Colossal Cookbook

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Colossal Cookbook / ColossalCookbook.cdr / mm / mmrecipe / readme < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1989-05-11 | 14.9 KB | 331 lines

**************************************** * * * MEAL-MASTER * * Quick-Start Instructions * * * **************************************** *** WHAT IS MEAL-MASTER? *** Meal-Master is a menu-driven database system especially created and tailored to manage recipes. With Meal-Master, you can store, update, and print your recipes in a variety of formats. But the real power of Meal-Master lies in its search and utility functions! You can search for recipes using any combination of Title, Category, or Ingredient criteria. Imagine being able to find all the recipes that can be made with a certain ingredient! Plus, just change the number of servings a recipe makes, and all the individual ingredient amounts will be adjusted automatically! To help in entire menu preparation, you can "mark" recipes as you select them. Then activate the Shopping List function: Meal-Master will find the ingredients for all the marked recipes, total the quantities of like items, and print a shopping list! Other features allow you to print a recipe index by title or category, "batch" print a set of recipes, or "extract" recipes to a standard DOS file, so you can use it in a word processor or upload it to a bulletin board system. Extracted recipes can also be "imported" back into Meal-Master without retyping - making recipe exchange with friends that use Meal-Master a real snap! Meal-Master not only replaces the dog-eared, disorganized collection of index cards found in most kitchens, it provides a valuable tool for meal selection and preparation! *** WHAT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED? *** Meal-Master should run on any IBM-PC, PC-XT, or close compatible with at least 256k of memory. It will run on floppy or hard disk systems, with either a color or monochrome monitor. Meal-Master page 2 Quick-Start Instructions *** HOW DO I GET STARTED? *** To start using Meal-Master, you need only the program file, named MM.EXE. When you type "MM" and press return, Meal-Master should begin running. Meal-Master stores your recipes in three files: INDEX.MMF, INGRED.MMF, and DIRECT.MMF. It uses a fourth file, PARM.MMF, to store information such as what kind of forms you are using on your printer. Starting with version 5.00, there is also a fifth file, CATFILE.MMF, which is used to store a list of valid recipe categories. If any of these files are not found when Meal-Master starts, they are created automatically. This makes Meal-Master very easy to install: just copy the MM.EXE file to the diskette or hard disk directory of your choice, type MM, and press return. Meal-Master will ask you for the operating parameters it needs to build the PARM.MMF file, then create a new recipe database. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT NOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you have been using a previous version of Meal-Master (or Meal-Meister), with a version number less than 5.01, then your current working disk or hard disk directory will contain two program files, MM.COM and MM.000. YOU SHOULD DELETE THESE TWO FILES before attempting to use version 5.01 or higher of Meal-Master. Alternately, create a new working disk (or directory) and copy your database files (*.MMF) to the new disk or directory, along with the new program file. Version 5.01 and higher of Meal-Master consists of one program file, MM.EXE. If both the new (MM.EXE) and old (MM.COM) files are present on the disk and directory when you type "MM" and press return, the new program will be ignored and the old program will be run. Also, for Meal-Master to run properly you must have the file CONFIG.SYS in the root directory of the disk you boot from, and it must contain a "FILES=xx" statement, where "xx" is at least (11). If not, some Meal-Master functions will not operate. If you're in a hurry to see how some of Meal-Master's advanced features work, you can try it out with the sample recipe database provided. Make sure that the provided INDEX.MMF, INGRED.MMF, DIRECT.MMF, PARM.MMF, and CATFILE.MMF are on the same disk and directory as the program files, and start Meal-Master. Then try out the search, shopping list and batch print options. You can keep these recipes and add to them, or delete the files and start your own database. Meal-Master page 3 Quick-Start Instructions *** OK, IT'S RUNNING - NOW WHAT? *** Meal-Master is completely menu driven and very easy to use. ADDING RECIPES Selecting 'A' from the main menu allows you to add new recipes to the file. You will be prompted for the title, categories (each recipe can reference up to five categories), and number of servings. When asked for categories, a window will be displayed containing all the valid category names (If more than one page of names exist, the PGUP and PGDN keys will move through the categories; and category names can be changed, added, or deleted from the Maintenance/Setup menu). Next, Meal-Master will display the ingredient screen. To add an ingredient, press the "INSERT" key or the "I" key. A new line will be inserted, and you will be prompted first for the ingredient quantity, then the unit of measure, and, finally, the ingredient name. The quantity can be entered as either a common fraction (i.e., 1/2) or as the decimal equivalent (i.e., 0.5), but will be displayed in the format selected on the Maintenance/Setup Screen (MM comes setup to display common fractions; if you want to see decimal equivalents, simply change the format option on the Maintenance/Setup Screen). The quantity field will also accept an "H", to allow a heading to be entered for a group of ingredients. Repeat the steps above for each ingredient you wish to enter. After all ingredients have been entered, press the "ESC" key to proceed to the direction entry screen. Each line of recipe directions can be added just as ingredients are added - simply press the "I" or "Insert" keys to create a new line, enter the line of text, then press return. Also, there is a complete "word-wrap" feature available. If you continue typing past the end of the line, the cursor will automatically break between words and continue on the next line. When all directions have been entered, press the "ESC" key again. If you make a mistake and wish to delete an ingredient or a line of direction text, use the up/down arrow keys to position that line to the center of the display window, then press the F10 key. SEARCHING FOR RECIPES Selecting 'S' from the main menu takes you to the heart of Meal-Master. Here you can specify search criteria and have Meal-Master find the recipes that match. You Meal-Master page 4 Quick-Start Instructions can instruct Meal-Master to select only those recipes that: a) Contain a certain word or phrase in their title; b) Reference a certain category (ie, "Soups" or "Main Dishes"); c) Use a specific ingredient; d) Any combination of the above. Once you have entered your search criteria, pressing "S" will start the search. The number and title of each recipe that qualifies will be listed. If you start the search without entering any search criteria, all recipes in the file will be listed. Note that a search may be stopped at any time by pressing the ESC key. LISTING, REVISING, and MARKING Recipes found by the search function will be followed by a prompt asking if your wish to List, Revise, or Mark any of them. If you type an "L", another prompt will ask if you want the recipe listed on the screen or on your printer. If you select the printer, the recipe will be printed using the parameters specified in the "Maintenance/Setup" section of the program ('M' from the main menu; there you can specify what size and type forms you are using for Recipe printouts and for Listings, and specify special printer controls). If you type 'R', you will receive the Revise menu. From here, you can update the selected recipe title and category list; add, delete or revise ingredients and directions; or change the number of servings. When changing the number of servings, Meal-Master will ask if you want the ingredient quantities adjusted. If you answer yes, Meal-Master will adjust all the ingredient quantities in the same proportions as the serving size change you have made! You can also 'Remove' a recipe from the file. When you use this option, the recipe is not really deleted, but just marked as removed. The recipe can still be seen in searches and can be 'Restored' until it is permanently deleted by use of the "Delete Removed Records" option on the Utilities menu. If you type an 'M', a prompt will ask which recipe you want to mark. Enter one of the displayed recipe numbers and press return to mark that recipe. Once some recipes are marked, you can use the 'Shopping List' and 'Batch Print' features on the Utilities Menu. These options only process marked recipes, allowing you Meal-Master page 5 Quick-Start Instructions to automatically print several selected recipes, or produce a consolidated list of ingredients to use as a shopping list! *** MORE HELP *** It is impossible to cover all the features of Meal-Master in this short file, but the preceding instructions, with some experimentation, should get you started using Meal-Master. If you decide to keep and register Meal-Master, you will receive a comprehensive user's manual with complete descriptions of all Meal-Master's features. As a registered user, you will also receive announcements and discounts on future versions of Meal-Master. *** REGISTERING MEAL-MASTER *** Meal-Master is shareware. That means you get a chance to "try-before-you-buy". If you like Meal-Master, and decide after trying it to keep and use it, you should register. To register, and receive the latest version of Meal-Master, along with the complete user's manual, please send check or money order for $35.00 (includes shipping/handling) to: Episoft Systems Suite #143 1321-N SE Everett Mall Way Everett, WA 98204 (Residents of Washington state add 7.8% sales tax)