9Data Types***********************************************9 DATA TYPES 9 9 The following data types are available for 9InfoBaseST record fields: 9 9 String Series of Alphanumeric characters. 9 [Default Data Type] 9 Boolean Boolean expression, T, F or Blank. 9 Integer Number with up to 11 digits of precision 9 and no decimal. 9 Real Number with 11 digit mantissa and exponent9 in the -38 to +38 range. 9 Date Month/Day/Year format. Month as number or9 three letter abbreviation. Year in two 9 or four digit format. Dividing character 9 anything byt number or letter (i.e. /,-) 9 Name Special form of String. FIRST MIDDLE LAST9 Format for input. Automatically modifies 9 to LAST FIRST MIDDLE for Search and Sort. 9 Company Boolean added after Name. 9Key Commands*********************************************9 KEY COMMANDS 9 Key Operations 9 ----- ---------- 9 ^O Open a disk file 9 ^S Save a disk file 9 ^C Clear a current database 9 ^Q Exit program 9 alt-D Enter Design Mode 9 alt-I Enter Input Mode 9 alt-F Enter Search Mode/Process 9 alt-S Enter Sort Mode/Process 9 alt-O Enter Output Mode 9 ^E Enter a Data Field 9 ^M Modify a Data Field 9 ^D Delete Current Record 9 TAB Create New Record 9 F1/F2 Toggle Field Selection List (Output Mode) 9 UNDO Recall Last Deleted Record 9 HELP Call up Help Screens 9 9Infomation Line******************************************9 INFORMATION LINE 9 9 The third line of the InfoBaseST screen is the 9information line. Depending on the mode, this line 9relays varying infomation to the user. 9 9Design Mode : The current cursor location. 9Input Mode : The data type of the current field. 9 The current Record number and total number 9 of records. 9Search Mode : Search Criteria choices. 9Sort Mode : Input Choices, Sh-Up Arrow; Sh-Dn Arrow. 9Output Mode : The current cursor location. 9 9Filter Database : Inputing Data to a different Design. 9 Datatype and size of current disk field. 9 Label (name) of current disk field. 9 Datatype and size of current screen design field 9 9 9Menu System-Windows-Scroll Bars-Window Title*************9 GEM WINDOW INFORMATION 9 9 The InfoBaseST screen consists of a GEM Window with 9the following charateristics: 91) Menu Bar - Almost all commands can be issued via the 9 menu. Move the mouse onto a menu title to activate 9 the menu, then select the desired command by moving 9 the mouse pointer the the command and pressing the 9 mouse button. Menu items that appear in light text 9 are not selectable because of program conditions. 92) Window Name - The second line of the window contains 9 the name of the current screen design file and data- 9 base file, or empty if none has been loaded. 93) Information Line - The third line of the window is a 9 line of information pertaining to the current program 9 mode (see Help on Info). 94) Vertical Scroll Bar - Use the vertical scroll bar to 9 move quickly throught the database. The location of 9 the white box indicates the relative location in the 9 database. 9Cursor Control*******************************************9 CURSOR CONTROL 9 9 The cursor keys are used for a variety of commands, 9depending upon the current program mode. 9Design Mode : Move cursor to facilitate field placement. 9Input Mode : Down Arrow - Next Field 9 Up Arrow - Previous Field 9 Right Arrow- Next Character 9 Left Arrow - Previous Character 9 Sh.Right/Left Arrow - Next/Previous Record 9 ^Right/Left Arrow - Last/First Record 9Search Mode : Same as Input Mode but only the search 9 list is navigated. 9Sort Mode : Down Arrow - Next Field 9 Up Arrow - Previous Field 9 Shift Up Arrow - Select Ascending Sort 9 Shift Down Arrow - Select Descending Sort 9Output Mode : Move Cursor for output placement. 9 9 9Files****************************************************9 FILES 9 9 Their are several types of files utilized by 9InfoBaseST. They are as follows; 9 9 .SCR Screen Design 9 .DAT Database Storage 9 .PRT Report Design 9 .TXT Report Output to Disk 9 .HLP InfoBaseST Help File 9 .BSC Backup Screen Design 9 .BDT Backup Database 9 9 Each database file is "linked" to a screen design 9structure. If the structure of the database does not 9match the current screen design, the data must be filter-9ed (See Filter help). If a file to be saved and a file 9on disk have the same name, the disk file is renamed with9a .BSC or .BDT extender to avoid losing data. Be very 9careful when saving a search database not to overwrite! 9Filter***************************************************9 FILTER A DATABASE 9 9 One of the most convenient, and yet most difficult 9abilities of InfoBaseST, is to load a database into a new9screen design. This can be used to redesign an existing 9database, view only part of a database or simply to view 9the data in a different format. The information line is 9very important to this task. Watch it closely. It is 9also a good idea to have the screen design of the data- 9written down for reference. 9 Load or design the target screen design. Then load 9the database. You must now instruct InfoBaseST how to 9"filter" the disk based data into the current screen 9design. The information line will describe the current 9data field of the database. The cursor will determine 9where the data will be placed on the screen. Move the 9cursor with the mouse. When the cursor is in the correct9field, press the RIGHT mouse button. The next data field9will be displayed. Use the ^arrow keys to change the 9field. Select Quit (^Q) from the File menu when done. 9Report @ Commands****************************************9 REPORT @ COMMANDS 9 9 When designing a report, the output can be created 9in several ways. Typing on the screen will produce the 9same output for each record. Selecting a data field will9display the data for each record into the report. There 9are also several special commands to output variable 9information to the report. 9 9 @Date - Print the current date. 9 @Page - Print the page number on each page of the 9 report. 9 @Line - Print the line number for each record. 9 @Rec# - Print the record number for each record. 9 @Null - Eliminate formating for the remainder of 9 the report line. There will be no white 9 space added between fields to pad to the 9 field width. Useful for address labels, 9 for instance. 9 9Delete/New Records***************************************9 DELETE/CREATE RECORD 9 9 9 9 9 A new record is created by pressing the TAB key or 9selecting New Rec from the Record menu. This will add 9a new blank record to the database. A database cannot 9be saved until it contains at least two records. 9 9 The current record is deleted by selected Delete 9the Record menu or pressing ^D. This will remove the 9record from the database. If this is done by mistake, 9press UNDO. This will recover an accidentally deleted 9record. 9 9 9 9 9 9DESIGN MODE**********************************************9 DESIGN MODE 9 9Options : Design a database Design/Enter - ^E 9 Retrieve a design File/Open - ^O 9 Quit InfoBaseST File/Quit - ^Q 9 9 Use Design Mode to create templates for a database. 9Select the location for a data field by moving the cursor9with the arrow keys or with the mouse. Select Enter from9the Design menu or press ^E to produce a dialog box where9the data field is created. To modify a data field after 9it has been entered, select Modify from the Design menu 9or press ^M to produce the same dialog box. Reposition 9a data field by placing the cursor anywhere on the field 9and then pressing Control-cursor key. You may not over- 9lap two fields with this process. 9 9 Select Open from the File menu or press ^O to select9a screen design that has previously been saved. After 9selecting a screen design, the program enters Input Mode.9INPUT MODE***********************************************9 INPUT MODE 9 9Options : Enter Data 9 Recall File File/Open - ^O 9 Save File File/Save - ^S 9 Clear Memory File/Clear - ^C 9 Enter Design Mode Mode/Design - alt-D 9 Enter Search Mode Mode/Search - alt-F 9 Enter Sort Mode Mode/Sort - alt-S 9 Enter Output Mode Mode/Output - alt-O 9 9 9 Use Input Mode to enter and modify data. Use the 9cursor keys to move around the screen. Up and down arrow9will move to the previous and next field while right and 9left arrow keys move within a field. The mouse can also 9be utilized to move the cursor. Position the mouse 9pointer in the desired field and press the left button. 9 9 9SEARCH MODE**********************************************9 SEARCH MODE 9 9Options : Return to Input Mode Mode/Input - alt-I 9 Implement Search Record/Search- alt-F 9 Select Search Criteria F1 - F6 9 9 Use Search Mode to find the record or records that 9match one or more conditions. Enter the conditions into 9the blank record in the correct field. Select a search 9criteria from those given in the information line. The 9default is "=". Use the wildcard "*" for a partial 9match. 9 9Examples : 9 *Smith - will find all names that contain Smith as 9 part of the name. 9 >10 - will find all records with an entry 9 greater than 10. 9 <>*Fred*- will find all records that do not contain 9 the string 'Fred'. 9SORT MODE************************************************9 SORT MODE 9 9Options : Return to Input Mode Mode/Input - alt-I 9 Implement Sort Record/Sort - alt-S 9 9 Use Sort Mode to place the records in a specified 9order. Position the cursor in the field to use for the 9sort and press Shift-Up Arrow or Shift-Down Arrow for an 9ascending or descending sort. An up or down arrow and 9number will appear in the field to indicate the type of 9sort, ascending or descending and the order of the sort. 9 9 The program will sort on the primary field only 9unless an exact match is found during the sort. It will 9then rely on the secondary or more field designated to 9determine the correct order. 9 9 After the sort, the records will be displayed in the9new order and the first record will be the current 9record. 9OUTPUT MODE**********************************************9 OUTPUT MODE 9 9Options : Open Report Design File/Open - ^O 9 Save Report Design File/Save - ^S 9 Clear Current Design File/Clear - ^C 9 Quit InfoBaseST File/Quit - ^Q 9 Return to Input Mode Mode/Input - alt-I 9 Modify Report Mode Mode/Output - alt-O 9 Output Current Report Output/Print 9 Output/Disk 9 Output/Screen 9 9 Report Mode is used to design a form for output. 9Text can be positioned anywhere on the screen. The 9fields of the current database are displayed at the top 9of the screen. Position the cursor in the report design 9area and then select a database field with the mouse to 9have that field output at the current cursor location. 9 9
