APDL Eductation Resources

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Text File | 1995-07-26 | 16.1 KB | 326 lines

© Dizzy Wizard Software, 1995 << See New features >> Vicinity by John 'Juggler' Wright version 1.22 **** PLEASE NOTE: Existing compressed bases will NOT work with this version **** Vicinity Help File (This file available as Impression file) ------------------ >> What does Vicinity do? Vicinity is just another address book hiden under a flashy name. It has all the usual features: it holds name, address and telephone information; you can flick through the records; search for a name (case insensitive); goto to a record; insert a record; delete a record; create new bases; import other address book formats. (Really!) >> Loading Double-click (using SELECT) on the !Vicinity icon in the filer window. Once loaded Vicinity's main window will open in the centre of the screen and Vicinity's filer icon will appear on the icon bar. The main window will not open if there isn't a file inside !Vicinity.Auto called Default which is (obviously) loaded automatically. This Default file can also be loaded from the icon bar menu by clicking on 'Load Default'. To save a base as the default click MENU in the address book window and select Make this Default. Vicinity will save the file as <Vicinity$Dir>.Auto.Default. >> To create a base This can be done by clicking MENU on Vicinity's icon on the icon bar then choosing Create from the menu or doing the same with the menu from the main window or clicking ADJUST on the Delete icon in the main window. 'Do you want to create a new vicinity file? This will wipe all existing records' - If you want to save a base already loaded then click on the Cancel button then save your base, otherwise click on the Ok button to create a base with one record in it and the main window will open (or be updated) with Name, Address and Telephone in corresponding icons. >> Loading an existing base If Vicinity is loaded either drag the file from the filer window onto any part of vicinity (i.e. the icon bar icon, the main window) or double-click on the file in the filer window. If Vicinity is not loaded but has been booted by the filer (*Filer_Boot or been 'seen' be the filer when the filer window was opened) you can double-click on the Vicinity file in a filer window and Vicinity will automatically load itself and the that base. >> Saving a base: As a Vicinity file (Key short-cut F3) With the main window up, click SELECT on the 'Save' button - this will save the base where it was last saved or open a save box for you to specify the saving place. >> Saving a base: As a Vicinity file and specify the saving place (F3) With the main window up, click ADJUST on the 'Save' button - this will open a save box for you to speciy the saving place by draging the Vicinity file icon to a filer window or by typing in the path name. >> Saving a base: As a CSV file for use with Mail Merge (With Impression) With the main window up, click MENU on the 'Save' button - this will open a large save box allowing you to save as a Text File or CSV File (Comma Seperated Variables) and allowing you to specify the way the files are saved. In the CSV File section the option 'Field names' means the first line in the CSV File is 'name,address,telephone' which Mail Merge takes as the names each of the parts of the record. To save the CSV File hold SELECT on the CSV File icon and drag the mouse pointer to a filer window and drop SELECT. You can also change the saved name by typing in the icon below the dragable one. >> Saving a base: As a Text File (For above as well, key short-cut SHIFT+F3) With the main window up, click MENU on the 'Save' button - this will open a large save box allowing you to save as a Text File or CSV File (Comma Seperated Variables) and allowing you to specify the way the files are saved. Option DDF format saves the file with Impression styles so that if the Text File is dragged into an Impression frame the name is in bold, the address is normal, and the telephone number has 'Tel:' in normal and the numbers in italics. To save the Text File hold SELECT on the Text File icon and drag the mouse pointer to a filer window and drop SELECT. You can also change the saved name by typing in the icon below the dragable one. >> Creating a new record into a base (Key short-cut INSERT) With the main window up, click SELECT on the Insert button. 'Are you sure you want to insert a record?' - Click Ok to create a new record at the end of the base (the main window will be updated to display the new record). Name, Address and Telephone texts will be in the corresponding icons. >> Removing an existing record from a base With the main window up, click SELECT on the Delete button. 'Are you sure you want to delete '<record name>'?' - Click Ok to remove the named record at the viewed position in the base. >> Searching for a record (Key short-cut F4, Previous search string F2) With the main window up, click SELECT on the Search button. The Search window will be opened near the mouse pointer. The option 'Names only' means the search will only look at the names field (first), the option Forward means the search will start with the next record instead of from the first. Click on the Search button in the Search window to search for the text. Please note the search is not case sensitive and will search for the text string in a text string (BASIC INSTR command). >> Jumping directly to a record (Goto) (Key short-cut F5) With the main window up, click ADJUST on the Search button. The Goto window will be opened near the mouse pointer. Type the record number and press RETURN or click on the Goto button and the main window will display that record (if it exists). Please note typing a record greater than the number in the base will get you the first record and a number below one will get you the last record. >> Listing all entries names. With the main window up, click MENU on the Search button. A menu will be opened showing the names of all the entries in the address book. Clicking on any of these will make Vicinity go directly to that record. >> Key short-cuts (The same as !Edit most of the time) Key(s) name Operation/Window ESC Closes the main window (Not the file) F3 Vicinity file save window F4 Search window F5 Goto window SHIFT + F3 CSV and Text File save window PAGE UP Record + 1 PAGE DOWN Record - 1 CTRL + UP First record CTRL + DOWN Last record INSERT Create a new record >> Vicinity can import other peoples address book formats... Just drag a foreign address book's file onto Vicinity and you will be able to load it as a normal Vicinity file. Current formats that are understood: Author Application Magazine ¹Kevin Swinton Direct Archimedes World ¹Mark Hobson TelAddr Archimedes World ²J. Robbins Card2 Archimedes World ¹Barry Wickett BigBook Archimedes World ²Toby Smith MailLabel Eureka (The Arm Club) ¹Chris Davis NewsFlash Bulletin Board(s) ¹Neil Walker Addresses <none> Current formats that can be saved from Vicinity: Application/Filetype ²Text ²DDF Text ²Tag Text ¹CSV ¹Direct ²Card2 Coming soon! Pocket Book/Psion file conversion. If I get the file format! ¹ as a whole database with multiple records. ² as a single record which can be added to an existing base. >>> 1.22 - Slight changes. Dialing closes windows, Dial on search, more help supported. NEW Compression module which is incompatible with older versions! >>> 1.21 - Made ready for many more file formats to be saved FROM Vicinity. Ability to save as Direct and Card2 file formats. >>> 1.20 - New menu structure! And a clipboard. >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.19! >> Additional buttons!? The one with the telephone (which is only displayed when the Serial Block Driver application has been booted) is the same as the menu option 'Dial via modem'. The one with the red line on a white rectangle (a caret) is the same as the menu option 'Send to caret'. >> Listing all entries names. With the main window up, click MENU on the Search button. A menu will be opened showing the names of all the entries in the address book. Clicking on any of these will make Vicinity go directly to that record. >>> 1.18 - Joined Dizzy Wizard Software, Redraw a little quicker >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.17! >> Basic Compression The !RunImage has been changed so that BasCompress can be used on it. Since I copied the !RunImage from somewhere else when I originally wrote the program, there are many dormant procedures and functions. So many that a 38% BASIC file can be produced by running it through BasCompress (1.60)! >> What are Extended Tasks? These are programs stored in !Vicinity.Auto.Extended which use the data stored in an address book and either change it or convert it to something, they can do anything that might help anybody. >> How do I use Extended Tasks? They can be accessed from the address window's menu - at the bottom. Move the mouse pointer to the right and a list of the available Extended Tasks will be displayed. Choose any one and it will be run (from disc). >> How can I write my own Extended Tasks? Simple! Copy mine! I've use some functions (in BASIC) to get any passed parameters easily. Each Extended Task is run with the following parameters. Using DumpToPRN as an example: DumpToPRN <records> <address of Data> "<Info string>" The first REM statement at the very beginning of the file will be used in the menu as a short description of the operation done by the Extended Task. For your information this text starts at position six in the BASIC file so you can still fit a branch around it in a Utility or Absolute file type. It is feasible that a Text file could be put and run as an Extended Task. >>> 1.16 - Although 1.15 crashed again! ...due to weird things happening with the Templates file (and which /seems/ to have been fixed by telling the Templates that sprites were sprites!). More file conversions and holding down on up or down arrows will move to the very beginning or the very end. Search control window added. Configure window changed so you can change the maximum records and whether compression is used for saving files. >>> 1.15 - 1.14 crashed for some reason So this version was built from 1.13 and the parts of 1.14 that worked. A Previous button added to Search window so that you know you can do it. Also, toggling of those radio/option buttons by using F3 and F4 (for keyboard people like myself). More file importing formats added. >>> 1.14 - Replaced all occurances of 127 and 128 with variables. The value of this variable is read in from the last entry of the Choices file and sets the maximum number of records that Vicinity can handle. I haven't, and don't even won't to think about, testing it if this number is less than the number of records in a file then loading this file. >>> 1.13 - Able to import Termite Directory files (!Termite.Protocols.Directory.Directory) >>> 1.12 - Using MessageTrans since DataSystem not registered and is too radical >>> 1.11 - New file format since the other was decided upon a bit quickly Still supports older formats but saves as the new format >>> 1.10 - You can toggle the texture mapping in the configurations >>> 1.09 - Interactive help supported fully >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.08! Little oddity sorted out with type window - the Type again button didn't do anything! Inaddition, you can now put a prefix infront of numbers before dialling. This is configured in the configure window and is specified after clicking on the Dial via modem item in the menu. This also means that when the dial window comes up it shouldn't dial immediately as you won't have time to set the prefix button to on (since off is default). This means that it doesn't dial as soon as you've clicked on the Dial via modem item but after you click on the button Start dial in the dial window. You can now load and save the default base by using the menus instead of just going through the directory structure of !Vicinity. To load the default the item is on the main menu from the Iconbar. To save the default, ie to make a different file the default, click on the Make this default button on the Base menu from the address window. >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.07! >> How to TYPE an entire record to the CARET! Firstly, choose the record you want to type to the caret. Now put the caret where you want to type the record. Eg In an Edit window, or Termite window. Now click MENU in the main window. Choose Send to caret and a window will appear giving details about the typing. Vicinity will immediately start typing the current record to wherever the caret happens to be. >>> 1.06 - Better use of Serial Block Drivers >>> 1.05 - Updated Relocatable Modules >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.04! >> Files are now compressed when saved! On some files I managed to get the compressed file to be around 13% the size of the original(!) and others to around 20%! I knew my file format wasted a lot of memory but to compress to 13%! Vicinity will still load the non-compressed files and actually stores the base as the non-compressed files in memory. >>> What are the NEW features to version 1.03! >> How to DIAL the number in the current record! Even more importantly you must have a telephone connected to the same line as the modem (which you also must have) if you want to make a voice call. This doesn't matter if you're phoning a computer which will beep at the modem, etc. You will also need to have the Block drivers found in an application called !SerialDev. These can be downloaded with RSDFS, Termite and the Internet Starter Kit. (I know this since I have them all!) You will probably be able to download them on their own. Firstly you have to set up the configurations window. To do this click ADJUST on Vicinity's icon on the iconbar. The window will open in the centre and tell you the current settings. If you've used a comms program that uses Block drivers found in an application called !SerialDev then the first two should be easy. On a normal computer (Acorn) you should set these to Internal and port 0. The next two icons are for dialling and reseting the modem. For my US Robotics 14.4k modem the dialling string is ATDT with a space at the end (may not need this Termite does it though!) and the reset string is ATZ. This modem is Hayes compatible (I believe!) so these should work with any Hayes compatible modem. If this was the first time you set up the configurations click SELECT on the Save button to save these settings. The Ok button will use the settings and not save them, the Cancel button will use the settings there when you opened the window without saving them. >> The actual dialling business Open the main window by clicking SELECT on the bar icon. Go to the record you want to dial the telephone number of. Click MENU in the main window. Choose the Dial item on the menu. Vicinity will dial the number and open a window allowing you to reset the modem or to dial the number again. Once it is ringing however, and you want a voice call, you ought to lift your telephones handset (If you have a handset), then click on Reset modem otherwise the modem will beep at everybody on the line! >> Glossary Base - One Vicinity file containing one or more records Field - E.g. Name, Address or Telephone Record - The main window displays one record SaveBox - Used to save a file to floppy disc, hard disc etc Modem - You used it to get this probably Otherwise, it's a Modulator/Demodulator RSDFS - Remote Serial Disc Filing System by Chris Claydon of ARMed Forces Termite - Communications Environment by DoggySoft >> Problems, queries, errors, bugs... EMail: juggler@aschamhs.demon.co.uk Fido: 2:255/93.7 as John Wright BBS: Arcade... John Wright Other.... Juggler Other includes Databank, Digitax, Arctic, Renegade, Archiboard, and more