




          ****      **** **                           ***
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            **      **  ***   ***** *** ***    ****    **
             **    **    **  **      **  **       **   **
              **  **     **  ******  **  **   ******   **
               ****      **      **  **  **  ***  **   **
      ******    **      **** *****    ******  ******* ****
     **    **                      **
     **        ****  ****  *****  *****   ****   *** **** ***    *****
      ******    **    **  **       **    **  **   ***  ***  **  **
           **    **  **   ******   **    ******   **   **   **  ******
     **    **     ****        **   **    **       **   **   **      **
      ******   **  **     *****     ***   *****   ***  ***  *** *****
                 ****
           **         **        **   *       **
          * *        *           *  *         *
            *   *   *  ***  * ** * *     ***  * ***   ***   ****
            *  **  *  *   * **   **     *     **  *  *   * **   *
            * * * *   *   * *    * *    ***** *   *  *   *  *   *
            **  **    *   * *    *  *       * *   *  *   *  *   *
            *   *      ***  *   **   *  ****  *   **  ***   ****
                                      *                     *
                                       **                  ***


                                  Presents...

                            STATUS DATABASE MANAGER
























      STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop
                 & Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved

                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Disclaimer & Registration Information
-------------------------------------

THIS  SOFTWARE  AND MANUAL  ARE  SOLD  "AS  IS" AND  WITHOUT  WARRANTIES  AS TO
PERFORMANCE OF  MERCHANTABILITY OR  ANY OTHER  WARRANTIES WHETHER  EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED.  BECAUSE OF  THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH
THIS PROGRAM  MAY BE PUT,  NO WARRANTY OF  FITNESS FOR A  PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS
OFFERED.    GOOD  DATA  PROCESSING  PROCEDURE  DICTATES  THAT  ANY  PROGRAM  BE
THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH  NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON  IT.  THE USER MUST
ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF  USING THE PROGRAM.  ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL
BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY  TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.

If you received this program from a bulletin board, be sure to do a virus check
before using it.

The author retains  all rights to the STATUS  Database Manager program and this
documentation.   You may  not distribute  the STATUS  Database Manager program,
documentation, or sample database files  in modified form.  You must retain all
references to  the author.   The  STATUS Database  Manager program  is marketed
under the  shareware scheme, is NOT  a public domain program,  and is NOT free.
You may try out the program for up to 30 days, after which you must register it
(pay for  it).   If you were  charged a  fee when you  obtained STATUS Database
Manager, you must still register  the program (such fees are "copying fees" and
are not payment for the program).

You may distribute, in  unmodified compressed form, the STATUS Database Manager
program, documentation,  and sample  database files  together, not  as separate
expanded files.  You may not charge any fees for disk, mailers, etc., except as
noted below.

When you  register you will be  sent the latest version  of the STATUS Database
Manager program (without that annoying introduction screen), documentation, and
sample  databases.   After  you  register, any  subsequent  downloads  of later
releases of  STATUS Database  Manager from bulletin  boards do  not require new
registration.   The  non-commercial  single  user registration  fee  for STATUS
Database Manager is $25.00 US.  The commercial/government and multi-system site
fee for  STATUS Database Manager is  $100.00 US.   Please send the registration
form (ST-REG.TXT) to:

                            Visual Systems Workshop
                         2442 NW Market St., Suite 520
                               Seattle, WA 98107

Anyone wishing to charge people a fee for giving them a copy of STATUS Database
Manager  must have  written  authorization of  the  author, without  which, the
distributor is guilty  of copyright violation.   To receive such authorization,
send your name, your organization's name, your address, and telephone number to
the address listed above.   You will receive an application for distribution of
STATUS Database  Manager by mail.   For distributors  already recognized by the
Association of Shareware Professionals, this authorization is not necessary.





                                    Page 2
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation




                               Table of Contents
                               -----------------

                 Description of STATUS Database Manager   4
                 History                                  4
                 System Requirements                      4
                 Installation                             5
                 DOS Command Syntax                       5
                 Using Menus                              6
                 Navigating Records                       7
                 Navigating Fields                        7
                 Dialogs & Controls                       8
                 Basic Editing                            9
                 Sample Session                          10
                 File Menu                               13
                 Edit Menu                               17
                 Record Menu                             19
                 List Menu                               21
                 Define Menu                             23
 

















Please Note: STATUS  Database Manager (TM) is not free.   If you use it, please
pay me  back for  the time  & effort  I put  into creating  and developing this
product by  sending me a  shareware fee of  $25.00.  This  will help ensure the
continuing development and improvement  of the STATUS Database Manager.  Please
see  the  registration  information  on  page 2,  and use the registration form 
"ST-REG.TXT" to register.  Your comments are  welcome,  but please be nice! 
--Thanks.

      STATUS Database Manager Copyright (C) 1993 Visual Systems Workshop
                 & Robert D. Horsefield - All Rights Reserved




                                    Page 3
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Description of STATUS DATABASE MANAGER
--------------------------------------

STATUS Database Manager  (hereafter called "SDM") is  a text based database for
job tracking, client & address  lists, job histories, and anything else you can
dream up.  A number of sample database files have been included for you to try.

An analogy  is the best  way to describe  SDM.  Think  of a database  file as a
notebook.  Inside this notebook  are many pages of identical forms, each filled
in with  different information.   Each page is  called a "record"  in SDM.  The
form which appears  on each page consists of  up to 30 text editing rectangles,
called "fields".  The text in  each field may  be scrolled up  & down, allowing
more text than just the  field's  rectangle. The Sample Session presented later
will take you through building your own database fields.

History
-------

As an engineer, I needed a way to track the progress of the many jobs I work on
simultaneously.  The database programs available have a significant drawback in
this area,  because you are limited  to a certain  predetermined number of text
rows in  each field.  SDM,  on the other  hand, is a  text based database, with
each field being a scrollable text area.

The original incarnation of SDM  was a single use database; all the fields were
in a preset  format.  However I  felt that the concept  could be broadened to a
user  definable database  format which  could  be used  for  other tasks.   The
current version of SDM  is the result.  We use  this program in our office on a
regular basis to track our  job progress, prepare weekly summaries of jobs, and
keep a record of all jobs  worked.  I'm sure you'll find SDM as invaluable as I
have.

System Requirements
-------------------

Required:
A VGA  monitor (& graphics card)  is required to provide  enough pages of video
memory to swap between 4 video screens, and to provide 3 levels of screen size.
A hard  disk is required since  SDM uses disk files  for some temporary storage
(note that SDM will work from a floppy, but some operations will be slow).

Recommended (not required):
A  Microsoft compatible  mouse  makes  using SDM  much  easier, but  it  is not
required (Special  key combinations can do  the same commands  as the menus and
controls).  A  disk cache will speed up  certain operations since SDM uses disk
files for some temporary storage.









                                    Page 4
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Installation
------------

At the DOS prompt, type the following DOS commands:
C:
CD \
MD STATUS
CD STATUS
(place the floppy disk into disk drive A)
COPY A:*.*

You will then need to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file's PATH statement to include
a path to SDM:

PATH (other paths);C:\STATUS

Then reboot your computer (Ctrl+Alt+Delete)  to establish the new path.  If you
are going  to use a mouse,  load the mouse driver  into memory before launching
SDM.


DOS Command Syntax
------------------

To launch  SDM, type "STATUS  [filename]" at the  DOS prompt. If  a filename is
specified, it  will be  automatically loaded.  Do not  include the  ".DBA" file
extension in the filename (it is assumed).




























                                    Page 5
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Using Menus
-----------

  File  Edit  Record  List  Define  [TESTFILE.DBA]   05-01-1993  1/ 2

The text line at the very top of the screen is called the menu bar.  It is used
to select commands to perform from  a list of all available commands.  To use a
mouse to select  menu commands, simply move the  mouse pointer to the menu bar,
and depress  the mouse button over  the menu you  want to open.   The menu will
stay open  as long as  the mouse  button is held  down.  With  the mouse button
depressed, drag down the menu to the command you want, and release.

To use the keyboard to  execute commands, hold down the "Alt" key, and type the
first letter of the menu you want to open.  To select a command, use the up and
down arrows to  select the command, and  press return to execute  it.  The left
and right arrows  may be used to  move to other menus.   The "Esc" (escape) key
may be used to cancel a menu.

You will note that some menu commands have a square followed by a letter at the
right side.  This is an  "Alt" key command that you can use as a shortcut.  For
instance, hold  down the  "Alt" key  and type an  "S" to  execute the File:Save
command.   Some  menu commands  have an  "F" at  the right  side followed  by a
number.   These commands can  be executed simply  by pressing the corresponding
function key on your keyboard.

Some menu  commands are dimmed.   This means they are  not available because of
the current situation.  For instance, File:Save is only available if a database
is open, and it has been changed since it was last saved.

Ellipses following  a command name,  such as File:Save  As... indicate that SDM
will ask  for more  information before  executing the  command.   For instance,
File:Save As will request a new name to save the file under.























                                    Page 6
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Navigating Records
------------------

The currently displayed record is displayed at the right end of the menu bar as
XX/YY.  The current  record is XX out of a total  of YY records.  Also shown at
the right  end of the  menu bar  is the date  that the current  record was last
changed.  The maximum number of records in a database is 2000.

To move  to the  previous record,  use the  Record:Previous command  (or simply
press the shortcut  key F5).  To  move to the next  record, use the Record:Next
command (or simply press the  shortcut key F6).  Note that the record number in
the right end of the menu bar will change.

A special  record called the  "TEMPLATE" is implemented  as record number zero.
This record  is password protected,  and is  only available if  no password has
been defined, or  after you have entered the  correct password.  Every time you
add a  new record with the  Record:Add command, a new  record is inserted after
the current  record, and  the contents  of the TEMPLATE  are copied  to the new
record.

Navigating Fields
-----------------

To select a field  to edit, click the mouse inside  the border of the field you
want to  edit.  Its border  will become a  double line to  indicate it has been
selected.   If  you are  using  the keyboard,  pressing  Tab will  move forward
through the fields, and shift-Tab will move backwards through the fields.

          +------------Field Title Here-------------+
          |This is a test of the emergency          |
          |broadcast system. In the event of an     |
          |actual emergency, you would be notified  |
          |where to tune for news and important     |
          |information. This is only a test.        |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          +---------------A Note Here---------------+

Some fields have scroll bars  at the right side, although they are only visible
if the border is large enough.   Clicking the mouse on the up arrow scrolls the
screen up one row,  and similarly down one row for  the down arrow.  The square
shows the position of the displayed text relative to all the text in the field.
You can drag this square (click on square, drag, release) to a new position and
the screen  will scroll.   Clicking the mouse  in the scroll  bar above the box
will page  up one screen, and  similarly clicking below the  box will page down
the screen.  The page Up and Page Down keys also work.

Fields can be  defined with two different  sizes.  If the  current field has an
expanded size,  the Edit:Expand/Contract  menu option  is available  (or simply
type F4).

Each field  has a maximum limit  of 132 lines  of text (about  six screens or 2
printed pages), or 10,296 characters.


                                    Page 7
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Dialogs & Controls
------------------

A dialog is  a box that is  displayed when more information  is needed.  Inside
this box may be text, edit fields, check boxes, or buttons.  Dialog edit fields
operate  identically  to  record  fields  described  previously  (this includes
selecting them by either mouse clicking in the border, or tabbing).

A check box looks like this: [ ] Sample Check Box

These are  useful for selecting between  different options.   To select a check
box, click the mouse between the brackets, and a check mark will appear between
them.  Clicking there again will  remove the check mark.  To select a check box
from the  keyboard, hold down the  control key (may be  labeled Ctrl), and type
the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case).

A button looks like this: [ Sample Button ]

Buttons will  execute some immediate action  such as Save  or Cancel.  Normally
they appear in the bottom border of the dialog.  To execute a button, click the
mouse between  the brackets.   Pressing the  Enter key will  execute the button
shown in white (the default action), and the Escape key will cancel the dialog.
To  execute a  button from  the keyboard,  hold  down the  control key  (may be
labeled Ctrl), and type the first letter of the name (Ctrl+S in this case).































                                    Page 8
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Basic Editing
-------------

Each field may be edited  using standard editing techniques common to most word
processors.    More  advanced   techniques  are  described  in  the  Edit  Menu
description.   The  following is  a  list of  special  keyboard keys  and their
effect:

[Home] moves the cursor to the left end of the current row of text.

[End] moves the cursor to the far right end of the current row of text.

[Up Arrow] moves the cursor up one row of text & scrolls if necessary.

[Down Arrow] moves the cursor down one row of text & scrolls if necessary.

[Left Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the left.

[Right Arrow] moves the cursor one position to the right.

[Ctrl]+[Left Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the preceding word.

[Ctrl]+[Right Arrow] moves the cursor to the beginning of the next word.

[Page Up] scrolls the text in the field up one screen.

[Page Down] scrolls the text in the field down one screen.

[Delete] deletes letter at the cursor, or deletes the current selection.

[Backspace] deletes the character to the left of the cursor.

[Ctrl]+[Y] deletes the current row of text

[Insert]  toggles between  insertion overwrite  mode.   In insertion  mode, The
cursor is a flashing underscore  "_", and a typed character is inserted between
existing characters.  In Overwrite mode the cursor is a flashing solid box, and
typing replaces existing characters.

















                                    Page 9
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Sample Session
--------------

This session  will guide you through  creating a very  simple database for your
addresses:

1. From  the DOS prompt, type  "STATUS" then press return  to load the program.
The menu bar will be displayed at the top.

2.  Select the  File:New  menu item  (or  press Alt+N)  to  create a  new blank
database.

3. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create a new field.  If you are not
using a  mouse, a default  border with instructions  is presented, which allows
you to  move the border  around using the  arrow keys.   Try changing the size,
then press  Enter to accept  the size.   If you  are using a  mouse, the cursor
becomes a "+", and you  define a border by clicking & dragging, and release the
mouse button on  the opposite corner.   We will modify the  border below, so it
doesn't matter what border boundaries you define now.

4. Select the  Define:Modify Field menu item to  display the definition of your
new field.  This command affects the currently selected field, which is the one
you  just created.   Use  your  mouse to  click-select  dialog edit  fields and
controls, or  use the tab  key (for a  complete discussion of  dialogs, see the
"Dialogs  &  Controls"  discussion).    Change  the  definition  to  match  the
following:

Field Title: "Name"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 3, 3, 2, 48, 3, 3
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 1

Select the OK  button when you are done making  these changes.  The dialog will
disappear, and the revised field will be shown.

5. Select the Define:Add Field menu item to create another new field as in step
3 above.   Then select  the Define:Modify Field  menu item to  change the field
definition to that shown below:

Field Title: "Job Title"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 6, 6, 2, 48, 6, 6
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 2






                                    Page 10
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

6. Create the following fields using the same procedure described above:

Field Title: "Company"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 9, 9, 2, 48, 9, 9
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 10
Tab Order: 3

Field Title: "Address"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 12, 14, 2, 48, 12, 14
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 10
Tab Order: 4

Field Title: "Phone Numbers"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 3, 6, 51, 79, 3, 6
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 15
Tab Order: 5

Field Title: "Important Dates"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 9, 14, 51, 79, 9, 14
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 0
Tab Order: 6

Field Title: "Remarks"
Bottom Note: (leave blank)
Field Boundary: 17, 24, 2, 79, 6, 24
Colors: 3, 6, 0
Field Type: Text
List width: 0
Tab Order: 7

7. The definition is now  complete.  Since you don't want others to change this
definition without  your permission, select the  Define:Set Password menu item.
Make sure you have typed it in correctly before you select OK.  The Define menu
immediately becomes  inaccessible, except  for the  Define:Enter Password item,
which, when  selected, will ask  you for the  password to regain  access to the
rest of the Define menu.

8. Now select the File:Save menu item.  Since this is a new unnamed database, a
dialog is presented  allowing you to specify the file  name.  You are now ready
to use the database.



                                    Page 11
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

9. You  may now  enter information  into the fields.   The  record displayed is
record number one as shown in the right side of the menu bar.  When you want to
add another  record to the database  (another person in this  case since we are
building an address  list), select the Record:Add menu  item.  The first record
will disappear,  and a new blank  record will appear.   Fill in another persons
information.  You can move around between records using the Record:Previous and
Record:Next menu commands.

10.   To see a  listing of  all the records  (people in this  case), choose the
List:All menu item.   You may select  a record from the  list with the mouse or
arrow keys, and select OK to move to that record.

This  concludes  this brief  sample  session.   There  are  many  more advanced
features in this program which  are not discussed in this session.  Please read
the commands discussion in the following pages for a more thorough discussion.








































                                    Page 12
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

File Menu
---------

The File menu  is used to perform actions  that affect an entire database file,
such  as creating  a  new  database, opening  an  existing  database, printing,
quitting, etc.

+File-----------------+
| New               N | Creates a new database
| Open...           O | Opens an existing database file
|---------------------|
| Save              S | Saves the current database
| Save As...          | Saves the current database under a new name
| Revert to Saved     | Reverts the current database to the last saved
|---------------------|
| Print Settings...   | Sets the printer characteristics
| Print...          P | Sends output to the printer
|---------------------|
| Close               | Closes the current database
| Quit              Q | Closes the current database & exits SDM
+---------------------+

File:New (Alt+N)
Creates a new  blank, untitled database without  any field definitions.  Before
you can use a new database, you must define at least one field to write text in
(see the Define menu description).

File:Open (Alt+O)
Opens an existing  database.  A list of  available database files is displayed.
Click the mouse on the database to open (or use the arrow keys to highlight the
appropriate database file), and  click [ OK ] to open  it, or [ Cancel ].  Only
files with the .DBA extension are  listed.  If you have a mouse, you can double
click the mouse button on a database file name to open it.

               +----------Select File----------+
               |HISTORY.DBA                    |
               |JUNK.DBA                       |
               |MLHJOBS.DBA                    |
               |COLORTST.DBA                   |
               |JOBS.DBA                       |
               |ROLODEX.DBA                    |
               |WHITE.DBA                      |
               |ATEST.DBA                      |
               |BTEST.DBA                      |
               |RDHJOBS.DBA                    |
               |TIMESHT.DBA                    |
               +-------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----+

File:Save (Alt+S)
Saves the currently open database file to disk.  Save often to avoid accidental
data loss due to power failure, etc.




                                    Page 13
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

SDM  maintains a  temporary database  file  which is  created when  File:New or
File:Open is  used.   When you  save a  database file,  this temporary  file is
copied to the file name listed in the menu bar.  This temporary file is deleted
when a  File:Close or File:Quit is  executed.  Should  your computer "crash" in
the middle  of an editing session,  the file "STATUS.BIN"  will remain on disk.
Since it uses the same format as database files, you can rename it with the MS-
DOS "RENAME" command using the  .DBA extension, and be able to read it with the
File:Open command.  Note that when you execute a File:Open or File:New command,
any  existing STATUS.BIN  file  is overwritten  with  new information,  so this
recovery technique must be done before re-entering SDM.

File:Save As...
Same as  File:Save, except  you are  first prompted for  the file  name to save
under.    The file  name  must  follow DOS  naming  restrictions  (8 characters
maximum,  etc.).   SDM  adds the  extension  ".DBA" to  the  name, so  omit the
extension when  typing a new file  name.  If  you type the  name of an existing
database file,  a warning  appears which allows  you to  cancel overwriting the
file.

               +--------------Save As--------------+
               |                                   |
               |  Enter new file name              |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  |Filename                     |  |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  Please omit extension (.DBA)     |
               |                                   |
               +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+

File:Revert to Saved
Re-reads the database  file listed in the menu bar  from disk.  All edits since
the last File:Save  or File:Save As are lost.   A warning is displayed allowing
you to cancel the reversion process.

File:Print Settings
Sets information concerning your  printer.  The "Printer Initialization String"
is  a sequence  of ASCII  characters which  are  sent to  the printer  prior to
printing.  The  "Printer Reset String" is a  sequence of characters sent to the
printer after printing  which resets the printer  to default settings.  Consult
your printer manual  to determine the sequence you need  to send.  You can form
such a  string out of  any keyboard character  except "\", which  has a special
meaning.  The  sequence "\###" means send an  ASCII code character equal to the
value of ###.   You must fill three  character positions for the code (example:
"\027" would send the Escape  character.  The "Page Size" is the number of rows
and  columns   available  on   your  printer  corresponding   to  the  "Printer
Initialization String".

You have  three choices  for "Border  Style".   "ASCII" uses  standard extended
ASCII codes (128-255) to create  borders.  You may need to set the printer font
using the "Printer  Initialization String" to a "PC"  font to use this feature,
otherwise you  may get unusual  characters for  the borders.   "Dash" uses "-",
"+",  and "|"  to  create printer  borders,  but these  don't  look as  nice as
extended  ASCII borders.    Your other  option  is "None",  which  simply omits
borders.

                                    Page 14
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

The "Destination" tells SDM where to send printer output.  "LPT1:" sends output
to  parallel  port 1,  and  "LPT2:"  sends  output to  parallel  port  2.   The
information is sent to a disk file called "STATUS.PRN" before sending it to the
printer, which you may access later from DOS for more copies.  The third option
is "Disk" which  simply skips sending data to  the printer, but still sends the
data to the file "STATUS.PRN".

          +------------------Printer Settings-----------------+
          |                                                   |
          |        +--Printer Initialization String--+        |
          |        |                                 |        |
          |        +------"\###"=ASCII code ###------+        |
          |                                                   |
          |        +------Printer Reset String-------+        |
          |        |                                 |        |
          |        +---------------------------------+        |
          |       Page Size     Border Style   Destination    |
          |   +-Rows-+ +-Cols-+   [ ] ASCII   [x] X (LPT1:)   |
          |   |60    | |80    |   [x] Dash    [ ] Y (LPT2:)   |
          |   +------+ +------+   [ ] None    [ ] Z (Disk)    |
          |                                                   |
          |                                                   |
          +----------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------------+

File:Print (Alt+P)
A dialog is presented which lets you set the quantity, and the record range to
print.  The default record range is the current record shown in the right side
of the menu bar.  When the OK button is selected, the print job is sent to a
disk file called "STATUS.PRN", which is then sent to the printer.

               +------Print Record Dialog------+
               |                               |
               |         +--Quantity-+         |
               |         |1          |         |
               |         +-----------+         |
               |                               |
               |      Record Print Range       |
               |    +--Start--+ +---End---+    |
               |    |1        | |1        |    |
               |    +---------+ +---------+    |
               |                               |
               |                               |
               |                               |
               +------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]------+

When you have a list displayed, the File:Print command will print the list, not
a record. This dialog is somewhat different for lists.

File:Close
The current database is closed, but  you do not exit from SDM.  After closing a
database, you  may use File:New or  File:Open to work on  another database.  If
you have made  changes since the last time the  database was saved, you will be
presented with a dialog asking if you want to save it before closing.


                                    Page 15
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

File:Quit (Alt+Q)
If a database  is open, File:Close is  first executed.  Then  SDM exits back to
the operating system.




















































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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Edit Menu
---------

The edit  menu contains commands which  speed the editing process.   It is only
active when an edit field is selected.

+Edit-------------------+
| Undo                Z | Undo the changes to the current record
| Cut                 X | Cuts selected text to the clipboard
| Copy                C | Copies selected text to the clipboard
| Paste               V | Pastes the clipboard text at the cursor
| Paste Text File...    | Pastes a text file at the cursor
| Clear                 | Deletes the selected text
|-----------------------|
| Start Selection    F1 | Anchors text selection at cursor
| End Selection      F2 | Completes text selection & highlights it
| Hide Selection     F3 | Clears the current text selection
|-----------------------|
| Expand/Contract    F4 | Enlarges or shrinks the selected field
+-----------------------+

Edit:Undo (Alt+Z)
All the  changes that have  been made to  the current record  since it was last
updated are undone.  Updates  occur when you move to another record, or execute
a command which  requires an update to the  current record, such as File:Print.
It is only active if changes have been made since the last update.  A dialog is
presented which allows you to cancel the Undo.

Edit:Cut (Alt+X)
Removes the  currently selected text and  places it in  a temporary memory area
called the "clipboard"  for later pasting.   It is only active  if some text is
currently  selected.   To  select text,  see  the Edit:Start  Selection command
below.

Edit:Copy (Alt+C)
Copies  the currently  selected  text to  a  temporary memory  area  called the
"clipboard" for  later pasting.  The  current selection is not  removed.  It is
only  active if  some text  is currently  selected.   To  select text,  see the
Edit:Start Selection command below.

Edit:Paste (Alt+V)
Places the text currently held in the "clipboard" into the field at the current
cursor position.   The text is the clipboard is  not deleted, you may paste the
same text over and over.

Edit:Paste Text File
Places a  text file at  the current cursor  position. You are  prompted for the
name of  text file  to place.  Only files with  the .TXT  extension are listed.
During  the  conversion process,  the  [Esc]  key  may be  used  to  cancel the
placement.





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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Edit:Clear
Removes  the currently  selected  text.   It  is only  active  if some  text is
currently  selected.   To  select text,  see  the Edit:Start  Selection command
below.

Edit:Start Selection (F1)
A new selection range is anchored at the current cursor position.

Edit:End Selection (F2)
The  selection  range  is extended  from  the  starting  place  (see Edit:Start
Selection above)  to the  current cursor  position.  May  be used  to extend an
existing selection range.

Note: If you have  a mouse, there is a much  easier way to select text.  Simply
move the mouse  pointer to where you want to  start the select, press the mouse
button  down, drag  the  pointer  to the  end  position, and  release.   Double
clicking the mouse pointer over a word will select the word.

Edit:Hide Selection (F3)
Unhighlights the current selection.

Edit:Expand/Contract (F4)
Some fields have an expanded size.   If the current field has such a size, this
command is available.  Pressing  F4 will toggle between the normal and expanded
sizes.






























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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Record Menu
-----------

The record menu is used to move between records, add & delete records, etc.

+Record-----------+
| Previous     F5 | Moves to the preceding record
| Next         F6 | Moves to the next record
|-----------------|
| Add             | Adds a new record following the current record
| Delete          | Deletes the current record
|-----------------|
| Archive         | Archives the current record
| Revive          | Revives the current record
| Skip Archived   | Toggles skipping of archived records
|-----------------|
| Find...      F7 | Search all records & fields for text
| Find Again   F8 | Search for same text again
|-----------------|
| Alphabetize...  | Alphabetize records according to any field
+-----------------+

Record:Previous (F5)
Updates the current  record if it has been  changed, and moves to the preceding
record.   If Record:Skip Archived has  a check mark beside  it, SDM will search
down through  the records  for the  previous un-archived  record.   If password
protection  is off,  or you  have  entered the  correct password,  the TEMPLATE
record (record number 0) is accessible.

Record:Next (F6)
Updates  the current  record if  it has  been  changed, and  moves to  the next
record.  If Record:Skip Archived has a check mark beside it, SDM will search up
through the records for the next un-archived record.  If password protection is
off, or  you have  entered the  correct password,  the TEMPLATE  record (record
number 0) is accessible.

Record:Add
Creates a new  record following the current  record, and moves to  it.  The new
record is an exact copy of the TEMPLATE record (record number 0).

Record:Delete
Deletes the current  record from the database.   Since this procedure cannot be
undone,  a warning  dialog  is presented  which  allows cancelling  the delete.
There are always two permanent records in the database: the TEMPLATE record and
record number 1.  The  TEMPLATE record cannot be deleted; doing so will instead
erase all  text in  the TEMPLATE  record.   If you  have only  one non-TEMPLATE
record, deleting it  will cause it to  be replaced with a  copy of the TEMPLATE
record.







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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Record:Archive
Archives the  current record which  makes it  uneditable.  The  text color will
change  to gray  to indicate  it  is archived.   This  can  be undone  with the
Record:Revive command.

Record:Revive
Revives the current archived record making it accessible again.  The text color
is restored to normal.

Record:Skip Archived
Places a  check mark next  to this  item in the  menu.  When  this is selected,
Record:Previous and Record:Next will skip all archived records.

Record:Find...  (F7)
Presents a dialog for you to enter the text to search for.  Character case (a
or A) is ignored.  Searches forward through the fields of each record for the
next occurrence of the text, moves to the record, and selects the text found.

               +------------Search For-------------+
               |                                   |
               |  Enter search string:             |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  |Find this text               |  |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |                                   |
               |                                   |
               +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+

Record:Find Again (F8)
The same as Record:Find except  that the dialog is skipped, and the same search
text is used as the previous Record:Find.

Record:Alphabetize...
Alphabetizes the records by the text contained in a specified field.  A dialog
is presented for you to choose the field with which to alphabetize the records.

               +----------Alphabetize by Field-----------+
               |Name                                     |
               |Job Title                                |
               |Company                                  |
               |Address                                  |
               |Phone Numbers                            |
               |Important Dates                          |
               |Remarks                                  |
               |                                         |
               |                                         |
               |                                         |
               |                                         |
               +------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+






                                    Page 20
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

List Menu
---------

The list menu allows listing of records.

+List---------------+
| All...         F9 | Lists all records
| All Current...    | Lists only current (un-archived) records
| All Archived...   | Lists only archived records
|-------------------|
| By Field      F10 | Lists all records by a specified field
+-------------------+

Selected information  is gathered  from each  record and  displayed in  a list.
Records are listed  in order, with each  record listed in a  separate row.  You
may  then select  one  of  the records  from  the  list using  the  arrow keys.
Pressing the OK button moves  you to the selected record, while pressing Cancel
returns you  to the current  record.  If  you are using  a mouse, simply double
click the mouse button over the record you want to move to.

The  first three  items  in the  List  menu (List:All,  List:Current,  and List
Archived) generate a list based on two items in the Define:Modify Field command
dialog.  "Tab Order" not only determines the order in which you tab through the
fields of  a record, but  also the order  each field is  displayed in each list
row.  The "List Width"  determines the number of characters displayed from each
field.  If you  do not want a field listed, set  the "List Width" to zero.  See
the Define menu discussion for more information.

The File:Print Settings  and the File:Print menu  commands are available when a
list is displayed, allowing printing of lists.

List:All...  (F9)
All the records in the database are listed, whether or not they are archived.

+Name----------Job Title-------Company---------Address------------+
|A. Aardvark   Ditch digger    Mammals, Inc.   Africa             |
|D. Dodo       Out of work     Extinct Birds,  Island of Mauritus |
|T. Pterodactl Out of work     Leather Goods,  Jurassic Park      |
|P. Parsec     Astro physicist Light Years     Alpha Centari      |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
|                                                                 |
+-----------------------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]----------------------+

List:All Current...
Only those records which are not archived are listed.





                                    Page 21
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

List:All Archived...
Only archived records are listed.

List:By Field... (F10)
A dialog is first presented allowing you to select the field.  All records are
then listed by the text in the field you selected.

          +--------------Select Field---------------+
          |Name                                     |
          |Job Title                                |
          |Company                                  |
          |Address                                  |
          |Phone Numbers                            |
          |Important Dates                          |
          |Remarks                                  |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          +------------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]----------+

Selecting "Name" from the field list might give you a list like this:

          +Rec-Name---------------------------------+
          | 1: A. Aardvark                          |
          | 2: D. Dodo                              |
          | 3: T. Pterodactyl                       |
          | 4: P. Parsec                            |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          |                                         |
          +----------[ OK ]----[ Cancel ]-----------+



















                                    Page 22
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Define Menu
-----------

The define menu commands allow you to create your own field definitions, access
the TEMPLATE record, and set the screen size.

+Define--------------+
| Enter Password...  | Access to the Define menu & Template record
|--------------------|
| Add    Field...    | Add a new field definition
| Delete Field...    | Delete the currently selected field
| Modify Field...    | Modify the currently selected field
|--------------------|
| Screen Settings... | Set the number of displayed screen rows
|--------------------|
| Set Password...    | Set the Define Menu access password
| Delete Password    | Delete the current password
+--------------------+

When defining fields, it is  best not to overlap fields.  A completely obscured
field would be  unselectable with the mouse, and  would pop out of nowhere when
tabbing through the  fields.  It is best to  align the tops of adjacent fields,
as this gives the best  printer output.  When printing, the length of the field
will be  expanded downward to  suit the length  of the field's  text.  Adjacent
fields that have the same top  will both be expanded to the same length.  After
defining a set of fields, it is a good idea to print out a sample record to see
what it will look like.

Define:Enter Password...
If a password  has been defined, this command will  give you access to the rest
of the define menu and  the TEMPLATE record.  A dialog is presented, requesting
the password.   The  password is  case sensitive ("sample"  is not  the same as
"SaMpLe").

               +----Database Definition Security---+
               |                                   |
               |  Enter password:                  |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  |                             |  |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |                                   |
               |                                   |
               +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+

Define:Add Field...
Creates a  new field.   Up  to 30  fields may  be defined.   The  mouse pointer
temporarily becomes a "+".  Click  & hold the mouse button in one corner of the
boundary, drag & release in the opposite corner.

If you  are not using a  mouse, a default  box appears.  Use  the arrow keys to
move  the highlighted  corner,  the  tab key  to  switch back  &  forth between
opposite corners, and press Enter when you are done (or escape to cancel).



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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Define:Delete Field...
Deletes the  currently selected  field from the  database.   Since this command
cannot be  undone with Edit:Undo,  a dialog  is presented asking  if you really
want to proceed.  All text in the deleted field in all records is lost.

Define:Modify Field...
A dialog containing  the current field's definition  is displayed, allowing you
to change  its appearance.  If  you make any illegal  entries, SDM will correct
them when you hit OK (a  sound is made for every correction made).  Each dialog
item is described below:

     +------------------Modify Field # 1-----------------+
     |                                                   |
     |    +--------------Field Title---------------+     |
     |    |Field Title Here                        |     |
     |    +----------------------------------------+     |
     |    +--------------Bottom Note---------------+     |
     |    |A Note Here                             |     |
     |    +----------------------------------------+     |
     |                  Field Boundary                   |
     |    +-Top-++Botm-++Left-++Right++xTop-++xBotm+     |
     |    |8    ||15   ||10   ||50   ||8    ||11   |     |
     |    +-----++-----++-----++-----++-----++-----+     |
     |           Colors               Field Type         |
     |    +Text-++Bordr++Back-+    [x] Text Field        |
     |    |3    ||6    ||0    |    [ ] Decimal # Field   |
     |    +-----++-----++-----+    [ ] Whole # Field     |
     |     0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9     [x] Scroll Bar        |
     |      10 11 12 13 14 15                            |
     |                         +List Width+ +Tab Order+  |
     |                         |0         | |1        |  |
     |                         +----------+ +---------+  |
     +---------------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]---------------+

Field Title: The title centered in the top border of the field.

Bottom Note: A note centered in the bottom border of the field.

Field  Boundary:  The  size   of  the  inside  (text  portion)  of  the  field.
Coordinates are measured  from the upper left corner  (1,1) to the bottom right
corner (80,25 or  80,43 or 80,50 depending on  the screen setting).  Horizontal
coordinates must fall  in the range 2 to  79, and vertical coordinate must fall
in the range 3 to 24 (or  42 or 49) to account for the border and the menu bar.
The expanded  size allows the  user to  expand the field  vertically for easier
viewing and editing (see Edit:Expand/Contract).










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                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Colors: Sets  the colors  of a  field's text,  border, and  background.  Sample
colors are  listed with their  numbers (0-15).   VGA graphics  displays color 8
(gray) as black for backgrounds.  If the border and background color are set to
the same color,  the border will not  be displayed (or printed)  at all.  It is
best not to use color 8 (gray) for the foreground, since that color is used for
archived records.

Field Type:  There are  3 basic  field types:  "Text Field"  contains any text,
"Decimal #  Field" corrects all entered  text to a decimal  number (ex.  2.33),
and "Whole #  Field" corrects all entered text to  an integer number (ex.  21).
If a  field is defined  as one  of the numeric  types and has  a non-zero "List
Width" (see  below), the field  will be summed  when listed.   The final option
"Scroll bar"  attaches a  scroll bar  to the  right border  of the  field.  The
scroll bar  is only shown if  the field is  large enough to  display it, so the
user may have to expand the field with Edit:Expand/Contract to see it.

List Width:  Determines the number of  characters to display in  a list for the
selected field.   If you do  not want a  field listed, set  the "List Width" to
zero.

Tab  Order: Determines  the order  in which  you  tab through  the fields  of a
record, and also the order each  field is displayed in a list.  If you change a
field's tab order to a  number already in use, the tab order is swapped between
the current field and the field using the same number.

Define:Screen Settings...
Allows changing the  current database's screen size.   The choices are 25 rows,
43 rows, or 50  rows.  If you have fields  defined which use more rows than one
of the choices, that choice will not be available.

          +-------------Screen Settings-------------+
          |                                         |
          |               Screen Rows               |
          |             [x] X (25 Rows)             |
          |             [ ] Y (43 Rows)             |
          |             [ ] Z (50 Rows)             |
          |                                         |
          |         (Database uses 16 rows)         |
          |                                         |
          +-----------[ OK ]---[ Cancel ]-----------+















                                    Page 25
                     STATUS Database Manager Documentation

Define:Set Password...
Sets  the password  which allows  access to  the Define  menu and  the TEMPLATE
record.  A dialog is displayed for entering the new password.  The new password
takes  effect  immediately,  and the  Define  menu  is  dimmed  except  for the
Define:Enter Password command.

               +------------Set Password-----------+
               |                                   |
               |  Enter new password:              |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  |                             |  |
               |  +-----------------------------+  |
               |  (for access to the Define menu)  |
               |                                   |
               +-------[ OK ]-----[ Cancel ]-------+

Define:Delete Password
Removes the current password.  When this is done, the Define menu & TEMPLATE
record will always be available until you define a new password.




































                                    Page 26
