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- History of PopDBF Development
- =============================
-
- Future Features include:
- ----------------------------------------------
-
- o Network version for multi-user access
-
- o Memo read/edit
-
- o Create database \
- \
- o Copy structure \
- \
- o Zap function == Programmers edition available early '90
- /
- o Pack function /
- /
- o Modify structure /
-
- Version 3.6 - Released February 7, 1990 (first commercial release)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- o Commercial version includes a program, POPCFG.COM, to configure
- the hotkey.
-
- o Path option from Pick File Window has been replaced by Dir option
- which functions like the change directory command in DOS. This
- same option is now used to change drives just as you would in DOS.
-
- o You may enter a specific file, including drive and path, by
- pressing F3 from Pick File Window.
-
- o Added command line option to specify default action, /A. The
- default action is taken for each file when Enter is pressed. It
- can be changed at any time by pressing F5.
-
- o The frequently used database file can optionally specify the
- action to be taken when the appropriate hotkey is pressed (Alt-1
- thru 0). If the file name, in POPDBF.FRQ is preceded by one of
- the following letters, A B E or S AND a space the action taken
- will be the same as pressing Alt and that letter.
-
- o Added a warning when leaving Edit or Append and changes that you
- have made have not been saved.
-
- o Changed all prompts for input to use left and right arrow keys,
- home, end, delete and insert. CTRL-Y will always blank input
- field.
-
- o Changed the pass-thru function so that it can be used even if
- PopDBF is already loaded in memory.
-
- o Fixed a bug which allowed invalid months and days in date fields.
-
- o Fixed a bug which zeroed numeric fields when the RETURN key was
- pressed after editing a preceding date field.
-
- o Fixed a bug caused by insufficient video storage and occurred
- when using help while editing a record.
-
- o Fixed the /D command line, which option did not work correctly when
- no drive was specified.
-
- Version 3.5 - Released November 3, 1989
- ---------------------------------------
-
- o Program is now just one version, EDIT. However, a READ-ONLY
- version is available upon request.
-
- o Made necessary changes to join ASP. Demo version is fully
- functional with the only difference being the registration
- information screen, not included in registered copies.
-
- o You no longer have to be in the directory where POPDBF.COM is
- located when you load PopDBF into memory for context sensitive
- help to be available. However, POPDBF.HLP does need to be in
- the same directory as POPDBF.COM.
-
- o The default number of fields has been reduced from 128 to 64
- and the default edit buffer has been reduced from 2K to 1K.
- This is just to reduce the default memory footprint. You can
- specify /F128 and /E2048 on the command line to use the old
- values.
-
- o To make the pop-up more instantaneous, only directories WITHOUT
- an extension are available in the Pick file window.
-
- o You can now get from any major area to any other major area
- by directly pressing some ALT key combination. The major
- areas are: Append records, Browse records, Edit records,
- File selection, view Structure. Pressing ALT and the proper
- capital letter will take you to that area.
-
- o Pressing the ALT key will cause the status line to show a
- menu with the areas described above and the appropiate letter
- hilited as well as other options.
-
- o Help has been greatly improved both in content and functionality.
- You can now scroll up and down through help and hotkey out of it.
-
- o You can now change the file access mode from anywhere by pressing
- Alt-M. File access mode must be read/write to Edit or Append.
-
- o Frequently used files feature. A file named POPDBF.FRQ can
- contain up to 10 fully qualified database file names for access
- from the Pick file window using Alt-1 through Alt-0.
-
- o Current field and record are now shown with their corresponding
- maximum (i.e. 10/200).
-
- o While finding text the record number in the window border will
- reflect the current record being searched.
-
- o Added ability to search on a selected field or fields. You
- can also force the search string to be found entirely within
- one field to avoid finding part of a string in one field and
- the rest of it in adjacent field.
-
- o Changed the key that moved the cursor to the first blank
- character after any data in a field in Edit from Alt-End to
- End. Ctrl-E will now move to the last position in the field.
-
- o Changed the century toggle key from Ctrl-D to Ctrl-C.
-
- o Added two new command line arguments. /D will allow you to
- specify an initial directory and /Z will start the Browse window
- in zoomed out (expanded) mode.
-
- o Fixed an error which occurred when deleting some characters in a
- field while in Edit and then pressing the End key. The error
- did cause a Divide Overflow error, which forced a reboot.
-
- o Fixed an error which occured when no files or directories were
- found in the current directory on the current drive. Now zero
- files are displayed and you can use F3 to change drives or
- hotkey out.
-
- o Fixed an error in the find next which didn't beep when sitting
- on the last record in the file, but should have.
-
- o Fixed an error which occured when all fields in the structure
- were marked (numbered). EDIT would perform strangely when using
- the hotkey to exit and re-enter.
-
- Version 3.4 - Released August 17, 1989
- --------------------------------------
-
- o Added message when trying to edit record in read mode.
-
- o Added Alt-END to go to first position AFTER last non-blank
- character.
-
- o Fixed a bug that caused underlying applications to terminate
- when exiting PopDBF. This really got fixed on 8/24/89, but
- only a few people fell between the cracks.
-
- Version 3.3 - Released July 24, 1989
- ------------------------------------
-
- o Added the ability to view an index expression from the File
- Selection window.
-
- o Added ability to specify a default file specification by pressing
- function key F4 from the File Selection window.
-
- o Added ability to copy any record onto the current record being
- appended or edited. (EDIT version only)
-
- o Added ability to move a word at a time. (EDIT version only)
-
- o Added system date stamp. (EDIT version only)
-
- o Fixed many minor bugs in the edit routine. (EDIT version only)
-
- o Fixed a bug which occurred when specifying a pass-thru filename
- that contained wildcards.
-
- o Fixed file selection to handle 0 files found.
-
- o Smaller default buffer sizes.
-
- Version 3.2 - Released June 17, 1989
- ------------------------------------
-
- o Fixed a bug which occured when editing a character field that was
- longer than 60 bytes. The field was edited correctly, but the
- cursor was positioned incorrectly.
-
- Version 3.2 - Released May 31, 1989
- -----------------------------------
-
- o There is now a "pass-thru" mode so you can use PopDBF without
- installing it into memory. You may also specify a file name with
- this option and go right to browsing that file.
-
- o Should work with all dBASE IV files.
-
-
- Version 3.1 - Released May 27, 1989
- -----------------------------------
-
- o Fixed bug when assigning a mark and no other marks exist.
-
- o After panning to the right, executing a ZOOM did force
- browse display to begin with first field, but now works.
-
- o You can now adjust the size of the read buffer in bytes, the size
- of the edit buffer in bytes (EDIT version only), and the maximum
- number of fields. This is done by specifying command line
- parameters when loading PopDBF into memory.
-
- o All windows now have shadows to give a 3-D look.
-
- Version 3.0 - Released April 26, 1989 (first release to bulletin board)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- o Included the EDIT capability!!.
-
- o Fixed the find-next to start at the record after the one the bar
- is on instead of the second record from the top of the window.
-
- o Changed find and find next to be F7 and F8 for easier operation.
-
- o Failure of either a find or find next now causes the bell to sound.
-
- o Added to /W switch to start in EDIT mode.
-
-
- Version 2.55 - Released April 9, 1989
- -------------------------------------
-
- o Dates are now formatted correctly as MM/DD/YY. Also, you
- can now press Alt-D when browsing to toggle the century on
- or off. When on, the date is formatted as MM/DD/YYYY.
-
- o Memos now show as the word 'memo'.
-
- o Pressing F10 from FILE SELECTION will now work correctly, even
- if an alternate path had been specified
-
-
- Version 2.54 - Released April 6, 1989
- --------------------------------------
-
- o Fixed a bug in the find routine that could have caused system
- crashes.
-
- o Pressing the hotkey while entering find text now exits back to
- the browse window instead of beginning the find.
-
- o You can now assign sequence marks to unmarked fields.
-
- o When printing records you may elect to limit the printing
- to only those records in the print range that meet a previous
- find condition.
-
- o Alt-F1 will pop-up a help window with information about general
- keyboard movement.
-
- o Pressing PGDN in file selection or view structure when there are
- less than a window's worth of entries now moves the bar to the
- last entry in the window.
-
- Version 2.53 - Released April 1, 1989
- -------------------------------------
-
- o If help file is not found, error message did not show where it
- expected it to be located.
-
- o After panning to the right, executing a GOTO or a FIND did force
- browse display to begin with first field, but now works.
-
- Version 2.52 - Released on March 25, 1989 (1st release)
- -------------------------------------------------------
-
- o Context sensitive help improved both in the area of speed and text.
-
- o Added ability to toggle case sensitivity indicator while in the
- find window.