The file output is formatted exactly in the same way as the printed hard copy. One recipe will need one sheet of paper, or about 60 lines of text. If a Laser printer is used, a page eject is performed at the end of the print job, and if a continuous sheet dot-matrix printer is used, the printer will advance to the next page break. If the printer is not on-line and ready when this or any other print function is selected, an error message will be displayed. You can then ready the printer and try again without aborting the printing. In Setup you can specify what the heading on each recipe should read. For example "------ Karen's Gourmet Recipes -------" By leaving this field in Setup blank, no heading will be printed. You also have the option of printing recipe number and database name on the line below the recipe heading. See Setup for details. This Recipe - FAST - Hot-key: ALT-W This is the same as above, but without ANY questions asked. As soon as this function is selected, the recipe is printed to the printer. Other Recipes - Hot-key: None With this function you can print selected recipes from the Index. You can tag one recipe, or as many you want for multiple sheets of recipes. Move through the index and mark the recipes you want to Print by pressing the Enter key, Space bar or placing the mouse cursor on the line with the recipe name and clicking with the left mouse button. The check mark will indicate which recipes will be printed. Press F10 when done with selecting to start the printing. You will also be given the chance to print an ASCII file to a disk instead of to a printer. If you are printing to a printer, you will also be asked if you want to remove the blank lines between recipes. This will place more than one recipe on a sheet of paper, but a recipe could also be split between two pages. When printing to a file, there is one blank line between recipes. MicroCook Manual - Page 17 Index in Memory - Hot-Key: None This will print the CURRENT compiled index in memory. If you select this function without performing any of the View searches, the whole index (minus the recipes marked as deleted) will be printed. If you perform either an Index View search or a Disk View search, only those recipes found in the search will be printed. Manual - Hot-Key: None Here you can print out a hard copy of this manual. This routine will also add on an 8-character left margin to the text, so the sheets can be used in a 3-ring binder. The manual is formatted for a 60-line page, which is used in most laser and jet-ink printers. But it will also print well on a dot-matrix printer. Form Feed - Hot-Key: None If you need to advance the paper in the printer one page, this function will do so for you by sending a form feed command to the printer (ASCII 12). Registration - Hot-Key: None This menu item will only be visible if MicroCook is NOT registered, or the KEY file can't be found in the directory where MCOOK.EXE is. When selected, you'll have the option of printing the ALBERTS.TXT file, the SWREG.TXT file, the CREDIT.TXT file, or use an editor to enter information that can be mailed to NORSKi Software with a check or money order (US currency ONLY). The ALBERTS.TXT file has information about how you can register MicroCook in the Internet at Albert's Ambry Web Site. The SWREG.TXT file has information about easy registering for CompuServe members. See the CREDIT.TXT file if you want to register and pay with either VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit cards. With a credit card you can register through an 800-number, fax, e-mail or postal mail. The REGISTER.EXE program can also be used from the DOS prompt as a standalone program. The REGISTER program and all the related files will be deleted as soon as you install your KEY file. MicroCook Manual - Page 18 Database Menu (ALT-D) --------------------------------------- Change to - Hot-key: ALT-C Since you can have several different databases for use with MicroCook, you will need an easy and fast way to change between them. And this is it! When selected, an alphabetically sorted scrolling menu will be displayed with only the *.MCD database files that are in the current default directory (see Setup). By placing the cursor bar on the file you want to load, and pressing Enter, the file's Index will be loaded into memory. See description earlier in this manual about the File menu. Create New - Hot-key: None Before any database file can be used to save recipes in, it has to be created. This function will pop up a window where you can type in an 8-letter filename. Do NOT use extension, as this will be supplied by MicroCook. Both an empty main data file and the index file will be created. After the database has been created, you'll be asked if you want to set the new database as the active one. You can also change the name of the default database to it in Setup, so it will be loaded the next time you load MicroCook. The default directory where the database files will be created is also displayed in the window. If you want to create the database in a different directory, press F8. The same file menu as described above will then be displayed. But this time only the available directories and disk drives are displayed. After the file name has been entered, you will be asked if you want to make the new database active. If you answer Yes (Y), the new database will be loaded. If No (N) (or ESC), the current database will stay loaded. Re-Index - Hot-key: None If the index file for some reason should get corrupted with garbled data, you can re-create a new index file with this function. It will delete the old index and read the necessary information from the main data file and save it in a new index file. Clear or Set Codes - Hot-key: None If you are using Code Characters in the database you can use this function to clear them all, or set them all to the same character. MicroCook Manual - Page 19 Replace Codes - Hot-key: None If you should end up with many different Codes (which depends on how you use them), you can use this function to search for one code and replace that code character with another your specify. Some want to use the Code with a different character for each imported file, and when done editing them, change the Code character to a main Code that could be a code as an additional category, or type of recipes. Like one code for MicroCook Imports, another for Meal-Master Imports, and a third for MasterCook Imports. Pack - Hot-Key: None When you delete a recipe, it's not really deleted, but only marked so it won't show up in the index listing. It will also be ignored during a search. So the recipe still takes up room in the database, and on your hard disk. When you are 110% sure you DO NOT want to un-delete any of the marked recipes, use this Pack function to PERMANENTLY delete the recipes. During Pack, the database is renamed to MCOOKTMP.MCD. Then a new database is created with the same name as the one that is being Packed. Next all recipes that are NOT marked for deletion is copied from MCOOKTMP.MCD to the new database. When the Packing is done, you will be asked if you want to delete the OLD MCOOKTMP.MCD or not. This is the LAST chance to get any deleted recipes from the MCOOKTMP.MCD database! If you answer Yes, the recipes will be gone forever. If you answer No, the MCOOKTMP.MCD will still exist on the hard disk, and can be loaded as a normal database. But unless you need any recipes from it, it's just taking up disk space, so you might as well delete it. Setup - Hot-key: ALT-U Here you let MicroCook know about some of your PC's configurations and how you want the program to operate. Default Recipe File............................... This is the main data file MicroCook look for when it's loaded from the DOS prompt. If this file cannot be found, an error message will be displayed. While working in MicroCook you can change between databases as often as you want. Default: RECIPES.MCD Default Path for Recipe and data files............ Enter the disk drive and the directory where the recipe database files, index files and any ASCII export or Import files are. This does not have to be same directory as where the MCOOK.EXE program and its support files are saved. Default: Where MCOOK.EXE is located. MicroCook Manual - Page 20 Auto Save after Edit? (Y/N)....................... If you set this option to Y (Yes), MicroCook will not prompt you if a recipe has been edited, and you are about to select a function that possibly could clear the recipes currently on the screen, but automatically save it for you, no questions asked. By setting this to N (No), a message will prompt you to save before you can change function. Now you will have the option of either saving the recipe or not. Press F, or click on the letter, to bypass the save. Depending on the function you selected, the recipe could possibly still be on the screen when you return. For example, if you only wanted to look at the index, but not select a new recipe, the recipe on the screen will still be there. But if don't want to take any chances, save the recipe first. Default: N Printer Port used (LPT1-LPT4)..................... Enter the parallel port number where your printer is connected. Default: 1 Printer Page Length (Lines) ...................... Enter number of lines of effective printing one sheet of paper can handle. This is usually 66 lines for a Dot-Matrix continuous feed printer, and 60 lines for single sheet Laser (or any other single sheet) printer. Default: 66 Default Index Sort, Name or Category. (N/C)....... When the index is first loaded, it's sorted alphabetically on two keys, one primary and one secondary key. This function let you select the primary key. This can be on either recipe names (N) or categories (C). If you prefer to have recipes grouped by category instead of by index name, select C. Default: N Sort Ascending/Descending (A/D)................... Here the sort order for the primary key is set. The secondary key is also sorted in the same order. If ascending (A) is selected, the sort will be from A to Z. Apples will be on the top of the index, and Zucchini on the bottom. Descending sort will put the Zucchini on the top. The sort is case sensitive, so Zucchini (uppercase Z) will come before apples (lowercase a). Default: A MicroCook Manual - Page 21 Index Sort when Recipe Save/Database Load (Y/N) ... When the database is getting large, more than 1500 recipes, the Index sort will take a few seconds because it's a 2-key sort. But you can disable the automatic Index sort during Index load and also after a new or edited recipe has been saved by marking this item with N (No). You can then sort the index as needed while either in the Index (F8) or from the Index menu. If the Sort is set to on, (Y), the Index will only be sorted if either the recipe name or category is sorted. If only editing has been done in either the Ingredients or Preparation editor, no sort will be performed when the recipe is saved again. Default: N Enable Display and Load by Recipe#? (Y/N)........ If this function is enabled, the recipe (record) numbers will be displayed in the Index listing. The recipes can then be loaded directly by the Load by Number function in the File menu, or ALT-L hot-key. Default: N Auto check for duplicate recipe names? (Y/N)..... When this function is enabled, MicroCook will check the current index to determine if a recipe already exists with the same name as one that is being entered and saved from the editors or being imported with one of the imports. The name check is NOT case sensitive, but the spelling and punctuation of the whole recipe name must be the same. If a recipe is about to be saved and has the same name as one already in the Index, a window will pop up and warn you about it. Default: N 12 or 24-hour clock format? (12/24) ................ Here you can choose if you want the clock on the screen to display the time in the 12-hour format (A.M. & P.M.) or in the military 24-hour format, also used in Europe and other parts of the world. 11:37:12 PM vs. 23:37:12. Default: 12 Name of Screen Saver file, included extension ...... The screen saver isn't really needed with today monitors, but they can be nice and relaxing to look at. So I have collected Oodles of Doodles, and complied them into MCDOODLE.EXE. More details about MCDOODLE.EXE are in the MCDOODLE.TXT file. Also how to use your own (or somebody else's screen saver). Be sure that you enter the whole file name of the screen saver, included the EXE, COM or BAT extension. If the specified screen saver file is not found in the same directory where MCOOK.EXE is, nothing will happen when the time has passed to activate the screen saver. Default: MCDOODLE.EXE MicroCook Manual - Page 22 Minutes till Screen Saver Activates (0-60) (0=Not Used) If you have loaded MicroCook on your PC, and it just sits there and is doing nothing, this function will make it do "something." If the keyboard or mouse hasn't been used within the time limit set here, a graphical screen saver will be activated. This screen saver has many different screens, and they will change in a random manner. Just tap a key on the keyboard or click one of the mouse buttons to get back to the editors again. If you don't want the screen saver activated at all, enter a 0 (Zero) here, and you'll never see it again. This screen saver ONLY works on VGA or better monitors. If a CGA or EGA monitor is detected, it will not be activated. Default: 5 Silent Mode (NO Chimes).......................... With a Y (Yes) here, all the chimes and beeps will be disabled. Default: N Capitalize First Letter in Recipe Name? (Y/N) ... With the feature ON (marked Y), any recipe name, either entered in the editor, or through an Import will capitalize the first letter in each word in the recipe name. Since the sort is case sensitive, Zucchini will come before apple, but if they both have the first letter in uppercase, Apple will come before Zucchini. Default: Y Print Database name * Rec.# on printout (Y/N) ... When this option is marked Y (yes), the recipe number and the name of the recipe database are printed on the line below the recipe heading. So if you have lots of recipe databases, you can easily locate the correct database and recipe number from the hard copy of the recipe. Default: Y Top line on printed recipes ..................... Here you customize the printout of the recipes. You can either enter your own heading, or leave it blank for no heading. Default: ---------- MicroCook Recipe ----------- Mouse Cursor Foreground Color#: Background#: Character#: Bored with the same mouse cursor? Now you can create your own! Choose from 15 foreground colors, 7 background colors, and 253 different characters. That's an awful lot of combinations! When the editors' cursor is placed on one of these three input fields, a large window will pop up with color numbers to use, and also the ASCII decimal number of some of the characters that can be used. Many of the low ASCII characters, from 31 and down to 1 MicroCook Manual - Page 23 can also be used as cursor. See an ASCII chart for a full listing. A DOS or Windows manual might have one as an appendix. Look at the mouse cursor after you change one of the values and move to the next field! Defaults: 14-4-4, which is a yellow diamond on red background. When done editing the setup, press F4 to save, or ESC to cancel. If F4 was pressed, MicroCook will reinitialize so any changes can be put into effect. Tools Menu (ALT-T) ----------------------------------------- File Manager - Hot-Key: ALT-K With file manager you can take care of many file tasks without leaving MicroCook. Here you can copy or move files to other disk drives or directories, rename or delete them, or take a look at them with the file viewer. Of course, only ASCII text files will make any sense, EXE or COM files will only display some characters that won't make for good reading. If you want a hard copy printed out of the file currently viewed, press F9. The limit on files in the file viewer is about 16,000 lines. Any existing ASCII file, up to approximately 50Kb in size, can be edited, or you can start to write a new ASCII file. When you start a new file, its size is set to 500 lines, and when you load an existing file there's room to add 100 more lines. If a file that's too big for the editor is loaded, an error message will be displayed. On the left side is a listing of the disk drives available, and also the directories and files in the current directory. The listing is keyboard sensitive, so by typing a letter on the keyboard, the highlighted cursor bar will move to the first directory or filename that starts with that letter. Repetitive typing of the same letter will move the cursor bar to the next file with the correct first letter. If you know the name of the file you want, you can type in a partial or full name by pressing TAB. This will bring up a small one line editor where you can enter the file name. The wild card is ?. The wild card only work if it's used before the last letter typed. To perform a function on one of the files, you must place the cursor bar on the filename first, and then either click on the appropriate button with the mouse cursor, or press ALT and the (red) first letter in the function name at the same time. If you want to change disk drive or directory, place the cursor bar on the drive/directory name, and press (or click on) ENTER. If you try to access a disk drive that's not ready, an error message will be displayed. MicroCook Manual - Page 24 When a file is selected for either copy or move, a window will pop up where the destination drive and directory must be entered. If the file is moved, it will be deleted from the current directory after it has been copied. Also when renaming a file, a window will pop up where you must enter the new file name. If a file with the same name already exists in the current directory, an error message will be displayed. If you select to delete a file, a window will pop up and ask if you are sure that you really want to delete it. The ASCII editor can be used to edit anything from the AUTOEXEC.BAT to any recipe files you might download from a BBS. If you need to edit recipes in other formats than those that can be directly imported into MicroCook, there are built in macros for the "key" words and headings that MicroCook looks for when importing ASCII files in its own format. Press F2 to see a listing of the available macros. While the macro listing is displayed, you can also enter your own macro test for F3. Press F3 to activate the macro editor. After the macro is saved, it will always be available in the ASCII editor. If you need help on how the MicroCook ASCII format looks like, press ALT-F2 to see a detailed description. ALT-S will save the current file, and ALT-N will clear the editor so you can start a new file. ESC will bring you back to the File Manager again. If a file is edited before exiting, and it is not saved, a message will be displayed, and ask if you want to save first. Read Manual - Hot-key: ALT-M If you don't have a printed manual (this document) nearby while working in MicroCook, you can select this function and read it without first exiting MicroCook. See "Conversions" about navigating in the file viewer. The manual is called MCOOK.MAN, and it MUST reside in the same directory as MCOOK.EXE. Conversions - Hot-key: None Selecting this function will bring up an ASCII file viewer with a file called MCOOK.MCC. This file MUST reside in the same directory as MCOOK.EXE. This file contains some conversions between metric and English weights and volume, abbreviations for measures used in recipes, some substitutes that can be used during cooking, and conversions between degrees Centigrade and degrees Fahrenheit. This file is an ASCII text file, so you can edit and/or add your own data that you might need to look at while entering recipes. You can scroll up, down or sideways MicroCook Manual - Page 25 through the file with Page Up, Page Down, the up, down, left or right arrow keys, or by placing the mouse cursor on the up or down arrows by the scroll bars and clicking the left button. The End key will place the cursor on the last line in the document, and Home will place it on the first line. F3 will bring up a small window where you can type in text that you want to search for. When found, the text will be highlighted, otherwise a Not Found message will be displayed. Press ESC to return to the editors. About..... - Hot-Key: None About provides information relating to MicroCook. The program name and version will be displayed in a pop-up window as well as an indication as to whether or not the program has been registered. If it's registered, the serial number and the name of the person it was registered to are also displayed. Status - Hot-key: None As your recipe database grows, you can take a look in this Status window to see how many more recipes there are room for in the database currently in use. This is an estimate only, calculated from the free memory you currently have in your PC. Also displayed is how much free disk space is left on the disk currently in use. And how many more recipes it could hold, if you were to fill up the rest of the disk with recipes only. Even though the Status window says you can have for example, 1985 recipes in a database, you should try to keep the maximum at least 20-30 less than that number. BEST: Keep the databases below 1500 recipes. Smaller databases are faster in loading, sorting and selecting from. This will protect you in case you add a new RAM resident program (TSR) and still allow you to access the database and the index. Also, if you have many recipes in a database, Imports and editing will slow down if Duplicate Checking is on. DOS Shell - Hot-key: None Need a short trip to the DOS prompt? Here's the door. There's probably not enough memory to load WordPerfect, but most DOS programs less than 200 KB should work. If you change directories while in DOS, MicroCook will change it back to the working directory when entering the program again. Type EXIT to reenter MicroCook again. MicroCook Manual - Page 26 Export/Import Menu ----------------------------------------- Export MicroCook Database - Hot-key: None With this function you can export the whole (basically copy the one in use), or selected recipes from the one currently in use. Since MicroCook uses a fixed length record random access database system, these files can ONLY be used by MicroCook. When selected you will be asked for a filename to use when you export. Type in a name, maximum eight characters and no extension. If a file with that name already exists, a message will ask you if you want to enter a different name, append to the existing one, or overwrite the existing one. If you enter a new file name, a new database will be created, but without the index file. If you select "overwrite" the existing database will be deleted, and a new empty one with the same name will be created. Next you will have the choice of if you want to export all or selected recipes. If you have compiled an Index on a Search Word and want those recipes in a separate database, select #3. You can be even more detailed with #4, Export Selected Recipes from Current Index, where you can tag from the compiled Index. If Selected is chosen, the index will be displayed. And now you can tag only the recipes you want to export to the new database. When done tagging, press F10 to start the export. This export feature can be a handy feature if you later want to divide up the recipes into different groups, like different ethnic foods, or want to mail some of your recipes on a floppy disk to a friend who also uses MicroCook. Press F8 to bring up the File menu described earlier if you want the new database file to be saved in a different directory. After the export is done, you will be asked if you want to mark the exported recipes as Deleted. This would be the same as you had MOVED the recipes to a different database. MicroCook Manual - Page 27 Import MicroCook database - Hot-key: None This allows you to import the database files that were exported with the function described above. When selected, you will see the scrolling File menu with the available databases in the current directory. After you have selected one, the next question is if you want to verify the recipe before it's saved to the one currently in use. If you answered N (No) all recipes will be imported. If you are not sure if you want all the recipes in the imported one, answer Y (Yes). That way you can select those you want to save or want to edit a little. As the recipes are retrieved from the database, they are displayed in the editors. If you don't want to save it, just answer N (No), and MicroCook will continue on to the next one. Press Y (Yes) to save it, or E (Edit) if you want to edit it. If you select Edit, the editors will be activated. When you are done editing, press ALT-S to Save, or ALT-N if you don't want to save it. The import will continue on to the next recipe. This editing function is only available if you answer Y (Yes) to verify the recipes as they are imported. You can abort the import at any time by pressing ESC, or clicking the right mouse button. When done importing, you will be asked if you want to import more files. If the database you are importing is from a MicroCook version prior to 1.81, it will automatically be converted during import. Export MicroCook ASCII - Hot-Key: None If you are using bulletin board systems (BBS) such as GEnie (TM), Prodigy (TM), CompuServe (TM), America On Line (TM) or any other BBS, and want to upload one or more of your recipes to share with friends that also use MicroCook, this is the function to use. If you need to share ASCII recipe files with someone that doesn't have MicroCook (yet), the ASCII format is so "clean" that the file can be used in any word processor or text editor. So that MicroCook can recognize the ASCII recipe, there's a header and footer line. These two lines must NOT be changed. Also some of the other text is used as "road markers," so that MicroCook knows what goes where. If you export in a narrower than the default 78 character wide format, you should try to use an indent (Tab) on the first line in each new paragraph. This will help reconstruct the Preparation text closer to the exported original when importing again. If no major change has happened in the ASCII recipe between the header marker and the end of recipe marker, MicroCook can pick out the recipe and format it for use without any problems from within a large file with other downloaded E-mail. MicroCook Manual - Page 28 The procedure to Export MC ASCII files is the same as MC Database Export, except here you will also be asked for the width in characters of the ASCII file. If you want to post MicroCook ASCII recipes on BBS's, or on Online services like AOL, CompuServe, GEnie or DELPHI, you should use a narrower than the 78 wide default format. But check with the Sysop on-line for which width is preferred. By using the best width for the BBS the downloaded ASCII file will import much better into MicroCook again. MicroCook will remember which width you used when you use the ASCII export again. In MicroCook 1.3x a ^ formatting character was used. This character made the recipes not very "BBS friendly," so some Sysops refused to post MicroCook recipes. The 1.3x format will still import correctly with this version. Import MicroCook ASCII - Hot-key: None This is the function you need to use when importing the specially formatted ASCII files exported with the function described above. When selected, the file menu described earlier will pop up with a listing of ALL files in the current directory. So be sure you select only the ones that are valid MC ASCII files. If any other files are selected, nothing will happen because MicroCook can't find the MC ASCII recipe header, and after it has gone through the whole file, a "No Recipes found" message will be displayed putting you back in the editors. Here you also will have the option of verifying and/or editing the recipes before they are saved to the database currently in use, or importing all of them. If the ASCII recipe has been exported in a narrower format than the default 78 characters, it will be expanded again. MicroCook will try to figure out where the beginning and end of paragraphs are, but depending on the exported file, it might not always be successful. When done importing, you will be asked if you want to import more files. See MCFORMAT.TXT regarding how a MicroCook ASCII file must look before it can be imported. Import MealMaster ASCII - Hot-Key: None I know that there are many ASCII recipe files formatted for Meal-Master(TM) around on various BBS's. And if you want to download any of them and import them, you can use this function. I have tried to make this function as flexible as possible without letting anything but Meal-Master recipes through. This function will work for both the special Prodigy format and the "generic" Meal-Master ASCII format. But since these Meal-Master recipes are not created by MicroCook, some editing might be necessary during Import to get them the way you want them. But I think about 99% of them do just fine as they are. MicroCook Manual - Page 29 When this function is selected, the same file manager as described above will be displayed with a listing of ALL the files in the current directory. After a file is selected, MicroCook will ask if you want to verify each recipe during Import. If you answer Yes, you can select to either save, not save, or edit the recipes as they are found in the imported file. When answering No, MicroCook will import nonstop. If Duplicate checking is set to On, the import will stop if a duplicate recipe is found. The next window will ask how you want to format the ingredients. Samples are provided so you can see how different options will format the imported recipe. When done, type D(one), or click on the Done! button. Now MicroCook will load the file and start to look for the Meal-Master header: ---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (TM) v7.0 (or other version) After the header is found, the rest of the text is deciphered, and the recipe name, categories, servings, ingredients and preparation are put into the correct places in the MicroCook recipe. Also the narrow Prodigy (*P) format and recipes from most versions of Meal-Master and MMCONV are recognized. When done importing, you will be asked if you want to import more files. If the number of lines in either Ingredients or Preparations is more than MicroCook capacity (34 & 50), a warning window will pop up. You now have the option to either save or not to save the recipe. Import MasterCook ASCII - Hot-Key: None This is another ASCII format that is getting popular on many BBS and On-line services. The Import will recognize the MasterCook II and MasterCook Mac formats. Since the MasterCook ASCII files are not created by MicroCook, some reformatting of the text might be necessary. NOTE: A standalone conversion program for converting ASCII recipes from Edna's Cookbook is also included. This might not be as popular a format, but several users have asked for this utility, so they got it! The program is called EDNA2MC.EXE. See EDNA2MC.TXT for details on how to use this utility. Help - Hot-Key: F1 Just that - HELP! This function will bring up an ASCII file in the ASCII file viewer called MCOOK.HLP. This file MUST reside in the same directory as MCOOK.EXE. In this file only keys and key combinations that are not printed on the screens are listed, like the hot-keys, and editing keys in the editors. If you need detailed help about MicroCook, use the Read Manual function in the Tools menu. If you want to add your own Help and/or tips in this file, you can use the ASCII editor in the MicroCook file Manager, or use an ASCII editor like MS-DOS's EDIT, You can also use a word processor, but be sure to save what you write as a pure ASCII text. MicroCook Manual - Page 30 What's next? I have received several suggestions from users of previous versions that I will try to implement in the next version. Some of them are in this version too. But the more feedback I get from YOU, the user, the better MicroCook gets. So, please let me know the GOOD and BAD about MicroCook, and what you would like to see in the next version. Either by mail, on the registration card, by phone or on one of the on-line services where I'm a member. See the WHATNEXT.TXT file for some of what's in the works or planned with MicroCook. There was one man that wrote MicroCook was so easy to use that "even his mother-in-law could use it," whatever that could mean. And then there are others that say they can't figure it out at all. Some write and say there's not enough manual or help, other don't need any at all. I know there are many ways to write manuals and help files, and no one will please all. One wrote and said that it should be illegal for programmers to write the manuals for their own programs. And I can agree with that, but I can't afford to hire a technical writer right now. This is still only a few-hours-a-night hobby. I guess I could write a 500-page manual where everything was described in such details that even the most computer illiterate would understand it, but I don't think it's my place to teach people how to turn on their PC and how to use a mouse. And nobody would read all that anyway. Some basic DOS or Windows skills must be assumed. But many people also only reads the manual as the last resort, so if you read this at the end of this manual, you are one of the few. As MicroCook goes through versions, so does the manual, so I hope that it will get better as MicroCook gets better. There might be a few new/changed items that have not made it to this manual yet. See WHATSNEW.TXT for the latest features added. A special THANK YOU to: Annie, Beverly, Bill, Berni, Bobbie, Chet, Cindy, Darla, Fred, Gail, Gloria, Hank, Herman, Irene, Jackson, Judi, Kay, Linda, Neil, Patsy, Shari, Shirley and Wendy on GEnie On-line Services. They helped me in getting the "bugs" out of MicroCook. Without them and their suggestions and keen eyes for "something that doesn't work right," MicroCook wouldn't be what it is today. Couldn't ask for better Beta Testers! And thank you for good ideas for improvements to Mike, Charlie, Bobbie, David and many more. Keep 'em coming! And also a BIG THANK YOU to Caryl in Texas for help with the manual. The various brand names mentioned in this manual are registered trademarks. Last page in MicroCook Manual - Page 31